I really enjoyed The Queen’s Spade! It’s a beautifully written historical novel that pulls you right into the world of 17th-century France. The political drama and court intrigue were super engaging, but what really stood out were the characters—especially Queen Anne and the mysterious Rochefort. Jane Lane does a great job making the history feel alive without overloading on details. If you like smart, character-driven historical fiction with a touch of mystery, this one’s worth picking up.

I'm not normally one to read historical fiction for a ton of reasons actually that boils down to: I'm obsessed with history and know too much about it and get (unfairly probably) critical about it. Sarah Raughley's historical fiction, however? Is one of the exceptions to that. You can tell the amount of research that went into this novel but also the fantasy elements didn't feel out of place. Raughley seamlessly blends fact and fantasy into an intriguing plot.

This is a dark and mysterious historical fiction tale that is simmering with anger. The anger is justified. I would recommend this book for US history teachers as a supplement because it illustrates that even Black people in elevated positions were not passive participants in their own colonization. It has mystery and revenge and a little bit of spycraft too.

This potboiler of a tale of a kidnapped Yoruban princess turned vengeful assassin is, according to the author’s afterword, “very loosely” based on the life of Queen Victoria’s adopted African goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Set mostly in 1862, the (entirely invented) activities of 19-year-old Sally are anything but genteel; she masks (with ladylike charm) her loathing for the English “benefactors” who rescued her from the Dahomey wars in West Africa, plotting to destroy them one by one under cover of the restrictive rules of Victorian society. Familiar with the opium dens and brothels that were far more popular with the aristocracy than were parlors and recitals, Sally enlists the help of various underworld figures in luring her victims to their well-deserved fates.

The novel reads like a fanfiction blending of Peaky Blinders and Bridgerton, with modern slang and very little subtlety as to Sally’s motives and inner thoughts. Sally narrates her own story in the voice of a cartoon supervillain; this may appeal to its intended young adult (14-18 years) audience, but adult historical fiction fans may wish for less telling and more showing. Sally’s irreverence can be amusing, but the plot has very little internal coherence as Sally traipses back and forth from court to brothel with wildly un-historical freedom. Her English adversaries are uniformly oafish and bland; her allies (Asian and African expats like Sally) express their (justified) contempt for the Empire in post-colonial-studies textbook platitudes. Ultimately, adult readers will find her impossible intrigues, inconsistent voice, and many, many foolish choices more frustrating than amusing—but readers who are satisfied with generous helpings of snark at 19th-century Victorian hypocrisy might find this diverting.

"Revenge takes time, you see. And I have been patient."

An interesting historical story about vengeance, slavery, family and maneuvering all this in the 1860's in Queen Victoria's court. I appreciated Sally's rage - she hide it when needed but really reveled in it in quiet. It fueled her, moved her, kept her focused on a goal. We're taken through Sally's (real name Omoba Ina)'s time being Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter. She learns the court's rules but finds ways to gain her own power and learn secrets.

There is some romance in the story and I found it to be just meh, a distraction from the story. The story swept me up in the time, I liked the quotes from Sally in the beginning of chapters that reminded you this was based on a real person (even if this is fiction). It's a stark reminder of some of the atrocities that have been done.

I did this as an audiobook and I find many of the voices distracting. The high pitch and varied speeds took away from some of the enjoyment so I flipped back to my hardcopy and enjoyed it more. And this cover! I absolutely love it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I wanted to love this book. I thought the premise was intriguing. But I just couldn't get into it and the execution was lacking.

This book. Y’all. This book. This twisted historical fiction thriller is all about revenge. Sally is Queen Victoria’s “African goddaughter” but in reality she is an Egdabo Clan princess kidnapped from Africa. In The Queen’s Spade, Sally focuses her completely self on seeking revenge on those who kidnapped her, including Queen Victoria. And Sally weaves such a twisted web of deceit. I could not put this down, except when I was searching for the true history of events and people included in the book. Phew! Loved it!

The premise of this sounded so good, but I struggled to get into it - the character development lacked for me. That being said, there was lots of imagination that went into this - definitely historical fiction with a twist!

