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, Horror, Adult, 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!

[The Pastel Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very underwhelming 😏

[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!!!

[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.

[Emily Garmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

The Beheading Game posits a world in which Queen Anne Boleyn, the ill-fated 2nd wife of King Henry VIII, survives her execution. Anne wakes in her own coffin (the infamous arrow wood coffin, cheaply made) to find her arms holding her own head. Using remarkable strength and tenacity, Anne gets herself out of her own tomb and alights through London. Using a stolen needle and thread, she sews her own head back on. Despite the supernatural circumstances of her undeath, she sets herself on the path of revenge: kill Henry no matter what it takes. Upon chance she meets a commoner named Alice, a woman who travels into the city to do prostitution when money is tight. Alice helps her secure lodging and agrees to go to the Tower of London with her. Although suspcious of Anne's impromptu explanations for how she's come to be finely dressed and yet lacking money, Alice takes her under her wing. With Alice's help, Anne makes the fantasical, dangerous journey from London to the countryside to secure the king's death, and her daughter Elizabeth's rightful place on the throne.

My thoughts:
Wow. Just wow. A beautiful homage to the famous, maligned Queen Anne Boleyn. Lehmann knows Anne inside and out. Not only does she give actual factual details of Anne's real life woven throughout this narrative of her undeath, but let's Anne remembrances (which give enough emotion to feel factual) drive the story forward. As somone who has read countless novels and non-fiction about Anne Boleyn and Tudor history, I devoured this. I found myself crying at moments that as an amateur Tudor historian I've read numerous times. Lehmann gives this novel so much depth. I also think that people who have never read a novel about Anne Boleyn will find this a fascinating read. And if, like me, you have read many Tudor works, you will also find this insightful.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced reader's copy to review. My opinion is my own.

[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.

[Maëlys]

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

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's crazy how little bloodshed there was in this book, with it being named The Beheading Game. I absolutely love the idea of Anne Boleyn coming back to life, sewing her back on and deciding to kill Henry before he can kill any other wives (only in fiction, though. Not in real life, obviously). I think my absolute favorite scene in the entire book is the conversation she has with Cromwell.

Definitely would recommend this book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

[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.

[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.

[Cassity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted more adventure and less historical context

[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.

[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.

[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!

[Elyse (ElyseReadsandSpeaks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bizarre, fun book that I think accurately depicts how Anne Boleyn would have behaved had she survived and sewn her own head back on. I think what was most fun about this is what I noticed myself thinking throughout her journey. I wanted her to go to Henry, I wanted her to show herself, and part of me really wanted them to live happily ever after. Possibly because I know what they don't - the leader Elizabeth turns out to be.

Also, for those of you thinking about reading this book - you should know that Anne is bisexual in this one and it's totally believable. I don't think it's far-fetched to think that a woman so progressive and opinionated in her time would do some exploring.

I think I liked this so much because it wasn't the usual. I read a lot of historical fiction about the Tudors, but they're all based on real events so they're all similar at the core. But clearly, Anne didn't sew her own head back on and live to tell the tale so this book was fun and unexpected. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a creative twist on Anne Boleyn's story.

[Heather Ann Reads 📚 · Rating 1 out of 5]

**ARC Review**

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheBeheadingGame #NetGalley #ePub #ARC

💠RELEASE DATE: 24 Mar 2026

💠CONTENT WARNING / TRIGGERS: blood/gore, animal abuse & death, beheading, attempted sexual assault, some physical abuse, grooming, misogyny

💠PLOT OVERVIEW: Anne Boleyn was a woman who existed in real life. She was the Queen of England from 1533 to 1536. Unfortunately, she was betrayed by her husband, King Henry VIII, and beheaded on conspiracy of treason (among other things). This story is a fantastical re-imagining of history where Anne comes back to life, holding her own head, and escapes into the streets of London, where she decides she wants revenge on Henry.

