Queen of Shadows by Anna Belfrage

Queen of Shadows
By Anna Belfrage

Publication Date: May 21st, 2026

Publisher: Timelight Press

Pages: 400

Genre: Historical Fiction / Historical Romance

She should have stayed in the shadows—but Leonor de Guzmán yearned for the sun

Castile in the 1330s is a place of constant turmoil. King Alfonso must contend with the incursions from the Muslim Marinids eager to reclaim Al-Andalus while struggling with repeated rebellions against his firm rule.

When Alfonso needs respite, he finds it in the arms of his Leonor—the most beautiful woman in the realm. But while he may love Leonor over all others, his lawful wife, Maria of Portugal, is tired of being constantly displaced by the fair Leonor.

Leonor loves her man. She gives him healthy sons, a place to be himself. But she is only a mistress, even if Alfonso treats her like a queen. Leonor’s enemies watch and hate.

Flying too close to the sun comes at a high price. How much will Leonor’s love cost her?

Based on the true story of Alfonso XI and his complicated relationships to wife and life-long mistress.

Review

I always look forward to reading Anna Belfrage's books, and "Queen of Shadows" certainly did not disappoint. This time, Belfrage takes readers into the world of Doña Leonor de Guzmán, the mistress of King Alfonso XI of Castile, and from the very first chapter I found myself completely caught up in her story.

Leonor is such a fascinating character. She lives at the centre of power, yet remains in the shadows, and I could not help but sympathise with her as she tried to navigate the complicated relationship she shares with Alfonso. I also loved seeing the story unfold through Alma's eyes, as it offered a different perspective on the royal court and the people who lived within it.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was how easily Belfrage brought fourteenth-century Castile to life. The political tensions, family loyalties, rivalries, and dangers all felt very real, but they never overwhelmed the characters. Instead, they added depth to a story that kept me turning the pages.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. As always, Anna Belfrage combines excellent historical detail with memorable characters and an engaging storyline. If you enjoy historical fiction filled with intrigue, romance, and larger-than-life historical figures, then I highly recommend "Queen of Shadows".

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This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Anna Belfrage

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance and writing.

Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as two equally acclaimed medieval series; The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England, and The Castilian Saga, which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales. She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel, Times of Turmoil, and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding...

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Readers’ Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

“A master storyteller”

“This is what all historical fiction should be like. Superb.”

Find out more about Anna, her books and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com where you will also find her post about Alfonso and Leonor.

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The Lost Voices by Paul Rushworth-Brown

The Lost Voices
By Paul Rushworth-Brown

Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 466
Genre: Historical Fiction

Some lives pass through history without leaving a trace.

The Lost Voices is a work of historical fiction that brings to light those whose stories were never formally recorded—not because they lacked significance, but because their lives unfolded beyond the reach of power, authorship, and recognition.

This is the story of ordinary people forced into extraordinary circumstances—individuals navigating a rigid social order shaped by obligation, fear, and quiet resistance. Here, survival depends as much on silence as on action, and choices are made not in moments of glory, but in private, under pressure, and with consequences rarely acknowledged.

The novel explores how personal truth is shaped—and sometimes erased—by authority, custom, and the need to endure. What remains are the lives history does not celebrate: the unspoken loyalties, the moral compromises, and the quiet cost of being unheard.

The Lost Voices is an intimate and powerful reflection on what history forgets—and what it leaves behind.

Praise for The Lost Voices:

"Another great work by a very talented author who loves his period works and characters from his great plots. He writes with verve and intent to deliver the imagination something unexpected and greatly appreciated... Brilliant..."

 Gavin, Readalot Magazine reviewer

Excerpt

On the Edge of Survival 

A man does not always know the moment his life is taken from him. It rarely arrives with warning. More often, it is something he wakes into—already decided.

Robert came to in the darkness. The taste of salt and rot was thick in his throat, and the floor beneath him tilted with the roll of the sea.

A ship.

Rough voices echoed off the wood, muffled by the thick, briny air in the hold.

“Won’t need a horse where he’s goin’…”

Coarse ropes bit into his wrists—tight, the fibres grating skin. No give.

Heavy boots thudded against the timber, the vibrations rattling his bones.

The men stepped back.

