The Crown of Moonlight

A Scottish-inspired romantic fantasy where the land is enchanted and chooses a woman as its champion, where mortal queens wielded elemental magic until immortal conquerors from the otherworld beyond the Veil seized the throne and replaced the ancient magic with their own.

Flora Domhnall is a healer and a leader fighting to keep her clan neutral in the midst of a war over a stolen throne. She also hides a secret ember of magic the invaders never entirely destroyed. When she finds a wounded immortal warrior in her woods, she faces an impossible decision. If she uses her magic to help him, her clan could hang as traitors. If she lets him die, his king would enact revenge. Her kindness binds her fate to his.

Chyr is a weapon in a war he did not choose. Magical oaths carved into his skin control his deeds and thoughts. He'd give anything to refuse Flora's help, but the war his oaths force him to fight is lost unless he can reach the last doorway through the Veil before it closes. He stands no chance unless Flora can guide him across the burning Highlands.

Pursued by Chyr's enemies, Flora and Chyr must learn to trust each other. Then trust deepens into yearning. Every mile they share a saddle, every sacrifice made in silence, and every moment they guard each other pulls them closer to a love neither can afford—because magic is rising in Flora, taking a mysterious form neither she nor Chyr can fathom or control.

Marked for a crown no mortal has worn in four centuries of conquest, Flora must survive a test that ends in death or queenship. And if she passes, she becomes the enemy that Chyr is sworn to kill.

A sweeping Highland romantasy infused with Jacobite history, The Crown of Moonlight combines the haunting historical romance of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, the Celtic myth and magic of Rebecca Ross, and the rich folklore of Katherine Arden's Winternight Trilogy. It is the first book in The Five Crowns, an epic series from award-winning author Martina Boone about power, hope, ancient crowns, impossible oaths, and a love that must survive betrayal, war, and the gods themselves.
 

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

"The romance reminded me of Rebecca Ross's writing—it's soul-deep, human, and emotional, and I loved it." —Netgalley Review

"Boone's writing is lyrical without losing momentum, pulling you deeper into a world of moonlit forests, cursed crowns, and political intrigue that keeps the stakes constantly rising. The twists are smart and satisfying, the lore is rich, and the slow-build mystery surrounding the Five Crowns adds irresistible depth. The Crown of Moonlight is the kind of fantasy you sink into and don't want to climb back out of. A captivating beginning to a series that promises even more magic and danger to come.—Librarian

"Readers feel both the mortal cost of Flora's courage and the immortal ache of Chyr's duty. Their chemistry is beautifully rendered—never rushed, always earned..." —L.Crowe

"As a massive fan of Outlander, I went into this story hoping for a touch of sweeping romance, aching emotion, and lush world-building—and I was not disappointed...the same sense of fate-touched love, and that slow, simmering tension between two characters who feel destined for each other." —Lilith's Library

"I COULD NOT STOP reading. The slow burn! THE TENSION! THE YEARNING!" —Tata.Lifepages

Please check the content warnings inside the book. The main relationship in The Crown of Moonlight is mutually respectful and consent-based as it develops, and the book explores themes of trauma recovery. However, it also contains violence in the context of a brutal war, explicit intimate scenes, and themes around the aftermath of sexual assault and the effects of childhood trauma. Told in dual POV. Written in UK English.