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Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
The Tudor Prophecy by Julie Strong is a delightful journey into the world of Henry VIII and his Tudor reign as Catholicism was viciously rooted out and replaced by the Church of England. Hester Vaughn is a young woman gifted with healing knowledge who is determined to raise her status above her current station. Currently fostered at her cousin’s home, Lady Alice Grantmire, Hester is certain she can heal the king’s leg ulcers if just given the opportunity and he would be so grateful that he would gladly marry young Hester. Against a backdrop of religious intolerance which will see her foster parents stripped of their titles, land, liberty, and lives for refusing to renounce Catholicism, Hester travels to King Henry to minister to his illness. Treated like a common whore and abused by the king, she flees back to her Welsh roots and her beloved Bard, yet she finds she can still influence the future of the monarchy.
The Tudor Prophecy is an adventurous and beautifully written journey that accurately conveys the great social chasm that the outlawing of the Catholic Church had on especially titled landholders in the sixteenth century. The ruthlessness employed to root out Papists and to ensure their fealty to the king and his new church is wonderfully portrayed. The two young cousins, from vastly different backgrounds, play off each other perfectly. Julie Strong’s great attention to depth of story and character building allows readers to understand the emotions and fragility of these characters. Hester was a wonderfully resilient character whose empathy, kindness, and boundless optimism in the face of horrific treatment were the perfect counterpoint to a society where life was cheap and so many women died in childbirth. I appreciated the author weaving the future monarch, Elizabeth I, into the story and allowing Hester to have a significant impact on the young girl’s mindset. The author has left open the potential for a sequel and I look forward to it. This is a thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable read that I highly recommend.
