My new novel, THE DANGEROUS KINGDOM OF LOVE, memorably described as "Hilary Mantel on acid," is published by Hutchinson Heinemann/Penguin Random House, and is in bookshops now.

• "Witty, original and clever, this tale of Jacobean power and lust is a blast." The Times, Best Historical Fiction Books of the Year 2021
• "Expect gritty language and much enjoyment from this clever and unusual novel." The Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Month July 2021
• "An entertaining and often very funny read with something to say about both the love of power and the power of love." The Sunday Times
• "The brilliant fourth novel by British author Blackmore is a remarkable act of literary ventriloquism...'Wolf Hall' meets 'Succession'" Apple Books

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

Francis Bacon, philosopher, politician, writer, is an outsider at the court of King James I. He is clever but not aristocratic, has ambition but no money. So when his political enemies form a deadly alliance against him, centred around the King’s poisonous lover Robert Carr, Bacon has no choice but to fight for his survival.

Together with the neglected Queen, Bacon resolves to find a beguiling young man who can supplant Carr in the King’s bed. But as he soon discovers, desire is not something that can be controlled.

Bold, irreverent and utterly original, The Dangerous Kingdom of Love is a darkly witty satire about power, and a moving queer love story that resonates through time.

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My literary agent is Veronique Baxter at David Higham Associates.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @NeilBlackmo