Product Description

In this rousing historical adventure set in the Tudor court,
we are swept back to the final days of Edward VI's reign, and a time of
danger, deceit, and courage. Brendan Prescott, a foundling reared in Dudley
household, arrives at court to serve as a squire to the arrogant Lord
Robert Dudley. Keen and ambitious, Brendan hopes to gain advancement in his
new post - until Lord Robert dispatches him on an illicit mission to the
King's enigmatic sister, the Princess Elizabeth, and Brendan discovers that
nothing in his world is as it appears. A dark plot brews around Elizabeth's
quest to unravel the truth about her brother King Edward VI's
disappearance. Lured into her service as a spy, with only a bold stable boy
and audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless
gambit of half-truths and lies, pitted against the wiles of a vengeful
opponent who may hold the secret of his own mysterious birth - a secret
that could shatter everything he believes in, and cast an inescapable
shadow over him, Elizabeth, and the future of England itself. Filled with
the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Secret Lion is the first
book in The Spymaster Chronicles. This new edition features the Two Bridges
Press Reader's Group Guide.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114847 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 260 pages

The Historical Novels Review, February 2005
Captures Tudor glamour and depravity. . . No other series has
pulled together intrigue, politics, and pageantry in such a delightful
package.

Tahoe Daily Tribune, November 2004
Holds a dark mirror to our society . . .The intertwining of facts
and fiction make for a fascinating read.

The Bookwoman, Winter 2005
A haunting secret, terrifying vengeance, and action-packed
adventure . . . this is historical suspense at its finest!

Customer Reviews

Historical fantasy, American style
I bought this book last week, as it seemed to have great reviews and I simply can not resist historical murder mysteries. I've just finished reading the fabulous books by C.J.Sansom, set during Henry VIII's reign, and ordered this as a stop-gap until his new one comes out.

Although this is a decent-ish read, with plenty of things to keep you reading (intriguing characters, sinister machinations, a great Tudor backdrop) I could not but feel that this is a somewhat average attempt at the genre.

The first thing about it that made me despair was its clear lack of research. By half-way through I had lost count of the number of historical inaccuracies (e.g. a genealogy table on page 1 claims Prince Arthur, elder brother of Henry VIII, died in 1509!) which even Wikipedia would disagree with. I also feel that most people reasonably versed in Tudor history would find problem with Gortner's portrayal of such figures as Cecil, Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth I, et al.

Being an Oxford Uni postgraduate in medieval history makes me a more critical reader than most concerning historical fiction, and although I am aware this is not a studious piece, I really felt that on the whole this sloppy approach let the novel down enormously. Perhaps Gortner does not care to litter his works with accurate specifics, but as far as I'm concerned these errors turned the whole piece in to some bizarre work of fantasy, which perhaps pleases the American market, but would disappoint those who take British history a little more seriously (even in fictional penny reads!).

I might purchase another of his, but only if I were in the mood to scoff!

The Renaissance Comes to Life!
From the very first page of this fast-paced adventure, where the narrator looks back upon his youthful adventures and his first encounter with Elizabeth I, I was drawn in. I often felt as if I was standing in the same room, bending closer to hear what whispered conspiracies were afoot. Colors, sounds and textures come alive in this fabulous first novel, and the characters are memorable in their depth and complexity.

Brendan Prescott is a feisty, ambitious, and sensitive youth caught in the deadly liaisons of the Tudor court, in a time when England edged toward civil war. Such well known historical persons as Lady Jane Grey, the handsome Robert Dudley and the entire scheming Dudley clan, the redoubtable Frances Brandon of Suffolk, and even a hunted and determined Mary Tudor (later Queen Mary I)come to life in a tense and action-packed narrative that never lets go. We are right there with him as Brendan tries to uncover the secret of his past, and races to save a headstrong Princess Elizabeth from betrayal and murder.

C.W. Gortner's knowledge of the period is so encompassing, and the plot intricate, but he does a great job of keeping the reader in his sights at all times. Characters are vivid and well described, as is the landscape, the palaces, the stables and the kitchens. This is a novel where we see how the servants got to live, and how servants were often little more than slaves to their masters. Likewise, this novel gives us a glimpse into the spy service that would become a world-wide net under Elizabeth I, something rarely explored in fiction. Mr. Gortner weaves all of this into a highly readable and immediate narrative, and doesn't leave a single plot thread hanging - except one, which of course is a teaser for the rest of the series!

Gortner's love for the period and his characters shines through. His writing is dramatic without being cloying, and breathtakingly visual: I hope that many others will take advantage of this book and learn what it is to read the work of someone who is a master of the craft! Even as he dares present us with a rare look into the less palatable aspect of the Tudor world, his characterizations refrain from cliché or stereotype. Instead, he gives even his villains something human that defines them, and therefore makes them understandable to us. And his Elizabeth is almost pagan, and so vividly drawn she captures you - as she does Brendan - from the moment she appears on a misty river landing stage in a garden of Whitehall Palace.

I couldn't wait to get home at night to read THE SECRET LION and I can't wait to for the sequel. Like Sharon Penman and Patricia Finney, this is a writer whom historical fiction and mystery fans alike will come to treasure.

Suspense, history, and a spy who deserves more books
Brendan Prescott, a foundling raised in the household of the duke of Northumberland, is summoned to London to serve as squire to his benefactor's son, Robert Dudley. His arrival in London coincides with the climax of one of England's greatest and most complex power struggles ever. What's more, his sense of honor demands that he become involved.

It's 1553, and, with England's teenaged King Edward VI near death, Northumberland is the country's de facto ruler. Next in line for the throne are Edward's sisters, first Mary and then Elizabeth. But Northumberland doesn't intend to relinquish his power; he determines to keep control of the throne for himself, and no expediency is beneath him.

Brendan's first assignment is to deliver a clandestine message from Robert to the princess Elizabeth. When he meets the magnetic and mysterious princess and senses the danger she faces, his expectations of dull servitude and possible advancement in the Dudley household end. Brendan offers his services to Her Grace, and soon finds himself tangled in a treacherous web of plots and counter-plots. Stunningly, it becomes evident that buried within these machinations is the secret to his own parentage.

Although mystery and intrigue take center stage, the human element is strong in this book. Brendan's drive to learn who he really is - and to understand the role he has unknowingly played in the Dudleys' plotting - is central to the story, and adds a depth and urgency that kept me turning pages well into the night. He arrives in London with little more to recommend him than a strong intellect and a keenly observant nature. But this courageous young man rises admirably to his new challenges, growing immensely in acumen and confidence in the short period of time covered by the story. Along the way, he finds much-deserved love with a beautiful woman.

C.W. Gortner's debut novel is vibrant with historical flavor and wicked with intrigue. His lustrous prose resounds with depth and subtlety, and his speculations on one of history's most fascinating episodes are utterly engrossing and entirely too plausible.