Queen's Gambit: A Novel

Elizabeth Fremantle

Aug 2013 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

The basis for the upcoming major motion picture Firebrand—which reveals the tumultuous darker side to the marriages of the notorious King of England, Henry VIII, and the wife who survived.

“Smart, sensual, and suspenseful as a thriller, Queen’s Gambit is a must-read for Philippa Gregory fans.” —People

Widowed for the second time at age thirty-one, Katherine Parr falls deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. Instead, she attracts the amorous attentions of the ailing, egotistical, and dangerously powerful Henry VIII. No one is in a position to refuse a royal proposal. Haunted by the fates of his previous wives—two executions, two annulments, one death in childbirth—Katherine must wed Henry and rely on her wits and the help of her loyal servant Dot to survive the treacherous pitfalls of life as Henry’s queen. Yet as she treads the razor’s edge of court intrigue, she never quite gives up on love.

About the author

Elizabeth Fremantle is the author of four Tudor novels: Queen’s Gambit (soon to be the major motion picture, Firebrand, starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law), Sisters of Treason, Watch the Lady, and The Girl in the Glass Tower. As EC Fremantle she has written two gripping historical thrillers: The Poison Bed and The Honey and the Sting. Her contemporary short story, ‘That Kind of Girl,’ was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize in 2021. She has worked for Elle and Vogue in Paris and London and contributed to many publications including Vanity Fair, The Sunday Times (London), the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal. She lives in London.