💠CRITIQUES:

Contradictions and hypocrisy. Just a handful of examples:
• Anne’s constant back & forth between “I hate Henry” and “I still love Henry” is honestly infuriating.
• Anne states her urgency to enact vengeance before Jane and Henry get married, yet she lollygags in the field w/the bull and spends a lot of time sleeping.
• Anne is fine with taking Henry from Katherine and justifies doing so, but when Jane takes Henry from Anne, Jane receives Anne’s wrath. Similarly, at the end Anne eventually realizes Henry swindled her but doesn't feel empathy for Jane, who is currently being swindled.
• Anne is conservative and devoutly religious (e.g., she makes it clear she thinks prostitution is "wicked"), yet one of the first things she does as a reanimated corpse is let some random guy finger her. And then she steals his money.

Anne is completely unlikable & readers are given no motivation or incentive to root for Anne.
• Anne reminds me of the "let them eat cake" lady that got so much backlash for her tone deaf video. That's honestly who Anne feels like -- an out-of-touch aristocrat complaining about walking too much in her fancy slippers while Alice sells her body to provide for her children. In addition to being part of the bourgeoisie, Anne is snide, rude, willfully ignorant, and prideful to the point where she has delusions of grandeur. She has derogatory behavior toward poor people - believing they are unkempt/dirty, uneducated, impolite heathens who are incapable of proper manners and speech.
• Ultimate “Pick-Me” behavior. She’s constantly derogatory to other women - picking apart their appearances, occupations, etc. (ex: "Lady Shelton had the droopy face of a heifer, and wide, bovine hips from birthing no less than ten children, an astonishing number, a barnyard number."). She condemns women as 'prostitutes' but does not condemn the men who seek it out. She HATES being referred to as "the dead whore Queen" yet has no problem calling Alice a prostitute. She cries about how she's treated as a woman - which, is fair - BUT then belittles other women who aren’t as educated, or wealthy, or attractive as she is. It's giving white feminism - privilege rooted in oppression, racism, and misogyny.

Real-life Anne & Story Anne are in juxtaposition.
• Real-life Anne is said to have been giving and kind to the lower class/poor people... Meanwhile, Story Anne makes it clear via snide remarks and thoughts that she is above poor people in every way. She has contempt for them, even disdain.
• Real-life Anne spoke in a flowery, Old English kind of way… Story Anne speaks very casually and modernly. The reason the tone feels so jarring to me is because it doesn't sound like Anne's voice. The contrast is even clearer because Lehmann included excerpts in the book from Real-life Anne, i.e., the speech Real-life Anne gave before her beheading, on Page 2 of the book:

Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.

We have this as a reference for Anne's voice right in the beginning, so when Story Anne's saying things like, "You can't be serious", and "Just shut up", and "even if she'd been unfaithful, which she wasn't", it feels too modern, too casual. Lehmann is writing in her own voice instead of in Anne's - which I'd be okay with if this book didn't focus so much on Anne's (real) past. My opinion: If you're going to include a ton of real history for context, you should be more diligent about capturing the voice/tone of the real people from that time period.

Unnecessary and constant flashbacks consumed the narrative.
• It's literally just one big exposition dump, closer to a historical retelling of Anne’s life before she was beheaded than an adventurous revenge story. (Author's note states this "isn't a biography", then almost immediately after, it states Lehmann did a ton of research on Anne's biography.) Honestly, I could not care less about Anne’s childhood or the first time she met Henry. I really couldn’t. Anne's feelings of rage, of sadness, of confusion over her beheading could have been clearly illustrated without revisiting every single memory that led up to this point. We spent SO much time in the past that the story in the present was ultimately lost.
• Tell me why one of the flashbacks contains the imagery of Henry’s partially erect penis flapping against his thigh. Tell me fucking WHY.

There was no feminine rage… Like, at all.
• It feels like such a disservice to what was marketed to me... This was barely a revenge story, let alone a ‘feminine’ revenge story. Especially when the female protagonist is more akin to a puppet of the patriarchy instead of a warrior of feminism. A Goodreads review by Mikey said it best: “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."

Anne's reaction to her reawakening is... underwhelming.
• It seems like she's neither terrified nor shocked. She almost has a blasé attitude toward waking up. I think a normal reaction - especially realizing you're holding your own head - would be to freak the fuck out. Anne doesn't do this.

