The King's Witches by Kate Foster

 

The King's Witches by Kate Foster.

Published 6th June 2024 by Mantle.

From the cover of the book:

The King’s Witches by Kate Foster is a compelling and beautiful historical novel that gives voices to the women at the heart of the real-life witch trials in sixteenth-century Scotland.

Women whisper secrets to each other; it is how we survive.

1589. Princess Anna of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland. Before they can wed, Anna must pass the trial period: one year of marriage to prove herself worthy of being Scotland's new Queen. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anna resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry . . .

By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady-in-waiting. But, whilst tending to Anna's every need, Kirsten has her own secret motives for the royal marriage to succeed . . .

Meanwhile, in North Berwick, young housemaid Jura practises the healing charms taught to her by her mother. When she realizes she is no longer safe, she escapes to Edinburgh, only to find herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital, but the new queen . . .

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1589. Princess Anna of Demark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland. She is under no doubt that she must please King James in the year's trial period that lays before her, but before she can meet her new lord and master she must sail across dangerous seas to reach Scotland. This voyage proves to be more perilous that anticipated and on the way she falls in love with Lord Henry Roxburgh, who has been sent to tutor her in the things she must learn to be Queen. She is torn between her duty and her heart.

With Anna is her lady's maid Kirsten Sorenson, a woman who will accompany her in her new life. Kirsten longs to return to Scotland, where she spent her youth, for secretive reasons of her own. It is important for them both that this new life goes smoothly. Anna must be persuaded to follow her destiny as Queen, and they must do their best to distance themselves from the rumours of witchy goings on in their homeland.

In Scotland, Jura has become a housemaid to the Kincaid family in North Berwick, ruled with a rod of iron by the predatory Baillie Kincaid. Healing charms and potions, taught to her by her cunning woman mother, are a natural part of her life, but when they get her into trouble she flees to Edinburgh. Little does she know that the frenzy for witch hunting that is sweeping across Europe is about to tie her fate to that of the two women from Denmark.

Based on the North Berwick witch trials of the sixteenth century, Kate Foster once again blends fact and fiction to create an epic historical novel that holds you fast from the first page to the last. The story unfurls through the intricate and emotional narratives of Anna, Kirsten and Jura. Through them, we follow the Danish women in their near disastrous journey to Scotland, where Anna's happiness is soured by the realisation that King James is not the man she hoped he would be and Kirsten must do her utmost to protect those she cares for from witch hunting fever, while Jura must fight for her very survival. 

The stories of the three women weave seamlessly together, rife with themes of female expectations dashed in the face of patriarchal power, even though their background are very different. As in Foster's debut, The Maiden, she does an incredible job of giving you a glimpse into the hidden lives of women in history, their notions of love, and the harsh realties of the choices they must make, but this time she also uses their plight to write a stunning exploration of the rise of the witch hunting fever that swept through Europe at this time of political instability. 

Anyone interested in Jacobean history will surely know of James VI of Scotland (later James I of a united realm of Scotland and England) and his obsession with witches, dark magic and devilry, but how did he become so enmeshed in his endeavours? Armed with the knowledge that his interest in witches arose around the time of his meeting with Anna of Denmark, Foster makes an excellent fictional case for the hows, whys and wherefores of the actions that colour his reign, and she does so by way of a story that is spellbinding (if you will pardon the pun).

My heart was in my mouth for almost all of this book, and the way the threads of the women's stories come together is beautifully contrived, slowly revealing the secrets that bind them to each other. There are so many scenes that are difficult to read and will incite you to rage, and Foster uses them all to force you to look long and hard at the perfect storm of fear, political machinations, religious fervour, and cruelty that brought about the deaths of so many innocent men and women - especially of cunning women and those deemed 'difficult'. Superb!

If you loved The Maiden, then you will adore The King's Witches. I cannot wait to see which part of history Foster turns her pen to next. 

The King's Witches is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Kate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. The Maiden won the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect 2020 prize for new writers. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.