Our Book of The Year

VIII is the story of Hal: a young, handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead his people. But he is plagued by the ghosts of his family’s violent past and, once he rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII.

The Tudors have always captured the popular imagination, but in VIII, Henry is presented fresh for a new generation. H M Castor does for Henry what Hilary Mantel did for Thomas Cromwell – VIII is Wolf Hall for the teen and crossover market. The contemporary, original writing style will have broad appeal and VIII brings the tension of a psychological thriller and the eeriness of a ghost story to historical fiction.

” Great stuff…exciting, fascinating and surprisingly scary” Charlie Higson

H. M. Castor has been obsessed with the Tudors since primary school. She studied Tudor History at Cambridge University, and despite spending time after that doing a variety of jobs – including teaching English in Prague. The Tudors have never lost their hold on her. In particular she has been fascinated by the story of Henry VIII. “I’ve read a great deal about his life,” she says, “but still a huge question has remained: just how does this extraordinary boy become one of the most villainous kings in British history? He is hugely talented, has astonishing warrior skills, and is said to be a model of virtue. So what turns him into a monster? In writing VIII I’ve set out to answer that question.” H. M. Castor has written many younger fiction and non fiction titles for HarperCollins, A&C Black, Carlton, Puffin and Usborne. VIII is her first novel for teenagers. She lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters.