It’s 1613 and Andrew Logan is one of the King’s Messengers, tasked with carrying important documents for King James. Not only must he keep the King’s secrets, but he must guard a secret of his own; he has the Sight – an ability to see snippets of future events. After the King’s son, Prince Henry, dies under suspicious circumstances, Andrew is tasked with finding and arresting Henry’s loyal courtier, Sir David Moray, and bringing him to England to stand trial. Accompanying him in his travels is Laurence Westaway, a scribe tasked with writing down everything Sir David says, and his daughter, Phoebe.
I love reading Susanna Kearsley’s books. Her books are fiction but are based on real people and events. I love how she brought this story to life, and I always learn something new about history when reading her books. I knew nothing about King James (son of Mary, Queen of Scots) or his son and the time period, but I found myself googling and reading the Wikipedia pages to find out all about these individuals.
The characters were well drawn out, and I felt like I was on that journey with them. The book is written with four points of view – Andrew Logan, Phoebe Westaway, Sir David Moray, and Queen Anna. Each point of view gives a little more insight into the characters, and we learn that not all is what it seems.
This book is primarily historical fiction, with a touch of romance and magic. If I’m being honest, I wish there were more magic in the book. I thought there would be a lot more writing about Andrew’s Sight and that it would somehow factor more into the story. Similarly, there isn’t a lot of romance in the book, and I wish there were more. The romance is mainly at the end of the book, which does finish the book in a lovely way.
The author’s note, or “About the Characters” section at the end of the book, was long but fascinating, and you shouldn’t skip reading it.
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Great review – I’m intrigued!