Popular historian Alison Weir enters treacherous territory with a fictional re-telling of the early years of Elizabeth I and her much debated romance with Thomas Seymour, her stepmother's husband. "
For dramatic purposes, I have woven into my story a tale that goes against all my instincts as a historian!" quips Weir, explaining why she cast the queen as a less than virginal figure.
Telling fact from fiction becomes the name of the game, and Weir employs contemporary gossip to intriguing effect. With a style that casts even Philippa Gregory's stately gavottes in a dashing new light, Weir convinces with her scholarly grasp.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments