‘An outstanding page-turner . . . historical fiction at its absolute best’ – Alison Weir
‘An engaging heroine . . . and Borman’s depiction of Villiers, with all his ruthless charisma, is striking’ – The Sunday Times
Frances Gorges has happiness within her grasp. King James would rather be hunting stags with her beloved husband Thomas than chasing witches, which means her medical skills and herbal knowledge no longer hang over her like a death sentence. Her family is growing and their estates are secure.
But a new arrival at court brings intrigue, jealousy and danger. George Villiers is a young man with the face of an angel and the cunning heart of a devil.
Soon James is besotted by this charismatic new lover. Former favourites are crushed with scheming and lies. Thomas’s life is made a misery and Frances is back under suspicion as Villiers plots to marry her friend Katherine Manners and seize her fortune.
Appalled at the courtier’s greed and the King’s weakness, Frances finds herself drawn back to her old friend Sir Walter Raleigh and his last, desperate plot to see a Catholic monarch on the throne.
And then her troubles really begin . . .
‘Unexpected twists and turns with every page . . . masterfully crafted’ – Nicola Tallis
‘Lots of fascinating detail and insight into James’s backstabbing court . . . enjoyable’ – The Times
‘Lush, wholly convincing and utterly gripping. Fact and fiction have rarely been blent so seamlessly’ – Sarah Gristwood
‘An engaging heroine . . . and Borman’s depiction of Villiers, with all his ruthless charisma, is striking’ – The Sunday Times
Frances Gorges has happiness within her grasp. King James would rather be hunting stags with her beloved husband Thomas than chasing witches, which means her medical skills and herbal knowledge no longer hang over her like a death sentence. Her family is growing and their estates are secure.
But a new arrival at court brings intrigue, jealousy and danger. George Villiers is a young man with the face of an angel and the cunning heart of a devil.
Soon James is besotted by this charismatic new lover. Former favourites are crushed with scheming and lies. Thomas’s life is made a misery and Frances is back under suspicion as Villiers plots to marry her friend Katherine Manners and seize her fortune.
Appalled at the courtier’s greed and the King’s weakness, Frances finds herself drawn back to her old friend Sir Walter Raleigh and his last, desperate plot to see a Catholic monarch on the throne.
And then her troubles really begin . . .
‘Unexpected twists and turns with every page . . . masterfully crafted’ – Nicola Tallis
‘Lots of fascinating detail and insight into James’s backstabbing court . . . enjoyable’ – The Times
‘Lush, wholly convincing and utterly gripping. Fact and fiction have rarely been blent so seamlessly’ – Sarah Gristwood
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Reviews
Brings unexpected twists and turns with every page, leaving readers in no doubt that Tracy Borman is the mistress of intrigue and suspense as she brings the schemings and power struggles of the Jacobean court vividly to life. With a masterfully crafted plot that keeps readers enthralled until the very end, Borman's meticulous art for storytelling is unbeatable. A truly stunning narrative that's pure gold for lovers of historical fiction
Once again, Tracy Borman has given us an outstanding page-turner, a stunning novel of the corrupt and dangerous Jacobean court, in which a courageous heroine pits her wits against a very nasty and determined villain. This is historical fiction at its absolute best. A fitting end to a fabulous trilogy!
George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, swaggers onto centre stage in the concluding part of Tracy Borman's Frances Gorges trilogy... lots of fascinating detail and insight into James's backstabbing court... an enjoyable read
Frances remains an engaging heroine and Borman's depiction of Villiers, with all his ruthless charisma, is striking
Tracy Borman's The Fallen Angel is the third in her trilogy of novels set in the compelling, claustrophobic, world of the Jacobean court, where her heroine, herbalist Frances Gorges, is in danger of falling foul of James I's witchcraft laws. As a serious historian and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, Borman might easily have been mired in the records. Instead she uses them to invent an utterly compelling alternative reality. It's lush, wholly convincing and utterly gripping. Fact and fiction have rarely been blent so seamlessly
