Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

Acting Like Animals – Similar to the LOL cat and dog sites, this fun blog features all kinds of animals. People sure are creative in coming up with what the animals are “thinking” – it almost always makes me smile!


Peeking Between the Pages – I will admit that I don’t have a lot in common book-wise with Darlene, although she does read some historical fiction. She frequently posts about her adorable dog Buddy and I’m a sucker for a cute puppy!!  She also has great giveaways!


Dani’s Bookshelf – Dani loves royalty so she frequently reads historical fiction, especially about the Tudors. Her blog also includes reviews of historical romances and information about the current English royal family with an emphasis on the late Princess Diana.


The True Book Addict – Michelle reads a wide variety of books and on Thursdays she posts some fun pictures of cats. I also love cats – I’m just very allergic to them .

Here are a couple more upcoming releases to add to the ol' wishlist:


her own cousin, Lettie Knollys. Far more attractive than the
queen, Lettie soon won the attention of the handsome and
ambitious Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, a man so enamored
of the queen and determined to share her throne that it was
rumored he had murdered his own wife in order to become her
royal consort. The enigmatic Elizabeth allowed Dudley into her
heart, and relied on his devoted service, but shied away from
the personal and political risks of marriage.
When Elizabeth discovered that he had married her cousin
Lettie in secret, Lettie would pay a terrible price, fighting to
keep her husband’s love and ultimately losing her beloved son,
the Earl of Essex, to the queen’s headsman.  This is the unforgettable story of two women related by blood, yet destined to clash over one of Tudor England’s most charismatic man.




honeymooning in Constantinople (Tears of Pearl), Lady Emily is
recuperating from her wounds at her mother-in-law’s estate in
Normandy when, while out horseback riding in the countryside,
she comes across the body of a young woman who has been
horribly murdered. Her wounds are identical to those inflicted
on the victims of Jack the Ripper, who is wreaking havoc across
the channel in London. Lady Emily and Colin learn that the
victim is the daughter of a high born family of French
aristocrats who had been committed to an asylum for the insane.
While there, she had given birth to an illegitimate child who was
spirited away and may be dead.
As Lady Emily pursues a trail of clues (and bodies) to the
beautiful medieval city of Rouen and a crumbling chateau in the
country, she begins to worry about her own sanity: she hears the
cries of a little girl she cannot find and discovers blue ribbons
left in the child’s wake. Emily is on the verge of solving the
mystery, when she is suddenly taken captive by the killer and held in an isolated tower where she once again hears the eerie cries of the lost child. She has to muster all her courage in a terrifying game of wits against a cold and brilliant murderer or she will be his next victim.

Claudius by Douglas Jackson.  US paperback release July 27, 2010;  released last year in hardback in the UK.  43 AD: The Roman legions are coming.   In Southern Britain, Caratacus, chief of the Britons, watches from a hilltop as the scarlet cloaks of a Roman army spread across his land like blood.  Among them is Rufus, keeper of the Emperor’s elephant, an unwilling participant in the invasion of Britain. The Roman legions smash into the British forces, but just as victory seems at hand, they wait. Reinforcements are coming, led by Emperor Claudius himself. And Rufus will have a very special part to play in the coming battle.









The Virgin Warrior by Larissa Juliet Taylor.  Non-fiction.  US paperback release August 31, 2010.  France’s great heroine and England’s great scourge: whether a lunatic, a witch, a religious icon, or a skilled soldier and leader, Joan of Arc’s contemporaries found her as extraordinary and fascinating as the legends that abound about her today. But her life has been so endlessly cast and recast that we have lost sight of the remarkable girl at the heart of it—a teenaged peasant girl who, after claiming to hear voices, convinced the French king to let her lead a disheartened army into battle. In the process she changed the course of European history.
In The Virgin Warrior, Larissa Juliet Taylor paints a vivid portrait of Joan as a self-confident, charismatic and supremely determined figure, whose sheer force of will electrified those around her and struck terror into the hearts of the English soldiers and leaders. The drama of Joan’s life is set against a world where visions and witchcraft were real, where saints could appear to peasants, battles and sieges decided the fate of kingdoms and rigged trials could result in burning at the stake. Yet in her short life, Joan emboldened the French soldiers and villagers with her strength and resolve. A difficult, inflexible leader, she defied her accusers and enemies to the end. From her early years to the myths and fantasies that have swelled since her death, Taylor teases out a nuanced and engaging story of the truly irresistible "ordinary" girl who rescued France.



