Description:
England is divided. The throne is fragile. A king walks toward his destiny.
When James I dies under a cloud of suspicion, his son Charles inherits more than a crown: he inherits whispers of poison, corruption, and betrayal. At his side stands George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: loyal friend to Charles, hated favorite of the court, and the man many blame for the old king’s death.
Charles I: The Martyr tells the story of a monarch who believed in divine right above all else. From the glittering halls of Whitehall to the battlefields of Edgehill, Marston Moor, and Naseby, Charles clings to loyalty, faith, and the ghost of Buckingham’s influence. His queen counsels caution. His people demand change. His Parliament seethes with rebellion. Yet Charles holds fast, even as the walls close in.
In one continuous epic of fifty-five chapters: spanning from the deathbed of James I to the cold January morning when the axe falls at Whitehall: this novel brings to life the voices of kings, courtiers, soldiers, and common folk. Through their conversations, readers witness the slow unraveling of monarchy and the birth of revolution.
Rich in atmosphere, unflinching in detail, and written with historical accuracy, Charles I: The Martyr is more than a retelling. It is a story of loyalty and betrayal, of faith and power, of a king remembered by his followers as steadfast to the very end.
For fans of Hilary Mantel, C.J. Sansom, or Sharon Kay Penman, this sweeping novel opens a window into the soul of a king who lost his crown but gained immortality.