The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick
Source: Netgalley
My rating: 5/5 stars

Y’all know I’m not the biggest fan of time travel books, but there is just something about the way Nicola Cornick puts it all together that just sucks me in and creates a great sense of pleasure. Here’s the skinny on The Phantom Tree:

Premise: The entirety of this book revolves around Alison Bannister trying to discover the fate of her infant son who was taken from her more than 400 years ago. Inexplicably, Alison is a time traveler who just so happens to be stuck in the 21st century. With no means (yet!) of getting back to the 16th century, Alison has dedicated her present life to tracing history in the hopes of discovering what became of her beloved son.

Characters: The Phantom Tree is filled with a wide range of characters from both the 16th and 21st centuries with the emphasis being on Alison and Mary Seymour. As children, Alison and Mary were certainly acquainted with one another, but not exactly friends. Until Alison loses her son, she has little interest in the younger Mary. It is only after her son is taken and Alison realizes Mary can help her, that Alison has the time for or an interest in Mary. While 16th century Alison isn’t easy to like, 21st Alison is a bit more palatable. On the other hand, Mary Seymour, with her royal lineage and “gifts” is likeable from start to finish. Mary’s story plays out alongside Alison’s and the two are, from beginning to end, entangled. The entanglement, in many ways drives each character, for better or worse, and informs their actions and decisions. Each character, even those beyond Alison and Mary are full-bodied, engaging figures who hold the reader’s interest. More than one character has a secret which makes them far, far more interesting.

Pacing: I must admit, The Phantom Tree is a bit of a slow starter, but once it gets going, it moves like the wind. In fairness to the author, there is a great deal of ground work and backstory which must be established before the “real” work can begin. It is critical to the overall plot and the characters to understand their history, their place in one another’s lives. Getting through all that information takes time and made the first part of the read a bit slower in its pacing. With that being said, once the personalities, the problems, and the histories are dealt with, the pacing picks up considerably and the last part of the book seems to fly by.

Surprises: Yeah, this book has a surprise or two up its sleeve 😊 From characters to plot twists, The Phantom Tree holds secrets that can only be uncovered by reading every last word and page. There are a few things and people who really did take me by surprise, and I like knowing, even after all the books I have read, an author can still surprise me.

The Bottom Line: Far and away, my favorite part of The Phantom Tree are the chapters set in the 16th century. I’m just such a huge fan of well-written historical fiction, and Nicola Cornick understands what it takes to bring the past to life for a reader. Though there isn’t much, historically speaking, related to Mary Seymour, she comes alive in this book and ties everything, past and present together. Mary provides a backdrop for Alison’s quest, an anchor in time which drives Alison’s inquiries. With every new detail related to Mary revealed, Alison comes one step closer to solving the mystery of her lost son. As I said, the two women are entangled, and it is this entanglement that provides so much enjoyment. Apart from the slow start, I found no fault with this book. In fact, once I hit the half-way mark, I couldn’t put this book down. There is something for everyone here, but The Phantom Tree will especially appeal to lovers of historical fiction.

I had a really hard time with this book. The author jumped in as if it was a sequel, leaving out important details and facts straight from the beginning. The book quickly turned bizarre, and not in a good way. Unfortunately, I did not finish this one. Since I did not finish this book, I do not intend to publish a review.

Last year, I read another novel by Nicola Cornick and found myself eager to try The Phantom Tree when I saw it listed on NetGalley. I was awarded the book about a month ago and scheduled it for this week. If you've never read something from Cornick, think of it as a combination of historical fiction, fantasy, romance and mystery. All four elements are usually incorporated into her style and provide a very intense and sometimes Gothic read. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from her.

This story takes place in two different time periods in the UK -- the mid 16th century and modern times. In modern times, a ~30ish woman named Alison has re-connected with a former boyfriend who has announced a discovery that he's found a portrait of Anne Boleyn, a rarity. Alison knows this is really a painting of Mary Seymour, the daughter of Queen Katherine Parr (Henry VIII's last wife) and her second husband. But how does she know? And will she and Adam reunite or will the reasons they separated a decade ago still keep them apart? In the 16th century, Mary and her cousin are teenage girls dealing with the potential of forced marriages and interested lovers. One becomes pregnant. Another seems destined to be a witch. But then something odd happens, the girls are separated, and the child is lost seemingly forever. How are the stories connected? Who's related to whom in the current day? It's quite a fantastical story, but one I really adored.

