An fantastic end to an amazing trilogy.
I knew very,very little about the court of James I of England. This trilogy gave me so much information to look up and continue learning about.
Tracy once again did a great job at bringing these people to life,and bringing an end to reign of King James I.
Frances faces knew challenges and new enemy's in this finale book. George Villiers..uggg made the Duke of Buckingham after he became the Kings favorite, casts suspicion back on Frances as he makes a move to secure a marriage between himself and Frances' friend Katherine Manners.
I highly recommend this book and series!!

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. A great historical fiction trilogy that is a must read for any lovers of the king James court.

Tracy Borman can do no wrong! She is amazing at writing historical fiction books that draw you right in!

My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review issue 94 (November 2020):
About a year after the closing events of the second book (The Devil's Slave) in the Frances Gorges trilogy, Borman’s heroine enjoys a brief absence from the malignant court of King James I. She has managed to escape blame for Prince Henry’s death, and she and her beloved husband, Thomas Tyringham, are hoping to live in gracious retirement and raise their growing brood of sons.
However, Thomas is Master of the Hounds to a monarch obsessed with hunting, so back to court they are called, and Frances is once again embroiled in political intrigue and Catholic plots to unseat the “heretic” king. In particular, she falls victim to the malice of the king’s new favorite, George Villiers (later the Duke of Buckingham), as he manipulates the entire court in his quest to marry a rich, innocent young heiress and dominate his lover, the king. Frances’s experience as an herbalist helps her discover that Villiers and his predatory mother favor poisoning any hapless courtier who gets in their way.
There was a real Frances Gorges, but little is known of her life, so Borman is free to place her at opportune moments in history. As in the first two novels, Frances has a gift for accidentally overhearing treasonous conversations, which strains believability at times. Borman is a well-regarded historian, but she often sacrifices political nuance to make Villiers a detestably perverted villain and James little more than a pathetic, lecherous pawn. Frances’s point of view begins to seem increasingly limited, as the events of James’ reign become increasingly complicated; there are only so many repetitions of whispered conversations held in various gardens that a reader can take before longing for a little more action.

#The Fallen Angel by # Tracy Borman is the 3rd in her series. And a wonderful historical novel. This was my first time reading one of her novels and it was really enjoyable.
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley, # Tracy Borman, #Atlantic Grove

*Many thanks to Tracy Borman, Grove Atlantic, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Having read the two previous books with Lady Frances, I must admit I found the third one the best with regard to the plot and the main heroine herself. Her actions are mature and having a family now she is careful not to throw herself into the world of intrigue easily, which was the case in the previous books.
The court of James I is superbly presented, which is not a surprise as the Author is a renowned historian. The case of Overbury is still much discussed and popular with authors. I liked Ms Borman's take on it. My main concerns lie with some explicit sex scenes which are witnessed by Lady Frances. I find so many circumstances of her stumbling into several intimate moments rather implausible. Still, James was open about his sexulality so I may be wrong.
I think this historical fiction will find fans among genre fans who are into history but at the same time accept some dose of romance in such a book.

Not having read the 1st two books in this series, I was nonetheless drawn into the world of Frances Gorges and the intrigues a King James Stuart's court. Good character description and valid historical references. A good read.

Tracy Borman completes her trilogy about Frances Gorges in the court of James I in The Fallen Angel. Frances, a secret Catholic, has stayed completely away from any Catholic court plots to return England to Catholicism. She is settled in her marriage to the Master of the king's hounds, Sir Thomas Tyringham. Court is a whirlpool of plotting and decadence as George Villiers rises with King James favour to become Duke of Buckingham. Frances and her husband are bankrupted by court expenses. Read about this interesting historic period.

The Fallen Angel by Tracy Borman,the third in this series. I have not read the first two books,but thought I could read this and catch up,which somethings were confusing but it worked out with James the Ist. A lot of sex scenes which I'm sure had a lot going on at court but homosexual scenes,mother and son,turned me off.. Frances,seem to find all the sex. Story about James The first,their lives at court,Frances and her husband. You have all sorts of famous people mentioned in this one,Thomas Bacon, Sir Walter Raleigh and so many more that made the history that they did. Historical fiction,very well written and you get to know the main characters and learn some history. This is a must read but if you can,read the first two in this series, I'm going back to read cause this really seems to be a great one. Received from Net Gallery!

