The Goldenchild Prophecy is a historical romance series by popular author of historical and modern fiction Tanya Anne Crosby. We return to the exciting Iron Age and the farming, hunting, mining communities of Cornwall, the southernmost part of England. Meet THE CORNISH PRINCESS.

Gwendolyn is the heir to Cornwall, but her father King Corineus is ailing, and the land is suffering as a result. Celtic fantasy is gently woven through the action, so a curse laid upon the baby Gwen rebounds through to the time of her wedding. Only those with a fair heart and true love will see the girl as fair of face. In the hands of her love, her golden hair will turn to hard gold. The Celts were known for red-golden hair, but most Cornish had dark hair. Gwen’s mother came from Caledonia, modern Scotland. The king decides to wed his daughter to Prince Locrinus, son of King Brutus who left far-off Troy and arrived with impressive armor and weaponry on the shores of Wales. He is king now of that land, Loegria. Uniting their two dragon banners will give Britain, or Pretania, a strong force against invaders.  

In the face of all this political jeopardy, a seventeen-year-old lass who has led a relatively sheltered life, but is a capable horsewoman, is bound to make a few mistakes. Early on she socializes mainly with her guard Bryn and his sister Ely, her attendant. Due to Gwen’s willful and thoughtless actions, Bryn is reassigned, and she is handed over to the Fae elf Malik, who is not trusted by everyone. Prince Loch hasn’t arrived yet and the two young people will only have a day to meet each other before they are agreed to wed; the ceremony will be within days.  But what if this isn’t what Gwen wants? She’s relatively educated, but marriage will mean losing most of her freedom.

The lovely historical content is light on druidic belief and solid on foods and clothes. I really appreciate the detail of a feast, chickens, oysters, fresh and preserved fishes, bread trenchers and smoked cheese. For some readers, the time leading up to the betrothal will feel stretched, but at that point, events occur which intrude on the self-centered royal family. A man is found dead outside the gates and Gwen takes an active role in trying to establish the cause of his death and motives for a killer. The motivations of her husband-to-be are similarly tested. THE CORNISH PRINCESS is the first part of a trilogy about Gwendolyn and focuses on her early life. Second part is called The Queen’s Huntsman, and I can’t wait to get started.

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