Overall, I thought this was a fun book. What really interested me was the time period with the added mix of romance and Fae magic. Enjoyed the folklore and the Mary fo Scots timeline. However, I think the enemies to lovers part of the story didn't really hit. I was expecting a lot more tension but felt that it just fell flat. The romance wasn't really their either.

This book has a ton of really wonderful ingredients.

Raasch and Revis's choice to place this story in the royal court of Scotland in the Mary Queen of Scots era was an incredible decision. The setting was phenomenal and immersive, particularly if you're into Scottish history or historical fantasy. In a similar vein, the worldbuilding itself was well done. The magic system was largely familiar for those with prior knowledge of Fae-based folklore, and although I think parts of it could have been slightly better explained, the authors did a pretty good job of establishing and immersing us into this world.

The characters themselves were excellent as well. Both Alyth and Samson worked well as main POV narrators, with the cast of secondary characters and villains all playing their own respective roles quite nicely. It was particularly fascinating to see these historical figures take on these new and magical roles. I was quite invested in Alyth and Samson's journey throughout the book, as well as how everybody else fit into it.

My largest (and really only) complaint of this book is that I found the romance lackluster. For something being marketed as "enemies to lovers" and "romantasy" this book was really neither. Samson and Alyth fell in love altogether a bit too fast and a bit too hard, and their relationship was exponentially less interesting to me than the world, plot, and their individual characters.

So don't go into this expecting the next great romantasy. On the other hand, DO go into it expecting a fun Scottish fantasy with excellent world, characters, and plot. I highly recommend this, but only if you know what you're getting into. I will definitely be buying a copy once it's released, and can't WAIT for the next one (seriously, the last line had me desperate for more)!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing this digital ARC for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam: 🫑

This book was simply a good time. The world was full of Scottish folklore and had that creepy fae vibe. I didn’t feel much depth in the character work but found the story and relationship between our FMC and MMC interesting enough that I kept turning page after page and wanted to know what was going to happen next. Are you going to be totally blown away and surprised by this book? Probably not, but you will have a fun time reading it.

In this alternate history novel, Alyth is a half fae half human whose job it is to protect the Scottish court and Scotland. The magical wall her acestors put into place hundreds of years ago protects Scotland and in turn the Seelie Court against the Red Caps. Her job is to make sure the wall holds and Mary Queen of Scots is protected. When a new secretary for Lord Latimer appears, Alyth is strangly drawn to him. The secretary, Samson, has been sent by his father, William Cecil, from Elizabeth's English court. Will Alyth's interest in Samson weaken her abilities to keep the wall protected or will it cause her to walk away completely?

I absolutely love this time period and seeing it imbued with magic only makes it shine brighter. It was a great twist on an already compelling story. I can't wait to read the next book.

The Crimson Throne is a twisting adventure through the courts of Mary of Scots, Elizabeth I and in and out of the Fae realm. Star-crossed enemies to lovers, with light steam levels make this appropriate for 13 and up. I really enjoyed this take on Historical fantasy!

I wanted to like the idea of this book because I was a fan of the time period it was set in, but I had trouble connecting to the characters and the plot. While I liked the magic system, I just felt it was a little too heavy on the history. For me that took away from the story. I give it a two out of five stars.

The Crimson Vow was an interesting blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and court intrigue, with a dash of romance and magic woven into the high-stakes world of Scottish politics. I really liked the concept, especially the guardians and the take on the Seelie courts.

That said, I struggled to connect with the characters on a deeper level, which made it hard for me to fully invest in the story or romance. While the premise was strong and the political elements kept things moving, I found myself wishing for more emotional depth and character development overall.

Still, I think fans of romantic fantasy set against a historical backdrop might enjoy this one, and I’ll be curious to see what Raasch and Revis write next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was good, not great! Do you ever read a book that has nothing glaringly wrong with it, you just don’t feel connected to any character or the plot? That was this book for me. It had a lot of cool elements, the setting was immersive, and the magic was interesting. I just didn’t care so much about either of the main characters and while the stakes were high on paper, they didn’t *feel* high to me. I wouldn’t pick this up if you’re more interested in romance than plot, which wasn’t an issue for me, but I think will be for a lot of people who are looking more for a luv story than a political fantasy. I still recommend reading because it may be a right book wrong time situation for me

Samson is a royal spy and Alyth is a protector. Both of them are staying in Scotland to spy on Lord Darnley, Queen Mary's husband.

Very fast-paced... An intriguing story about magic, fae and fictional historical Scotland. Love the romance.... Like the enemis-to-lovers part especially....

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This book totally pulled me in. It’s packed with political tension, Scottish folklore, and a magical twist on the history of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

The mix of history and fantasy, coupled with the romance between the FMC and MMC reminded me of a Romeo and Juliet re-telling – which was very well executed.

It kept me guessing till the very end. Definitely recommend if you're into historical fantasy with a magical spin.

This book was so much fun to read. The historical setting felt amazing, I was fully transported to the time and it just played like a movie in my head.

I found the relationship between Mary and Alyth especially interesting, as they had dynamics of servant-queen, but also fae-human, royalty-royalty and even friends.

The romance. The romance was torturingly good. I really loved the different POVs because it showed their different focuses and perspectives, and reading about Samson's yearning awoke so many feelings within me.

I must also mention the magic. The different creatures/magical beings never felt out of place or random, and it was easy to understand what they are even if I've never heard of them before. Very well done.

I've got nothing but praise and will definitely be following this series and these authors from now on!

If you are looking to get into historical fiction, then this book may be a good place to start! A very nice blend of fantasy and historical elements with an easy to understand magic system. I am not typically a historical girly, and the pace of this book made it very digestible and enjoyable. I am stoked to see how this duology turns out.

Set in sixteenth-century Scotland, The Crimson Throne takes place in a world where mystical creatures live in Scotland with humans. Alyth Graham, the most powerful Leth of her generation, is destined to safeguard Scotland and Queen Mary from the Red Caps. When rumors swirl that the Queen’s own husband, Lord Darnley, may be involved with the Red Caps, Alyth must use all her strength to keep the Queen safe and maintain the protective barrier around the kingdom.

Meanwhile, Samson, who is believed to be cursed, is sent to Scotland seeking the item that cursed him. Unexpectedly, he finds himself welcomed into Lord Darnley’s trusted circle, where secrets and danger abound. As Alyth and Samson’s paths cross, they form an unlikely alliance to uncover the truth behind Lord Darnley’s intentions and the threat facing Scotland.

I found this story incredibly bingeable and immersive. The pacing kept me turning pages late all night long. Alyth and Samson are amazing characters, and I loved watching their partnership develop as they discovered the mystery and their feelings for one another. If you enjoy historical fantasy with strong female leads and a touch of magic, this is a book you won’t want to put down.

What if Mary, Queen of the Scots’ tumultuous reign and the surrounding scheming were influenced by the presence fae magic and other Scottish folklore? Sara Raasch and Beth Revis’s collaboration novel The Crimson Throne is an entertaining and straightforward YA romantasy novel as well as a liberally interpreted historical fiction story. Magical fae powers, cursed objects and weapons, historic grand castles and sweeping scenic landscapes, The Crimson Throne has all the right elements for a great fantasy story. Presented from dual perspectives, one a Scottish half-fae guardian of the crown and one an English spy sent to infiltrate said crown’s inner circle, the scene is set for a forbidden romance between two opponents meant to outplay each other with both the Scottish/England Kingdoms and the Fae Kingdom’s futures at stake.

One area that pleasantly surprised me was the story’s commitment and attention to historical details. While Alyth Graham and Samson Calthorpe are entirely fictional characters, many of the other notable characters are based on very real historic individuals. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth are no-brainers, but one of the antagonist Lord Darnley is entirely true to the real Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley/Mary’s husband. Mary and Lord Darnley’s infant son James is present and integral to the story’s main plot, and Mary’s entire court, close friends, and an assortment of English barons and personalities are all historic people. And while I will refrain from going into too much detail to avoid spoilers, many of the book’s notable scenes are based on real historical events with a magical twist or motivation behind them. While I appreciated the attention to detail and historical accuracy of the story, those far more familiar with Scottish history will be even more delighted by Raasch and Revis’s exciting and quite clever historic retelling.

A great balance between fantasy and historical fiction, the Crimson Throne feels like an all-around solid fantasy YA novel that features whimsical magic, various mysterious fae and other Scottish-inspired folklore beings, and an occasional splash of good action. While the novel is characterized as being a romantasy story, I found the political scheming of various characters seeking the power and influence of the throne to be quite compelling, especially in matters surrounding Alyth’s dual roles as guardian of both human and fae kingdoms. I really enjoyed Alyth’s character who’s stubborn, independent and strong-willed, yet smart and accomplished when need be. Her unorthodox place and role within Queen Mary’s court posed a variety of interesting situations as well as providing a lot of insight and details into this alternate fantasy version of the 16th century. Her character’s mixed heritage and her complicated feelings towards her father and the fae kingdom added another layer to the interconnected human/fae dynamics at play and overall, I found her story and perspective excellent and quick to read! The mix of fae culture and folklore vs more generalized fantasy magic fanfare is highly accessible yet still well constructed and imagined.

