Link to Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8
Fool is a delicious, dark, intimate and surprisingly tender portrait of life on the margins of Henry VIII’s court.
Told through a narrator who is both invisible and indispensable. Kronos is the type of character that historical fiction rarely gives centre stage to, and that’s what makes it so compelling. Kronos is found on a midden heap, literally thrown out with the excrement at birth because of his disabilities. He is taken in by the monks at Thetford Priory and taught the basics of healing the sick in the infirmary.
Mary Lawrence builds the story around a simple but clever idea that the person who everyone overlooks can see everything.
Kronos’s voice is the novel’s greatest strength. He is sharp, observant and deeply wounded in a superstitious age when a disability is seen as bad luck or as a sign of sin. His perspective makes the Tudor court feel more claustrophobic and dangerous than the usual descriptions of pretty gowns and shallow conversations often found in Tudor novels.
The plot moves between Krono’s brutal past and the political crisis he is dragged into when he learns a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard. The author handles this with restraint, never leaning on shock value. Instead, tension is built through the character of Krono, his fear, his passion, and his anger. What stands out is how human the story feels. Kronos is not a caricature or a novelty despite being a person with dwarfism.
He is a man shaped by trauma, humour and a lifetime of being underestimated. His resilience is quiet but powerful, and the emotional beats especially around abandonment and identity land with real weight.
The Tudor setting is richly textured without ever becoming a history lesson. The royal court is used as a pressure cooker and not just a glittering backdrop. The result is a novel that feels historically grounded and emotionally immersive.
Fool is a thoughtful, character-driven Tudor novel that succeeds because it dares to centre the person everyone else ignores. It’s tense, humane and unexpectedly moving. It’s a fresh angle on the Tudor era, and it’s a story that lingers long after the last page.
It’s a five star novel!
My trip to Thetford Priory:
These are the images I took on my trip to the ruins of Thetford Priory after reading the novel. The first two are of the infirmary where Kronos worked. It was amazing to stand here and think about Kronos and Brother Ulric clattering around in here and curing the sick. The third is an image of the buttery where ale and beer would have been stored. It later became the kitchen where the fire burned, and cauldrons bubbled, tended by the fictional Brother Trelli, who made the pottage. In the background, you can see a small part of the enormous Abbot’s house.
The fourth picture shows the steps that once led to the monks’ dormitory, which was destroyed during the reformation. The fifth picture shows an artist’s impression of what the abbey looked like in its prime. The last photograph is of the monks’ refectory, where they ate. Entry is free, and the paths are gravel. I had no issues using my mobility scooter here.
Buy Links: Author’s Universal Buy Link: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com/linktree Amazon Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8
A Story of Secrets, Survival, and the Power of Being Overlooked
If you love historical fiction filled with tension, courtly intrigue, and characters who refuse to stay in the place the world assigns them, this novel delivers. Fool introduces a hero who has been ignored his entire life, only to discover that invisibility can be the sharpest weapon in a dangerous court:
Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.
From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.
What others have said about Fool:
“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.“–Goodreads Ecostell
Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.
When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely.
Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.
But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he’s ready to use that to his advantage.
As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool.
Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory.
Praise for Fool:
“Vividly written and grounded in scrupulous research, Fool captures both the dark comedy and lethal danger of Henry VIII’s court.”
~ Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown and The Blue
“A masterclass in immersive storytelling.”
~ Tony Riches, author of the best-selling Tudor Trilogy
“A thoughtful and unsparing Tudor novel that reframes the court jester not as comic ornament but as a precarious witness to power.”
~ Megan Parker for IndieReader
A Snippet :
The monks had warned me that the secular world outside the priory could be unkind. Not just to men like me, but to anyone possessing half a heart of compassion. There is a coldness that comes with age and experience. To survive means to outwit.
Never should one take advantage of another’s weakness. After all, exploitation is human nature, and it is our struggle with evil not to take advantage of those less clever, less handsome than ourselves. However, it is better to outwit oneself—to be able to suppress one’s susceptibility in taking offence and feeling wounded. How well one builds his suit of armour determines his ability to endure the barbs of insult and misfortune. I would get plenty of practise.
My visit to London helped me realise that the breadth of human experience was immeasurable and I had seen only a little piece. Where would I find my corner of existence? Viewing the king’s opulent palaces of Whitehall and St. James only made me more determined that I should find my way inside one of them.
Mary Lawrence
Author Bio:
Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard mysteries, a 5-book series that takes place in the slums of Tudor London featuring the daughter of an infamous alchemist. Suspense Magazine named The Alchemist’s Daughter and The Alchemist of Lost Souls best historical mysteries of 2015 and 2017.
Her writing has been published in several journals, including The Daily Beast. When she is not writing, she tends a small berry farm in Maine with her husband and creates artisanal jams for sale at market.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence.author/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylawrence.author
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/marylawrence.bsky.social
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mel59lawrence
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-lawrence
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Lawrence/author/B00N7JSO5Y
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/84420.Mary_Lawrence
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Nicola Harris 