Welcome back, friends, to another book arc review from the lovely folks at Lone Star Lit! It’s been a while since I’ve had the headspace (and breathing room with my littles) to throw myself into an epic novel like this. But historical fiction will forever be one of my great loves, and when I read the premise for Brian Martin’s debut, I knew I had to sink my teeth into this one.
I adore character-driven stories, but it’s far rarer to have the opportunity to read fiction so well researched with such an epic scope. You really could tell how much care and devotion Martin put into crafting The Queen Among Kings. If you’re like me and adore all things A World of Ice and Fire, but also the history that inspired it, this may be the next read for you. Intrigued yet? Keep reading for my review!
The Queen Among Kings
By Brian Martin
Historical Fiction
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Pages: 680
Publication Date: June 30, 2026
She came to England expecting chivalry and courtly grace. What she found was betrayal, corruption, and a king more interested in favorites than his crown…
Isabella of France, once the daughter of kings, became a queen stripped of lands, wealth, and influence—left to navigate a treacherous court and a husband whose obsession with Hugh Despenser threatened to ruin the kingdom.
But Isabella is no ordinary pawn. With intelligence, courage, and a heart tempered by love and loss, she gathers allies in secret, forms a daring plan, and challenges the very men who seek to control her. Her cause is not only her own survival, but the future of her son, the heir to England’s throne.
A tale of cunning strategy, forbidden romance, and the relentless pursuit of justice, The Queen Among Kings traces a queen’s rise from powerless exile to masterful architect of her own—and England’s—destiny.
The epic saga of a weak king, his fiercely intelligent queen, and the people who shaped their reign, The Queen Among Kings is a triumphant debut from author Brian Martin.
We begin with Isabella at the onset of her invasion of England, as she looks to the past and a hopeful future. Yet rather than solely focusing on Isabella, we step further back in time to her youth and the day she is giving birth to her firstborn: the future king of England. Her husband is Edward the Second, infamous in history as an ineffectual king who lost Scotland to Robert the Bruce. We all remember the way he was depicted in Braveheart, but Martin offers us a far deeper and more nuanced portrayal of Edward’s reign. He was not an evil man, only too eager to please and appear pleasing to all around him. Like Isabella, Edward hopes to build their young son into a “new Arthur.” The first part of the novel is tragic as we watch the downfall of Edward the Second and Isabella’s faith in her husband. All of this strife, inside and outside the court, paves the way for Hugh Despenser to grab for power through Edward, forcing him into what is essentially an abusive relationship. All the while the young future Edward the Third grows apart from his parent’s intrigues until the day comes he has to make his own choices and decide what kind of king he will become.
As a major historical nerd, especially for all things medieval, I am the prime target audience for The Queen Among Kings. After reading countless historical fiction and non-fiction, plus hours of documentaries, I felt giddy every time Martin mentioned lesser-known facts, like the fact that castle walls were not bare stone but plastered and painted. I also found it a breath of fresh air to find historical characters truly speak and act like they are living in the 14th Century, down to how they comport themselves in war and in court. Some license is given, of course, because Brian Martin had the mammoth task of making these characters relatable to us today. I thought I wouldn’t enjoy following the perspectives of Edward the Second, or nobles who fought in the Battle of Bannockburn. But whatever alchemy Martin used to pen his epic catapulted me to that time and held me there.
The Queen Among Kings is the kind of book I call perfectly imperfect. Some sections could have been cut or condensed, maybe some dialogue tightened up, but again, let me stress this was over six-hundred pages. The fact that Brian Martin compiled such a massive wealth of knowledge and crafted such epic fiction is more than enough reason to give his debut the highest rating I could. I haven’t enjoyed so much nuance about political intrigue and medieval life, ironically, since reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I love historical fiction and history because truth is often stranger than fiction (even dragons). To know that Queen Isabella once lived and fought in her own mighty way is an inspiring true tale, and why well-written historical fiction is so important today.
The Queen Among Kings is an immense historical achievement, bridging well-researched history with thoughtful nuance and rich characterizations.
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