Tamsin Lodge is 13 years old when her father dies, leaving her at the mercy of the king's will. Her new guardian, planning to use Tamsin to advance his own status in the court, arranges for her to serve in the entourage of the king's daughter, Princess Mary Tudor. Tamsin's fears are soon exchanged for wonder and excitement as she settles into her new position and develops a fierce loyalty to the princess. Before long, though, her guardian appears again, ordering Tamsin to do whatever it takes to catch the king's eye and earn his favor.

THE KING'S DAMSEL takes place during one of the most tumultuous times in Henry VIII's long reign. During these years, the king leaves his wife, Catherine of Aragon; strips his daughter of her title; marries his mistress Anne Boleyn; and begins to seek a way to rid himself of his new bride. Amid this chaos, Tamsin Lodge vows to give her life for Mary Tudor, and indeed, she risks her life by becoming a spy for the king's daughter.

I'm no historian, but I was inspired by "The Tudors" television series to read up on the period. Letters and other documents of the time record the intimacies of Henry's court. Author Kate Emerson skillfully weaves actual events into the compelling story of a young woman who uses her intelligence and her body to gain some power over her own life. She paints a vivid picture of life in a royal household, from the pageantry of traveling with the king to the day-to-day drudgery of servitude to the princess.

THE KING'S DAMSEL is told from Tamsin's point of view. As a delicately bred young woman, she knows some of the seamier details of the world, but she doesn't talk about them in graphic detail. Even her affair with the king is handled with taste and sensitivity. I can easily recommend THE KING'S DAMSEL novel for mature young readers as well as adults who are interested in a good story centered within deeply personal events that changed the course of history.