Tracy Borman is an absolute first-rate historian who can now add fiction to her list of amazing books. "The King's Witch" begins with the troubling period immediately following the death of Queen Elizabeth I with the new reign of King James of Scotland. King James had many troubling issues in his life and reign with one being his obsessive fear of demons and witches infecting everyday life. This book follows a portion of the life of Frances Gorgees, who serves as an attendant to the daughter of King James and his Queen, Anne. Frances becomes unwittingly involved in many tribulations from witchcraft to involvement with conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot.
Book could have been about 75 to 100 pages shorter as was often a little too repetitive. Thank you to Atlantic Monthly and Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was an enjoyable read and stands out in a genre that is becoming rather crowded.
The arc of the main character, her trials and tribulations, her self-awareness in a challenging and dangerous environment, are exciting to follow.

Frances Gorges, a young English noblewomen, is brought to serve the young princess Elizabeth at the court of James I. A healer by trade in Elizabeth I's court, in this court, her healing is considered witchcraft by the Protestant bordering on puritanical James I. Trying to stay alive and serve her princess, while also falling for a young lawyer, Elizabeth goes through many trials in the early reign of James I. As someone who is very familiar with the period of British history a hundred years before and up to this, I was feeling a bit unprepared going into Borman's world. However, I found many familiar pieces of unrest within her story. The Protestant/Catholic question is not a new one. How it plays out is just different for every monarch. Elizabeth I, James' predecessor was much more tolerant to Catholics', but Elizabeth was raised in a very different world than James was. Frances sees the effect of this within months of James' reign. I found Frances a character I could really enjoy and follow the story with. She was courageous and she was well rounded. There was a steady plot to this story ; there weren't a lot of holes. I honestly think my biggest issue is I don't know how this is going to become a series. The only big question sitting here is their child. I don't know if that's worthy of another book. Sure, I am kind of curious if Frances will survive James' reign. As she isn't real, I am not as hugely concerned with her mortality as I should be. As much as I enjoyed her as a character, I suppose that is one of the issues of being such a fan of Tudor history and Tudor historical fiction. So often it is based in some way in real people when someone writes historical fiction. I may read the next one out of curiosity, but I think this works perfectly fine as a standalone.

In recent years there’s been a spate of historians taking to historical fiction – like Lucy Worsley with Eliza Rose and Janina Ramirez with Riddle of the Runes, and Alison Weir has been writing fiction alongside her non-fiction for years – so when I saw Tudor and Stuart historian Tracy Borman had written her debut novel about a suspected witch, I couldn’t resist requesting a copy from NetGalley.

The novel follows an incredibly turbulent period of Britain’s history, following the death of the last Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, and James VI of Scotland’s ascension to the English throne as James I. James was obsessed with witches and many women, and men (but mostly women), died because of his obsession, and many more died because of his persecution of the Catholics. In fact he treated the Catholics so badly that, only two years into his reign, they tried to blow him up.

Into this turbulent environment walks Frances Gorges. A lover of the countryside and her family’s home there, she’s taken to the Stuart court by her uncle in the hopes that she’ll make a good match where he’s secured a job for her as a companion to the young Princess Elizabeth. Unfortunately for Frances, her affinity for herbs and healing sees her come under suspicion for witchcraft, and a budding romance with another courtier puts her in danger of being accused of something else entirely.

Sadly I didn’t love this one, but I also can’t say it’s a bad book. If you haven’t read a lot of historical fiction, or haven’t read a lot set during this period of history, I think The King’s Witch would be a great starting point. Tracy Borman is a historian and she really knows her stuff; there are little details she adds about England at the period, and particularly about some of our most famous historical buildings such as Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London, that have you learning without it being obvious that she’s teaching you, and this book is a very easy read.

