Two rival queens. History's greatest playwright. And a deadly plot for the crown.London, 1600. With no legitimate heir to Queen Elizabeth's throne, and no clear successor, England finds itself in a supremely perilous moment.When spymaster Anthony Bacon commands esteemed playwright William Shakespeare to write a play on the poisonous history of Queen Elizabeth and the rival monarch she executed, Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, Will knows that Elizabeth's one—time favorite, the powerful Earl of Essex, will use the play to try to seize her throne.Must Will be ensnared in a ruthless plot fated to tumble his country into civil war? Or can he navigate a treacherous path through the dark warrens of London and the tortuous world of Elizabethan politics to save his family, his country, and his Queen?