The Dangerous Kingdom of Love

by Neil Blackmore

The kingdom of love is a frightening place. A dangerous place. What kind of fool wants to live there?

How have I, Francis Bacon, well-known as the cleverest man in England, been caught in this trap? For years I survived the brutal games of the English court, driven by the whims of the idiot King James I - and finally, I was winning. Forget what my friends Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare say about love. I had that which men truly crave above all else: power.

But now, at the moment of my greatest success, a deadly alliance of my enemies has begun closing in on me. Led by the King's beautiful and poisonous lover Carr, this new alliance threatens to turn our foolish King against me, so that I may rot in the Tower.

I refuse to go down without a fight. I have concocted a brilliant new plan: I will find my own beguiling young man and supplant Carr in the King's bed, and take power for myself. All I need to do is find him, my beautiful and mysterious creature, my perfect chess move.

In the dangerous kingdom of love, those who understand desire win. And I intend to win, at all costs.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, LGBT, Queer, Fiction, Romance, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2021

Reviews

[Alexis Hall]

**Book miraculously received from NetGalley on the basis of I have no idea in return for a review**

Oh my stars, this was everything I was hoping for, and more besides. I have an ongoing fascination with this period in history: it’s obviously as fucked-up as hell, like most history and now I think about it, the actual present, but I just find all the courtly intriguing, power-vying and fucking even more engaging when, y'know, It Queer?

And obviously what is “queer” is really complicated in a historical context. But, whatever he did with them in practice, James I was all about his boyfriends and there were several high level conspiracies during his reign to manoeuvre specially selected hot guys into his bed and favour. I know from one perspective that's really icky. But from another it's ... kind of really fun to read about?

The Dangerous Kingdom of Love concerns one such conspiracy: specifically it’s about the ousting of Robert Carr, James I’s, established favourite, and his replacement George Villiers, a plot the book proposes was orchestrated by Francis Bacon, with the support of the Queen. Entirely plausible, given the way Bacon supported Villiers’ rise to power, and it is in this realm of historical plausibilities that book deliberately dwells.

If anything, in its approach to the material, TDKOL put me in mind of Hulu’s The Great (a show I love, by the way): it has the same exuberance, the same bawdiness, and the same confidence in navigating its own ahistoricism. And, for that matter, the same unexpected capacity to just whack you hard in the feels.

Narrated by the (profoundly unreliable) Francis Bacon, apparently the cleverest (and, in some regards, the stupidest man) in England, TDKOL was, to me, an absolute delight. Of course, knowing the historical context, gives it an edge of dark inevitability too: we know already that Francis Bacon suffers a catastrophic fall from grace and that George Villiers—for all he commanded the love of two kings—will die at the age of 35 in a random stabbing. Francis Bacon sees himself as modern man and this is very much a modern book: it uses the historical setting to tell a story of power, love, corruption, and self-deceit. It is not, for all its wit and energy, a happy or straightforward story, and Bacon is a narrator it is both impossible to like and impossible to dislike, but my God. Much as I imagine George Villiers would be himself, TDKOL a wild, fascinating, and bittersweet ride.

And, I assume this goes without saying, it’s queer AF.

(I mean, so queer we’re all pretending Francis Bacon’s wife didn’t exist, but *eh*).

Looking at this book with non-dazzled eyes, I can see there might be some people for whom it wouldn’t work for. If you don’t like your history played fast-and-loose with, prefer your language clean, and your sodomites largely invisible: it is definitely not the adventure for you.

However, if you take this book on its own terms, it’s absolutely fucking brilliant. And I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Beata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books on The Overbury Affair so I was intrigued by yet another novel which includes it. Sir Francis Bacon knows his value and knows how to navigate at the court of James I. Power is the highest reward of all. Bacon looks for new ways to influence the king after Rober Carr's downfall and he finds an eager student who is supposed to play the role Bacon has prepared for him.
I think this was my first LGBTQ historical fiction. Being the fan of HF and having some knowledge of the historic events, I did not concentrate much on the gay theme but was more invested in Bacon's philosphy of survival and his perspective regarding this particular period. The Author makes Bacon a likeable character, at least I could not resist standing right behind him, and his meandering through court intrigues is more than admirable. Also, Bacon's irony and sarcasm or even cynicism got my seal of approval. Mr Blackmore's vision of the court and the king is not favourable and to be honest, I do not have a soft spot for James VI either.
Overall, a decent read that held my attention.
*Many thanks to Neil Blackmore, Random House UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the stories at the heart of the book (Robert Carr and Frances Howard: see the recent 'A Net for Small Fishes', and that of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (the Buckingham from 'The Three Musketeers' who is in love with Anne of Austria) have been told before and, I would guess, are fairly well known, what this book brings to the party is linking them through the rambunctious voice of Francis Bacon.

