Queenswood

by Kathleen Schwab

Queenswood is a lush, lyrical historical fantasy debut that transports readers to twelfth-century Ireland.

In twelfth-century Ireland, girls go missing—fleeing arranged marriages, carried off by outlaws, abducted by faeries. Rhiannon, treasured daughter of nobility, believes herself secure, shielded by her parents’ stone manor and friendship with the king. But as her beauty grows and suitors jostle for her dowry, she watches her father’s tenants wrung dry in order to supply the banquet for her older sister’s wedding, and realizes the marriage market is a game she does not want to win. A convent offers a life of books and learning, although it means turning her back on mortal men for good.

Angus, Crown Prince of Faerie, grew up in the Queenswood, the enchanted old-growth forest that feeds all the woodlands of Earth and Faerie. Even once he comes of age, Angus much prefers roaming the wilds over the High Court than the responsibility of choosing a bride. But when he sees his mother fading—and the Queenswood dropping its leaves in mourning—he knows he cannot put it off any longer. He must do his duty as the prince and journey to the human world to find a maiden who can become the next Queen of Faerie.

Set in an Ireland still reeling from the Norman invasions, Queenswood combines a deep and immersive historical world with folkloric fantasy adventure.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Historical Fiction, Adult, Fae

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Leah Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book. My review is based on that copy, and the final published work may differ from what I read.

This book reminded me, almost instantly, of Juliet Marillier. Not for the writing style, but for the setting and the themes. It’s doesn’t reach those heights in quality, but I tried to put the similarities aside so that I could give this book a fair shot without holding it up to the standard of one of my all time favorite authors. And I’m glad for that. I had a great time with this!

The Irish setting is interesting, and I liked the author’s way of blending reality with mythology. I have a soft spot for Irish and Celtic based stories, and I’m always ready to read another one! I was intrigued by the plot, and the smooth prose made for quick reading. The first chunk of the book goes very fast, with large blocks of time covered in a few short paragraphs. The multiple points of view are balanced, and it’s not clear at first how they’re going to intersect which kept me engaged. Thematically, there’s a lot going on and not all of the themes are given the same kind of care. Some of the ideas expressed are vaguely touched on, and others are hammered at. It wasn’t a consistent approach.

The characters were the part that had me the most interested. Rhiannon is smart and kind and makes unique choices, and the twists her journey takes surprised me. Angus was less enjoyable. In the beginning I found him self centered, self indulgent, and hard to root for. But I liked that he is unlikable in a human way, still grounded in being a real person. He is not a caricature, and he has a satisfying arc throughout the book. Linna does not get her own pov, which makes her harder to connect with. But Cormac, while getting less page time than Angus and Rhiannon, ended up being my favorite character in the whole book.

There are some plot elements that are triggery in nature. One in particular, dealing with Linna, is not handled as carefully as I would have preferred. I won’t spoil them, but if you are a sensitive reader go in with awareness. The author also references a lot of sexual interactions, but in a very vague, unclear, hand wavy sort of way that made it challenging to follow. I would have preferred clearer references, while still closed door. The way it’s written was so veiled that it was confusing.

The story was quieter and more contemplative than I went in expecting. It was a pleasant surprise. It is character driven, and while not every point of view character has the same depth and time given to their growth, there was something engaging about each of them. I enjoyed this, and by the end of the book I cared a lot about what happened to the characters. The tension in the plots grows very slowly, and the last quarter of the books comes on fast and strong and the ending is fabulous. It took a turn I was not prepared for, but that felt exactly, perfectly right. There are some moments that were glossed over too quickly, and I had questions about the logistics of some interactions, but overall it was a satisfying conclusion.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Blackstone for providing an ARC.

Higher than a 3 for sure but not quite a 4. I was pleasantly surprised, wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Very intriguing premise, I liked the blend of the historical with the myth and legends, especially the famous ones in United Kingdom lore (King Arthur, Robin Hood, etc.) without them being the main focus.

Even though a majority of the characters are fae and sidhe, it doesn't feel like too high fantasy, and is easy to follow along and understand, without needing a crazy amount of world building to know how things work in the universe. Also something that appealed to me.

The descriptive language was very beautiful, lyrical, soft, and flowed. I like Rhiannon. Good plot, the ending kind of came together fast, though. I didn't love that a whole slew of characters from the start never really show up again, and how certain central characters to the story seemed random because of placement and introduction. But I enjoyed it. More of a quiet, slow-paced story. Appreciated the lack of expletives or graphic lovemaking scenes, which I feel like so many historical/fantasy romances I read now have too much of. I liked how the lore was sort of made into her own while also having clear origins. Note: There's a lot of Christian faith-esque focus, though again, similar idea to the lore, it's a blend. It's more that religion is important to the protagonist, but it's not practiced in the same way, so it's not preachy. Just a lot of mentions.