My favorite aspects of Cornick's novels are her writing style. Pages will describe a scene or a setting and you are immediately transported there. It's lyrical and haunting at the same time. Occasionally it can be a lot to handle (I'm often a plot guy), but it's breathtaking to just read a few paragraphs from time to time. You'll know how writers live in their heads coming up with something so detailed they can't help but want to share it with their readers.

I also really connect with the historical truths in the books. Mary Seymour was thought to have died quite young and disappeared, but some feel she actually survived. Cornick takes that notion and runs with it in this book, and while parts are fabricated, it's woven in such an endearing way, you like the fictional components. It draws you in and gives you a fair balance of story and facts. That's the kind of read I enjoy!

Normally, I don't do novels that deal with historical "what if's" AT ALL. I find them annoying. But I was intrigued by this one because it isn't often that I find a novel about Katherine Parr, so I figured I'd give it a try. I thought the writing was engaging and the story held my interest well enough, though I don't think it is a book I would rush out to buy. I love fantasy, but I generally can't suspend m,y disbelief very well when it comes to timeslip novels for some reason. I do keep trying...

I received a free copy of this book via #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait in an antique shop. The picture features Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows her better as Mary Seymour. Mary knew Mary lived in Wolf Hall with Mary about 400 years ago.. Mary was presumed dead after going missing as a child.

The painting of Mary holds the key to help Alison find her past life, Unlocking the secret can help send Alsion back to her time to when she and Mary were childhood enemies. The 2 had made a pact years ago and now it must be fulfilled.

I am not sure this book was my kind of book. It was good but I just found myself getting lost in the book and could not keep my mind on it. Over all it was a good book but not for me. That is why I am giving this book 3 stars.

Life in the time of Alison and Mary was not good. With the death of their parents each has become an orphan living with unwelcoming and terrorizing relatives who would just as soon see them dead.

This was a time when women were owned by their fathers, husbands, guardians. Double standards abound. While the men bed anything they want, the women are then left damaged and in desperate straits. 

When Alison runs away and ends up in modern-day London, she plans to go back and find her infant son, taken from her. Mary is to try her hardest to find the child and leave her clues.  However Alison ends up stuck in modern times, trying to find any clues to where Mary might be as well as the baby. 

By chance she walks by a gallery and immediately recognizes a small portrait of Mary Seymour. Although it is labeled as Anne Boleyn,  Alison knows that the A.B. on the box in the portrait belongs to her and that Mary has left her clues in the painting.

But how can she get back? Maybe with the help of the gallery owner and his godson. 

We read this book from alternating points of view, Mary and Alison, past and present.

This was one of the best slip time historical books I've read. Nicola has such a readable style to her writing, it was easy to keep up with who was who and where everyone was. It is one of those books for us history lovers that you fall in and cry with the characters because you know what is going to happen to at least one of them.

A must read this year! Well Done!

NetGalley/ September 1st 2018 by Graydon House

Behind a great fan of the time slip genre this book made promises of which it did not disappoint.
Set in the present day and Elizabethan England it tells the story of Alison Bannister who has by a fluke found a way to travel through the two era's.
It is a well researched book making the characters truly believable on the historical side and also a great love story.
A book that once you have started you will not want to put down.

3 1/2 stars. Set in modern day and Elizabethan England, Alison Banestre finds a way to move through time. When she gets caught in the future, she must look to clues in the past left for her in the 1560's by Mary Seymour in order to find a beloved child. An intriguing time travel historical fiction mystery.

I am a fan of Australian writer Kate Morton so a cover promo line on The Phantom Tree advising that "Fans of Kate Morton will enjoy this gripping tale" had me pretty well convinced of the story's pedigree before I'd even opened it, and it didn't disappoint. I found it hard to put down again, which I guess is the best endorsement you can have for a time travel mystery!

Alison Bannister is a reluctant exile from the mid sixteenth century,and Wiltshire's Wolf Hall, on the run from an unscrupulous scion of the Seymour family when she slips through time into the 21st century.. She a "reluctant exile", because although her time slip is a very effective escape from desperate circumstances back in Tudor times, she has compelling emotional reasons for wanting to return, that are soon revealed and best are not shared until you've read the story!

It's a fascinating set up - a beautiful young woman stuck in the 21st century, desperate to return to a bad situation in Tudor times, and unable to find the key to time travelling back. This period of Tudor history has been very thoroughly mined by both popular and "literary" historical novelists in recent times - Hilary Mantel made 'Wolf Hall' famous and Philippa Gregory has written extensively of the great families of the time, but Nicola Cornick is right up with them in the riveting historical narrative she delivers.

