Jeri Westerson has started the King's Fool mysteries with Courting Dragons. 1529 Will Somers is Court Jester to Henry VIII as the king is divorcing Catherine his first wife for Ann Boleyn. A Spanish courtier is murdered and Will finds his corpse. He is trying to become He to Marion, the bastard daughter of a courtier. Will tries to solve the murder and places himself in danger. He establishes a friendship with Ann but gets in the crosshairs of the conspirators. What a viper's nest. Great reading and unexpected ending.

Jeri Westerson has outdone herself with this brilliant first in a series book with a clever perspective … the king’s fool. I am very partial to her medieval settings and clever murder mysteries, and placing her drama in the court of King Henry VIII was intriguing and compelling. And with book one starting with the Boleyn matter, I see a long run for this series, at least five more books with the five other wives. Even though the names are familiar and their ultimate successes and failures as well as “long live the…” and dead and buried are documented, there is not much prerequisite knowledge needed to enjoy Westerson’s tale. The book reads easy as an old-fashioned murder mystery relying on intrigue, hidden agendas, plots, secrets, and even some sexual liaisons that are tastefully portrayed. As Will seeks answers, he runs into some perilous situations which only keeps me turning the pages to discover who will be targeted next.

Westerson’s writing style is descriptive and uses the cadence and vernacular that best fits the medieval era. The hierarchy is well portrayed from the king to clerics, from courtiers to servants, from woman to men no matter their place in society. The dynamic between King Henry and his “fool” was enjoyable, and may actually have some accuracy since Will Somers was actually Henry’s jester. I thought I had the solution at a few points in the story, but I had been cleverly manipulated by Westerson as Will had been by the real killer. The final answers were realistic, nothing out of left field, with just the right amount of justice. No cliffhangers to fuss over, although the historical events are still being sorted, but still I can’t wait for the next adventure.

Whatever our views on the medieval royal habit of keeping jesters, dwarves and Blackamoors as ‘pets’, deploying Will Somers as an amateur sleuth at the court of Henry VIII proves intriguing. With unrestricted licence to go anywhere, speak in any way to anyone, call the king ‘Harry’, and make fools of us all, Will goes about unseen and ignored.

History affords us only sparse glimpses of Henry’s fool, so Westerson has made her fictional Will bisexual. When his handsome new Spanish emissary friend is brutally murdered, Will seeks retribution. Helping with his enquiries is the long-time love of his life, Marion (absolutely at one with his proclivities), who he dearly wishes to marry, if only permission from her father were forthcoming. Will knows one of Anne Boleyn’s ladies is lying when she says she was in the Spaniard’s bed (because he was), but he cannot destroy her alibi without losing the king’s confidence and possibly his own head. After witnessing another murder, Will discovers that not all bloodshed at court is necessarily political.

Written as a murder mystery, this feels like narrative commentary on the Tudor court in general and King Henry in particular, as Will Somers may have known his king’s conscience better than anyone else in the world. This is a complex tale played out on the political chessboard of the time, primarily Henry’s Great Matter and a Spanish plot. I particularly liked the fond memories Will has of Queen Catherine and Princess Mary, and could picture him sorely missing those family times spent with Henry and his wife and daughter outside of court demands. Events play out using fictional characters, but many historical figures are expertly woven into the narrative and have key roles.

An interesting book with a lot of historical details. The story was drawn out and the main mystery was lacking. The characters needed more work. However, there is potential for future books in the series.

Courting Dragons Earns 5+/5 Royal Hunts … “Couldn’t Put Down” Gem!

It’s October, 1529, and King Henry VIII has upset the delicate balance of world politics as he seeks a divorce from his Spanish queen hoping to marry Anne Boleyn. Will Somers, the king’s “Fool,” travels freely through the halls of court hearing the gossip and secrets, but he finds himself more intimately involved with Don Gonzalo de Yscar, aide to the Holy Roman ambassador. Will keeps secret his equal opportunity affairs since revealing them could ruin his life at court. The next day Gonzalo is conspicuously absent which is understandable since he’s been murdered. Will’s pup Nosewise “nosied” around making the gruesome discovery. Will is quietly devastated, but matters become more complicated when he receives a note of blackmail. Someone knows of his dalliance with the victim and his having the ear of the king, it’s the perfect recipe for trouble.

With an unofficial team of the woman he loves and Gonzalo’s groom, he has much of the palace covered, in multiple languages, and even his staunchest detractors hold some value. But, can Will find what he’s looking for without exposing himself? When more murders are discovered, are those near him targets as well? Is the king’s own determination to divorce then wed a motive for murder?