The premise and story sets up Samson as Alyth’s foil beyond his English background. Alyth is rough and outspoken while Samson is a street actor capable of wearing a mask to suit the occasion. Where Alyth is recognized as part of Mary’s court, Samson is a simple thief who’s paid to steal magical objects from other lords and notable houses. Yet despite their seemingly opposite backgrounds, the two characters can’t help but feel some sort of odd interest in each other and a growing need to protect the other regardless of better judgement or the potential costs.

While I thoroughly enjoyed Alyth’s perspective throughout the novel, I was personally less enthusiastic about Samson’s perspective for a few reasons. As a Leth, the series term for an individual with both human and fae heritage, Alyth’s knowledge and experience with fae culture and magic automatically make her perspective more colorful and fantasy filled. Samson’s lack of knowledge of all matters fae and his gradual understanding of the political entities in play ordinarily could’ve been a great proxy for the reader learning about the world of the Crimson Throne. Unfortunately, the story starts with Alyth’s perspective first before switching to Samson’s perspective right after, and on multiple occasions Samson and the reader are introduced to magical concepts or details that were already covered albeit more briefly in Alyth’s chapter earlier, leading to repetitive and unnecessary information to avoid plot holes of Samson knowing things he shouldn’t. Additionally, while Alyth is given a lot of time to shine early-on in the book’s dramatic prologue as Scotland’s guardian and when she first meets Samson, Samson has a far less notable and far less action-filled introduction. As the story progresses, Samson’s task of spying and infiltrating the Queen’s court isn’t quite as exciting and inspiring to read as it sounds on paper vs Alyth’s half. Samson’s curse and unknown background provides great narrative material towards the end of the novel and the direction of the novel’s ending implies that even better plot threads are to come, but I felt the way his curse was handled and written was a bit generic and typical for the YA fantasy genre. For me, the book’s pacing slightly dragged in the first half particularly when Samson and Alyth are apart and doing their own thing individually. However, whenever they were together things picked right back up, and that’s an especially important point for romantasy readers.

Another minor critique I had was with Alyth and Samson’s relationship and romance, as well as how the romantasy element is marketed. While the two are technically on opposite sides from two opposing kingdoms, their interactions and relationship dynamics didn’t really feel like the expected enemies-to-lovers trope per se (likely an intentional marketing buzzword for romance readers). From their meeting to their unlikely cooperative alliance, their relationship feels more like mysterious dangerous strangers to lovers, or perhaps towards the end of the novel, forbidden lovers. What starts as a subtle interest from both sides also veers a bit into the insta-love territory, particularly from Samson’s perspective; this is undoubtedly a he-falls-first kind of romance vs Alyth’s perspective that develops at a slower and more reasonable pace. Overall, I would’ve liked to see a bit more nuance or development, particularly in the first half of the book to justify both characters’ sudden devotion to each other over all else.

Despite a few minor nitpicks in places, the Crimson Throne has a lot to like, especially for readers looking for a clean romantasy read free of unnecessary miscommunication drama, triggers (apart from some violence and murder), and other cheap methods used to drum up interest. The world-building is great and at times I often felt it far surpassed the base level of detail the straightforward story needed, clearly setting up a lot of excellent material for the sequel novel. The writing style is also solid and having previously collaborated on their past Witch and Hunter duology, Raasch and Revis’s work is expectedly seamless and polished (I’m a fan of Raasch’s Royals & Romance series but this is my first experience with Revis’s work). A nice balance of fae folklore, historical fiction, political scheming, romance, and classic YA fantasy goodness, the Crimson Thone is an easy book to pick-up and an even easier one to finish and enjoy!

This was a fast paced YA historical fantasy with slow burn enemies to lovers, I really enjoyed the writing style it was easy to digest, the world building felt a little simplistic at times but didn't deter from my overall enjoyment, I will say also it felt like a very young YA (not a bad thing) I'd recommend to fans of YA fantasy for sure!

This was a pretty decent YA historical fantasy romance! I really enjoyed the setting and liked Alyth as the main character. The plot was very fast-paced and kept me interested, and the writing was very easy to read. Similar to this author duo's other YA duology, I found the romance to be very surface-level and insta-lovey, which definitely isn't my favourite, but otherwise, this was entertaining, and I will likely read the next book!