I don't pretend to be anything of an expert on the period, but I found myself fascinated enough to keep "Google checking' various characters as they came into the story - in particular Alison's mysterious cousin Mary Seymour, the real life daughter of Henry VIII's last wife Katherine Parr and Thomas Seymour - the husband the former Queen married after the King's death. The story weaves so seamlessly between the imagined world and the historical facts as they are known that I was completely captivated, burning the midnight oil to see it through to it's satisfying end.

So - convincing Tudor history, intriguing narrative, some complex and interesting characters, a real sense of how grim life in the upper echelons of Tudor society could be even for those who had wealth and lands - and and several romantic sub plots to keep us enthralled - The Phantom Tree is another "winner" from an author who is already an international best seller with books in 26 languages.. Just the "escape" busy 21st century readers of the genre can relish.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am a big fan of historical fiction, especially set in Britain, and this book was just a really satisfying read. The story involves a time travel element, which can easily backfire, but it is done so well here and really adds an interesting element to the story. Recommended!

I have to say that this book was more than what I was expecting, I am not sure what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed this read.

This story is about two women, Alison and Mary, who are both orphans and end up meeting at Wolf Hall. This story is about time travel so if you like that then this is your book! I will say that the time travel grew on me. It was easy to keep up with the story unlike some others time travel books I have read that confuse you about where you are reading about.

This story line is definitely altered because there are no records of Mary's life after the age of two, when she was considered to be dead, in history books. It is unknown what happened to her after the age of two, but no records can be found.

Mary and Alison both share the common bond of being unwanted. These two young girls are not very fond of each other, but they have learned to tolerate each other for the sake of others. When Alison becomes pregnant with her son, she is sent away in disgrace and her son is taken from her. Alison finds a door to the present (future for us) and thinks this is her way out with her son, but when she gets there, she finds the door closed and she is stuck in the present. What is Alison going to do now without her son. Before she left, Alison made a pact with Mary that she would send her a message somehow on where to find her son, now she just has to wait on that in hopes that Mary will not let her down.

While Alison is waiting on the clue from Mary, she runs across this old portrait that is thought to be Anne Boleyn, but she knows that it is Mary. The owner of the portrait ends up being none other than someone that Alison has had a relationship with, but he is adamant that he knows who is in that painting. Is this the clue that Alison has been waiting on? Maybe this is her clue, but Alison knows that she is going to have to open herself up to Adam and she is not sure if she wants to do that just yet. Yes, she wants her son back, but she is living in a place and time that she is comfortable with because everything is new and unknown to her. Is she willing to take this risk to get her son back?

You will have to read this one to find out what happens to Mary and Alison. The characters are very well developed and the story line will keep you guessing as to what is going to happen. I enjoyed this read for something very different than what I am used to always reading. I look forward to what Nicola Cornick has in store for us readers next!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book, but this did not influence my opinion of the book one way or the other.

Cornick has delivered another fascinating blend of history, mystery, romance, and time-travel, this time bridging the present time to Elizabethan England. As usual, her research helps present an accurate-as-possible element to the story upon which she builds a multi-layered, human-centered tale that captivates the reader straight through. Cornick has a knack for bringing historical characters to life and imagining their daily lives - their routines, their friendships and rivalries, their heartbreak. This story especially brought attention to the restrictive lives led by women, who were less than nothing in the hierarchy of family, friends, and society, which makes this an excellent selection for book clubs. Recommended.

I am a huge fan of books set in Tudor England. Actually, any book set in England pretty much has my interest but that period intrigues me the most. When I saw that Harlequin was offering this for review through NetGalley and my interested was caught. Then I saw that it was by Nicola Cornick and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. I had reviewed House of Shadows by her last year and enjoyed it. I am glad that I decided to request The Phantom Tree. This book was fantastic. I was taken on a time-traveling journey between Tudor England and present-day England.

As stated above, The Phantom Tree is set in both Tudor and present-day England. I loved that the author was able to take the scenes from present day to past and back without any sort of confusion. When a book is set in the past and present of a place, I tend to get confused on the details or notice that the author has left something out. Not this time. I did not notice anything missing. And if I thought I did, it showed up later in the book with an explanation.

There are two main plots of The Phantom Tree and a few subplots. The book follows Alison Bannister on her quest to find out what has happened to her son that was taken from her. Only thing, her son was born in Tudor England and Alison has time traveled to present day England. Mary Seymour agreed to help Alison with her quest before she left. But with Alison being in the future, that has made it hard to do.