It was the perfect length, it was elegant, didn't drag on, didn't dump in tons of unnecessary sex scenes to try to sell itself. What was there was done tastefully. The romance was there, and it felt more realistic in the manner it was done. I think I'm doing an awful job explaining this lol. I've just read so many historical fictions of different royals where every third chapter is in the bed chamber, and it's a pain.

I'll be honest, if I hadn't gotten the ARC, it probably would've slipped my notice. Very glad I did, because I really enjoyed it, and I would even re-read it. Definitely worth reading this one.

[Gabby L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of Advanced Copy Received from Netgalley

I was intrigued by the summary and the concept of incorporating Irish folklore into a fantasy book. The cover also drew me in, as well the title.

The author did a great job using Irish folklore throughout the book, both from the perspective of the mortals/humans, as well as in the actual Fae world. I enjoyed exploring both Angus' and Rhiannon's worlds, and seeing how both of their worlds come together for them to meet.

I wish there had been more focus on the developing story between Angus and Rhiannon. The story paces pretty slowly until they meet, and then it speeds up a little, at which point we don't really get to see their relationship mature too much, and then all of a sudden we are near the end of the book. It seems like most of the major action happened in the last third of the story (action meaning the progress of their relationship, as well as the plot development/climax).

I did like the incorporation of traditional fairy tales and Irish mythology into this book, but for a book being named Queenswood, I feel like it didn't place enough emphasis on it throughout the whole story, especially near the end. We build up this image of the Queenswood and all of its power, just for it to not play the major force in what combats the major opponents into backing down/being defeated.

Conversely, what does end up defeating these opponents is not talked about very much in the book in comparison to the image of the Queenswood. We only start learning that part of the story halfway through the book. I so so loved the concept of the High Queen and the Queenswood and the power of these two together, so it was a bit disappointing to have the story peter out this way.

In summary, the author clearly did their research into Irish mythology and did a good job of incorporating it into a fantasy book, but this is not a usual romantasy book as the summary may imply.

[Siobhan MW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so close to being a 4/5 but there were unfortunately some aspects that lessened my enjoyment.

Pros:
• My favourite aspect of this book was the worldbuilding. All the faerie courts and kingdoms that the characters visited felt unique. The descriptions of the winter kingdom as well as the Queenswood were particularly well done and contributed to creating a magical and mystical atmosphere.
• In its writing style and depiction of faeries, this book reminds me of Juliet Marillier's work. The prose flowed well and was easy to read and understand.

Cons:
• The book didn't truly hold my attention until 40% of the way through. This first part was slow paced, with the two main characters not even meeting until that point. A great deal of this information was irrelevant and could have been cut down to be backstory for characters instead. It didn't feel like there was a real inciting incident until I reached that 40%.
• The characters weren't as fleshed out as I wanted them to be, especially the relationship between Angus and Rhiannon. I didn't buy their romance and there were very few moments of connection between them.
• Adding to this, it often felt as if character wants and feelings were being told rather than shown.

Overall, I did genuinely enjoy reading this book. The latter half held my attention and I liked the depiction of faeries. I'd be interested in reading more books by this author.

[Thea Lochlainn Theaologies Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of ARC received through NetGalley

DNF at about 30%. I haven’t DNF’d a book in over two years but just could not continue with this, unfortunately. While the plot sounded interesting I was hoping for more actual Irish history, I suppose, with it being advertised as historic fantasy. Perhaps this comes up later but overall I feel this book would have worked better in a fully fictional setting. Taking place in 12th century Ireland I would’ve liked (and expected) to see more period appropriate Irish names.

I feel this book would’ve worked better as a middle grade novel, as it very much read like one. Massive amounts of unnecessary, often pointless info dumping made the beginning very boring to get through, while generally clunky writing for an adult (YA?) novel only worsened it. None of the characters spoke in natural ways (when they did speak, between the paragraphs of info dumping) or had particularly natural interactions, so there was no flow. The first 100 pages could’ve been summed up in maybe 20 and revealed bit by bit throughout the book, rather than shoving both of the characters entire childhoods into the first 80 pages. Less is more. Show don’t tell.

Maybe it gets better but unfortunately I can’t get through the writing. I’m very sorry to DNF an ARC but as someone who loves Irish historic fantasy I would not recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books where we start with the main character as a child — around 6-8 — and the spend half the book watching them grow up to the age of consent. Then they only have half a book to meet and fall in head over heels in love with the boy (who we’ve also spent a few hundred pages watching grow up), and then deal with the plot. But while that’s all happening we’re introduced to another couple who has to meet and fall in love and deal with the plot. It’s very unbalanced.

