I find Mary Queen of Scots fascinating after watching Reign, and I love Sara Raasch, so I was all in for The Crimson Throne by her and Beth Revis. Alyth Graham is a member of the Scottish Court, but she is also one of the most powerful protectors of the fae realm and when Mary, Queen of Scots’ husband Lord Darnley becomes a thread, she will stop at nothing to save the fae realm. Samson is a spy entering the court to help his father’s cause, but after meeting Alyth and learning of her powers, his whole world changes, and he’s thrust into a world of magic and political intrigue. First, I missed this was going to be a duology, so I was confused about some of the pacing; that is mostly on me for not fully reading the description of the book. But in terms of the romance, I loved the banter and the flirting, but they felt a little too insta love in a way that I don’t feel totally fit their characters. But I loved Alyth. She is so brave and always on guard, and her moments of vulnerability were so heartwarming. And Samson wants so much. He is so sweet. It’s big black cat X golden retriever energy. The magic woven into the real history aspects was unique and interesting, and I loved the twist at the end. There was definitely a lot more world building and plot build up than being character driven, which might have also been what thrown me with the pacing, because I love the way Sara Raasch does characters and this did feel like a different style, and it was cowritten. Plus it is more a historical fantasy than anything else. I did love the writing around the setting; it really felt so vivid throughout. I loved having both Alyth and Samson’s POVs throughout too to add depth to the story. I definitely have mixed feelings for this one, but I still overall enjoyed it and am curious where the story leads.

3.5 rounding up to 4 stars

The Crimson Throne was a mixed read for me. I found myself starting and stopping several times, largely because the historical setting—one of my least favorites—caught me off guard. I hadn’t realized that aspect when I first requested the book, and I was initially drawn in by comparisons to Holly Black, hoping for something in the vein of The Cruel Prince.
About halfway through, though, the story really found its stride. The plot picked up, and I became much more engaged. The cliffhanger ending definitely left me curious enough to continue with the next installment.
This was my first book by Sara and Beth, and while I noticed the dual-author voice at times, I found their writing style intriguing. I’ve already purchased another title by them and look forward to seeing how their work evolves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was introduced to Sara Raasch through her Nightmare Before Kissmas series, and was excited to read this historical fantasy set in Queen Mary of Scots court in Scotland. I was immediately drawn into this story with the prologue and wanted to know more about this fantastical world of court intrigue and magic. I found Alyth’s magic and the Scottish folklore interesting, and I appreciated how the fantasy was woven into the real historical elements. However, many of the fae elements (e.g., the bean-nighe, the Winter Queen, and the goblin market) felt out of place and muddied the importance of the Red Cap threat. I also thought that Alyth and Samson’s insta-attraction felt forced and unnatural, but by the end, I was willing to believe their partnership. The events of the last few chapters also returned me to the excitement I felt from the prologue. There is promise for the story to build into something truly amazing in book 2!

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC!

Favorite quotes
I’ve seen magic all my life, but I’ve never felt it until now.
But you saw me. Even then, you saw me. No one sees me.
I hide in the shadows, and he glimmers in the sun, but it is rare for both of us to show our true faces.

Favorite quote(s):

“I nod, a lump in my throat blocking speech. I swallow hard. “Creatures like this, they're not good or bad. They're wild. They drift between the worlds, and they deserve to be protected from fae and man alike.”

They deserve to be appreciated and loved, just for existing. And if no one else will do it, I will.”


“Even when all this was invisible to me, you never were.” - Samson


Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. These authors are really great at teaming up and writing interesting books. I enjoyed Night of the Witch and its sequel, and I enjoyed this book. Alyth was a great main character, and I found her story to be interesting. Samson was interesting, and I loved him so much. Both were dealing with a lot of stuff. I loved how this weaved magic, fae, and history together. I did think that while the story had things happening, there wasn't a lot of action. I’m hoping for it in book 2. It did pick up more towards the end, though. It was nice that Alyth was working at Mary Queen of Scots' court and that things were going on. I did feel bad for Alyth because she wasn't always treated fairly as part human and part fae. The stuff with the Red Caps was interesting, and I found it to work with the story. The end chapters were intense, and I can't believe that was how it ended. I am excited for more. Overall, I enjoyed this book even if I wanted a bit more action and romance. It was a good book, and I can't wait for the sequel.