For me, it's Bacon's narration that makes the book: he's crude and coarse, he's clever and vain, he's aware that he's surrounded by enemies, and he's on a mission to plot his way to the top while taking down his detractors, especially the Howard family. Along the way, he has more than one eye on our present with sneaking asides about how lying and deceit are no longer flaws in public servants and Westminster rulers, on how greed and ambition rule and the wealthy continue to prop up their ascendency; an especially funny diatribe on how a nascent system of 'medicines everywhere, in every town, in every village, ready to be used at any moment, a national service' is bound to be stymied by questions of 'where was the money for such a scheme?' King James might have just spent a fortune from the public purse on jewels for his favourites but 'not a single Member of Parliament (save perhaps me) was going to pay to stop injured peasants dying of blood poisoning'.

So this is very much historical fiction with a postmodern outlook: deliberate anachronisms in diction, and social commentary combine with a slanted retelling of history (in reality, the puritanical James was never this shameless and there are still scholarly debates on whether he actually slept with any of his male favourites). I especially like that this reclaims the Stuart courtly romp from all the ultra-feminised tellings that make it a place where women's subjectivity rules with stories of female friendship, forced marriages, lush love affairs and lots and lots of glossy clothing descriptions. This is entertaining, fun and necessarily bawdy, but also politically astute and has a more heartfelt element that emerges, particularly near the end.

Thanks to Penguin for an excellently read audio book via NetGalley

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this modernized version of a tragedy - exquisite and intriguing.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francis Bacon, known as the cleverest man in England, finds himself in a threatening position. King James I is unpredictable and is being influenced by his lover Robert Carr, who is an enemy of Francis. Now, Francis needs to concoct a new plan, so he doesn’t end up at the Tower.

Francis’ voice is a bit of an arrogant with foul language, but if you can get passed that, he is good at grasping your attention and he sharply relates the story. He vows to stay away from love since his kind of love is punishable, despite the king flaunting it in everyone’s face. For the rest, this kind of love is too dangerous and can cost your life.

Francis’ world is full of lies and schemes and he is good at pulling whoever he needs to into his world to fulfill his plan. His story is interesting.

As for those who are familiar with this piece of history, and as it is with any kind of story that was told before you need to bring some originality and edge to make something known being interesting again. And the author certainly achieves that. It is very original and sharp. The only problem I have is the vulgarity, which I personally do not like and because of that I couldn’t bring myself to rate it as 5 stars.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[wasteland baby · Rating 5 out of 5]

OOF. OOF!!! AAARGHH!!!!! *add slack-jawed staring into the distance and whispers of "Francis you messy messy bitch" at will*

Now that we've got the faithful reenactment of my reading process out of the way, on to the review (warning: here be spoilers!!).

The Dangerous Kingdom of Love is a historical novel about early 17th century court intrigue, specifically about the powerplays revolving around the male favourites of King James VI & I (of the "King James Bible" fame). The protagonist and narrator is Francis Bacon (of the "renowned philosopher" fame), "the cleverest man in England," a consummate schemer who always "lives to plot another day." Feeling the walls closing in on him due to his enmity with Robert Carr, the king's current favourite, Francis decides that the best course of action would be to replace Carr with his own "boy." He scours England in search of "perfection" and finds it in the form of the young and beautiful George Villiers. He then proceeds to groom Villiers into becoming the king's ideal boytoy. Oh, and he falls in love with him along the way, after a life of denying himself any romantic connection.
If you thought this was messy....honey you got a big storm coming.

I won't go into too much plot detail other than what I've already outlined, because, frankly, I don't think it matters that much (spicy as it is). Sure, there's a bunch of scheming and murder and betrayal and all kinds of fun things - I've seen people compare this novel to The Great (which I've sadly not seen), and it reminded me a lot of Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite. But either way, what truly makes this book stand out isn't what's going on, but how it's told. For one thing (as the comparison to The Favourite indicates), TDKOL is really modern in its approach. It's sort of...deliberately ahistorical, not with regard to what it's depicting (I genuinely don't know or care how many of these things actually transpired), but with its sensibility. There's the hillarious Dramatis Personae in the beginning, there's the modernized and foul language, Bacon's asides to the readers...but more than anything else, for me, it is the way TDKOL handles identity and power.

And this is where the AMAZING unreliable narration kicks in. Ahhh, how I love me an unreliable narrator! And Francis Bacon really is one for the books - I don't think I've ever read a character who is so deeply convinced of his own even-handedness, smartness, and outsider status, all the while being incredibly calculating, unthinkingly cruel, completely oblivious to other people's feelings and lived realities, and privileged as fuck. And the worst part is, you can't even hate him! Because, in his obstinate lack of self-awareness, he is so terribly human.

The reason I think this unreliability ties into the novel's modern (and even ahistorical) approach is the way marginalization is handled. From the very beginning of the book, Francis describes himself as an outsider: he is a middle-aged commoner trying to rise in court, where all that matters is noble blood, or in the absence of that, at least a youthful pretty face to charm the king. He is a "sodomite" who is forever despised and in danger of violence at the hands of "The Normal Man." He cannot hope for love because giving himself over to his feelings for another man might be used against him and completely ruin him. And in the beginning of the novel I was like "hmmm, interesting, this seems like a framing of queerness and class that is deliberately written so as to resonate with 21st century readers rather than aim for depicting the way people actually conceptualized their place in the world, what a thought-provoking approach". But THEN you keep on reading and you're like "...ooooh. Oh. It's not just about modern ideas of marginalization in a different historical context. It's about how people use that sense of marginalization to convince themselves that the harm they are doing to other people (including those marginalized along the same axes as them!) is completely morally justifiable."

