A slim but intriguing view of the court of James VI of Scotland.
A royal jeweler to King James VI of Scotland finds his life uprooted when James succeeds Queen Elizabeth as the ruler of England.
The most surprising thing about Findlay’s fictionalized history of the court of King James Vl is its length. Historical novels tend to be colossal in size, laden—and sometimes weighed down—with facts and descriptions. But Findlay’s nimble work clocks in at less than 200 pages without losing any of its appeal. A playwright and journalist, she makes every word count in this entertaining retelling of Scottish history. The story is largely seen from the perspective of George Heriot, jeweler to the king of Scotland and a special favorite of the gem-besotted Queen Anna. Like the rest of the court, Heriot finds his life in Edinburgh uprooted in 1603, when Queen Elizabeth dies. King James takes over the British throne, and the move to England alters Heriot’s life in tragic and lucrative ways. Findlay’s seamless narrative weaves confidently through court intrigue and hard economic realities. Heriot, who is also a moneylender, is particular about his ledgers, but the king is careless and extravagant: He’ll risk the displeasure of all others to please his wife. Religious complications abound throughout the story: The king’s Catholic mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed, but he has sworn to uphold Protestant values and sees himself as a peacemaker. Other real-life characters appear throughout the book, among them poet William Drummond, architect Inigo Jones, and playwright Ben Jonson, as well as his more famous counterpart, William Shakespeare. Sometimes storylines could have been fleshed out more—the creation of the King James Bible, for example, deserves more attention—and sometimes Heriot’s personal losses feel a bit passed over. But, overall, Findlay’s economy of words works in the novel’s favor. She leaves the reader wishing for more, which is really all a writer can hope for.
A slim but intriguing view of the court of James VI of Scotland.Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781910895559
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Scotland Street Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.
With only a month left until the world ends due to a swiftly approaching black hole, Don and Rodney, a retired gay couple, road-trip from Maine to Washington to spend their final days with their son.
After reports that a planet-swallowing black hole is making its way toward Earth, Rodney and Don—who have been together for 40 years and survived everything from homophobia to the HIV crisis—decide to pack their belongings into an RV, say goodbye to their neighbors, and travel from Camden, Maine, to Washington to uphold a promise to spend their final days with their son. They can’t wait any longer, since there’s already chaos around the country: “Military vehicles in the streets of most cities and towns. Looting, rioting, the burning of cars and buildings and people, all of it had already happened.” As they make their way west across the country, they encounter fellow travelers ranging from close-knit families to free-spirited hippies, some of whom have come to terms with the impending end of the world and others who haven’t. While the story seems to be asking readers what they would do if they had 30 days left to live, and reflects on what different kinds of acceptance might look like in the face of unavoidable tragedy, it loses some of its poignancy in a series of thinly padded monologues about the meaning of life. Clearly intended to pack an emotional punch, it’s failed by an abrupt ending, and the way the journey’s mystery—which will be obvious to many readers—is revealed by an info dump in the last chapter.
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250881236
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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