Crimson Throne is a historical fantasy take on the Mary Queen of Scots time period. We meet Alyth, a half fae, who is tasked with protecting Queen Mary and maintaining a magical barrier that is keeping their realm safe from a group of evil fae called the Red Caps. We also have Samson, who is the bastard son of a London Lord who is sent to Scotland to spy for his father and the Queen of England; in return he has been promised his curse will be removed if he is successful. Of course, Samson and Alyth eventually realize they need to team up to both ensure their tasks are completed and the Queen and realm remain safe.

What I loved most was the spin on the usual grumpy/sunshine trope, in this book she is the grumpy one and he is the sunshine. Their banter and dynamic through the book was fun to watch unfold and play out through the book. Had me kicking my feet toward the end.

This book also has great pacing, I do not feel like it suffers from the middle 1/3 slog like a lot of books. The authors did a great job pacing out all of the politics, the investigation, and the chemistry with the two main characters. This was my first book for both of these authors and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this, I will definitely book reading book 2.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

3.25

I'll be honest. I enjoyed this enough. I don't know if I will continue to the next book but it's interesting. I am not a huge fan of historical fantasy books. I had high hopes for this but genuinely it didn't really hit for me.

I was eager to read this book from this duo. I've read each author separately and had a good time, i felt like this was going to be great. Overall I did enjoy this book. The beginning was a bit tough to get into. The first chapter started out strong, but it fizzled from there. I didn't immediately love the connection with the characters. It came off as forced. By the end though it got easier to believe so it didn't ruin the book for me. The middle did drag some stop that is what is holding me back from loving this. I am looking forward to the sequel.

Is YA in the room with us anymore??? Nothing about this book centers teens. Please just market this as an info-dumping fantasy for adults instead.

DNFd at 27%, but the problem is surely me.
I am 31 years old and I think I am too old for a tale of insta-love in which I don’t believe anymore.
I am very sorry to give only two stars to Sara Raasch (my one and only queen after The nightmare before kissmas duology) and DNF a book written in part by her, but my opinion after a quarter of it is: maybe it should have been written only by two hands instead of four.

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the arc of The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis.

My favorite author duo is back again! Sara and Beth are so brilliant at creating a fantasy world of their own rules and machinations. It was very easy to slip into this book of historical Scotland court intrigue and fae.

Alyth!! The barrier guardian you are!! Reading from her pov was very fun. She's a feisty protagonist that sets the tone for a fast-paced and invigorating read.

Samson :) A just as feisty counterpart, but with self-doubt issues. And daddy issues lol. But, incredibly likeable!!

The two main characters find themselves caught in the pre-war antics between Queen Mary and her traitor husband. Alyth must keep the peace to ensure the safety of the fae wall. Samson struggles to please his father while dealing with a devastating curse. An unlikely comradery brings Alyth and Samson the blueprint to help each other's cause, even if it may be on separate sides.

There was a bit of insta-attraction, but overall it gave the characters and story charm that I ate up.

"I don't understand much of this world so far, but I understand her."

The Crimson Throne
by Sara Raasch, Beth Revis

4⭐️

I did enjoy this book!! It’s starts off very slow but the pacing does pick up through the second half and then I was just hooked!!
It does have a “Outlander vibe” but it was also very unique in its own way.
Loved the Scottish lore and the battle between fae and humans.
Loved the historical depiction of Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth of England.
This book is a blend of historical fiction, fantasy , political intrigue, and a bunch of “The Queen’s Court” drama .

FMC Alyth is half fae/ she’s the barrier guardian who tries to keep the Red Caps from breaching the Fae portals. She is apart of Mary Queen of Scots court.
MMC Samson is sent to Scotland by his father to spy on Mary to see if she’s plotting against Elizabeth.
He is also struggling with a fae curse / charm that he thinks turns him into a “monster”

Overall I did enjoy this story, like I said before it did drag a bit but I’m glad I stuck it out ! Because the ending was really good and I’m a little curious to see what happens next!

Thank you to Soursebooks Fire and Netgalley for this arc copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5/4
Spice: Someone put a green bell pepper, which I thought was funny, but accurate

This is advertised as Outlander meets Holly Black and it mostly hits that vibe. Overall, I liked this book and I will read the sequel. With that being said, the pacing is a little slower than it needed to be. I also think the two main characters had some good moments of romantic tension, but their overall relationship arc felt a little forced. It doesn’t meet the full potential of yearning and angst I hope for in this type of book (ya or new adult?). I liked both the main characters, the world, etc. My only gripe was their voices sometimes weren’t proper English (which is in character), but other times they were. The use of ma was so annoying to me.

The storyline is super creative and I love the accuracy with history. I love that they came up with this magical idea, born out of facts. I am actually happy with the cliffhanger ending and excited to read more.

