The Phantom Tree

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC.
This book was surprisingly brilliant. I say surprisingly because I must admit that while it appealed to me (obviously as I requested it), I couldn't help but roll my eyes a little and think 'not another novel set in Tudor times'. This may have something to do with the fact that I've packed the whole of Philippa Gregory's Tudor Court novels to take on holiday with me.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. This book was such a page turner. I literally couldn't put it down!

The Phantom Tree follows the story of Alison Banestre an orphan in the 16th century who ends up staying at Wolf Hall with her relatives the Seymours and specifically her cousin Mary Seymour daughter of the ex-Queen Katherine Parr. What follows is a tale of time travel, Magic, history and romance both in this century and the past.

I think what really won me over with this book was the author's ability to write something which was not in anyway cliched or ridiculous when it was a topic which frankly could have been. Time travel is something which has to be handled very carefully and it was great to see how well it was dealt with and also to see it turned on its head. Here we aren't talking about someone who who travelled back in time but instead travelled forward and actually coped and adjusted to the modern world. That was the true magic in this story.w

The characters were both engaging and likeable and the language understandable and not overly 'olde english' as is often the case with historical novels.

This is definitely up there as one of my reads of this year. Highly recommended!

This book really wasn't as I was expecting, it was so much more.
Hauntingly beautiful portrayal of hardships in the 16th century but with a twist of supernatural and a way of linking our past to our present, we are after all our ancestors' children. Fantastically written and with a unique outlook, combining mystery, horror, suspense and tragedy in such a special way. This book would equally thrill historical fans as much as modern thriller fans.

This was a great time travelling story. If you love Outlander you will love this!The thought of traveling back to a different time really makes the imagination run wild.

The story is centred around Mary Seymour and Alison Banestre. The are two very different people and each go off to lead very different lives. Alison had a son and he is taken from her, but the only problem is she can't find him easily.

Alison goes on a journey to find her son Arthur with the help of an old college boyfriend Adam. Along with his mysterious godfather's help they solve the riddle of what happened to Mary and Arthur.

Last year I loved Nicola Cornick’s time-slip novel, House of Shadows. Her latest book is The Phantom Tree,, another time-slip novel and I loved this one too.

The plot of The Phantom Tree alternates between the Tudor period and the present day following the life of Alison Banestre (known as Bannister in the present day) as she moves between the centuries trying to find out what happened to Mary Seymour. It is a mystery, based on the true story of Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr (Henry VIII’s sixth wife) and Thomas Seymour, who she married after Henry’s death.

It’s a fascinating book, as little is known about Mary’s life. What is recorded is that she was born in 1548, her mother died after the birth and her father was executed a year later for treason against Edward VI. She disappeared from the records around about 1550, although there has been speculation that she lived until adulthood. In The Phantom Tree Nicola Cornick has provided another speculation on Mary’s life. As she states at the beginning of her book it is ‘entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination.’

Having read Hilary Mantel’s, Wolf Hall, I was very interested in the setting of Wolf Hall where Mary and Alison, her cousin, went to live in 1557, the fourth year of the reign of Mary I. Mary Seymour was then ten years old and had a reputation for witchcraft. Wolf Hall, a rambling, run down manor house was owned by the Seymour family where Mary and other Seymour children went sent to live.

The time travel element of the book works well. I liked the way the traces of history in the present day are handled and are seen as layers of reality. Alison moves between the centuries, both forwards and backwards in time but then she found the gateway to the past had closed and she was trapped in the present day. She has to find another gateway where the past and the present meet, or some other means of connecting to the past.

I preferred the sixteenth century setting, with its belief in witchcraft slotting so well into the storyline. Mary has visions which are viewed with fear and superstition. Alison, in the future doesn’t know what happens to Mary, or to her son, Arthur, who was taken from her after his birth. She had helped Mary escape from Wolf Hall and in return Mary had promised to help her find Arthur. I think the characterisation is done well – Alison comes across as a rather unlikeable person, in contrast to Mary who is younger and has a gentler nature, although at first they didn’t get on together. I also liked the way the clues in the portrait helped Alison to discover what happened to Mary and Arthur.

