BLOG TOUR: The Half King - Melissa Landers

A king by day. Shadow by night…

Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rebelled against the goddess... and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.

One with perilous beauty.

One with destructive knowledge.

One with insatiable bloodlust.

But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night...until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.

Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer...only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.

Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests – smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the centre sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering.

As the spectre of his twenty-first birthday – and the full force of his curse – approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.

There’s only one way to save a dying king... and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.

 

What did I think?

Now that's what I call pure escapism!  I am so pleased that I have started to read books in the fantasy genre as The Half King is a a real jewel in fantasy's crown and I absolutely loved it.

It's like a fairy tale for adults with a curse, a handsome king and a big helping of baddies who want to steal the throne for themselves.  Cerise isn't a firstborn so she has not been cursed and she is training to be a Seer, however, her gift of sight does not appear so she becomes an emissary to the king.  The king is cursed and disappears into shadow form each night, which is why he is referred to as the half king...but perhaps Cerise is his other half?

This is an incredibly entertaining tale that is action-packed and filled with danger and romance.  I loved Cerise and her caring nature that is a gift in its own right.  Cerise puts herself in danger to save her king and it costs her dearly.  I gasped out loud so many times as Melissa Lander's descriptive writing painted vivid scenes in my head.

Entertaining, vividly written and compelling, The Half King is a wonderful story that delighted me from start to finish.  I am hoping that this isn't the last we have heard of Cerise and Kian and I would love to read more if this does become a series.  Very highly recommended and if you don't usually read books in the fantasy genre then I think The Half King would definitely be a good place to start.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

UK.Bookshop.org

Amazon

About the author:

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn't afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public — just ask her embarrassed kids.

She lives in Cincinnati Ohio, where she writes romantic fantasy and science fiction adventures for the young at heart.

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BLOG TOUR: Lionheart (Richard the Lionheart Book 1) - Ben Kane

REBEL. LEADER. BROTHER. KING.

1179. Henry II is King of England, Wales, Ireland, Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine. The House of Plantagenet reigns supreme.

But there is unrest in Henry's house. Not for the first time, his family talks of rebellion.

Ferdia - an Irish nobleman taken captive during the conquest of his homeland - saves the life of Richard, the king's son. In reward for his bravery, he is made squire to Richard, who is already a renowned warrior.

Crossing the English Channel, the two are plunged into a campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine. The bloody battles and gruelling sieges which followed would earn Richard the legendary name of Lionheart.

But Richard's older brother, Henry, is infuriated by his sibling's newfound fame. Soon it becomes clear that the biggest threat to Richard's life may not be rebel or French armies, but his own family...

What did I think?

As a fan of historical fiction, I've always wanted to read a Ben Kane book so when I saw that he had changed historical period from Roman to Plantagenet I thought it was a good time to pick one up.  Richard the Lionheart is such a famous historical figure and I am ashamed to say that I knew very little about him, although I know a bit more about him now that I have read Lionheart.

Richard is Duke of Aquitaine when we first encounter him in Lionheart and rather surprisingly he is not the main character in the book.  The story is told from the point of view of Ferdia, an Irish nobleman who is being held captive at Striguil (now known as Chepstow) in Wales.  Ferdia is nicknamed Rufus because of his red hair and quickly acquires an arch-enemy, a knight named Robert FitzAldelm, who Ferdia refers to as Fists and Boots due to the constant physical bullying.  Ferdia and FitzAldelm take an instant dislike to each other but fate sees them crossing paths on many more occasions.

Lionheart tells Richard's story through Ferdia's eyes and it covers quite a lot of ground over a 10 year period from 1179 to 1189.  Richard's father, Henry II, is on the throne and growing weary of his four sons feuding and backstabbing each other.  I really enjoyed reading about the plotting and scheming between the boys: Henry, Richard, Geoffrey and John (they sound like a medieval Beatles).  I was aware that Richard and John were brothers, but I didn't realise that there were other siblings so it was really interesting to find out how Richard I became Henry II's successor.

