The Beheading Game

by Rebecca Lehmann

Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . .

We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day after her execution and took it upon herself to seek justice?

“Nobody was surprised at Anne’s conviction. The world loves to put a woman in her place.”

The Beheading Game begins in the hours after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, when she wakes to find herself unceremoniously in an arrow chest, her head wrapped in linen at her knees. Discarded by King Henry VIII for not being able to give him a male heir, reviled by Cromwell for being too smart for her own good, and executed based on trumped-up charges, Anne escapes the tower, sews her head back on, and sets out on a quest for vengeance.

Traveling in the guise of a commoner, with the help of a prostitute, Anne navigates the London streets she never before walked and soon realizes how little she knew about life in the real world. If Kelly Link had teamed up with Hilary Mantel, the result might be The Beheading Game. An epic journey through the wilds of British royal history and a prescient reminder that “mouthy” women have always been punished, The Beheading Game finally allows one of history’s most maligned women a chance to tell her side of the story.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Fiction, Adult, Alternate History, Historical Fantasy

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 24, 2026

About the author

Rebecca Lehmann is an award-winning poet and essayist. She has an MFA in poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Maytag Fellow. She is the author of three collections of poetry: Between the Crackups; Ringer, winner of the AWP Donald Hall Prize (selected by Ross Gay); and The Sweating Sickness. Her writing has appeared in American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, NPR’s The Slowdown, and the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day. She lives in Indiana with her family, where she is an associate professor of English and Gender and Women’s Studies at Saint Mary’s College. The Beheading Game is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC of this book!!


This was another absolutely phenomenal read for me. It had me hooked from the first page and I couldn't put it down. As I've mentioned in the past, having ADD sometimes makes things you genuinely love feel like the world's biggest bore & chore. I adore history, but you'd never know it. It's just one of those things I can only pay attention to, if I'm intrigued in the right ways. I love to learn, but it has to be fun/ entertaining in some way. This checked every single box for me. 


I really enjoyed the character development of Anne throughout this. 


I adored the unexpected love interest


I LOVED the seamless blend of history with original story telling 


The peppered in humourous one liners were superb !


I really hope this is far from the last book we get like this from Rebecca Lehmann!!



Until next time,
Hades
🩵

[Quill&Queer]

SHE SEWS HER OWN HEAD BACK ON?? Seated.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's unfortunate that this is being published at around the same time as the title story in Senaa Ahmad's The Age of Calamities as that also deals with an Anne Boleyn who comes back from the dead but, as a short story, has both a sharper attitude and plotline as well as moving more briskly. The Beheading Game felt stretched to me, as if it too had material for a short story but as a novel lacked depth and flounders a little finding narrative direction. The beginning introduces a secondary character who simply disappears and then Anne Boleyn moves to the court, almost like a whole different story. It's also a bit hard, I'd say, to be competing with Wolf Hall and the huge number of Tudor books, both fiction and non-fiction, which have done this episode from every angle we can think of.

While the story of Anne coming back to life to take revenge is innovative (even if belated to Ahmad), the characterisation needs of a novel are not the same as a short story: this Anne, Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell all feel rather flat and one-note, not a great comparison after the superlative Wolf Hall trilogy.

It's always interesting to see a take which disrupts an existing narrative in the way this does but it just feels like the book doesn't have enough material or perspective to add much-needed depth to a novel of this length. It especially feels like a mis-step to have Anne forcing Cromwell to support Elizabeth to the throne given that we know she becomes queen after Cromwell's own death so is hardly dependent on him.

Nice idea but I wanted far more to support the core idea and give in weight and significance: 2.5 stars.

Thanks to Vintage for an ARC via NetGalley

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a brilliant historical fiction! I LOVE Anne Boleyn so I was screaming when I got this ARC! Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing!

This book looks at an alternate history, where Anne somehow survives her execution and comes back with a vengeance and a purpose - to expose of her ex-husband Henry VIII and get her daughter Elizabeth on the throne.

This book is perfect for fans of Anne Boleyn and Tudor history. We get insights into Anne’s memories and her feelings and it’s cool to see what happens when she makes her way to the royal residence where the King resides - Whitehall and the chaos that ensues.