If you’re looking for a more plot centric book, you’ll be disappointed. The first half is world building, and while it’s well done, it’s also the main focus. While the Robin Hood story was an interesting take, I found myself often wishing I was reading that book instead of this one. The faerie realms, too, are intriguing. A pity I have to spend time with Angus to see them.

There is no character growth in this book. Rhiannon is the same person she is at six as she is at 16 and will probably be the same at 60. She’s a narrator of events happening around her, watching but never reacting to life. Angus, like Rhiannon, has no reaction to events, he just endures them. They’re passive and they’re the most boring part of the book.

I want more of this world. I want more of these stories. I just wish I didn’t have to spend time with these characters. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Leah Jones Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I unfortunately DNF at 16%. This story may be a good one for the right reader, but it wasn’t for me.

This book may still be for you if you like:
- History & Mythology
- Full History & Background of characters
- Light Fantasy
- Low/No Spice

Here’s why it wasn’t for me:
I signed up for the ARC of this book because I thought it would be fun to read an Irish Fae book. The description reads as intriguing— girls are going missing. I wanted to find out why. Turns out it is just the typical reasons from the days of old— girls are forced into marriages they don’t want to be in, so they figure out various ways to escape them. The girls aren’t missing, they choose to leave.

I also signed up based on the genre categories that this was supposed to be an Adult Fantasy book. This seems more like a YA book to me, and not because there was only very off-screen, very hidden language spice, but because the characters are very much teens and very much behave as such. They are immature and unworldly. Additionally, I would not classify this book as Fantasy. Yes, some of the characters are Fae, but their magic is almost never discussed and isn’t a big part of the storyline. I would classify this as Mythology if anything.

[LiteraryMary95]

On StoryGraph, I gave this a 2.5 since Goodreads does not have partial stars available.


I really wanted to love this because the focus on Irish and Scottish folklore had me so excited. While the world-building and character work for Rhiannon and Angus showed real potential, the execution unfortunately fell a bit short.

I found myself wishing for much more depth. The romance lacked that spark I was hoping for, and by the end, the story’s message felt a bit unclear. The pacing was pretty slow since the main characters didn't even meet until almost halfway into the story, which made it hard to stay interested.

I felt like we could have easily skipped the POVs outside of Rhiannon and Angus'. I think the story would have been much stronger if it had tightened its focus. There were so many unnecessary POVs and side-character details that felt like clutter. Trimming those sections would have really helped clarify the plot and kept the momentum going.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Kathleen Schwab and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC to read ahead of publishing.

[Shantel Cuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got as a ARC at Bookcon NYC 26

I’d give Queenswood: The Arc a solid 3 out of 5 stars. It’s an interesting addition to the fae world; but it doesn’t quite reach the heights I was hoping for.
The strongest part of this release is its atmosphere. The world-building feels richer and more immersive , and there are moments where the story really pulls you in.
That said, the pacing can be uneven. Some sections drag on longer than necessary, while others rush through what feel like important developments. It creates a slightly disjointed experience, making it harder to stay fully engaged from start to finish.
The characters stood out with meaningful growth and compelling arcs, but were missing some emotional connection to fully pull me in. This imbalance makes it difficult to feel fully invested in the overall narrative. There was some spark missing between the king and queen to make me really feel as if there was a romantic pull.
Overall, Queenswood is worth checking out if you’re already a fan or enjoy the genre, but it doesn’t quite deliver the consistency or impact needed to make it truly memorable.

[Raymond Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Angus succeeds his father as High King of Faerie, he learns that he must marry a mortal maiden to ensure the succession, and so he sets out to search of one who is willing. He finds Rhiannon and brings her to his realm, but she is unprepared for all that is entailed as Queen of Queenswood. His sister, by contrast, moves into the human world and weds Cormac, a mortal. Can they meet the challenges of an unfamiliar world that is filled with danger for the unwary? All four show an admirable sense of care for others, but will the friends it wins be enough to defeat the ruthless adversaries who take advantage of this vulnerability?
This fantasy weaves into the story material from traditional Celtic sources in folklore and legend, including Arthurian, and readers familiar with Irish and Scottish tales of the sidhe and fae, selkies and watersprites, kelpies and merfolk, will find much to enjoy.
3.5 stars.

[Megan ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. Thank you for this opportunity. My review is based off this copy and may change if I reread the final copy.

I was super excited about this book based off the summary and the cover photo. I did somewhat enjoy the world building and I did like Rhiannon & Angus as characters. I do however wished there was more to them. I felt like we could have skipped a lot of the POVs from other characters that were less important.