There are not only battles between the brothers, but there are actual battles portrayed in Lionheart.  The level of detail and vivid depiction of battle is clearly Ben Kane's forte.  The sights, sounds and smells of battle jump out of the pages as Richard evolves into the warrior we know he becomes.  I have to say that I found the battle scenes a bit hard going as I'm not terribly interested in strategy and war but I'm sure that most people will find it gripping and thrilling.

I loved reading Ferdia's story as his growing respect for Richard sees him overcoming his hatred of the English.  Ferdia seems very loyal, in both love and war, so I think that Richard has a good man by his side and Ferdia will have many more tales to tell in future instalments.  In this first instalment, Lionheart sets the scene perfectly for what I'm sure will be an epic series.  

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon




Follow the tour:

Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abbey - Jennifer C. Wilson

I always love taking part in Brook Cottage Books tours, not only because they have great books, but there are always some extra little treats for visitors to the various blogs on the tour.  I have only recently discovered Jennifer C. Wilson's brilliant Kindred Spirits series so I couldn't wait to read Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abbey, book 3 in the series.

For my spot on the tour, I have an extract from Chapter 1, my review and a giveaway to win an e-copy of book 1, Kindred Spirits: Tower of London.  I absolutely loved Kindred Spirits: Tower of London and you can read my review here so make sure you enter the giveaway at the end of this post - good luck!

Extract - Chapter 1

Queen Elizabeth I of England was sulking. And not quietly, as the rest of the Abbey’s residents would have preferred. Despite her advancing years, she could still flounce in style, and was keen to ensure everyone knew what was annoying her this time.

“It’s so boring here!” she exclaimed, dropping gracelessly into one of the choir stalls. “Nothing ever happens.”

“She’s been to the Tower again,” whispered Catherine Knollys to her brother, but not quite quietly enough, as the queen’s friends and cousins wandered over to see what specifically had been troubling her this time.

“Yes, yes, I have. At least things happen there.”

“Our Uncle George still as entertaining as ever then?” Henry Carey tried to divert his cousin’s attention, but only made it worse.

“Naturally. He was haunting the barrel of Malmsey with Clarence, and it was hilarious, as usual. Scaring people out of their skins. That’s what we ghosts should be doing, not just loitering about discussing experiments.” She glared at where Charles Darwin and Robert Stephenson were once again in deep conversation, sitting out of the way of the early tourists starting to make their way through the great church. Without a word, Darwin glared at her, then shifted in his seat turning his back against her, much to Elizabeth’s disgust.

“We do plenty of haunting, Cousin. It’s just that, well, you know the Abbey’s never really lent itself to that.”

“No, Catherine – everyone has simply become too old and too dull over the centuries. And too weak to stand up to my wretched great-grandmother. It’s all her fault.”

Catherine and Henry shot nervous glances at each other. When Elizabeth was in one of these moods, little could be done to stop her. Even her beloved Dudley had retreated back to Warwick after witnessing one of her angrier days. Before either could speak again, their cousin had moved on, stomping through the Abbey until she found the memorial to William Pulteney, the Earl of Bath.

As though knowing what was expected, the book in the centre of the statue flicked pages in silence. It wasn’t good enough.

“See? See that? A page of a statue’s book turning. Over three thousand of us in here, seventeen monarchs, no less, as the guidebooks tell us, and that’s the best we can come up with?” Queen Elizabeth spun on her heel, turning back to the siblings. “At the Tower they have my mother removing her severed head, with my step-mother and my aunt alongside her. They have a young, robust King, leading the way forward. They have wailings and chain-rattlings and, well, everything. We have a statue, turning its page.”

By now, a crowd had grown around the Queen, noting, not for the first time, how similar she was to her great-grandmother when her temper really took hold. Fiery Tudor blood indeed.

“We’ve talked about this, Elizabeth.” The chattering and ranting was broken by the only voice which ever had any control over the wayward Queen.

“Now she’s in trouble,” Mary-Eleanor smirked to her companion, only to receive a regal nudge in the ribs from Anne of Cleves.

Edward the Confessor moved slowly through the group, not troubling himself with meeting anyone’s eyes, but knowing they would move for him. They always did.

“We do not waste our time with such infantile behaviour here, Elizabeth, as well you know. We have held meetings.”