Jeri Westerson has penned a brilliant first in a series book with a unique and clever perspective ... the king’s fool. I am an eager fan of her medieval settings and clever murder mysteries, and found placing her drama in the court of King Henry VIII intriguing. And with more wives waiting in Henry’s history, I see a long run for this series—at least five more books with the five other wives. Even though names are familiar and their successes and failures are well documented, there is no prerequisite knowledge needed to enjoy Westerson’s tale. The book reads easy as an old-fashioned murder mystery relying on intrigue, hidden agendas, plots, secrets, and even some sexual liaisons that are tastefully portrayed. As Will seeks answers, he runs into some perilous situations which only keeps me turning the pages to discover who will be targeted next.

Westerson’s writing has sensory-laden description using the cadence and vernacular that best fits the medieval era. The hierarchy is well portrayed from the king to clerics, from courtiers to servants, from women to men no matter their place in society. The dynamic between King Henry and his “fool” was fascinating, and may actually have some accuracy since Will Somers was actually Henry’s jester. I thought I had the solution at a few points in the story, but I had been cleverly manipulated by Westerson as Will had been by the real killer. The final answers were realistic, nothing out of left field, with just the right amount of justice. No cliffhangers to fuss over, although the historical events are still being sorted, but still I can’t wait for the next adventure.

Will is a fascinating protagonist, based on a real character who was a fool in Henry’s court and held this unique place there throughout the tumultuous Tudor dynasty. Westerson convincingly brings him to life in first-person viewpoint (I), so we get a ringside seat to his movement through the social shark tank that is life at court – and his interesting and often moving relationship with Henry, who he loves very much.

He is a big character with clearly loads of personal charm – and a hearty appetite for sexual encounters with both men and women. I’m not innately drawn to characters who demonstrate promiscuous behaviour, so it’s a tribute to Westerson’s writing that this didn’t get in the way of my bonding with Will. While the murder mystery was well plotted, with a plentiful cast of those with strong motivations for doing the foul deed – my overall focus wasn’t actually on the crime.

Westerson does a masterful job of depicting the court at a time of political turmoil. Henry has put aside Catherine of Aragon and is in the throes of trying to dissolve his marriage to her in order to make way for his new favourite – Anne Boleyn. Or Nan Bullen, as Will insultingly calls her. His loyalties, particularly at the start of the book, are firmly with Catherine and twelve-year-old Mary, who have been banished to a wing of the palace and placed under guard. In happier times, he would play for Catherine and was a firm favourite with both mother and daughter and his loyalties are torn emotionally, as he is pledged to Henry and talks to him in a way that no one else dares, calling him Harry to his face – and sometimes telling him baldly unpleasant truths that his courtiers and advisors don’t confront. This aspect of his relationship is based on historical fact, apparently, and I found it fascinating.

This happens to be a period of English history that I know a fair bit about. So the intricacies of the political and religious manoeuvring surrounding the Great Question, as Henry’s divorce came to be labelled, are familiar. But seeing them from the viewpoint of the court jester is both refreshing and thought provoking. I’m delighted to note that this is the first book in a series – and I’m very much looking forward to reading the next one. Will Somers is a new favourite. Highly recommended for fans of well written and researched historical murder mysteries. While I obtained an audiobook arc of Courting Dragons from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

A genial court jester named Will Somers (a character based on the real William Sommers, the best known court jester of the Tudor era) is the main protagonist in this delightful new series set at the court of Henry VIII in the late 1520's.

Will is an endearing man. He loves to spy, to gossip and to make fun of the court environment while trying to keep his head above the fray while navigating the treacherous waters surrounding his master's throne at Greenwich Palace.
Will is also bisexual and he loves to flirt with danger. But when a winsome Spanish diplomat with whom he had a one night stand is found murdered the following day in the palace's gardens, our resourceful court jester will find himself duly entangled within the vast and dangerous spiderweb of intrigues surrounding Henry's marital headaches....

A superb fictional tapestry of court life under one of England’s most charismatic monarchs, superbly plotted with lots of twists and turns, sparkling dialogues and blessed with a terrific cast of exquisitely drawn characters, Courting dragons is a fascinating piece of historical fiction and a highly entertaining whodunit. I simply can't wait for the next installment!

A Highly recommended read that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this fabulous ARC!

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This book was a wonderful new way to explore the Tudor court. Westerson created a delightful story starring the ever present jester in King Henry VIII's court, Will Sommers. The author took what was known about Will and wove in period elements to create an utterly entertaining new twist. Readers get to explore an interpretation of what Will's life was like when he wasn't performing. Westerson gave Will a saucy and witty conversational tone as well as colorful and dangerous relationships. With all the wit and knowledge from entertaining at court Will methodically worked through the layers of deceit to uproot the plotters before it was to late. Westerson took note to describe the opulence at court and the "grave issue" of the king's marriage. The book was never weighed down as Will was always ready to lighten the mood by either action or wit. A remarkably entertaining story that adds new life to the redundant tales of the Tudor court.

