I was excited to read this book because I like books based on history and I like all things Tudor. That being said, I didn’t enjoy this. This is the second book in a series but I think it works well as a stand alone. There was a lot of time spent explaining what happened before and it was a little tedious. My main problem with this book is that the characters are so unlikeable. I immediately disliked Frances. She makes herbal potions and remedies and was accused of witchcraft in the first book. She was tortured before being released but puts her maid in danger trying to deliver another potion. The maid is imprisoned then released then dies and still Frances doesn’t learn her lesson about being discrete. Her former lover was killed for being a traitor and yet she still conspires with people that put her, her child and her husband in danger. She makes one foolish choice after another and doesn’t appreciate the sacrifices her husband has made for her. She’s just not likable. Since I know the history of this time period, I knew she was doomed to fail so I just couldn’t enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Tracy Borman’s, The Devil’s Slave, explores the superstition and beliefs in witches and witchcraft during the reign of James I. The subsequent persecution of innocent men and women to enhance political advancement is graphically illustrated against an ongoing backdrop of deceit, lies and entanglement. Extensively researched, Borman’s characters are brought to life in a richly woven tapestry of historical fiction.

This book is not as good as her predecessor. However, it was very fast-paced and easy read. The characters are likable and well-developed. The political and court intrigue are very captivating. The author’s main strength is her eye for historical detail. She made the Stuart era come alive. This is a feast for historical fiction lovers. Full review to come!

The Devil's Slave, the second book in the Frances Gorges Historical Trilogy, is a wonderful continued account of Lady Frances. It is best to read the first book, The King's Witch, before reading this one because of the details involved. Lady Frances finds herself living at her families estate, Longford, under the care and supervision of her brother Edward. Edward is a cold and distant brother who only thinks of himself. Being pregnant and unwed, Frances is trying to keep her family from being further ridiculed by her actions. The love of her life, Tom Wintour, died a traitors death following the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Sir Thomas Tyringham who was Tom's closest friend, visits Frances at Longford and proposes marriage, in name only, to save not only her reputation but her life, as well as, the unborn child's. Slow to agree to the match, Frances slowly makes her way back into court life. After being sought out by Tom's sister, Dorothy, Frances is once again drawn into treasonous activities, unbeknownst to her husband. Being around the ones that were responsible for catching and having Tom put to death, makes Frances more cautious and aware of the spy's that are following her every move. Having a son to protect now has put Frances on her guard and she no longer wishes to be part of the "cause", but with a threat being made on her son's life and also her husband, Sir Thomas, Frances has little choice. Will Frances be able to put the past behind her for the sake of her young son, or will she be caught and die a traitor's death also? Will there be a chance for love to grow between Sir Thomas and Frances? This is another exciting read by author Tracy Borman. Written with facts, it is a heart stopping masterpiece. I can't wait until the third part of this trilogy is released!

The Devil’s Slave
by Tracy Borman

At the end of The King’s Witch, the first book in Tracy Borman’s Stuart-era trilogy, Frances Gorges was pregnant with the child of her dead lover, Thomas Wintour, executed for his role as a conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Now, in The Devil’s Slave, Frances is compelled to return to the dissolute and dangerous court where she has been suspected of witchcraft.
Catholics have gone underground in the new Puritan regime of King James I, and yet whispers of conspiracies continue to echo behind closed doors and down the halls of the royal palaces. Against this perilous backdrop, accompanied by her son George and her husband Sir Thomas Tyringham—whom she married conveniently to mask the true identity of her son’s father—Frances reunites with her former mistress, the Princess Elizabeth, now of marriageable age, as well as other less friendly members of the court: Prince Henry, heir to the crown who emulates his father’s brutality without scruple; Lord Cecil, eager to persecute Frances as a witch even as his own health rapidly declines; and King James himself, ever more paranoid and cruel towards alleged heretics and traitors. Yet a surprising ally emerges in the person of Sir Walter Raleigh, himself a prisoner in the Tower of London. With more lives than merely her own on the line, Frances soon finds herself caught in a spider’s web of secrets, promises, and plots.
Tracy Borman brings to life vivid characters from history, recreating the ever-treacherous court of the first Stuart king, and a historical period that has fascinated readers for centuries.


In the second installment of Tracy Borman’s Stuart-era trilogy, Lady Frances, a lady in waiting to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James, has a secret.
If it were exposed to all, she could be tortured or hanged. Her relationship with her husband is strained by the secret she keeps, and the life of her son is always at risk. Will she ever be reconciled to her husband, her faith, and her position at court?

