The King's Witches

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A masterpiece . . . I literally didn't look up from the first page to the last' - Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal The King's Witches by Kate Foster is a compelling and beautiful novel that gives voices to the women at the heart of the real-life witch trials in sixteenth-century Scotland. Edinburgh, 1589. Princess Anna of Denmark is to wed King James VI of Scotland. First, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage to prove herself worthy. Under the watchful eye of her loyal lady-in-waiting, Kirsten, Anna resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry . . . Meanwhile, young housemaid Jura has recently fled to the capital, seeking protection and anonymity. But her newfound safety is soon threatened when she is caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped the country - and the new queen. 'Enthralling, compelling and at times chilling . . . An utterly timely tale' - D. V. Bishop, prize-winning author of A Divine Fury 'A beautifully written tale of love and duty, fear and courage' - Jenny Ashcroft, bestselling author of The Echoes of Love 'A gripping, poignant novel that gives voices to those so often unheard in historical accounts' - Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women *The Maiden was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction on 05/03/2024

Reviews

Kate Foster is an exceptional writer and masterful storyteller with a resounding talent for making historical settings and characters exciting and relevant for todays readers. Like her debut novel, The Maiden, The King's Witches is a masterpiece of the historical fiction genre - I literally didnt look up from first page to last -- Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal
The King's Witches is enthralling, compelling and at times chilling. Foster transports the reader back in time, bringing alive the forgotten and hidden voices of women in the past. An utterly timely tale that surpasses The Maiden, her rightly celebrated debut -- D. V. Bishop, author of Ritual of Fire
With shades of The Familiars, this incredible tale of Princess Anna of Denmark's betrothal to King James VI, all set against the Scottish witch trials, had me absolutely gripped. Kate Foster has spun a beautifully written tale of love and duty, fear and courage, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm already beside myself to read her next! -- Jenny Ashcroft, author of The Echoes of Love
Beautiful and brutal . . . a terrifyingly real story of how men control and fear us, and the extraordinary lengths some women have to go to in order to survive. -- Claire Evans, author of The Graves of Whitechapel
A rich, compelling story of three women and their intersecting lives . . . I loved the combination of court intrigue and the Scottish witch trials, and how Foster skilfully uses both to explore the position of women at this point in time -- Katie Lumsden, author of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall
A gripping, poignant novel that gives voices to those so often unheard in historical accounts; the women caught up in seismic events. The stories of Anna, Kisten and Jura will stay with me long after I turned the last page -- Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women
I loved it! Each woman is totally relatable although also of their time. A book for cunning women with a cunning twist -- Tina Baker, author of What We Did in the Storm
A tale of witchcraft, royal intrigue and, ultimately, the power women can wrest from men when theyre so minded. I loved it throughout, from the skilfully rendered characters to the granular descriptions of the womens lives in 16th century Denmark and Scotland -- Alison Belsham, author of The Innocent Angels
Rich in time and place, The King's Witches told through three distinctive female voices is an enchanting and compelling read which I could not put down. A lyrically beautiful page turner -- Lin Anderson, author of The Wild Coast
Memorable and moving, The Kings Witches is a dramatically rich and absorbing tale * LoveReading.co.uk *
The Kings Witches blends fact and fiction to bring the North Berwick witch trials to life in vivid, haunting detail * Culturefly *
Using the perspectives of the three women . . . Foster cleverly weaves the three strands to create a compelling, page-turner of a story . . . The sights, smells and sounds of 16th-century Edinburgh are captured brilliantly. I was glued to this story from start to finish. * Historical Novel Society *

Author Bio

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. Her debut novel, The Maiden, won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year in 2023 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2024. The King's Witches is her second novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.