Royal stakes, dangerous magic, and betrayals that cut deep—this book did not hold back.

I was hooked. The Crimson Throne is one of those reads where the tension never lets up—in the best way. Every chapter felt like a new twist, a new betrayal, or a new moment that had me yelling at the page. The politics were deliciously messy, the magic was sharp and dangerous, and the characters? Complex, morally grey, and impossible not to root for.

There’s a richness to the worldbuilding that made everything feel real, and the emotional moments hit hard. The stakes felt sky-high from the start, and somehow it just kept escalating. And the dynamic between the leads? Let’s just say I thrived on that tension.

5/5 – Epic, intense, and gloriously unhinged in the best way. I need more now.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

The Crimson Throne is a historical/fantasy/romance novel, and boy, is it a good one! It takes place in the Elizabethan era, throughout the realm of Scotland and England, which is populated by humans, fae, a variety of magical creatures, and half-fae, half-humans known as Leth.

Alyth Graham, a lady in the Scottish court, is one of these Leth. She has sworn to protect Scotland, and supports the barrier around Scotland that keeps a vicious group of fairies, the Red Caps, away. She has also always been suspicious of Queen Mary's husband, Lord Darnley. When the threats of the Red Caps and Darnley intertwine, she isn't quite sure who she can trust, other than herself.

Samson Calthorpe is trying to prove himself as a royal spy, for Queen Elizabeth. He is tasked with entering Scotland, smuggling a magical amulet with him, in order to see if Queen Mary has been hiding magical objects. Samson is also trying to remove a curse he has, which makes him black out and get violent when angry.

Soon, Alyth and Samson, despite their different objectives, are unified by their shared hatred of Lord Darnley. They aim to remove Samson's curse, keep out the Red Caps, and find out what exactly it is that Darnley has been up to.

This book was one of the rare books out there that makes you forget you are even reading. While it did start a bit slow (ironic since it was the middle of a fight), once it picked up, I was so incredibly invested that I read the entire book in one sitting. It was clear that the authors have done extensive research on this era in time, as well as Scottish folklore. The pacing felt great, and the characters mostly felt real and complex.

The one issue I have with this book was that the relationship between Samson and Alyth felt just the slightest bit like instalove, but I didn't really feel like it took much away from the story.

The Crimson Throne has made me want to travel back in time, attend a ball, and befriend a brownie. If you are a fan of books such as The Rose Bargain, or The Cruel Prince, I would strongly recommend you read this book!

★★★☆☆
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This romance had all the right ingredients. an Elizabethan spy, a fierce fae guardian, a glittering but treacherous Scottish court, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic. I especially enjoyed the rich use of Scottish folklore and the political tension woven into the fantasy. Alyth, in particular, stood out to me as a strong and compelling character. I loved her power, her drive, and how rooted she was in her magical world. Samson, the charming English spy, is doing his best. His curse is intriguing, but a lot of it is explained in early dialogue instead of unraveling in action. I couldn’t help but feel that showing these darker moments would’ve added more emotional depth and urgency to his character arc. His big curse was just told to us. No drama, no buildup, no blackout scene full of unhinged magical violence and regret. Give me trauma! Let me feel it! That being said, there is plenty of drama in the rest of the book that I did really enjoy.

However, while the premise was exciting and the stakes were high, the execution didn’t quite sweep me away. Much of the storytelling leaned heavily on exposition, we’re told a lot about the characters’ pasts and their secrets, rather than experiencing them firsthand. The main issue is that the book often tells us what happened instead of showing us.

This historical young adult novel tells the story of the comming and goings in the Court of Mary Queen of Scots. We meet a young woman who has the ability to use magic and has the favor of the Queen. We also meet a young man from England who has been sent by Queen Elizabeth to spy on Queen Mary's court. Our heros are living in a dangerous time and one wrong move could cost them their lives.
Alyth Graham is a young fae who spends most of her days protecting the Queen from her despicable husband Lord Darnley. Around the time of the christening of the Queen's son a young spy from the English court named Samson arrives. Both the Queen and Alyth are suspicious of him but his common interest in the dislike of Lord Darnley earns him their trust.
Overall I was very impressed with this read. In the sixteenth century most people were very mistrustful of magic but the fact that Queen Mary was very accepting of Alyth's was surprising and the fact that Alyth was very good at protecting the Queen from her husband proves that she is a loyal subject.
I recieved this arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.