“A twisted, whimsical young adult fantasy."

****

“That wood is always in my dreams. It’s super creepy,” Miya said. “Be careful.”

Craving a contemporary fantasy escape packed with unique magic, more questions than can be answered, and a girl who has to find her fire when everything’s falling apart? Then The Queen’s Dark Ambition will pull you in and refuse to let go. It’s the kind of story that blends eerie chills with real emotional punches. Readers call it “a twisted, whimsical young adult fantasy that fuses playfulness with eeriness” (Independent Book Review).

This gripping first book in the Fairies Among Us series follows 14-year-old Stacy, a flawed and fierce heroine who is drowning in change. She has just blown up her friendship with Jas and Anjali by dropping the bombshell that she is switching schools, and they have ghosted her. Her parents are at war with her. The new house is a total nightmare. The move is the absolute worst thing ever.

When she dreams of a local wood and visits it, she jumps over the stream and leaps into a hidden realm where fairies are sacrificing a girl. Unable to contact emergency services, she tries to help, only to be confronted by a mysterious stranger who recognises her and warns her to stay away.

After she discovers local children are missing, and she hasn’t seen her phone since the night of the sacrifice, Stacy returns to the wood. Could these fairies, who hate humans, be real? And are they linked to the disappearances?

Captured by the fairies, she finds herself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with their cruel, ghost-like Queen. With the help of a centuries-old wizard named Bower, she uncovers a chilling conspiracy of imprisoned children; a queen consumed by pure evil, and a hunger for the power of the stars that could doom the entire world.

Can a girl who is still figuring out who she is stand up to a queen who abandoned love long ago? If Stacy fails, the missing kids won’t be the only ones who pay. The fate of the entire world hangs in the balance, including her friends and family.

Blending Christian faith, supernatural mystery, and coming-of-age grit, The Queen’s Dark Ambition explores themes of identity, belonging, and spiritual warfare in a dangerous hidden realm. Low-spice and character-driven, this young adult fantasy is perfect for readers who enjoy clean fantasy with strong moral and faith undertones, angsty heroines finding their strength, and magic that carries real consequences.

If you love stories where faith meets the supernatural and a young girl must choose between fear and courage, step into the wood with Stacy.

PRAISE FOR THE QUEEN’S DARK AMBITION:
“A modern fairy tale that fuses playfulness with eeriness, The Queen’s Dark Ambition will send you to the whimsical, yet dangerous natural world and make you feel glad you came.”- Independent Book Review

“I'd recommend The Queen's Dark Ambition to readers who like their fantasy tinged with real-life grit… It's a good fit for teens and adults who enjoy moody, character-driven tales with a sharp edge of menace. If you like your magic beautiful but dangerous, and your heroines flawed but determined, this book will keep you turning the pages.”- Literary Titan- 4 stars

“This book has lots for readers to immerse themselves in...”- LoveReading- Awarded Indie Books We Love- LoveReading4Kids

YA tropes you'll love combined with a unique story of twists and turns.

Reader Reviews -Goodreads

"This uses the fairy tale element perfectly and enjoyed the modern concept in this, it had that young adult element that I was looking for. It worked well as a book in the genre and thought the fantasy element was so well written and enjoyed how immerse the world and characters were."

"It's messy but realistic. Lots of emotions for a ya. I loved how the author kept it raw."

Library Things Reviewer

"I will start off my saying that The Queen's Dark Ambition by Jessica L Scott was an enjoyable read. It was a good mix of real world struggles and a fantasy world that could be hidden in your neighbourhood...

The portrayal of religion/god by the wizard was intriguing, I would like to know more about his life prior to the story. Each characters back story was well written, but it would be cool to know even more about the queen as well and how exactly she felt as she grew up and being the way she is. I could follow along well with how the author described events in the story and I felt that it flowed well even with there being some jumps between dream and reality.

The emotions described by the characters were well done so you felt connected to it and it was a believable. I liked that it wasn't very predictable and it took some unexpected turns to the story leaving you wondering what will happen next. I feel the ending was also well written and the story had some good character development.

Overall, I feel the author did very well and the story was very uniquely done, I would read it again. It is a suitable read for teens and up as it had a couple themes that weren't very suitable for young children. If you enjoy a good unique fantasy, I would recommend this book."

Silver Winner of the Literary Titan Book Awards

About the Author

Jessica L Scott began writing poems as a teenager. She studied Creative Writing at university as part of her degree.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually in the garden or the beach reading sci-fi or fantasy fiction. Sometimes she can be found on strolls and wondering what’s just out of reach down any long scenic road.