The other main plot centers around Mary Seymour. While it does give more background on Alison, it weaves a great supernatural element into the book. It also explains how Mary left her clues for Alison. It was very interesting to read from her perspective. Even though she was pretty much transparent in the book, I felt that there was an air of mystery to her.

I didn’t know what to feel about Alison. There was such a range of emotions that she invoked in me. Pity because she was trying to find any word on her son. Irritation because she didn’t allow herself to have feelings for Adam. Apprehension when she had to make that choice. Like I said, a range of emotions.

Mary came off as a bit cold in the first half of the book. I could see why. She was raised in an environment where people barely tolerated her and in some cases, feared her. She was different from the other girls. Not because she was an impoverished princess but she was otherworldly. She had visions that came true. But, in the last half of the book, I felt that she came to life. And I loved it.

I loved the time travel element of the book. It was written in a way that made total sense to me when I read it. I do wish that the author disclosed how Alison traveled through time a bit sooner in the book. I also like the twist that the author disclosed towards the end of the book. That twist was not expected and it played a huge role in how Mary’s story ended.

I thought the romance between Adam and Alison was a little forced. While it went perfectly with the story, I couldn’t get into it.

The end of The Phantom Tree was sad and happy at the same time. Alison’s storyline was wrapped up perfectly and Mary’s, well I am not going to get into it. You need to read the book to find out about her. I did like that the storylines were wrapped up in a way that satisfied me.

Pros of The Phantom Tree:

A) It is set in England

B) Well written story with a great plotline

C) The supernatural aspects of the book

Cons of The Phantom Tree:

A) Alison and Adam’s romance

B) Mary coming off as cold and standoffish

C) The twist. Didn’t see it coming

I would give The Phantom Tree a rating of Older Teen. There is violence and talk of sexual situations (but no sex scenes). There is a scene that talks about a newborn being thrown into a fire as well as the accompanying scene where Mary overhears it happening. Keeping those in mind, I feel that under anyone under 16 shouldn’t read the book. I would also include a trigger warning about the infant scene.

I would recommend The Phantom Tree to family and friends but I would include a warning about what I mentioned above. This is a book that I would definitely reread.

I would like to thank Harlequin-Graydon House Books, Graydon House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Phantom Tree.

All opinions stated in this review of The Phantom Tree are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Oh I do love a time travel story. It’s one of those subjects that I find fascinating and I will always choose to read about it.

There are two stories here. Mary Seymour, a factual person who is believed to have died as a child, but as a character in this book who actually lives and Alison Bannister. Both characters are unwanted and find themselves at Wolf Hall. Neither of the girls particularly like the other, but they manage to rub along well enough.

Alison becomes pregnant and of course she is sent away. Her son, Arthur is taken from her as soon as he is born. Of course, she doesn’t just forget about her son and just carry on merrily. Alison has made a deal with Mary. If Mary ever finds out where Arthur has been sent, she’s to get word to Alison somehow.

Alison then finds a way to move forward in time and finds herself in present day Wiltshire. Alison plans to make a life for herself and Arthur in the future but suddenly finds that she is stuck, here in present day. Without Arthur.

Mary is hidden away in the household of a relatives as she has been known to have “visions” which then come true. Obviously this isn’t a good thing in the 16th Century and people are wary of her. Having said this, Mary has not forgotten the deal that she has made with Alison.

Alison then spots a portrait of a woman which has been discovered by Adam, a TV historian. This is being heralded as a lost portrait of Anne Boleyn but Alison knows that it is Mary Seymour. Of course, the fact that the TV historian is someone that Alison had a relationship with 10 years ago doesn’t help. Alison thinks that the portrait holds the clues as to Arthur’s whereabouts and for this, she is going to need Adam’s help.
This novel tells the story of what happens to both Mary and Alison, along with the investigation by Alison of the portrait and possible clues to the whereabouts of her son. Can she find a way back to find him? Can she cope with the sense of loneliness, and loss without him? I found this an enjoyable novel. The time travel part of the book is handled well and not too unrealistic. Of course, Alison is young when she first arrives in the present and it is evident that she does not cope well at first, but she does manage to make a realistic life for herself. I enjoyed the story featuring Alison more than the storyline about Mary, but the book overall was interesting and well written.

The story can be a little confusing at times. It took me a while to get my head around the different characters but I think that’s more to do with me than the author.

I didn’t really enjoy the 16th century aspect of the book. The attention to detail was sadly lacking and for me, it seemed as though it was rather tacked on. The crux of the story is about Alison trying desperately to find out what happened to Arthur.

