★ ★ ★ ★.25

Enter the tumultuous world of 16th-century Scotland and Denmark with Kate Foster's mesmerizing novel, "The King's Witches". Foster weaves a gripping tale around the real-life witch trials, offering a poignant voice to the women at the centre of these historical events. Princess Anne of Denmark finds herself thrust into a precarious marriage with King James VI of Scotland, facing scrutiny from the royal court in Edinburgh. Alongside her loyal lady's maid, Kirsten Sorenson, and a young healer named Jura, Anne navigates the treacherous waters of court intrigue and witchcraft hysteria.

Foster's exquisite characterizations breathe life into the narrative, as she deftly explores themes of power, resilience, and the enduring bonds of sisterhood. Princess Anne emerges as a complex and compelling figure, torn between her duty to her husband and her own desires for autonomy. Kirsten Sorenson, while loyal to her mistress, harbours secret motives that add layers of intrigue to the story. Meanwhile, Jura's journey from a humble housemaid to a target of witchcraft accusations showcases the harsh realities faced by women of all walks of life during this tumultuous period.

From the haunting atmosphere of the witch trials to the richly drawn historical backdrop, "The King's Witches" is a captivating blend of history and fiction that will leave you spellbound. Foster skilfully captures the paranoia and hysteria of the era, immersing readers in a world where whispers of witchcraft can spell doom for even the most innocent. With its vivid imagery and gripping plot twists, this novel transports readers to a time and place where the line between superstition and reality blurs, offering a compelling exploration of the human condition and the enduring resilience of women throughout history.

Expected Pub Date 6 Jun 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An interesting book based on the persecution of witches during James VI's reign in the 17th century. Combining fact with fiction this made an excellent read and one to be recommended

Absolutely loved this book. I found myself constantly wanting to read more. I thought it was good from a historical accuracy point. I would certainly recommend it.

A really interesting story based on facts I was unaware of, always good to find out new bits of history which lead me off to google to find out more!
An easy to read story that keeps you wanting a bit more as the story unfolds, twists and turns that are unexpected and a great feeling for the events and atmosphere of the time. Thoroughly recommend

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

An interesting historical fiction set in the 16th century, mixing some real and some fictionalised characters, centering around the marriage of Anna, Princess of Denmark and James VI of Scotland (later James I of England), and the Berwick witch trials. A sharp look at the torture used to extract confessions from those accused of witchcraft and the rose of hysteria about witches during this period.

The King's Witches by Kate Foster

Publication 6th June 2024

An historical based fiction novel set during the sixteenth-century persecution of women during the witch trails.

We follow three women during this book, Princess Anna of Denmark who is to be married to King James VI of Scotland. Kirsten Sorenson the princess's lady-in-waiting, a woman with secrets and a motive to make sure the royal marriage works. And Jura, a housemaid in North Berwick Scotland, who practices healing and charms taught by her mother. Jura finds herself caught in the middle of the witchcraft frenzy that is starting to grip the nation.

I love an historical novel based on the witch trails, and have read quite a few and this book did not disappoint at all, I couldn't put it down. Each woman has their own voice and story which is told with such detail and care.
This a totally enthralling retelling of an historical story based around the North Berwick witchtrails of 1590. Brutal and shocking in places but accurate details of what happened to women who were deemed to be witches. Women who today we call herbalist, healers and even medical practitioners!

This was my first time reading a Kate Foster book but it definitely won't be my last.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

1589- a royal union between James V1 of Scotland & Princess Anna of Denmark.Anna is betrothed to the King & must prove herself worthy of being a Queen.
A fictional story based on fact which takes place during the North Berwick Witch Trials.
We follow three main female characters Anna, her ladies made Kristen & a young girl, Jura who is accused of being a witch.
We follow life in the Scottish Royal household & the horrors of the witch trials.
The author has created a compelling fascinating & engaging book, where the story intwines perfectly and has included some interesting historical notes, at the end of the book.
Thankyou to NetGalley for my advanced copy in n return for an honest review.

From the first few pages the author has you gripped with scenes that are extremely upsetting (in my personal opinion), but are a true reflection of the horror of the witch trials of the 16th century.

I really enjoyed reading the novel from the perspectives of the three women in it (Princess Anna, Jura and Kirsten), because it made the story feel even more personal and, frankly, terrifying because you know that the events that unfolded really did happen. To be a woman in the 16th century was scary and full of dangers. The slightest thing could have you persecuted as a witch and the author has really captured this in her writing.

