Synopses & Reviews
Widowed for the second time at age thirty-one Katherine Parr falls deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of the ailing, egotistical, and dangerously powerful Henry VIII, who dispatches his love rival, Seymour, to the Continent. No one is in a position to refuse a royal proposal so, haunted by the fates of his previous wives — two executions, two annulments, one death in childbirth — Katherine must wed Henry and become his sixth queen.
Katherine has to employ all her instincts to navigate the treachery of the court, drawing a tight circle of women around her, including her stepdaughter, Meg, traumatized by events from their past that are shrouded in secrecy, and their loyal servant Dot, who knows and sees more than she understands. With the Catholic faction on the rise once more, reformers being burned for heresy, and those close to the king vying for position, Katherine's survival seems unlikely. Yet as she treads the razor's edge of court intrigue, she never quite gives up on love.
Review
"Elizabeth Fremantle's rich narrative breathes vibrant life into Henry VIII's most intriguing, intelligent and least known wife, Katherine Parr."
Review
"This is a superbly written novel... Fremantle is surely a major new voice in historical fiction and this book is the answer to the question about what Hilary Mantel fans should read while waiting for the final part of her trilogy."
Review
"This is a superbly written novel... Fremantle is surely a major new voice in historical fiction and this book is the answer to the question about what Hilary Mantel fans should read while waiting for the final part of her trilogy." < -="" i="" -=""> - < -="" b="" -=""> - The Bookseller - < -="" -=""> - < -="" -="">
Review
"Queen's Gambit is an earthy, vivid portrait of Tudor England seen through the eyes of Henry VIII's last wife Katherine Parr and her loyal maid servant. Elizabeth Fremantle has added a richly written and engrossing novel to the endlessly fascinating story of the Tudors."
Review
"Queen's Gambit is a lovely, sensual, subtle read, telling the story of Katherine Parr with both rich imagination and scrupulous attention to factual detail. After reading this historical novel, you truly comprehend what it would mean to be the sixth wife of a dangerous man wielding absolute power. Katherine is no selfless nurse here, nor religious fanatic, but a complex and compelling person who both men and women were drawn to. This is a very impressive novel."
Review
"Beautifully written and finely observed, this suspenseful tale of Henry the Eighth's last wife expertly conveys all the dangerous intensity and passion of the Tudor court."
Review
"With a painter's eye for detail, Fremantle brings the dazzling, dangerous Tudor court to life and sheds an intriguing new light on Katherine Parr, one of history's great survivors. An enthralling tale of power and passion, loyalty and betrayal."
Review
"Wildly entertaining...lively, gamey, gripped with tension...one of the best historical novels I've read."
Review
"All those wives, their fates and Henry's transformation from handsome young monarch to debauched obese tyrant continue to fascinate...Now Elizabeth Fremantle has returned to Henry's court with her debut novel Queen's Gambit."
Review
"The Tudor court comes to life in this gripping story of Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII, where passion, secrecy and betrayal power the suspense."
Review
"Intrigue, romance, and treachery abound in Fremantle's debut novel . . . . This compulsively readable fictional biography of the ultimate survivor is infused with the type of meticulous attention to historical detailing that discerning fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory have come to expect in the Tudor canon."
Review
"Fremantle...navigates Tudor terrain with aplomb."
Review
"Sins, secrets and guilt dominate the landscape of British writer Fremantle's debut...[her] emphasis is on intrigue, character portraits and the texture of mid-16th-century life. Solid and sympathetic."
Review
andlt;divandgt;Wildly entertaininglively, gamey, gripped with tensionone of the best historical novels Ive read.andlt;/divandgt;
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Fremantle...navigates Tudor terrain with aplomb."andlt;/divandgt;
Review
"Filled with all the intrigue, fear and secrecy that Tudor-era aficionados love, Fremantle's earthy, vivid descriptions bring the era and her characters -- especially wise and compassionate Katherine -- to life."
Review
"In Queen's Gambit, Parr had hoped, after her much older second husband died, to be able to marry for love. Instead, she finds herself shackled to a violent, ill, grossly overweight Henry, while pining for the handsome Thomas Seymour. Parr is too smart to indulge in an affair like her doomed predecessor, but her reformist religious views could just as easily get her killed.... A subplot involving Parr's maid, Dot Fownten (a real historical figure), is particularly well done. In this case, physical labor aside, downstairs in the palace may be the safer place to be."
Review
"A promising debut."
Review
"Spellbinding...fascinating...Smart, sensual and suspenseful as a thriller, Gambit is a must-read for Philippa Gregory fans--and heralds a brilliant new player in the court of royal fiction."
Synopsis
This brilliant historical fiction debut takes you into the heart of the Tudor court and the life and loves of the clever, charismatic Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth and last wife.
Widowed for the second time at age thirty-one Katherine Parr falls deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of the ailing, egotistical, and dangerously powerful Henry VIII, who dispatches his love rival, Seymour, to the Continent. No one is in a position to refuse a royal proposal so, haunted by the fates of his previous wives--two executions, two annulments, one death in childbirth--Katherine must wed Henry and become his sixth queen.
Katherine has to employ all her instincts to navigate the treachery of the court, drawing a tight circle of women around her, including her stepdaughter, Meg, traumatized by events from their past that are shrouded in secrecy, and their loyal servant Dot, who knows and sees more than she understands. With the Catholic faction on the rise once more, reformers being burned for heresy, and those close to the king vying for position, Katherine's survival seems unlikely. Yet as she treads the razor's edge of court intrigue, she never quite gives up on love.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Elizabeth Fremantle andlt;/bandgt;has contributed to andlt;iandgt;Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fairandlt;/iandgt; andandlt;iandgt; The Sunday Times andlt;/iandgt;among other publications. She lives in London, England.