You get a glimpse of this relatively early on in the book through Bacon's interactions with Mrs Turner, a woman of humble origins who rose to success and fame through her monopoly on saffron (used for dyeing collars). Bacon sees himself in Mrs Turner, a commoner who worked her way up to noble circles, and wants the two of them to ally and even bond over their status as outsiders. Mrs Turner... basically laughs in Bacon's face, and moreover has to spell out for him all the ways in which his position (Attorney General, has the king's ear, *is a man*) is vastly more privileged and safer than hers. And guess what, her read of Bacon turns out to absolutely be true - when the tides turn and Francis sees an opportunity to get rid of the Carrs, he has zero qualms about dragging Mrs Turner down with them. He is disgusted by the violence when Mrs Turner is tortured by her interrogator, but doesn't (let himself) think twice about the fact that he is the one sending her to her death because it's expedient, OR that Mrs Turner will be the one to die because she is a woman of low birth who flew too close to the sun, while her noble co-consipirators get away with their lives.

If you thought this was bad, contemplate for a moment Bacon's final reckoning with the young man that he:
1)plucked from obscurity
2)promised untold riches if he allied with him (a much older, well-established politician and philosopher) and became the king's catamite
3)developed a sexual and romantic attraction for
4)confessed his attraction to
5)put in this position while remaining completely blind as to how imbalanced and exploitative their relationship would be.
All of this, while genuinely feeling transformed, opened and healed by entering the dangerous kingdom of love for the first time in his life! And we only get this confrontation with Villiers at the end of the novel - for the majority of the book you are so firmly in Bacon's head that you don't even consider that his feelings for Villiers could be just as coercive and unrequited as the king's. Even the last lines of the book are Bacon expressing his incomprehension at Villiers' feelings - he still does not get it, *cannot* get it, lest his entire self-image crumble. It's so well done and so gut-punching.

(Also, appropos of nothing, I kept imagining the king as Robert Baratheon?? He just had that vibe. Maybe it was intentional? Maybe I'm reading into it because for the entire book I had "when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die" stuck in my head?? Who's to say.)

TLDR; It's a wild ride. Entertaining, funny, thought-provoking and heart-breaking. Would rec.

[Kathleen in Oslo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in frantic bursts on x-mas eve and x-mas day and into the wee hours of the morning of boxing day, in between gift wrapping and children wrangling and in-laws managing and eating my body weight in pork, and it was the only thing keeping me sane.

I. LOVED. THIS.

Much more than I thought I would, actually. I was expecting serious, frowny, look-at-me litfic. This is not that. This is bursting with scheming, exuberant, ridiculous life. Self-consciously clever, but surprisingly moving. Immensely readable, sarcastic, salacious, riveting. Super queer. Super smart. And so sympathetic and engaging.

This was the most fun I've had with litfic in . . . I don't know when.

Now: the ending. Because I am a wimp, I spoiled myself -- which is to say, I went on the wikipedia pages for Bacon and Villiers to check the status of their heads, specifically whether or not they were disattached from their bodies at the bequest of the king. (I'm no student of British history! I can't keep track of all the beheadings!) And for the purists out there, I am putting this behind a spoiler tag: yes, they remained head. . .ful. (Head-y? Head-ed?) But of course, keeping one's head does not guarantee a happy ending: this is litfic, after all! (Also, um, history. Whatever.) The way the Bacon-Villiers relationship played out is harsh and, damn. Ouch. And yeah, Villiers is clearly a self-serving, cold-hearted, ruthless player.

BUT.

But.

It's also a mindfuck, because transplant this 400 years in time and, hello, #MeToo. And it raises the question of just how unreliable a narrator Bacon, the self-professed "outsider," has been. Is Villiers's rewrite of the narrative only heartless and manipulative, or is it possible that he is (also) reclaiming his story through the lens of someone hardened by experience, knowledge, pain, trauma, and victimhood? Is it not likely that it's both? That Villiers is -- has become -- a cold, ambitious bastard, but is also someone used as a pawn in others' games, his body a playground for someone he, quite literally, could never say no to?

Bacon -- in his hopeless love, cast aside -- becomes a figure of sympathy. But is there no sympathy we can extend for Villiers? Or is he just rotten through and through?

So strap in, friends: this is wonderful, wild ride that feels so modern, so fresh, so timely, so relevant -- a perfect blend of pleasure and pain. One of my favorite reads of 2022.

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most effervescent, beautiful, well-written, heartbreaking works of historical fiction I have ever read.

I'm straight sobbing right now.

I want to scream and cry and punch someone because my feelings are hurt and my heart hurts and I want to cut a bitch because Bacon is a stupid, clever man and I loved him in this book and I am sad for him and his brilliant mind and now I'm sobbing like a fool again.

So yeah I'm a tad bit emotional and I may revise this review some time in the future, but no matter what, I really really enjoyed this book and I'm excited to read more of Blackmore's historical fiction once I get a hold of myself.

I can already tell that for the next week or so I'll find British history, particularly in the 1600s, fascinating, because of Blackmore's incredible talent for bringing this period and these people alive for someone who lacks education in this area.

All the nerds agree that there is no greater endorsement than being inspired to school yourself after reading a period piece.

This was a wonderful book and an absolute 5⭐ read for me.

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is told through the perspective of Francis Bacon, a historical figure prominent in the courts of Queen Elizabeth (the "old queen") and her successor King James (the son of Mary Queen of Scots).

Much attention is paid to the favourites of King James, whose names will be known to those who have glanced back through time to this court, which is the dangerous kingdom of love.

I loved this novel at the beginning, but then started to find it incredibly sad and depressing; that, however, is due to the ominous circumstances — the hypocrisy, duplicity, blackmail and political machinations — rather than the fault of the storytelling.

For those who wonder, what might it have looked like, when King James pampered young "favourites" at court? — this novel provides a plausible scenario.

[Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an incredible fever dream and loads of fun! I don't know anything about this period of history, but even I could smell the tragic downfall from the very start. Francis Bacon's narration is incredibly hilarious, anachronistically modern, and yet so earnest that you can't help but feel for him even when he's being an arrogant asshole. The writing style is what MAKES this novel.

I don't know enough about the historical accuracy of the retelling, but as a historical fiction novel the plot is simple enough: in order to protect himself and prevent his head from being separated from his body, Francis Bacon teams up with the neglected queen and scouts England for a beautiful young boy to throw into the idiot king's bed. If the king's new favorite is a friend of Bacon, then he'll help Bacon rise to power and get rid of all of his enemies too. Except that Bacon falls in love with the boy he's chosen, and he's too self-obsessed to realize there is a price to all the downfalls he's plotted.

The anachronism and Bacon's unreliable narration are really interesting choices. We see the world through his eyes, which means he disregards historical figures that are very renowned to a modern reader (he was not a fan of Shakespeare at all). He is a gay man who lives in a time when sodomy is bounds for execution. He is so deathly afraid of being discovered that he refuses love--except maybe that's less because he's gay and more because he's just a plain manipulative asshole? He thinks of himself as an outcast because of his sexuality and his lack of a noble title, when in reality he's one of the most powerful men of England; he just happens to be greedy for more wealth, prestige, and power.

This book is so queer, so much fun, so wonderfully creative, and so criminally underrated. Definitely one of the most memorable historical fiction novels I've encountered. I literally flew through it in the span of one weekend.

[dobbs the dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread October 2022, rating upgraded to 5 stars

This book is just so, so good.

It was interesting to read it a second time, as there is so much foreshadowing throughout the whole book. Like, they're telling you what's going to happen, but on your first time through you don't realize it. Also, Francis Bacon is the most unreliable narrator! I found myself questioning almost everything he said, which I didn't really do the first time through.

I so very highly recommend this book, though I have no idea when it will be published in Canada, alas. I ordered mine online.
_____
This book took me way to long to read! I found that it was quite slow to get going, like, the first 100 pages were a bit of a struggle, not that it wasn't keeping my interest, it was just slow. And I'm glad that I persevered, because this was a really good book, I very much enjoyed it.
I know pretty much zero about this time period (early 17th century), other than that I watched the fairly terrible show Reign, which was about King James VI and I's mother, who pretty much everyone knows, Mary Queen of Scots. And while I knew a lot of the names in this book, I had no idea what to expect, despite it being somewhat historically accurate.
The book is narrated by Francis Bacon and is all about his rise to and fall from power in James' court. There is also a very tragic love story throughout, which I badly wanted to work out, but that I also, in the back of my mind, knew wouldn't.
I usually do not like an unreliable narrator, or at least one that is blatantly unreliable, but Francis Bacon was incredibly unreliable, yet I still really liked him? I mean, he was making some pretty morally terrible moves to save his own ass, but I was still kind of on his side? As I've said, I know nothing about this time period, or specifics about any of the characters in the book, but I've got to say that I have such a soft spot in my heart for George Villiers, based solely on this book. That poor boy. I can't quite wrap my head around grooming young men to sleep with the king just to gain personal power. Honestly, all of the stuff around court in this book just boggles my mind.
Despite being left wishing there was a bit more (it kind of felt like the book ended rather abruptly), I am left feeling rather sad for most of the people in this book, as well as glad that I read it. I'm now mildly curious and might seek out other books about this time period.
TDKOL isn't out in North America yet, I had to order this from the other side of the world! I'm not sure when it's out here, but if you are interested in not overly accurate historical fiction with a queer spin, then I would recommend this one! However, if you want your historical fiction to be firmly grounded in history, then this probably isn't the book for you.

[Monika K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so so much. It's a 17th-Century page turner that I couldn't put down and is the most unexpected thrill. This was a recommendation by Alexis Hall, who wrote an incredible review of the book. One of my favorite types of storytelling is clever, witty, ahistorical fiction and I knew I had to read it asap.

