Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race is a fantastic blend of fantasy and historical fiction with a unique twist on the Tudor period. Instead of the eight consecutive wives of Henry VIII, in this world he is married to his six queens simultaneously. Each Queen is psychically linked to their own royal palace and the network of palaces forms a protective magical barrier around the island.
This book focuses largely on Queen Boleyn and Queen Seymour, at first the two women are at odds as Boleyn sees Seymour as a romantic rival for Henry's affections, not knowing that Seymour is already in love with her, but as the story unfolds the two women become unlikely allies, and when they uncover the truth about the King's magic they will need the help of their fellow Queens if they are to save both the Kingdom and each other.
This book is filled with magic and mystery, feminist rage and Sapphic longing, political intrigue and devastating consequences. I will say that it starts slowly, there is a lot of world building to get through but once things start to take shape the pace quickens. The emphasis is on women working together and the power of female friendship is woven through the narrative in a very effective manner and I loved the complexity of the characters and seeing how the relationships between them grew over the course of the book. We do get some glimpses of the other Queens, and from what we did see I am looking forward to seeing these characters explored in more depth in the rest of the series, and speaking of the rest of the series that ending ! It was dramatic and powerful in the best possible way.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Having grown up in the South of England, the Tudors were always a quiet presence in the background of my life. I would walk past the old Richmond Palace on my way to work, and recently attended a family event alongside Hampton Court. The Royal Parks were a welcome play and then walking space, so it was easy to superimpose the world of ‘Six Wild Crowns’ onto our own.

This isn't England as we know it, not quite. It’s a world of magic, with pet dragons, griffons and wild crones, fast-travel roads and scrying mirrors. The King must have six wives simultaneously, one at each of six castles located around the realm, in order to maintain the defensive magic that prevents invasion - and of course, provide him with that much-sought heir.

I love how the legends of Henry and his ill-fated marriages has been transformed here into something much more natural, while incorporating the (even now) relatively revolutionary concepts of polyamory and queer relationship. While the men rule through political and religious tradition, this is a story about women standing in their power - and discovering the potential for even more as they do so.

The Queens we know from history are here, but dialled up greatly in personality and strength. We follow two in particular (each named for their family, which is an interesting statement on personal identity): lovely and ambitious Boleyn, and quiet but clever Seymour. Henry takes a back seat in the narrative as his wives delve into the history of just what their roles are, and how much they can push the confining boundary walls of Royal responsibility.

I’m sure this book will shock some historic purists, not least because of its sexual openness but also its emphasis on pre-Christian religion - the God we’re familiar with isn't present at all. Henry rules by grace of Cernunnos (which was fascinating to me as a pagan and lover of the folklore of the British Isles) but it doesn't necessarily make things easier for him. When Boleyn discovers evidence of a Goddess and what that might mean for the true power of England, a touchfire is lit that has implications far greater than simply the contents of her womb.

This is a fantastic subversion of the history we’ve been taught, transforming it into what might have been with the possibility that women absolutely know their own minds. Magic aside, what might have happened if Henry’s Queens had been allowed to blossom into their own freedom? What if state tradition was actually propaganda, twisted to distort and place power in hands that never deserved it?

The story clips along at a great pace, with all of these questions subtly introduced by the clever minds of our protagonists. I suspect I’ll find myself looking at depictions of the wives very differently now, and wish that they’d had more of an opportunity before being crushed by the weight of expectation and duty.

A smart, insightful and engaging alternate history, which left me inspired with its multitude of ‘What Ifs’.

"Six Wild Crowns" by Holly Race presented an intriguing concept and some genuinely creative world-building that kept me turning the pages. I appreciated the unique magical system and the imaginative elements within the narrative. However, I found the pacing a little uneven, with some sections feeling rushed while others dragged, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. Additionally, while the characters had potential, I felt some of their motivations and developments could have been more fully explored. It was an okay read, but didn't quite live up to its promising premise for me.

I really enjoyed this, as this period in time is one of my favourites. I went in blind, not knowing what it was about and loved it! The magic, the sapphic yearning, even the way it was written and the characters surnames was so cool! Really enjoyed

A Tudor-themed fantasy that pits Queen against Queen and Queens against King

In Elben, the King is blessed with the power to protect the kingdom with a magical shield, the Bordweal. But to maintain it's requires the King to have six Queens who share their strength with him (because obviously women aren't capable of dealing with such powerful magic).

