Queen of Kings by Maria Dahvana Headley. US release May 12, 2011; UK release July 21, 2011. Passion and seduction, witches and warriors, and history and mythology combine to bring the timeless story of Cleopatra to life like never before in this stunningly original and spellbinding debut. The year is 30 BC. A messenger delivers word to Queen Cleopatra that her beloved husband, Antony, has died at his own hand. Desperate to save her kingdom and resurrect her husband, Cleopatra summons the most fearsome warrior goddess, Sekhmet, and against the warnings of her scholars she strikes a mortal bargain. But not even the wisest scholars could have predicted what would follow. . . .
In exchange for Antony’s soul, Cleopatra is transformed into a vampiric creature of mythical proportions, an immortal shapeshifter with superhuman strength and an insatiable hunger for human blood—a being at once ferocious and seductive. And she is bent on vengeance against those who have wronged her family and her kingdom. Clashing against witches and monsters, gods and warriors, Cleopatra journeys from the tombs of Egypt to the great amphitheaters of Rome to the ancient underworld—where she will meet her love once again, and where the battle between man and beast will determine the fate of the world. Blending history, fantasy, romance, and the supernatural, Queen of Kings is a masterful feat of the imagination that fans of Diana Gabaldon, Patricia Briggs, Philippa Gregory, and Neil Gaiman won’t want to miss.
George II by Andrew C. Thompson. Non-fiction. US and UK release May 28, 2011. Despite a long and eventful reign, Britain’s George II is a largely forgotten monarch, his achievements overlooked and his abilities misunderstood. This landmark biography uncovers extensive new evidence in British and German archives, making possible the most complete and accurate assessment of this thirty-three-year reign. Andrew C. Thompson paints a richly detailed portrait of the many-faceted monarch in his public as well as his private life.
Born in Hanover in 1683, George Augustus first came to London in 1714 as the new Prince of Wales. He assumed the throne in 1727, held it until his death in 1760, and has the distinction of being Britain’s last foreign-born king and the last king to lead an army in battle. With George’s story at its heart, the book reconstructs his thoughts and actions through a careful reading of the letters and papers of those around him. Thompson explores the previously underappreciated roles George played in the political processes of Britain, especially in foreign policy, and as a patron of the arts. He also charts the intricacies of the king’s complicated relationships and reassesses the lasting impact of his frequent return trips to Hanover. George II emerges from these pages as an independent and cosmopolitan figure of undeniable historical fascination.
Burghley by Stephen Alford. Non-fiction. UK reissue April 30, 2011; US reissue May 31, 2011. William Cecil, Lord Burghley (1520–1598) was Elizabeth I’s closest adviser and, as this revealing and provocative biography shows, the driving force behind the Queen’s reign for four decades. Cecil, the steadfast rock of Elizabeth’s government, had a deep and personal impact on the development of the English state. A committed Protestant, he guided the domestic and foreign affairs of the nation with the confidence of his religious conviction. Believing himself to be the divinely instigated protector of his monarch, he felt able to disobey her direct commands. He was uncompromising, obsessive, supremely self-assured—a cunning politician as well as a consummate servant. This comprehensive biography gives proper weight to Cecil’s formative years, his subtle navigation of the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, his lifelong enmity with Mary Queen of Scots, and his obsession with family dynasty. Intimate, authoritative, and enormously readable, this book will redefine our understanding of the Elizabethan period.
by Charles Ross. Non-fiction. US reissue May 31, 2011.
In this absorbing and universally praised account, Charles Ross assesses King Richard III within the context of his violent age and explores the critical questions of the reign: why and how Richard Plantagenet usurped the throne; the belief that he ordered the murder of “the Princes in the Tower”; the events leading to the battle of Bosworth in 1485; and the death of the Yorkist dynasty with Richard himself. In a new foreword, Professor Richard A. Griffiths identifies the attributes that have made Ross's account the leading biography in the field, and assesses the impact of the research published since the book first appeared in 1981.
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by Sarah Gristwood. UK release July 7, 2011.
In the late 16th century, Jeanne, a young French exile orphaned by the wars of religion on the continent, is brought to London as a young girl disguised as a boy. Growing up, the disguise has not been shed and she finds a living as a clerk, ending up in the household of Robert Cecil. As she witnesses the intrigues and plots swirling round the court of Elizabeth I in the last days of Gloriana’s reign, she finds herself sucked into the orbit of the dashing and ambitious young favourite, the Earl of Essex. As the queen draws near to the end of her life, with no heir to follow, the stakes are high. As Essex hurtles towards self-destruction, Jeanne finds her loyalties, her disguise and her emotions under threat – in a political climate where the least mistake can attract dire penalties. This is a beautifully layered and textured book, rich with the details of life and politics of Elizabeth I’s court. Jeanne’s struggle for survival and love is interwoven with her passionate pull towards nature, a lovely and seductive backdrop to the novel.
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Cleopatra as a vampire??? Guess it had to happen. Wonder what other famous person from the past will suddenly be able to 'suck the life' out of people :(
Sorry...but this is a novel which I will gladly pass right by.
November 10, 2010 4:50 AM