The Wars of the Roses by Michael Hicks.  Non-fiction.  US and UK  release October 26, 2010.    The Wars of the Roses (1455-85) were a major turning point in English history. But the underlying causes for the successive upheavals have been hotly contested by historians ever since. In this original and stimulating new synthesis, distinguished historian Michael Hicks examines the difficult economic, military and financial crises and explains, for the first time, the real reasons why the Wars of the Roses began, why they kept recurring, and why, eventually, they ceased. Along fresh assessments of key personalities, Hicks sheds new light on the significance of the involvement of the people in politics, the intervention of foreign powers in English affairs, and a fifteenth century credit crunch. Combining a meticulous dissection of competing dynamics with a a clear account of the course of events, this is a definitive and indispensable history of a compelling, complex period.


 
 
Not necessarily historical, but I couldn't resist this one:  100 Dresses by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Non-fiction.  US release October 26, 2010.  What woman can resist imagining herself in a beautiful designer dress? Here, for the first time ever, are 100 fabulous gowns from the permanent collection of the renowned Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, each of which is a reminder of the ways fashion reflects the broader culture that created it.  Featuring designs by Paul Poiret, Coco Chanel, Madame Gres, Yves Saint Laurent, Bianni Versace, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and many others, this one of a kind collection presents a stunning variety of garments. Ranging from the buttoned-up gowns of the late 17th century to the cutting edge designs of the early 21st, the dresses reflect the sensibilities and excesses of each era while providing a vivid picture of how styles have changed over the years. A late 1600s wool dress with a surprising splash of silver thread; a large bustled red sating dress from the 1800s; a short, shimmery 1920s dancing dress; a glamorous 1950s cocktail dress; and a 1960s minidress each tells a story about its period and serves as a testament ot the enduring ingenuity of the fashion designer’s art.
 
 
King Stephen by Edmund King.  US and UK release November 18, 2010.  This compelling new biography provides the most authoritative picture yet of King Stephen, who reign (1135-1154) with its “nineteen long winters” of civil war, made his name synonymous with failed leadership. After years of work on the sources, Edmund King shows with rare clarity the strengths and weaknesses of the monarch. Keeping Stephen at the forefront of his account, the author also chronicles the activities of key family members and associates whose loyal support sustained Stephen’s kingship. In 1135 the popular Stephen was elected king against the claims of the empress Matilda and her sons. But by 1153, Stephen had lost control over Normandy and other important regions, England had lost prestige, and the weakened king was forced to cede his family’s right to succession. A rich narrative covering the drama of a tumultuous reign, this book focuses well-deserved attention on a king who lost control of his destiny.
 
 
Valley of Dry Bones: A Medieval Mystery by Priscilla Royal.  US and UK release November 1, 2010. 

In the late summer of 1274, King Edward has finally been anointed England’s ruler, and his queen contemplates a pilgrimage in gratitude for their safe return from Outremer, a journey that will include a stay at Tyndal Priory. Envoys are sent to confirm that everything will be suitable for the king’s wife, and Prioress Eleanor nervously awaits them, knowing that regal visits bring along expense and honor. The cost is higher than expected, however, when Death arrives as the unexpected emissary. One of the courtiers is murdered near the hut where Brother Thomas now lives as a hermit. Each member of the party has reason to hate the dead man, including Crowner Ralf’s eldest brother, Sir Fulke, and the prioress’s nemesis, the man in black. Soon Eleanor is embroiled in the dangerous world of power games, both secular and religious. Indeed, England’s future under a new king may offer hope and relief, but skeletons from the past can come back to life like those in the biblical valley of dry bones. Which had cause enough to kill?

Last year I convinced my husband to take a trip to England. After spending 5 days in London we decided to spend our last couple of days in southeast Wales roaming around old castles. One of the things I get excited about when reading historical fiction (or even some non-fiction) is reading about a place and saying to myself ,”hey, I’ve been there and seen that!” (I know, I’m a geeky history nerd…).


So I was excited to discover that two of the places we visited featured in Mahelt Marhsall’s life – Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey. I thought I would share some of the pictures I took of each as well as some information.



