🌶️.5

It would have been a 5⭐ read if the author had just changed the names of the characters. I wanted to love it so much.

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for the eARc.

Sadly for Holly Race, my mother is a history junkie when it comes to the English throne, so I am also well versed in all media "interpretations" and the actual history of Henry Tudor and his wives. The vibes were definitely Anne Boleyn was done dirty, and I could respect that if not for the whiplash between Showtime Tudors and this beautiful forbidden Sapphic romance between sister wives/queens and the inclusion of dragons. Even with the foreword from the author, I just couldn't enjoy this story as much as I wanted to. One scene that does stick with me regardless, and I enjoyed the inclusion of is why the queens and more so the eldest daughters are referred to by their last names instead of first and how they envy their younger sisters who did not have to follow such practices.

Six Wild Crowns tells an alternative, imaginative tale about the six wives of Henry VIII. The re-imagined story follows Boleyn, queen of Brynd, Henry's newest wife, and her quest to become (and stay) her husband's favorite. In the course of her time in her new queendom, Boleyn uncovers secrets that alter everything she thought she knew about these unconventional marital arrangements between herself, Henry and his five other wives. Meanwhile, Seymour, who was initially sent to Boleyn's court as a reluctant spy and would-be assassin, finds herself caught between the loyalty she feels to her family and former mistress, Aragon, and her new-found affection for Boleyn. An alliance forms between the two queens as they unravel the secrets behind the true source of their husband's great power and they hatch a plan to reclaim what is theirs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this very imaginative retelling of the Tudor queens. It was fascinating to step into a world where these women existed side by side instead of one after the other, taking up the mantle once their predecessor was either removed or otherwise deposed. The inclusivity of non-binary characters, queer love, and shared partners added a dimension that was unexpected and refreshing. To me, this is a wholly original take on the stories we know about these women and the man who, for better or worse, united them.

Overall, I thought Six Wild Crowns was unique, intriguing, and entirely original. I look forward to reading more of what Race has to offer.

This was a bit of a disappointment. I love anything Tudor-inspired, but this fell really flat. I didn't really like any of the characters, and I felt that it came off kind of heavy-handed. I think that the story could have taken a different turn at certain points and turned out a lot more exciting. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, either.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.

I absolutely plan to come back to this one. The story is already incredibly interesting, but I wasn't able to quite find my flow with it and got distracted by other books.
This is not a true DNF; it's a not-for-now.
When my ARC load is a bit lighter, I'll be coming back and giving this book its due time for review.

Placeholder rating: 3.5 stars

I didn't get to read the whole story in time before I lost the download..... but what I did read I really enjoyed the world building is great and the characters are interesting I ordered this title from my local library so I can write full review on goodreads. thank you Holly race and publisher for the arc. I am sorry I didn't get it finished in time I had some health issues.

The plot, characters, and world building was really good. There were a few parts/scenes that fell a little bit short but overall it was a good book.

Book:Six Wild Crowns
Author: Holly Race
Series: Queens Of Elben, Book One
Publisher: Orbit
Overall Rating: 5 Stars

This fantasticbook is centered on Boleyn and Seymour. Sure most historical fans can tells this by the names and the connection to Henry the Eighth or King Henry Tudor and his six wives with fantasy. This book is so clever and brilliant and I loved ever page! A book I could not get enough of,, I do not want to spoil this historical fantasy since so many know the history. It is historical fiction with a twist with so many fantasy elements and surprises! I absolutely loved this story so much and can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to Orbit publishing and Netgalley for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest reviews. All words, thoughts and ideas are

Everyone knows the history of Henry VIII and his six ill-fated marriages in search for an heir to the throne to rule the kingdom. There is that history...and then there is this one that spins a slightly different tale. Henry VIII must have six wives at the same time in order to keep the veil in place that is protecting the kingdom of Elben from invaders and attackers. His newest wife, Boleyn, knows that her marriage to Henry must be the best of the six because she truly does love him despite the unsettling idea of all those other wives. Things begin to change when Seymour, a spy for another queen, is suddenly taking the place of one of Henry's wives and is trapped in a loveless marriage far from what she herself desires. The queens begin forming unlikely alliances and in those alliances, friendship and perhaps something more also develops, leading the queens to begin to question just who they are and how they can reclaim their magic from a king desperate for power through any means necessary.

This is one of those rare historical magical realism books that reads very quickly and easily, although it can be a bit confusing at times through the different POVs and intricate politics woven throughout the story. I know some of the history of Henry VIII but honestly you can probably read this only knowing he had six wives and was desperate for an heir and power, and you would be just fine! Definitely more historical fantasy adjacent and more along the lines of magical realism, but overall, still an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eARC for review consideration - all thoughts and opinions are my own!

I enjoyed that this was a historical interpretation of Henry VIII and his wives. I struggle with fantasy sometimes but as a history buff I appreciated this. The writing was engaging except for the beginning. I wasn’t a fan of the first few parts of the book but it did get better.

King Henry of Elben must have 6 wives and bind them to the land to keep the kingdom within his power and rule.