Pointless love interest inserted for checking the diversity box.
• Added nothing to the progression of the plot or to the growth of Anne’s character.
• It doesn’t make sense how Alice fell for Anne. Anne is straight-up mean to Alice. As soon as she meets Alice, she's taken aback by how well-spoken, well-dressed, and composed this "prostitute and fenlander" is. When Alice decides to travel with Anne and help her, Anne berates Alice multiple times over her status (ex: "Who was Alice, an actual prostitute, to proffer such an insult?"), using prostitution against Alice as a shame tactic whenever Alice rightfully called out Anne for bring a privileged asshole. Then suddenly, Alice just cares about Anne and you want me to believe this happened genuinely? I understand Alice was put in the story to figuratively open Anne’s eyes, but their storyline was so underdeveloped. It really came across as shallow and forced. It felt like a sapphic love interest was thrown in for popularity points or allyship points, rather than for representation.

The Green Man. What was the point of him? What is the point of Anne seeing/hallucinating this guy randomly? Was he really there, or was he a figment of Anne’s imagination? Was he supposed to symbolize or represent something deeper? Who even is the Green Man?

Tension feels completely manufactured for the story.
• Any threat or tension feels like it was made for the sake of the plot and does not follow any sort of logic. Example: Anne goes into the castle under-cover, repeatedly saying she cannot be identified by anyone and must remain hidden. Later, she stands in an open doorframe, in full view of a group of men, and Henry ends up turning around and seeing her standing there. No logical person would do that while actively trying to be sneaky and unseen. And we know Anne is going to somehow get away with it despite being caught like a deer in headlights (her plot armor is really something), so there are no stakes.

Narrative becomes so unbelievable that it breaks immersion.
• We must suspend disbelief too often. It doesn’t just disrupt immersion; it breaks immersion entirely. You must take great care when re-writing a story of a real person that took place in the real world. Up until the beheading, Story Anne’s life is the same as Real-life Anne’s life. The fantastical element of the story is supposed to be Anne coming back to life after her beheading; outside of that, the world this takes place in is supposed to be our own world – our physics, our environments, our realities. I think that’s a safe assumption.
And yet: 1) Anne escapes palace guards – not once, not twice, but FOUR times; 2) Anne breaks into a house and finds a sewing basket right there by the bed, without really looking for it; 3) an independent, hard-working peasant woman takes pity on Anne, even though Anne has been nothing but rude to her; 4) Anne survives the waters of the Thames; 5) Anne never loses the expensive gems shoved in her bodice, regardless of being swept up in strong currents; 6) Anne hides under the altar in Henry’s room while guards sweep the area, searching every area/crevice except under the altar; 7) a complete deus ex machina in the form of a white bull finds Anne, even though bulls do not roam the English wilderness, and it is not only completely tame to only her but protects her and understands her words.
... It’s not just lucky coincidences; it’s hugely convenient. TOO convenient. As soon as Anne wakes up, it’s like she’s in a different world – one that is tailored for her to ensure the success of her quest.

No MC character growth.
• With all the exposition dumps and self-reflection Anne does on her journey, you’d think she’d have more ego-blasting epiphanies. I'd argue that for 96% of the book, she remains fairly consistent. She can somewhat sympathize more with poor people (I think it’s mostly just Alice and her family, being the token 'good' poors) but still sees poor people as dirty, classless, uneducated people making poor life decisions. Her bitterness towards other women doesn't seem to have changed. Up until the VERY end she goes back and forth about her love for Henry, with seemingly little resistance. (The cognitive dissonance isn’t there. One moment she's looking at the stars for an A & H together [for Anne and Henry, respectively] because "their destinies are intertwined" and the next she's thinking of slicing his head off).

Anne eats a rabbit. RAW. And she is generally FINE.
• I don't care that she's reanimated. You can't feel the blood in your veins, air in your lungs, yet defy human anatomy. There are significant health risks of eating raw meat, including parasites and diseases like Tularemia - or "rabbit fever" - caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis that has a mortality rate of up to 50% if left untreated.