Honestly I love reading books where Anne lives after all and history is rewritten… and this was super fun, and the ending was kind of nice.. an ending Anne herself probably would have approved of. I won’t ruin it though, you must read it for yourself!

[Dan Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously detailed and vulnerable analysis of Anne’s time as Queen and the fallout of her death where people were so quick to gossip, presume, and ultimately condemn a figure they knew next to nothing about.
Anne suffered as Henry’s latest trophy, his conquest, his disgrace: how dare she birth only a daughter, and shun him by miscarriage via his sons. How dare she have free thought and live amongst her friends and family.
Does she not know how she shames him so?
The answer is simple; he must be rid of her.
However, Anne awakens inside an arrow chest with her head beside her and it is here her tale begins of treachery, betrayal, forbidden love, and ultimately revenge….
Do not miss this amazing book!!! I was transfixed!!!

[The Pastel Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very underwhelming 😏

[Josh Lambie]

This is really fierce.

An ingenious historical retelling of the execution of Anne Boleyn that seamlessly blends horror with the fantastical. Armed with a needle, thread, and a head freshly sewn back on, the reader is treated to a feminist Medieval reckoning of epic proportions. Smart insights, lovely prose, a fairytale-like plot, and sweet, sweet revenge make this novel something you do not want to miss.

[Maëlys]

not often a historical fiction reader but she sews her head back on?????

[Peejay(Pamela) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating mix of historical facts and fantasy! I really enjoyed the story: it kept me captivated from beginning to end. What if Anne Boleyn somehow came back after her execution seeking revenge? Seeking to protect her child Elizabeth? Well written and captivating. 4.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance readers copy.

[nyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would consider myself largely a historical layman. Time periods and eras are hard to discern, blurring together, details lost—and yet, I quite enjoyed The Beheading Game. There is always a mild aversion to historical fiction reading like a textbook, weighted down by its dense factual components, but this book did not suffer from this at all; it was still able to recount various events and interpersonal connections without being stuffy. Written with poise, Rebecca Lehmann pens a fresh, exciting take on one of the most disparaged women in history.

Second wife to King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn has been falsely accused and publicly executed, her decapitated head stowed away not in a coffin, but an arrow chest, alongside her body. Rising from the dead, and thoroughly scorned, Anne clambers out of her entrapment, sews her head back onto her neck, and embarks on a journey for revenge. With aid from a street-smart prostitute, the motley pair make their way along.

The narrative follows an ambling, almost stream-of-consciousness style, seamlessly drifting between Anne’s memories and the present. Still, it was surprisingly suspenseful, almost taut at some parts, compelling readers to turn to the next page, and the next, and the next. I loved the magical realism elements, some portions of the novel kept you wondering what was real and what was not. Though fantastical, there were nevertheless profound meditations on gender and sexuality, nobility and class, friendship and motherhood.

Recommended to historical fiction fans, proponents of female rage, and those who simply enjoy a well-rounded, satisfying revenge story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

[Cori Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was agog to read this, the concept of an executed Anne Boleyn sewing her own head back on and going all out for revenge is truly fantastic.

Unfortunately, the vengeance wasn't anything like as sharp as I wanted, and the majority of this book is experiencing everyday life in Tudor England. If you're interested in that insight, as well as a reimagining of Anne's past via flashbacks, then this may work really well for you -- it is lovingly done and very readable.

I personally wanted more from either the revenge theme, or the resurrection aspect. I wouldn't put this under Alternate History either, because the story doesn't cover any significant impact from the historical divergence created, a core feature of alt histories in general.

All in all, a lovely story, just not what I'd hoped for based on the blurb / beginning.


This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.

[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Harvill for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I am obsessed with the Henry VIII and his Six Wives story, and I love reading anything new about them, so this book certainly piqued my interest.

I was concerned beforehand about how she was going to write the scene of Anne's resurrection without making it sound juvenile or whimsical. But the opening chapter is perfection. Not always pleasant - but the poor woman has just been decapitated so we'll let her off if she's not looking her best - but it was gruesome and with the right amount of gravitas, and yet it felt very real, like "of course she's going to wake p and put her head back on".

It is so inventive, so passionate and detailed and respectful to the history and truth of Anne's story - even if it is now believed that she was innocent of the crimes she was killed for.

