The Devil's Slave
from the author of Sunday Times bestseller The Stolen Crown (Sept 2025)
Published on 13. June 2019
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-1-4736-6249-0 (ISBN)
Description
'Borman's expertise as a historian of the period is much in evidence throughout a lively, entertaining novel' The Sunday Times
'So vividly evoked that you are there' Alison Weir
'Rich evocation of 17th-century life' The Times
***
Frances Gorges has already survived the accusation of witchcraft.
But if her torturers at the court of King James knew of her love for Tom Wintour, one of the executed members of the gunpowder plot, it would mean certain death.
Pregnant with Tom's child, hiding under the reluctant protection of her spiteful and ambitious brother, Frances lives in fear - until she is offered the chance to make a respectable - if loveless - marriage and return to court.
She will not be expected to sleep with her husband. The only price she must pay for safety is to give up the cause for which her lover died.
But old loyalties are hard to deny, and soon Frances is drawn back into the snake-pit scheming of the factions trying to take the throne.
Everywhere she turns, it seems that someone has the power to force her deeper into danger until, all too late, Frances hears the warnings of her own heart.
Compelling, sensual, suspenseful, The Devil's Slave is a standalone sequel to The King's Witch and further evidence that one of our finest historians is also a brilliant novelist.
***
Praise for The King's Witch:
'The adventures of her courageous heroine put flesh on the bones of a fascinating historical framework'Sunday Mirror
'Tracy Borman's debut historical novel has it all: conspiracy, betrayal, dark intrigues, bloody deeds, a poignant love story - and the most famous plot in English history' Alison Weir, author of the Six Tudor Queens series
'An accomplished novel with a vivid historical setting . . . the scenes in which Frances defends herself against accusations of witchcraft are particularly strong' The Times
'So vividly evoked that you are there' Alison Weir
'Rich evocation of 17th-century life' The Times
***
Frances Gorges has already survived the accusation of witchcraft.
But if her torturers at the court of King James knew of her love for Tom Wintour, one of the executed members of the gunpowder plot, it would mean certain death.
Pregnant with Tom's child, hiding under the reluctant protection of her spiteful and ambitious brother, Frances lives in fear - until she is offered the chance to make a respectable - if loveless - marriage and return to court.
She will not be expected to sleep with her husband. The only price she must pay for safety is to give up the cause for which her lover died.
But old loyalties are hard to deny, and soon Frances is drawn back into the snake-pit scheming of the factions trying to take the throne.
Everywhere she turns, it seems that someone has the power to force her deeper into danger until, all too late, Frances hears the warnings of her own heart.
Compelling, sensual, suspenseful, The Devil's Slave is a standalone sequel to The King's Witch and further evidence that one of our finest historians is also a brilliant novelist.
***
Praise for The King's Witch:
'The adventures of her courageous heroine put flesh on the bones of a fascinating historical framework'Sunday Mirror
'Tracy Borman's debut historical novel has it all: conspiracy, betrayal, dark intrigues, bloody deeds, a poignant love story - and the most famous plot in English history' Alison Weir, author of the Six Tudor Queens series
'An accomplished novel with a vivid historical setting . . . the scenes in which Frances defends herself against accusations of witchcraft are particularly strong' The Times
Reviews / Votes
Borman's expertise as a historian of the period is much in evidence throughout a lively, entertaining novel * The Sunday Times * Tracy Borman keeps the suspense ramped up in this beautifully written novel, a Jacobean tragedy in which her delightful heroine in threatened on all sides. Never have I seen the sheer nastiness and corruption of the Jacobean court so well portrayed or an age so vividly evoked that you are there, living the story. Borman has combined her formidable knowledge of the period with her effortless skill in writing fiction and stunning creativity. A highly accomplished and chilling tale. Can't wait for the sequel! -- Alison Weir Powerfully accomplished and vividly detailed, THE DEVIL'S SLAVE returns to the world Borman so convincingly created in THE KING'S WITCH. Her heroine Frances, under suspicion for her skills as a herbalist, has to pick a precarious path through the intricacies of a Jacobean court seething with conspiracy and corruption. I swallowed this book in two great gulps - and wait impatiently for the third of the trilogy. -- Sarah Gristwood A beautifully crafted and pacey narrative that's jam packed full of intricate detail, THE DEVIL'S SLAVE is sure to get your pulse racing. Once again Tracy Borman has effortlessly blended the intrigues of the seventeenth century court with the ability to tell a gripping story that will leave the reader yearning for more. Essential reading that's spellbindingly magical. -- Nicola Tallis Borman's background as a historian...is evident in the rich evocation of 17th-century life * The Times * Tracy Borman dramatises the fault lines between religious conviction and the convoluted vendettas of Jacobean England with an empathetic and knowledgeable hand * Daily Mail * Borman's expertise as a historian of the period is much in evidence throughout a lively, entertaining novel * The Sunday Times *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Hodder & Stoughton
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 41 mm
Weight
668 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4736-6249-0 (9781473662490)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Tracy Borman
The Devil's Slave
from the author of Sunday Times bestseller The Stolen Crown (Sept 2025)
E-Book
06/2019
1st Edition
Hodder & Stoughton
€3.49
Available for download
Person
Tracy Borman OBE is Chief Historian at Historic Royal Palaces and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust. She studied and taught history at the University of Hull.
Tracy is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books including Crown & Sceptre, Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him, The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty, Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England, Elizabeth's Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen and Witches: A Tale of Sorcery, Scandal and Seduction. Tracy is also a regular broadcaster and public speaker, giving talks on her books across the UK and abroad.
Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyBorman
Tracy is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books including Crown & Sceptre, Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him, The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty, Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, Matilda: Wife of the Conqueror, First Queen of England, Elizabeth's Women: The Hidden Story of the Virgin Queen and Witches: A Tale of Sorcery, Scandal and Seduction. Tracy is also a regular broadcaster and public speaker, giving talks on her books across the UK and abroad.
Follow Tracy on Twitter @TracyBorman