Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Historically Obsessed - I just love Lizzy's blog!  Full of reviews, author interviews and spotlights.  But the most unique part of her blog is her incredible artwork - make sure you check it out!

Over the last couple of days I've found a couple of covers for upcoming releases that I thought I would share:

The Murder in the Tower by Jean Plaidy. US release July 13, 2010.



















Stealing Fire by Jo Graham.  US release May 30, 2010. 

Edward IV and the War of the Roses by David Santiuste.  Non-fiction.  UK release January 21, 2010.  Indisputably the most effective general of the Wars of the Roses, Edward IV died in his bed, undefeated in battle. Yet Edward has not achieved the martial reputation of other warrior kings such as Henry V - perhaps because he fought battles against his own people in a civil war. It has also been suggested that he lacked the personal discipline expected of a truly great commander. But, as David Santiuste shows in this perceptive and highly readable new study, Edward was a formidable military leader whose strengths and subtlety have not been fully recognized. This reassessment of Edward's military role, and of the Wars of the Roses in which he played such a vital part, gives a fascinating insight into Edward the man and into the politics and the fighting. Based on contemporary sources and the latest scholarly research, Edward IV and the Wars of the Roses brings to life an extraordinary period of English history.










Child of the morning by Pauline Gedge.  US release (reissue) April 1, 2010.   She ruled Egpyt not as Queen but as Pharaoh, 35 centuries ago. Yet her name- Hatshepsut-does not appear in dynastic scrolls, nor is her reign celebrated on monuments. This is the story of the young woman who assumed the throne of Egypt, mastered the arts of war and government, lived her life by her own design, and ruled an empire-the only woman Pharaoh in history.


The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees.  US release April 1, 2010.   Few novels play a more prominent role in American girlhood than Little Women. Since it was first published in 1868, millions of girls have cheered on the spunky Jo March as she proved girls could be tough, funny, and as smart as any boy.  But Little Women fans have always been puzzled by the novel's conclusion. Why won't Jo marry Teddy Laurence—"Laurie"—the charming neighbor who confesses he's loved her all her life? God knows Louisa got enough letters from fans begging her to let them end up together. Could it be that Louisa knew more of heartbreak than her biographers believe and hoped to spare poor Jo the same?
Readers will find an answer in THE LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, a wonderful debut novel by Kelly O’Connor McNees. In the summer of 1855, poverty forced the Alcott family to move to Walpole, New Hampshire. Here mercurial, clever Louisa meets the winsome but fictional Joseph Singer, who is immediately smitten with her. She can sense a threat to her dreams of becoming a writer and resists his affections. But when Louisa discovers he shares her interest in the controversial Leaves of Grass, just released on the Fourth of July, her longing for a kindred spirit quells her hesitation. Just as Louisa begins to open her heart, she learns that Joseph may not be free to give his away. Their newfound love carries a steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay with the independence she has fought so hard to protect.


The Lady’s Slipper by Deborah Swift .  US and UK release June 4, 2010.  It is 1660. The King is back, but memories of the Civil War still rankle. In rural Westmorland, artist Alice Ibbetson has become captivated by the rare Lady's Slipper orchid. She is determined to capture its unique beauty for posterity, even if it means stealing the flower from the land of recently converted Quaker, Richard Wheeler. Fired by his newfound faith, the former soldier Wheeler feels bound to track down the missing orchid. Meanwhile, others are eager to lay hands on the flower, and have their own powerful motives. Margaret Poulter, a local medicine woman, is seduced by the orchid's mysterious herbal powers, while Sir Geoffrey Fisk, Alice's patron and a former comrade-in-arms of Wheeler, sees the valuable plant as a way to repair his ailing fortunes and cure his own agonizing illness. Fearing that Wheeler and his new friends are planning revolution, Fisk sends his son Stephen to spy on the Quakers, only for the young man to find his loyalties divided as he befriends the group he has been sent to investigate. Then, when Alice Ibbetson is implicated in a brutal murder, she is imprisoned along with the suspected anti-royalist Wheeler. As Fisk's sanity grows ever more precarious, and Wheeler and Alice plot their escape, a storm begins to brew, from which no party will escape unscathed. Vivid, gripping and intensely atmospheric, "The Lady's Slipper" is a novel about beauty, faith and loyalty. It marks the emergence of an exquisite new voice in historical fiction.

 
The Murder in the Tower:  The Story of Frances, Countess of Essex by Jean Plaidy.  US reissue July 13, 2010.  Set during the reign of James I (I couldn't find a summary).

This is what I woke up to this morning!  October 28, 2009 and we are supposed to get 10 inches of snow by tomorrow morning - WTF!  It was 59 degrees here yesterday and should be back in the 50's by the weekend.  I don't think I will ever figure out the weather here!  Tanzy was none too happy.  She doesn't like getting her feet wet and so this morning when I took her out she was looking at me like, "seriously, you expect me to pee out here?".  She tried to tiptoe across the snow and when that didn't work she found a low spot in the snow by a tree.  She has such a "thing" about getting her feet wet that she was holding one of her back legs off of the ground while she did her thing.  I thought she was going to fall over (and so was I from laughing!). 

In high school (which is more years ago that I would care to admit) I know that I had to read Shakespeare’s play Macbeth but I remember virtually nothing about it (some guy killing a king and some witches is about it). So I was pretty much a blank slate when it came to reading Susan Fraser King’s take on Lady Macbeth. This is also a period of time that I knew virtually nothing about. Thanks to King’s book, I now know a little more.


Using a scant historical record regarding Macbeth’s queen (which she explains in a lengthy and information “Author’s Note”), King creates a story of a woman with royal blood who, although subject to the whims of men, learned to stand up for herself and was willing to fight for what was hers. As the lone heir of one of the royal lines of Scotland, (where kingship does not follow the traditional father-to-son method) Gruadh is considered a valuable pawn in the quest for power and as a young girl is kidnapped several times.

Although none too happy with her father’s choice of the warrior Gilcomgan as a husband, Gruadh finds contentment with him – only to have it shattered when Macbeth makes her a widow (and she’s heavily pregnant to boot!). Taking advantage of what seems to be a somewhat barbaric right of the victor, Macbeth forces Gruadh into a hasty marriage. Much of the story that follows sees Gruadh’s hatred for Macbeth turn into a powerful love that will see them through some very trying times as the tragedy of Macbeth’s story plays itself out.

The first person narration of Lady Macbeth is a good example of why I generally dislike the first person point of view. Gruadh is limited in what she can relate of the political scheming that certainly must have been occuring and I felt that there was large part of the backstory regarding King Malcolm and his son Duncan that was missing. As a result, the story felt only half-told and Gruadh often speculates as to what she thinks are the motives of others. She also seemed rather detached from her own story and there was not a lot of feeling or passion as she told it even for example, when her children die.  It's all very matter of fact and sterile. 

What King does do well is to infuse the story with details of 11th century life in Scotland and how people lived and what they believed. There is a touch of superstitious magic in the book – enough to give an idea of its importance and impact on people’s lives but not so much as to become distracting. I also appreciated the list of characters, glossary and some basic information on pronunciation of Celtic names.  As much as I enjoyed learning about Scottish history, I didn't find Lady Macbeth's story very compelling. 

Doesn’t that make you feel better: “Norse laws are strict regarding unmarried girls of high status. Abduction for marriage is one thing, drunken assault another.” A Viking guard to Gruadh following one of her abductions.

Rating: Average (2.5 stars)

Nell Gwyn was an English actress and long-time mistress of Charles II.  Born in 1650, she became an actress early in her teenage years following Charles' reinstatement of the theatre after his restoration to the throne.  By the time she was about 18, she was the king's mistress and she would eventually have two of  his many illegitimate sons.  Nell died in 1687 after suffering a stroke.  This portrait is from 1675.