The writing in this book reminds me so much of Philippa Gregory which made it even more enjoyable and I'd even go so far as to state that I believe the author could very well be the next Philippa Gregory!

Obviously, this was an ARC, so I'm hoping it will get a thorough edit before release as I did notice quite a lot of errors and also issues with formatting, but I'm sure those will be resolved before publication.

This is an excellent book with lots of descriptions of life in 17th Century Edinburgh and Denmark. It centres round the mania for finding and persecuting witches, lead by King James vi of Scotland. Kate Foster has taken historical events and filled in the spaces between with her version of events. There are strong female characters who make the best of their situation, I found the back story of Kirsten, Princess Anna’s maidservant, a bit unconvincing but on the whole, this is a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and PanMacillan publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is set in 1589. It is a turbulent time at home and abroad, as witchcraft is on the rise and King James is convinced they are all conspiring to uproot him from his throne.

It is a beautifully written, somewhat haunting book based on true historical events, which follows the story of three very different women, living very different lives in a time when it was dangerous to be a woman. During 16th century North Berwick witch trials .

Princess Anne of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland – a royal union designed to forever unite the two countries. But first, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage in which she must prove herself worthy of being Scotland's new Queen. If the King and the Scottish royal court in Edinburgh find her wanting, she faces permanent exile to a convent. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anne resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Beside her is her servant and loyal maid Kirsten Sorenson who has travelled to Scotland with her from Denmark,. And Jura a young healer taught to her by her mother in the ways of old who is herself accused of witchcraft.

This book will appeal to all fans of historical fiction and witch trials in general. The description of some of the happening to these poor women who were persecuted due to a lot of the time peoples naivety and superstition is almost barbaric in places so some sensitive readers might find it difficult to read.

Having been to Edinburgh, Scotland and North Berwick I really enjoyed the scene setting and different locations in the book as I could see myself transported back to the 16th century and how different things would have been and looked at that time.

A really enjoyable book and I will definitely look out for the authors other works in the future.

Set towards the end of the Tudor era, The King's Witches is a historical story of Anne of Denmark and her journey to Scotland to marry James VI of Scotland, soon to be James I of England. Having witnessed the brutal execution of a Danish witch, Anne develops a crushing fear of magic and sorcery that knocks her own confidence in herself. Her Lady in Waiting, Kristen, hopes to allieviate her fears and guide her on her path. The story takes a turn when post Anne's and Kristen's arrival, commoner Jura, an ex-maid and "cunning woman" is caught and arrested for witchcraft and treason.

I loved seeing the story unravel from the three women's persepectives and how their stories intertwined and ultimately came together. It is very clear that a lot of research into the historical period was done by the author - the atmosphere and mannerisms are spot on for the era. My only complaint is that the ending was tied too neatly for me, I was expecting something rather considering it was a witch trial.

A great read for anyone interested in historical fiction!

This is a harrowing story of the north Berwick witch trials.
It is so well written you can imagine yourself living at this horrendous time in human history.
I don’t think the misogyny of the time has changed all that much. Especially in some countries where women are still
accused of being witches and have no control of their own destiny.
Well worth reading.

I was very keen to read The King's Witches by Kate Foster. I had read her earlier book The White Maiden, which was such an engaging and fascinating read.

The King’s Witches is set in 1589 and unfolds from the perspective of three women: Princess Anna of Denmark; Kirsten Sorenson; and Jura.

Princess Anna has been betrothed to King James VI of Scotland and must travel to Scotland with members of the Danish Royal Court including her Lady-In-Waiting, Kirsten Sorenson. Before they depart, they witness a witch being burned on the beach. Both women are appalled by the burning, and Princess Anna is convinced that the witch has cursed her.

On their sea voyage to Scotland the ship carrying Anna and Kirsten is severely damaged in a storm and only just manages to limp to Norway for repairs.

King James VI travels to Norway and brings back his betrothed to Scotland. Whilst in Norway, King James becomes fascinated by the tales of witchcraft and the trials and burnings in Europe and becomes determined that Scotland rids itself of witches.

1589 is a very dangerous time to be a woman for sure. Kirsten is older and wiser and advises Princess Anna on how to act in order to protect herself from being labelled a witch in the royal court. Jura’s story unfolds showing the hysteria and fear held by common Scottish folk. All three women in the book are really compelling and all have their journey and the book becomes unputdownable as their stories entwine.

