Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

On a spring day four children each make a wish on a site reputed to be the burial place of Merlin. Little do three of them know that their wishes will come true and that they will have a major impact on not only their lives, but those of their family and their country.


Pour the Dark Wine was published in 1989 and is one of the few novels about Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. It also covers the lives of her two brothers, Edward and Thomas, following Jane’s death and employs a couple of fictional characters to help tell the story - Zachary, an illegitimate son of the Duke of Norfolk and Cloverella/Elizabeth Wentworth, a cousin of the Seymours. Zachary and Cloverella both have Romany blood and the gift of sight.

A plain girl without much of a dowry, Jane’s marriage prospects are pretty slim so she is thrilled when a relative is able to secure her a place at court as one of Queen Katherine’s ladies. Jane forms an instant liking and admiration for her mistress and before long she is appalled by what are obviously attempts by the king to rid himself of his barren wife and marry Anne Boleyn. Meanwhile, Edward and Thomas are making names for themselves at court as minor players.

As Henry rids himself of one wife only to find disappointment with the next, competing factions at court jockey for position and hope a girl of their choosing will catch the attention of the king. It is the Seymours who win the to-be-queen-and-provide-the-king-with-a-son lottery but their family fortune is short lived as the three siblings are all dead within 15 years – Jane in childbirth and Thomas and Edward for treason.

Lampitt’s writing is often beautifully descriptive especially when setting a scene and I enjoyed her take on the Seymours. Jane is not a helpless pawn used in her family’s schemes to get ahead – once the idea that she could be queen is put into her head, she embraces the idea and goes after it with all that she has. Until she becomes pregnant, her relationship with Henry is fragile as Jane quickly discovers Henry’s volatile mood swings and she lives in fear that one day it will be her turn to be discarded. The addition of Zachary and Cloverella provide a slightly different perspective to the story and also a way of highlighting the Duke of Norfolk as he often finds himself on differing sides of the king’s favor.  Through the storyline of Thomas Seymour's fascination with Princess Elizabeth, Lampitt offers a possible explanation as to the origins of the "Virgin Queen" persona.  A short, but interesting historical note is also included which provides some explanations for a few plot decisions.

Pour the Dark Wine is currently out of print but several used copies can be found online.  I have one of her other books - All the King's Women - and look forward to reading it.  The character of Zachary can also be found in her Sutton Place trilogy.


Who's in control here:  “What a crazy thing it is that the human race will sacrifice everything that is of true importance and merit to that irresistible urge which consistently rises between their loins.” Nicholas Carew musing on Jane’s position with Henry.

Some people are beyond saving:  “A fool is a fool and can never be helped.” Zachary discussing Catherine Howard’s fate with his father.


Rating: Very Good (4 stars)

In case the FTC asks: I bought this book used a few years ago.