3.5 stars

This is the best book in the trilogy in my opinion. It's probably because Frances has matured and is not as annoying as she was in the early books. She has learned to be more cautious and is quite loving to her husband, Thomas, who seems like such a great guy. I was struck by how little time she spent with her five boys. If she saw them once or twice a year, she was doing good. It's not just her though. It seems to be the culture of the time. Of course, I found it odd that 13 year old girls were getting married but they had different standards.

This is set during James I rule and I was shocked at how worthless a King he was. I had always liked him mainly because he had the Bible translated into English and it's certainly stood the test of time. I still used the King James version of the Bible as I love the language. This is not covered in the book but his alleged homosexuality and love of hunting is gone into with much detail. I did some checking and it does seem like it's a fairly accurate portrayal. I am quite disappointed but it does appear the people liked him, mostly because he didn't overtax them.

This book delves a lot into his personal relationships especially to the meteoric rise of George Villiers who became Lord Buckingham. He was depicted as a loathsome person who was out to make money no matter how he did it. According to the book, he and the King were lovers and he became known as the King's other wife.

There are two things I didn't like about the book. I thought there were too many graphic sex scenes. There was one between a son and a mother that actually turned my stomach. I think they were just thrown in to spice the book up and I found them unnecessary. The other thing is how Frances managed to keep stumbling in on the sex scenes. She walked in on the King and Buckingham having sex (really?). She walked in on the mother and son. She passed a three way in the corridors of the palace. It really stretched my credibility.

I found the history quite interesting. I realize how spotty my knowledge of English rulers (other than Henry VIII) is. I should really learn more. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

The Stuart era was an intriguing one. The earlier times were filled anyway with intrigue and it was always a King who had to defend his throne either against foreigners trying to do away with one, or worse still within your own family or clan.

King James was not a bad sort, just an indolent one. Fixated on hunting and having a good time it led to the rise of smarter courtiers amongst his household all vying for more and more benefits. The chief amongst them Somerset and Buckingham were in constant rivalry until Buckingham was able to lead the downfall of Somerset and it seemed that Buckingham would one day take the throne through the downfall of the present King's appetities.

Courtiers who were on the periphery did not fare well as the entire family of the Buckinghams wanted a piece of the pie and Thomas and Frances fared very badly. Frances had a secret of her own to hide, and she knew that once this was known the end would be near for her family. Thomas held on to his position because he was badly off financially, and the investments he had made for Lord Raleigh turned out to be a huge disappointment leading to abject financial failure and the loss of his ancestral property.

When Prince Charles's own position (King James's son) becomes precarious Frances decides to step in to help in whatever way she can - to bring back the treasures from France which were kept to help Charles financially and to oust Buckingham from his position at court.

Frances's role precarious and extreme showed her steadfast courage and her belief in the Catholic faith, against all the persecution and odds against her. At times putting aside the well being of her husband and children she stood by what she believed in.

Ideal for lovers of English history, and pageantry this was a good read.

I would like to thank netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't as excited by this one as with the rest of the trilogy, I think its because its not as plot driven. There was a lot of white privilege on display that could have been acknowledged and dealt with better.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I featured the first two books from this trilogy in my Banqueting House reading guide, and I knew that I had to share the final book. Although Borman's books are usually non-fiction, she has an incredible talent for fiction. As many of us across the globe head back into lockdown (and into winter for the Northern hemisphere), it is the time for getting lost in good books. Borman does an amazing job of creating realistic characters at the Stuart court, and weaving what we know of them into her story. James I's court was full of more intrigue than our current politicians could even imagine, and you won't be able to put this down. (There is nothing like a plot involving the Queen's jewels to keep you hooked!) If you are looking for a holiday gift for a reader, this trilogy is the perfect choice. (For someone else, or yourself...)

Having read the entire series and enjoying it very much, there is intrigue, deception and danger to be had in this book. For all the historical fiction fans I recommend reading the entire trilogy!

The Fallen Angel is the highly anticipated final instalment of Historic Royal Palaces' Joint Chief Curator Tracy Borman's King's Witch trilogy.

Thank you @groveatlantic & @tracy.borman
Title: The Fallen Angel (Frances Gorges #3)
Author: Tracy Borman
Publisher: Grove Atlantic
Publication Date: 10 November 2020
Pages: 480

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the third book in Tracy Bormans’ excellent trilogy that follows the life of Frances Gorges, now Tyringham at the court of King Jame I. I

A gripping conclusion to Tracy Bormans’ trilogy featuring, Frances Gorges set against the backdrop of the court of King Jame I.