Anne Boleyn is not always particularly likeable in this. I understand she's been killed and resurrected and so I'm sure any of us would be cranky in this situation. She flits from a scared but determined woman, to a high and mighty, look-down-at-everyone, to a kind and loving friend. But even in the moments where she is not likeable, I still really liked her.

One thing I particularly liked was the time Rebecca has given to all the other characters. Yes this is Anne Boleyn's story and she was Queen so she should get the bigger billing etc. But this story is about so much more than just that, and she has given the same amount of time and depth to the secondary characters, the "lesser" characters as she has given to the royals.

Yes it's a thriller and a fantasy and all that, but it only works so well because it's firmly rooted in history. I don't know what Rebecca's background is, but there's clearly knowledge of Anne Boleyn and the period and whatnot - in addition to copious amounts of research I assume - but it's this grounding in reality that makes the fantasy elements feel so real.

It's heavier on narrative and prose than it is in dialogue, which I enjoyed very much. It is all so absorbing, the London of the 1500s the smells and the noise and the dirt and the blood; it sounds horrendous but it is beautifully captured here.

I went to bed relatively early one night and thought I would just read a couple of chapters. And then before I knew it, it was two hours later and I was half way - the other half was read over breakfast. It's just so addictive that I couldn't tear myself away.

The ending was a little left-field for me, it sort of came out of nowhere. Not that it's a negative, it doesn't stop the book being one of the best I've read, it just came as a bit of a surprise.

I've had a slightly weird version of the Six Wives floating around in my head for a few years, and whilst it's not quite as macabre and fantastical as this one is, just the fact that Rebecca has managed to make such a well-known story into her own, gives me belief that maybe I could.

[Lexi Rose Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Crown and Netgalley for this e-arc.

I think it's well known that King Henry VIII had numerous wives, and it is well known that Anne Boleyn was his second wife. The basic premise of her story is well known. She was beheaded for supposed treason. But this has a unique twist on Anne's story. You see, Anne didn't quite die.

I'm a huge history nerd, and the Tudor dynasty has always been a bit of a hyperfixation for me. I love historical fiction. So this really was right up my alley. I like the fantasy element of it. Of Anne still being alive after her beheading. Of her being able to try to enact her revenge on Henry. I enjoyed the travels through the first half of the book. I liked the relationship Anne had with Alice in the beginning. The general mistrust. I can see that people didn't recognize Anne immediately. After all, how many people really got to look at their queen up close and personal?

But this book started to lose me mid-way through. Anne and Alice escape to the Fens. Which is okay, I'm on board yet. They need to recoup and strategize. Except almost immediately, Anne turns back for London, where they just came from? And we pretty much say goodbye to Alice at this point which honestly just felt odd with how much of a supporting character she was up to that point. But okay I can look past this.

It's the ending for me. I'm sorry. It just didn't make sense. She got her revenge all right. But it kept being brought up that Anne was burning hot and then . . . she turns into a bird? I literally just sat here and stared at the page for a minute. I'm open to a lot of random stuff. I don't care if a book includes people shifting into animals. It was weird for it to be brought up in the end of the book. It felt lazy in a way to end the story that way. It just isn't setting right with me.

[Heather B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique book! I found the Tudor period fascinating when learning about it at school, so of course I wanted to read a book about Anne Boleyn surviving her own beheading, and then her quest for revenge against Henry VIII!

What I loved about it: It starts with an absolute banger of a first chapter. Anne is an interesting character to get to know - She's strong headed, assertive, and her relationship with Alice was one of the highlights for me.

The deviations from the story when Anne was reminiscing about her old life were some of my favourite parts. A beautiful mixture of true history and the author's imagination. The author has clearly done her research, which added much depth to the tale.

The second half lost its momentum slightly, with a little too much hiding and running and less plot development than the first half. However, if you're a fan of historical fiction, the Tudors and want both of those those with a little sprinkle of magic, give it a go. I'll be thinking and talking about this book for a long time.

Thank you Random House UK, Vintage for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. This is my honest and unbiased review.

[sophie ☁️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Anne Boleyn survived her beheading, sewed her own head back on, and made it her life mission to assassinate Henry VIII?

Welcome to The Beheading Game.