This isn't an historical fantasy, it's a different fantasy world that has a Tudor aesthetic. There are pet lap dragons, creepy Crones wandering the countryside, prophecies and goddesses. All six queens, alive at the same time, vie for the King's affections - desperate to be the one to produce a male heir that will ensure the magical protections continue.

Although the set up feels very fantasy-focused, the heart of the story is more about the world of the Queens - the misogynist, patriarchal political, religious and magic systems that reduce them to being scheming, jealous creatures all desperate to please the king. I liked that it's Boleyn, the one who is truly in love with Henry, is the one who uncovers the truth and must decide what is most important - her love or the truth.

I think there's lot of interesting things going on in this book, but it felt like there was a few too many moving pieces and different ideas at times, and yet it also felt a bit slow in places. Boleyn and Seymour are very different perspectives: Boleyn is forceful, sharp and intelligent; Seymour is shyer, cowed by her overbearing and abusive brothers. Neither is wholly likeable, although they do grow on you, but both perspectives suffer from feeling a little repetitive. I also didn't realise until the very abrupt ending that this was the start of a series, I hope the focus doesn't shift into massive fantasy battle territory as I think this was more interesting when it focused on the characters and political scheming (although I do have a theory about the Crones that I want confirmed).

This was such an interesting concept and I really enjoyed it. The first bit of the book was a bit slow and confusing whilst I got my head around the magic system, and I had to remember the historical/political references in some places which could be confusing as there were openly queer people and practices of polyamory. About 1/3rd of the way into the book the story and betrayal really starts getting intriguing and I found it hard to put it down. Both Boleyn and Seymour were great characters to focus on though spoiler alert: the sapphic romance between the pair is not actually a thing, it is sapphic yearning from one or the characters, I really enjoyed the book, the end was shocking and I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

Thank you for the copy of this ARC for an unbiased review.

I decided to give this one another go but unfortunately for me, it was quite the struggle and I threw in the towel once more.

I'm very new to the fantasy genre. I haven't yet quite figured out what I like or don't like, I suppose. For Six Wild Crowns, I expected a fantasy Tudor England where the six queens would get the opportunity to stand up against the tyrant that was their husband. I would have been delighted with that since I love the Tudor period in my historical fiction and I relished the idea that the wives would be able to get their revenge for how they'd been treated. But from the very beginning, I struggled with the characters. I couldn't see past the real life Tudors at all, the constant use of the queens' surnames bothered me immensely, and I failed to see why the author just didn't come up with new characters of her own and created her own wonderful fantasy world instead of just copying what was already there in history.

The promise of dragons didn't seem to come to anything, or not in the way I was expecting in the kind of cool Game of Thrones way. I apparently missed all the political intrigue and there is a lot of what I consider blah-blah but nothing ever really seems to happen. Unless you count the absolutely gross description of Seymour being on her period. Also, where was all the magic I was promised? Did I miss where it says how it even works?

Like I said, I’m not quite a fantasy expert but this one was most definitely not for me. And when it comes to Henry VIII and his six wives, I think I’ll stick to Alison Weir from now on.

3.5 stars
Content warning: death, murder, blood and injury detail, marital rape, adult/minor relationship, miscarriage, abortion, misogyny, ongoing physical abuse from sibling

Six Wild Crowns is a highly fantastical and imaginative take on the Tudor period. Set in a perilous kingdom where the Elben king requires six brides to maintain power, this story creates a stage for certain characters to reclaim their power and overthrow patriarchal rule. Please note that, while this story does focus on some familiar historically known names, it is not an accurate tale. Further, the marketing around this novel does leave a sour taste in my mouth, because I don't think the reader is given the right synopsis for this story. I was thankful that a friend read this before me and was able to tell me this upfront so I could better arrange my expectations, since I did apply for this as a fan of historical fantasy, and am somewhat disappointed by the way it's been misrepresented.

This isn't a historical retelling per se, I'd rather explain it as a feminine rage-led political fantasy, with a highly imaginative kingdom that preys on power through greed and control. Secrets that are uncovered throughout allow our main protagonists to take back what is theirs. It's overall a powerfully told story, and towards the end of the book, I couldn't put it down. There are multiple romantic elements to this story, and I would say to call this purely a romantic tale between our protagonists Boleyn and Seymour is quite a disservice. I liked the complicated nature of connection for both characters from their own experiences shaping who they are and how they love, and saw Seymour and Boleyn as two souls interconnected more so than as lovers.

