Genre: Fantasy / historical fantasy / romantasy
Publication Date: May 1, 2025
Estimated Page Count: 352
Standalone Book 1 in The Throne of Ash Trilogy
Author Content Warning: There are some quite graphic birth scenes at the end of the book
I am excited to share an excerpt todayĀ ~ thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for organizing.
In this excerpt we first encounter the idea of the Queen of the Throne of Ash choosing a Consort in order to beget an heir, and the political nature of the decision. As well as the rumour mill of the royal court.
The court of the Throne of Ash has been a hubbub of activity for weeks, if not months. Every noble House, from the highest to the lowest, has sent their most eligible male relatives to be presented before the queen. Every great lady has ensured sheās seen promenading with her male offerings whenever Queen Cecily has been about her courtly business. Iāve seen many men bowing low over objects allegedly dropped by the Matriarch of their House to show who has the best backsides of all. Not, my sister has chuckled to me in lighter moments, that a fine flank is to be necessarily desired. Indeed, those special women of my sisterās inner chambers have done little but speak of the men as specimens to be picked over. I canāt say I like it.
āThe younger the better,ā my sister informed me, as though she knows of such things. In those words, Iāve heard merely my motherās statements, repeated. āThe younger men will be more virile, although, alas, theyāre often unproven.ā And that of course is the other thing. Not only have the men been on display for weeks, but for those whoāve already been Consorts to other noble women, their offspring have also been exhibited, from the youngest mewing babe, to the brightest young women, themselves about to enter their first Consort arrangement to produce an heir.
Iāve eyed the swirling mass of adorned males with barely concealed distaste. The brightest plumes, most flattering of hose or largest of vibrant yellow codpieces canāt truly show the nature of any of these potential Consorts. Thatās in the hands of the Royal Genealogist, Lady Barbara, who has meticulous records detailing every child born to the Houses running backwards in time for centuries. Some would say their records stretch all the way to the Dark Ages of our people.
My mother wonāt allow my sister to make an inopportune decision based on attraction or passion. This must be a cold-hearted business transaction. Indeed, itās almost an open secret the queen will choose her Consort from the powerful House of Trade, over which Lady Matilda rules, because she has many males to offer as potential Consorts. And also because my sisterās favourite fruit falls under their command.
I consider all this, watching with eyes trying not to focus on the expensive yellow, green and white silk and satin clothing, on the priceless jewels worn at neck, ear and crotch, the dazzling symbolic embroidery on sleeves and cuffs. This should be the most personal decision a woman can ever make. In the court of the Throne of Ash, itās anything but that. Itās a wonder the men are clothed at all and not simply brought before Queen Cecily, naked as the day they were born. A disappointment to their sweat-stained, labouring mothers, but having a potential use, in many yearsā time.
I eye the women who would rise high should their male relative be chosen as the Consort, and become the father of the future queen. Not that any father will have much contact with the new princess. The aged Lady Blanche with her son, who looks to be older than me, are attired in the colours of the House of Spice of yellow and green to symbolise abundance and youthfulness, depicting a curled lion as their main heraldic animal. The colours clash with his bleached moustache of vibrant red. I know, for Iāve heard it spoken about enough, many doubt sheās truly the manās mother. Sheās old indeed to be mother to a son so young. She either took a great risk, or was simply so desperate sheās taken another womanās son and passes him off as her own. It wouldnāt be the first time. The Royal Genealogist will know the truth of those rumours, even if Lady Blanche is firm in her denials of such.
My mother has cautioned my sister to avoid Lady Blancheās offering, whether heās a true son or not. The two daughters heās already fathered are indeed, odd-looking creatures. Theyāre too skinny and their eyes are dull. My mother worries they have no wits to them at all. Sheās said itās the problem with the mother having a child so old, and in that way confirming, despite the rumours, the man is indeed Lady Blancheās son. All the same, it seems cruel to me itās the grandchildren who suffer.
Book blurb:
The Throne of Ash – A thrilling Tudor-esque fantasy with all the deceit, politics and Courtly romance of the Tudor era
A Queen. A Princess. And a Consort who must be chosen to ensure the future of the Throne of Ash.
The Queen’s Face masks allāeven the woman who wears it. None may see her without it, not even her Consort responsible for ensuring she brings forth a healthy daughter to succeed her. If he fails, being cast aside is the most favourable of outcomes.
When Queen Cecily unknowingly determines on her sister’s lover as her Consort, ambition, jealousy, and the demands of courtly etiquette threaten the stability of the Throne of Ash.
Princess Bess knows only too well her responsibilities towards her sister, the queen, but when one of the powerful noble Houses attempts to ensnare both sisters with one lover, there can only ever be one winner.
The Throne of Ash is a Tudor-esque fantasy in which women rule, and men are kept in the background, of little use, aside from when a Consort must be chosen. Then, court intrigues, and politics come to the fore in a deadly game of politics and etiquette that sets sister against sister.
The Throne of Ash has never been more on fire.
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Author Bio ā Lissy Porter is a pseudonym for an author who usually writes in a very different genre.
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