Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Here's what arrived in my mailbox this month:

From Book Depository:

Henry: Virtuous Prince by David Starkey. Non-fiction about Henry VIII's early years.
A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick. Fiction about John Marshall - a prequel of sorts to The Greatest Knight.

From ebay:

The Queen's Grace by Jan Westcott. Fiction about Katherine Parr. This was a great purchase. This book can be hard to find and expensive (often $50 plus). I managed to get it for $2.25!
Royal Sword at Agincourt by Pamela Bennetts. Fiction about Henry V.
The Black Plantagenet by Pamela Bennetts. Fiction about Edward, the Black Prince.
Medici Mistress by Julia Watson. Fiction set in the court of Catherine de Medici.

From Paperback Swap:

The King's Grace by Anne Easter Smith
The Fifth Queen by Ford Maddox Ford. Fiction about Katherine Howard

Well, we're off later this afternoon to the airport for our jam-packed trip to London. I'm so excited!! Be back in about a week.

After an unsuccessful attempt on the life of 8 year old Arthur, his uncle, Merlyn “Caius” Britannicus, realizes that their colony of Camulod is no longer safe for the young boy he believes is one day destined to rule Britain. Merlyn’s search for a safe, secluded place to raise the boy leads him to Ravenglass where King Derek (begrudgingly at first) offers them an abandoned Roman fort.

The Fort at River’s Bend is the fifth installment in Jack Whyte’s Camulod Chronicles which puts a more historical based slant on the Arthurian legend. The small group of people traveling with Merlyn who have vowed to help keep Arthur safe, set up a community at the fort and over the next 7-8 years keep a fairly low profile while teaching Arthur the things he will need to know to be an effective king and leader.

By definition keeping a low profile means not attracting attention to yourself and as a result, not much really happens. There are a few skirmishes, but for the most part, this is a story of their day to day existence. Although some of it is interesting, it does not make for exciting reading.

Arthur is an intelligent young man who already has an idea of what is right and wrong and of the injustice in the world. He is idealistic, thoughtful and can be stubborn. He has a strong grasp of history and politics at a young age and his innate sense of fairness impresses Caius and the other adults who all seem to realize they hold the makings of greatness in their hands. It is a responsibility they all take very seriously.

Caius can be hard on his young charge. He forces Arthur to think things through for himself and doesn’t allow him to take the easy way out. His vision for Arthur’s future gets an occasional reality check as the boy sometimes acts his age and without thinking and Caius is forced to admit that there is still work to do while at the same time learning to see Arthur for the man he is becoming.

Although Arthur’s transition from boy to man is an integral part of the storyline, the spotlight is still on Merlyn and at this point there isn’t that much that’s new or interesting for him to tell. The plot plods along and really ends up nowhere. Except that the reader sees the making of a king who will rule like no other and be remembered long after his death. I suppose for purposes of moving the series to its next point and for its insight into the man Arthur will be later become, it is a necessary component to the series.

Words of wisdom: "Better a decision firmly made in error than an opportunity lost forever through vacilliation." Merlyn recalling words from his father as he evaluates some of the choices he has made.

Rating: Average

When Jane (Jeanne) Popyncourt was eight years old, she and her mother fled France to England where they were quickly given a place at court – Jeanne as a companion to Henry VII’s daughters and her mother as one of the Queen’s ladies. Jeanne’s primary responsibility was to converse in French with the royal children to help them become fluent in the language. Later, Jane is assigned to the household of Lady Mary, and as a young woman she becomes involved with a French royal prisoner. When the time comes for Mary to go to France to marry King Louis XII, Jane is refused entry into the country (by the King for unknown reasons) and must stay behind.

These are the basic known facts of the real Jane Popycourt’s life. Author Kate Emerson expands on these facts, filling in the blanks of Jane’s story as she grows up in the court of Henry VII (and later his son, Henry VIII). Initially, Jane has no idea what forced them to leave France, but as she grows older, some things don’t seem to quite add up for her and she begins to search for answers.

