The Exiled Queen - by Roxana Arama

About the Book

A gritty and grounded historical fantasy about a young queen fighting to unite her people against the invading armies of the Roman Empire.

Book Synopsis

She spent years following the path reserved for highborn men. When she's thrust back into a subservient role, how will she forge her own destiny?

Rome is marching. Cities and temples are falling. On the outskirts of the empire, Princess Andrada convinces her father to tutor her as his heir despite a ban on women rulers. But her lifelong battle against entrenched customs shatters when she fails the King's Challenge and is sentenced to death.

To save Andrada from execution, her father marries her off to a neighboring king who doesn't care about governing. Devastated, the new queen resolves to watch over her country from exile, preparing for the inevitable Roman attack. Although the crystal bell she risked everything to claim during the challenge grants odd wishes, she's dangerously unarmed against an unloving husband who needs a son from her. And as she falls in love with a medicine woman, her worst enemy is plotting to kill her once and for all.

Will Queen Andrada unite all the warring factions in time to face the mighty Roman Empire?

The Exiled Queen is a gritty and grounded historical fantasy. Pulling together threads from the past of her native Eastern Europe, Roxana Arama reimagines a people on the brink of drastic change. If you like fierce female protagonists, speculative sagas, and dramatic twists, you'll love this sweeping adventure.

Buy this "rich and rousing...memorable historical fantasy" (Publishers Weekly) today to discover an idea whose time has come!

Review Quotes

"Rich and rousing...memorable historical fantasy. (...) Arama (Extreme Vetting) creates an imaginative world and kingdom that weaves in realistic themes of life as a royal, the duties of heirs, and the violence of war. (...) Readers who enjoy historical fiction, royal drama, and fantasy elements will be riveted by this chronicling narrative. Told from multiple engaging points of view, The Exiled Queen will thrill fantasy readers who favor strong women who find a way to take their own power."

--Publishers Weekly (BookLife)

"Victor Hugo once noted that there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. Here's an idea: a speculative historical novel featuring a strong female protagonist who challenges not only the political patriarchy but the religious hierarchy as well, all unfolding on the outskirts of a Roman Empire that could well be a model for our civilization's near future. The story's time may be two thousand years ago, but the idea whose time has come is female empowerment so boldly outlined in this gripping story."

--Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, Presidential Fellow Chapman University, and bestselling author of Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and The Moral Arc

"Readers of historical fantasy will love the battles, intrigue, and imagination in this sprawling tale. (...) This well-crafted novel features intricate worldbuilding that's expertly woven into the story with elegant prose. (...) [A]ll the various threads come together neatly in the story's final act for a rousing finish, and the ending provides a tidy setup for the upcoming sequel."

--Kirkus Reviews

"Arama adds complexity and gray areas to the traditional black-or-white perspective of conflicts and confrontations, which will immensely satisfy fantasy and historical novel readers seeking powerful female presences and situations that are not driven by linear thinking. (...) a vivid story that doesn't scrimp on action and political and religious interplays between characters, but does include deeper layers of personal and social revelation that will simply delight libraries and readers seeking solid blends of history, fantasy, and proactive, powerful female characters."

--Midwest Book Review