I did struggle to get invested in this book a lot. The pacing was unbearably slow at times, and I couldn't really fathom what the characters were attempting to do initially. Once the story was built upon, I definitely found some interest in the characters and the cleverness of women working together to regain their agency within a deadly and dangerous world. For me, the story felt complete at the end with a thrilling conclusion, though I can see why the author has made this into a series. I don't think I will be reading on, simply because it took so long for me to get fully into the characters and the story being told. That said, if you thrive on political intrigue and female-led casts, and aren't looking for something historically accurate, then Six Wild Crowns is worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

(ARC Gifted/AD for honest review) Thank you Little Brown Book Group, Orbit, Holly Race and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#SixWildCrowns #NetGalley

3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this read; set in an alternate fantasy-history of the six wives of Henry VIII, Six Wild Crowns centres on Seymour and Boleyn as rivals to friends in a world of dragons and magic.

Overall this was really enjoyable; great pacing and beautifully descriptive. There is definitely scope to expand the story further and explore the other Queens (who in their own right were really interesting characters). Something that slightly threw me off was the tone of voice; sometimes you'd see language fitting to the historical context, and other times modern day phrases would be used. This didn't detract from the story overall (there are literally fantasy creatures in the book after all, not mentioned often but they are there!) but it was confusing to set the scene at times. I’m interested to learn more about the lore and magic systems; I think there’s absolutely more to explore there.

Overall I'd rate this 3.5 stars out of 5 and recommend this to anybody interested in light-touch historical retellings or fantasy world building.

I was completely swept up in SIX WILD CROWNS. It’s a beautifully written, feminist retelling of the wives of Henry VIII, and I loved how it brought these historical women to life. The writing is lush and atmospheric, and while it’s not super fast-paced, I was totally hooked by the characters and their journeys.

The queens—especially protagonists Boleyn and Seymour—are complex, and that’s what makes them so compelling. They’re flawed, sometimes unlikeable, but all the more relatable because of it. Their individual arcs are powerful, but what really stood out to me was their growing awareness of the strength they hold—not just alone, but together. Their journey to finding that power, both personal and collective, is one of the strongest parts of the book.

While magic is central to the premise, it’s not heavy on-page, which makes this a really accessible read even if you don’t usually go for fantasy. The focus is on character, relationships, and reclaiming voice and agency.

If you’re into Tudor history, character-driven stories, or just love reading about powerful, complicated women, I highly recommend SIX WILD CROWNS!

Tudors, court intrigue and politics, sapphic yearning and dragons, what a read!
I really enjoyed reading this book, I found the plot original and I found myself wanting to immerse myself in the world. Although it might've been intended to be more intriguing and engaging, I was bored at times. I found Boleyn to be a such a strong character. However, I thought Seymour's storyline was a bit weak and had a hard time getting behind the relationship.
Overall, this story has so much potential for expansion and the characters to grow. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and what she has to offer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the ARC!

In order to protect the kingdom of Elben, its king needs to wed six women to be his queens and magically bound them into the realm’s six palaces to keep the bordweal a powerful enchantment that protects the island from falling into enemies hands for years and years, kings after kings. This long held tradition of union kept the island safe, but secrets and treacheries lies deep within.

The book is said to be “an epic fantasy retelling of the Tudor Queens” but I am not very familiar with them except for some reels I saw randomly on the internet, so differences and nuances with the original source material are missed 😅

The very first half of the book was spent to fully set the atmosphere of the book and its characters and their development, that is why it is a slow start and it felt like the story fully started at the second half of the book. Though it is nicely done in my opinion as it didn’t really felt like the story is just dragging on. The atmospheric feel of the book helps as well.

The characterization for Boleyn and Seymour are nicely done in my opinion. The book showed the complexity of their characters and how you’ll feel irritated by Boleyn’s actions, frustrated with Seymour’s timidness, but root for them as the two of them together with the rest of Elben’s queens form an uncanny alliance to fight and correct what was wrong, and to take back what was rightfully theirs.

Although, to be honest I felt like this book is just good for the last 100 pages or so, because that’s when most of the thrilling scenes happened, so if you have the patience it’s worth it.

