Pre-order

The King’s Witches

Get in the xigxag app
This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.
Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }}
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

'A masterpiece' – Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal, on The Maiden

The King’s Witches by Kate Foster is a gripping and beautiful historical novel, giving an unforgettable voice to the women at the heart of the real-life witch trials in sixteenth-century Scotland.

Women whisper secrets to each other; it is how we survive.

1589. Princess Anna of Denmark is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland – a royal union designed to forever unite the two countries. But first, she must pass the trial period: one year of marriage to prove herself worthy of being Scotland's new Queen. Determined to fulfil her duties to King and country, Anna resolves to be the perfect royal bride. Until she meets Lord Henry . . .

By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady-in-waiting. But, whilst tending to Anna's every need, Kirsten has her own secret motives for the royal marriage to be a success . . .

Meanwhile, in North Berwick, young housemaid Jura practises the healing charms taught to her by her mother. When she realises she is no longer safe under her master’s roof, she escapes to Edinburgh, only to find herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital, but the new queen . . .

Will Anna, Kirsten and Jura be able to save each other and, in doing so, save themselves?

*The Maiden was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction on 05/03/2024

Critics Review

  • The King’s Witches is enthralling, compelling and at times chilling. Foster transports the reader back in time, bringing alive the forgotten and hidden voices of women in the past. An utterly timely tale that surpasses The Maiden, her rightly celebrated debut

    D. V. Bishop, author of Ritual of Fire

  • With shades of The Familiars, this incredible tale of Princess Anna of Denmark’s betrothal to King James VI, all set against the Scottish witch trials, had me absolutely gripped. Kate Foster has spun a beautifully written tale of love and duty, fear and courage, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m already beside myself to read her next!

    Jenny Ashcroft, author of The Echoes of Love

  • Beautiful and brutal . . . a terrifyingly real story of how men control and fear us, and the extraordinary lengths some women have to go to in order to survive.

    Claire Evans, author of The Graves of Whitechapel

  • A rich, compelling story of three women and their intersecting lives . . . I loved the combination of court intrigue and the Scottish witch trials, and how Foster skilfully uses both to explore the position of women at this point in time

    Katie Lumsden, author of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall

  • [R]iveting . . . The tension persists until the last page

    The Times on The Maiden

  • The Maiden is a masterpiece. A thrilling historical murder tale but so much more. Vivid, evocative and full of humanity

    Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal, on The Maiden

More from the same

Author

Narrator

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.