“Then we should hold more,” Elizabeth protested. “Otherwise, what is the point of us being ghosts?”

“Spirits,” the Confessor corrected her. “We use ‘spirits’ here. I don’t like ‘ghosts’.”

“Either way, we should be haunting. Surely even just a couple of calm visitations. You’ve never had a problem with Father Benedictus.”

“The good Father has his reasons for still being here. And he does the people he talks to no harm whatsoever. The souls of the Tower are troubled; they know no better than to disturb the peace of the living. Those of us here, we are not of the same ilk.” He glanced at Mary-Eleanor, knowing that of all those present, she would be the second most likely to argue with him. But instead she lowered her head in a slow, graceful nod, not uttering a word.

“I trust this matter is dealt with.” The Confessor ended the conversation and headed back to his shrine.

My Review

Series: Kindred Spirits
Genre: Paranormal Historical Fiction
Release Date:8^th June 2018
Publisher: Crooked Cat Books

On hallowed ground…

With over three thousand burials and memorials, including seventeen monarchs, life for the ghostly community of Westminster Abbey was never going to be a quiet one. Add in some fiery Tudor tempers, and several centuries-old feuds, and things can only go one way: chaotic.

Against the backdrop of England’s most important church, though, it isn't all tempers and tantrums. Poets' Corner hosts poetry battles and writing workshops, and close friendships form across the ages.

With the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots, however, battle ensues. Will Queens Mary I and Elizabeth I ever find their common ground, and lasting peace?

The bestselling Kindred Spirits series continues within the ancient walls of Westminster Abbey.

What did I think?

I came across Jennifer C. Wilson's 'historical fiction with a difference' series thanks to the North East Authors and Readers group on Facebook.  I am passionate about supporting local authors and Jennifer's books really appealed to me as a history lover who loves something that little bit different.  The Kindred Spirits series definitely fits that bill: it's history but not as we know it.

In Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abbey you can read about your favourite people from history as you've never seen them before.  Jennifer C. Wilson's passion for history, especially Plantagenet history, is very apparent as she effortlessly brings the past into the present.  Jennifer C. Wilson breaks the mould that many historical fiction writers fit into; she doesn't just regurgitate our favourite stories from history but rather breathes new life into our favourite historical characters.  You just need to take a look at the handy cast list provided in the back of the book to see the impossible made possible as people from different eras become friends and acquaintances in the spectral world: who could ever imagine 16th century Queen Anne of Cleves and 15th century Queen Anne Neville gossiping together like lifelong friends or a poetry competition with Chaucer, Dickens, Kipling and Tennyson?  This is all made possible thanks to the amazing imagination of Jennifer C. Wilson.

I loved learning more about the characters as they glide around Westminster Abbey with little bits of information from their past sprinkled throughout the prose like an Easter egg hunt.  Even if you don't know anything about history, you will learn things you didn't know before in a fun and almost subliminal way.  I know Henry VIII's least favourite wife was Anne of Cleves as he married her based on a less than accurate painting, but I didn't know that he allegedly then named her the 'Flanders Mare'.  So how does Jennifer C. Wilson tell us this little historical nugget?  By having Anne of Cleves sneaking on to the computer in the abbey's office to take out the reference to 'Flanders Mare' on her Wikipedia page.  Brilliant!

There are loads of hidden historical gems in Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abbey and I have probably missed so many of them by reading it so fast, so that's as good an excuse as any to read it again.  Well I have two copies after all; after receiving an advance e-copy, I also bought a finished paperback to read at my leisure.

So if you're looking for something different and you're tired of reading the same old historical fiction stories, you must pick up a copy of Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abbey and let Jennifer C. Wilson bring the past to life right in front of your eyes.

My rating:

Buy Kindred Spirits: Westminster Abbey from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Or buy all three books in the series from:
Amazon UK



About the author:

Jennifer is a marine biologist by training, who developed an equal passion for history whilst stalking Mary, Queen of Scots of childhood holidays (she since moved on to Richard III). She completed her BSc and MSc at the University of Hull, and has worked as a marine environmental consultant since graduating. 

Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east reignited Jennifer’s pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since. In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and also continues to work on developing her poetic voice, reading at a number of events, and with several pieces available online. Her Kindred Spirits novels are published by Crooked Cat Books. In October 2017, she celebrated Richard III’s birthday by releasing her first timeslip novella, The Last Plantagenet.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/inkjunkie1984

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14551510.Jennifer_C_Wilson

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jennifer-Wilson/e/B018UBP1ZO/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifercwilsonwriter/

Blog: https://jennifercwilsonwriter.wordpress.com/

Giveaway

Win an ecopy of book 1 in the series – Kindred Spirits Tower of London.

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Kindred Spirits: Tower of London - Jennifer C. Wilson

A King, three Queens, a handful of nobles and a host of former courtiers…

In the Tower of London, the dead outnumber the living, with the likes of Tudor Queens Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard rubbing shoulders with one man who has made his way back from his place of death at Bosworth Field to discover the truth about the disappearance of his famous nephews.

Amidst the chaos of daily life, with political and personal tensions running high, Richard III takes control, as each ghostly resident looks for their own peace in the former palace – where privacy was always a limited luxury.

With so many characters haunting the Tower of London, will they all find the calm they crave? But foremost – will the young Plantagenet Princes join them?

What did I think?

It took me a little while to get my head around Richard III in conversation with Anne Boleyn.  They are two famous historical figures from different centuries who meet as ghosts in the Tower of London; once they are dead, time has no meaning so we find Tudor and Plantagenets 'living' and haunting together.  Richard and Anne are joined by too many historical names to mention but thankfully Jennifer Wilson included a list of characters in the back of the book so we could keep track of who was who.

After his remains were famously found in the car park in Leicester, Richard III's popularity has increased.  At school, I remember thinking of him as the hunchback who murdered his nephews but many believe that this couldn't be further from the truth.  His skeleton alone smashes the hunchback myth to smithereens.  So you can imagine Richard's devastation when as a ghost he goes to watch the Shakespearean play about himself and sees the actor playing a hunchback.  Jennifer Wilson is a one-woman PR machine for Richard III as I really felt as if I got to know him better than I ever have.  I know the basics of the House of Plantagenet, in fact that was my house in school, but have never really delved into their history.  I'm encouraged to read more about this ambitious and ruthless family after reading Kindred Spirits: Tower of London.

Aside from the history, the ghosts have fun haunting the Tower of London.  They all get along well, apart from Jane Boleyn who seems to hover in the shadows after she is accused of betraying the Boleyn family and causing their downfall.  It seems even ghosts hold grudges.  There are two ghosts that Richard would give anything to see in the Tower, those of his nephews, Edward and Richard.  He has been searching high and low for centuries but the boys remain elusive.  Are they hiding from Richard because he killed them or were they not even killed in the Tower?  Both are questions that many historians have struggled to answer for centuries and it remains one of the great mysteries of British History.

The handy character guide proved immeasurably useful as I negotiated all the Georges and Janes.  There are a LOT of characters in the book, as many ghosts as you could imagine inhabiting the Tower of London, and it could sometimes be confusing if you don't know your history.  For example: George, Clarence and George Plantagenet all appear in the book but they are actually the same person.  It was fine for me but I could imagine it would be confusing for some people.  

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Kindred Spirits: Tower of London to historical fiction fans looking for something that little bit different from the tired old stories set in the Tudor court.  Jennifer Wilson makes history fun in Kindred Spirits: Tower of London and she has brought history to life by putting flesh on the bones of the brittle old skeletons lying in the royal tombs.

On a final note: this book gave me goosebumps and not from the hauntings.  I was so invested in the story that I had tears in my eyes at the end and I could have gone on to read many more pages about this unlikely band of regal characters.  