One of the wildest ways I have ever, and probably will ever again, start a book review. This was not your standard historical figure retelling. It oozes feminine rage, and delivers a strong message about how a woman being too strong, being too “loud” is just another way to villainise them. I was first taught about the Tudors way back at the tender age of eight, and even then, I remember coming home to my mum and being utterly distraught, that these women didn’t deserve the ending they were dealt.

Is this historically accurate down to a T? No. Does it give Anne Boleyn the ending and revenge arc she truly deserved? Yes, yes it does.

I had a fantastic time reading this book, it was full of heart and also had some lovely humorous moments too. Surpassed all my expectations. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5🌟

Synopsis: Anne Boleyn unexpectedly wakes up in a coffin following her beheading and must navigate unfamiliar realities of London to exact her justice – once she, of course, reattaches her head.

Review: While this is a work of historical fiction (with a dash of fantasy), the amount of research and consideration that went into crafting this novel is evident. The writing is beautiful and most of it weaves the present moment and past stories through the mind of Anne Boleyn, a compelling main character that’s loud, opinionated, and unconventional. This story showcasing her drive and determination will resonate with readers as she aims to best the patriarchal system that wrongs even the top women in society.

Perfect read for any fans of historical fiction x feminine rage 🗡️👑✨

Thank you to Rebecca Lehmann, Crown Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Jennelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. From the intensity of the opening scene to the satisfying conclusion, it doesn't hold your hand. As a woman, it loudly proclaims so many of our truths. Strong, fierce, intelligent, loyal, brave, ill-treated, villainized, vengeful, soft, loving, brutal, gentle, and everything throughout all of time. I will definitely be buying this book when it is released, and have a list of people who will be receiving it as a gift. The blending of thoughtful, powerful research with the paranormal and the symbolic is truly astounding. A work of art that is at once accessible and elevated. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this Advanced Reader Copy.

[Horror Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is alternate history mixed in with VERY strong magical realism vibes.
After Anne's mysterious resurrection, she slowly formulates a plan & embarks on an odd journey to achieve it. She sees a side of England she never did as a royal, and meets some horrible people but also some that show her genuine kindness. The ending (especially her final meeting with her young daughter Elizabeth) was sad and hopeful at the same time. This novel gives Anne Boleyn a happy ending, something that she definitely deserved.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, that's it, I'm so done reading any of Henry the VIII's six wives retellings, they continue to give NOTHING while promising to be the retelling of my dreams. Anne Boleyn wakes up from the dead, SEWS HER HEAD BACK ON, and goes to murder Henry for his crimes against her? Like let's fucking gooo dude! I wish that's what I got. I'm not saying the author isn't passionate about the subject matter, based on the historical details and the author's note and acknowledgement it's very clear to me the passion it there. The character work, however, left a lot to be desired. I am not joking with you when I say Anne could not, for the life (or unlife) of her, go even one minute without calling any other women in her sight line a whore or a prostitute, or both. Babe, I know it's the 1500s and therapy isn't even a glimmer in anyone's eye yet, but the projection is truly off the charts. She spent so much of her time thinking about how outraged it made her when other people called her a whore or the whore queen and how it wasn't true and then she'd look at another woman and be like "Oh my god, this fucking whore." Relax, reeeeelaaaaxxx.

This made it extremely difficult to root for Anne in any capacity, which is a feat in itself because I was excited and seated for her to kill Henry. Also if you were excited about Anne's quest for vengeance, I would really lower my excitement and my expectations if I were you. Does Henry get what's coming to him? Sure. You gotta wait until you're 95% of the way through and after Anne has called every woman she's seen in London a prostitute tho.

Now this is the part of the review while I take a moment to call the marketing people in for a second. Gather around, everyone, take a seat in my office. Some of you may need to stand, my office is small, they don't pay me a lot. Now lean in, place your hands on my desk so I can touch my hand to yours and look each and every one of you in the eye when I say this next part: Please. Please please PLEASE do not promise feminine rage, feminine revenge or vengeance if merely one act of violence against a man occurs. That's not what feminine rage is. Let me tell you what it is. Feminine rage is when a woman goes absolutely buck wild on anyone and everyone who's done her dirty. Our dark heroine may be dislikable, but we love her for it, we're rooting for her and we're aggressively defending her rights and her wrongs as she goes.