Chepstow Castle

Perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the river Wye, Chepstow Castle was first established in the late 11th century, as a castle in this location is referenced in the 1086 Doomesday Book as being built by William fitz Osbern. After a failed rebellion by William’s son, the land was confiscated by the crown who held it until 1115 when Henry I granted it to the de Clare family. Following the death of Richard de Clare (“Strongbow”) in 1176, the lands became the inheritance of his young daughter Isabel who became the wife of the great William Marshal in 1189.

After passing through the hands of Marshal’s sons, in 1245 Chepstow became the property of William’s eldest daughter Maud (Mahelt) and her husband, Hugh Bigod, the third earl of Norfolk (that would be our Mahelt and Roger from To Defy a King!). Roger Bigod, the fifth earl of Norfolk, used the castle as his main residence and accounts from the period indicate that he made extensive and lavish improvements. When Roger died in 1306, the land again reverted to the crown and over the next several hundred years it belonged to a variety of monarchs and nobles, including the infamous Hugh Despenser the younger (in 1324), and Charles Somerset, first earl of Worcester (in 1507). During the late 19th century the overgrown interior of the castle was cleared out, paths laid and some conservation efforts were underway by the Beaufort estate. In 1953 the castle was put under the guardianship of the state.




This was the first time in my life I had ever seen a real castle (Indiana is not known for its castles)! Walking up to the gate tower and seeing how tall and massive the walls were, I was in total awe that something like this could have been built so long ago – and still stands! There were winding staircases, arched windows and awesome views of the surrounding valley. Having been totally bummed out at not being to see William Marshall’s tomb at the Temple Church (it was closed while we were in London), I was compensated somewhat by Chepstow’s “Marshall Tower” (picture below - and I do have a closeup picture of the plaque that says "Marshall Tower"!). My husband just rolled his eyes at my excitement!




Tintern Abbey



Just north of Chepstow is Tintern Abbey. The Abbey was founded in 1131 by the Lord of Chepstow and its early inhabitants were Cistercian monks from France. As the community of monks grew, so did the Abbey and the great gothic church that dominates the site was begun in 1269, patronized by Roger Bigod, fifth earl of Norfolk. The Abbey was surrendered to the crown during the early period of the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. At that time many of the Abbey’s valuables – silver, glass, timber and lead (from the roof) was either sent directly to the king’s treasury or sold. After that, Tintern was largely forgotten until it was “rediscovered” during the late 18th century by the “Romantic” poets and artists. In 1901 it was purchased by the crown and a massive conservation effort took place over the next 25 years.



When William Marshall became Lord of Chepstow in 1189, he also became a patron of Tintern. Several members of the Marshall family were buried at Tintern – his wife Isabel and three of his children, Walter, Anselm and Maud (Mahelt). Unfortunately, due to a delay in getting to the abbey the morning of our visit and a steady drizzle which kept me from reading the guidebook until after our visit, I did not realize this at the time and do not recall seeing the information posted on the abbey grounds – but it is very possible that I overlooked it.



We visited Tiintern on a cool, drizzly morning which gave the abbey a mystical feeling. I was once again totally amazed at the size of the structure – especially the pillars and the arches. My favorite part was standing inside of the massive chapel with my head back gawking at the peaceful beauty around me with raindrops falling on my face. This would be a gorgeous place to have a wedding!  The below picture is a shot of my husband (he didn't know I was taking it) in front of one of the pillars which gives you an idea of how large they are.





For more information on these two sites, including additional pictures, you can check out related posts on Chepstow and Tintern on my blog to commemorate our trip.

THEY TWEETED WHAAAATTT? History’s most famous personalities share their ridiculous, scandalous, and humorous thoughts. From the ancient tweets of @Plato and @Socrates to modern updates from @Napoleon, @Hitler, and @BabeRuth, Historical Tweets has all the answers to history’s biggest questions: What happened to the dragons? What does “four score” mean? WWJT? For those who can handle only 140 characters’ worth of history at a time (and don’t mind breaking their history teachers’ hearts), this is the perfect book.

@Kissinger Which button do I push to erase my last 18 and a half tweets?
TRICKY_ME
9:52 PM June 20, 1972

I live my life like a candle in the wind. Whatever that means.
LOL #mwah #mwah
MARILYN!
7:09 PM July 18, 1953



Discovering that she is a pawn in a carefully orchestrated plot devised by her father, the duke of Norfolk, Mary dare not disobey him. Yet despite all of her efforts to please him, she too falls prey to his cold wrath. Not until she becomes betrothed to Harry Fitzroy, the Duke of Richmond and son to King Henry VIII, does Mary finds the love and approval she's been seeking. But just when Mary believes she is finally free of her father, the tides turn. Now Mary must learn to play her part well in a dangerous chess game that could change her life--and the course of history.





