3.5 stars

I am glad I stuck with this book after its very slow start. It finally picked up and told a very interesting story about Frances Gorges, a young Lady in Queen Elizabeth's service and skilled in healing and herbs. After the Queen's death, she is employed as an attendant to the new King James' 8 year old daughter, Elizabeth.

The Lord of the Privacy Seal, Cecil, has taken a dislike to Frances for some reason that I am unclear about. He employs spies and harasses her beyond common sense. Does he have nothing better to do than to pick on the princess's maid? She gets into severe trouble and miraculously survives. Her herbal skills save the princess life and, thus, her own.

She gets involved in the Guy Fawkes Plot which I did not even realize was that until I was 3/4 the way through. I knew it was a plot but who knew it was that one? After all, there were many against the King who loathed Catholics and did away with many of the freedoms they had under Queen Elizabeth's rule.

The author presumes the reader knows more about the history of James I than I do and is not particularly good about giving helpful background. I had questions. I had no idea that James was supposedly homosexual. It was just laid out there. I had no preparation that it was the famous plot. I had no idea that palace entertainment included people coupling in front of everyone. What was the matter with James' son, Charles? I wish there had been more historical information and not presume the reader was an expert of the times. I realized I knew a lot about the Tudors and next to nothing about the Stuarts.

I did some research on Princess Elizabeth and think she lived an interesting life. I'd like to read more about her and after a rocky start, I will come back to discover what happens to Frances. This is the first book of a planned trilogy and I am looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

‘Ah, but such great ladies have always found ways to trick their husbands into believing that they are compliant, when all the while it is they who wield all the power.’


Set in 1603 England, in the time of restoration after the death of Queen Elizabeth and the beginning of the rule of King James, a cruel, fear-ridden and impetuous man. In this time the court, under the direction of King James, saw Catholics as the enemy and witches as a very real and terrible danger. Here we meet Frances Gorges, a young lady for whom this time presents great peril, seeing as she has all the traits of a witch; unmarried, outspoken and a great aptitude in healing. Frances can only hope to stay far from court in the safe confines of her family's estate where she can spend her time gathering plants in the adjacent forest and help the lives of the villagers. Unfortunately for Frances she has no say when she is unwillingly whisked away by her distantly-related Uncle, the scheming and uncaring head of family who sees in Frances his own advancement at court, leaving Frances in the exact position she was trying to avoid.

This novel was written by a historian and you can tell, for better and for worse. The history surrounding this book was by far my favorite part. Reading about this tumultuous time was both suspenseful and fascinating. This historically accurate novel was also able to paint a painful portrait of women in court at the time which created a real sense of claustrophobia and lack of agency that isn't always associated with those of high social standing. I liked reading about Frances as a vehicle for describing women of this era. I also quite enjoyed the romance-aspect of the book, despite not lingering on it overly-long, I thought it was charming and looked forward to the parts where it was included.

The writing itself isn't particularly descriptive which occasionally left me feeling like the physical setting was foggy, not quite being able to make out the details. I think this lack of description also came in to play with character building. Despite really enjoying Frances as an example for women of her time I didn't really feel a connection with her. Perhaps this is just the other side of the same coin. As someone who loves atmospheric novels I felt that this one could have used a wee bit more description to fully illustrate the setting. I think Tracy Borman did a great job drawing me into the history and was able to keep my attention the whole time so I do plan on continuing with the series when the next book comes out.

The ever-changing tide of the court can be a dangerous place. What was okay with one is not okay for the next. Frances has been known as a healer, and even helped the queen with her pains when she was still alive. But the new King is determined to find witches in his court, and Frances has returned home, to weather the changing tides.
Her uncle, however, does like that she is away from court and forces her back, to attend the new princess. As time goes on the princess and Frances form a close attachment. But there are many undercurrents going on, and Frances may not escape the prying eyes of the court, anyone who is determined to sacrifice another to keep their position and influence.

This was a great read! I enjoyed it immensely.

Tracey Borman has written a thrilling novel about the changeable and always fascinating English Court, spanning the time from the death of the comparatively tolerant Queen Elizabeth I of England, to the reign of King James of Scotland, whose surliness and public, puritanical intolerance resulted in his growing unpopularity. There are the usual fascinating, conniving characters, hoping to curry favour with the monarch. Accusations of witchcraft, secrets, rebellion and romance make this novel enthralling and hard to put down. Perhaps it is due to my poor knowledge of English history that I did not foresee this from the beginning, but I had a real "aha" moment when I realised exactly which very famous, and currently still celebrated, rebellion was being plotted. Highly recommended. Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the ARC.

