I've had The Spymaster Chronicles by Christopher Gortner on my to be read pile for sometime now, and I am so glad via a TBR to R reading challenge on Goodreads that I pulled these books out and thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy.

Gortner's writing and clear love for history makes The Tudor Secret's world-building is immersive and you cannot help but feel as though you are walking the halls of such notorious Tudor buildings as Whitehall and the Tower. We're thrust into the political machinations alongside the main protagonist of the trilogy, Brendan Prescott is called from the rural homestead of the Dudley family where he has been raised to London during the final weeks of Edward VI's reign in 1553.

I loved the characterization of Gortner's fictional Royal Tudors, King Edward VI, Princess Mary Tudor and Princess Elizabeth Tudor who all appear throughout this first book alongside the young Lady Jane Grey who is someone you truly want to hug as you see her fate through Brendan's eyes. There is a wonderful blend in each of the four Royals of what is known about each of them through historical documents etcetera and Gortner's fictional retelling of the events that occurred during the end of the young King's reign.

The main focus of the tale, is of course Brendan Prescott and how he is unwittingly thrust into the machinations of spying and political upheaval within Whitehall. I admit it seems fast how he ends up in his role but given the Spymaster Chronicles are only three books, sometimes things need to occur swiftly and Gortner really makes it work and I loved every moment of the book and I believe anyone loves the Tudor period of English history will love The Tudor Secret and the further two in the series.