Boleyn is the latest woman who has caught the interest of the King and is determined to be his favourite queen and his true love. On the eve of her wedding to him the other queens send gifts for her upcoming nuptials. Queen Aragon sends Seymour, a lady's maid who is supposed to spy and kill Boleyn before she is with child and a potential male heir. She unintentionally catches the eye of the King who needs a new wife when one of his previous one dies.

Seymour and Boleyn become unexpected friends and allies and between them they uncover secrets Henry has been keeping, and band together to save themselves and their other sister Queens.

I have always been fascinated by the Tudor era and Henry and his six wives. I was excited to read a fantastical retelling of the story and this one definitely fit the bill. The major thing that i enjoyed about this story was the idea of women uplifting women even when they are in a position where they should be enemies. The magic system was interesting and I was fascinated about how it worked. I do feel like the pacing needed work and some moments dragged while others flew by. I also wished dragons played more of a part in this story. Overall this was a fun read.

“The smallest amount of hope is more precious than none at all.”

“Six Wild Crowns,” by Holly Race

A fantasy version of Henry VIII wives retelling… I loved how unique and interesting the plot was. I liked how the wives are alive at the same time and interact throughout the book. The best part was the complicated relationships the wives had with Henry but also the relationships between the wives. I didn’t find the plot super surprising, but it didn’t change that the book was a fun read. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Dragons
-Sapphic
-Court Intrigue
-Henry VIII wives retelling
-Magic

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

A marvelous high fantasy retelling of the story of Henry VIII's wives, with a twist. What is instead of being wives in succession (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived) they were wives all at the same time? It's a story full of magic, political intrigue, and female empowerment. The personalities of each wife, as we've been taught they were in life, are honored but with a fuller understanding of their motives and situations. Anxiously awaiting the sequel.

A new take on the lives of Henry VIII's infamous wives with a magivacl twist and sapphic romance?? Why yes please. Following Anne Boleyn as she is newly married to Henry... her reign as queen is not what she thought it would be. Especially when Seymour arrives as a reluctant spy... but finds herself falling for the one woman she was never suppose to... yet Seymour ends up catching Henry's eye and being forced into a marriage with him when all she craves is Boleyn. Two queens, the magic they are forced to give the king, and the truth behind the island's magic and how their hope for survival might rely on the magic of all of Henry's wives and how they can free themselves from him. Sapphic romance, a new fantasy spin on historical events, and a unique story. I had so much fun reading this and as a huge fan of the tudor's period and the wives of Henry VIII, I love the sapphic romance twist and the fantasy element. It's a fun read that has you guessing what will happen next and it's definitely a great twist.

Release Date: June 10, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books | Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race was my first book from this author, and the synopsis immediately caught my attention—especially because I’ve always been fascinated by Henry Tudor and his wives. I was really curious to see how that history could be reimagined in a fantasy setting. 👑✨

While it hasn’t been my favorite read of the year, it’s definitely a solid and interesting book. The political tension, betrayals kept me hooked. I enjoyed how the author blended royalty, strategy, and fantasy into one story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early 💙

In this sort of insane retelling of Henry the 8th and his six wives, Henry is married to all six of them at once in part of a tradition meant to protect the nation of Elben magically from their enemies. It starts with the rise of Boleyn (the queens are named after their last names on account of the fact that early modern England only had like six names for women) as a queen, her relationship to Seymour and Seymour's rise to queen as well, and gets deep into the messy true history of the power of the king and his six queens. Boleyn and Seymour uncover something of a conspiracy that could change their entire world, if they live to see it.
I really enjoyed this story. It was bonkers. There are dragons and sapphic longing and toxic messed up relationships and Cleves, whom I loved and wished would've gotten more page time. The magic and deception and courtly intrigue are all very good. This was a fun read, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

4

thank you to orbit books for the e-ARC

okay, the starting disclaimer is that the synopsis of this book isn’t the best indicator of what’s to come. it suggests a bit more of an action-packed fantasy, while I’d describe this as a court intrigue with fantastical elements. magic and gods play a major role in the plot, and there are technically dragons, but the historical aesthetic is stronger than the fantasy one. this book comes off mostly as a feminist take on history in a fantasy universe.

with that caveat, I quite enjoyed this! it had a quite slow, ruminating pace, but I enjoyed the time in our different character’s heads. there was a lot of scheming and unknown loyalties and betrayal, with some significant relationship development and emotional payoff. the suspense kept me engaged as the plot ambled along.

I enjoyed the moral nuance throughout: despite there being a few characters who are clearly good or evil, many exist somewhere in the in-between: prioritizing themselves or their own goals, but not at the expense of all morality. I think the twists in this kind of feminist rewriting can be a little too obvious, so the nuance helped keep me guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley, Holly Race and Orbit for providing me a an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a Anne Boleyn devotee, who knew her execution speech by heart in middle grade and high school, I must say I didn't even bother reading the description too carefully. I just knew it had been written for me and the other Tudor obsessed girlies. Once I did take a second glance and realized this is a poly reimagining with a ton of fantasy but the same familiar villain as in real life, I was stoked! Tiny lap dragons? Count me in!

