The Tudor Prophecy

England, 1541. An ailing Henry VIII reigns from a contested throne. In parallel story lines, The Tudor Prophecy follows two young women, Lady Alice Grantmire and Hester Vaughan, cousins who each suffer greatly from the King's unjust decrees. Lady Alice and her mother are evicted from their estate and take residence in a cottage where they earn a subsistence selling herbal remedies--until they are accused of witchcraft. After being molested by the King, Hester is summoned to her estranged father's home in Wales. There she becomes betrothed to a Welsh bard whose mentor has visions foretelling the ascendancy of Henry's second daughter, Elizabeth. When Hester encounters the eight-year-old Lady Elizabeth, the two forge a relationship whereby Hester can persuade the future queen to temper her own rule with mercy. This epic, literary tale--a Game of Thrones meets Little Women--is also for readers who loved the Wolf Hall trilogy by Booker-Prize winner Hilary Mantel.

ISBN: 9781989833490
Format: Paperback
Pages: 460
Publisher: OC Publishing
Published: January 25, 2025

The Tudor Prophecy is a fast-paced and exciting narrative following the trials and adventures of two young women in the turbulent times of the reformation in England. Spanning a few hectic months, and ranging from London to North Wales, Julie Strong’s novel gives us the struggles and difficulties that ordinary women and their families went through in that turbulent time, as she traces the perilous journeys of appealing cousins Alice and Hester while they attempt to keep their tattered lives together, and find love on the way. The plot twists and turns in surprising and entertaining ways, introducing us to a vile Henry VIII, and leading through the pagan remains of the Goddess in Wales, to an encounter with a princess. Careful research comes to life in engaging prose, and a vivid story carries the reader along swiftly.An astonishment of riches—impeccably researched, gorgeous detail; wry, earthy humour; nimble, beautiful prose—The Tudor Prophecy recreates a world in which nature’s resplendence and humanity’s place in its order outshine the brutal throne and dominion of Henry VIII. Strong’s novel is fiercely ambitious, deeply felt, at once playful and wise as it reveals the eternal feminine in an era driven by animus and marked by violent schism. No holds barred, it reflects upon the mystery of genuine power in the sphere of humble human relations, its players’ melodramas guided by true nobility: the spirit of benevolence and love.