Honestly...when was the last time I read a book about the Gunpowder Plot or any book right after Queen Elizabeth I's death? *thinks* Been a LONG time indeed.

The story follows Frances who helped nurse the old queen in her older years. She was encouraged to become a medicine woman with her flowers and herbs. Things changed when the queen died and James took the throne next. Night and day indeed. Things happen and she is twisted in danger of being called a witch and treason.

Darn that uncle of Frances'! She just wanted to be at peace with her flowers and herbs. He drags her to court where she knows bad things can happen ESPECIALLY with a crazy man like King James. All Elizabeth did and promoted blown to smithereens by this crazy man and Cecil. Gah.

This was good. I had no idea what was going to happen. I know my history and the basics of the Gunpowder Plot, but I was worried for Frances. I just wanted her to be happy and safe. I did root for the plot to succeed especially seeing what that lunatic was doing. I really wanted Queen Anne and the princess to take over. He was not sane and neither was his eldest son.

This is part of a series...I wonder what poor Frances will have to go through next. I'm not sure where else this story can through.

Now, there were some parts that dragged on. I held firm and then I was hooked again to the story. There were some bits that I felt were fillers. Overall though? I was hooked.

In the end, this was pretty good. I liked Frances and I worried about her. This was a dangerous time for everyone. No one was safe. Why couldn't Elizabeth had been immortal or picked someone better to succeed her???? Sighs.

But yes...worth the read. I enjoyed this. Good characters, good story (minus the fillers), and an interesting time period. I'll give this.....mmmm....3 stars.

If you love history this is a book for you. The King‘s Witch is Historical Fiction spanning the years from Queen Elizabeth I death through the Early years of King James I reign. The story revolves around the life of Lady Frances as a young woman in the court of King Jemes I. The reader is exposed to evil exhibited by political ambition and power struggles. Historical insights into diseases, treatments, Protestant Catholic struggles, plots, witch hunts, beliefs, torture and punishments. History is my favorite and I especially enjoyed learning more about this time period. I thank the author, the publisher Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review The King‘s Witch.

The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman features Frances Gorges, a herbalist who is forced to go to court to better her family’s standing. Frances’ time at court is nothing as she thought as she grows close to some and is an enemy of a powerful figure. The court is torn between using her knowledge to help with ailments/dying loved ones or grouping her with the witch slandering that King James’ is creating by purging England of all it’s witches. Can Elizabeth use her place at court to change all or any of this?
To be released, Jul 13th, Borman has delivered another interesting historical tale. I found the tidbits interesting but the story dawdled a little in the middle at 455 pages.

The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman
Book #1: Frances Gorges Trilogy
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars

Frances Gorges, though born to a title, land, and money, would much rather spend her time tucked away at her family’s estate than waste her time, title, and money at court. In fact, if Frances were to have her way, she would never leave her family estate. Unfortunately, given her time and place, Frances’s life is more often controlled by powerful men rather than by her own choices.

The court of King James is no place for the bold, daring, or the inquisitive. In fact, the only people safe in the court of King James are those who believe precisely as the King does and flaunt those beliefs openly. Any beliefs and/or practices even a hair outside those of the King are considered heretical, and King James isn’t afraid to kill to “protect” himself and his court. Unfortunately, Frances Gorges is among those most reviled by the King, and thanks to her power-hungry uncle, she has landed herself in the heart of the lion’s den with only her own wits to protect her.

Thanks to years of study, both independently and with a kind mentor, Frances has learned the skills necessary to serve her community as a healer. Plants, herbs, tinctures, lotions, and concoctions are her strength, with healing and good intentions being her only motivation. In her small town, Frances is largely free to practice her skills and help her neighbors; at the court of King James, her skills will get her killed for witchcraft. With no intention of dying, Frances does all she can to hide her abilities, but when the Queen herself comes calling, it’s hard to deny what and who she is in the face of royalty.