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

Harlot Queen - Hilda Lewis

Isabella of France was proud to be wed to the handsome Edward II of England, but her joy soon turned to rancour, for Piers Gaveston, an egotistical and mercenary courtier, usurped her husband's bed. No woman could compete with her beauty, but another man? What could she do at the age of fourteen? Wait, only wait. And so she waited, nursing her anger, rejection, and disgust. She grew in beauty and wiles; the king, in weakness, as other men, worse men, took Gaveston's place. Weary of waiting, Isabella turned to Mortimer of Wigmore. In his bed, she found comfort and love and cared little that people called her a harlot. But even the presence of Mortimer could not quench her thirst for vengeance, once she had tasted blood. Like an unleashed fury, she pursued the king's paramours. She would tear England in half to quench her rage; if she failed, her son would avenge her honour. The contest that ensued decided the fate of England. 

In this historically accurate and thrilling story of power and passion, Hilda Lewis has created an unforgettable account of how the fate of nations has often been forged in royal bedrooms.

What did I think?

I love historical fiction but I really struggled with Harlot Queen and was only able to read one chapter at a time.  Disappointingly, I found it slower than the slowest snail in a slow snail competition; I positively crawled through it and felt like I deserved a medal for getting to the end.

The story revolves around Isabella of France who at 9 years old was betrothed to Edward II of England.  She crosses the channel with dreams of love and finds a man who has no interest in her.  It sadly reminded me of Charles and Diana as Edward had already fallen in love, with Piers Gaveston.  After so many rejections from her husband, Isabella realises that she has something she can exploit: power as the Queen of England.  We follow her journey as she gathers her allies and sees off her enemies, and finally finds love.

Drier than a cracker with no cheese, only read this if you have a keen interest in Edward II otherwise you will lose the will to live.  I did find the second half of the book more interesting as Isabella's son, Edward III, comes to the throne in suspicious circumstances, but unfortunately this isn't a book I would recommend.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

BLOG TOUR: The Lives of Tudor Women - Elizabeth Norton

I've always listed historical fiction as being one of my favourite genres.  With The Tudors being one of my favourite periods of history, I was really excited to receive a copy of Elizabeth Norton's non-fiction study of The Lives of Tudor Women.  It's an absolutely riveting read, completely immersing the reader into the Tudor period with passages about real women who lived during this time.  You can read my full review after the extract.

I am absolutely delighted to be taking part in the blog tour and have an excerpt from the book for you.  Although I loved all of the book, I think the chapter on witchcraft was one of my favourites and this excerpt is from that chapter.

The Lives of Tudor Women – Book Extract ‘There are a great number of witches here’

Part of the power of witchcraft in the Tudor imagination was that it know no bounds. It could reach the highest in the land. Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, Margaret Clifford, Countess of Derby, had been imprisoned in 1579 for asking a sorcerer to predict the queen’s death. Such a charge had not surprised the Spanish ambassador to England since, as he considered sagely, ‘there are a great number of witches here’. It was, indeed, no great leap from pulling children sharply away from the poisonous eyes of their grandmothers to considering elderly women capable of black magic.

Henry VIII had made witchcraft a felony in 1542, punishable by death, and Elizabeth I’s Parliament restated much of this legislation in 1563. In an age of great religious faith, it was unsurprising that many people believed in the power of the Devil to possess the unfortunate, or of witches to do them harm. Some men were tried and convicted in the period, but the vast majority of those accused were women. Like poisoning, witchcraft was seen as an indirect – pernicious – crime. As a result, many women were dragged before the courts of Tudor England, with elderly widows being particularly vulnerable to accusations.

In one county –tranquil, leafy Surrey –approximately thirty accused women were rounded up and dragged before the Assize judges during Elizabeth’s reign. The crimes of which they were accused were serious. Joan Gowse of Banstead had, the judges were assured, magicked an ox to death in 1564. The following year, her neighbour, Rose Borow, had ‘bewitched Alice Lambert, wife of Geoffrey Lambert, so that she died’. Both were convicted at Croydon on 7 August 1565 and thrown into gaol. Borow was still there four years later.

In 1582, a veritable coven was uncovered in the pleasant market town of Godalming, in the Surrey hills. The apprehended townswomen filled the assize courtroom at Kingston, on 26 July. Elizabeth Coxe and her daughter, Joan, were supposedly the ringleaders, who had committed four murders by sorcery over a period of more than two years. Their neighbour, Agnes Waters (alias Stevens), had at the same time bewitched ten bullocks and a cow, causing their deaths. Juliana Page, another Godalming matron, had used spells to murder a five-week-old baby. Under questioning, Waters confessed, but the others staunchly denied the charges. They were fortunate, since the court that day displayed a healthy degree of scepticism. Only the unfortunate Waters was convicted.