The Lady Queen by Nancy Goldstone.  Non-fiction.  US release October 27, 2009.  Released in the UK in August.  On March 15, 1348, Joanna I , Queen of Naples, stood trial for her life before the Pope and his court in Avignon. She was twenty-two years old. Her cousin and husband, Prince Andrew of Hungary, had recently been murdered, and Joanna was the chief suspect. Determined to defend herself—Joanna won her acquittal against enormous odds. Returning to Naples, she ruled over one of Europe’s most prestigious courts for more than thirty years—until she was herself murdered.  As courageous as Eleanor of Aquitaine, as astute and determined as Elizabeth I of England, Joanna was the only female monarch in her time to rule in her own name. She was notorious: The taint of her husband’s death never quite left her. But she was also widely admired: Dedicated to the welfare of her subjects and realm, she reduced crime, built hospitals and churches, and encouraged the licensing of women physicians. While a procession of the most important artists and writers of her day found patronage at her glittering court, the turmoil of her times swirled around her: war, plague, intrigue, and the treachery that would, ultimately, bring her down.
As she did in her acclaimed Four Queens, Nancy Goldstone takes us back to the turbulent and colorful Middle Ages, and with skill and passion brings fully to life one of history’s most remarkable women. Her research is impeccable, her eye for detail unerring, and in The Lady Queen she paints a captivating portrait of medieval royalty in all its incandescent complexity.



The Last Knight Errant by Christopher Wilkins.  Non-fiction.  UK release October 30, 2009.  US release December 8, 2009.  Sir Edward Woodville was the medieval knight par excellence - except that his life coincided with the beginning of the Renaissance. With this vivid and long-awaited biography, Christopher Wilkins demonstrates how Sir Edward carved out an important role for himself in the 15th century, marrying the old-fashioned values of a chivalric age with the modernising trends that were dramatically re-shaping Europe. Far from an anachronism, 'The Last Knight Errant' reveals how this quintessentially medieval figure, riding from battle to battle across Europe, was also profoundly engaged in the events that built the post-medieval states of England, Spain and France. 'The Last Knight Errant' is the first full biography of this pivotal figure in English history for over a century and reveals him to have been a true hero whose significance in the politics of the period is often overlooked. Drawing on original research throughout Europe, Christopher Wilkins draws out Sir Edward Woodville's fascinating life and unusual character in the context of his remarkable family, who have been traditionally cast as among the most unpopular in English history. 'The Last Knight Errant' restores Sir Edward Woodville to his rightful place at the heart of power in 15th-century England and represents him as a true hero whose reputation suffered at the hands of that genius of propaganda, Richard III.

A brief "Afterword" sets out the information Wolf used as the basis for the story as well as a few changes she made to known information.  Since the names of towns and other geographic areas were unfamiliar, a map would have been helpful.  I was totally engrossed in this book and would love to find out more about this period of history.  If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!


Rating:  Excellent

In 2008, on my book cover blog, I posted a number of covers from Plaidy's trilogy about Catherine and none of them have her looking like this!  What would Catherine think??

The Yorkist Age - This is a blog of author Brian Wainwright which focuses on various aspects of the House of York.  I have heard wonderful things about his book, Within the Fetterlock, which I own but haven't read yet. 

Unlocked Wordhoard - Blog run by a medieval literature professor who posts on a variety of topics.  Today he lists some good reasons to date a medievalist!

Book Blogger Shelf of Shame - A couple of my favorite bloggers started this blog to highlight those god-awful books that you can't believe you wasted your time on in an effort to warn the rest of us to stay far, far away!  You can even submit your own "wallbangers" for consideration.

So, with the flood of Tudor-mania books, The Other Boleyn Girl movie and Showtime’s The Tudor, you think you know the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. We’ve seen or read the story from Henry’s point of view; Anne’s point of view and even Katherine’s. We know “why” it happened. But how about the story of “how” it happened? For that, you would have to go inside the mind of Thomas Cromwell. And that is just what Hilary Mantel does in Wolf Hall.


Running from his humble beginnings as the son of a violent blacksmith, Thomas finds himself a clerk in the household of the powerful Cardinal Wolsey where he sees firsthand the art of statecraft and the lure of power. Thomas is intelligent, good with figures and a quick learner. He pays attention; he watches; he listens; he learns. 

Cromwell’s story is told in third person, present tense and with an overuse of the pronoun “he”. Present tense may be the new “it” thing in fiction, but few can pull it of well. Mantel is one of them. I will admit that in the beginning it bugged the heck out of me; but by probably the half way point, I had ceased to even notice it. I can’t say the same for the use of “he”. Thomas is usually referred to as “he”, even when there are multiple “he”s in the conversation. This often makes the action or conversations difficult to follow. Somewhere near the end of the book it seems that even Mantel figured out this might be a problem as there are several references to “he, Cromwell,…”. The sudden switch at that point seemed odd.