Everything fantastical is written off as ‘oh well, who knows’.
• We see inside Anne's mind, and Lehmann has Anne wonder about these bizarre happenstances -- e.g., how she's alive after being beheaded, how her neck healed after she stitched it back on, why a white bull came to her -- but Anne essentially ‘shrugs it off’ and goes about her day. There is no attempt at explanation for why or how these things happened. It’s as if these are great universal mysteries that will never be solved – as if painting these fantastical impossibilities as plausible miracles is an effective or adequate substitution for grounded explanations. Or, did I miss the part that explains why a woman can shapeshift into a falcon or why an uncannily-intelligent white bull comes out of a forest to guide and protect Anne?

Complete lack of momentum.
• Nothing really happens in the book. Allegedly the whole story takes place over 9 days but it feels like a matter of hours because NOTHING HAPPENS. It’s after the 82% mark that Anne finally begins her trek to the castle for Henry, and it’s around the 97% mark when she finally gets her revenge. Yes, you read those numbers right. Anne spends more time talking about her insatiable hunger than she does actually seeking vengeance. The pace feels even slower due to the repetitive flashbacks. Taken from user BiblioBrandie's Goodreads review of this novel: “Rather than reimagining these figures, the author simply retells Tudor history with occasional fantastical when Anne appears. […] For a book about one of history’s most dynamic, controversial women returning from the grave, this should have been propulsive and electrifying. Instead, it was a slog.”

Repetition and redundancy are antagonizing.
• “I’m a victim” narrative is shoved into our faces every chapter. It's... Tiring. We get it. You were betrayed by someone you loved. You were wrongly beheaded. WE GET IT. We don't need to be reminded every 2-3 pages that you were hurt by Henry in ten thousand different ways. (Remember what I said earlier about feminine rage?) Anne repeats the same inner dialogue, mantras, feelings, and even memories. If you cut out the repetition, the superfluous depictions of everything, the biographical content, and focus more on revenge, this would make a great short story.

I, too, was not a fan of the (completely unnecessary) violence towards the bear.
• You can tell me 'but it’s a historical thing.' I know. I know bearbaiting was popular in that time period. And this scene was gruesome. Having Anne attend this blood sport to watch and cheer on a blind bear being brutalized was not necessary. Sure, Anne has this weird moment of recognizing symbolism between the bearbaiting and her own life. It wasn't a very strong relation and it wasn't very good. It also wasn't symbolically carried through the novel, like imagery that stayed with Anne throughout her trek. It was not a point of contingency for meeting Alice and it wasn’t a moment inspiring personal growth. There was no reason for Anne to attend other than to fill pages with activity to make this book longer.

The ending.
• Because wtf do you MEAN she suddenly transforms into a falcon and escapes the murder scene? What do you MEAN she goes to see her daughter and is able to shift back into a human?? What do you MEAN she turns back into a falcon and flies away to be with Alice???

💠REVIEW SUMMARY: I went into this expecting a riveting feminist revenge novel and got instead an Anne Boleyn biography dump with some unexplained fantastical elements.

💠RECOMMEND?: No.

💠RATING:
⭐ (1 out of 5 stars)

[Courtney H · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Anne Boleyn wakes up, she's in an arrow box and missing her head. She has no idea how she survived her beheading, but she immediately makes plans to seek her revenge on the husband who murdered her.

The premise is intriguing, but the story doesn't live up to the promise of the blurb. It takes Anne over two thirds of the novel to make it back to London after leaving in headless disgrace. Anne's journey is not an adventure but a slow, plodding pace until the end of the book.

I received an electronic ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[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.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Basics:

Shortly after being executed, Anne Boleyn awakens in her coffin. She reattaches her severed head and sets out to seek revenge on the men who wronged her—chiefly, her husband, Henry VIII—while ensuring her daughter Elizabeth's safety. But, you know. Easier said than done.

The Review:

I think what kind of bugs me about this one is that while it isn't a failure, per se, it does let its premise down in a big way. Because that's a GREAT premise. I picked up the novel thinking I was getting a revenge story—something gothic and maybe a little horror-flavored in a feminist way. And while this novel is definitely written from a feminist perspective, the other stuff really doesn't come to fruition.