The historical notes at the end of the book are a must-read and are fascinating and put into context the witch trials in Scotland at that time.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for making the e-ARC available to me to read in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book has been the most surprising one for me this year. The story is compelling, and the female characters are strong and complex even in death. The whole fiction is well-developed and feels real, especially the trials. However, I must warn that some parts of the book may be a bit too graphic and grotesque for sensitive readers, The plot is exciting with the perspective of three women from different times and countries. I found it interesting to read about a woman's of the past and since this is about witch trials I enjoy it lots . This is a great read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book

This was compulsive reading-I loved it!Set between the Danish and Scottish court in the sixteenth century it tells the tale of how three women get caught up in the witch-hunts led by King James of Scotland.
Anna is to leave the Danish court to marry King James.She travels to Scotland with her loyal but ,secretive, lady in waiting,Kirsten. Meanwhile, young Jura Craig is sent to be a maid to a wealthy Scottish family. Fear and witchcraft bring the woman together.
I liked that so much of this is based on real events. An excellent read.
Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc.

I have read significantly on this subject matter both in fiction and non-fiction. I found the concept of historical accuracy with additional fictional characters interesting.

The multiple viewpoint narration worked fine overall. I did find myself skimming over the Jura chapters as I found the dialect somewhat offputting. Whilst it did convey her social standing somewhat, I did find it slightly annoying to read after a while.

I missed the richness of the prose and descriptions that I have come to associate with historical fiction. I didn’t always feel the sense of urgency, and felt the development of Anna and Henry’s relationship underdeveloped in its infancy.

It was a pleasant, easy read. I would read others by the author in the future, and would perhaps be more pleased with them knowing what to expect.

I don’t often read historical fiction and after this masterpiece for Kate Foster I wonder why not! This book had me hooked and as per usual I devoured it in 24 hours.

This book has multiple points of views from strong female characters showing the prejudice women faced in Europe at this time. However, as heavy as that topic is this book was easy to read and digest and the interwoven stories were perfect. It did make me chuckle what was seen as witchcraft and the troubles these women faced.

Being from Newcastle I found the Scottish sections with their dialect so easy to read but I am interested to see how others found that as I could sound this in my head easily.

This is now a go to author for me and I need to get The Maiden and read this as the concept of that book sounds great. I recommend getting this book when it comes out in June!

The story follows the relationships of 3 key women...

Princess Anna of Denmark - handfasted to King James V of Scotland.... but in love with one of his courtiers Henry

Kristen - Princess Anna's ladies maid

Jura Craig - a young scottish girl accused of being a witch.

King James is obsessed with witches and is convinced with his cousin they are trying to remove the scottish throne from him.
The torture of those accused was very graphic and quite horrifying to what they went through.

A good read, with some twists and turns.

A beautifully written novel telling the story of the North Berwick witch trials that took place in Scotland in the 17th century. The novel is told from the point of view of three women. The first is Anna, Princess of Denmark, who at the start is handfasted to James VI of Scotland. She will travel to Scotland and there spend a year on a trial period to ensure she is a good match before the marriage takes place. Travelling with her is Kirsten Sorenson, her lady’s maid, a pious woman with a history of her own in Scotland and a desire to return. Finally there is Jura, a young woman who has recently lost her mother and left her drunken father’s home to find work as a housemaid. She has inherited her mother’s skills as a healer but these are dangerous times as the craze over feared witchcraft spreads from Germany and Scandinavia to Scotland. Their paths will eventually cross as the trials and burnings begin to haunt Edinburgh.

I loved this book. I always enjoy stories about women that are centred very much on the women themselves and most prominently on their relationships with each other. The lack of agency of their own lives is clear (although there are very obvious limits on the men in the story too, whether by rank, society or religion) and the terrible fear of how fragile their lives are is well told. The threat of accusations of witchcraft (between 4000 and 6000 people were prosecuted in Scotland over the period, 4 times the European average and 75% of them women) hang over everything and the dangers of being close to James himself, so convinced of their existence, are evident. It’s a fascinating period of history and the author does a fantastic job of bringing it to life. A really interesting and thought provoking novel, highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance copy in return for an honest review.

Kate Foster is a new historical fiction author to me, but I have already ordered her previous novel, The Maiden. This was a fascinating, detailed account based on the North Berwick witch trials of which I previously knew nothing. Like the best historical novelists this story is based on true fact and this author really brought this episode of history to life. The injustices served upon women in this era who nowadays would be called herbalists or doctors (!) are perfectly depicted here. I was gripped from the first page and raced through this. Congratulations to Ms Foster on both and excellent novel and for bringing this important example of Scottish history to our attention. I will be looking out for this author’s future novels.