There had evidently been a rounding up of witches in the area, since one Elizabeth Cowper of Shalford was also brought before the judges that day. She had, they were told, bewitched Joan Lambert ‘so that she became lame’. She, too, was found not guilty. Joan Marlowe, who was accused at the same time of murdering William Haydon, at Egham, by witchcraft, had not seen fit to trust her fate to the jury, fleeing before she could be indicted.

The unfortunate Agnes Waters of Godalming was released under a general pardon not long afterwards; but she was soon back before the Croydon Assizes on 12 July 1585. She was still practising her devilish arts, the judges were told, but now on people. First there was six-year-old Margaret Roker, who had clung onto life for nine months after being hexed in March 1583; then, three months later, there was Richard Charman, who lasted for a little over a month after being bewitched, and finally Catherine Hamond, who survived nine months after a magical attack by Agnes Waters on 26 June 1583. With such long periods between the reported crime and the eventual deaths, it would have been hard to bring any ‘evidence’ to bear. But Waters, already a convicted witch, was predictably found guilty and imprisoned. She was lucky not to face the death penalty: many others accused of witchcraft did.

The turbulent Tudor age never fails to capture the imagination. But what was it actually like to be a woman during this period? This was a time when death in infancy or during childbirth was rife; when marriage was usually a legal contract, not a matter for love, and the education of women was minimal at best. Yet the Tudor century was also dominated by powerful and characterful women in a way that no era had been before.

Elizabeth Norton explores the seven ages of the Tudor woman, from childhood to old age, through the diverging examples of women such as Elizabeth Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister who died in infancy; Cecily Burbage, Elizabeth's wet nurse; Mary Howard, widowed but influential at court; Elizabeth Boleyn, mother of a controversial queen; and Elizabeth Barton, a peasant girl who would be lauded as a prophetess. Their stories are interwoven with studies of topics ranging from Tudor toys to contraception to witchcraft, painting a portrait of the lives of queens and serving maids, nuns and harlots, widows and chaperones.

What did I think?

I've always been fascinated with the period of history from the Plantagenets to the Tudors, encompassing the battle for the crown during the Wars of the Roses to the religious tug-of-war as England's Tudor monarchs switched between Catholic and Protestant. When I think of the Tudors, I first think of Henry VIII but, for once, he has a small part to play in Elizabeth Norton's The Lives of Tudor Women as the Tudor women come to the fore.

I was given a history lesson from the very first page as the first thing that I learned was that Queen Elizabeth I was not the first Elizabeth Tudor.  In fact, the first Elizabeth Tudor was her aunt, the younger sister of Henry VIII.  Elizabeth died when she was 3 so she rarely appears in history books, at least none that I have read.  If you google 'Elizabeth Tudor' you will see the familiar face of Good Queen Bess with no mention at all of her aunt.  So that was my first clue as to the impeccable research that has gone into this book, the second clue being the massive endnotes and bibliography sections in the back of the book.  Clearly, Elizabeth Norton has left no stone unturned in her writing of this Tudor masterpiece.

What I found absolutely riveting about this book were the stories of real women who lived during Tudor times.  Although obviously she features in it as the most famous Tudor woman, this isn't a book solely about Elizabeth I.  There were some lesser known Elizabeths who caught my eye as I read about the visions of Elizabeth Barton, the Holy Maid of Kent and the persecution of Elizabeth Wright, the Witch of Stapenhill.  Each chapter felt like a history lesson but one full of interesting colourful stories rather than one of the history lessons from school that made you fall asleep.  The Lives of Tudor Women definitely doesn't read like a text book, so historical fiction fans will very easily make the leap from fiction to fact.