The opening is absolutely gripping. Eerie, disturbing, tragic, exciting. But once Anne reattaches her head (and after a pretty disturbing bear baiting scene, which I'm not sure was quite needed for Anne's realization) and decides to set out to kill Henry, it's a little murky. I feel like she's a bit too... logical? About the whole thing? For someone who was just beheaded, I mean.

In some ways, I loved that Anne's love for Elizabeth was a through line in the novel. I'm an Anne Boleyn fan. The love she very clearly held for her daughter is both touching and heartbreaking tor read about. But this is the resurrected Anne Boleyn. It seemed to me that she really doesn't... feel that way? I would've expected a narrative wherein Anne is consumed by revenge, with the initial rush of trauma eventually being softened by the remembrance of feelings for her loved ones—like Elizabeth. It's a bit of a classic take on this kind of story, admittedly, but it's a classic for a reason.

We're held at arm's length in some ways. The pain, the betrayal... it's not visceral. (Most of the time. There are exceptions, including that banger of an opening and a chapter in which Anne sees her brother George's decapitated head and slips into memories about their relationship and last moments together. That was great!) This is a story about a woman sewing her head back onto her body and setting out to kill the husband who killed her. It needs to be visceral. It needs to be gripping.

Lehmann obviously has a reverence for Anne, and like, same here. But as is often the case with more recent stories about Anne (well-intended, for the most part) I feel that reverence keeps the creator from making her feel fully human. There's a lot of recounting of Anne's life, the various ways in which she was wronged, her regrets—and none of that's bad. I get why Lehmann cares so much about Anne. But I need more of a reason to care about Anne—and her story in this book—than "she's Anne Boleyn".

There are some really cool moments in the story, as well as poignant ones. I loved the teasing of a sapphic relationship (I just wish it had gone further). Not sure how I feel about the furthering of the magic... I kind of wish we'd stuck more with "damn, she woke up headless and sewed it back on" without a ton of expansion beyond that.

I think what I wanted was a revenge thriller, and what I got was a lot more meditative and mystical. Anne is kind of an overall decent, wronged person from the beginning; and she overall stays righteous throughout. As this obviously isn't the Anne of history, I could've used more of an arc.

The Conclusion:

While the writing is good and there were moments throughout the book that really got me—and the love of Anne Boleyn is much appreciated—The Beheading Game didn't have quite as much bite as I'd hoped for. However, I will say: If you're a hardcore Anne Boleyn fan, you probably should pick it up. I'm still glad I did.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[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.

[Faith Lavezoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Anne Boleyn and the wives of Henry VIII who is looking for a fantastical but still mostly grounded story of an alternate history.

I especially enjoyed the little flashes back to Anne’s life before. These flashbacks were mostly constructed by the author for the sake of the character rather than completely historically accurate accounts. It's a work of fiction, afterall, so if you want a completely accurate account of Anne Boleyn's life, that's not what you're going to get. These flashbacks often show Anne in an unfavorable light by highlighting her barbed tongue and the actions she has taken against others in the court. At the same time, we see her struggles as a bold woman in a world of strict social roles.

That being said, this book was more of a look into Anne as a character rather than being very plot heavy. We got to see Anne exploring a setting where she normally wouldn't have been in and see her interact with people she wouldn't have in her old life. But for the most part, the plot is just her traveling and coming across things during her journey.

We got information about Anne as a person, but we also got to explore a setting where she normally wouldn't be and see her interact with people she wouldn't have in her old life. While she previously considered herself to be more progressive than most of the others at court, she came to realize that there was so much more about the world that she didn't know.

I won't spoil any specifics, but there was a little bit of romance and it felt a little bit rushed, especially because of how Anne treated the other character involved. I did like that there was a little bit of romance for Anne, but it was pretty sudden.

Some of the main themes explored were feminine rage and justice. Knowing the stories Anne Boleyn and the rest of Henry VIII's wives, this book was very cathartic.

The fantasy elements in this story really made it feel like a fairy tale, like the ones that are told to the children in this story. I really enjoyed that the magic wasn't explained, things just happened. If you want a strict magic system with rules and guidelines, you probably wouldn't enjoy the ambiguous nature of the fantasy elements.