My issue with this book is that, for me, it isn’t anything new. Of course Frances is the most beloved and beautiful and learned and most studious child in her family, and of course she has a jealous sister who we barely see which begs the question why she was there at all other than to make Frances look good, and her uncle is a bit too moustache-twirly to be taken seriously. I found Frances a little too passive which is a real shame because I think there is a lack of quiet heroines in fiction, but Frances wasn’t quiet so much as waited for the men around her to tell her what to do. This is particularly odd when her internal narrative so often called out how unfair it was that women had to do what men said all the time – and yet that’s what she spent the majority of this novel doing.

I mean this woman gets caught up in one of the most famous regicidal plots in history by accident. There’s so much more that could have been done with this novel, but instead it felt like two novels mashed together. The first half followed Frances’s battle with a witchcraft accusation – and to Borman’s credit, I really appreciated that she included a ‘witch-pricking’ scene which just proves how horrific and degrading a process it was once a woman was accused of witchcraft – and the second half followed her falling into the Gunpowder Plot.

The strange thing is these two halves of the plot could have fit together more than they did; because King James hated witches and Catholics in equal measure, Catholicism itself became associated with witchcraft so it would have made sense for Frances to also be a secret Catholic. Instead she grows to care about the Catholic plot because all the men involved tell her she should care and she thinks, ‘fair enough, yeah okay’ and I just didn’t believe her.

Worse still, I kind of lost a little respect for her? Don’t get me wrong the woman suffers a harrowing ordeal and she has just as much of a reason to hate the king as everyone else he’s wronged, but it didn’t take much to win her over to the Catholics’ side and I’d’ve preferred the novel if she’d already been on their side to begin with. Instead we have a novel about the Gunpowder Plot where we never actually see its organisers organising it, and it seems a shame we were left out of that side of things.

Frances’s romance with one of the conspirators also could have been fleshed out more. They seemed to fall in love incredibly quickly, and whenever they declared their love for one another all I could think was, ‘why, though?’ because for the majority of the novel Frances has no idea what he’s up to. It’s difficult to decipher how much they actually knew each other at all.

(I also wasn’t a fan of the sex scene – why so many historical fiction sex scenes completely forego foreplay and include lines about ‘pain giving way to pleasure’ I’ll never know.)

I do really appreciate that Borman included Anne of Denmark, James’s wife, a lot in this novel, as I feel she’s someone who’s often forgotten and I’d love to know more about her. I can’t imagine it was easy being married to a man like James VI, especially as he was rumoured to prefer the company of men and often flaunted his favourites in front of the queen. The Anne Borman wrote was incredibly dignified, and I always looked forward to scenes she was in.

My only other thought, upon finishing this novel, is that I can’t help wondering if historians are letting women from history down when all they write about is the royal court. Considering the majority of women accused of witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries were ordinary, working class women, I can’t deny that it’s frustrating to see yet another witch novel set at the royal court. Frances was able to escape the fate of many accused witches thanks to her connections at court, but what about all the ordinary women who had no such benefactor?

Of course a lot of historians specialise in royal history, in fact both Borman and Lucy Worsley are Joint Chief Curators of Historic Royal Palaces, but the historians who turn their hand to historical fiction are also the writers who have the means for researching the ordinary people from history at their disposal.

All that aside (I feel like I’m being very mean, and I actually like Tracy Borman a lot – I’ve seen her speak a couple of times and she’s incredibly knowledgable and genuinely lovely!) while it is clear this is Borman’s debut novel, she certainly has the potential to get better and better. I won’t be picking up the next book in this trilogy, sadly I don’t care enough about Frances to find out what happens to her next, but I’d be interested in seeing what else Borman may write in future.

I didn't get a chance to download this wonderful book until it was already archived so I borrowed it from the library. I fell in love with the central character, Frances and her ability to heal the sick with her herbs and tinctures. I was truly disgusted with King James and his sycophants in a decadent and vicious court. The hatred he and his minister shared for all healers whom he considered to be witches places Frances in the Tower to be tortured and only escapes because she can cure Princess Elizabeth where physicians have failed. The love affair between her and Tom Wintour results in tragedy as Tom and his companions are betrayed when they plan to blow up the King, his son and all of the members of Parliament. Frances does discover later that she is with child so the novel does end on a positive note. I'd recommend this book to all lovers of English historical fiction and a desire to know more about "the gunpowder plot". Many thanks to Atlantic Grove Publishers and net galley for turning me on to this fine first fiction novel of Tracy Borman.

I DNF'd at 25%. I just couldn't get into the story, or the characters. I found it, flat. It was very, very slow moving. The descriptions of the lands and villages, were rather lovely. I found myself reaching for other books to read over this one. :/

I loved every part of this book and I got a copy in Hardback and also ordered it on audible to listen to again. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I already pre-ordered the next book in the series.

The King's Witch is the first book in a fictionalized historical trilogy set during the reign of King James. Historian Tracy Borman's familiarity and expertise with the period make it very authentic reading, but for readers who aren't very familiar with the background history and the time period, access to supplementary references might enhance the experience. I found myself confused about context at several points and had to go look up the secondary characters. The fictionalized parts of the story are skillfully interwoven with documented history and I was impressed at how plausible the author's interpretations were.

This first volume was released 13th July 2018 by Grove Atlantic. It's 448 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.

History is not normally my first genre choice. This one, however, was very well written and after a slow start, was paced and plotted well. The intrigues and power-jockeying at court were so clearly described that they were almost uncomfortable to read in several places.

Historical fiction lovers will really find a lot to like here. I will pick up the next novel in the series and I did enjoy this one, though I had to look up some of the back-history myself.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

This book was so good! It was about a time period I am not 100% knowledgable about (The Stuart Era) and it gave me some much needed information as well as kept me engrossed.

This story begins with a young woman from an aristocratic family tending the ailing Queen Elizabeth I at her deathbed. This young woman, Frances, is skilled in herbal remedies and is favoured y the Queen. But with the arrival of King James I and his court, her life will change. James is superstitious and fearful of witchcraft, and he, with the help of her family's enemy, Lord Cecil, will mercilessly begin to hunt down anyone he suspects of wielding magic.
Frances would like nothing better than to return to her home and live out the rest of her days undisturbed, But her uncle is ambitious and pulls her into the very centre of King James' court, where she will unwittingly and unwillingly become part of a deadly plot against the Royal Family.
Her only friend is Thomas Wiintour, the handsome lawyer, who she believes she can trust, But can she?
This is an expertly woven tale, highlighting the struggle of an intelligent and prominent woman, who nevertheless has to struggle against prejudice and male authority to survive. I enjoyed reading this brilliantly told tale and look forward to more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book for an impartial review

It took me a while to get round to this book, I think, because of it's boring book covers - did look very like lots of others in the historical fiction range so did not appeal to me.
However, this was an easy and included some intrigue and suspense. The characters were all a bit flat though and the main character was not as brave as she should have been - she was a bit of a walkover for someone so different in her time. I Did like the ties that the story line had to the Gunpowder Plot though as not many fiction books have been written around that time.

In 1603, Queen Elizabeth the First died, with Frances Gorges by her side, easing her death with her herbal knowledge. Frances was then allowed to ‘escape’ from court for a year, spending her time at the family estate, tending the garden and making up remedies. Then her highly placed uncle forces her to return to court, to be the Lady of the Bedchamber to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the new King James. This is a tense position to be in; James is a witch hunter and the women with the arts of healing and herbs are pretty much considered to all be witches. James is also very anti-Catholic, and pretty much only listens to his young, male favorites. Frances has no desire to play the court games of currying favor; she takes her job of being companion and maid to the princess seriously and the only courtier she trusts is Thomas Wintour, who may not be what she thinks he is... .it’s a time of unrest in general and her own position and life are put in danger when she heals Queen Anne of a fever, bringing her to the attention of Robert Cecil, the Lord of the Privy Seal. She accidentally becomes involved with the Gunpowder Plot, a plot to unseat James that most of us Yanks only know about as a yearly event in the UK to blow off fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day.