The main strength of this novel is that the reader has the sense of being inside Cromwell’s head with him and hearing his thoughts. Sentences end in strange places; quotation marks disappear in mid conversation. Ideas stop in mid thought only to appear again later. But along with his obvious intelligence and political savvy, Mantel has given Thomas has quite a sense of humor. He has pet-names for people – my favorite is for Wriothesley who he refers to as “Call-Me-Risley or simply “Call-Me”.

In so many books and movies, Cromwell is simply the man who gave Henry what he wanted.  Here, he is a real, living, breathing human being.  He has a wife and children and at times we are given a glimpse into his soul as he remembers poignant events in the lives of his family.  He tries to help others and has flirtations with ladies of the court.

Henry and Anne play their part in the drama, but they are definitely secondary characters. Henry is the spoiled, used-to-getting-his-own-way king that we all have come to know and love. We actually see very little Anne, but what we do see is not very complimentary and makes you wonder what did Henry see in her?  Norfolk, Suffolk, Chapuys, Moore and Cranmer all interact with Cromwell  with often comical and cynical results.  His last meeting with Moore was especially intense as Cromwell struggles to save a man who apparently doesn't want to be saved and Moore tries to distinguish his own burning of heretics.

I enjoyed Wolf Hall, but it is one of those books that I could not read for long periods of time.  I didn't find it an easy book to read and it required some degree of concentration to follow what was going on.  One of the primary attractions for me to this book was the different point of view - that of Cromwell.  It was interesting to see what he may have thought about the events he helped bring about and his possible motivations.  Wolf Hall ends shortly after the death of Thomas Moore and my understanding is that Mantel is writing a sequel.  I for one, will be reading it. 

Favorite lines:
"For God's sake woman:  when she sinks them into me, I'll let you know."  Cromwell to one of the women in his household after he meets with Anne and the woman asks him if Anne's teeth are good.
 
"[Laws], like spells, they have to make things happen in the read world, and like spellsl, they only work if people believe in them."  Cromwell while working on the oath that everyone will be required to take after Elizabeth's birth.
 
"The fate of peoples is made like this, two men in small rooms.  Forget the coronations, the conclaves of cardinals, the pomp and processions.  This is how the world changes:  a counter pushed across a table, a pen stroke that alters the force of a phrase, a woman's sigh as she passes..."  Cromwell as he considers his dealings with Chapuys.
 
"If life is a chain of gold, sometimes God hangs a charm on it." 
 
Rating:  Very Good (4 stars)

My thanks to Ashley at Henry Holt for this copy to review.

The Mistaken Wife by Rose Melikan. UK release April 1, 2010.
Autumn, 1797. With Napoleon's forces sweeping through Europe, a young English woman travels to Paris, risking her life on a secret mission that just might end the war for good...Mary Finch is no stranger to adventure, but even she hesitates before accepting her new assignment, travelling as the wife of an American artist into the very heart of enemy territory. The plan is so secret she can't even tell Captain Holland, with whom she is supposed to have 'an understanding'. After a terrifying journey through revolutionary France she arrives in Paris only to discover that her American 'husband' is not quite what he appears. With the French chasing a deadly new weapon and an old nemesis threatening to unmask her as a spy, Mary soon finds herself in mortal danger...Thrilling and deeply satisfying, The Mistaken Wife is a spirited and gripping historical mystery from the author of the acclaimed The Blackstone Key.





The Queen’s Necklace by Antal Szerb. US release April 1, 2010. Released in UK in September 2009 (this looks like a translated work that is being reissued).  In August 1785, Paris buzzed with a scandal that had everything - an eminent churchman, a female fraudster, a part-time prostitute and the hated Queen herself. Its centerpiece was the most expensive diamond necklace ever assembled, and the tangle of fraud, folly, blindness and self-delusion it provoked. The humiliation the affair brought on the royal family contributed to their appalling deaths in the Revolution just four years later. In this unusual, witty and often surprising version of the story, the great Hungarian novelist Antal Szerb takes the narrative as a standpoint from which to survey the entire age - including aspects of it seldom considered by more orthodox historians. The author's vast knowledge is worn very lightly and the book teems with amusing anecdotes, but it is at heart a deeply personal work, a remarkable gesture of defiance against the brutal world in which it was written.


Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Barnes. US release April 1, 2010.  Reissue.  The story of Richard II. 

