"A Queen's Traitor" by Sam Burnell

This book picks up after the end of “A Queen’s Spy.” The characters we came to know in the first book are also a large part of this book. Jack believes his brother is dead and starts the story at a bit of a loss as to what he should do next. Mary is Queen of England, making the country once again a Catholic nation. Her sister Elizabeth, a Protestant, is still next in line for the throne unless Mary can provide her husband Phillip of Spain with a child.

It is not a comfortable time in England for Protestants, and there are numerous plots on how to return the country to being a Protestant nation. Jack, now knowing that he is the son of William Fitzwarren, and having proof of this fact goes to see a lawyer in an attempt to find a way to restore what should have been rightfully his. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as planned and he finds himself imprisoned in Marshalsea. In order to be released, he must pay the falsified debt that it is claimed he owes. Unable to do this, he is stuck in a cold dark cell, without food or water, and left there to die.

Add to this a plot to take Elizabeth from England (even though she has no desire to leave England) to keep her safe in another country while the men behind the plot seek to find a way to replace Mary & restore Protestantism to England, and this is a long and complicated tale.

This was an amazingly intricate historical fiction story set in Tudor England. The author managed to weave a fantastic tale with a great deal of historical knowledge detailed within, yet it doesn’t feel like you are reading a history texbook. The characters feel quite alive and vibrant. The pace is perfect given how much story needed to be told here. This book, like the previous one is a lengthy one, though it moves right along without either dragging or feeling rushed. I would recommend reading the first book in the series if you haven’t yet before starting this one, but if you enjoy historical fiction or books set in Tudor England, I highly recommend reading this one. I truly enjoyed it and I believe you will too.