What and who Frances Gorges is, is precisely what lands her in trouble and in the thick of a plot she never wanted any part of. As her life spins wildly out of control, Frances often finds herself at the mercy of others and their whims. Through cunning, intelligence, stark bravery, and a commitment to her young, royal ward, Frances manages to navigate life at court through the most dangerous of times. Through physical hardship, torture, blackmail, emotional manipulation, and even the tiniest bit of happiness, Frances lives her life and serves as she has been called forth to do. The end result is nothing like she would have ever predicted!

The Bottom Line: Though this book is a slow starter, I’m exceedingly glad I stuck with it and plowed through the slow parts. Frances Gorges is a terribly interesting character who seems to defy Fate at every turn. Her life at court isn’t at all what she wants, but she finds a way to forge ahead even in the direst of circumstances. Once the plot really picks up, it begins to roll quite nicely through a series of awful, treacherous, and treasonous events that leave Frances absolutely reeling. In so many ways, she is a woman caught up in her time and place, unable to escape a future wrought for her by scheming, cold, and uncaring men. With that in mind, one of my favorite aspects of this read is Frances’s ability to hold her head high and remain largely true to herself, her family, and her abilities as a healer. With the exception of the slow start and some excessive detail (which can easily be skimmed over!) I found this read satisfying. While it doesn’t necessarily have an HEA, it does have a proper ending that answered all the questions and dealt with all the characters, some more satisfactorily than others. In all, a fine piece of historical fiction.

Frances Gorges is a bright, forthright, intellectually curious woman. Unfortunately, she was born at a time when those characteristics were not seen as feminine virtues. Tracy Borman’s novel, The King’s Witch, opens in 1603 and continues over the next couple of years as Frances gets into several kinds of serious trouble at the Court of James I.

All Frances wants is to be able to learn more about herbal medicine and live at her family’s estate in Wiltshire. She definitely does not want to marry a man picked out by her social climbing uncle or go to court. But because she’s an unmarried woman, she is at her uncle’s beck and call. She only gets to pleasantly languish at the estate before she is summoned to be a lady of the bedchamber for Princess Elizabeth. Frances might have been able to turn this into a pleasant life for herself it it weren’t for that uncle and the paranoid, witch-obsessed King James—and if it weren’t for the fact that she fell in love with an up-and-coming lawyer, Tom Wintour.

Frances is highly intelligent, but she’s not really a match for the politically savvy men who are fighting for dominance in James’ court. She’s barely at court for a few months before she’s accused of being a witch. She survives that by the skin of her teeth, only to get caught up on the fringes of the Gunpowder Plot. During her travails in the Tower of London as an accused witch, Frances has only herself to look out for. But after that, she grows fonder of her charge and of the lawyer Tom. It isn’t just her anymore. In the middle of potential treason, how can a powerless woman save everyone she has come to love?

The more I read The King’s Witch, the more I enjoyed it. I was on the edge of my seat as I flipped the pages because I had to know what would happen to Frances and Tom. I already knew from the rhyme (“Remember, remember the fifth of November”) that the Gunpowder Plot would come to ruin. Given how paranoid James was about Catholic plots and the supernatural—and how ruthless Borman is with her characters—the ending of The King’s Witch could have gone either way.

And I’m not saying which way it went. Interested readers will just have to find out themselves.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration. It will be released 3 July 2018.

I wanted to like this book a bit more than I did. The story was compelling and I liked the characters, but something was missing for me.

This is an excellent book. I love herbalists and I love the time period, so this was a perfect book for me to read. The power men had over women in that time period gets under my skin, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book otherwise!

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of The King's Witch. I couldn't put it down. It is an unflinching look at the court of James I (James IV of Scotland) just after the death of Elizabeth I. I am fascinated by the Elizabethan Era but not as familiar with her nephew's rule.

You meet Frances Gorges. heroine, in the first chapter as a young healer working to ease the dying queen's last days. What follows is Lady Frances' immersion into the court of James and Anne (of Denmark). The court is not a welcoming place for Frances but she does find a royal patron. Her role as lady of the bedchamber to the princess Elizabeth further immerses Frances into politics.

If you are a history fan, you should enjoy the famous personages and events detailed in this book. Because of my knowledge, I had background information on her love interest. I knew what was coming, but couldn't put the book down. The attention to visual detail was really well done. I could see myself in the scenes.