Maybe it’s not the most intricate and mind-blowing fantasy ever but I had fun.  The synopsis may be misleading for some people because, for example, there aren't dragons in the sense one might think of them. Despite all the talk about six queens, we have only two narrators, and there isn't very much backstabbing. 
The plot is simple, and to be honest, you will know where it's going from the start. However, that's not a bad thing because it consistently moves forward and remains interesting.
But in the characters department, for most of the book, I only liked Boleyn; she was the strongest, fully-fledged one, just like I would imagine Anne would be. Seymour was bland, sooo bland, I didn’t get her ambitions or her problems, I felt like she was hiding from the reader. Only at the end, I started to like her. 
For what it’s worth I can recommend this one because once again, it was a fun adventure.

Wow, this book devastated me at every turn.
The slow-burn of feminine rage within the two protagonists, Seymour and Boleyn, is palpable. It is an extraordinary narrative that showcases the many facets of womanhood, and the everyday villainy in which a patriarchy thrives.

You root for Boleyn and Seymour, to fight the injustices committed against them. Their character arcs are well plotted and written. And the world building is extraordinary and detailed, immersing you in the fantastical world of Elben.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

A wild fantasy that imagined a certain King with six wives, being married to them all simultaneously.
There are six Queens in six castles, they are needed to keep the borders of Elben, an ancient Kingdom free from invaders. The bordweal protects, and each Queen and her castle are part of the defence of the realm, they gain their power and authority from their husband.
Boleyn is the newest Queen, in the last twenty years, his other five wives have not provided a male heir.
Seymour is a wedding gift from Aragon, her job is to kill Boleyn before she becomes pregnant, but mild, gentle, naive and downtrodden Seymour has her own agenda, she wants freedom from her overbearing brother, and to find true love and affection.
Boleyn finds ancient documents that suggests there is a great fallacy about Elben, perhaps women are the key to protecting this Kingdom, and they are suffering a terrible price with a King in charge. The magic that protects is more powerful with a network of women working together.
What is a Queen to do? Incite rebellion, and try to create a sisterhood of Queens to protect Elben and save their lives. Will they succeed?
This book is magical, thoughtful and very well written. There are spells, prophecies and dragons to contend with, sapphic longings, this scenario of a King being married to six Queens and visiting each in turn might have been an ideal solution.
A very spirited adventure, very enjoyable and so imaginative. I loved the freshness of this novel, definitely one to recommend to my book group.
I have given this a four star rating.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Little, Brown Book group for my advanced copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave this review to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

I’m a self-proclaimed history nerd, and one of my biggest historical obsessions is the Tudor period. I also love fantasy (especially dragons), so this book felt like it was written just for me.

The story is set in the kingdom of Elben, where King Henry VIII has been blessed with divine magic. That magic takes the form of a protective dome surrounding the kingdom. To maintain it, he must marry six queens and channel his magic through each of them. Every queen lives in her own castle on the outer edges of the realm. That’s all I’ll say about the plot, because I went in fairly blind and found it all the more enjoyable for it.

The character work and worldbuilding are genuinely excellent. It would have been easy for the six queens to blur together, but each one stands out as a fully distinct character. We get point-of-view chapters from both Boleyn and Seymour, and their arcs are brilliant. Howard and Cleves really stood out to me as well. I also loved spotting familiar names from Tudor history like Wolsey, Cromwell, and Wyatt.

Exploring the different parts of Elben was such a treat. Although it’s a fantasy world, it feels grounded and believable (well, as believable as a world with dragons can be).

For me, the book really hits its stride in Parts Two and Three, when the court politics, intrigue, and mystery come into full force.

And that ending? Absolutely spectacular. I need the next book as soon as possible.

Overall, this is a clever and captivating reimagining of Tudor history, set in a richly imagined fantasy world.

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this eCopy to review

When I picked up Six Wild Crowns, I was intrigued by the premise: a fantasy reimagining of Henry VIII and his six wives, set in a world of dragons, ancient magic, and political intrigue. As someone who enjoys both historical fiction and epic fantasy, I was curious to see how Holly Race would blend these elements. The result? A mixed bag—ambitious, atmospheric, but uneven.

The story is set in the kingdom of Elben, where King Henry must marry six queens to maintain a magical barrier called the bordweal, which protects the realm from outside threats. Each queen is chosen not just for beauty or politics, but for the magical power she brings to the king’s cause. The novel opens with Boleyn’s wedding, and from there, we’re plunged into a court full of secrets, rivalries, and dangerous magic.

