Auriel Rising - Tapa dura

Autumn, 1609. It is six years since the Scottish King James I came to the throne of England and since the death of the much-revered Elizabeth I; already the glories of her long reign seem but a distant memory. There is no denying that London is still alive with culture, but the core is rotten, for the court of King James is greedy, extravagant. Superstition abounds, not least a belief that gold can be made form base metals. Some of the leading courtiers hire their own alchemists, and since the death of the Elizabethan magus Dr John Dee, who was rumoured to have discovered the formula for making gold just before his death a year before, the capital is rife with reports that his lost papers have been found, giving charlatans and forgers a free hand to trick a gullible public. In the wider political scene it seems that England's honour has been pawned. A peace treaty has been signed with the Catholic enemy Spain, but the stability it brings is riven by rumblings of internal discontent against the Scottish king and his advisers. There is an underlying atmosphere of fear at the court, heightened by the paranoia of King James.

Elizabeth Redfern studied English Literature at Nottingham University, and has worked as a chartered librarian and a lecturer in English Studies. Author of the highly acclaimed novel 'The Music of the Spheres', she has a keen interest in history and music, and lives with her husband and daughter in the Peak District.