A figure moved through the dim light, tricorn hat low, hand resting on the pistol's grip.

“I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

A boot ground against his throat, leather rasping skin and pressing his Adam's apple.

“How do I know you’re tellin’ the truth?”

Robert clawed at the stale air, chest burning for each ragged gasp.

“Smythe… sent me… Leeds… The Nags Head…”

A pause.

Then—

“Slit his throat.”

The knife flashed—cold glint and slicing whoosh—descending toward his neck.

“WAIT! I have jewels!”

Silence.

Everything changed.

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Paul Rushworth-Brown

Paul Rushworth-Brown is an Australian historical fiction author whose work explores ordinary people navigating forces far greater than themselves.

His writing focuses on identity, survival, and the lasting impact of historical events, examining how lives are shaped not only by what history records, but by what it leaves behind. His work has reached international audiences across the United States and the United Kingdom, including appearances on PSI TV and U.S. radio, including Moments with Marianne Pestana on ABC-affiliated KMET 1490AM/98.1FM.

Through his fiction, he brings attention to the human cost of history and the individuals often overlooked within it.

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Fables & Lies: A World War II Novel Based on a True Story by Elisabeth Storrs

Fables & Lies:

A World War II Novel Based on a True Story

By Elisabeth Storrs

Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Publisher: The Book Guild

Audiobook: Bolinda Audio
Pages: 584
Genre: Historical Fiction

Audiobook Narrator: Lucy Tregear

Under a brutal regime, what price must be paid to preserve truth, treasure and love in a world built on lies?

WWII Berlin. Freyja Bremer, a patriotic museum assistant, marries Kaspar Voigt, an ambitious SS scholar, to protect her father. Yet she is unaware her husband is instrumental in Himmler’s twisted quest for Aryan supremacy.

As she strives to safeguard the priceless Priam’s Treasure from air raids, Freyja falls in love with Darien Lessing, an archaeologist who exposes the moral decay beneath the Regime’s myths. Her awakening drives her into perilous resistance — aiding a Jewish doctor and his wife, Darien’s sister — while uncovering Kaspar’s role in the SS’s darkest programs, which subvert history to justify invasion, abduction and murder.

As Berlin collapses into chaos and bloodshed, Freyja, caught between duty, deception and desire, must risk everything to preserve truth in a world built on lies.

A heartbreaking yet triumphant love story, Fables & Lies shines light on lesser-known aspects of the Nazi Regime. It gives voice to the complex moral struggles of German women, the forgotten resistance of Gentiles married to Jews, the dangers of contested history, the evils of Himmler’s racial studies program and the unsung bravery of German museum curators who saved their nation’s treasures.

Perfect for readers of Kelly Rimmer, Anthony Doer and Laura Morelli. 

***
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Jun 12 - Jul 03, 2026
50 copies available
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***

Praise for Fables & Lies:

"A powerful and heartbreaking story set in war-torn Berlin, FABLES & LIES charts the slow dawning horror of a young woman as she realises all she has been taught about Hitler and the Third Reich is a lie. Impeccably researched and sensitively rendered, Elisabeth Storrs has shone a light on little-known aspects of life in Germany under the Nazi regime."

~ Kate Forsyth, bestselling author of Bitter Greens

"Elisabeth Storrs has indeed broken the mould by writing 'from the other side'. Evocative, detailed and heart-rending as the heroine journeys through disillusion and danger in the Third Reich."

~ Alison Morton, author of the Roma Nova series

"A chilling and meticulously researched journey into the shadow world of the Ahnenerbe. Blending historical rigor with gripping fiction, FABLES & LIES reminds us of the devastating consequences when history is twisted to serve power."

~ Leah Kaminsky, author of The Hollow Bones

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Elisabeth Storrs

Elisabeth Storrs has a great love for history and myths. She is the award-winning author of A Tale of Ancient Rome trilogy which was endorsed by Ursula Le Guin, Kate Quinn and Ben Kane. 

Now her obsession lies with Trojan treasure and twisted Germanic prehistory in her new release, Fables & Lies: A World War II Novel.

Elisabeth is also the founder of the Historical Novel Society Australasia and the $155,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize. She lives in Sydney with her husband in a house surrounded by jacarandas.

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