Thrilled to have Sarah Raughley on the blog today, who joins us to chat about her latest novel
Author Name: Sarah Raughley
Book Title: The Queen’s Spade
Book Genre: YA/Adult Historical Thriller
Release Date: January 14, 2025
Publisher: HarperTeen
Welcome, Sarah! How would you describe The Queen Spade?
The Queen’s Spade is if Queen Charlotte from the Bridgerton series went on a murderous rampage.
I love it. What sparked the idea for this book?
There is an actual African princess in history who, in the 1850s, was given to Queen Victoria of England as a gift and literally lived as her goddaughter. Her name was Omoba Ina, but it was changed to Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Meghan Markle eat your heart out (I love Meghan)! I had to explore her story.
How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do any research?
I had to do tons of research because this book, despite its creative liberties, is about a real person who lived a real life in a real place at a real time. It took me maybe a year to from research stage to finishing the final draft. But it was so fascinating to delve into a Black woman’s life in 19th century Britain. I feel like I learned a lot.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
I love telling stories. I love that whatever I imagine in my head, whatever worlds and people I create can be given life as long as I tell that story. But not everyone will like that story. Some people might even hate it. Learning to keep going despite what criticism you might get is challenging, but so rewarding. Your voice is your own.
Fans of which authors might gravitate toward your book?
I’ve been told my book feels like Adalyn Grace’s Gothic Romantasy YA Belladonna and after reading it, I agree! And I’m so honored to be compared!
Any words of wisdom you give your pre-published writer self (or to a new writer)?
Stop fretting and write the thing! If you don’t write the thing it won’t get written! Be in the moment, not the future.
What are your interests outside of writing and reading?
I’m a huge geek so manga/anime, video games, K-dramas and K-POP, J-POP, comic books. Basically anything that would get you a swirlie in high school.
Are you working on a new project? Please tell us about it.
I’ve got Livewire, a YA adaptation of a comic book coming out in Fall 2025. Then I’ve got the companion novel to The Queen’s Spade coming out in 2026!
Where can readers find you?
You can find me at my website is: sarahraughley.com. I’m also on pretty much all social media platforms: @s_raughley.
Thank you, Sarah! The Queen’s Spade is out TODAY.
The Queen’s Spade
In this riveting historical thriller inspired by true-life events, Belladonna meets Bridgerton as revenge, romance, and twisted secrets take center stage in Victorian England’s royal court when Sally, a kidnapped African princess and goddaughter to Queen Victoria, plots her way to take down the monarchy that stole her from her homeland.
A young lady can take only so many injuries before humiliation and insult forge a vow of revenge. . . .
The year is 1862 and murderous desires are simmering in England. Nineteen-year-old Sarah Bonetta Forbes (Sally), once a princess of the Egbado Clan, desires one thing above all else: revenge against the British Crown and its system of colonial “humanitarianism,” which stole her dignity and transformed her into royal property. From military men to political leaders, she’s vowed to ruin all who’ve had a hand in her afflictions. The top of her list? Her godmother, Britain’s mighty monarch, Queen Victoria herself.
Taking down the Crown means entering into a twisted game of court politics and manipulating the Queen’s inner circle–even if that means aligning with a dangerous yet alluring crime lord in London’s underworld and exploiting the affections of Queen Victoria’s own son, Prince Albert, as a means to an end. But when Queen Victoria begins to suspect Sally’s true intentions, she plays the only card in Victorian society that could possibly cage Sally once again: marriage. Because if there’s one thing Sally desires more than revenge, it’s her freedom. With time running out and her wedding day looming, Sally’s vengeful game of cat and mouse turns deadly as she’s faced with the striking revelation that the price for vengeance isn’t just paid in blood. It means sacrificing your heart.
Inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, Queen Victoria’s African goddaughter, The Queen’s Spade is a lush and riveting historical thriller for fans of This Ravenous Fate, A Dowry of Blood, and Grave Mercy.
Author bio:
Sarah Raughley is the Nigerian-Canadian author of the Effigies series and the Bones of Ruin trilogy. An AuroraAward finalist, Raughley is also an English pro-fessor and public intellectual who has written for journals such as the Walrus, CBC, and Teen Vogue. Her creative work is inspired by a messy confluence of experiences, from being a huge fan girl blerd to being a postcolonial researcher and academic. You can find out more about her work at sarahraughley.com.