Henry VIII was always a towering, larger-than-life figure, even before he became the obese caricature of himself that has become the popular image of him. Just as he loomed large over the life of his court and everyone in it, so too he dominates this historical mystery told from, not Henry’s point of view, but through the eyes of his fool, or court jester, William Somers.

Who was every bit as real a person – whether or not he resembles the character in this story – as the king he served.

If you remember the old doggerel, “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived” as a way of tracking Henry VIII’s six wives, this story takes place in 1529, in the midst of the long and ultimately futile negotiations between Henry and Pope Clement VII in regards to that first divorce, sometimes referred to as the King’s Great Matter.

Which it most certainly was.

So the court is in ferment, divided between the rapidly waning star of the old queen, Catherine of Aragon, and the woman who will be the next queen, Anne Boleyn. Tension is everywhere among the usual cutthroat jockeying for favor and position that was always an integral part of serving in the King’s court.

Will Somers, the king’s fool, has been among Henry’s closest companions since he had arrived in court several years before. Somers was the one person who could, by the very nature of his position, go anywhere, talk to anyone, walk in and out of the King’s apartments, and generally do as he pleased as long as he was always available when the King called for him.

Somers is perfectly placed to find himself in the role of amateur detective when that metaphorically cutthroat jockeying results in the actual cut throat of one of the Spanish ambassador’s attendants.

That the bisexual Somers had spent the previous night with the dead man only adds to his distress. Someone he genuinely cared for is dead, and a thorough investigation could discover Will’s own clandestine behavior. He wants justice – and he needs to protect himself.

In the midst of the King’s Great Matter, with the Spanish on one side and his King on the other, the crime could also have political implications. Somers will have to tread carefully, but still poke his, or his dog’s, nose into every nook and cranny to find the killer – even while that killer is stalking him and those he holds dear.

Escape Rating A-: Hybrid genres like historical mystery have to achieve a balance between the two genres being blended. In the case of historical mystery that means that the historical setting has to feel authentic and the mystery has to be puzzling and fit the conventions for solving the crime that has taken place.

Courting Dragons is one of those historical mysteries where the reader is dropped right into the historical period from the first page, and where the history that wraps around it is integral to the plot – even though it can’t change any of the known historical facts. (For anyone who remembers the movie or the play, Anne of the Thousand Days, Courting Dragons read a LOT like returning to that setting and characters.)

So one of the reasons that I loved Courting Dragons was because I saw that movie in 1969 – I was twelve – and fell in love with the entire Tudor Period, warts and all. Going back was a delight. Howsomever, I read a lot in the period after I saw the movie and was familiar with the historical background.

Courting Dragons read like that balance between the history and the mystery was weighted towards the history, to the point where unless you are either familiar with the period, or enjoy learning a surprising amount of detail about a period with which you are not well acquainted, you need to be aware that the historical setting and tensions of Courting Dragons dominate the mystery. As I said, I loved it but your reading mileage may vary.

It does take a while for the mystery to get itself going, because there is just so much to learn and explore about life at court and Will’s circumstances within it. Which are fascinating but may not be what you read mysteries for.

There was one bit of the story that niggled more than a bit. It doesn’t feel inaccurate, but it was jarring to a 21st century reader all the same. And that involves Will’s relationship with the king. On the one hand, Will is utterly financially dependent on his work. He has a relatively high place for someone of low birth, but it can be snatched away at any time – and so can his life. He is the one person who can tell the king “No” and not get killed for it. He can needle the king about matters, such as his divorce, that the king doesn’t want to hear contradicted in any way. But he has to be careful of how much and how far he goes all the time. Very much on the other hand, in the book it is clear that Will is the king’s man through and through, and actually loves him in a way that seems a lot like the way that Sam Gamgee looked up to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. Or the way that slavery proponents claimed that slaves felt about their slavemasters. It may be the way things actually were, but it still disconcerts.

So, if you like your historical mystery to dive deeply into the historical milieu in which it is set – or if you are just plain fascinated with the Tudors, Courting Dragons is a terrific mix of royal history and rotten murder. Will Somers, and his master Henry VIII, will be back in The Lioness Stumbles, hopefully this time next year!

