Historical novel plunges you into the debauched world of the Jacobean court

The Dangerous Kingdom of Love by Neil Blackmore

How have I, Francis Bacon, well-known as the cleverest man in England, been caught in this trap? For years I survived the brutal games of the English court, driven by the whims of the idiot King James I – and finally, I was winning. But now, at the moment of my greatest success, a deadly alliance of my enemies has begun closing in on me. Led by the King’s beautiful and poisonous lover, Carr, this new alliance threatens to turn our foolish King against me. But I have concocted a brilliant new plan: I will find my own beguiling young man and supplant Carr in the King’s bed, and take power for myself. All I need to do is find him, my beautiful and mysterious creature, my perfect chess move.

I had some trepidation about this book at first. It’s written in such a unique, in-your-face voice that I think it’s going to be quite a love-it-or-hate-it thing. It took me a while to really get in board with it – particularly as it takes some time for the plot to get going – but by the halfway point, I was utterly engrossed.

The story plunges you headlong into the world of the Jacobean court. It’s a place of drama and debauchery, love and lust, intrigue and danger. Bacon – a foul-mouthed, amoral know-it-all – is our guide to this world. There’s a fair bit of info-dumping in the first few chapters before Blackmore seems to find his feet, but it’s a lot of fun once he lets his characters run loose.

Most of all, I loved the relationship between Bacon and his protege, George Villiers. It’s fascinating to watch as it develops, from two men wary and perhaps even afraid of each other, to something more intimate. Their clash of words and personalities at times left me breathless.

A thrilling, enjoyable read for any historical fiction fan.

True story of scandal in the Jacobean royal court

The Poison Bed by E.C. Fremantle

‘She became aware of a clamour, a frenzy of chanting and bellowing, and once through the gates she saw the crowd: red faces, bared teeth. Were it not for her armed escort she might have been torn limb from limb. The thought tightened her gut like a drawstring and she forced her mind off it for fear of losing her composure. But neither could she think of the river’s beckoning fingers and wondered which was worse: the crowd, a quick, savage battering, or those icy fingers about her throat?’

Autumn 1615. A scandal pervades the Jacobean court. A popular, much admired couple are imprisoned for murder. Frances is young and captivating. Rescued from an abusive marriage, she is determined to make a new life with her second husband, whatever the cost. Robert has risen from nothing to become one of the country’s most powerful men. But to get to the top, you cannot help making enemies. Now a man is dead. And someone must pay with their life.

This new historical thriller is based on a true story of two wealthy courtiers arrested for murder in the 17^th century. It is billed as ‘Gillian Flynn meets The Miniaturist’, and I certainly see the similarities to the former’s twisting and unpredictable plots. But, unfortunately, it also shared the latter’s propensity for flaws.

My main problem with this book was its lack of subtlety. Fremantle doesn’t seem to trust her readers enough to know that they are capable of working things out for themselves, without having to be told. The scenes are often melodramatic, taking away from their impact and power, and characters setting out their plans reminded me of a James Bond villain revealing their evil plot while the spy is strapped to a table nearby.

There was also a lack of consistency with the characters. Robert and Frances are two fascinating characters. She is cold and calculating, having been taught how to navigate the dangerous political waters at court by her uncle, while he is naïve and relies on the strength of others, having climbed up the ladder of success by finding favour with the King. But these characters always came second to the demands of the plot, frequently changing their minds at whiplash speed without any convincing explanation.

There were also a few historical inaccuracies that bothered me. For example, would King James I, a man so convinced by the terrible powers held by witches that he wrote a book on the subject entitled Daemonologie, allow a woman to openly tell people’s futures in his court?

Despite its flaws, I still enjoyed this book. Fremantle has created an interesting and realistic portrait of life at the Jacobean court, its delights and its dangers, as well as the shifting currents of power in a marriage on the rocks. We see rival families competing for the favour of the King, where one wrong step could result in a beheading, and where someone is always willing to tear you down if it brings them closer to the top.

Reading this book is like being on an inevitable downwards slide; you can sense that something terrible is ahead, but you can’t quite make out the shape of it. The tension this creates is just brilliant.

Despite its flaws, The Poison Bed is an entertaining thriller that fans of historical fiction will no doubt enjoy.