Picking up short after the second book left off, we find, Frances, barely escaping a conviction as a witch, and a death sentence after her involvement with the
gunpowder plotters. Her past transgressions of accusations of being a witch and a secret Catholic, are not something easily forgotten.
Frances along with her husband Sir Thomas who happens to be master of the King's hounds, are trying desperately to settle into the decadent, courtly life of King Jame I.

A new found threat presents new drama into lady Frances life’s day her husband , when the Kings new favorite, George Villiers brings nightmarish havoc into her life. She will seek new allies, along with old friends to help with the treacherous Villiers.

George Villiers is a young man with the face of an angel and the King will move heaven and earth for him. But many enemies are about to discover, he is cunning and ruthless with heart of a devil.

Political religious strife is ever present and in this installment it’s seen more critical than the past to other books. With more plots and conspiracies Borman’s narration guides you through from start to finish.
A brilliant historical fiction, with dramatic courtly intrigue the authors ability to create breathtaking atmospheric imagery, is beyond stunning. The historical characters, along with the authors fictional ones are incredible. Tracy Borman masterly storytelling ability is astounding, as your immersed within these delightful pages.

Borman’s mane character Frances Gorges really did exist, and her family were secret Catholics, though her experiences in this novels are purely imagined.

Tracy Borman’s, The Fallen Angel is a spellbinding conclusion to her trilogy set during the first Stuart

-The Devil’s Slave
-The King’s Witch

First thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of the book. For me it was a little slow off the mark, but about 1/4 of the way through or so - it took off and I found myself wanting to get through my day so that I could get to reading. I find Frances such a remarkable woman - she embodies everything I think a woman strives to be and during a time it wasn't politically correct to be. Tracy Borman has a talent to bring you right into the story and doesn't dwell so much on wasting words with details on food, clothing, tapestries, etc., those things are nice but every meal it gets old. I am a fan of this author and her works and will definitely read more of her. This is a very good book!

Thank you Netgalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an early reader copy!

The Fallen Angel, the conclusion to Tracy Borman's historical trilogy, is absolutely wonderful! Frances Gorges, a secret Catholic married to Thomas Tyringham, a courtier at King James court, has led a life full of danger and mysteries. A healer once accused as a witch, Frances would prefer a quiet life free from the scandals of her past, but fate has another plan for her. When seductive George Villiers arrives at court with his angelic face and heart of coal, he quickly weasels his way into the king's life, as favorite and bed partner, and ultimately much much more. And his presence and power threaten to turn Frances's life upside down and destroy her family.

There couldn't have been a better book to wrap up the trilogy. If you haven't read the first two books, whyever not? Go get them, read them without stopping and you'll be as thrilled with the story's conclusion as I am.

The Fallen Angel is a compelling conclusion to the Frances Gorges trilogy. Once more, Borman takes us back to the intrigues of the Stuart Court, as Frances desperately tries to keep her family and friends safe from new foes. The story moves at a good pace, with plenty of action and tension, and I found the ending satisfying. The historical detail is sufficient to set the scene, without the need for info dumps, and the characters all come across as well-rounded, carefully drawn figures. I would definitely recommend this series to fans of historical fiction featuring gutsy heroines. 4.5 stars from me.

Just could not get into this book at all, as a shame used to really like this genre. Not a very interesting start and characters seemed too formulaic.

This is the third book in Tracy Bormans’ excellent trilogy following the life of Frances Gorges, now Tyringham at the court of King Jame I. I strongly recommend you read the first two books before this one if you aren’t already. In the previous book Frances, narrowly escaped conviction as a witch and certain death after her involvement with the gunpowder plotters. Now she and her husband Sir Thomas, master of the King's hounds are trying to live a quieter life at court.
The scenes at court are by far the best in the book, they brilliantly evoke the claustrophobic atmosphere where every man is seeking advancement and James’ favour.
All is going well until the Kings eye alights on a new favourite George Villiers, weak, manipulative and cruel he is Frances worst nightmare. The King though is besotted and will do anything for his favourite. From there on out Frances’ life begins to unravel as she seeks to keep her family alive and bring down Villiers.
Catholicism, and the issue of religion is, as in the other books, constantly lurking but this one felt a bit more political than the other two. There is a plot involving Queen Anne’s jewels and The international marriage market but most of the book focuses in on Frances’.
I loved this, as I did the other two books. The storytelling is masterful and I am very sorry to have finished the trilogy.