Sarah Raughley is one of those authors you have to read. There’s no one who does historical fiction quite like Raughley and this has to be my favorite. It’s a story about revenge, racism, and rage. Keep reading this book review of The Queen’s Spade for my full thoughts.
Summary
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 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 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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Prepare for the racism. Sally is committed to revenge of a select group of individuals involved in her kidnapping and oppression. The racism in this book makes your blood boil. The cruelty and inhumanity of their racism. The spectacle and condescension. They see Sally as the exception as they make her perform for them. It’s a lesson in conditional love. In all the ways we can make someone’s love dependent on their obedience, on our expectations. Can you tell the open captives from the pets? and which is worse?
“To make a puppet, one must kill a live thing first”
There’s courtly subterfuge, the reflection of nightmares, and memories of instruction with punishment. It’s a lesson in the Empire’s civilization at the expense of the poor. With the past coming back to haunt Sally, can she finish her revenge in time? And what would be the ultimate revenge? The Queen’s Spade is a historical fiction masterpiece. Raughley explores the unfairness as a black women, the extent of their cruelty, and how the systems of power view her. Whether she’s seen as a possession, an experiment, as ‘manageable’.
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If you haven’t read any of Raughley’s historical fiction, this is the place to start. Find The Queen’s Spade on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.