What do readers think of The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gortner? Write your own review.

This book moves right along. The plot has lots of twists and close escapes--maybe too many--but the historical details are interesting and skillfully woven in. The treatment of the relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley is not the one given in those films with Glenda Jackson, Helen Mirrin, and Cate Blanchette, but it's actually quite believable and fully in keeping with the complex intrigues of the Tudor Court that the author so readily exploits.

Offers a slightly different perspective - young man raised as a servant is sent to court and is immediately involved in intrigues of all sorts and has to quickly figure out where his loyalties lie and where to place his trust. Lots of action kept my interest. There is more surface than depth to the characters and plot, but overall I enjoyed the book. Nice phrasing and writing style, would probably read other books by this author.

There is so much historical fiction written about the reign of Henry VIII and that of his daughter Elizabeth I. It was refreshing and informative to read of the intrigue and power plays at court in the time between these two monarchs. I was fairly ignorant of this period of English history. Basically the plot kept the reader's interest and the characters and their connections were fascinating. At times I think the author could have been more subtle with both plot and characters.
There was a "and then this happened next" quality that could have been smoother and I like my characters with more shades of gray. The good guys were perfect and the bad ones pure evil. Overall a good fun read but not outstanding.

This is not my favorite genre or period, but I enjoyed the book and think the author did a good job trying to tell an old story from a fresh perspective. The plot advanced well, the chapters were a manageable length, and the history and dialogue seemed sound. Readers who love historical fiction and the Tudor period should really enjoy this book.

I love historical fiction and the Tudor period. This book is a worthy addition to that genre. Brendan Fraser is an foundling who ends up being raised in the Dudley household. He comes embroiled in the intrigue and conspiracies at court concerning King Edward's death and the Dudley's attempt to put Lady Jane Gray and the Dudley's youngest son on the throne, disinheriting Mary and Elizabeth. This book did a wonderful job relaying the atmosphere and characters of this time period, also adding a mystery concerning Prescott. Anyone who likes historical fiction, spy stories and intrigue will enjoy this novel.

If you are looking for a light, enjoyable mystery then this may be the book for you. The book moved along at an easy pace and the historical setting was engaging. If you are looking for historical accuracy then this may not be the book for you.
I facilitate an adult book discussion group at a library. I would not select this as a discussion book but would recommend it to those interested in this genre.

I knew from his previous book about Catherine de Medici that I enjoyed C.W. Gortner’s writing, but this one fell a bit flat for me. It started out promising with an apparently naïve young man being sent to court at a time when scheming and plotting was at its dirtiest and nastiest. Within a few short pages he’s gone from his first exposure to life at court to being sharp enough to be conscripted as a spy for a member of Elizabeth’s inner circle. I know it’s historical fiction but some of the quick turnarounds and emotional attachments in this one just seemed too quick.

Despite that, I liked Brendan Prescott as a character. He seemed to have a strong inner place from which he made his decisions and alliances. The secondary characters that he joined up with along the way were interesting and for a planned series might make a good core of recurring characters.

I know it’s planned as a series, but I’m just not sure it’s a series I’ll bother to continue reading.

The Tudor Secret is C.W. Gortner’s first novel, although not his first published, which I got as an ARC from BookBrowse. It’s set in an interesting time in Tudor history, the tense period surrounding young King Edward VI’s death and his sister Mary’s successful bid for the throne. Most of the story focuses on Elizabeth, but there are scenes with Mary and Lady Jane Grey. The hero of the story, Brenden Prescott, a bastard foundling the Dudleys have raised, is brought to court as a squire for John Dudley, and quickly, almost too quickly, becomes involved in the spying and secrets of the court. I found Brenden interesting, but there wasn’t enough time for the story to be reasonable, in my opinion. In about 2 weeks or less, Brenden falls in love, becomes a trusted confidant of Princess Elizabeth and King Edward’s friend and body servant, is recruited by Cecil as a spy, becomes a secret messenger for both Cecil and Queen Mary, and discovers the secret of his noble birth. While I enjoyed the story, this was just too much to be believed. Who would trust such an unknown with such dangerous secrets? I also found some of the characterization unbelievable, especially the Dudleys. They were all such monsters, and given Elizabeth’s relations with Robert and her intelligence, I found it hard to believe he had no redeeming qualities, but this book shows otherwise. Between the broad characters and the breathless pace, it shows as a first novel. It is the first in a series, so hopefully, the others will improve. I found Gortner’s second novel, The Last Queen, much better and so am looking forward to the next one.