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herbalmoon's review against another edition
1.0
Spoiler
"Marry who I want or I'll rape you.""Stop practicing herbalism or I'll kill you."
Such a cheerful book! (•eye roll•)
=15 April 2021=
I don't know why I'm reading this again. Probably because I wanted another herbalist-type novel after reading [b:The Lost Apothecary|53288434|The Lost Apothecary|Sarah Penner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593013000l/53288434._SY75_.jpg|74516135]. Already found a speedbump a few chapters in.
2 May 1603, the author introduces the Earl of Northampton.
Except the king didn't make him a peer until 13 March of the following year.
And then she says that Henry Howard thinks he can boss around Helena because he's a distant cousin of Catherine Parr through the Howards.
So wait, let me get this straight: an earl thinks he can overpower a dowager marchioness because he's the eighth cousin once removed of her late husband? Despite the fact that he's a lower rank?
And then, Henry has the fucking audacity to ignore Thomas (pausing just long enough upon entry to sniff, "Gorges!"), but—THIS JUST IN—Lord Northampton is actually of Thomas's blood! They're second cousins once removed through the infamous Duke of Norfolk!
kaido_009's review
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
literary_han's review against another edition
2.0
Probably closer to 2.5 stars
The blurb is quite misleading and I found it difficult to remain interested.
Good writing, however. I just found the plot full and monotonous
The blurb is quite misleading and I found it difficult to remain interested.
Good writing, however. I just found the plot full and monotonous
loreofthebooks's review against another edition
3.0
I love historical fiction, and I love the era of the Tudor's...and this book seemed like a good fit, despite the fact it is technically Stuart England. I was not a fan of Gregory's books at all, but love Allison Weir. This definitely felt like a good historical fiction, using real events and a real person (although one not much in history, it's always so much fun to see authors fill in the gaps) and it worked.
Sometimes fill in the gap stories are hard, because sometimes it doesn't work, or it doesn't feel real. But this did. It felt like a well done history, that Frances was actually going through all those things.
Borman did a great job on this book, and I definitely will be reading the second one in the series. Did I think some parts of it were a little ehhh? Yes, but I still enjoyed the book overall.
Sometimes fill in the gap stories are hard, because sometimes it doesn't work, or it doesn't feel real. But this did. It felt like a well done history, that Frances was actually going through all those things.
Borman did a great job on this book, and I definitely will be reading the second one in the series. Did I think some parts of it were a little ehhh? Yes, but I still enjoyed the book overall.
aziz_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly I read and watch so much historical fiction that I just get so lost sometimes. I feel like I need a family tree map with book covers iver the monarchs to keep track.
That being said, this takes place sometime between Reign and the Crown.
Regardless, it was enjoyable even if you don't know the first thing about history.
That being said, this takes place sometime between Reign and the Crown.
Regardless, it was enjoyable even if you don't know the first thing about history.
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
5.0
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.
The Kings Witch will be released on 13 July 2018. **Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an unbiased and fair review.**
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.
The Kings Witch will be released on 13 July 2018. **Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an unbiased and fair review.**
ninjasunknown's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cjblates's review against another edition
4.0
Full review at https://sapphistication.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/reviewing-the-kings-witch-by-tracy-borman/
The King’s Witch follows young noblewoman Frances Gorges as she navigates the transition from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to that of King James I. Frances was a favourite of the old Queen, and her skills in herbalism and healing were called upon to aid the ailing ruler in her final days – but the new King is on a witch hunt, sanctioned by God, and when Frances is thrust into court by her uncle, she unwittingly becomes a target. Serving as a companion for King James’s daughter, she finds herself a favourite of the young princess and her mother – but the Lord Privy Seal’s loathing for Frances and her family and his desperation to secure favour from the new King put Frances and those she loves in peril.
He forces Frances to watch the hanging of a witch, and it’s the single most upsetting scene in this entire book.
Now I’ll admit, while I love history this is not a period I know a HUGE amount about, other than the details of witch-hunting (on which I have, for my own purposes, done quite a bit of research as of late). A Tudor fan in school, I comparatively know very little about the ruler that followed and the goings-on of his court. Borman is a historian, and from her writing you can tell she has a wealth of knowledge about the era – foods, clothes, makeup, all are painstakingly rendered real through Frances’s eyes. There were a few moments where the extent of the focus on these minor aspects began to shift it from fiction to historical, but more often than not they served to aid the story as opposed to hinder its telling. This attention to detail paid off in full when we as readers are first witness to the decadence and hypocrisy of King James’s court. A man with often puritanical beliefs and laws, we see his parties filled with salaciously clad guests – most memorably a woman wearing a large ribbon who is shortly thereafter very naked – and his young, handsome favourites openly spending more time in the company (and bed) of the King than his wife the Queen. King James is portrayed in a thoroughly unflattering light. Physically unattractive, rude, cruel and vulgar. His reaction to his wife’s miscarriage is one of disgust and loathing, and his invasive involvement in trialling witches is downright sinister. It suddenly became much more understandable that people had tried to kill him.
The King’s Witch follows young noblewoman Frances Gorges as she navigates the transition from the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to that of King James I. Frances was a favourite of the old Queen, and her skills in herbalism and healing were called upon to aid the ailing ruler in her final days – but the new King is on a witch hunt, sanctioned by God, and when Frances is thrust into court by her uncle, she unwittingly becomes a target. Serving as a companion for King James’s daughter, she finds herself a favourite of the young princess and her mother – but the Lord Privy Seal’s loathing for Frances and her family and his desperation to secure favour from the new King put Frances and those she loves in peril.
He forces Frances to watch the hanging of a witch, and it’s the single most upsetting scene in this entire book.
Now I’ll admit, while I love history this is not a period I know a HUGE amount about, other than the details of witch-hunting (on which I have, for my own purposes, done quite a bit of research as of late). A Tudor fan in school, I comparatively know very little about the ruler that followed and the goings-on of his court. Borman is a historian, and from her writing you can tell she has a wealth of knowledge about the era – foods, clothes, makeup, all are painstakingly rendered real through Frances’s eyes. There were a few moments where the extent of the focus on these minor aspects began to shift it from fiction to historical, but more often than not they served to aid the story as opposed to hinder its telling. This attention to detail paid off in full when we as readers are first witness to the decadence and hypocrisy of King James’s court. A man with often puritanical beliefs and laws, we see his parties filled with salaciously clad guests – most memorably a woman wearing a large ribbon who is shortly thereafter very naked – and his young, handsome favourites openly spending more time in the company (and bed) of the King than his wife the Queen. King James is portrayed in a thoroughly unflattering light. Physically unattractive, rude, cruel and vulgar. His reaction to his wife’s miscarriage is one of disgust and loathing, and his invasive involvement in trialling witches is downright sinister. It suddenly became much more understandable that people had tried to kill him.
librarianmel's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this quite a bit. It starts at Elizabeth I's death and ends a little after the Gunpowder Plot (Remember, remember the 5th of November), and follows the middle daughter of some fairly-well connected nobles, Frances. because she isn't a well-known mover and shaker, the author is able to fictionalize and fill-in the story without causing the audience to get cranky...I'm looking at you, Philippa Gregory! There were portions of the story that made me want to reach into the book and smack Frances for being naïve, but I guess that's a part of reading a story with a teenaged (I suppose, I don't remember it being specified, but she's unmarried and her uncle has been trying to marry her off.) girl in Ye Olde Times.
emilyacres's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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.
‘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.