The Secrets of the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan. US and UK release April 27, 2010.
With The Secrets of the Tudor Court, D. L. Bogdan gives readers the story of Mary Howard, presenting a new spin on an ever-fascinating tale, introducing obscure voices and perspectives to captivate the Tudor enthusiast. - Tudor England.  The Secrets of the Tudor Court lends a unique window into history, telling the story of Henry VIII’s court and his ill-fated queens from the perspective of his little known daughter-in-law, Mary Howard. Daughter of the brutal and ambitious 3rd Duke of Norfolk, Mary is a poet and a dreamer, too soon wed to Henry Fitzroy, Henry VIII’s illegitimate, but acknowledged son. When tragedy robs her of all she holds dear, Mary must fight for her inheritance and title, in the end gathering the strength to defy the one she loves—and hates—above all others: her father. The SEcrets of the Tudor Court is a fast-paced character driven drama. It is the story of betrayal, ambition, of innocence lost, and perseverance in a world where evil lay in wait to steal the soul.

The Jewel of St. Petersburg by Kate Furnivall. US release June 1, 2010; UK release November 11, 2010. Russia, 1910. Young Valentina Ivanova charms St Petersburg's aristocracy with her classic Russian beauty and her talent as a pianist. She scandalises society when she begins a romance with Jens Friis, a Danish engineer. He brings to her life a passion and an intimacy she has never known. Unbending in their opposition, her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count. Valentina struggles for independence and to protect her young sister from the tumult sweeping the city, as Russia is bound for rebellion. The Tsar, the Duma and the Bolsheviks are at each other's throats. Valentina is forced to make a choice that changes her life for ever.

Theodora by Stella Duffy. UK release June 2, 2010. 'Justinian took a wife: and [the] manner she was born and bred, and wedded to this man, tore up the Roman Empire by the very roots...' Procopius Stella Duffy's brilliant new novel is based on the remarkable, ancient story of Theodora, who rose from nothing to become the most powerful woman in the history of Byzantine Rome. When her father is killed, the young Theodora is forced to use her body to survive. But she is determined to shape a very different fate for herself. From the vibrant streets and erotic stage shows of sixth century Constantinople to the holy desert retreats of Alexandria, Theodora is an extraordinary imaginative achievement from one of our finest writers.

Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons. US release June 29, 2010 (reissue).
Beginning with the misguided defection of an American family to pre-war Soviet Russia, this powerful and moving story follows the lives of Tatiana and Alexander, who meet and fall in love at the outset of the appalling siege of Leningrad. He is a major in the Red Army, she a young and beautiful girl. Circumstances force them apart shortly after their marriage, and the pregnant Tatiana flees to America, leaving Alexander to the grim and sometimes bewildering brutalities of Stalinist Russia. But the faith and love they have in each other carry them through the years and the Second World War, despite the penuries, violence and betrayal that follow Alexander as he fights for a country that seems determined to punish him for his loyalty and courage. Paullina Simons paints a vivid and painful account of the Russian war with Hitler, and fills her narrative with examples of the absurdity and corruption of communist Russia. It is impossible to read this often heartbreaking novel without becoming deeply engaged with the characters and sharing their hardships. The rare moments of ecstatic joy snatched by this indefatigable couple are so intense that they leave the reader feeling almost voyeuristic, although totally involved in this dramatic piece of writing, whose length and breadth will satisfy all devotees of this author and introduce many more to her talents. This is a skilful and intelligently written book that rewards us with a belief in goodness and love, as we emerge with Tatiana and Alexander from the ashes of war-torn Europe, breathless but triumphant.

Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy. Non-fiction. US release July 2010. The epic story of one of the most famous love affairs in history, by the author of Caesar.  The love affair between Antony and Cleopatra is a story not only of personal passion but of power politics and the clash of one ancient civilization with another. In this brand new look at their story, based entirely on ancient sources, one of the world’s leading historians of Rome reveals the fascinating truth behind the centuries of myths that have grown up around this famous couple.