I am very familiar with the War of Roses through the Tudors and Charles I and II and although I am familiar with the players in this book, I haven't read any novels that explore Francis Bacon and Villiers in this way. It was so interesting to get the POV of Bacon (who his bestie calls Porkchop!) who I found myself rooting for despite him being arrogant, vulgar and unreliable. It's one of the better first-person POVs I have read.

Loved how Bacon breaks the 4th wall (to borrow a television term) within a paragraph of dialogue and speaks to us the viewer. I just kept picturing him looking into the camera. I can’t remember if I’ve read this on the page like this before? It creates an intimacy and I loved it.

There is insidiously vulgar language and cursing – YMMV on if you like that. I loved it and felt it adds to the bawdiness and directness of Bacon and also Villiers, but in different ways. King James VI & I was such an Ass Twaddle. And Carr was such a Drama Queen. I also loved Queen Anne, what an independent and cunning spirit. George is beyond beguiling, as the Plan's brief asks for. I would have fallen in love with him too, I have no doubt. 🥰🥰🥰

The queer romance at the center was unexpectedly swoony and halfway through there is a reprieve that hits you so hard in your feels you become afraid for the rest of the book knowing how history ends. I wanted it to stop right then and did not want to go back to court. By my god the ending really packs a punch. Ugh. So heartbreaking and I'll be thinking about these two for quite some time.

––––––

"I understood now what my tragedy was. I had come to want love much too late, and when it came, I did not have the experience to recognise it and to keep hold of it." 😭💔

[Becs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The game plays on. Fortunes turn. Men fall.

Further attempts at coherent book thoughts: this book was brilliant, bawdy, and heartbreaking. Francis Bacon, the self described "cleverest man in England," philosopher and politician is trying to eliminate his enemies in the court of King James I and maneuver himself into a more secure political and financial position. He develops a plot with Queen Anne to replace the King's current favorite, Robert Carr (who is blackmailing and plotting against Bacon) with a new, beguiling young man. He finds George Villiers - and believes he can groom the perfect successor to Carr.

Bacon quickly discovers that Villiers is more than a perfect political weapon, he is someone who chips away at Bacon's self-deception that he does not need love. And in the midst of all the political intrigue and machinations, I found myself in a love story.

Bacon is a hopelessly unreliable narrator. He is clever, witty, constantly plotting, hyper aware of his outsider status as queer and a non-aristocrat, but oblivious to his privilege and cruelty. He was also impossible to dislike. I was equal parts exasperated with him and rooting for him to succeed with his plot and in love. The ending broke my heart even though I knew how it must end, how it could only end, but the reveal made me gasp and I was gutted.

----
Original review: Emotionally wrecked. No coherent review yet (if ever🥺) 💜

[c.a. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with a group of dear friends, and after discussing it and thinking about it and reading it carefully and picking apart various scenes -- I'm still not sure I actually enjoyed it? Make no mistake, this book is very good in the sense that it is compellingly written, has characters that stick in your head, and considers this point of history through a very creative lens. I am not going to forget it anytime soon, and I do not regret reading it. But I'm still sitting here scratching my head like, Yes but, is it taste good?

I just don't know.

[Laxmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth all the efforts needed to purchase on US kindle. Although this one took me a bit to get into or used to, then I was all in. All the politics and trickery the ending for me was everything!!!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welp, this book put me through the WRINGER. I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut, my heart ripped to shreds. Francis Bacon is a beguiling narrator (that word will forever be associated with this book), and the court intrigue and games he plays gave me a sense of dread while I read, and for good reason. This is a book about power and the price one pays (and the price those around you pay) to make a mark on history.

[Cami L. González · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Nadie me había dicho nunca que los momentos más solitarios de la vida llegan después del amor, no antes".

Estuvo divertido, en especial, me gustó la forma moderna en que estaba escrito, aunque en un inicio sí que me chocó un poco. Me pareció un gran final, triste, pero tremendo en su significado.

Francis Bacon es un personaje histórico mundialmente conocido por sus grandes aportes en varios ámbitos tanto de ciencia como humanidades. Sin embargo, ¿quién era realmente? ¿cómo era su personalidad? ¿qué sentía? Esta novela busca llenar los vacíos y presentarnos a un Francis Bacon como nunca antes lo conocimos.

"La gente cree lo que necesita creer. Hace la vista gorda, ignora la verdad evidente y le resulta muy fácil mentirse a sí misma. Así es como quienes intentan ser intelectuales hacen un ridículo espantoso".

Tengo que partir diciendo que sé que es novela histórica, el autor dijo que todo lo que sucedió era real. Mi conocimiento de esta parte de la historia es poco, así que en su mayor parte no puedo hablar sobre qué tan fiel es el libro, no obstante, sé que no es 100% porque nunca se mencionó a Alice que fue la esposa de Bacon. Claro que en un libro que pretende contar una historia de romance gay, que el protagonista tuviera esposa le arruinaba un poco el panorama al autor, supongo. Así que ya partiendo desde ese punto, que el autor omitió la existencia de la esposa del protagonista, no creo que todo lo demás sea realmente muy apegado a la realidad.

