Emmie and the Tudor King

May 13, 2019
Alternating between the modern era and a 16th-century setting, debuting author Murray blends historical romance with hints of sci-fi. On the verge of graduating from high school in Massachusetts, Emmie, 18, is determined to earn her way into London’s Central Saint Martins to study design. Rummaging at a yard sale, she picks up a gorgeous blue-diamond ring that, when she falls asleep, transports her to the time of a fictional king of England, 19-year-old Tudor monarch Nicholas the Ironheart. A flurry of court intrigue follows as Emmie battles her attraction to tempestuous Nicholas; attempts to save the life of his little sister and successor, Catherine; and works to change history amid the country’s turmoil between Protestants and Catholics. She simultaneously juggles the facets of her contemporary daily life, dividing time between her protective mother, diva best friend, and school. This simply plotted offering provides literary escape, but clumsily executed time travel proves distracting. Ages 14–up.