Courting Dragons
by Jeri Westerson
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023

1529, London. Jester Will Somers enjoys an enviable position at the court of Henry VIII. As the king's entertainer, chief gossip-monger, spy and loyal adviser, he knows all of the king's secrets – and almost everyone else's within the walls of Greenwich Palace.

But when Will discovers the body of Spanish count Don Gonzalo while walking his trusted sidekick Nosewise in the courtyard gardens, and a blackmail note arrives soon after demanding information about the king, is one of his own closely guarded secrets about to be exposed? Trouble is afoot at the palace. Are the king's enemies plotting a move against him? Will must draw on all his wit and ingenuity to get to the bottom of the treacherous and deadly goings-on at the court before further tragedy strikes . . .

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this opportunity to review “Courting Dragons.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Jeri Westerson’s new series features Will Somers, jester to King Henry VIII. He’s watched men (and women) come and go. It’s Anne Boleyn’s (or Nan Bullen, as here) turn now.

Will soon makes the acquaintance -- very close acquaintance -- of Don Gonzalo de Yscar, an aide to the Spanish Ambassador. All’s well and good until the man turns up with his throat slit. Could he be dead because of his involvement with the King’s “Great Matter” -- the intrigue surrounding all the work to secure a divorce from Queen Catherine. Will determines to seek justice for the man.

During the investigation, for that's certainly what it is, readers also receive a thorough history lesson. It will increase your enjoyment if you know a bit of it already, what part the Cromwells and Wolseys of the time played. The Lady Boleyn is prominent in the narrative. As Will himself says, “Which dragons must I slay to protect Henry? And which to protect myself?”

In between, we get a full discussion of Will’s love life -- with the dead Spaniard, the man’s servant, a kitchen boy, and especially the daughter of a nobleman of the English court. Yes, Will Somers doesn’t discriminate -- he loves everybody, as he tells his fiancé, the nobleman’s daughter; who he loves best of all and wishes to marry.

Will does a lot of work -- the author is a master of plotting -- and discovers why certain people had to die (for there’s another murder in the book), uncovering a tangled web of lies and confronting a murderer. And his king proclaims himself well satisfied.

An afterword explains about the life of the real Will Somers, who served the Tudor monarchs his entire life. Jeri Westerson has given readers a richly detailed historical mystery which should satisfy fans of the genre, and also mentions there are more to come.

I was interested in this title not only because I greatly enjoyed the author's Crispin Guest series, but also because i was interested to read about the court of Henry VIII from the perspective of the King's Fool. While not as engaging as the Crispin Guest series, Will Somers is certainly an interesting character and there's room for a great deal of character development, as well as descriptions of court life, in a series, as Will Somers stayed with Henry until Henry's death. The story provides interesting perspectives on the central characters of that moment in time...Henry himself, Queen Catherine of Aragon, and the infamous Lady Anne Boleyn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the opportunity to read Courting Dragons in return for an honest review. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Will Somers is King Henry VIII's court jester. He is a Shropshire lad, raised on farm, but possessing a crooked back, he makes his way with foolishness and the ability to turn a phrase and poke fun at all the courtiers. Henry is trying to get a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, whom he married after her first husband, Henry's older brother, Arthur, died. She has been unable to give him sons. Will loves Catherine and her daughter, the Princess Mary, who are good Catholics and resist Henry's blandishments to divorce him. Henry is fighting with courtiers and Spaniards over "The Great Question," of divorce. Suddenly, the head of the Spanish legation is murdered and Will is incensed and decides to investigate. He is in great favor with Henry and is able to go places other courtiers might not be able to. Nan Bullen (Anne Boleyn) is also at court and Henry is in pursuit of her. Will capers among her ladies-in-waiting and is present when one of them is also murdered. Will sees a priest running from the scene with a crossbow, so he knows who the murderer is. Now, all he has to go is piece together the puzzle and present it to Henry. Very well-researched book with some interesting insights into the Tudor court. This is Henry at his greatest.

Will Somers was Henry VIII’s court jester but he was no fool. While his jests sometimes brought a warning scowl or a physical slap from Henry, there is a friendship between the two that often allows Somers to call the king Henry or refer to him as uncle. Will is in love with Marion, the daughter of Lord Heyward, but his eye sometimes strays to the young men at court. After a night with Don Gonzalo, a Spanish diplomat, he later finds Gonzalo’s body in the garden. He considered him a friend and vows to find his killer. Gonzalo was involved with negotiations in the Great Matter, Henry’s attempt to divorce his wife Catherine so that he could marry Anne.

