The French Executioner

Gillian Kajganich is a graduate student in history at Laurentian
University and a reviewer of historical fiction.

Set in the year 1536, this epic tale begins with the execution of Henry
VIII’s wife, Anne Boleyn, by French executioner Jean Rombaud. Jean
promises Anne that he will bury her six-fingered hand—a relic sought
by religious enemies and Protestant fanatics alike—at a sacred
crossroads. Jean sets out to fulfil his promise and, in the process,
falls in love and forms new friendships. On his quest, which is a
journey of self-discovery as well as a physical journey, he encounters
the evil Cibo brothers, who personify religious and state corruption.
Jean is enslaved, tortured, and flirts with death in numerous battles.

This suspense-filled work of historical fiction is C.C. Humphreys’s
first novel. His background as an actor and playwright is evident in his
exceptional use of interior monologues and his beautifully crafted cast
of characters. In the

preface, Humphreys writes that one should “never let the facts get in
the way of a good story.” In The French Executioner he follows his own
advice, and the results are spellbinding.