There's also the Alice of it all, I do not know why Alice was there. I understand part of her purpose is to call Anne out on her shit and open her eyes to the way of the world for the small folk. She's there to make Anne have several seats because SOMEONE needed to humble her. But the "something more" between them...? Why? I'm always open to broadening or changing a character's sexuality, especially in a retelling. I think it can be interesting and bring a different dynamic to the story. But I got the same feeling from this book that I got from the other six wives retelling which felt like I was watching the author smash two character's faces together and saying "Now kiss." And if you were excited about the something more between Alice and Anne, again, curb that enthusiasm.

Also I just need to talk about how when Anne sews her head back on she steals a sewing kit from some lady and then doesn't even bother to return it after. She just drop kicks the kit into some bushes and goes on her way. Like? Put it back?!?!?!? Anne also goes to a bear baiting event, for reasons???? And both relates to the bear for its anger at what's happening to it (it's really horrible and I don't wanna talk about it too much. It felt like the author wanted to flex their historical knowledge but I'm a sensitive cry baby so I really hated that part.) and is scared of it and is going on about how basically its anger makes it danger and it needs to die. Girl- Like I'm not saying Anne doesn't have some growth by the end, she was just sooooo dislikable for the first half that I didn't really care that she was a little less shitty by the end. Her growth also just felt really abrupt and unearned.

I really wanted to like this, you have no idea. But woof.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ariela Strombeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, thank you so much to the folks at NetGalley for giving me this ARC!
A solid 4 stars.

I think if you go into this book expecting more of a vengeance or haunting plotline, you’ll be disappointed. I would say this is more of a character study of Anne Boleyn in all her gory messiness (I mean this quite literally, as her living corpse sews her own head back on). It's not one of those books that is a particularly enjoyable read but it is the kind of book that sticks with you long after you've read it.

The plot is slow— very slow– with most of it being told in retrospect as Anne ponders on her life in court and her marriage to Henry. The vengeance quest doesn’t really happen until the final 3rd of the book. I would argue that most of the book acts largely as a way for Anne to reflect on her life, while also deconstructing her prejudices. Through her relationship and romance with Alice, a Fenlander who works as a London prostitute, she learns to see the humanity in people that she originally deemed inferior. We get to see the world, the everyday world of the commoner, that is, from the perspective of Tudor royalty. Anne is reflective of this and much of the story is devoted to her growth as an individual (though she is far from perfect, even in the end).

I’ve seen some reviews talking about how they disliked how Anne would call Alice a whore/prostitute in a derogatory way. I actually appreciated this aspect of the book. History is messy. It’s not all women supporting women and the fact that women were often pitted against each other by powerful men is not something that I think should be glossed over to suit modern sensibilities. I mean, this was the Early Modern Period. I don’t think it would do Anne justice to make her out to be a 21st century woman with 21st century ideas just to endear her to the reader. I dunno, I feel like it’s a trend to “gloss up” historical people to the point where their beliefs and ideas are so disconnected from their time period that they might as well be time travellers. This is not the case here. Anne is very very flawed. Unlikeable in some ways (mainly in her classism and blunt personality) and yet still sympathetic as a woman who did what she felt needed to be done to be socially mobile, or have even a modicum of political power, in an era when a woman’s value was determined in relation to the men she married, birthed, or was related to. Regardless, I can understand how this would be troubling for folks today so I would suggest looking at the trigger warnings before deciding to read this. (Also, a huge trigger warning for violence towards animals.)

Overall, this is a really solid speculative history that leans more on the history and character study of Anne than on dramatically changing the historical record (except for in the very final chapters). It definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s slow, bleak, reflective, and often unsettling in its portrayal of the lives and deaths of historical women– in a way that feels intentional rather than indulgent. But If you’re looking for a thoughtful, character-driven reimagining rather than a fast-paced revenge fantasy, The Beheading Game might be worth a read.

[Library Mouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Boleyn wakes after her execution, sews her head back on, and sets off to kill Henry VIII in order to secure Elizabeth's future. It's a brilliant concept, although it initially felt like something that might suit a short story more than a full-length novel, so I was curious how it would fill 300+ pages.

The story did feel a little stretched in places - there was a lot of travelling and sneaking around, without much forward action - but Anne's inner musings and the rich historical details kept me enjoying the story even so. The filth, the politics, the fashion, the food. Even when not much was happening, the world felt convincing. Although, as a minor quibble, there were a few moments where the plot leaned too hard on suspension of disbelief. There's no way Anne would have been able to casually slip past guards and have random picnics and floor naps around the palace without someone stopping her.