The Fighting Tudors by David Loades.  Non-fiction.  UK release October 19, 2009.  A fascinating portrait of an often isolated dynasty and their struggles for survival in a dangerous and volatile age. When Henry VII seized the throne after the battle of Bosworth, his crown was far from secure. Yet for more thatn a hundred years his descendents ruled in England, surviving religious turmoil, rebellion, foreign armadas, diplomatic crises and losses overseas. Some of them went reluctantly to war whilst others embraced its potential, yet all relied upon military success for their own reflected power and prestige. The Fighting Tudors vividly brings to life the people behind the battles - monarchs, statesmen, courtiers, seadogs - and the ships, weapons and tactics that determined whether they lived or died. It traces the great battles of the Tudor reigns, from campaigns in France and Scotland to the crises of the Armada, and reveals their public and private impact upon individual monarchs - Henry VII, the 'sea king' who pledged to bring peace to his ravaged country; Henry VIII, who loved traditional jousting yet commissioned cutting edge ships for his standing navy; Mary, whose loss of Calais compounded the disappointments of her reign; and Elizabeth, whose dramatic speech at Tilbury became a defining moment of her reign.



Lady Jane Grey by Eric Ives.  Non-fiction.  US release October 19, 2009.  Released earlier this month in the UK.  Lady Jane Grey is the queen England rejected and one of the most elusive and tragic characters in English history. Here, Eric Ives, master historian and storyteller presents a compelling new interpretation of Jane and her role in the accession crisis of 1553, with wide–ranging implications for our understanding of the workings of Tudor politics and the exercise of power in early modern England.

Tudor Stuff - Variety of posts about aspects of (mostly) Tudor life and personalities. 

This week's question:
When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?

Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)
And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?

I haven't participated in Booking Through Thursday for a while, but this is one of those question that probably belongs in a Bibliphile Anonymous meeting - the first step is admitting you have a problem!

I don't really weed out my library.  If fact, mine continues to grow like a wild garden that's way out of control!  I consider myself more of a "collector".  Not in the sense of acquiring first edition or beautifully bound leather books, but more in the sense of building a historical fiction collection and related non-fiction biographies and history books.  I do get rid of some books - usually newer books that I didn't love and therefore will probably never read again.  Older or out of print books I tend to keep, even if I didn't love them since they are essential for my "collection".   Why are older books more essential to keep than newer ones?  I think I originally thought of it as a way to help control the number of books I kept and figured that I could also "re-aquire" these books later (through PBS).  I've been debating with myself the "logic" of this distinction and whether I should continue it.  I'm leaning towards not (I think that means I have failed the first step in the program!).

Books that I do decide to get rid of get posted on Paperback Swap.  I could never throw a book away (unless it is totally gross or simply unable to be read again) and I love the concept of PBS - basically trading books you no longer want - but someone else does - and getting books you do want in return!

Set about eighteen months after The Exiled, Anne de Bohn is living in Brugge with her “nephew” and a few servants on a small farm where she seems to be getting on with her life. At about the same time, Edward IV is being ousted from his throne by Warwick, forcing him and a small group of men to flee to his sister Margaret – in Burgundy.


Edward is hoping his brother-in-law Charles will help him regain what he’s lost, but the political situation doesn't make that so easy. So he stalls. Margaret, not wanting to “interfere” or go against her husband turns to the one person she thinks can help her get a message to Edward –  her friend Anne.

So Anne and Edward meet again in the third installment of Graeme-Evans trilogy, The Beloved (also published as The Uncrowned Queen). Of course Edward wants to pick things up right where they left off, but Anne is not so sure. She doesn’t really want the complications to her life that Edward brings, but she also can’t deny her love for him. So she doesn't.  Until she finds out that the one thing she wants Edward to give her – a meeting with her father – he can’t do. Will her realization that Edward had her father killed change her love for him?

The Beloved spends more of its time on the history of Edward’s struggle to regain his throne than it does on the romance between Edward and Anne – a nice change from the previous two installments. As a result, this feels more like a historical fiction novel than a historical romance. The action moves around – from Charles, Margaret and Edward in Burgundy to Louis in France and the finger he has in stirring the pot to Elizabeth Woodville and her mother holed up in sanctuary. When Edward returns to England, Anne goes with him – his conversation with Hastings on how he’s not going to tell his wife about Anne’s return is quite funny! But eventually, Elizabeth finds out the truth and she employs an old nemesis of Anne’s to try and get rid of her for good.