"El reino del amor no ofrece recompensa alguna, tan solo castigos. El reino del amor es un lugar aterrador. Un lugar peligroso. ¿Qué clase de loco querría vivir allí?"

Lo primero que destaco del libro, si lo quieren ver como ficción histórica más que como novela histórica, fue la prosa que usó el autor, pues era un estilo moderno y directo. El mismo Bacon era el narrador en primera persona y con un humor ácido y comentarios sarcásticos sobre los demás personajes fuimos conociendo la historia y todo el contexto. Así que para que sepan que se menciona sexo de una forma cruda, a veces más romantizada cuando correspondía, hubo menciones a crueles asesinatos, groserías y un lenguaje bastante coloquial.

Bacon fue narrando cómo llegó a dónde estaba y qué tan delicada era su posición con el rey y el peligro que significaba Robert Carr. Así llegamos al plan que ideó con la esposa de Jacobo I, la reina Ana, de conseguir un nuevo amante para el rey, pero esta vez uno que pudieran controlar ellos. De esta forma comenzó su búsqueda de un joven hermoso, carismático y maleable, lo que Bacon no esperaba era que la persona que encontró terminaría siendo alguien tan perfecto para él, ni que correspondería sus sentimientos.

"El amor es como una campana de alarma que retumba en mi cabeza, ensordecedora, y que apaga el resto de sonidos. Es el motivo por el que me paso todo el tiempo trabajando. Es el motivo por el que escribo tanto. Es el motivo de que esté tan... triste".

El libro fue uno de intrigas políticas tanto por parte de Bacon como por parte de sus enemigos a lo largo de varios años, lo que demostró lo frágil que era la política en el siglo XVII en Londres. Además de reflejar cómo el que todo dependiera de una sola persona, el rey, llevaba a terribles manipulaciones y a una inestabilidad constante para todos. Al no saber sobre este periodo de la historia, todo era un misterio para mí, así que realmente me sorprendí con cada giro y revelación. En especial, me sorprendió la facilidad con la que el poder cambiaba de manos y por cosas tan superficiales como el ánimo del rey.

"El amor nos salva. La posteridad no. La posteridad solo sirve para que nos recuerden cuando estamos muertos y ya es demasiado tarde. Cuando tenemos amor, nos recuerdan cuando estamos vivos".

Sobre el romance, todo el libro se centró en la capacidad de amar de Bacon y su deseo de no rendirse ante estos sentimientos. Desde el inicio la homosexualidad de Bacon fue un secreto a voces entre todos, a pesar de que la sodomía era cruelmente castigada (aunque el rey tenía un amante frente a la narices de todo). Así que a lo largo del libro Bacon fue mencionando cómo, por su forma de ser, jamás podría formar familia, cómo es que estaba solo y apenas podía aspirar a pagar por prostitutos en algún lugar. Luego, con la llegada de Georgie tuvo su primer acercamiento al amor, al poder encariñarse con alguien y dejarse estar.

Me pareció maravilloso el final, por un momento pensé que habría cierta romantización, y la hubo, pero porque quien narraba era Bacon y estaba enamorado, así que era lógico. Sin embargo, la forma en que el autor presentó la crueldad del juego del poder que tanto amaba su protagonista y el cómo él se veía como un jugador honesto, lo encontré genial. Ver a Bacon enfrentarse a sus propios errores e hipocresía me gustó. A pesar de lo mucho que Bacon romantizó todo y como lectora era imposible hacerlo porque sabía que algo no iría bien (su autor lo dijo en la nota de inicio), me gustó el desenlace que tuvo la historia.

"La vida, el amor, es riesgo, y cauterizar el amor es dejar de vivir (...) Siempre has estado ocultándote del amor, y de la vida, Francis Bacon. Buscabas la posteridad porque no podías soportar los riesgos (y las alegrías) que conlleva estar vivo. Pero al final, inevitablemente, llegó a tu vida el amor, y ahora mira, te ha matado".

El gran problema de Bacon era que ponía su propio intelecto por sobre todo lo demás, estaba obsesionado con el legado y con la posteridad, que no se permitía a sí mismo sentir. Por lo tanto, a pesar de ser una novela histórica ambientada en un contexto peculiar y con un protagonista basado en una persona real, en el fondo, me pareció que el mensaje podía llegar a muchas personas. El deseo de ser amado es algo universal y me gustó la forma en que el libro lo representó, más allá de los errores que cometiera el mismo Bacon.

El peligroso reino del amor abarca unos 13 años en la vida de Bacon, el cómo luchó y maquinó para hacerse con el juego del poder y eliminar la amenaza que otras personas significaban para él, y el costeeque esto significó en su vida. Todo con una prosa directa y coloquial, a veces hasta grosera.

[Anwen Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Review of an ARC via Netgalley)

Well, this is a bizarre book. I never thought the day would come when I'd stay awake late at night, fervently reading a novel about Francis Bacon, but there you go. Stranger things have happened.

