The Crimson Throne, the first book in the Spy and Guardian duology, introduces Englishman Samson Calthorpe, who lives under a curse which makes him lethally violent, and Alyth Graham, a half fae/half human protector of Queen Mary of Scotland. She is part of a group of Guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan that Mary’s husband Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland. When Samson has the opportunity to break the curse, he becomes a royal spy, hoping to uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth by befriending Darnley and finding Red Cap weapons, one of which he thinks cursed him. Alyth and Samson meet in the Scottish Court and find they both share a hatred of Lord Darnley. and an attraction to each other. Using secret codes and a bit of magic, they hope to unravel a plot that has been centuries in the making. Samson’s and Alyth’s alternating first-person narratives keep the pace moving and an historical note at the end identifies the realistic elements of the story.

Spoiler alert—ends on a cliffhanger. Will need book 2 to see what happens. Magic mingles with history again here with these authors paired. Such fun abounds, mystery/intrigue (calls to previous books) and also makes one wonder—when will people stop understanding women?

The Crimson Throne is Reign with faeries in all the best ways! Alyth is a half fae in Queen Mary’s court, charged with protecting Mary and Scotland, from threats from Mary’s husband, England, and the Red Caps. Samson is drawn into the magic and court intrigue in an effort to rid himself of a curse, but Alyth and Samson’s developing feelings for each other only makes things more complicated.

The romance was super sweet and I loved the strength both characters were able to find in themselves and each other. The fae were also really interesting and I loved the different creatures and figures that we met or were referenced- especially Kitty! I also really liked the dynamic between Alyth and Mary as well and would have loved to see more of it.

The last 25% was so good and I cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebook Fire for the ARC- all thoughts my own!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really found myself enjoying this book - and the fact that it was set in Scotland and had real Scottish folklore included truly just made me enjoy this one even more! I loved the fantasy world in general and how well Sara & Beth did at creating the world of court intrigue and Fae! Truly enjoyable!

I liked Alyth and the historical feel of the book.

“ There are two types of power: the kind that your born with and the kind you take “

Beautifully written and detailed 💖

Mary stuart was crowned the Queen of Scot’s at less than a week old and is a strong leader 💖

Alyth is loyal to the queen and has magical powers 🪄

I really didn’t like Mary’s husband,, cruel beyond compare .. jealous of her power ..

“His hands grip me as if I’m the only thing keeping him from drowning, but does he know that it’s his tight embrace that is the only thing keeping me from melting into the cobblestones?”

🗡️⋆｡°₊ ⊹˚ 👑⋆˙⟡₊ ⊹˚

This was such a fantastic story. I loved how it wove history and fantasy together—the glittering Scottish and Elizabethan courts, the looming threat of fae magic spilling over into the human world, and the dangerous games of power where no one can truly be trusted. There’s a constant push and pull of secrets, spies, and magic, and the unraveling of it all kept me hooked. The twists got me good, and that cliffhanger… I’m still not over it.

But what really makes this book shine are the characters. Alyth is EVERYTHING—fierce, angry, powerful, and yet so heartbreakingly vulnerable. She carries the weight of her duty as a guardian, even though it’s a role she never asked for. And Samson—brave, funny, clever, and carrying more pain than he lets anyone see. Watching the two of them circle each other, trying to decide if they’re enemies or something far more dangerous, made the tension electric.

What an enjoyable, magical romp through a pivotal part of Scotland’s history. It’s so easy to believe that the fae realm is close to the surface in Scotland, especially the way the authors describe it here.

I first want to say a big thank you for Netgalley allowing me to read this book as an ARC. Even though, I’m not a fan of this story. I did enjoy the characters and the plot. It was interesting.

3.5/5 stars

The Crimson Throne is a historical fae romantasy set in an alternate Tudor period of Scotland and England. Half fae Alyth Graham, the daughter of a fae prince and a minor Scottish noblewoman, is the guardian of the barrier located in Scotland that is holding back the bloodthirsty fae Red Caps clan. She is tasked with the protection of Scotland, hence its queen Mary as well. Samson Calthorpe is the bastard son of an English duke accidentally cursed by a fae object in his childhood. When his opportunistic father offers him a deal to break the curse, he takes his chance. He is to infiltrate the Scottish court and act as spy for England’s Queen Elizabeth. Alyth and Samsom circle each other as portends of imminent Red Cap invasion threatens the court, and they must learn who to trust before a plot centuries in the making comes to fruition.

