The Changeling Queen

A lyrical, sensual, feminist retelling of the Scottish “Ballad of Tam Lin,” combining folklore, desire, sacrifice, and nature’s wonder in a tale perfect for fans of Natalie Haynes, Genevieve Gornichec, Holly Black, Quicksilver by Callie Hart, and Outlander.

On Samhain in medieval Scotland, pregnant Janet rescues her lover Tam Lin from being sacrificed by the Wild Hunt. Over the span of a single night, the Queen and Janet spar over Tam Lin’s fate. The Queen aims to win, knowing how fickle mortals can be. Long before she was royalty, she was simply Bess, the changeling daughter of a midwife.

Born with magical and mortal blood, Bess feared there was no true place for her on either side of the veil. She found refuge in the arms of the charming Thomas Shepherd, the bastard son of a local noble. Yet Bess’s cunning knowledge and secret dark gifts also attracted the attention of the elf lord Adaman. Wily and silver-tongued, Adaman led Bess into Faery’s realm of decadence, where her heart warred against her destiny. She fought to keep both—but at what cost?

Inspired by Scotland’s famous “Ballad of Tam Lin,” The Changeling Queen’s journey into memory, betrayal, and redemption will enchant you.Praise for The Changeling Queen

“Bea’s enchanting fantasy weaves a story of love, grief, heartbreak, and finding out who one can become in a world telling them who they should be. The Changeling Queen is full of captivating storytelling, a complex protagonist, and atmospheric world building; fantasy and folklore readers will want to pick this one up.” —Booklist

“In this feminist retelling of the Scottish ballad 'Tam Lin,' Bea explores the origin story of its antagonist and creates a memorable portrait of a sympathetic woman who finds her humanity gradually slipping away. Fia’s compelling transformation from compassionate misfit among mortals to terrifying representative of Faery will hook readers who enjoy folklore and fairy-tale retellings that center nonheroic perspectives and magical intrigue.” —Library Journal

“An imaginative, sensual retelling [that] evokes a timeless medieval world of faeries, nobles, and peasants, and their uneasy relationships. Our heroine lives on the borders between all these worlds, where she must learn when to be honest, and when to wear a mask, when to be kind, and when to be cruel. A must-read for fans of magic and myth.” —Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Half-Drowned King

“Lush, lyrical, and subversive, The Changeling Queen is a stirring anthem for female agency and desire, sung in counterpoint to the familiar ballad we thought we knew.”—Lyra Selene, International bestselling author of A Feather So Black

“An atmospheric, immersive tale of love and sacrifice.” —Lauren J. A. Bear, author of Mother of Rome

“Rich with folklore, magic, mystery and a strange, dark beauty all its own, this lovely novel is as intoxicating as the Fae themselves. Opening its pages was like stepping through the veil into a long- ago time, when magic was rife and Faery was that much closer. Just beautiful.” —Kell Woods, author of Upon a Starlit Tide

“I never knew just how much I needed the dark and thorn-riddled history of Tam Lin’s fabled foe until I read The Changeling Queen. As entrancing as the ever-shifting magic at its core, it had me rooting for the Queen of Faery and her journey of sacrifice from misfit to monarch until the very last line.” —Shveta Thakrar, author of the Andre Norton Nebula Award finalist Star DaughterKimberly Bea fell in love with Greek mythology in fifth grade and never stopped. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Ancient History with comparative fields in medieval history and the ancient Near East. A lover of research, you can find her crawling through texts on Neo - Babylonian queens and medieval prostitute saints, plumbing Roman elegy and Athenian legal oration. She has had fiction published in the anthologies Den of Thieves and Spring: Dreams and Nightmares and poetry in the anthology Nothing But Red. She lives in California and you can find her online at kimberlybea.com. The Changeling Queen is her debut novel.