Set in England, early 1600's: After the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, assassination attempt against King James I, resulting in some executions including France’s love interest, Tom Wintour. Frances is destitute with the knowledge of being pregnant, So she accepts a proposal from Sir Thomas, and marries him.

Having enjoyed The King's Witch, I was interested to see what else life had in store for Frances in book two. Once again Tracy Borman delivers in, The Devil's Slave. This is a must read for historical fiction fans, depicting the treacherous court of the first Stuart King. The author creates engaging historical fiction with excitement and suspense. There is something to be said about Borman’s writing, she masterly weaves real historical events and people to her own creative storyline. The results are definitely amazing. This an intriguing spiderwebbed plot driven book, It fully captivated and intrigued me until the very cliffhanger end.
This was a tension filled book because I stressed over the the main POV decision and felted completely vested in page turner novel.
I am excited for next book in this incredible Trilogy by Tracy Borman

Following the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, the father of Frances Gorges unborn child is sentenced to a traitors death. Frances returns to her childhood home at Longborn but before her child is born she is offered marriage and the chance to return to court.
Now married Lady Frances Tyringham gets caught up in court plots earning herself suspicion. She hopes to encourage Princess Elizabeth to marry a Catholic but will her earlier arrest for witchcraft be her downfall? And how far to these plots extend?

This book gives fascinating insight in to people less known in this era, so much so that I've started reading about them myself!
I could not put this down til I'd finished and thoroughly enjoyed it. 
I can't wait to read what happens in the next instalment! Borman has succeeded in providing entertaining historical fiction which I would highly recommend.

I loved the first book in the trilogy and was not disappointed by this second instalment. The book picks up roughly where the last book ended Frances having been accused to witchcraft in the turbulent and dangerous court of James I, has fled with her secret back to her family home. What follows is a engaging story of intrigue, love and difficult decisions. As Frances desperately tries to survive whilst staying true to her faith, loyal to her memories and to her husband.....something that is not always possible.
I love the character of Frances that is detailed and multi faceted, you understand and sympathise with her struggles even if you don’t always agree with her decisions.
Anyone with a slight historical knowledge of the period will know how this book ends simply due to knowing the fate of the real people involved but this does not detract from the story.
I cannot wait for the last book.

This suspenseful and dramatic sequel to The King's Witch picks up with a pregnant Frances Gorges returning to the dangerous (especially for her) court of King James I. Recently married to a friend of her deceased lover, she is called back to court to serve Princess Elizabeth. But Frances is a Catholic and a healer (many would say witch), and it is deadly to be either. She is surrounded by enemies, treachery and deceit, and it's hard to know who to trust. King James is on a quest to rid the country of witches, and his evil son Henry has formed a relationship with Frances' estranged brother Richard, both of whom would like to see Frances dead. Adding complexity is the need to find Princess Elizabeth a husband (always a political adventure in the royal court) and her father James and brother Henry are not in accord on who the right candidate should be....landing Frances square in the middle.

The Devil's Slave is suspenseful; I didn't want to put it down and found myself reading far into the night. The relationships are often nuanced, and leave us wondering who to trust and when Frances will be fatally betrayed. It's the kind of book you'll find difficult to put down, especially if you're a historical fiction buff. Please don't make me wait too long for the next one!

Having enjoyed The King's Witch, I was interested to see what else life had in store for Frances in book two. Overall, The Devil's Slave was a good read. Perhaps it lacked a little of the excitement of the gunpowder plot in book one, but the novel was still well crafted, with good pacing and plenty of action along the way, especially as we moved into the latter half of the tale. Frances annoyed me once or twice with her bad decisions in this one, but on the whole she is a character the reader can get behind, and I am certainly keen to see how her story will end in book three. Recommended for fans of historical fiction who enjoy plenty of action and suspense in their stories.

England, early 1600's: After the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot, assassination attempt against King James I, resulting in some executions including France’s love one –Tom Wintour. Frances is left with a growing belly. She accepts Sir Thomas proposal and marries him.

There are still some Catholics, who plot against the King and who want to install his daughter Elizabeth Stuart as the Catholic head of state. They hope for religious tolerance.

Frances moves back to London to be at court and take part in the new plot. She is to attend Elizabeth once more. But it’s been five years and Elizabeth is not the same innocent girl anymore. She has formed her own opinions and is about to be married. “I shall marry a prince of the true faith, one who can help my father to rid this kingdom of papists once and for all.”