As Jane tells her story, she relates her relationship with the French duc d’Longueville as well as her quest into her past. I thought both storylines ended unsatisfactorily. Jane’s questions build up a mystery related not only to her leaving France, but also to potential royal connections, both which Emerson admits in her Author’s Note that she made up. But the resolutions are disappointing and their reason for fleeing to England is weak, making me wonder what all the fuss was about. I mean if you’re going to make something up, you might as well make it really good!

The first person narration draws the story away from Henry VIII for the most part since Jane didn’t exactly travel in his circle, although he, Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon have minor roles. Instead of focusing on the larger than life people, Emerson fills her story with descriptions of life at court – clothes, pageants, food, entertainments and intrigue. Although those details are interesting and a story focused on lesser-known individual is a nice change of pace, the end result seems just a little shallow. Overall, a light, fluffy read that really had more potential.

Rating: Average

Although most people have heard of Helen of Troy and are familiar with her story and the fall of Troy, many may not know that the Irish had their own “Helen” who caused conflict and heartbreak. This story is told in Jules Watson’s latest book, The Swan Maiden.

The Irish mythological story of Deirdre “of the sorrows” provides the basic framework for the story. Before her birth, a local druid warned her mother that her daughter would be amazingly beautiful, causing conflict and death and the destruction of her people. Ignoring advice to have the baby killed, Ulaid’s king (Conor) decides to send her away to be raised elsewhere with a local druid sent to watch over and teach her. For a king, Conor’s motives seem puzzling, but it turns out the man in Conor is more powerful than the king and when the girl is old enough, he intends to make her his trophy wife.

But when the time comes Deirdre refuses the “honor” and with the help of three young warrior brothers who are already out of favor with Conor, she escapes, eventually ending up in Alba (present day Scotland). The brothers are part of an elite band of warriors, the Red Branch, who live and breathe fighting. The nomadic life they are forced to live grates on the two younger brothers who often resent Deirdre and the fact that their older brother Naisi and Deirdre have fallen in love. Naisi has his own demons and sense of guilt to deal with and he also often struggles with the new life they are trying to create. Deirdre tries to help him comes to terms with whatever is bothering him but there are layers to his soul that she doesn’t understand and so she is often frustrated.

After a couple of years, the group is forced back to Ulaid on promises that all will be well upon their return. Of course that turns out not to be the case and events escalate towards the story’s tragic ending with consequences that will carry beyond their own lifetime.

There is a very strong fantasy element in the story, mostly attributable to the druid education Deirdre received. As in most mythology, a certain amount of fantasy should be expected but at times the fantasy elements seem to take over the story. Watson’s writing is lush and descriptive, creating beautiful visual pictures as the story unfolds but I thought the middle of the book got a little bogged down as Naisi tries to “find himself” and Deirdre attempts to help him without fully understanding. She's not even sure she completely trusts him. Their constant back and forth frustration with each other and Deirdre's mystical wanderings during this section got a little old. I also never fully believed in Deirdre's beauty - we are told she is beautiful and given some rather vague descriptions of her but I didn't see what it was about her that created such turmoil.


Watson inclues a note regarding different sources of the myth that she used in writing the story and sets up the connection to her next book, The Raven Queen, due to be released in 2010. Overall The Swan Maiden is an enjoyable read and I liked it enough to try her other books.

The meaning of destiny: "The gods create destiny as a challenge, not a fate; the paths to it are our own to forge. "

Rating: Good

Sorry it has been a little quiet around here this week. I've been working on our taxes (yuck!), planning a somwhat spontaneous trip to London at the end of the month (yeah!!) and looking for a new place to live - again. Tanzy has decided that the urban lifestyle is really not for her so we are looking for someplace where she can at least have a small yard. Admittedly, it will be easier on us as well since someone won't have to walk her 4 times a day. If she would just go outside and do her business it wouldn't be so bad. But noooooo. She has to sniff around for 20 minutes to find the "perfect" place and even then, sometimes in the middle of it she changes her mind and is looking for a new place. Ugh. But I digress.

