Frances Gorges Trilogy Books in Order

Tracy Borman's Frances Gorges trilogy follows a healer caught in the dangerous politics of the early Stuart court. The story begins as Elizabeth I's reign ends and James I takes the English throne. Frances knows how to use flowers and herbs to treat illness, a skill that gives her a purpose but also exposes her to suspicion. At a court where accusations can serve political interests, her knowledge is never simply a private accomplishment.

In The King's Witch, Frances helps nurse Elizabeth during the queen's final illness in 1603. She would rather return to her parents' country estate than seek influence near the new king. Her ambitious uncle brings her to the palace against her wishes, placing her within reach of Lord Cecil's schemes. The court offers powerful connections but little safety. James's fear of witchcraft makes familiar practices potentially dangerous, while the developing Gunpowder Plot brings another layer of secrecy and mistrust.

Knowing whom to trust becomes essential to survival.

Frances finds companionship with the king's daughter, Princess Elizabeth, and with courtier Tom Wintour. Neither affection nor friendship can fully protect her from the pressures surrounding them. The series places these personal relationships within a world divided by religion and political ambition, where people must judge how openly they can speak and which loyalties they can reveal. Borman uses the court's proximity to power as a source of suspense: being noticed may create opportunity, but it can also make someone a convenient target.

The Devil's Slave returns Frances to the same threatening environment, where earlier suspicions of witchcraft continue to matter. Her connection with Princess Elizabeth brings her close to royal plans and rivalries, while family responsibilities give her more to protect. In The Fallen Angel, the arrival of George Villiers changes the balance again. His growing influence and willingness to undermine those in his way create a new danger for Frances and Sir Thomas Tyringham. The trilogy's conflict develops through these shifting relationships rather than through a single unchanging enemy.

Safety depends on more than winning one confrontation.

The books combine historical fiction, romance and court intrigue, with witchcraft accusations rooted in human fear and political manipulation. Frances's medical knowledge makes the stakes particularly personal: something intended to help others can become evidence used against her. The trilogy is best read in publication order, starting with The King's Witch, followed by The Devil's Slave and The Fallen Angel. That sequence establishes the relationships and pressures that follow Frances from one novel to the next, while tracing the changing atmosphere around the first Stuart king.