I thought this was a serviceable historical fantasy set in a time period I’m sure Western readers are more familiar with than I am. It had a pretty interesting set up with how the fae were incorporated into the story. There was court intrigue, clandestine espionage, and political machinations alongside murder and assassination attempts. When I read this book, I had no idea it was actually a YA romantasy. Reading through it, I told myself the book reads very young adult with its story, characters, and dynamics. Looking it up now, some places list it as YA romantasy while others as historical fantasy so that needs to be clarified as this is very much a historical YA romantasy.

I did like both Alyth and Samson with their complexity and shared daddy issues. However, I just didn’t buy into their romance all that much. I don’t think the book telegraphed well how their connection developed. It just seemed to happen while I didn’t ever feel the chemistry nor tension I expect out of this type of dynamic. On a side note, one weird thing I noticed though is that they always felt like they were just in the sidelines somehow, like stuff just kept happening elsewhere while they were doing their own thing.

The Crimson Throne is an unremarkable YA romantasy that I wanted more out of.

*Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC via NetGalley

The Crimson Throne reimagines Mary, Queen of Scots’ story with the addition of fae and magic. We follow Alyth and Samson as they navigate shifting allegiances and a budding love. While I wish there had been more focus on their interactions, the blend of history and fantasy was engaging enough to keep me intrigued—and I’ll definitely be picking up book two.

Alyth is a demi Fae magician in Queen Mary Stuart's court, taking on a protecting role. Samson is a young man with a Fae curse from Southwark, London, sent by his controlling and distant father to infiltrate Mary's court. When the two meet, they quickly find themselves circling each other to sort out their intentions.

If you read The Night of the Witch duology, then you are familiar with this writing duo and the style you can expect here. They take history and weave in the fantasy. Their inclusion of the Fae feels closer to Holly Black than other series that might focus exclusively on high Fae. This will be a duology, so expect an ending in kind. You might enjoy this if you like:
- historical fantasy with a YA view
- Scotland setting
- Fae: high Fae, Seelie court, brownies, glastigs, Red Caps

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 10/7/25. I'll be posting to Instagram closer to publication

While the premise of this book was intriguing, I found the execution of it was not exactly what I was hoping, though perhaps that is an issue on my end and not the books. I thought the main character had a lot of potential, I just felt disconnected from her and the rest of the characters in general. It enjoyed a lot of aspects of the book like the magic and the twist on the historical setting, I think this would just work better on someone younger and perhaps new to romantasy. It really was a case of it just not being for me but I would probably have enjoyed this a lot more when I was a teenager. Thank you to Netgalley as always for the eARC!

A magical spin on a historical feud where you keep your friends close and enemies closer.

“The Crimson Throne” finds Scotland protected by a magical Wall held together by Queen Mary’s handmaid and fae Alyth who is desperate to keep the Red Caps out but finds herself drawn the the English traveler Samson who has a curse upon him and if they’re not careful they may find themselves on the wrong side of this conflict with more than just the fae at war.

I’m going to start and say I know very little about the history of the rival Queens other than the Victor at the end of said conflict so some of the pieces I cheated and looked up as I read but I think that made it a bit more fun as we hit the accurate historical beats with a sprinkle of magic and flair in between. There’s so much folklore and mythology in Scotland and having those pieces come to life over the course of the story was one of my favorites and there’s a moment where a character truly *sees* for the first time and that moment of magic is what so much of this world felt like in my own head.

I really loved the dynamic between Alyth and Samson , two people who have every reason to be enemies finding common ground and seeing the beauty in their differences even if their secrets and intentions at the beginning are at odds with each other. Trying to manage the political chess game while also being tethered to a world much bigger gave them a lot of opportunities for betrayal and it will be interesting to see how they fair at story’s end.

A really strong start to what is shaping up to be a fun and dynamic duology and I can’t wait to see how they continue to blend fact with fiction between two women who both have their hands on the throne.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

A good fantasy novel with just a bit of romance sprinkled in. Most of the story followed a predictable path as far as who we are trusting and who we aren't. Some of the characters were quite annoying to read about (Mary especially) but the brownies were fun minor characters to interact with. A solid read. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

"Powerless meets Reign in this new historical romantasy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Night of the Witch.

Samson Calthorpe's curse has isolated him from everyone he has ever cared about. So, when the opportunity arises to break the curse, he grabs it. All he has to do for his freedom is risk his life and become a royal spy, using every bit of the skills and resolve he's picked up on the streets of London to infiltrate the court of the Scottish Queen and uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

For years, Alyth Graham has been protecting Mary Queen of Scots from threats both physical and magical, including the Queen's own husband, Lord Darnley. Alyth is more than meets the eye though, the child of a fae prince and a human mother, she is among the most powerful protectors in Scotland: guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan...that Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland.

