This is indeed a novel for obviously all the conversations are imagined but it is so bound in fact it might easily be non-fiction. A huge amount of history and copious potted biographies make for a fascinating and enthralling read, plus a family tree showing how the Greys, Tudors and Stuarts link. All that is just add-ons, the story itself is riveting. It is the tale of the two Grey sisters after the execution of Lady Jane and told in their voices, plus that of a court portrait painter, Levina. It adds nothing to the tale that we don’t already know but it is beautifully done.
Sisters of Treason is a powerful and moving story of passion and peril in Tudor England, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel. Mary Tudor clings fearfully to the English throne. Seeing the threat posed by her cousin, Lady Jane Grey, the Queen orders her execution. But what of Lady Jane's young sisters - Katherine and Mary? Cursed with royal blood, they must endure the perils of a Tudor court, closely observed by its paranoid Queen. Entranced by the drama, intrigue and romance of court life, young Lady Katherine's desire for love leads her to make ill-advised and dangerous liaisons. Burdened with a crooked back, her younger sister, Lady Mary - the 'mouse' - is seen as no threat and becomes privy to the Queen's most intimate secrets. Yet Mary, who yearns to escape court dramas, knows her closeness to the Queen could be her undoing. For the Queen is childless and in ill-health. If she should die, her fearsome sister Elizabeth will inherit the crown. Then Katherine and Mary will find court a maze of treachery and danger - where possessing royal blood is the gravest crime of all...
'A great read. Sisters of Treason totally transports the reader to the Tudor court, with all its tensions and games' Katherine Webb, author of The Legacy
'A sumptous epic' Metro
'Gripping' Woman & Home
'Rich and enticing' Stylist
Author
About Elizabeth Fremantle
Elizabeth Fremantle is the author of Queen's Gambit, Sisters of Treason and Watch the Lady. She holds a first in English and an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck. As a Fashion Editor she has contributed to various publications including Vogue, Elle, and Vanity Fair.
