This story is a celebration of being an angry Black woman and getting revenge. So many people think the anger of Black people is unwarranted. Honestly, whether you understand her reason or not, Ina aka Sarah was laser focused on vengeance—and rightfully so.

I enjoyed this fictional take on true life events. Ina’s character is based on the life of Omoba Ina. The British would tell you she was rescued, Ina would say she was ripped away from her home and traditions. Ina went from being the princess of her clan to the gifted goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She was raised and educated with British ideals in the effort to turn her into a “civilized” woman. That translated into years of stripping away her identity, humiliating her, and treating her like property.

In The Queen’s Spade, Ina is fueled by her pain. Ina’s anger and bloodlust are the only things keeping her going so she can accomplish her mission of taking down the monarchy. Ina will get revenge against the British Crown and anyone who played a part in her suffering—even if it’s the last thing she does. I love how the author leaned so heavily into Ina’s darkness. The development of her character was very clear. There’s no doubt who Ina was. She was angry, determined, murderous, bold, sinister, dangerous, intelligent, manipulative, and an overall mastermind. The story alternates between Ina creating chaos in the present and the past events she endured as royal property. There is a romances/non romance situation that I actually liked. A traditional romance would’ve been out of place in this story, so I think the author made a good choice.

Overall, I liked the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

4.5 Stars

The Queen’s Spade is a historical thriller inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta (aka Sally), Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter. In the book, author Sarah Raughley imagines a Sally out for revenge — a Sally who will stop at nothing to make a number of high-ranking British men and women pay for the wrongs they committed. It’s an idea that’s plausible and plays out with all the tension and intrigue you’d expect from a thriller.

In Raughley’s world, Sally is a morally gray character that makes sense. Sally is a favorite of the queen and walks a strange line of being both on the inside and outside of court. She is and isn’t accepted, and that brings her a certain amount of access and power. And it’s not hard to understand her motives, even if some of the outcomes are less than desirable.

Of particular note is the interplay between a grieving Queen Victoria and Sally. Both are sharp and have multiple cards to play.

The book is superbly written. It’s a gripping tale that’s part character study, part suspense, and somehow Raughley is able to fit it all into a real timeline of events and people. The Queen’s Spade will appeal to older YA readers as well as adults.

A dazzling mix of intrigue, magic, and fierce characters, this young adult historical thriller shines with its wonderful research and attention to detail. The vivid world-building and high-stakes drama kept me hooked, but some parts felt a bit repetitive, which slowed the pacing at times. Still, it’s a compelling read for fans of history, mystery, and a touch of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Queen's Spade on January 14, 2025.

It's very clear that Sarah Raughley put immense care into her research and writing of this book. The language is evocative of the time period, and her use of specific details makes it feel as if you're in the room with young Sally. The themes of colonialism, revenge, and taking back your autonomy were exceptionally crafted throughout the story, painting a powerful reimagining of the real-life Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Though her story is tragic, Sarah/Sally manage to inspire and caution us about the lengths people will go to for power and privilege.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading *The Queen’s Spade* by Sarah Roughly. The story is a captivating blend of mystery and adventure, set against the backdrop of a royal court filled with intrigue. The characters are vivid and well-developed.

The pacing is perfect, and the twists kept me guessing until the very end. I also appreciated the underlying themes of loyalty and self-discovery, which are seamlessly woven throughout the plot.

It’s an engaging read that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves historical mysteries featuring strong, resourceful heroines.

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?

THE QUEEN'S SPADE by Sarah Raughley is an excellent YA book about revenge, colonization, slavery, the role of women in society, and so much more. I am ashamed to say I had no idea who Ina Sara Forbes Bonetta was before reading this book, nor did I know that Queen Victoria had "Wards of the Empire" (vomit). This book sent me on all sorts of internet side quests to learn about the real history depicted in the book, and I'm sure others will follow suit and go on their own research journeys. I loved how Raughley reinvented Ina's life and gave her an amazing quest for revenge. Living vicariously through her schemes was very fun and the end of the book is super satisfying. Get this book for your school library! Use it for book club! Get it, get it!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished reading The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley, and wow—what an intense, gripping tale. This book dives deep into themes of revenge and justice in a way that left me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Every page is packed with raw emotion, and I couldn’t help but feel every bit of Ina’s rage and grief as if it were my own. What hit me the hardest is knowing that her journey is inspired by real-life events—it makes her story even more haunting and unforgettable. I was completely captivated by Ina’s strength and resilience. Trust me, you won’t just read her story; you’ll feel it.

The Queen's Spade was an incredible read. What a journey!

I've read about Sarah Bonetta Forbes before. She was an Egbado princess whose family was slaughtered. Sarah was stripped of her African name and given the aforementioned name. She is then gifted, yes gifted, to Queen Victoria of England.

Sarah, often referred to as the generic "Sally", is forced to become an elite member of British society and paraded around as the queen's African god daughter. She's at the mercy of what the queen wants for her from being shipped to a girl's institution in Freetown Africa, to where she lives in England, to who she is ordered to marry. The true story of Sarah Bonetta Forbes is a sad one.

THIS one, however, puts quite the twist on Sarah. She understands that humiliation is worse than death in British society and is exacting revenge for the wrongs done to her; I loved every moment of it. While plenty is fictional, there are plenty facts included, and I learned a few things while reading.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC of The Queen's Spade.

This book is great for YA readers who love suspense, mystery, and murder. This book also has some historical fiction elements to it; but I would make it more clear to readers that many of the events (murders that Sally does) are fictional. I understand and like the perspective of giving her a story where she can fight back. I think the book is still interesting and important as a historical fiction that it tells people of Sally and of all the other heinous acts England and The Crown DID actually enact on the world.
I would recommend this to my students, but I would label it as very fictionally and give them some background info on the book just so they didn’t get confused or misinformed while reading.

This book, with its stunning cover, captivated me from the start! The unique mix of Bridgerton and The Count of Monte Cristo kept me hooked as I followed Ina's journey of hardship and revenge. Full of twists and turns, it left me wanting more. I can't wait to see what's next for Ina!

The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley is one of those books that is labeled YA but that I think is a good read for all ages.

This book is based off of the real life of Sara Forbes Bonetta, birth name Ina Omoba, who was raised by Queen Victoria as a "god daughter." In this work of fiction, Sara is on a quest of revenge. She was taken from her homeland, her best friend was murdered on their voyage to England, and she has been transformed into royal property. Now she seeks justice against all of those who have wronged and stolen pieces from her along the way.

Where I thought this book thrived was in bringing to attention the horrific wrongdoings of the monarchy in, as the book description says, "the system of colonial 'humanitarianism.'" Sara was rescued from her homeland only to become enslaved by another system. As she goes through with her revenge plot we learn of all of the different players, and more, who participated in her mistreatment. Even those closest to her hold their own prejudices.

The plot of this book is fast but a bit too busy. I enjoyed all of the action scenes because I enjoy a quick moving plot, but sometimes I thought there was no rhyme, reason, or overall plan. There are also several different characters and sub plots which made some of the book a bit chaotic. The description of this book on Goodreads says it is for fans of Bridgerton but I disagree. The romance was in my opinion the weakest part of the book. Sara has a lot of suitors vying for her attention but most of the romantic scenes fell very flat. Altogether I thought the story could use a bit more organization and it would have been even stronger.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I like reading books with action, a quick moving plot, and a historical piece and this delivered on all three. The writing is easy to read and the story was clearly well researched. I rated this 3.75 stars and rounded up both here and on goodreads.

The Queen's Spade was a phenomenal read. "Sally" (Sarah) was formerly the princess of the Egbado Clan and she wants to get revenge against everyone who was involved with invading her homeland and forced her to become the property of Queen Victoria and the royal family. I was amazed how much this book addresses historical issues with colonization and arranged/forced marriages as a means of controlling women, especially when forcing young women to marry older men. This book has a lot of twists and turns. I was rooting for the FMC the whole time to succeed. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

very interesting historical thriller/fiction about a historical scenario that could definitely use more about it. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

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. She does everything well and is seen as the prime example of England being able to civilize what others considered savage. We follow Sarah (Ina) and her “actual thoughts” in this tale of vengeance and retribution. Sarah is smart and tactical. She plots her revenge like a well thought out game of chess, always a few steps ahead.

There was a bit of repetition we could have done without and moments where pacing was an issue for me but overall I enjoyed this ride!!

Can’t wait to add this beautiful cover to my shelf. Thank you Netgalley for the eArc. 🤎

The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley is a book that captured my interest immediately. There was just something about this one that made it so I just couldn't put it down.

Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally) is our fmc and living in England. As a ward of Queen Victoria, she's given some perks but it's clear that her life is not what she wants it to be. See, she was once the princess of the Egbado Clan and she wants revenge against all who have wronged her. When they invaded her homeland, stole her from those she loved, and essentially turned her into royal property, they took everything from her and she is determined to do the same to each and every person involved in her "transformation".

This book is full of twists and turns and if you like royal politics, this one is for you. Sally is right in the middle of a game that as a reader, I wasn't entirely sure she could win (considering who she was up against). As she aligns herself with a crime lord in London's underworld and starts trading favors, she also starts to have feelings for him but she knows she can never really trust him as he has his own motives for helping her. That said, as the queen realizes what Sally is up to, she plays the only card she can and arranges a marriage for her which now puts Sally on a schedule. Now, not only is Sally fighting for revenge but now she is faced with marrying a many who is much older than her and she knows she will never have the freedom she desires. Because of that, she is willing to do whatever it takes to get her vengeance.

As I said, this book was one I couldn't put down. And when I finished, I immediately went and searched the internet for Sarah Bonetta Forbes' story. Raughley does such a fantastic job of weaving in the historical with the fiction and bringing the reader along for the ride. If you're looking for a new YA to pick up that has a cat-and-mouse feel to it with a lot of twists and turns, consider picking this one up. I'll definitely be picking up more from this author in the future.

Sara Raughley’s reimagination of Sarah Forbes Bonetta is gripping and wonderfully crafted. In this reimagination, Sarah Forbes Bonetta is an African Princess forcefully taken from her home, transported worldwide, and gifted to Queen Victoria.

From page one, The Queen’s Spade took me in for a wild ride and I loved every bit of it. Sally’s revenge story in Victorian England was right up my alley and a perfect read for those who love historical fiction and reimaginings. Although there were moments when I felt the pacing was slow, I still had an overall good time with this book. There are plenty of sources at the end of the novel as well and I love that Raughley provides that for us as readers.

4.5 rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley & HarperCollins for the eARC for an honest review.

Historical fiction at its finest. Great characters and story, couldn't put it down. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Oh my gosh. I started reading this at 10PM, excited to read a couple chapters before bed. But I found this book impossible to put down once I started. The writing is just the right level of intense, while allowing us to connect with the main character. The schemes, the way the themes are addressed, the pacing—everything about this book was immaculate. I can't wait for more readers to find this story!