The Lost Queen: A Novel

Praise for The Lost Queen: A Novel

"Outlander meets Camelot – but with the focus firmly on the lives and loves of women. A sweeping, magical tale of a rarely-told part of Scotland's history."
—Kirsty Logan, author of The Grace Keepers

"The Mists of Avalon for a new generation. Pike vividly recreates both the magic and brutality of early medieval Britain, replete with betrayals and love affairs, battles and escapes, and an unforgettable heroine at the center of it all. A gripping historical novel."
—Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Half-Drowned King

"Rich in detail and elegantly written, The Lost Queen is a boldly feminine heroic journey to a place and time of unbearable change. Hypnotic and sensual, Pike’s story reawakens us to something long ago lost between landscape and memory, where the Old Way still exists, and the bond between brother and sister cannot be broken. Mystical, beautiful, and destined to become a classic."
—Brunonia Barry, author of The Lace Reader and The Fifth Petal

"In her extraordinary debut, Signe Pike assuredly transports the reader to an ancient past, bringing it vividly to life through her beautiful writing. Languoreth is a bold and complex heroine readers will be rooting for until the last page. Mystical, epic and captivating, I couldn't put it down, and look forward to the next installment of this intriguing trilogy."
— Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home and The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter

“An extraordinary historical page-turner. Pike brings a creative eye, unique voice and immaculate research to the world of historical fiction - the people and lands of this novel will not leave me. The Lost Queen is more than a book; it is a profound experience. Languoreth has emerged from the mists of Scotland to assume her rightful place on the throne where she belongs.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Book Shop at Water's End and Becoming Mrs. Lewis

"Did you know that King Arthur’s favorite wizard, Merlin – or more accurately, the real man he was based on – had an equally important twin sister? Get hooked on her story in Signe Pike’s The Lost Queen, the first book in what promises to be a thrilling trilogy."
— Redbook

“THE LOST QUEEN, Signe Pike’s debut novel set in sixth-century Scot­land, is the rare historical epic that manages to be truly sweeping and yet always intense and person­al—at once a romance, a story of faith, a story of war and a story of family... By the end, you feel happily lost in this mist-shrouded place in history, and you only wish you could stay there longer. Moving, thrilling and ultimately spellbinding, THE LOST QUEEN is perfect for readers of historical fiction like Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, and for lovers of fantasy like Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.”
— BookPage

“Pike has set out to reconstruct the historical underpinnings of the Arthur legends, tracing their roots to what is today Scotland… The language does a fine job of evoking the period. An unusual take on Dark Ages drama which may well command a following.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“An engrossing debut… Pike’s narrative blends court intrigue, romantic interludes, and gritty violence into a literary brew worth savoring to the dramatic finale. The elements of Celtic mysticism will appeal to fantasy fans looking for a Mists of Avalon–type experience, while the setting remains grounded in sixth-century Scotland’s political realities. Enthusiastically recommended for readers of female-centered historical sagas and those enamored of Arthurian tales.”
— Booklist

“Deeply researched as well as entertaining.” 
— Library Journal

“A gripping tale... you won’t regret losing yourself in this fast-moving story.”
— Charleston Magazine

"The first line in...author Signe Pike's first work of fiction, The Lost Queen, launches readers into a world they didn't know existed and one, most likely, they didn't know they needed.  By the pool, in my bed, and most often, crunched in the front seat of my car, I consumed Pike's novel over a week this summer....Pike nails it....The Lost Queen rocks.
— Charleston City Paper

“Epic… This book [has] magic, romance and adventure.”
— FIRST for Women