Shakespeare's Ophelia was a lover, a madwoman and a victim. The real Ofelia is a very different story: a leader, a fighter and a fiercely independent woman . . .

As a young girl, Ofelia stood frozen as her mother threw herself on her father's funeral pyre. Such is the fate, she learned, of the devoted wife and in that moment, she swore never to belong to any man.

Years later, she is a force to be reckoned with: right hand woman to the newly crowned Prince Hamlet, to whom she has sworn her sword and her undying loyalty, but refuses his true desire . . . her hand in marriage.

When Hamlet's jealous uncle plots against him, Ofelia will have to use every wile at her disposal to keep her prince safe from those who wish him harm. Yet in the end, it could be her unruly heart that is the greatest betrayer of all.

A brand new Historical fiction series by the bestselling author of the Queens of Conquest series, her new trilogy unearths the real women behind Shakespeare's most infamous queens . . . If you love Elizabeth Chadwick and Anne O'Brien you will adore Joanna Courtney

'Lovely writing and a terrific sense of narrative drive. Superb!' Carol McGrath on The Chosen Queen