The King’s Daughter
Christie Dickason

The daughter of a king – on sale to the highest bidder.

As First Daughter of England, Elizabeth seems to live a life of privilege and luxury. Yet she is imprisoned by duty; a helpless pawn in the political machinations of her father, James I. She trusts only her beloved brother Henry until she is sent a slave-girl, Tallie, who becomes her unlikely advisor. As their friendship grows, the innocent Elizabeth must learn to listen to dangerous truths about her louche father and his volatile court. Can she risk playing their games of secrecy and subterfuge in order to forge her path to love and freedom?

Tragically robbed of Henry in mysterious circumstances, Elizabeth must summon all her resilience and courage to determine her own future. As a stream of suitors are invited to court, her father’s unpredictability and the unstable political climate threaten to destroy her one chance for happiness and perhaps even her life. A heart-breaking tale of romance and rivalry, deceit and devotion, set against a colourful backdrop of dramatic and historical change.

While Stuart historical novels are not usually my cup of tea, within the first few chapters of The King’s Daughter I remembered why I enjoy Christie Dickason’s novels so much. Fiction may be heavily embroidered over the historical facts, but she takes lesser-known tales from history and brings them to life on the page.

I really could not put this book down, and I was glad that it did not seem to have the same sense of a forgone conclusion that lots of historical novels seem to have. Dickason really brings you into the world of Princess Elizabeth as her father, James I, strives to negotiate her marriage. You only realise truths about Elizabeth’s brother Henry when she realises them, and you only comprehend the full consequences of her actions when she does – not while she is in the middle of the act. I also loved to hate her vivid portrait of James I.

The last few pages are a must-read, as is the entire book for anyone who loves a good bit of historical fiction.

Rating: ★★★★★