This is another great week for new releases:

Mary Boleyn: The True Story of Henry VIII's Mistress by Josephine Wilkinson. Non-fiction about Anne Boleyn's sister Mary who was also the mistress of Henry VIII and is the subject of the popular novel, The Other Boleyn Girl. UK release April 14, 2009. Amazon US lists it as being released on that date as well but currently says it is "unavailable".

Edward VI; The Lost King of England by Charles Skidmore. Non-fiction. US (paperback) release April 14, 2009.

The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman. Reissue of the final installment in her Welsh Trilogy. US Release April 14, 209.

Margaret Pole: Loyalty, Lineage and Leadership 1473-1541 by Hazel Pierce. Non-fiction. US (paperback) release April 15, 2009.

Added a couple of October releases:

The Lady Queen by Nancy Goldstone. Non-fiction book about Queen Joanna of Sicily, Jerusalem and Naples. US release October 27, 2009; UK release August 1, 2010 (titled: The Ornament of Italy). I enjoyed Goldstone's book Four Queens about four sisters who all made brilliant political medieval marriages so I"ll probably try this one especially since I know nothing about her.

Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey. My understanding is that Lackey writes mostly fantasy books and even though I don't read a lot of fantasy, I might give this one a try. Has anyone read her books? US release October 6, 2009.

The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins. Set during the American Revolution. US and UK Release 4/7/09

The King's Confidante by Jean Plaidy. Reissue about Sir Thomas Moore (previously released as St. Thomas' Eve). US and UK Release 4/7/09

Lady Macbeth by Susan Frasier King. Paperback release of novel about the wife of Macbeth. US and UK release 4/7/09

Despite having two brothers, Isabella of Castile was raised by her mother to believe that one day she might be its Queen. And with court factions looking to back the claimant they thought the most controllable, and constant fears of poisoning, it appeared that her mother might be right.

The first in a trilogy about the formidable woman who would in fact later become Queen of Castile and one of the most prominent rulers of her time, Castile for Isabella covers her early life up until her marriage with Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469. Isabella’s young life was filled with drama and uncertainty. Her mother was prone to “fits” of extreme, often irrational, emotional outbursts and Isabella learned early on that it was important to control and cover her emotions and what she was feeling. After her father’s death and her older half brother Henry took the throne, it looked like Isabella might be able to have a quiet life.

Her brother Henry was known as a lewd man and it turns out his wife wasn’t much better. After years of no children with his first wife and a slew of mistresses, his second wife suddenly becomes pregnant. But with rumors running rampant that the child was not the king’s, some of the nobles begin looking at other options – and they quickly rest on Isabella and her brother Alfonso who are forced to return to court to become pawns in the battle for control.

At an early age, Isabella had been betrothed to Ferdinand of Aragon who was a year younger and also his father’s child by a second marriage. But King John of Aragon was completely under his wife’s spell and his eldest son was disinherited in favor of Ferdinand, a dashing young man that Isabella convinced herself was the perfect match for her since between them they could create a united Spain. Despite her brother’s attempts to marry her off elsewhere (engineered by his wife), Isabella remained firm that she would only marry Ferdinand and advised by a somewhat loyal noble, she manages to pull it off.

It doesn’t take long for Ferdinand to realize where the real power in his marriage lies despite his initial belief that he could charm his way into controlling his wife. His pride takes a beating while his father tries to convince him to swallow it for the sake of their country. Ferdinand tries, but his sulking and pouting cause Isabella to panic and she tries to placate him as they come to a somewhat uneasy understanding regarding their individual place within the marriage – and their kingdoms.

In typical Plaidy fashion, the research seems well done and the story structure is better than in some of her other books. Storylines involving other members of the extended royal family are also included so I learned a little bit about some people that I hadn’t read much about before (that’s always a good thing!) Overall, the dialogue is good but sometimes is a bit awkward in tone and perhaps a bit dated. The very young Isabella (age 4 or 5) also seemed a little too mature with too big of a vocabulary.

Rating: Good