Becoming queen is not the end of a fairy tale; it is the beginning of a nightmare.

When the queen is exiled, every beautiful young woman in Florencia is forced to become kingsmaids—royal concubines—but one lucky girl from those gathered will be chosen as queen.

Or maybe not so lucky.

Roxana Willows, a wingless fairy with the rare ability to read minds, has seen King Frederick’s cruelty in the stories her uncle tells, and fears that the only thing worse than being a kingsmaid is being the king’s wife. While her heart already belongs to another, she feels obligated to obey her uncle when he tells her to hide her heritage as a fairy in hopes of being chosen as queen.

But becoming queen is the last thing Roxana wants, and it will cost her everything.

Roxana is a fairy without wings. All her life she hasn’t fit in with fairies or humans. When the land’s King Frederick summons all maidens to choose a new queen, Roxana must hide her heritage. Will Roxana be able to find her faith and keep it in the midst of court intrigue and personal betrayal? A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity. Erin Phillips explores every struggle the biblical Esther might have undergone, raising questions many Bible studies will not face while creating a rich world and story.

Best for: Fans of biblical retellings, political fantasy, and intrigue.

Discern: Strong allusions to sexual abuse, protagonist in a “love triangle” making arguably foolish decisions, incidents of racial violence in a fantasy setting.