Despite those bumps, what never faltered was the fierce current of feminine rage and resilience running through the story, which I adored, and the book's refusal to sanitise the brutality of Anne's world. Poor Anne was too far ahead of her time.

Early on, Anne's character came across as manipulative, self-absorbed, and inclined to treat people as tools first and humans second. It made sense for who she was and what she was trying to achieve, but it left me feeling a little uncertain. However, as the story progressed and she reflected more on her past, I liked her more and more. She became more sympathetic, recognising the cruelty others had suffered alongside her, even those she disliked, and her motivations narrowed into a clear and believable focus on protecting Elizabeth at all costs.

One of the highlights was how carefully the book engaged with actual history. Obviously, undead Anne was a leap, but the effort to stay anchored in the political and personal realities of the period showed. The author's notes at the end, outlining what was accurate and what was invented, were a great addition, and the reading list inspired me to go on my own research spree afterwards.

Overall, it's a clever, vicious, atmospheric story with a really neat premise - if you're okay with some slower stretches.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a brilliant trailer for this book and was desperate to read it. It really caught my imagination with the originality of the plot!

Anne Boleyn finds herself in a box, with her severed head between her knees..She has survived the beheading in some form…She finds herself fully sentient. Her first tasks are to get herself out of the box and to put her head back on her shoulders..but what next!

This book is really difficult to review as I have such mixed feelings. The narrative of ‘revenge’ in the trailer and in discussions about this book had led me to expect a feminist retelling with Anne on the warpath wreaking revenge. I really struggled to adjust these expectations to what I was reading and I think that adjustment led me to feel less favourably about the book than I might have done. I was waiting for the revenge part and 62% in I hadn't seen much of it.

Take the revenge aspect out of it, this is an interesting narrative. What would you do if you woke up in a box without your head. The author addresses the practicalities whilst immersing Anne in a landscape she is totally unfamiliar with. The seamy side of London. She has no money and has to avoid recognition - could they behead her again?! A friendship with a female prostitute is a turning point and leads Anne on a journey of self awareness.

There is a lot of history in here as well and amidst the bizarreness of a plot about a beheaded queen there is also a lot of sadness. Anne really didn’t deserve this. Separated from her beloved daughter, cast out because of her inability to conceive a male heir, she has woken up not only to the reality of her own beheading but that of her beloved brother. What is most interesting about this story is how Anne realises a life outside the court which has treated her so cruelly.

An utterly brilliant and highly original plot idea, which didn't really work for me. Go into it with an open mind and you might fare better..

[amandarose_mil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for this ARC.

Let me start by saying I didn’t love the title, but I liked parts of it. I think beheading makes sense for the book, but game never quite worked for me. It suggests something more playful or strategic than what the story actually is, which felt more reflective and emotionally driven.

I really liked Anne as a character, though I sometimes had to consciously separate her from the real historical Anne Boleyn and read her purely as fiction. In the nine days post-execution, her encounters with the male stranger—and especially the lingering connection with the female stranger, Alice, who ultimately becomes her happy ending—pulled a lot of focus toward lust and love. For me, that emphasis sometimes felt like a disservice to Anne, particularly alongside what is framed as her larger mission. I wanted a bit more balance there. I wanted her not to be distracted by these other people and to do what she set out to do.

When we finally reached the confrontation with Henry, I found myself wanting more from it. Given all the build-up, it felt quieter and less emotionally satisfying than I expected.

I also kept wondering whether George was the bull—I liked the idea that he might have been there with her, and I wish the book had given a clearer answer.

The pacing was slow in places, and a part of me really wanted a confrontation with Jane, which never came. That absence felt noticeable, especially given her historical weight in Anne’s story.

All that said, this is such a unique and imaginative concept that I still enjoyed the book immensely. Even when I wanted more, I appreciated how bold the premise was and how committed the novel was to exploring Anne’s afterlife on its own terms.

Overall, a good book. One I’ll think about long after putting down.

[Sandy ❦✶⁺⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, what an adventure. This was a very unique concept, speaking to the inner historian within me (though my education in History finished at GCSE). This story follows Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, AFTER her execution - adding a morbid and exuberant twist to her storyline.