This is the first of a planned series. While the first book is wrapped up neatly, there is a very good hook at the end. I am going to be watching for Borman's next book.

A fascinating and gripping story regarding the Witchcraft hysteria that was taking place in the British Isles. I know James I and VI of England & Scotland was a superstitious man. He truly believed in his Divine Right and his ultimate power over everyone. He also wrote Daemonologie and was a severe persecutor of witches. So this definitely rings true. Cecil, I always felt he was a master manipulator, more so than his father Lord Burghley. I felt so bad for Frances when she was examined for witch marks. But I kind of felt, she put herself in danger by constantly flouting the rules. I also didn't feel any chemistry between her and Thomas Wintour. But overall, it was great historical read that I had the pleasure of reading. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley and I have given my honest opinion.

This was the perfect blend of history in a fictional novel! I am still blown away at the accuracy of the setting and time period.I can tell that the author truly did her research. You get to see one lesser know person in history make his way into this novel, Tom Wintour. I was pleased to see characters in this book that not many people know in history as it may not have been taught in school.

This book had one of the most intriguing story-lines. It surrounds events in 1603, when witchcraft persecution was at an all time high. Robert Cecil and King James have both drafted/declared a war against witches and the use of witchcraft. In this era of time practicing herbalism was considered to be witchcraft. This point of time there was a major push and pull with the power of the church and how it should be first. 

Some of the other major points of history in this book covers the Gunpowder plot. Which if you don't know is when a group of men were tired of King James I, and his rule, set up large amounts of wood and gunpowder underneath a room in which a meeting was intended to be held, wanting to set fire to it and kill him. Then they wanted use his young daughter (who would be queen at that point) as their puppet, so their views and beliefs could be set into motion.

This thrilling novel keeps you hooked from page one all the way to the last word. While this is my first novel by Tracy Borman it won't be my last!

5/5 stars


***I received and e-arc of this book from NetGalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

Many thanks to Tracy Borman, Atlantic Monthly Press, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. This was not the best historical fiction I've ever read, but it certainly wasn't the worst. What may have improved my opinion would have been an included author's note to explain who and what was based on fact and what was fiction. Those pages are imperative to me. I know the Gorges family did exist, but I know nothing about them. I still feel like I don't because I don't trust what I read. The profile of Robert Cecil seemed spot on though. He was ruthless. And King James I was known as an avid witch hunter. So I know those parts are based on fact. Otherwise I have chosen to take everything else as complete fiction.

Excellent Historic Fiction story of intrigue at the court of James I who took control of England after the death of Queen Elizabeth the First. It was a fascinating story of rebellion by the Catholics against the unforgiving stringent religious policies of James I who was the head of the anglican church.

I love historic fiction and this book was an excellent portrayal of events around the court of James I. The book is eminently readable and filled me in on the history right after the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

I heartly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historic fiction....or someone who just loves a great story.

A comfortable “Lower Decks” historical fiction set in the early Stuart era, focusing on Frances, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth who has talent as an herbalist & healer, but who gets somewhat tangentially entangled in the Gunpowder Plot. Princess Elizabeth is a compelling secondary character, and if I pick up later books in the series, it will be to follow her to the Palatinate and Bohemia through Frances’s eyes.

Somehow I inadvertently read two books about The Gunpowder Plot back to back. Normally this would drive me absolutely insane, but this book was so wonderfully descriptive, so different from others, that it did not phase me in the least. The descriptions were lush and inviting, the characters were wonderful, and the story was touching, sad, and beautiful. The novel follows the story of Lady Frances Gorges, who was stationed to Queen Elizabeth I during the last years of her life, but was then given a post caring for young Princess Elizabeth after the accession to the throne of King James VI/I. She is a wonderfully complex character and I learned things about both Frances and Anne of Denmark that were surprising to me and exciting to see portrayed in a historical fiction novel. I absolutely loved this book and was very happy to see the way that it ended up.

Set in the court of James I of England and VI of Scotland, this book follows lady Frances a lady in waiting to princess Elizabeth, the kings daughter. It's an interesting look at a superstitious and dangerous court.
The beginning was a little slow, but it really picks up and I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy.

A very good debut! The books starts slowly but if you keep reading it's a real page turner.
It's well written and well researche, fascinating characters and great descriptions.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for the ARC