The 2 main characters didn't meet until 40% in which was a huge struggle for me. I felt like the pacing was a bit off this book and a lot of information we was given about side characters could have been skipped.

The romance was lacking, I don't know in the end what the book was trying to get across. Romantasy, political intrigue, just a cozy fantasy?

Either way, I did enjoy the book enough to finish! I may give it another read once it is officially published.

[Chii ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

short and sweet: the summary was promising and I was hoping for so much more as I was drawn in by the summary of the novel. I have interests in Irish & Scottish folklore and the Celtic aspects so maybe it was my fault for coming in with such high expectations for this historical fantasy. I struggled with the pacing which is mostly why I left it at 3 despite liking other aspects of the novel. Given the age is aimed at young adult(?) there is a lot of closed door scenes, it makes sense. I couldn't really envision a lot of the direction the book was headed. is this a--- romance? slice-of-life? political intrigue? novel? couldn't really tell even after completing it. so 3 stars. some of the aspects may work for some people and others it probably won't. I'm still not quite sure where I fully stand but I thought it was OK overall.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*** Atmospheric, historical, and moody myth-based book with a big cast. The book starts with a variety of POVs which made me uncertain what to pay attention to and what is important. The pacing was slow at the start and ramped up suddenly at the end. The last third of the book felt rushed compared to the earlier meandering pace.

There is an interesting blend of storylines and myth based-references with a lot of different threads and characters. Because of that, I felt some difficulty connecting with the characters or investing in the plot. But great vibes and setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC for my honest thoughts.

[Laura Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

* I gave this book 3.75 for review*
I think this book was super rich and i loved the fantsay elements in this read. I think i struggled with the plot in this book. I think the plot was a mix of cozy and regency and it just did not work as well for me due to the pacing. I think this book also was trying to have to many characters and that made me feel leess connected to them all!! But i liked the concept of this one and the writing!!!

[Liis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt a little like coming home.
When I was little my grandmother had this collection of short stories and fairytales, all bound individually, that I would read. Queenswood reminded me so much of those stories. I think in its core this book is a fairytale.
The heart of Queenswood is not in the plot but with the characters. We see them grow through various snippets of their lives and eventually meet and form relationships with each other. The worldbuilding is excellently done, the prose is lyrical, and the mythology and folklore makes it such a cozy read.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

[Annabelle (Taylor’s Version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

*Review of arc from NetGalley.*

This was a dnf around 30% through. I really dislike rating arc’s 1 star, but I wanted to give my honest opinion. I was really sucked in by the intriguing summary, but the pace was far too slow for me. I also felt like there was zero plot in the beginning, and that it was far too wordy to keep me interested.

[Roo the kangaroo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatever else I am..I am a free man and walk my own road

A mix of Christian and pagan mythology, this book was less catered to the modern romance readers but true to its source. I liked that the Fae were finally the same age as mortals, figuring out life together. I did not like Cormac's chapters ( he lacked spice lol) but I guess he was in there for a reason.

[Kashyyyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

this felt like a very contemplative read, allowing you to take the words to heart as you will. i enjoyed the melding of spirituality and religion, a fluid acceptance to things as they come. the characters are not flashy but deep, unlikable and enjoyable in equal parts like any real person.

[Dotti]

Queenswood is a lush fantasy novel that reimagines many favorite fairy tales. Our story is a multi-point of view novel, primarily following Rhiannon, a human girl navigating her wealthy family’s expectations, and Angus, a Faerie prince dissatisfied with the trappings of nobility and anticipating the weight of responsibility. We also meet Cormac, a young human farmer, and a variety of other faerie royals.

The story draws from a number of classic stories, including Robin Hood, Snow White, Merlin, and traditional faerie lore, in addition to a decent amount of Christian iconography, but refrains from being a true retelling of any of them. The author seems to use them as side plots or background to develop the setting and our characters. It’s engaging and clever in its worldbuilding, which settles our fantasy story in traditional myths, set against the Normand invasion of France.

The pacing for this book felt slow at the beginning, and Angus and Rhiannon don’t even meet until about halfway through the book. As a result, the romance wasn’t as well developed as I would have liked. Each of them is well developed as individuals, because of how much time is given to their individual stories, but the romance itself doesn’t feel like they were given enough space to grow. In contrast, the second half of the book feels very rushed, as our characters have to meet, fall in love, and face challenges from external forces, in the same span of time given to the first half of the story.

Altogether, this book was enjoyable and rich. The worldbuilding and characters are well developed, but the romance felt like an afterthought. The pacing was disjointed, so expect a slow start and a rushed end. If you’re a fan of historical settings, faerie tales, and good character work, this book might be for you!

Thank you to Blackstone for this advanced reader copy!