I will have to say that of the three books, I liked this one the most. There is still a hint of the supernatural that I could have really done without and I thought Edward could have been better developed. Anne is now a little more mature and she is often conflicted between what her head tells her is right and what her heart wants her to have. Only in the end, she finds that perhaps her heart had been wrong all along.

Rating:  Good (3.5)

Conquest - The English Kingdom of France by Juliet Barker.  Non-fiction.  UK release October 15, 2009.  Author of the best-selling AGINCOURT, Juliet Barker now tells the equally remarkable, but largely forgotten, story of the dramatic years when England ruled France at the point of a sword. Henry V's second invasion of France in 1417 launched a campaign that would put the crown of France on an English head. Only the miraculous appearance of a visionary peasant girl - Joan of Arc - would halt the English advance. Yet despite her victories, her influence was short-lived: Henry VI had his coronation in Paris six months after her death and his kingdom endured for another twenty years. When he came of age he was not the leader his father had been. It was the dauphin, whom Joan had crowned Charles VII, who would finally drive the English out of France. Supremely evocative and brilliantly told, this is narrative history at its most colourful and compelling - the true story of those who fought for an English kingdom of France.

King Edward III ruled over England for 50 years. He was devoted to his wife, Philippa, saw the Black Death decimate the country’s population and his descendants would later fight over the throne, culminating in the Wars of the Roses. In his later years he would also be known for being easily influenced by a woman – Alice Perrers. History has portrayed Alice as a greedy, grasping woman – but was she? Who was Alice Perrers?


The King’s Mistress is Alice’s story. Although it seems that not much is really known about her, Emma Campion weaves a highly entertaining tale that covers Alice’s early life through the years following the King’s death.

Alice is the eldest daughter of a cloth merchant and her father, recognizing his daughter's intelligence and curiosity, teaches her about his business. Alice’s mother doesn’t seem to like her very much and her dislike turns nasty when a wealthy, older merchant wants to marry fourteen year old Alice. Janyn Perrers is a kind man who loves Alice and she soon discovers happiness and joy in her marriage and the life Janyn provides for her. But Janyn and his family have a secret – a secret which has indebted the Queen Mother (Isabella) to them and which brings the family riches, royal favor and danger.

As Janyn becomes increasingly worried about the safety of his family, Alice struggles to find out what the secrecy is all about. When Isabella arranges for Alice to become one of Queen Philippa’s ladies, Janyn tells her it is for her protection. Then he and his mother disappear. Alice is distraught and she is unable to discover the reason why her world has been turned upside down.

Alice’s knowledge and skill regarding cloth and business makes her a valuable companion to the Queen and provides Alice with a needed distraction. She soon finds another – the attention of the King. Alice’s love and memory of Janyn does not fade quickly and she tries to fight the growing attraction to the King even as she is flattered by being singled out by him. But with Queen Philippa extremely ill, Alice eventually gives in – not that she really ever had a choice.

Alice and Edward have a wonderful relationship of love and friendship.  Although Alice finds happiness again, she can’t help but feel the eyes of the court on her and somewhat out of place. After the Queen’s death, Edward attempts to make Alice his queen in everything but name and he seems oblivious to the jealousy and potential problems he is creating. Even the king’s sons, who promise Alice friendship in return for her help with their ailing father, will turn on her after his death and she is banished from court.

I liked Alice and thought that the first person narration was done very well. Campion creates a complex and interesting woman in Alice - friendly and charming, but at the same time smart and shrewd. Anxious to ensure that her children can be provided for, she acquires property on her own and in her own name – properties she is forced to fight for later. Despite being pushed into a life that she really didn’t choose, Alice for the most part accepts her lot with grace and is determined to stand on her own two feet. She doesn’t blame others for the situation she ends up in, but seeks to find a way out that preserves her dignity and her relationship with the people she loves.

The book includes a list of characters, a glossary of terms that may be unfamiliar and a map. My understanding is that Campion has written a number of medieval mysteries under the name Candace Robb. I hope she decides to write more historicals – I would definitely read them!

Rating:  Very Good

Edward III was born in 1312 and became king in 1327 after the forced abdication of his father Edward II.  Three years later, Edward exiled his mother and had her lover, Roger Mortimer, executed.  Edward married Philippa of Hainault and they had 13 children.  Edward is possibly best known for starting the Hundred Years War with France (over his claim to the French throne through his mother), and his creation of the Order of the Garter in 1348..  He was also the King of England during the time of the Black Death.  Edward died in 1377 - having ruled for 50 years.  According to The Illustrated Encylopedia of the Kings and Queens of Britain, the below is a portrait of Edward that hangs at Hampton Court. 