February 1304, and London is in crisis. A succession of brutal murders shocks the city as it comes to terms with the fall from power of Walter Evesham, Chief Justice in the Court of the King's Bench. Accused of bribery and corruption, Evesham has sought sanctuary to atone for his sins. When Evesham is discovered dead in his cell at the Abbey of Sion though, it appears that the Mysterium, a cunning killer brought to justice by Evesham, has returned to wreak havoc.
Sir Hugh Corbett is ordered to investigate the murder. Has the Mysterium returned or is another killer imitating his brutal methods? As Corbett traces the ancient sins that hold the key to discovering the murderer's identity he must face his most cunning foe yet.




























Llewelyn, prince of Gwynedd, dreams of a Wales united against the English, but first he must combat enemies nearer home. Llewelyn and his brothers-Owen Goch, Rhodri, and David-vie for power among themselves and with the English king, Henry III. Despite the support of his beloved wife, Eleanor, Llewelyn finds himself trapped in a situation where the only solution could be his very downfall...
Originally published in England as four individual novels, The Brothers of Gwynedd transports you to a world of chivalry, gallant heroes, and imprisoned damsels; to star-crossed lovers and glorious battle scenes; and is Edith Pargeter's absorbing tale of tragedy, traitors, and triumph of the heart.

In 1501 at the age of 15, Katherine of Aragon finds herself on a ship on her way to England where she will marry the king’s eldest son – Arthur, Prince of Wales. She is understandably nervous and excited at the same time as she and the daughters of Spanish nobles who have accompanied her wonder what life in their new country will be like. Years later, one of those Spanish maids, Estrella, is returning to court following the death of her husband to once again serve her queen. But time has found Katherine in very different circumstances as she battles for her marriage and her position and she is grateful for the company and comfort of her old friend.


The Spanish Bride focuses on two periods of Katherine’s life – her early years in England up to her marriage to Henry VIII and the years covering the kings “great matter” through the time of her death. Through alternating time frames we see Katherine’s life as pretty miserable most of the time. Following Arthur’s death, Katherine becomes a pawn to be used by her father and father-in-law, spending the next 6 or 7 years in virtual poverty. As her position at the English court deteriorates, her Spanish women look for their own way to cope and some are fortunate enough to marry. Estrella isn’t so lucky and her relationships with three potential suitors all come to nothing but give an indication of how desperate their position had become at times and the lengths they were willing to go to in order to escape it.

This is a quick and easy read but with the huge period of time that the book skips, it is probably best read by someone with at least a basic knowledge of Katherine and Henry’s relationship. I have always admired Katherine’s spirit, her dedication to what she believed was right and her refusal to back down even under the worst of circumstances. But there were consequences of her actions to others, most of whom were powerless to do anything about it. Their story seldom makes it into those about Katherine (other than a passing reference) and I thought that the attention to their plight via Estrella's story was an interesting angle. 

Catherine never wavers from her belief that Henry loves her and is simply misguided. Even at her lowest point, she refuses to allow a rebellion on her behalf since it would be treason against Henry and for fear of the bloodshed that it will bring to the people. She is sure that Henry will eventually see what is right – of course history was to prove otherwise.   This is not a bad book - but it's nothing overly special either. 


Rating: Average (2.5 stars)

The daughter of a village minister and a woman who was disowned by her family for marrying for love, young Ellen Gowan enjoys a childhood rich in affection, if not in currency. Tragedy strikes on her thirteenth birthday when her father dies and she and her mother are left penniless. Ellen experiences both opulence and depravity, finally landing in the arms of the devilishly handsome Raoul de Valentin. Determined to survive when Raoul abandons her, she first toils at a dress factory, then opens up her own salon in the fashionable Battle Square. Years pass, and Ellen becomes Madame Gowan, dressmaker to royalty and the Great Six Hundred. Then Raoul unexpectedly arrives at her doorstep, threatening to destroy all that she has achieved.  With an extraordinary knack for evoking the essence of Victorian London—from luxurious ballrooms to squalid brothels—Posie Graeme-Evans creates a scintillating novel and a heroine determined to live life fully, no matter what the cost.



