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Mantle signs three 'beautifully realised' novels from Kate Foster
Mantle has signed a three-book deal with Kate Foster for the "unforgettable" The King’s Witches, The Reawakening and one more as-yet-untitled novel.
Publishing director Madeleine O’Shea acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Viola Hayden at Curtis Brown. The King’s Witches will be published this June, with The Reawakening following in June 2025. The third book in the deal is scheduled for publication in 2026.
A story of witchcraft and intrigue, The King’s Witches is based upon the betrothal of Princess Anna of Denmark to King James VI of Scotland. Anna must prove herself worthy of being Scotland’s new queen over the course of the year, but when she meets Lord Henry her plans to be the perfect bride are threatened. The publisher continued: "By her side is Kirsten Sorenson, her loyal and pious lady-in-waiting. But, while tending to Anna’s every need, she has her own secret motives for wanting the royal marriage to be a success. Meanwhile, in north Berwick, a young housemaid by the name of Jura is dreaming of a new life. But it isn’t long before she finds herself caught up in the witchcraft mania that has gripped not just the capital, but the new queen."
The Reawakening is inspired by the story of Maggie Dickson, who survived her own execution in 18th-century Edinburgh.
Foster’s debut The Maiden, also published by Mantle, won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year prize in 2023. Foster commented: "It has been a dream come true to find a home for my writing with Mantle, and their support and enthusiasm has been incredible. I am really excited to be continuing to do what I love most, which is re-imagining the lives of women of the past.”
O’Shea said: “I am thrilled to be publishing Kate’s brilliant second novel and to have secured two more of her beautifully realised historical page-turners for Mantle. The King’s Witches is just as powerful, absorbing and moreish as The Maiden. I can’t wait to see what Kate conjures up next.”