Gwenhwyfar moves in a world where gods walk among their pagan worshipers, where nebulous visions warn of future perils, and where there are two paths for a woman: the path of the Blessing or the rarer path of the Warrior. Gwenhwyfar chooses the latter, giving up the power that she is born into. Yet the daughter of a King is never truly free to follow her own calling. Acting as the "son" her father never had, when called upon to serve another purpose by the Ladies of the Well, she bows to circumstances to become Arthur's queen-only to find herself facing temptation and treachery, intrigue and betrayal, but also love and redemption..



















 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Lustrum by Robert Harris.  UK release October 8, 2009.  Will be released in the US in February 2010 as Conspirata.  Rome, 63 BC. In a city on the brink of acquiring a vast empire, seven men are struggling for power. Cicero is consul, Caesar his ruthless young rival, Pompey the republic's greatest general, Crassus its richest man, Cato a political fanatic, Catilina a psychopath, and Clodius an ambitious playboy. The stories of these real historical figures - their alliances and betrayals, their cruelties and seductions, their brilliance and their crimes - are all interleaved to form this epic novel. Its narrator is Tiro, a slave who serves as confidential secretary to the wily, humane, complex Cicero. He knows all his master's secrets - a dangerous position to be in. From the discovery of a child's mutilated body, through judicial execution and a scandalous trial, to the brutal unleashing of the Roman mob, "Lustrum" is a study in the timeless enticements and horrors of power.

The Madness of Queen Maria by Jenifer Roberts (non-fiction)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Won in blog giveaway:

The Virgin’s Daughters by Jeane Westin (thanks Jen at Devour of Books)


From Arleigh at Historical-fiction.com (who was cleaning off her bookshelves)

Lady Macbeth by Susan Frasier King


From Paperback Swap:

Isabella: Queen Without a Conscience by Rachel Bard
The White Queen by Frederick Fallon
The Lance Thrower by Jack Whyte

Bought used:

The Green Salamander by Pamela Hill
A Mistress for the Valois by Julia Watson
The Tudor Rose by Julia Watson
The Red Haired Brat by Joanna Dessau
Maid of Honor by Elizabeth Byrd
The Lovers by Philippa Wiat
Crown of Sorrows by Joanna Dessau
The Sword and the Flame by Pamela Hill
Curtmantle by Pamela Hill
O, Madcap Duchess by Pamela Hill

The Courts of Illusion is supposed to be about one of the young men who appeared during the reign of Henry VII and who claimed to be the missing Duke of York (the younger of the "princes in the tower").  The narrator of the story, Nicholas Archer, is the son of one of the narrator's in We Speak No Treason.  He has an older brother and a younger sister and a mother who doesn't seem to like him very much. 

I read the first third of the book (135 pages) which focused on the escapades of Nicholas and his friend, Hugh.  Hugh is a rogue and a cad and eventually Nicholas comes to realize that Hugh only cares about himself.  Nicholas's older brother is involved in some plot to restore a York to the throne and Nicholas finds himself involved in the scheme as well.  Then, Nicholas discovers the dark family secret that explains why his mother doesn't like him.

I didn't care.  I didn't care to find out what happened to Nicholas and his ultimate involvement in the story of Perkin Warbeck.  I didn't care to find out how the family secret would be resolved or how it would impact Nicholas and his life.  I didn't care what Jarman's take or explanation on Warbeck would be.  And I didn't care to finish it.  So, I didn't - which is really rare for me.

I may yet give the two remaining books - The King's Grey Mare and Crown in Candlelight - a chance.  But they will be on a short leash - much shorter than 135 pages.

Rating:  DNF

For some reason, when I posted the cover yesterday for Catherine Delors upcoming book, For the King,  it had a bluish cast to it which was a real shame because the cover is so pretty.  I was using the same image in the slideshow at the top of my blog and it was fine - very strange...
Anyway, Catherine was kind enough to email me another image of the cover to try, so here it is!  It's even more gorgeous when the colors are correct!  And in case you missed it, you can read the summary on yesterday's post.