England, 1536: Queen Anne Boleyn has been beheaded, accused of being a witch. Lady Grace Fairfax has been part of the queen’s coven for years. As Anne’s confidant and lover, Grace is determined avenge her death. King Henry VIII has tasked witchfinders to ferret out more coven members. Grace must not only avoid the witchfinders (especially their determined new advisor, Sir Ambrose Fulke) but also discover who betrayed Anne. Her investigation leads to another witch in their own coven, forcing Grace to decide if her revenge is worth the coven’s discovery or if the witches should go to ground and be reborn. Told from Grace’s past and present perspectives, Dawson’s novel sets up one woman’s story of love, service, and survival and builds on her alternate England where witches and their enemies are in power. VERDICT This prequel to Her Majesty’s Royal Coven leans into the real history of Anne Boleyn and creates a delightful origin story for the series.