There is a lot of mention who is who and reference to their part in Book I, which is fine, but there is also reference to Tom Wintour, how he must have been tortured, felt and so forth and also Frances recognizing many faces at the court and her being afraid of them recognizing her. Because of that it seems as not much is happening in Book II.

As much as I liked Book I, I was not engrossed by Book II. And this is why I prefer stand-alone books as they tend to be much stronger.

I received a finished copy and an digital arc of this book and am grateful for both.

I would like to thank netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Becca Mundy and Border Fiction for a free finished copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the final book in the trilogy.

While the wait for the second book in the trilogy felt like a long time, the reward is well worth it. In the second book, Frances has given birth to her son and marries Thomas Tyringham, who raises George as his own son and hopes that one day Frances will come to love him as he loves her. While protecting her and her son from being associated with the failed Powder Treason, they return to King James’ court as a family. While Frances and vowed to keep her Catholic faith hidden, she has a rebellious streak and a desire to seek justice for her lost love, Tom. As she works to do her part for the cause, Frances does not know who to trust and who is not a true supporter of the cause.

Just as with the first book, this is a page turner that you cannot put down. The author has done a fantastic job of taking history and seamlessly weaving in Frances’ story. It is well written and I cannot wait for the third book to complete the trilogy, but I know that the wait will be well worth it.

This is a perfectly serviceable historical novel. It's a quick read, well paced, with some good period color. The writing, though, is pedestrian (eyes blaze a lot), and the characters flat. The baddies are very bad, with no redeeming features; the good guys are very good, with only minor faults. I'd love to read a novel about the court of James I in which his complexities are really brought to life. If you want an undemanding commuter read, this does the trick.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grove Atlantic, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Francis is a character I’ve really come to enjoy reading about. In historical fiction, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of a passive woman who has no control, or alternatively, a character who just seems a little too headstrong and radical to be realistic. Frances, however, feels like a balance between the two. She has moments in which she does fall under the control of men, but similarly occasionally puts herself at risk to speak her mind. Overall, Francis as a character feels real. She’s not wholly good, nor wholly bad – but I still found myself rooting for her because of how passionate she is, even if she made some questionable decisions at points.

Generally speaking, the characters in the novel were okay. None of them felt particularly memorable in anyway, but having said that they served their purpose. However the more antagonistic characters (Francis brother, Edward in particularly) just felt like he was there to be the bad guy and that just didn’t sit right with me. Whilst his motives were clear, he just takes the role of oppressor in a patriarchal society to such a level which felt too emphasised. That being said, I’m not an expert on the early seventeenth century, so it could be likely that some individuals were that intense.

I didn’t find myself as invested in the plot of this book as much as I did for The King’s Witch – I just don’t think that it flowed as well as the first book. I did, however, enjoy it. There’s something about webs of plots which intrigues me, especially when this story is deeply rooted in the historical context and quite a few events that I’m aware of are key to the plot. I did find myself more interested, however, in the events of Francis’ personal life, and the life of the princess she serves but that is very much personal preference.

I’ve read three of Tracy Borman’s books now, and as always, I found her writing very clear and easy to settle into. Despite the slightly fractured narrative, the writing does flow nicely and its generally a pleasant reading experience. It’s definitely well-written, with well-informed historical knowledge (I recommend reading the author’s note at the end) which makes the story as a whole more believable to the reader.

Overall, this is a delightful continuation of a trilogy I definitely intend on finishing – even if there was something missing which I had found in the first book. I thoroughly enjoy reading the live of Frances and this book definitely ran with some of the plot threads set up at the end of the first book. Overall, an enjoyable read if you’re after a hearty historical fiction with some interesting plots and drama.

Everything one hopes for in historical fiction! 5 Stars!

Lady Frances, a lady in waiting to Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James, has a secret. If it were exposed to all, she could be tortured or hanged. Her relationship with her husband is strained by the secret she keeps, and the life of her son is always at risk. Will she ever be reconciled to her husband, her faith, and her position at court?

I did not read the first book in the series, but I had no problems picking up the story where it starts in this book.

The protagonist, Frances, is a relatable and interesting woman, dealing with issues of her day and society. The descriptions of King James' court and the intrigues surrounding the characters is completely engrossing and enjoyable to get lost in. If you like historical fiction, especially anything to do with British history, you will love this book.

I received a free ARC of this book as a professional reviewer on NetGalley. I do not let that fact make my opinion higher than it would otherwise. This happens to be one of my 5 star reviews.