The King's Second shadow

By Penny Fryman

The King's Second Shadow is a sweeping work of historical fiction that follows Nicholas Vale, a fictional royal clerk whose life becomes entwined with the reign of Henry VIII. From Henry's childhood as a brilliant, overlooked second son to his final days behind the guarded doors of Whitehall, Nicholas records the private griefs, rivalries, romances, and ambitions that transform a golden prince into a feared king.

Moving through a court of glittering pageants, dangerous marriages, religious upheaval, and concealed treachery, Nicholas serves the king while quietly preserving the truths power would erase. Catherine of Aragon's steadfastness, Anne Boleyn's defiance, Jane Seymour's sacrifice, Anne of Cleves's shrewd survival, Catherine Howard's tragic vulnerability, and Catherine Parr's hard-won authority each reveal a different face of Henry-and a different cost of standing near the throne.

As Henry's health fails and factions gather around his young heir, Nicholas discovers that the most dangerous struggle may begin after the king's death. With forged orders, stolen seals, and an altered will threatening the succession, he must decide whether loyalty means obeying the Crown or safeguarding the history it seeks to bury. Rich in courtly drama and grounded in the major events of Tudor England, The King's Second Shadow is a story of memory, survival, and the unseen witnesses who preserve truth when kings attempt to command it.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HNV6LG1Y
• ISBN13: 9798233337888
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Penny Fryman
• Length: 426 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"