Spy and Guardian Books in Order

Spy and Guardian is a historical romantasy duology that drops its romance into a court already full of danger. The setting is Scotland in the time of Mary Queen of Scots, where English spying, court ambition, and fae threats are all pressing on the same narrow halls.

Alyth Graham is one of the realm's protectors, a guardian with fae blood who has spent years trying to shield Mary from physical and magical harm. Samson Calthorpe comes from a very different corner of the story. He is a cursed London survivor who takes on work as a royal spy in hopes of finally breaking that curse. They circle the same court for different reasons, and neither has much cause to trust the other.

The backdrop matters here as much as the romance. Lord Darnley is not just a difficult husband, but a link to darker magical forces. Red Caps threaten both crown and country. Secret codes, hidden alliances, and competing loyalties keep the story moving, while the Scottish court gives everything a glittering surface that can crack at any second.

Trust is expensive in this series.

The first book, The Crimson Throne, builds that tension through espionage and guarded attraction. The Blood Queen widens the danger, pulling Alyth and Samson toward the fae court and a larger fight over the fate of both mortal and fae worlds. What begins as court intrigue becomes a struggle for allies, truth, and survival across two connected realms.

Expect enemies to lovers energy, historical detail filtered through fantasy, and stakes that stay personal even when the world gets bigger. If you like royal intrigue with sharp magic and a couple who have to earn every inch of trust, this is the right page.