The King's Witch

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