“Britain needs someone to believe in right now” – its citizens still reeling from the aftermath of Brexit and the badly managed Covid-19 pandemic. Ace Penhalagon, who has risen to Wimbledon and Olympic glory, appears to be their knight in shining armour – “But yet again, time and fate were playing their twisted games.”

Queen, King, Ace is another wonderful mash-up of romance, history, social commentary and #YeahNoir, following on from Wife after Wife (Henry VIII), Sister to Sister (Elizabeth I) and Notorious (Richard III). Ace Penhalagon is “a little Cornish boy who knew nothing of his roots”, fostered by the mesmerising magic-wielding Merle, and with troubled foster siblings Lockie and Faye. Yes, this time we have King Arthur and his entourage mixed in with the lives of the modern Tudors, with a smidgeon of Plantagenet thrown in.

Eliza Rose, now CEO of Rose Corporation, with Harry acting as Chairman and ‘consultant’, is still grieving and guilt-ridden over the murder of her “soul mate” the “enfant terrible of the arts world” Kit Marley. Kit is still a smoky lingering presence around Eliza, and she is heavily dependent on Kit’s lover, Will Bardington, for support. Will also shelters her when she becomes involved with Ace, the online trolls and offline stalkers making her life a misery.

Eliza falls for Ace, and vice versa – both wanting to use the publicity power of Rose Corp to further Ace’s messages of tolerance in an increasingly divided society, and of positive action in a time of ecological disaster. Ace is keen to use his recently gained high profile for good, knowing the public have given up on politicians, yet still crave someone to give them hope.

Ace and Eliza’s plans are a worry for Harry, who fears Ace’s messages may get too political and put Rose Corp businesses at risk, especially when they are still recovering from the impact of Covid lockdowns. The tension between those who want to give the planet a break, and those who believe the only way out of the mess is to keep the accelerator on businesses to fuel the economy, is woven into the story, as is the anonymity of the internet facilitating the terrorising of individuals, especially women.

Queen, King, Ace is not all social commentary, it is a glamourous romance – there’s even a trip to the Met Gala, that annual bizarre fantasy parade. Much is made of the human tendency to hark back to a ‘golden age’, one that probably never existed apart from in nostalgic tales of history. Eliza and Ace want to (re)create a time of harmony and inclusiveness, complete with a “round table” of similar-thinking influencers, reported loudly by the media as a “QUEST TO PUT THE GREAT BACK IN BRITAIN”, but was there ever a time when Britain was great, or at least a time when it was great for everyone?

The plotting of Queen, King, Ace is very clever, especially if you are familiar with Arthurian legend. When a child, Ace (Art, Arthur) easily takes an ancient bronze sword out of a secure display cabinet. His sister Faye, a “neo-pagan and a wiccan” with a conduct disorder, falls in with the conspiracy theory crowd, she has a son called Dread. Lockie is a spookily beautiful surfer with a troubled past who took off for the antipodes – and who returns to appear to Eliza as a ghost on the beach, with a bit of a Kiwi accent, and a few words of Te Reo.

Once Eliza and Ace head out of London into “King Arthur Country”, the weather becomes atmospheric and drives the mood of the story: “Droplets of mist were swirling in the air, clinging to their hair”. They are drawn to a denouement in a cottage not far from Tintagel, and to a fate that recreates events through time. The speed of the recreation takes even the characters by surprise: “I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly.”

Queen, King, Ace is a compelling read. I would recommend reading the previous books first, to enjoy the continuing stories of the characters. However, this instalment can be read as a stand-alone, with some backstory provided. It is both an intimate and a majestic read, with the mists of time resolving into an eternal pattern, which for Eliza was “as if she were seeing it all play out from the sidelines, as if she’d left her body.” And the resolution hints of further fateful mischief to come – here’s hoping!