The time travel aspect was fairly ignored. Thankfully the author didn’t try to explain how it worked too much. I have noticed in the past that authors have done this very badly and it has ended up making the book rather ridiculous. What I really didn’t like was how the modern day characters were so happy to accept the time-travel excuse when the time came. I find it very unlikely that such a thing would happen. No matter how broadminded one is.

All in all, this was a pleasant enough book which helped to while away the hours while I was stuck in the house on a snow day. I just found myself feeling . . . a bit blah. I wanted to relate, someway to one of the two main characters. To care. To be rooting for them. Willing Alison to find Arthur or for Mary to do something which would make her a bit more memorable.

I basically wanted more . . . . and was left wanting.

I have given this book 2 stars on Goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to the premise of this book - when browsing in the window of an art shop, Alison Bannister sees a familiar old portrait—supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows it is actually the portrait of Mary Seymour, the daughter of the last wife of Henry VIII, Katherine Parr, who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child. And Alison knows this because she lived at Wolf Hall too...with Mary...in 1557.

So began the novel, written in the timeframes of present day and the Tudor period, during which Alison, now living in modern times, yearns to return to her former life and her son who she hasn’t seen since he was taken from her as a young child. The storyline switches back and forth, filling in details of Alison’s life and her relationship with Mary Seymour, who is now seemingly sending her a message about her son across the ages in the clues contained in the painting.

The book is obviously historically well researched and I learnt more about the life of Katherine Parr and her descendants/family. There doesn’t seem to be much to go on in terms of Mary Seymour, as there us little historical evidence of her living past the age of two, but the culture ad times in Tudor Britain were well described.

I was less convinced of the time travelling story (and that everybody seemed to be doing it!) and more especially the seeming complete acceptance of people close to Alison that this was actually happening. The romance in the story was a bit too twee and perfect too and I felt the author had difficulty in deciding exactly what the book actually was - a historical novel, a fantasy time-travelling yarn, or a Mills and Boon style romance. I think it had aspects of all three, but I’m not entirely convinced they sat comfortably alongside one another.

I enjoyed reading this book. Writing might not be the best literary historical fiction but the storyline is engaging and kept me reading, resulting a good few hours reading.
I would recommend this book for historical novel fans.

This is an historical novel about time travel and family relationships. It was set in the present time and in the mid sixteenth century in the Tudor times in the Wiltshire locality.
Mary and Alison were Royal orphans living at Wolf Hall in the late 1550’s. Alison has a son, Arthur in 1560 and her son is taken away and she is sent to Middlecote Hall with Mary.
Alison had discovered a way to travel through time and with Mary’s help she escapes on the way to Middlecote Hall at Marlborough, before she escapes she asks Mary to help her find Arthur, so that when she is able she will come back for Him.
Alison gets trapped in the present time and Mary gathers clues to help Alison find her son. After ten years Alison finds a painting of Mary in an art gallery. There are objects in the painting that Alison is convinced are clues to where she can find Arthur if she can only find her way back to 1560.

Received a digital ARC from Net Galley.

A time traveling novel between the present and Elizabethan England is told between two narrators, Mary and Alison. Alison is stuck in the present desperately searching for a way back and for any clues Mary might have left her to help her find her long lost son Arthur.

I wanted to love this book and get lost in it but it fell short. While the author wove an interesting tale, there was something missing that left me detached from the characters. This was almost a DNF but since I really enjoyed House of Shadows, I made myself finish it. The storyline flowed better as the book progressed but so many avenues were left unexplored or incomplete.

Beautiful cover, wonderful plot, great character depth, and lovely world building. The pace of the book was good, and I enjoyed the descriptive writing, it felt like at times, I was living inside of this story. So glad I was approved to read. Thank you Netgalley!

This book was very curious. A Tudor-era girl goes forward in time to the present day, and then gets trapped there. It's kind of a mystery and a romance and fantasy and a historical fiction all at the same time. I liked both Mary and Alison, and I enjoyed the the mystery of Alison trying to track Mary and her son back through history to find out what happened to them. And, of course, the WHEN WILL SHE TELL HER MODERN DAY BOYFRIEND THAT SHE'S A TIME TRAVELER tension.

All in all, I liked it. There was too much romance for my taste, and it was a bit difficult to pin down the mythology. Mary has the Sight, has a magical psychic connection to Thomas, and has visions of other time periods; the magic hourglasses allow their possessors to travel in time; Alison travels in time just from stepping into an inn where an hourglass was sitting on the shelf? There's so much going on here. I was also shocked and saddened by Mary's end. :(