Series: None
Author: Virginia Boecker
Published October 23rd 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads Synopsis
When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further--kill the queen herself.
Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play--it's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.
The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.
Goodreads
Review
I love all things to do with the Tudor period of history, and when I heard about this book coming out, a mix of history, religion, and intrigue, I knew I needed to order it! Lady Katherine and her father are recusant Catholics, hiding their true beliefs during Elizabeth I's Protestant reign. When her father is murdered for being a Catholic, Katherine turns her hatred on the Queen, and soon finds herself a member of the treason plot in which her father had created against the Queen. Alone in the world, Katherine disguises herself as a boy, and travels to London, in order to be the final wheel in the downfall of her Majesty. Toby, on the other hand, is a spy for Elizabeth, and discovers the plot to kill her during a performance of Shakespeare's latest play. As both find themselves protagonists in the play, they soon fall for each other, and have to work hard to overcome their own prejudices, and do everything to survive in the turbulent Elizabethan times.
I basically loved everything about this book! Being a history teacher, who focused heavily on Tudor England when I was at university, I was over the moon with how true and realistic this book was. Except from the two main characters - Katherine/Kit and Toby - most of the cast, and plot, are all based on true events. The descriptions of Elizabeth London really helped the reader to immerse themselves in the book, and I felt as though I flew through this book, and that I was actually seeing the events unfold in front of me. Katherine and Toby's characters were fantastic, and both seemed as if they were actual teenagers, not just protagonists in the book. They had difficult pasts, and they weren't always perfect - throughout this book, they began to understand themselves, and each other, enough to realise who they were, and who they wanted to be. The chemistry between them was second to none, and I loved Toby's internal struggles as he was falling for both Kat and Kit, and didn't understand which he felt more for - luckily for him, they were the same person.
The main reason this book isn't a five star for me was because of the ending. I just felt that there were a few plot holes there, and it all tidied up a bit too easily. However, I do still really like it, and think I might have to have a look at the author's other books too.
Dates Read:
November 14-15, 2018Rating
4 Stars
