The King's Witch

May 1, 2018

Historian Borman tells a compelling story of the young noblewoman Frances Gorges and her service to Elizabeth I and then James I of England's daughter, Elizabeth. Spanning from March 1603 to January 1606, the book depicts court life and the plot to assassinate the king. Frances has the gift of healing and understands herbal remedies, which endears her to James's wife, Queen Anne. Those abilities arouse the suspicions of the king and his courtiers, who believe Frances is a witch. Borman balances a wealth of characters-the numerous courtiers, Frances's family members, the royal staff-and locations without overwhelming readers. Frances's character is the most developed, though others, including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, and the assassination conspirators, are well crafted, too. Readers also get a sense of Stuart England through the seamless incorporation of vocabulary and descriptions of clothing, environment, and culture, especially the tensions between Protestantism and Catholicism and the fear of perceived witchcraft. Themes of loyalty, love, misogyny, and fear are also well delineated. The love story between Frances and another historical figure, Thomas Wintour, is cloying at times, but it is still realistic and enthralling. VERDICT A captivating work that brims with action and romance. For historical fiction fans.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2018
British historian Borman's (The Private Lives of the Tudors, 2016, etc.) debut novel depicts a lady-in-waiting caught up in the Guy Fawkes conspiracy.Borman's protagonist, Frances Gorges, is on the sidelines, literally "in waiting" much of the time. Amid the upheaval surrounding the accession of King James I to the throne recently vacated by Queen Bess, Frances is relishing her solitude at her family estate, Longford. Her parents--a marchioness and the lesser nobleman she married for love--and her ambitious sisters are living elsewhere, in semiexile. (Her family's absence is convenient; they might otherwise have pulled too much dramatic focus from Frances herself.) Her uncle, the earl of Northhampton, hoping to advance the family fortunes by using his niece as bait for highly placed suitors, insists that she come to court. The earl's motivations are never consistent--he ranges from being Frances' quasi-incestuous tormentor to her ally. At court, Frances is appointed to attend the king's young daughter, Elizabeth. Soon, though, Frances, skilled at herb lore and healing, is targeted as a witch by her uncle's archrival, Lord Cecil, who, to curry royal favor, is fanning James' anti-witchcraft fervor. Despite ample evidence that Cecil can't be trusted (he even takes Frances to witness the execution of an accused witch), she falls into his trap. In the Tower, she's forced (along with readers) to endure a lurid torture scene in which a "witch-pricker" searches her body for a telltale "Devil's Mark." Cleared of charges, Frances returns to court, whereupon the witchcraft angle gives way to much duller fare. Lavish depictions of architecture and scenery pad the narrative--buildings come alive, people less so. The book's second half is devoted to Frances' hand-wringing over whether or not the Guy Fawkes plot will succeed--her beloved, Tom Wintour, is a ringleader, and she sympathizes with the plot's ultimate aim: to replace James with Princess Elizabeth. Clichés abound: Hearts leap, eyes blaze, and far too many curtseys are "bobbed."A potentially intriguing take on regime change derailed by its choice of heroine.

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July 23, 2018
Borman (The Private Lives of the Tudors) lures readers into this first in a series of historical novels set during the reign of the Stuarts. In 1603 England, healer Lady Frances Gorges returns to her family home of Longford after nursing Queen Elizabeth I through her dying days. Frances is forced to leave the idyll of Longford at the demand of her uncle, Lord of Northampton, who has secured her a position in the household of young Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James, Elizabeth’s successor. Though Frances warms to the effervescent princess and young lawyer Tom Wintour, she despises the court’s debauchery and is fearful of using her healing skills after witnessing the execution of a supposed witch. Yet Frances’s refusal to ignore pleas to help an ill child ends in disaster when the child dies, and she is arrested and tortured to determine if she is a witch. When the charges are dropped and she is released to tend to the ill Elizabeth, Frances’s blossoming romance with Thomas becomes complicated when he reveals a secret, and Frances must decide if she will remain loyal to Thomas. Borman is an astute chronicler of 17th-century English life, keenly depicting the excesses of the court and the dangers of religious persecution. The vivid detail and effortless storytelling will appeal to many readers, particularly fans of historicals in the vein of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management.

June 1, 2018
Historian Borman (The Secret Lives of the Tudors, 2017) embeds a fictional character in the royal court of James I in her promising debut novel. After nursing a dying Elizabeth I, healer Lady Frances Gorges is summoned, against her wishes, to the court of the newly crowned King James I. Mistrusting court politics, she attempts to navigate the twisted halls of the royal palace, where malice and intrigue reign supreme. Trained in her youth in herbology, Frances is now viewed with suspicion by many, including Robert Cecil, the king's powerful Privy Seal. With witch-hunting season in full swing, women who possess medical knowledge and are skilled in the art of healing are prime targets of zealots like Cecil. By introducing Tom Wintour, a real-life figure, as Frances' love interest, Borman adds a little historical heft and a lot of spice to her tale. The action culminates with the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, as the stage is nicely set for volume two of this projected trilogy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from May 1, 2018

With this first novel in a projected trilogy, historian Borman (The Private Lives of the Tudors; Thomas Cromwell) depicts the life of Lady Frances Gorges, a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I, and, according to the author, a noted healer. As Frances gets dangerously close to being targeted as a witch by the Privy Seal, Lord Cecil, she finds a friend in newly crowned King James's daughter, the precocious Princess Elizabeth, for whom she serves as the new lady of the bedchamber. Frances is also deeply drawn to Tom Wintour, a courtier whose gentle manner soon earns her trust. But Tom has secrets that could endanger her and those she holds most dear. The incredibly detailed and vivid narrative transports readers to a time when women were seen as no more than a commodity to be traded, and conspiracy loomed in every corner. VERDICT This engaging page-turner is enhanced by flawless prose and an absorbing plot, making it a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and post-Tudor England. [See Prepub Alert, 1/18/18.]--Adriana Delgado, Palm Beach Cty. Lib., Loxahatchee, FL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018

With this first novel in a projected trilogy, historian Borman (The Private Lives of the Tudors; Thomas Cromwell) depicts the life of Lady Frances Gorges, a courtier of Queen Elizabeth I, and, according to the author, a noted healer. As Frances gets dangerously close to being targeted as a witch by the Privy Seal, Lord Cecil, she finds a friend in newly crowned King James's daughter, the precocious Princess Elizabeth, for whom she serves as the new lady of the bedchamber. Frances is also deeply drawn to Tom Wintour, a courtier whose gentle manner soon earns her trust. But Tom has secrets that could endanger her and those she holds most dear. The incredibly detailed and vivid narrative transports readers to a time when women were seen as no more than a commodity to be traded, and conspiracy loomed in every corner. VERDICT This engaging page-turner is enhanced by flawless prose and an absorbing plot, making it a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and post-Tudor England. [See Prepub Alert, 1/18/18.]--Adriana Delgado, Palm Beach Cty. Lib., Loxahatchee, FL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.