Boleyn is clever, ambitious, and determined to be the king’s favourite. Seymour, initially introduced as an assassin gifted to Boleyn, becomes a central figure as her loyalty shifts and her relationship with Boleyn deepens into something more intimate and powerful. Their alliance becomes the heart of the story, challenging the patriarchal system that keeps the queens isolated and controlled.

I appreciated the feminist themes and the sapphic romance, which added emotional depth. The world-building is rich, with dragons, crones, and a decaying magical system that hints at deeper lore. However, the pacing falters in the middle. There’s a lot of exposition and political manoeuvring that slows the momentum, and at times, the characters felt more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out individuals.

The ending picks up again with a dramatic twist, setting the stage for future books in the series. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the novel was trying to do too much at once, retelling history, building a fantasy world, and delivering a message about power and resistance.

Overall, Six Wild Crowns is a bold and imaginative debut in the Queens of Elben series.

3.5 stars
This was such an interesting and intriguing historical fantasy, and I really enjoyed the premise of this and the magic system that Holly Race has created.

I really liked our main characters, with Boleyn coming out as a clear favourite despite how unlikable she can be at times. She's clever and won't let anyone stand in her way. She's a fascinating character who you can't help but root for. Seymour is a quiet and somewhat timid character at the beginning, so it was really nice to see her grow into herself as the book progressed.

I do have to admit though that I struggled to get into this one but once I separated it from the original source of Henry VIII and his wives, I felt like I began to enjoy the story more. Other than the names of these characters, the story is its own entity. I also feel like I expected more dragons based on the blurb, and while we did get dragons, they were not what I was expecting.

Overall, this was a good read, with captivating characters and a gripping storyline full of twists and turns. I'm interested in seeing how this story continues in the next book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a moody political fantasy rooted in Tudor,inspired court intrigue and sapphic tension. It opens with Queen Boleyn becoming the sixth wife to a power hungry king, while Seymour, a first daughter sent as a gift from another queen, arrives as a handmaiden with secrets of her own. From the very beginning, the atmosphere is rich, layered with court politics, veiled threats, and slow-burning tension between characters.

The writing is lush and immersive, with a sapphic one sided yearning undercurrent that suits the slow unraveling of power plays and hidden agendas. Boleyn, in particular, stands out as a character torn between survival and self determination, and the dynamic between her and Seymour had a compelling push and pull. If you enjoy slow burn stories that simmer with mistrust and quiet rebellion, this delivers on mood and character driven tension.

That said, while the premise hints at dragons, magic, and high fantasy elements, these aspects take more of a background role. The fantastical elements like lapdragons and the hinted magic felt a little underused, and I went in expecting them to take center stage. This one leaned more heavily into the political and emotional threads, so it’s worth tapering your expectations if you’re looking for a fast paced, fantasy forward ride.

I wanted to love this. The concept was so intriguing, but the execution (pun intended) felt scattered, overly drawn out, and lacking the sharp edge the synopsis teased. A unique idea, but not one that worked for me in the end. If you’re expecting romantasy or dragon fueled drama, temper those hopes. But if you liked The Jasmine Throne and want something slower, darker, and atmospheric, this might still hit.

Still, for readers who enjoy tales about power, identity, and resistance, especially in a court full of secrets, Six Wild Crowns has a lot to offer. It’s thoughtful, atmospheric, and full of potential for those who appreciate the slow unspooling of a carefully built world.

Six Wild Crowns is a fabulous read, but really nothing at all to do with the Tudor Queens, except for the mildest links between their names and their King. But it was excellent!
King Henry must maintain six wives - one in each of the border castles of Elben - in order to maintain the magical protections of the bordweal (a sort of Northern lights protection around the country that repels invaders). He channels his Godly powers through the Queens and their palaces, protecting the country. When new Queen Boleyn takes over the palace of Brynd, though, it begins a chain of events that will forever change Elben and its rulers.

Filled with political intrigue and fantastical creatures, Six Wild Crowns was a story of unlikely friendships, the bonds of sisterhood, and the balance between love and morality.
It was nothing like I expected, but made for a compelling read, with plenty of exciting twists. I can't wait to see where book 2 leads us!

Thanks to @orbitbooks_uk, @netgalley and Holly Race for a chance to read ahead of release.