Somers travels freely through the halls and gardens of the palace. He is threatened by Wolsey in their encounters, but it is a time that Wolsey is losing favor with the king. Thomas Cromwell, however, sees Somers as an astute observer and a sometime ally, although there is little trust between them. Befriending Anne gives him access to her quarters and the ladies who are willing to share court gossip. When one of the ladies is murdered, Somers begins to wonder if the murders are tied to the Great Matter or if the motive lies elsewhere. Lady Jane was rumored to have ties to the king and Somers fears that there may be a threat to the king’s safety.

I have been a fan of Jeri Westerson’s historical fiction for some time. When she ended her previous series with the retirement of the Tracker of London, I looked forward to what would come next. Her new series is based on Henry VIII’s actual court jester. His moments with Somers provide a picture of Henry that you rarely see, a man who acquired the throne after the death of his brother. Her mystery is filled with misdirections and humor as Somers makes his way through the palace and it gives you a clear picture of life in Henry’s court. Westerson’s Afterward introduces you to what little is known about the real Somers and offers hints regarding his next adventure, something that I am definitely looking forward to. I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for providing this book for my review.

Beware the Royal Court!

A brilliant new series from the ever masterful spinner of tales, Jeri Westerson. Set in the court of Henry VIII, at the time when Henry is trying to put the Queen, Catherine of Aragon, aside and marry Lady Anne Boleyn or here known as the Lady Nan Bullen (read Westerson’s commentary at the end for further information about the spelling of Bullen). Will Somers is Henry’s court jester. (He was a real person historically in Henry’s court btw) A complicated man who can move through the court, unseen and yet not. A man who learns the secrets of the court, even as he has his own. Will is bisexual. He has one true love, Marion, a court seamstress / embroiderer, the illegitimate child of Lord Robert Heyward.
He has various alliances of the moment with men. One is the Spanish contingent, Don Gonzalo de Yascar. When Gonzalo is found murdered, Will investigates. There are so many plots brewing that Will feels stymied. Was this an assignation, were Cromwell or Wolsley involved?
There’s another murder! A rogue priest is abroad, a sharp visaged pedant, whom Will is suspicious of. After all the priest did search Gonzalo’s rooms.
The relationship between Will and Henry is fascinating, often tender, and yet Henry is the King. Perhaps that’s what allows the freedom between the King and his fool? But Will always needs to read the room very carefully.
Westerson has put a very human face to these turbulent times.
The scene of Will visiting the once with Queen Catherine and Princess Mary, are filled with love and sadness. After all, as Will says he had been part of their family, but now all is pulled asunder with Henry’s plans for Catherine. The Great Matter as the king’s pursuit of the divorce is being called.
Superb storytelling gives life to these people of history. I am looking forward to hearing more of Will Somers. The title, ‘Courting Dragons’ gives food for thought. Courting trouble perhaps! Not for the faint hearted! Grabbing a dragon by the tail? Beware!


A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

A mystery set in the time of Henry VIII of England - in this instance, the amateur detective is none other that Henry's own Fool, Will Somers.

Having become familiar with the character of Will Somers via my reading of all things Tudor, I was looking forward to how Jeri would make use of this personage in the role of sleuth. She does do a fair job of it, however, I didn't really feel myself engaged in either story nor characters in this instance. It is the first in a new series, so there are bound to be some background laying and character building in the original instance before things develop over time.

Plenty will love this new series - however, I am unsure as to whether I will be pursuing this series further or not.

Jeri Westerson has a knack for delivering historical mystery that are entertaining and informative. This new series, featuring Will Somers the joker as MC, is set during Henry VIII reign.
Will Somers, like Crisping Guest, is a character who's neither-her-nor-there. He's not a courtesan but he's got access to the king.
This situation helps him to access info, to listen to people, and to remain alive plus solving mysteries.
There's a lot of potential in this first in a series full of promises.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Will Sommers is King Henry’s fool but he is no fool in reality. Will generally navigates swirling intrigues of court by using his wits and his special relationship with the king to avoid getting swept up in deadly dramas. But, Will is torn by his love for his king and his loyalty to Queen Catherine whom Henry wants to divorce. Will must also hide his romantic relationships with men due to the views of the time. But when a member of the Spanish ambassador’s entourage sweeps Will into a whirlwind romance and then turns up murdered, Will vows to find the murderer of his friend, even at risk to his own life. Well plotted, well researched and touching. A great read and I can’t wait for more in the series.

A new series from Westerson! Set in 1929 it blends real history with an imaginative look at solving crime during the Tudor period. Will Sommers is King Henry VIII's jester and he walks a narrow path between worlds- between close access to the King and his own back story. The politics of this period sometimes leave me scratching my head but as usual Westeron has a way of making it more engaging than dry- and I learned something. Thanks to netgalley for the Arc. A good read and I'm looking forward to the next one.