The book is well written; I felt a great deal of sympathy for Frances. The court was a dangerous place, and the author skillfully creates the claustrophobic air that would have existed. I loved the attention to detail. This book is the first of a projected trilogy, so there is no conclusion to Frances’s story, but a chapter in her life is definitely over. I have no idea what happened to the real Frances, so an air of suspense still exists. Four stars.

I enjoyed the book's history of women under King James' rule and the witch hunts in England. The plot was a bit slow moving but I liked the main character and I wanted to finish to find out how she/if she survived. I am a fan of historical fiction so this made me more patient with the writing. I liked the emphasis on women's roles, lack of freedoms and how the various characters from queens to the main character deal with the challenges of not controlling their bodies/money/futures.

I loved this book. I just recently started reading historical fiction and this did not disappoint! I look forward to reading more from this offer. Thank you for allowing me to read and review your book. 5 stars!

If you are on Tudor overload, try this novel by historian Tracy Borman, who is a fresh voice in historical fiction. Borman has written an intriguing first book of a trilogy set during the reign of James I. Readers will connect with Lady Frances Gorges, a daughter from the powerful Howard family and healer. Being a healer was dangerous during this time as King James was determined to root out witches from his kingdom. Borman draws the reader in with descriptions of court life, elaborate gowns, engaging characters, and the Gun Powder plot. This is not to be missed!

I can't argue any of the history - Tracy Borman is already a well known and respected historian. The challenge is always to see whether or not someone can jump to fiction writing with the same ease, and she seems to have succeeded. Most fiction of that time focuses on the prime of the Tudor era, so choosing someone who comes at the very end, and after, as a main character was a good choice. She took a little known character to history and made her story interesting. I look forward to her next title.

Very detailed and compelling tale of Lady Frances Gorges during the early days of King James' reign. So much courtly intrigue during those days, nothing you would ever hear of today!

I picked this up on Netgalley but just FINALLY got time to read it while traveling for work. I was completely engrossed in it and it was my main diversion on 4 flights this past week. Lucky for you, I procrastinated so long this book is already out for you to buy!

I do love historical fiction and this didn't disappoint. We're focused on King James VI and his reign. He was obsessed with witch hunts and that is one of the primary focuses of this book. Frances Gorges (whom I'm not sure is real) is the center of this book and is the witch in question. I didn't give anything away there, you'll notice immediately why she is targeted as a witch.

Frances is from a notable family, in service to the previous Queen. But once King James comes swirling in, the Gorges are relegated to the outskirts of the Court. King James hates witches and Catholics and uses his authority to hunt down both. I would hate living in this time. Not only is a death sentence a gruesome affair but it's a spectator sport as well. So weird.

Frances is forced to Court to be the Lady of the Bedchamber to the little princess Elizabeth. Frances' uncle wants the family in good standing and pulled strings to get Frances there and in a good position. Unfortunately for him, Frances uses her healing skills to help aid Queen Anne and falls under the suspicion of Lord Privy Seal Cecil, who is in charge of the witch hunts.

Things started tumbling down for Frances and for everyone under King James' rule. This is a seriously screwed up reign and even the Queen is looking for a way out.

Totally engrossing book. I do have to say that everyone "inclines" their head all the time. All. The. Time. I get that may be how royalty acknowledges people, with an incline of the head, but goodness.

Regardless of the inclines, I'll be reading more of this author.

I just couldn't get into this novel, I didn't feel that it was smoothly written. Only read one chapter

This is a well written historical novel and I enjoyed the story that was created. It can be difficult to write through the lens of a "fringe noble" who gets close to power, because the reader has to believe the reasoning behind it, but I think Borman did a decent job with this.