Title: The Queen’s Spade
Author: Sarah Raughley
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Audiobook via hoopla
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Thriller
The first thing to catch me with The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley was… that, the title. I liked it well enough to read the synopsis, which informed me that this story centered around an African princess working her hardest to ruin the British people who stole her dignity and caused her friend’s death. She included Queen Victoria in this. Talk about juicy!
The story takes place in 1862, although there are flashbacks to earlier days whenever Ina, known to the British as Sarah Forbes Bonetta or Sally, turns inward to her memories. It’s loosely inspired by a real person, although the revenge plot is fictional. I can certainly understand the motivation, as I suspect I’d want revenge myself. Throughout the story, we witness her political maneuvering, her dealings with and growing feelings for a crime lord, and even her use of the Prince of Wales to further her plans. We also meet the man she went on to marry.
Most call her Sally throughout the tale, but for the purpose of my review, I am going to call her Ina. Her birth name was Àìná, and she later used the spelling Ina. This feels only right in honoring her life.
Ina is a complex character. She has compelling motivations and flaws, too, including her ego and overconfidence. She didn’t seem to plan for what to do if things didn’t go as expected. This felt a bit out of character to me, given how intelligent she was and how carefully she could maneuver in other situations. I would have expected her to have some backup plans. I was so proud to see her staying true to herself when everything came to a head. I find that incredibly admirable. I enjoyed the romance the book contained, but not all of it felt necessary.
Raughley’s writing is vivid and dramatic, and she doesn’t hold back on Ina’s anger. With Ina telling her own story, we know exactly what she thinks of the people she’s working so hard to charm, and the contrast can be quite biting. Even the beautiful rooms and fancy surroundings feel uncomfortable when seen through her eyes. The narration has a modern feel rather than the formality you might expect from a Victorian setting. Beneath the revenge and romance, there is quite a lot here about racism, colonialism, grief, and people convincing themselves they’re being generous while treating another person as property. Ina wants her identity and freedom back, but the story also asks what she might sacrifice in pursuing revenge, and whether getting even is really the same as getting free.
The audiobook was narrated by Anniwaa Buachie, and she did a marvelous job overall. Her voice is very pleasant to listen to, and she performed different voices for all of the characters, although some admittedly made me giggle at how pompous and/or nasal they sounded.
I enjoyed my time listening to The Queen’s Spade. I’m actually kind of sad I’ve finished it and won’t get to listen to Anniwaa narrate this story anymore. I also would have liked to follow Ina further. There is a companion novel, The Queen’s Command, so there may be more for me to explore. The synopsis describes this as Belladonna meets Bridgerton. I can’t speak for Belladonna, but I was able to see some of the parallels to Bridgerton. If you enjoy political intrigue at court, stories of revenge, and intricate games of chess playing out in the text of the book you’re reading, this is a story I’d recommend to you.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓.75 — Revenge, royal intrigue, and a heroine determined to reclaim her freedom.
Click here to learn more about Sarah Raughley and The Queen’s Spade.
Let’s Discuss: Do you find yourself rooting for revenge-seeking characters, or is there a point where they lose your sympathy?
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