The King at the Edge of the World
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A New York Times Notable Book
A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction
Arthur Phillips has tickled and tested readers with one brainy, playful novel after another.… “The King at the Edge of the World” evokes flashes of Hilary Mantel, John le Carré and Graham Greene, but the wry, tricky plot that drives it is pure Arthur Phillips…. There’s always more than meets the eye in an Arthur Phillips novel. Come for the plot and verbal alacrity, but remember that the play’s the thing.
– Heller McAlpin, The Wall Street Journal
Phillips masterfully renders the period and packs the narrative with surprising twists. This clever, serpentine novel recalls the historical dramas of Hilary Mantel and the thrillers of John le Carré, and will reverberate in readers’ minds.
A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO SWIFT. A former “Jeopardy!” champion, Phillips has always been interested in the search for truth — and the strange dynamics of that quest... Phillips is a terrifically engaging teacher.
– Ron Charles, Washington Post
Arthur Phillips fans will recognize—and new readers will thrill to—the immersive mix of erudition, brio, and heart in The King at the Edge of the World. Phillips is an original—and in top form.
The first novel in nine years from Phillips is another bravura performance: a tale of espionage and theological intrigue set in Elizabethan England….
A rare combination of literary finesse and quick-paced plot—and another triumph from the versatile Phillips.
– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Arthur Phillips writes with such breadth, intelligence and wit one wonders how he’s able to fit his imagination between the covers of a book…The novel is brilliant — textured, witty and Shakespeare-deep with palace intrigue, lust, conspiracy, xenophobia and Iago-level villainy.
– Christine Brunkhorst, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
An old-fashioned pleasure to read; its plot is an intricate set of intersecting mechanisms and locks and keys, which, when they finally all fall into place, provide the reader with the gawping satisfaction of having been well and truly fooled. And then fooled again…the book blends the leanness of a taut thriller with the marbled fatness of Elizabethan prose. Combining those two is quite the juggling act.
– Dominic Dromgoole, New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
Author Arthur Phillips, who seems to invent himself afresh with every novel he writes, is always delightfully playful in his storytelling… a wily fish-out-of-water tale that turns our usual concepts about the glories of the Elizabethan age upside down…This wise, tricky novel, in which every character is “performing” in some guise or other while trying to get at some solid kernel of truth, whisks you into guessing games of the very best kind.
– Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times
Phillips is indefatigably imaginative, as one look at his oeuvre attests…
Highly recommended without reservation, especially for smarties who know a thing or two about the period, and for anyone who enjoys a highly original historical yarn.
– Ed Cone, Library Journal (starred review)
(AUDIOBOOK) Narrator Euan Morton delivers the novel in a wonderful range of voices and accents — his Scottish burr is especially engaging, and his wry manner wonderfully suited to the novel’s sardonic wit and trapdoor plot.
– Katherine A Powers, Washington Post
A deep dive into the emotions of an intelligent man in exile from country, family, even a sense of hope. Evoked in exquisite language full of subtle shadings and theatrical references, the plot grows suspenseful… Readers will flock to the latest from esteemed best-seller Phillips, whose signature literary prowess and nimble imagination remain ascendant.
– Sarah Johnson, Booklist
For the life of me, I can't figure out why Arthur Phillips isn't a better seller. His stories are diverse, beautifully written, and engaging. His characters are fully realized and complex. He never repeats himself. This is his sixth novel, and it's simply wonderful.
– Conrad Silverberg, Boswell Book Company
Phillips is a terrific storyteller, laying twists, turns, and red herrings everywhere. He … develops his characters with care and delves into their dreams and fears while pulling the reader along, subtly and effortlessly, to a mysterious faraway, long ago place and time.
– Edmund Guest, North Star Monthly (Vermont)