The Queens Spade, Sarah Raughley
The Queens Spade, Sarah Raughley
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.04
Club: $13.99

The Queen's Spade

Author: Sarah Raughley

Narrator: Anniwaa Buachie

Unabridged: 14 hr 50 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 01/14/2025


Synopsis

“You will bow before this queen.” —Sara Raasch, New York Times bestselling author of Night of the Witch“Revenge and justice have never been so satisfying!” — Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Lunar ChroniclesIn this riveting historical thriller inspired by true-life events, Belladonna meets Bridgerton as revenge, romance, and twisted secrets take center stage in Victorian England’s royal court when Sally, a kidnapped African princess and goddaughter to Queen Victoria, plots her way to take down the monarchy that stole her from her homeland.A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge. . . .The year is 1862 and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all else: revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial ""humanitarianism,"" which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle—even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once again: marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.Inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, The Queen’s Spade is a lush and riveting historical thriller for fans of This Ravenous Fate, A Dowry of Blood, and Grave Mercy.

About Sarah Raughley

Sarah Raughley is a graduate of the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University. Her current research concerns representations of race in popular media culture, youth culture, African and African diasporic cultural studies, postcolonialism, and global capitalism. She is also the author of the recent Victorian fantasy Bones of Ruin series and the Effigies series.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kezia on March 08, 2025

What’s the point of having an imagination if you can’t use it to the fullest? I believe that was exactly Raughley’s thought process when she came up with this book and wrote it. Because there’s no way THE Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally) was actually out here doing everything she did in this story… righ......more

Goodreads review by KaylasBookishVibes on January 16, 2025

You can tell a lot of time and research were put into this story. The creative liberty taken however, is what I enjoyed most. The historical elements were all there but the imagination needed to make this a story of vengeance?!! *chef’s kiss* 👩🏾‍🍳 Sarah is the beloved goddaughter of Queen Victoria. S......more

Goodreads review by Shaylah on November 27, 2024

"The Queen's Spade" by Sarah Raughley is a gripping and masterfully crafted historical fiction that reimagines the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter. Set in 1862, the novel follows Sally's fierce quest for revenge against the British Crown, transforming her fro......more

Goodreads review by Kim on January 21, 2025

I have rarely felt this type of conflicting emotions about a book as I have for The Queen’s Spade. On the one hand, it is a story based on almost exclusively real people and incorporates real events. On the other, it is not a genre I typically read (historical fiction, maybe thriller?) and so it was......more

Goodreads review by Trisha on May 06, 2025

"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,......more