The young William suffers a lose after his beloved brothers death. Sent away to London, he soon becomes a favourite of the temperamental king - Henry VIII. Although he is love by his majesty, Will has a secret; he is still a catholic and such an act will be considered as treason. As Will leaves Hampton court to meet his father one last time, he becomes lost. His father ,who is sent to Newgate prison, is betrayed by his own family. William goes on a daring adventure only having his families cygnet ring as proof he is a Montage.

The Tudors. Particularly Henry VIII – a time that attracts so many writers. This is set in the period between Henry’s third wife (Jane Seymour, mother of Edward) and Anne of Cleves. An adventure that runs along side that well known historical story. It has an element of Mark Twain’s Prince and the Pauper – and brings the Tudor period into life. The religious tensions. The fear, the disparity of wealth and all that goes with it. A super book to give a little more depth to Henry VIII’s machinations and desperate attempt to sire a healthy male heir. To my mind the Tudor’s and their history is personal – about people. I like personal history. This story compliments the historical beautifully. It is good to remember that there were other lives along side, sometimes entwined within the Tudor family’s history. It was so much more than ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.’ Super.