Six Wild Crowns was one of my favourite books of the last year; an epic fantasy proposal inspired by the Tudor dynasty, Henry VIII and his wives, using them as the basis for an ambitious feminist retelling that put the six queens at the center of the spotlight, crafting a memorable and emotionally impactful story (especially with that ending). After such a strong book 1, I was really hyped for Six Savage Thrones, and I can say all that hype was deserved, as Holly Race did it again. 

(Be aware that there might be spoilers)

While in the first book, the Queens were a bit under the radar of Henry and his advisors, mostly being underestimated, we can see how after Boleyn's acts, Henry has the rest of the Queens under the crosshair, vying to sow some discord among the rest and find a way to perpetuate his power without depending on the Queens. But if something is clear is that only together they can triumph against Henry, but the thing is about to get messier and darker; and it's at this point in the story where Race changes the spotlight towards two of the other Queens, Howard and Cleves, and introduces a new POV that was perfect to add to the political intrigue, Henry's sister Cecilia.

And let's start by talking about the newcomer, Cecilia, a complicated character that shows the strength of Race's craft; she's in a difficult spot as the king's sister, but we also see how she vies for power, trying to outsmart the Queens' plot to help Henry. She's a bit of a sadist, but also we could see this as the result of the society that has forced her to become this in order to become the Dowager Queen; a character whose lust for power is definitely terrifying, but strangely hypnotic to follow.
But it's on the figure of Queen Howard where I found the most impressive transformation, as Race deeps dive to reveal more than the naivety and superficiality that was projected, showing a woman that is tired of being ridiculed, of being a tradeable currency; her growth as character is another highlight of the novel.
Cleves plays an important role in the political manoeuvring; she's a bit overshadowed by the sheer force of the other two POV, but I found myself loving how natural yet stormy the romance that happens is.

Having previously layered up the foundations of the worldbuilding, Race takes the opportunity to continue expanding the world because of the Queens' plot, how their machinations and their fight against Henry takes them to explore obscure magic, all to bring down what incarnates the power of Cernunnos. The writing continues to be rich in descriptions and details, perfectly fitting the story that is being told.

Six Savage Thrones is the sequel we needed after the ending of Six Wild Crowns, and it leaves me even more hyped, patiently waiting to see what Holly Race has prepared for the ending of this trilogy. Queens of Elben is a series I will always recommend if you like alt-history with a powerful feminist idea at its core!