I truly stepped back in time whilst reading The Lives of Tudor Women, I was so immersed in the era that I felt a deep sense of loss as Elizabeth I breathed her last breath and the glorious flame of the Tudor dynasty was snuffed out.  It's an absolutely brilliant book giving readers the chance to walk in the footsteps of various Tudor women, and leaving us with a deeper understanding of life in the 16th Century to enable us to fully appreciate the Tudor period.  I have no doubt that this will absolutely delight all lovers of Tudor history, especially fans of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory.

Many thanks to Blake from Head of Zeus for providing a beautiful hardback copy in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Buy it from Amazon

About Elizabeth Norton

I am a British historian, specialising in the queens of England and the Tudor period. Find out more about what I am currently working on at my website, www.elizabethnorton.co.uk

I was awarded a double first class degree from the University of Cambridge and also have a masters degree from Oxford University. I am currently carrying out a research project into the Blount family of the West Midlands in the sixteenth century at King's College London.

I have written twelve non-fiction books, including 'The Boleyn Women', 'Elfrida: The First Crowned Queen of England', 'England's Queens: The Biography' (which has recently been re-released in two parts), 'Anne Boleyn: Henry VIII's Obsession' and 'Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty'.

I make regular television appearances, including on BBC1's Flog It, BBC Breakfast, National Geographic's Bloody Tales of the Tower and Sky Arts' The Book Show. I am also regularly featured on radio and have published articles in The New Statesman, Who Do You Think You Are? magazine, Britain magazine and Your Family Tree magazine, amongst other publications.

I live in Kingston upon Thames (close to Hampton Court!) with my husband and two young sons.


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The Queen's Choice - Anne O'Brien

Her children or her crown

France, 1399: The Duke of Brittany is dead and his widow, Joanna of Navarre, has inherited control of their land – a testament to her intellect, integrity and political prowess.

Then comes an unprecedented proposal from Henry IV, King of England. The price of becoming his Queen? Abandoning her homeland, leaving her children and sacrificing her independence.

Henry's hold on the crown is unsteady and war is brewing. With the constant threat of rebellion, Henry will trust no-one – not even his new Queen. Crossing the channel is a dangerous prospect. But the union between Joanna and Henry would bring the chance of a vital alliance between two proud states – if they will allow it.

One question. Two paths. A choice that will make history.

What did I think?

I am a big fan of historical books, both fiction and non-fiction, but I don't have a lot of knowledge of English history prior to the War of the Roses so I was intrigued to read a novel of Henry IV and Joanna of Navarre.  Indeed, it was Henry IV’s grandson, Henry VI, who reigned during the War of the Roses so I have Anne O’Brien to thank for expanding my historical knowledge of this fascinating period of English history.  I've also had my eye on Anne O'Brien for a while and have picked up a few of her books on Amazon to read, and I will get round to them a lot quicker now that I have read this one.  I wasn’t surprised to learn that Anne used to be a history teacher as each chapter starts with a location and date, and I do find it really useful to have such a timeline when reading historical fiction.

The Queen’s Choice is a very comprehensive account of this period in history and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It gives an insight into the strained relations with France as well as the competition for the English crown.  The paranoia surrounding the monarch, who has been labelled as a usurper, must have been difficult to live with and I can see why Henry wanted to keep his crown close to him at all times.  I almost expected it to be prised from his cold dead fingers at the end.

Henry IV has to take a back seat in this novel as Joanna takes centre stage, being the subject of the book’s title.  Joanna is an unbelievably strong woman for her time – as Duchess of Brittany she was instrumental in helping her husband with his decisions but found that her voice wasn't heard when she became Queen of England.  Joanna’s story is quite tragic; she left her sons in France to become Queen of England and marry the man that she loved.  Although due to Henry constantly fighting rebellion, she didn’t see him as often as she would have liked and therefore didn’t give Henry the child that she craved.  Tragically, Henry is struck down with a deadly skin illness and Joanna shows that her love for him is more than skin deep.

Anne O’Brien brings history to life in this vivid portrait of Joanna of Navarre.  I felt that I had stepped in Joanna's shoes and lived life through her eyes for a short period of time.  It’s a royal love story with all the treachery and treason of the English medieval court.

I received this e-book from the publisher, MIRA, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

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