I've been craving a novel about James I and his male favourites for years and years, and although this isn't quite the novel I would have expected, it's a bit of a riot, and I honestly have no idea where to start reviewing it. It really is the sort of book that begs for a full literary analysis. Blackmore's version of Francis Bacon is such a compelling yet unreliable narrator that the first half of the book really threw me off kilter in the best way; it's obvious that Bacon isn't who he says - or thinks - he is, and the journey of discovering that alongside him was sort of exhilarating, if frustrating because he's supposed to be so clever and yet sees so little of his own behaviour and character. He's a great narrative voice, deliberately anachronistic and sympathetic despite his very obvious flaws. The rest of the characters were all interesting and well-drawn, especially Mrs Turner, who, even through Bacon's very limited perspective, clearly has her own machinations and motives. Villiers, as he appears here, is a fascinating sort; I never knew what to make of him, even at the end. It's the sort of book that builds and builds up to a climax which I've really not stopped thinking about for days, and will probably ruminate over for months to come. Few books manage to linger in that way.

Really, the one thing that makes this a 4 star rather than a 5 star rating is just the fact that Blackmore has chosen a series of real historical events (i.e. the relationships of James I, Robert Carr and George Villiers) but completely changed absolutely everything about them, to the extent that I wonder if it needed to be based on those real events at all. I do fully understand that historical fiction is just that, fiction, and that it doesn't need to follow the events as they happened, but Blackmore's version of it all bears quite literally no resemblance to any of the sources (as an example, Bacon and Coke's rivalry, in historical terms, was very much centred around Coke marrying Bacon's own betrothed, whereas here there's no mention of Bacon ever being engaged or married, even though their rivalry is a huge plot point) and I do wonder if inventing a new set of characters would have been less jarring in some instances. There were times that the grotesque (and, honestly, slightly offensive to the Scots, I should imagine) caricature of King James was just a bit weird. Still, I do know that the use of real characters gives relevancy and context to the themes, as well as making it just a more interesting read in general, so this may entirely be personal taste.

As a novel, it has so much to say about the nature of love, and posterity, and power, and also saffron coloured ruffs, and although I'm still hoping that a more sympathetic novel about King James and Villiers might be written one day, I'm inordinately glad that this wasn't it.

Edit: except I'm still thinking about it months later, so clearly it is, in fact, a 5 star book.

[Lady Alexandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! I found in “The Dangerous Kingdom of love” all I love about reading historical fiction. The author managed to transport me to a different time and place, introduced me to fascinating characters and their predicaments. Reading good historical fiction always makes me realise that times might change, but not human nature.

The story was narrated by no one other but Francis Bacon himself. He was extremely amusing and I enjoyed his dry wit. The way he described king James I and Shakespeare, that was enough to make this book worth reading. I was chuckling and smiling, although the story was kind of devastating and sad especially towards the end. It was also a love story, beautifully told and I felt touched by it. To sum it up, I had so much fun with this book, but it was so sad of course... as lost and wasted love always is. I am definitely going to read more historical fiction by Neil Blackmore.

Dramatis Personae:



King James I of England
Attributed to John de Critz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons



Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, by unknown artist, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons



Anne of Denmark, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I received "The Dangerous Kingdom of Love" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.

[Melissa]

I *loved* this. Power, sex, and a doomed love affair in the court of James I, as narrated (with questionable reliability) by Francis Bacon. It plays fast and loose with actual history but the machinations of courting power ring so true. And the ending packs a brutal punch.
It reminds me bit of Hermione Eyres’s Viper Wine and tv’s The Great. Huzzah.
.
“Everyone says I am the cleverest man in England. *Everyone*. But in this country, it’s a worthless thing to be clever. Which books you’ve read, which poets you can quote, matter nothing…
Because in England, in our times at least, only two things matter: the nobility of one’s lineage and the exquisiteness of a boy’s face.”
.

[Hardy Geranium]

Oof. Ouch.

[Marcos Palenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He buscado el poder y el intelecto, la fama y la posteridad. Y, cuando ya era demasiado tarde, me he dado cuenta de que debería haber buscado el amor.
Una vez dije que el poder hace feliz a los hombres. Y la gente cree que escribir me hace feliz a mí. Pero lo que me habría hecho feliz, feliz de verdad, es el amor.

El amor nos salva. La posteridad no.
La posteridad solo sirve para que nos recuerden cuando estamos muertos y ya es demasiado tarde.
Cuando tenemos amor, nos recuerdan cuando estamos vivos.”

Este libro ha sido el GRAN descubrimiento de todo lo que llevamos de año. Jamás pensé que fuera a gustarme tanto una novela, mucho menos si está escrita primera persona.

La forma que tiene Neil de hablar sobre el amor me ha tenido atrapado. Mucho más, encima, con la traducción de Bruno 🥺

Yo no entiendo de traducciones a nivel técnico, pero leerlo daba TANTO placer 🥹

Aunque el libro no tiene tanta trama como tal, la historia y la filosofía del amor desde la propia voz de Francis Bacon me han dejado… sin palabras.