Thanks to netgalley for the arc!!

Epic romantasy novel set up with scottish folklore. This is such a good start to a duology series that has so much potential. The unique storyline makes this so exciting and it gives off high court policy vibes.

Sara Raasch and Beth Revis blend fantasy and Tudor era historical fiction into one very well plotted and executed book. Alyth is a half fae and the daughter of a fae prince. She is the barrier guardian to keep the Red Caps away from the Fae Land portals. This puts her into the court of Mary Queen of Scots.
Samson is sent to Scotland to find out if Mary is plotting against Elizabeth. But also he is trying to get his curse taken care of. In this book you will find political intrigue, well blended historical figures with some Scottish fae mythology. I love it when I see the use of Seelie and Unseelie as well as other well known Scottish variety of fae included in books including, brownies, obviously Red Caps, The Green Lady (aka the Glastig), just to name a few.
While I loved the world building and what everything was based on I feel that there were certain parts of the books that the pacing slowed down some and I started to lose interest a bit but my wanting to know what was going to happen in the end kept me going. I also wanted to know more about Samson overall as time kept going on and we learned more about him.
Overall I was happy that I continued and I really liked how it ended I need to know what happens next and am going to be anticipating the next book!
Thank you to Soursebooks Fire for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was seriously The Cruel Prince meets Outlander with a historical fantasy twist that absolutely killed it with the political aspects of court. It had everything I love: scheming courts, sharp banter, impossible choices, and a romance full of sharp edges and softer moments that sneak up on you... And let's not forget the unforgettable dagger to the throat scene.

Alyth, the way she balances her power, wit, and vulnerability, had me fully obsessed with her. Samson, the Englishman with a sword, a secret, and some serious devotion to Alyth. The chemistry between them is top-tier enemies-to-allies-to-lovers perfection that I can't wait to see developed into book 2. Their dagger-to-the-throat tension, mutual teasing, and yes, even arguing over who has the worse daddy issues... it all just works beautifully.

But what really stood out was the writing. The quotes are unforgettable:
“Wild things hate walls. Even protective ones.”
“You’re pretty when you’re suspicious.”
“What are you, Alyth?” “Your ruin.”
“She might kill me at this party, but, bloody hell, she’ll look stunning doing it.”

I love that these dual authors each took on a character to write a book; it's a unique way to write, and I love seeing their talent shine together. Their world is magical, dark, and full of lore, especially the fair folk (who are not so fair at all... this is not the sexy kind of fairy book, this is the evil kind).

Highly recommend if you love:
-Court politics with actual stakes
-Banter-filled romance
-Fae that are not your friends
-Enemies to allies to lovers

I liked this book and the magic system however I wasn’t super connected with the FMC or the MMC. Sometimes I felt the history also took away from developing the magic systems. I think this book is a very niche recommendation so I will keep it in mind for anyone that’s likes fantasy or historical fiction. Just wasn’t the one for me. Still think it was a decent read !

I honestly had no clue what to expect with this book. I wasn’t even sure what it was about before reading it and when I started reading about Mary Queen of Scots I was thinking oh boy….HOWEVER I actually thoroughly enjoyed it! This is not something I probably would have picked up otherwise but I love the way the authors have woven fantasy into an historical event, it was very cleverly done! Really liked Alyth and Samsons storyline, didn’t see that twist coming with Samson at all. I will 100% be reading book 2 as I am very much looking forward to finding out a bit more of Alyth and Samsons back stories.

A truly great and largely historically accurate retelling of Mary Queen of Scots and the Tudor era. I found this captivating and entertaining and enjoyed the take this writing duo gave to the subject.

Alyth is half fae, and must protect Mary Queen of Scots at all costs. Failure will mean that Scotland could fall to the vicious Red Caps, who send a mysterious boy across the border in an effort to distract her.

This was a really interesting read but didn't quite live up to my expectations given I usually adore these authors together. There was nothing really stand out about the story until very close to the end, and sadly it couldn't make up for the rest. Definitely give it a go if you like a bit of fantasy woven into your history, but it just wasn't right for me.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Whisk yourself away to a misty, magical Scotland during the Tudor era, where history dances hand-in-hand with fae enchantments As the rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth intensifies, Alyth and Samson are drawn into the dangerous undercurrents of court politics and secret alliances. With threads of romance, magic, and political drama, this book is a compelling mix of romantasy and historical fiction—perfect if you are looking for history with a hint of magic.

Thank you Sourcebooks UK and NetGally for an advanced copy!