Refugee. Queen. Saint. Based on the lives of Saint Margaret of Scotland and her husband, King Malcolm III, in eleventh-century Scotland, a young woman strives to fulfill her destiny despite the risks… Shipwrecked on the Scottish coast, a young Saxon princess and her family—including the outlawed Edgar of England—ask sanctuary of the warrior-king Malcolm Canmore, who shrewdly sees the political … sees the political advantage. He promises to aid Edgar and the Saxon cause in return for the hand of Edgar’s sister, Margaret, in marriage.
A foreign queen in a strange land, Margaret adapts to life among the barbarian Scots, bears princes, and shapes the fierce warrior Malcolm into a sophisticated ruler. Yet even as the king and queen build a passionate and tempestuous partnership, the Scots distrust her. When her husband brings Eva, a Celtic bard, to court as a hostage for the good behavior of the formidable Lady Macbeth, Margaret expects trouble. Instead, an unlikely friendship grows between the queen and her bard, though one has a wild Celtic nature and the other follows the demanding path of obligation.
Torn between old and new loyalties, Eva is bound by a vow to betray the king and his Saxon queen. Soon imprisoned and charged with witchcraft and treason, Eva learns that Queen Margaret—counseled by the furious king and his powerful priests—will decide her fate and that of her kinswoman Lady Macbeth. But can the proud queen forgive such deep treachery?
Impeccably researched, a dramatic page-turner, Queen Hereafter is an unforgettable story of shifting alliances and the tension between fear and trust as a young woman finds her way in a dangerous world.
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Fabulous story, well researched and not one of the queens you read about every day. Well written and beautifully done. I’ll read this one again.
An excellent choice for lovers of historical fiction. Well written and researched, interesting characters and an eye view into a period of history frequently passed over.
I was enjoying this book. It wasn’t fabulous, but I’m a sucker for historical novels based on fact–and according to fact, she was a fascinating person, a saint (literally), and mother to subsequent powerful leaders. Then, the author had her do something that I cannot imagine happened in real life, something so abominable and disloyal that I …
Read it to learn about Margaret, only mildly interesting but stayed with it for love of Scotland
I was swept away to the time of Malcolm’s rule in Scotland after Macbeth’s death.
Wonderful characters, vivid details, and amazing storytelling as Susan weaves the story of Malcolm and his bride like a bard of old times.
Historical fiction at its best. Ancient and medieval England and Scotland are my favorite periods of history. I had not heard of Queen Margaret before and found this story to be engrossing.
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This book imitates Dorothy Dunnett’s classic on MacBeth, “King Hereafter.” Now that is a book. Long, but involved, historically accurate and holds your interest except for a few pages 3/4 through.
This book takes related historical characters from Dame Dunnett’s book, and tries to …
Excellent chronicle of Queen Margaret, I had no idea any queens of this era were so well documented.
I found Queen Margaret fascinating and the book inspired me to learn more about her life.
A little romantic for me but loved the personalizing of a historical Icon.
A Story of Scotland’s Sainted Queen Margaret
Cultural and religious practices of Celts, Normans and Saxons come into conflict after the death of Macbeth in early twelfth-century Scotland. A foreign princess emerges from exile in Hungary to become the Queen of Scotland. Her husband, a course and violent ruler succumbs to her saintly virtues. She …
I visited Margaret’s chapel in Edinburgh Castle, so I was able to picture much of the story. She has described the characters and story with empathy & attention to detail. I hope to read more of her books.
Love this book very well written
Love this book. Read it twice and ordered the audio version to listen while driving. Also purchased her book Lady MacBeth.
I loved learning about Margaret , Queen of Scotland. My family line includes the Malcolm line of kings in Scotland and I found it very fascinating to learn about the history even though this is historical fiction. The author did a great job of research and explains any changes she has made to the historical timeline at the end of her novel. I …
I’m a big fan of the Jacobite Era and Scottish History in general. This was very entertaining and I purchased the subsequent books in the series as a result of enjoying this first one.
Loved seeing a new representation of one of my favorite saints
It was thought provoking and intriguing
Great historical fiction
I enjoyed reading this book