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The King at the Edge of the World
Critic Reviews
Good
Based on 8 reviews on
"Evokes flashes of Hilary Mantel, John le Carré and Graham Greene, but the wry, tricky plot that drives it is pure Arthur Phillips."--The Wall Street Journal
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND THE WASHINGTON POST
The year is 1601. Queen Elizabeth I is dying, childless. Her nervous kingdom has no heir. It is a capital crime even to think that Elizabeth will ever die. Potential successors secretly maneuver to be in position when the inevitable occurs. The leading candidate is King James VI of Scotland, but there is a problem.
The queen's spymasters--hardened veterans of a long war on terror and religious extremism--fear that James is not what he appears. He has every reason to claim to be a Protestant, but if he secretly shares his family's Catholicism, then forty years of religious war will have been for nothing, and a bloodbath will ensue. With time running out, London confronts a seemingly impossible question: What does James truly believe?
It falls to Geoffrey Belloc, a secret warrior from the hottest days of England's religious battles, to devise a test to discover the true nature of King James's soul. Belloc enlists Mahmoud Ezzedine, a Muslim physician left behind by the last diplomatic visit from the Ottoman Empire, as his undercover agent. The perfect man for the job, Ezzedine is the ultimate outsider, stranded on this cold, wet, and primitive island. He will do almost anything to return home to his wife and son.
Arthur Phillips returns with a unique and thrilling novel that will leave readers questioning the nature of truth at every turn.
Book Details
- Publisher: Random House Trade
- Publish Date: May 11st, 2021
- Pages: 304
- Language: English
- Edition: undefined - undefined
- Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.10in - 0.80in - 0.45lb
- EAN: 9780812985504
- Categories: • Literary• Historical - General• Biographical
About the Author
More books by Arthur Phillips
What people are saying
Looking for your next read? You're in the right place. Personalized recs, alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays and always here: https://t.co/WMEobU4K8g
@charles_leroy Also, have you read The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips? It came up in another search, but mentioned historical spycraft...
Critics’ reviews
Praise for this book
"Darkly entertaining . . . Phillips writes with such breadth, intelligence and wit . . . The novel is brilliant--textured, witty and Shakespeare-deep with palace intrigue, lust, conspiracy, xenophobia and Iago-level villainy."--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Arthur Phillips fans will recognize--and new readers will thrill to--the immersive mix of erudition, brio, and heart in The King at the Edge of the World. Phillips is an original--and in top form."--Jennifer Egan
"Terrifically engaging . . . [a] rich historical novel."--The Washington Post
"A rare combination of literary finesse and quick-paced plot--and another triumph from the versatile Phillips. . . . One is reminded of Hilary Mantel's magisterial Wolf Hall but perhaps more pointedly of Graham Greene's novels."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Highly recommended . . . truly original . . . The indefatigably imaginative Phillips . . . offers historical fiction with aching contemporary overtones."--Library Journal (starred review)
"[An] inventively multilayered novel . . . evoked in exquisite language full of subtle shadings. . . . Readers will flock to the latest from esteemed bestseller Phillips, whose signature literary prowess and nimble imagination remain ascendant."--Booklist
"Phillips masterfully renders the period and packs the narrative with surprising twists. This clever, serpentine novel recalls the historical dramas of Hilary Mantel and the thrillers of John le Carré, and will reverberate in readers' minds."--Publishers Weekly
What people are saying
Looking for your next read? You're in the right place. Personalized recs, alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays and always here: https://t.co/WMEobU4K8g
@charles_leroy Also, have you read The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips? It came up in another search, but mentioned historical spycraft...