Books like The queen's bastard by C. E. Murphy

C. E. Murphy constructs an alternate Renaissance world where religion has shattered the old order. At its center is Belinda Primrose, the secret daughter of Queen Lorraine of Aulun. Trained as a spy from age twelve by her father's spymaster, Belinda infiltrates the glittering courts of Echon, using her wit, languages and sensuality to outmaneuver her mother's enemies. When a mysterious witchlight awakens within her, Belinda gains extraordinary powers that elevate her from obedient daughter to a formidable rival. Her newfound strength draws her into a deadly friction with Javier, a witchbreed heir coveted and feared by Lorraine alike. Their mutual magic and ambition turn every alliance into a potential betrayal, and the pursuit of power becomes the ultimate aphrodisiac. Murphy’s narrative weaves elaborate court intrigue, spycraft, and elemental sorcery into a narrative that feels both familiar and wondrous—an imaginative reenvisioning of Renaissance Europe where love, loyalty, and ambition collide on the razor’s edge of destiny.

First publish date: 2008