Another added element that was included was talking about how the nobility wanted to drain the fens to turn them into farmland, despite the fact that people lived there and utilized and cared for the fens. While this speaks a lot on the greed of the nobility and the fact that they are out of touch with the people, it also brought in the connection between the natural world and women's bodies that is often made. I think that was just a really interesting addition to the commentary this book is making on the way men exploit women.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC to review.

[carley k ♥︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went into The Beheading Game expecting a gothic horror, satire, and -of course - incandescent feminine rage. The description promised me Anne Boleyn sewing her head back on and hunting Henry VIII in a story of revenge. while we did have both of these occur, absolutely nothing else about his book was well executed. Pun intended.

The first chapter had me invested. The prose was a bit choppy and flat, but it felt very intentional with the plot and our POV of a headless woman, it made sense. The image of her reattaching her head is visceral and theatrical in a way that had me very enthralled and excited for this story. For a moment, it feels like we’re entering a gothic revenge myth. And it was all downhill from there.

Instead of escalating into horror or satire, the narrative is stuck in a broken record loop. We get repetition of the inner monologue of “I was a good wife, he loved me, what happened?” tangled with “I’m so angry I’ll kill him,” but without deeper psychological excavation or biting irony. The feminine rage we are promised is never fully realized into something with bite. It just circles. The prose reads emotionally distant, even when the subject matter should be operatic. I felt nothing.

Structurally, it’s messy. What was seemingly random pieces and threads and stories all thrown together: bear fight analogies, childhood tales and stories, folk stories, Arthurian similes that were honestly just really cringey. A sapphic thread appears and dissipates. A magical bull. A falcon transformations. None of it coheres into a focused revenge arc. It feels less like a novel and more like several short stories stitched together without a clear throughline. The middle drags badly, and the pacing never recovers the electricity of the opening. I spent almost a month on this book because I was essentially avoiding it.

This could have worked as a tight novella if the author committed fully to horror-satire revenge. Instead, it becomes strangely subdued and repetitive, a brilliant concept that never finds its voice.

Thank you to Crown Publishing, NetGalley, and Rebecca Lehmann for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own and are not a reflection of the publishing company or NetGalley.

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know of Henry VIII's most infamous wife: Anne Boleyn, forever immortalized as a pop-punk girl in Six the Musical, the first of his 6 wives to be beheaded for adultery and the mother to the future queen Elizabeth I. Rebecca Lehmann dares to ask us, "What would happen if she were to wake up after her execution and simply sew her head back on?"

Anne Boleyn is a complicated and polarizing historical figure. Much of our knowledge of her comes secondhand from her greatest critics, and modern audiences, who are aware that she probably wasn't the problem in her marriage, are much more receptive to the idea that she was misunderstood. She's both victim and villain, depending on your perspective.

Lehmann's version of her is an outspoken political stick of dynamite, something that rubs her contemporaries wrong. She's too assertive and opinionated and sassy, and that is why people oh so unfairly dislike her. This is all fine and well, except that we never get to really see that in this Anne. We are told of her exploits, but we never see her in action, and so much of this novel is telling us how revolutionary she was without allowing us to witness it for ourselves. There's a fine line to straddle when it comes to how one might portray feminism in a historical setting, and I didn't expect Anne to become Susan B. Anthony, but she neither really internalized how misogyny unfairly affected women outside of herself nor fully examined the reality that she was shielded from as a noble. This story hints at those themes, but doesn't deliver much, as it is more in favor of guiding Anne along on her quest for revenge and catharsis. Because she was so wronged in one way, how she has wronged others gets a pass.

There is a mild love story that felt tacked on for the sake of having one. Her fervent belief in her daughter's right to rule seems to come out of nowhere, and seems predicated on us readers knowing that Elizabeth I will become a near-mythological historical figure in the future. All sorts of things conveniently happen to make her life easier as she stumbles through to her goal. At some point, we get a Zeus-like figure who is an ally to her, which is odd given that Zeus is rather like her murderous husband.

I can't say that I didn't enjoy this at all, but I'd been hoping for more out of such an interesting premise.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!