Sin duda, ha sido toda una novedad y aire fresco este autor. Le seguiré la pista y todas sus obras.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

dastardly book that hath vanquished my soul!

that being said: if your fictionalisation of ben jonson and william shakespeare results in jonson being the normal, reserved one then i have some questions and suggestions for you

[Demi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to commend Neil Blackmore’s ability to write characters that are fairly awful, but impossible to hate. The unreliable narration especially is something that's deserving of 5 stars all on its own. For a book about manipulation, it sure as hell manipulates the reader.

This book is full of the usual courtly political intrigues that draw me to historical fiction, but the crude, sarcastic and cynical narration from Francis Bacon were the things that had me hooked. It's overflowing with British humour and I couldn't get enough. It's also brimming with foul language, so avert your eyes if this bothers you.

Plus, you know, IT'S QUEER! Yes! Fantastic!

It's not really overflowing with historical accuracy however; for those who need that, you've been warned. I only know the basics about King James I's court, and I don't imagine I learned a lot more actual facts here haha.

It also does not shy away from the reality of what was happening. People were definitely using and grooming and training young men to work their way into the King's favour, and if you don't want to read about that, you are not going to like this because it's a fairly honest portrayal of what that could have been like.

So, on that note, for all it's laugh-out-loud moments, this is not a happy book; it's harsh and, as you know if you know your history, no one is necessarily getting their Happy Ever After.

I do feel that the King was a bit too caricature Scottish at times. And also, the ending was rushed. At the last page I was like... wait. no. this cannot be it?

However, highly recommended!

[tri ܁ ˖ ♬⋆.˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

reeling from the shock. review to come later.

[Mab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was getting so sick of Bacon towards the end of this book, but luckily it turns out that was the point. What a gutpunch of an ending. The prose is a little heavy, but the examination of power is fascinating.

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon reading the blurb for ‘The Dangerous Kingdom of Love’, it sounded like the type of historical fiction I typically enjoy most. I am always drawn to fictionalised tales of significant figures of the past, and Blackmore’s newest release certainly fits the bill. ‘The Dangerous Kingdom of Love’ was so much more than that.

Blackmore has managed to weave a colourful, and intriguing fictionalised tale of the court of King James I through Francis Bacon’s eyes, and all the drama and sordid details that come a long with such a privileged position. Blackmore has written an immensely readable novel here, with characters, court intrigue and romance to boot. I found it funny, shocking, and sad. I must preface if you are not so keen on foul language and open door romance, perhaps steer clear of this one.

What’s preventing this from being a 5 star read for me were a few details that felt a little out of place. One character, who is particularly renowned in history, didn’t really seem to serve any purpose to the story whatsoever, and I found their inclusion confusing and unnecessary to the text. I also wish the final chapters had been a little more fleshed out, I felt it were owed to Bacon’s character for there to be more.

All in all, a great read! I powered through it as I just couldn’t put it down.

[Blandrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so I was going to try for a coherent review, but honestly.... I'm neither erudite nor eloquent, so what you get are raw emotions....

I am bad at identifying unreliable narrators and everytime I got into a book I think "yup, I'm being extra vigilant this time" and then this book comes along and just SLAPS me in the face at like 90%.

So the book that I THOUGHT I was reading for 90% of the book turns out to be totally different from the book at the end. I thought I was reading a slightly toungue in cheek schemy historical rompy kind of book told by a self effacing man who had had a bit of a tough go of it, and really should get more recognition and love. Basically, I put on my "historical drama ethics" goggles and just took him at his word. And then, and THEN we hit the last chapter, and we hear most of the book replayed through another characters perspective and it just flips the entire narrative!

So while I thought I was reading a light hearted schemy story with a touch of romance was ACTUALLY the story of a man who talked about himself as an outsider, but was very much in a position of power, who used people in his schemes with very little regard for any impact on them (occasionally even going so far as to feel like he is benefiting them by including them in the scheme), and was just oblivious to anyone's experience but his own. So I has my "historical drama ethics" goggles knocked off and realised I'd just read a book about a person who did horrible things to other people for his own benefit, and then seemed absolutely dumb founded when they were upset about it.

So just, wow. The craft to construct a story that just blindsided me so effectively, that takes me through a narrative leading me in one direction before flipping the script. It's just brilliant.

It's been 3 months since I finished and I'm still a bit flabbergasted.

Bravo, Neil Blackmore! This is brilliant!

[Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the narration of Francis Bacon which was engaging, witty and crass in the best way. I wasn’t overly familiar with this area of British history but this book gave enough background whilst simultaneously dropping you straight in the thick of it. So many things happened where I had to go google to see if they were true and apparently they were which made this book extra awesome. I also found it much better written than the author’s previous work The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle which I had previously DNFd.

[Neil Plakcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel about the gay British philosopher Sir Francis Bacon. I kept jumping out of the book to Google to check the history, which was always spot on.

Bacon comes through as a complex, fascinating character, accepting of his sexuality but still conflicted about acting on it. I loved learning about the intricacies of British history at the time, and a bit about Bacon's own work, but the relationship between him and the man he comes to love, despite his best intentions, forms the heart of this very affecting novel.