I think the setting and characterisation of the novel were very well executed - the period felt authentic, many of the facts from Anne Boleyn's story were well preserved, and where the story extrapolated, this was done tastefully. You can tell the author is incredibly well-informed and took the due care necessary to make this immersive for the reader.
Further, the beginning really set the story off in a very interesting direction - navigating what to do when you wake from death with your head detached is not a premise you see very often!

I think where this story could have been improved for me would have been the pacing. At times some of the chapters felt that they took away from the main storyline / plot by meandering through memories which often came back to the same point - why are women, specifically Anne who was incredibly clever, not treated as the peers of men? Why are there clear prejudices and hypocracies in the treatment of women, even powerful ones?
Assuming you are picking up this book out of interest, this a point that is well established and so having Anne show many depictions of injustices play out through a reminiscent lense is not as powerful as perhaps intended, especially when this is done in lieu of more corporeal action in the plot.

However, I did enjoy this. I think especially if you are intesrested in little caveats of Tudor history, although fiction, this is a great novel to pick-up to entertain that interest.

[Polly Jenefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could tell how much effort and research went into this, definitely a labour of love and extremely readable, I flew through this in just two sittings! Also, love the UK cover 🩵

However, my feelings are conflicted at present as it wasn't the story I envisioned when reading the synopsis.
I assumed the resurrected Anne would take on an angrier and more vengeful persona but what we got was an Anne, angry yes, but also an Anne who was slowly trying to piece together how she ended up here and reflecting/ ruminating on her life which I very much enjoyed but just wasn't expecting the tone.
I was always rooting for Anne but most of the time she made this feel difficult by being very misogynistic, for an extremely intelligent woman she held many contradictory beliefs or assumptions which irked me but I suppose we are all complex.
I enjoyed her most when she reminisced about her brother and daughter.
There were discussions of, of course, Tutor politics and class, privilege, gender inequality etc. I'm not well versed on Tutor history but was pleasantly surprised at how easy I understood and followed along.
At times, how plot points unfolded or how characters reacted felt quite convenient but with folklore and magic realism being incorporated throughout I could suspend my belief on these occasions.

Overall a great read if you love historical fiction or have an interest in the Tudors/ Anne Boleyn's story.

My rating would be a 3.75 stars but I'll round up to a 4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage for allowing me to read the ARC for an honest review!

[Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader 2.0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Boleyn wakes up after her execution, wondering how she fits into what appears to be an arrow chest. Oh! It's her head! It's between her knees and no longer on her neck! What is this? She manages to untangle herself from her shroud and the arrow chest, steals a needle and thread to sew her own head back on, and is ready for revenge. And, boy, is she hungry for it.

But first, she needs help, help from someone who does not know who she is and doesn't ask too many questions about that silk strip around her neck. She's taken under the wing of Alice, a prostitute who knows the lay of the land. Anne has never been cold or wet, needed money. She's never taken a common boat across the Thames, nor seen the heads of her beloved brother and her friends, sacrificed by the King to get rid of Anne.

Her story will go over some familiar history which is not as compelling as Anne's plan to kill Henry before he marries Jane so that her daughter can reign. Will she be able to do it? Physically, she is debilitated by her beheading and the shoddy job she did sewing her head back on--an embarrassment for someone who was once known for her exquisite needlework. She's barely been out of the grave a day but there's no time to waste. Rebecca Lehmann is a good writer, but I would rather have seen more exploration of Anne's post-death experience than revisiting what happened before.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for a digital review copy of The Beheading Game in exchange for an honest review.

[Chloe Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin?? The Beheading Game is a unique retelling of the life and experiences of Anne Boleyn posthumously. This account however has quite the twist, the story begins after Anne's untimely execution for "treason". Anne awakes in her coffin, headless, and begins a remarkable adventure through the countryside seeking revenge on Henry and safety for her young daughter Elizabeth.

