Alinor, now a successful businesswoman, has been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save Queen Mary from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant. Inspired by news of a rebellion against the Stuart kings, Ned Ferryman returns from America with his Pokanoket servant to join the uprising against roman catholic King James.

As Ned swears loyalty to the charismatic Duke of Monmouth, he discovers a new and unexpected love Meanwhile, Queen Mary summons her friend Livia to a terrified court. Her survival, and that of the Stuart kings, is in the balance, and only a clever and dangerous gamble can save them... A compelling and powerful story of political intrigue and personal ambition, set between the palaces of London, the tidelands of Fowlmire and the shores of Barbados.

Praise for Tidelands and Dark Tides: 'Gregory is an experienced storyteller and doesn't let you down. Tidelands is a gripping and intelligent portrait of a woman fighting to survive in a hostile world' THE TIMES 'The first in a planned series . .

. The author crafts her material with effortless ease. Her grasp of social mores is brilliant, the love story rings true and the research is, as ever, of the highest calibre' Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail 'Vivid and beguiling - Philippa Gregory at her best' woman&home 'A compelling novel that shines a light on the struggles of 17th century women' Daily Mirror 'The novel's power lies in Gregory's evocative portrayal of the tidelands and the everyday lives of those who are bound to them' Sunday Express 'Philippa Gregory returns with an English Civil War novel that excels in everything she does best.

Historical events are written with breathless immediacy, keeping the reader enthralled even if they know the outcome. She pays close attention to the plight of women in the past, so often unchanged despite men's wars, and gives them a voice . .