The Exiled Queen

She was raised as a prince. When she loses the contest for her father's throne, he trades her away for her firstborn son. What will it cost her to take it all back?

Andrada is born a princess on the edge of the Roman Empire, in a country where women are not allowed to rule. Her dying mother makes the king promise that their daughter will be like a son to him. When the child turns ten, he orders her hair cut short. He sends her to the school for highborn boys, and years of blades, horses, and a tutor's rod follow. Then the king breaks with custom and names her his heir.

His chieftains answer with the King's Challenge. Andrada must win it or drink a cup of deadly water. During the challenge, she climbs to a forbidden temple above the capital and finds a crystal bell with a single word engraved on it. By the time she comes back down, she has already lost.

Rather than watch her die, her father arranges a marriage to a foreign king. The price of their alliance is Andrada's firstborn son, to take her place as heir. Before she leaves, she vows to come home one day and win it all back. Although the crystal bell grants odd wishes, she's dangerously unarmed against a husband who loves another woman and a high priest who wants her dead. Meanwhile, the Roman legions need only an excuse to cross the border.

The Exiled Queen is a gritty and grounded historical fantasy set on the Danubian frontier of the Roman Empire. It is the earliest book in Delight of Humans and Gods, a series of standalone novels spanning the Lucretian Era.

A note for readers: There are no dragons or magic wands in this book. And Andrada falls in love with a medicine woman, but it is longing, not romance.

"Rich and rousing… memorable historical fantasy." — Publishers Weekly

"Intricate worldbuilding… elegant prose… rousing finish… Our Verdict: GET IT." — Kirkus Reviews

Finalist in the 2024 Foreword INDIES (Fantasy), the Chaucer Book Awards, the Ozma Book Awards, and the American Book Fest Best Book Awards.