As Alyth and Samson circle each other in the volatile and glamorous Scottish court, both seek to uncover threats to their own countries. They have one unifying link: their shared hatred and suspicion of Lord Darnley...and their undeniable pull towards each other. Using secret codes, hidden messages, and a little bit of magic, Alyth and Samson unravel a plot centuries in the making. Lord Darnley is only a pawn, and in this game, the queen takes all."

I mean, Lord Darnley could only hope to be a pawn. And yes, I have Lord Darnley issues. But he got what he deserved...

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I found the power dynamics to be the most intriguing part of this novel. The worldbuilding would be flat without it. The tension of courtly power distances fuels the characters' actions. Alyth spends most of her time navigating through the Queen's temperament, as do other characters. However, not even the Queen is exempt from the struggles of status.

In the first chapter, she is reproached by Alyth. Queen Mary had ordered that Alyth remain at Stirling and away from the protective wards keeping the Red Caps out. Alyth is quick to remind the Queen that, as a half-fae bodyguard, she must ensure Scotland's safety from them.

Sara Raasch and Beth Revis are one of my favorite author duos! Their joint writing style creates pure magic. I love their particular brand of stories — steeped with history and mixed with fairytales!

I am an avid Tudor History fan and love everything about Outlander, so this story already had my name on it. It was everything I hoped for and more! The courtly politics, the tension between England and Scotland/Elizabeth and Mary, and the feral beauty of the land. I loved the unique magic system and the connection between the fae and human realms. We get so much of the Scottish side of the realm in this story; I’m eager to see more of the Seelie Court and its politics.

I’m always up for a dual POV novel and thought it worked extremely well to showcase the different motivations Alyth and Samson initially have. Their banter was top notch and I enjoyed the level of friendship and mutual respect they shared for one another. It’s a true enemies to allies to lovers done right.

I thought I had seen it all when it came to reimagining Mary Stuart’s and/or Elizabeth Tudor’s lives. This story is wholly unique and adds a magical spin to gaps in our historical record. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel to see how it all turns out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this because I have recently read and loved books from both of these authors and was intrigued to see how they would mesh together and I have to say I really enjoyed this one. I think calling it a romantasy does it a little bit of a disservice though. It felt more like historical fantasy with a romance subplot (I realize it doesn’t sound that different but this was not super romance forward).

This is a historically accurate retelling of the story of Mary Queen of Scots (which I literally knew nothing about going into this) but add some fae! Don’t worry if you also knew nothing about her, the history part isn’t long and boring and is essential to the story. It’s dual POV from our characters Alyth and Samson with each author penning one POV.

I think this had the perfect amount of romance in it and the relationship between Alyth and Samson was really well done with the banter and yearning from both sides. The romance plays an important role and isn’t there just to fulfill some enemies to lovers check box.

I believe this is a duology and the story ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next part.

Thank you to NetGalley and the authors and publisher for an early copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Whilst I did enjoy parts of this, i found myself not too eager to pick it up. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the romance, it just felt a little forced. I do think this is a very personal view and others will love it

Let me first say that I'm not typically one for romance or romantasy. So, people who enjoy the genre as a whole and are more familiar with its tropes and conventions might have a different experience. This may very well come down to a matter of taste.

What appealed to me was Scottish folklore and a (partially) nonhuman woman MC with more power than the human man MC. The folklore I definitely got. The relationship ended up being a bit different than I anticipated, which I think impacted my enjoyment.
For what it's worth, I did like and care about Alyth and Samson (also, excellent name choice for him). Their dynamics with side characters, especially Alyth and Mary, were difficult for me to figure out. There were also character traits that would appear late in the story that weren't out of place, but probably should have come up earlier to land a bit better. Maybe some character building moments were left on the cutting room floor?
I don't actually know a lot about the Elizabethan era, so maybe these historical figures were just like that. I didn't care for them, but it seems unfair to criticize a character's depth when there is a real possibility that they were shallow in actual life.
As a person who isn't invested in romance, it took me about half-way through the book to get into it. From what I understand based on speaking with coworkers, though, Alyth and Samson have all the makings of a solid ship.
The ending was something else, and I tip my hat to the authors for that.

This is a book that I might recommend to a fan of romantasy, but I probably would have not finished it if I'd just checked it out at the library.