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Maid of the King’s Court

Maid of the King's Court Book Cover Maid of the King's Court
Lucy Worsley
Young Adult Fiction
Candlewick Press
March 14, 2017
368

In the vibrant, volatile court of Henry VIII, can even the most willful young woman direct her own fate and follow her heart in a world ruled by powerful men?

Clever, headstrong Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne knows her duty. As the sole heiress to an old but impoverished noble family, Eliza must marry a man of wealth and title — it’s the only fate for a girl of her standing. But when a surprising turn of events lands her in the royal court as a maid of honor to Anne of Cleves, Eliza is drawn into the dizzying, dangerous orbit of Henry the Eighth and struggles to distinguish friend from foe. Is her glamorous flirt of a cousin, Katherine Howard, an ally in this deceptive place, or is she Eliza’s worst enemy? And then there’s Ned Barsby, the king’s handsome page, who is entirely unsuitable for Eliza but impossible to ignore. British historian Lucy Worsley provides a vivid, romantic glimpse of the treachery, tragedy, and thrills of life in the Tudor court.

 

Review:

“Maid of the King’s Court” is an excellent historical fiction novel about life in the court of King Henry VIII.

While the story of Elizabeth is fictionalized, most of the facts of life at the time are as historically accurate as possible, owing to the fact that the author (Lucy Worsley) is a British historian who actually works at the castle featured in the book.  I have always enjoyed reading about life in Tudor England, and this novel did not disappoint.  It’s also surprisingly clean considering it’s about life with King Henry VIII.  It does have talk about sexual situations but none involving the main character.

I highly recommend “Maid of the King’s Court” to those who like historical fiction with a dash of romance.

This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

 

Content Warning:

Language, Sexual Situations, Violence