My thanks to the publishers via NetGalley for a review copy of The Phantom Tree. It is a book that seamlessly incorporates mystery and elements of the supernatural into the historical detail as the past and present meet. A most enjoyable book.

A few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Sudely Castle and discovered that Katherine Parr had a daughter Mary with her new husband following King Henry's death. When I found out that the child more or less disappeared and nobody knew what happened to her, I thought at the time that it would make a good story. Nicola Cornick has taken that premise and boy has she written a good story! I loved the time slip element and Alison's quest for her son. The past and present are skilfully interwoven, just as the author mingles fact and fiction. it is all credit to the author that time travel seems almost credible as sometimes it can hinder the story rather than helping. I read this book in two sittings and I think I have just discovered a new favourite author. I loved how it all came together in the end even if it did make me cry too, a brilliant book!

4.5 stars

I was not familiar with this author so when I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review it was because I am a big fan of history, and am particularly fond of the Tudor period. However there have been so many books written about this period of late, some very good - others, not so much.

The Phantom Tree, I am delighted to say, falls firmly into the former. From the off, the premise intrigued me. Mary Seymour? The child of Thomas Seymour and (ex) Queen Catherine Parr? But she died at birth, no? Or did she? Sent to live in a loveless place, Mary does indeed survive, and as time progresses, we learn she has a job to do. Alison, in modern day, sees a newly discovered portrait claimed to be a likeness of Anne Boleyn - but Alison knows it isn’t. Alison knows it’s Mary Seymour because, well, she actually knew Mary back then.

The story arcs between the 1500s and modern day, and we see how Alison and Mary are connected and how their relationship pans out. It’s quite different to many time-slip novels, there is a real hook to this one that makes it stand out, and it is written so well that you are able to suspend your disbelief because you WANT this to be possible. The connection is tangible.

It’s quite hard to explain why you should read this book because I simply can’t do it justice. Suffice to say the story is excellent and kept me hooked right the way through. I was impressed at the level of detail and historical accuracy that made me feel like I was actually there in Tudor England. There’s a touch of magic and sparkle that ran like a thread throughout the novel but at times it’s sad and complicated and you really feel for the characters. If you’re like me, it’s the kind of book you will devour in one sitting on a rainy day.

I do love a dual time frame book and The Phantom Tree definitely fits the bill. We follow Alison Bannister as she finds a portrait hanging in a gallery. She knows it's Mary Seymour, daughter of the late Queen, Katherine Parr, and it's exactly what she has been looking and waiting for. That's the story in the present day and then we also have the story of Mary herself in the mid-1500s as she struggles to survive in a precarious world. But The Phantom Tree also has an extra factor and I'm not going to reveal what it is. It becomes clear very early on in the book and I found it completely unexpected so I hope it has the same effect on other readers.

Being more partial to contemporary stories I usually enjoy the present day strand in dual time frame books more than the one in the past but in this case I think I was more captivated by the brilliantly drawn Mary, who is such an interesting character. She's quietly feisty with some hidden facets to her personality. However, I did also find Alison's story compelling as she investigates what happened to Mary and tries to uncover the meaning of the imagery in the portrait and the mysterious contents of a box found with it.

Fact and fiction are weaved together beautifully by Nicola Cornick. I didn't know when I was reading it how much was based on fact but it certainly piqued my interest and I would like to know more about the characters in the 1500s. I started off enjoying this book and then found myself completely pulled into it to the extent that I felt absolute amazement at one plot development and immense sadness at another. I really cared about the main players.

I found this to be a fascinating read, full of twists and turns. The two different periods are weaved together effortlessly to make an absolutely gripping read. I loved it!

Thanks netgalley for this ARC.

Nicola Cornick's novels just get better and better. I love the feeling a good novel brings me. A cool twist on the past/present novel.