I was so delighted to hear from author Alex Martin about her latest book, Warrior Queens – and even more thrilled when she sent me an early e-copy. This is the third book in her Spirit Level series – but if you missed the earlier books, The Rose Trail and Triskelion, the link is fairly tenuous and this one can happily be read as a standalone – and was independently published on 11th July, now available for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) and in paperback. And I really have to commend her on that wonderful choice of cover – isn’t it glorious?
Is Alex Martin a new name to you? I had the immense pleasure of meeting her on my first visit to Narberth Book Fair in 2018, but her books were already very much on my radar – I downloaded the first book in her epic Katherine Wheel series – Daffodils – soon after it was published in 2014, and the three books that followed it also made their way onto my kindle, all sadly to languish there unread. But during those endless days of lockdown, she told me she’d just published the fifth book in the series, Woodbine, and as it was another sunny afternoon (remember them?) with nothing much to do, I decided – assured by Alex that I wouldn’t find starting on the fifth book in a series a problem – to give it a try. And my goodness, it was quite excellent – a WW2 story that totally swept me away, enthralling in every way with the most wonderful story-telling and the very finest of writing (you can read my full review again here, along with a look at the whole series).
I was so looking forward to reading the sixth book in the series, Ivy – and then, of course, life began to return to normal, the diary filled up again, and it just wasn’t to be (sorry Alex!). But I had already read another very different book from her – The Rose Trail, then a standalone, a ghost story with the English Civil War as its backdrop, and a thoroughly enjoyable time slip story, with its gentle humour and supernatural elements, and its present day amateur sleuths Fay and Percy (you’ll find my review here). There was a second book featuring those characters – Triskelion – but, yet again, it’s one I haven’t managed to catch up with (and I really should – I’ve just realised it’s centred on Anglesey, one of my favourite places…). So, now to the third book in that series – no Fay and Percy this time, the stories only sharing the supernatural dimension, with the “ghost” a catalyst for a very different kind of story…
In a quiet, pretty village on the Devon coast, Julia appears to have it all. Money, beautiful house, handsome husband, creativity. But something is missing – something that consumes her every thought.
Claire, mother to six children, also seems to have an abundant life, but to her it is a life-threatening trap.
Trixie loves her Devon cottage and her gorgeous surfer boyfriend but what is she secretly hiding that is making her so unhappy, and so unwell?
And how is the village legend of an ancient warrior queen linked to the three friends?
While her outwardly perfect marriage certainly harbours some secrets behind closed doors – I’ve rarely detested a character as much as I did husband Henry – Julia, a talented artist and the one who brought money to the marriage, is repeatedly willing to compromise and ignore them if it means the chance of a family. And family life is something Claire certainly excels at, with her five closely spaced children and well-honed coping skills – although another baby on the way was really the last thing she wanted, and it might just be time to say “enough”. Trixie was thrilled, thanks to a legacy, to be able to move into the cosy period cottage of her dreams – but surfer boyfriend Finn has since rather taken over, putting his stamp on the place, with the uncomfortably minimalist sitting room (complete with fake fireplace) and the streamlined white kitchen. And the cottage isn’t all he’s tried to change – her eagerness to please him is now beginning to have some serious personal consequences.
The women are friends – all members of the Stonehill History Group – and to Henry’s consternation when he’s trying to impress the golf club and wider community with his plans to re-wild an area of the course (although Julia is the one roped in to do all the support work), there’s been a historical find during the excavations that begins to attract wider interest. Meanwhile, the women’s lives slowly unspool – Claire makes her stand and endangers her marriage, Julia is there when needed to provide practical and emotional support despite her own mounting problems, and Trixie finds herself needing to turn to others for help and unexpectedly trying to start her life again. And as for Henry…
I have to say that these three women entirely won my heart – they’re so very real, going through such difficult experiences, showing such exceptional bravery and resilience, and finding strength in each other. As a story of female friendship and what it can accomplish, this book is exceptional – and the women’s struggles were something I could really feel with every new obstacle in their paths, desperately wanting them to be able to find their own paths to happiness. The author has the most perfect emotional touch – there were a few times when I wasn’t far from tears, although the warmth of their support for each other was immensely touching and also often brought a smile.
And then there’s the supernatural element – that ancient warrior queen, a figure sometimes felt or glimpsed when additional strength is needed, willing them on when they’re most in need of encouragement. It’s really beautifully handled – never overly disturbing, a powerful feeling of shared effort and strong support, all tied in with that find on the golf course and an earlier time of struggle for female survival.
For a story where the primary focus is on the women, and rightly so, I must say a word for the male characters in this book too and the way they’re depicted. It must have been a tremendous temptation to make them the reason for every problem – I’ve already mentioned Henry – but they’re most certainly neither stereotyped nor universally unlikeable. Arthur really is an absolute sweetheart – I won’t spoil the story by introducing him further, but I do guarantee that every reader will love him as much as I did, proof that there really are some good men out there. And Claire’s husband Mike? The misguided one? I do hope you’ll come to have the same soft spot for him that I did once he started to see the error of his ways.
This was a book I entirely loved – not always easy to read because of the subject matter, but ultimately so very rewarding, tremendously uplifting, and well worth the moments of anguish along the way. The women’s stories are quite beautifully told, heartbreaking, emotional and quite unforgettable – and this wonderful book is one I’d very strongly recommend to others.
About the author
The Plotting Shed that provided the name for my blog was my first writing space at the bottom of my Welsh garden. Now I split my time between Wales and France and plot wherever I am. I still wander aimlessly in the countryside with my dog and my dreams and I can still be found typing away with imaginary friends whispering in my ear, but these days I have the joy of seeing my stories published and the treasured feedback from readers who’ve enjoyed them.
Now I have ten novels on Amazon – my first novel The Twisted Vine, the complete Katherine Wheel series, and the three books in the Spirit Level series. I’ve also written a collection of 3 short stories, called Trio (a free copy of which is available at The Plotting Shed)
Thank you for this fantastic review of Warrior Queens, Anne. So incisive and nuanced, as always. I couldn’t have asked or wished for a better first review to set my book on its journey. Warrior Queens was a book I wrote from my heart, drawing on personal experiences I never wish to repeat and you have drawn out exactly the response I was hoping for. THANK YOU.
My absolute pleasure Alex xxx