I have absolutely never heard of such a wild concept- Anne Boleyn sewing her head back on and running through the hillsides- but I LOVED it. As someone who has quite an interest in the history of the Tudors I know a decent amount about Henry VIII and his wives, and I have quite a fondness for Anne Boleyn, who was punished namely for the sin of having opinions and not bearing a son. Rebecca Lehmann has crafted a fascinating work of fiction here, with many historically accurate moments included despite the fantastical nature of the story. I was interested the whole time. and the ending felt so satisfying. I only wish that the ending of the story had been what truly happened for the sake of Henry's subsequent wives. The writing is great, entertaining, dynamic characters and fantasy elements that feel reminiscent of folklore. It wasn't too heavy on the historical fiction in a way that can be dry or boring, and while I wouldn't recommend you read this alone if you want to learn about who Anne Boleyn was in the real world, it is a really creative exploration into who she might have been. I rate this 4.5/5 stars, rounded to 5 here. Thank you to netgalley for this excellent arc!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beheading Game turned out to be surprisingly controversial among my bookish friends. At one extreme, a friend who reads a lot of historical fiction absolutely hated it. And honestly, I get why. While the book appears to be historical fiction, that really isn't true. If you’re coming in expecting a traditional, grounded historical novel, this is not that book. Despite that, most of my friends enjoyed it to some degree. Then there was me. I loved it!

Historical fiction isn’t usually my go-to genre, so the book’s loose relationship with historical realism didn’t bother me at all. Yes, it’s set in a historical period, and yes, the main character is a real historical figure, but the story leans far more into fantasy and speculative territory. It’s strange, macabre, and unapologetically odd, and that unpredictability delighted me.

I read this just as I was beginning a deep dive into horror, a genre I don’t typically gravitate toward, and the timing was perfect. The book has a gothic, unsettling atmosphere that feels deliciously morbid without tipping into excess. There’s also a rebellious, almost gleeful energy to it. I kept thinking of it as Thelma and Louise, if Thelma and Louise were undead.

If you’re looking for something gothic, strange, and well written, something that refuses to stay neatly in its genre lane, this book is absolutely worth your time. If you want tidy historical fiction, maybe not. But if you like your stories dark, unexpected, and a little feral around the edges, this one is a treat.

[Michelle (Bamamele.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to Crown Publishing for the preview. All opinions are my own.

This book was a no-brainer for me because I love Anne Boleyn, and who wouldn't want to see her come back from the dead for vengeance? (I mean, besides Henry). This book was entertaining as a mix of the fantastical and the historical. And actually what I enjoyed most was Lehmann's imagining of Anne's life through the flashbacks we get. As someone who has read a ton about Anne, these flashbacks and inner thoughts from Anne felt the most true to her character.

The book explores Anne as a woman who actually did fall for Henry, who loved her daughter dearly, and who was extremely intelligent. She's educated, she's not afraid to show off her learning and her opinions, but that clearly irritates the men around her after a while. She wonders why she can't just shut up shut up shut up and stop, but she's right and they need to know! And why should a woman be silenced? Her increasing desperation, yet inability to see the traps around her felt like a Greek tragedy.

I did like Anne's play for revenge and to see Elizabeth on the throne once she awakens. But parts of that journey were the most uneven and weird to me. Like i GET that we're already in a weird spot when she sews her head back on, but the journey definitely took us in some interesting directions that were a bit over the top. But the end was really satisfying. If you're looking for a bit of a weird revenge journey with some excellent character work, check this out!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the digital ARC of this book.

This book is a refreshing, genre-bending take on the Anne Boleyn story, and it’s unlike anything I’ve read before. In this reimagining, Anne survives her execution, sews her head back on, and sets out on a darkly inventive quest for revenge against King Henry VIII. The book blends humor, creepiness, and historical elements in a way that feels both unsettling and surprisingly playful at times.

As someone who loves Tudor history, I really appreciated how familiar figures and events were given such a bold, unexpected twist. The tone shifts between eerie and witty moments, which keeps the story feeling fresh and unpredictable. I’m not even sure what single genre this fits into — part historical fiction, part gothic fantasy, part satire — but that uniqueness is a big part of what made it so compelling for me.

My only challenge was that some of the chapters felt a bit long for my reading preferences, especially as a busy mom who tends to favor shorter sections. Even so, the originality and creativity truly stood out.

Overall, this was a 4 out of 5 star read for me — distinctive, strange in the best way, and highly recommended for readers who are fascinated by Anne Boleyn, Tudor history, or inventive twists on familiar historical narratives.