The King’s Witch
On sale
14th June 2018
Price: £8.99
Already a great historian, Tracy Borman proves with this thrilling debut novel that she is also a born storyteller.
As she helps to nurse the dying Queen Elizabeth, Frances Gorges longs for the fields and ancient woods of her parents’ Hampshire estate, where she has learned to use the flowers and herbs to become a much-loved healer.
Frances is happy to stay in her beloved countryside when the new King arrives from Scotland, bringing change, fear and suspicion. His court may be shockingly decadent, but James’s religion is Puritan, intolerant of all the old ways; he has already put to death many men for treason and women for witchcraft.
So when her ambitious uncle forcibly brings Frances to court, she is trapped in a claustrophobic world of intrigue and betrayal – and a ready target for the twisted scheming of Lord Cecil, the King’s first minister.
Surrounded by mortal dangers, Frances finds happiness only with the precocious young Princess Elizabeth, and Tom Wintour, the one courtier she can trust.
Or can she?
‘Watch out Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, I can see a new contender for the Queen of Historical Fiction!’ Netgalley reviewer
‘A fascinating read, felt very true to time period but with that personal touch . . . Five stars’ Jeannie Zelos book reviews
As she helps to nurse the dying Queen Elizabeth, Frances Gorges longs for the fields and ancient woods of her parents’ Hampshire estate, where she has learned to use the flowers and herbs to become a much-loved healer.
Frances is happy to stay in her beloved countryside when the new King arrives from Scotland, bringing change, fear and suspicion. His court may be shockingly decadent, but James’s religion is Puritan, intolerant of all the old ways; he has already put to death many men for treason and women for witchcraft.
So when her ambitious uncle forcibly brings Frances to court, she is trapped in a claustrophobic world of intrigue and betrayal – and a ready target for the twisted scheming of Lord Cecil, the King’s first minister.
Surrounded by mortal dangers, Frances finds happiness only with the precocious young Princess Elizabeth, and Tom Wintour, the one courtier she can trust.
Or can she?
‘Watch out Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, I can see a new contender for the Queen of Historical Fiction!’ Netgalley reviewer
‘A fascinating read, felt very true to time period but with that personal touch . . . Five stars’ Jeannie Zelos book reviews
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Reviews
A compelling tale of corruption, danger and coruscating suspicion, The King's Witch carries the reader right to the heart of James I's court - and casts a dazzling new light onto one of the most dramatic moments in British history.'
The adventures of her courageous heroine put flesh on the bones of a fascinating historical framework.
Plunging the reader into the claustrophobic and corrupt world of the court, the sometimes grisly period detail is brilliant . . . First rate fiction - and best of all, the first in a trilogy!
An accomplished novel with a vivid historical setting . . . the scenes in which Frances defends herself accusations of witchcraft are particularly strong
A bewitching tale
An accomplished novel with a vivid historical setting
Tracy Borman's debut historical novel has it all: conspiracy, betrayal, dark intrigues, bloody deeds, a poignant love story - and the most famous plot in English history.
Exquisitely written, sumptuous in detail and thrillingly plotted . . . The first of what promises to be a magnificent trilogy.
The King's Witch is a superbly crafted story, and so great is Tracy Borman's skill that she really transported me back to the tumultuous days of the Jacobean court . . . I was both totally submerged and desperate for it not to end!'