Thank you HarperCollins children’s book for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This book starts off really strong for me. I was instantly drawn in by Sally’s plot of revenge. However as the story went along I became disengaged and the story did not end the way I anticipated it to. Maybe there’ll be a part 2. Nevertheless I think it would be an excellent and entertaining story for a young person to delve into the history of this historical character. However, reading this book as an adult, it felt somewhat flat for me.

This superb novel weaves together history and suspense. It is a revenge plot designed and carried out in the court of Victoria where a stolen African Queen plots and implements her revenge on the men and women responsible for her capture.
With such exciting twists and turns set amongst the court of one of England's longest reigning monarchs this book easily transports the reader into the back alleys and throne rooms. With action aplenty it will appeal to readers looking for intrigue and adventure and history buffs alike.

DNF at 20%
Idk this book was just flat for me at this point and I didn't feel like continuing. It has potential to me so I might have to come back later.

The premise of the book was intriguing. I was drawn into the book immediately trying to figure out the main characters back story and how she was going to get her revenge. I think too many elements were thrown into the story to be wrapped up in a satisfying way. Started it with a bang and ended on a whimper. Was slow to finish past the midway point.

I found this historical fiction very interesting with how it reimages the life of Sara Forbes Bonetta during her time as a ward of Queen Victoria. The story blends elements of thriller and drama, chronicling the struggles of a young girl torn away from everything she knows, forced to adapt to a foreign culture, and subjected to abuse as she is forced to conform to their standards to survive.

The novel delves into Sara’s thoughts and her quest for revenge, and there were moments while reading when I wondered if some of these emotions and actions could have happened in reality. I found myself intrigued by the challenge of distinguishing fact from fiction, and at times, it felt as though I were reading an autobiography.

While the story was engaging, I rated this book slightly lower because I found myself easily distracted at times. I will say that this genre is not my usual preference, but I still think it’s a well-crafted and thought-provoking read, and I would recommend it to others.

Additionally, I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook alongside the eARC, and the narrator did an outstanding job bringing the story to life.
A special thank you to NetGalley, the author, and HarperCollins for the ARC copy. My review is entirely voluntary.

The Queen's Spade is a well-done historical fiction novel that is a speculative reimagining the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta . We follow Sally's as she plots revenge against the monarchy, this includes politics, murder, and mystery. The writing is thoroughly engaging from the start, showcasing Sally's hurt and anger. We see the dynamic nature of her character and how she moves through this world and fights for justice and freedom. It was a well-told story. 3.75 STARS rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved the imperialism/anti-colonialist themes of the book! It was so fun watching Ina ("Sally") enact her revenge on all the people who have wronged her. Seeing how entrenched the systemic racism was in Victorian society was really difficult to read about. I found Queen Victoria's white savior complex particularly difficult to see especially when it led to erasing Ina's name and identity and replacing it with a more palatable alternative. I was rooting for her so hard and was cheering for her every time she got to strike back at the people that had taken so much from her. I found it a little tricky to keep track of the cast of characters because there were so many people at court but once I got into the story I recognized the main players. The political scheming was so satisfying to read about! If you're looking for a female rage book this is a fantastic one to pick up.

Rage, vengeance, and calculated mayhem are unleashed in the upper circles of Queen Victoria’s British Empire when Omoba Ina takes the upper hand by any means necessary.

✨ Book Review: THE QUEEN”S SPADE by Sarah Raughley ✨

♠️ Book Synopsis: This historical fiction thriller is inspired by the life of African princess, Omoba Ina, known in England as Sarah Forbes Bonetta, and who was adopted as goddaughter and ward of Queen Victoria. Though is adopted into the upper crust of English society, Omoba Ina, Princess of the Yoruba tribe’s Egbado Clan, is still seen as “other,” treated without dignity, and subject to racism. Yet, her spirit isn’t broken. She’s only now getting started.