Holly borrowed from history and went ahead and gave these women not just a voice, but also their own power that is separate from the king that raised their status and whose flighty affections they depended on. I loved seeing the passion that marked Boleyn and Henry's courtship contrasted with his dispassionate marriage proposal to Jane, and the former's downfall because she seeked more than bearing heirs from her position.

The wolrdbuilding felt exciting and made sense to me. There's the court intrigue and Henry's ego-fuelled military projects, as well as a continuous foreign interference that tied it all together. We learn about the king's power, and the importance of his six queens to the protection of the island as we go along, unmasking many treatorous secrets alongside Boleyn.

My most favorite thing was seeing the queens interact, their view of each other blurred by gossip since they had never met one another. The slow built of trust between them, and their understanding of each other's conditions made this a great female rage/empowerment story, which concludes in a necessarily tragic ending that hopefully will instill a revolution. I wish the queens had gotten more distinctive personalities, but I have a feeling we are going to get to them as the POVs shift in the next two instalments.

Seymor's character arc was both surprising and incredibly compelling to accompany. I loved seeing her slowly build self confidence and become the brave woman she never thought she could be. And I must say I also love that her mousy exterior hides someone who has been sexually experimental without feeling shame about it. That really was a spin on her "pure" presentation we often see of her. Her submission might have been true in the beginning, but it is slowly corroded by her growing awareness that patriarchy is actually kind of shit and she could do better. Her romantic feelings for Boleyn made all their interactions feel a little more charged and really added to her characterization too.

Boleyn felt very real from them get go, but once she sees the villain in his true colours, her character arc goes through tremendous change. I loved her rebellion and how much she strived to unite all queens, making away with the tradition that they hate each other. Her complicated feelings toward Henry made her feel relatable as she struggles with separating facts from love, and decides that female friendships are actually more important than anything he can offer.

Now, if you are looking for something that is accurate to the time, I would actively discourage you from reading this. It is not historical fiction but rather inspiration. There are borrowed elements, but this is very much its own story within a very unique world. This is not historical fiction and if that is closer to what you are craving, this is not the book for you. This is the book for the tudor girls who also read fantasy and just want to vibe along with Anne and her lapdragon.

Henry VIII and his wives set in a world where magic and dragons exist. That is the premise of this book. I have enjoyed reading books about this time period and was intrigued by this idea. What I didn’t realize is that Henry would be married to all six at the same time. In order to maintain the safety of the kingdom, Henry must have six wives. Each wife lives in a different area and is magically connected to its castle through her marriage. Anne, being Anne, begins to think that something is not right. Her investigation leads her to discover something that the men in the kingdom, specifically Henry, would prefer her not to know.

While intrigued by the idea, parts of this really fell flat to me. I would have liked to see more interaction between the queens rather than segregating them in their specific area. I think that may have been a missed opportunity. What the book was advertised and what it actually was didn’t mesh either. Jane is supposed to be an assassin sent by Aragon to kill Anne?? There are some interesting ideas here but unfortunately they were not fully developed or just didn’t make sense with what you know about the characters based on history. While I understand that this is fantasy, I expected that the characters would be somewhat true to how they were in real life.

This is the first book of a planned series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six Wild Crowns is such an interesting, magical twist on the story of Henry VIII and his queens, mixing court intrigue, fantasy, and sapphic romance. I loved the concept and the idea of rival queens turning into unlikely allies—but I found myself wishing for more: more tension, deeper world-building, and a few more unexpected twists to keep me fully hooked.

It’s an enjoyable fantasy with a clever premise, but for me, it felt like something was just slightly missing to make it truly unforgettable.

Imagine if the wives of Henry VIII had dragons, political power, and the ability to fall in love with each other instead of waiting around to be beheaded. That's this book. That’s the vibe. And yes, it absolutely slaps.

We’ve got:
👑 Six magically-bound queens tied to six palaces—each with their own secrets, ambitions, and terrifying stakes
🔥 Courtly backstabbing, poison in goblets, and one disastrous king holding the entire kingdom hostage via tradition
🌈 Boleyn, the ambitious mastermind with a soft spot for one queen in particular (and listen, you will fall in love with her too)
💔 Seymour, the spy-turned-queen with a dagger hidden under her dress and a heart she never meant to give away
🐉 Subtle dragons, simmering magic, and a deadly truth buried in the bones of the island itself

The sapphic slow burn between Boleyn and Seymour is exquisite—rife with tension, wary alliances, and emotional intimacy that builds until it hurts. Add in shifting loyalties, forbidden magic, and the looming threat of a kingdom on the brink, and you’ve got a fantasy that’s as sharp as it is seductive.

This book feels like if “The Favourite” had a baby with “Game of Thrones” and then let the wives run the damn show. Intricate, lush, dangerous—and full of powerful women refusing to be pawns any longer.

“Six Wild Crowns” isn’t just a sapphic fantasy. It’s a reckoning.