♠️ My Take: Rage, retribution, and revenge drive this storyline. Andy while there are moments of romance, the plot is more of a giant chess game of moving players and various twists and turns. The various characters were at times difficult to keep straight, but the suspense of it was largely satisfying and I loved the glimpse into Victorian England and the Crown’s colonial relationships.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

What I liked: The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley is a brilliant work of historical fiction inspired by the real-life story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta. It's a gripping and emotional journey through revenge, resilience, and complex power dynamics, and the author masterfully blends historical facts with vivid fiction. The author did her research, and it shines in every page. I am not a huge historical fan reader, but I read them, and I learn something new when I do. The story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta was one I had no clue about. I appreciated that I couldn't know what fact or fiction was in this story, though I will probably look her up and find that out. That is the great thing about historical fiction; usually, there is a note from the author sharing what they changed, but I learned new information.
What I wanted more of: I wanted to know how her life played out once she had played her hand of revenge. I was also torn between her being with Rui, who she loved, or the man from her childhood in a wild twist of Queen Victoria orchestrating her to be married. I always want to know how things played out once everything has happened in the story.
Final Verdict: If you are a fan of well-researched historical fiction and are interested in black history or stories written by black authors, then The Queen’s Spade is a good book selection. It will open your eyes to a new side of British Royalty and the terrible hand that the adopted wards of Queen Victoria were dealt.

This is a compelling historical fiction story that rewrites history to give Sally (Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter) the revenge she may have wanted. It is evident that this book was well researched. Although darker themes and revenge are not my favorite, this was still an engrossing read. Full of suspense, action, political intrigue, and even romance, this book is worth checking out.

“I’m no heroine. I feel no inner struggle over any supposed codes of ethics, nor have I lost sleep over the ‘wrongness’ of my decisions.”

A tale of righteous feminine rage, revenge, and retribution - with just a dash of romance thrown in - The Queen’s Spade is a historical fiction novel that isn’t to be missed. Inspired by the real tale of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, “goddaughter” and ward of Queen Victoria after being stolen from West Africa, we follow her journey of revenge against everyone who has wronged her since she was captured and brought to England. Forced to adapt and become exactly how the white British society has decided to mold her, she’s still discriminated against for her skin color - seen as a curiosity, and not a person.

Expected to be grateful for the “opportunity” to be a treasured showpet to the queen, rather than a ruler due respect in her own right, Ina/Sarah begins to enact her carefully crafted revenge against everyone who has disrespected her - and caused the death of her childhood friend on the journey to England. Starting off with a (well-deserved) murder, we follow Ina as she recounts the humiliation and pain wrought upon her for the last decade. We watch as she cleverly gains power and independence in a world that doesn’t wish her to have any, while she uses those same wits to try to crumble the very empire that has entrapped her. With a forced marriage in the works cutting her timeline down significantly, we struggle with Ina as she balances trying to avoid an unwanted marriage, as well as keeping her plans intact.

I didn’t know anything about this aspect of history, and this book made me want to research further into her life to learn more. While loosely inspired, rather than a wholly accurate account, while reading this novel you can tell a great deal of research went into its creation.

Perfect for fans of historical fiction and feminine rage, The Queen’s Spade is a journey into British colonialism and hypocrisy, and a woman filled with anger at her unjust treatment and her fight to seek justice.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this e-ARC.

The Queen's Spade is also inspired by a true story. This historical thriller recounts the story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta (Sally), Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, who was once Yoruba princess Omoba Ina, enslaved by the Dahomey Kingdom, until she was abducted by the British as a present for Queen Victoria in 1850. Fast forward to 1862 and eighteen-year-old Sally is plotting her revenge on all those involved in her debasement, enlisting the help of an East End crime boss. Among those she targets are Prince Albert, Captain Forbes and his men, who kidnapped her, and Queen Victoria, herself. When the Queen begins to suspect Sally of her friends’ humiliation and ruin, she betroths her to Captain Davies, who will marry her and take her back to Africa. Her abduction, which was meant to show the benevolence of post abolition Britain by transforming Omoba Ina into the lady “Sally”, actually points out an unjust society. Sally is constantly reminded of her friend’s warning, “Their love for you is conditional.” Needless-to-say, her desire for vengeance is not looked upon kindly. This is the first book in a duology.