Masterfully blending romance, drama, and historical detail Kate Emerson exposes the darkest corners of Tudor England in this extraordinarily captivating novel.


 
 

OK, I couldn't resist posting this:


Henry VIII was the best and bloodiest King ever to have sat on the throne of England. This fast-paced, exciting, gory, inventive and just plain gross retelling of his reign will bring to light the real man behind the myth.   When it came to his size, Henry VIII was known for being larger-than-life, with a fearsome temper and bloodthirsty reputation to match; more beast than human, some might say...
Be dragged kicking and screaming back 500 years into Tudor England...

Despairing of rescue, Elizabeth and the others struggle to make the uninhabited island their home for nine long months while they build a new ship to complete their voyage to Jamestown, Virginia. As the months pass, friendships form, crew members revolt and love blossoms between Elizabeth and the ship’s young cook. Elizabeth forms a fast bond with the ship’s historian, a man she comes to know as William Strachey. But Will is not the man he portrays—he is in fact William Shakespeare—and they share a dangerous secret, a secret that could cost them their lives if they ever return to Protestant England.   After many months, their new ship is ready to sail and the surviving company finally lands in Jamestown, only to find that life there is hard and dangerous. When Elizabeth’s headaches return, she despairs of a threat to her young husband and their child, due later that year. Her world falls apart, but it is her good friend Will who gives her a chance for a new and independent life, by offering her the chance to return with him to live with his family in Stratford on Avon where they both must confront their past, face the risk of possible persecution, and start their lives again.




It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of the theatre; that she fell in love with the poet Viktor Elsin; that she and her dearest companions—Gersh, a dangerously irreverent composer, and the exquisite Vera, Nina’s closest friend—became victims of Stalinist aggression; that a terrible discovery led to a deadly act of betrayal—and to an ingenious escape that eventually brought her to the city of Boston.
Nina has hidden her dark secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest—Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate director at the Boston auction house, and a Russian professor named Grigori Solodin who believes that a unique set of amber jewels may hold the key to his own ambiguous past. Together, these unlikely partners find themselves unraveling a literary mystery whose answers will hold life-changing consequences for them all.
Artfully interweaving past and present, Moscow and New England, the behind-the-scenes tumult of theatre life and the transformative power of art, Daphne Kalotay’s luminous debut novel, an infeniously plotted page turner of the highest literary order, captures the joy, uncertainty, and terror of lives powerless to withstand the forces of history, while affirming that even in the presence of evil, suspicion, and fear the human spirit reaches for transcendence and love.


 
The Princess’s Maid by Michaela MacColl.  Young Adult.  UK release June 1, 2010;  US release September 1, 2010.  Liza Hastings is alone, newly orphaned, and penniless in 1836 London. Her only assets? She's quick-witted and speaks her mother's native German. What's a girl to do? Get herself a job at Kensington Palace waiting on the 16 year old Princess Victoria. She soon discovers that life in the palace is fraught with peril, not just for Liza but the Princess. Victoria is a virtual prisoner of her mother and the sinister Sir John Conroy. Liza becomes her spy and confidant. Liza's journey takes her into the slums of London and to the Queen's drawing room at Windsor Palace. She discovers that Princes are often not very charming and that a certain young commoner, is uncommonly attractive. With the help of some unlikely friends, she saves Victoria from mortgaging the royal exchequer and the future Queen's self-respect. Along the way, Liza learns that she is strong enough to make her own choices.
 
 
 
The Emperor’s Body by Peter Brooks.  US and UK release February 7, 2011. 

Napoleon, twenty years dead, rises like a phoenix over the politics of France and the destinies of three lovers. Against the historical backdrop of the French expedition in 1840 to retrieve Napoleon's body from Saint Helena, two men and a woman find themselves engulfed in long-dormant and dangerous political passions.   Philippe de Rohan-Chabot, an aristocratic young diplomat, is charged with bringing the body from the island prison where Napoleon died to a glorious tomb at Les Invalides in Paris. Chabot's rival is the aging diplomat and author Henri Beyle, known to posterity as Stendhal. The enigmatic and impulsive Amelia Curial must free herself from the shadow of her mother's scandalous loves and untimely death, and from the life of stale convention that her family urges upon her. The dead emperor is a token in a political game to appease the enemies of the monarchy, but that gamble imperils the king's rule and a new revolution looms. Meanwhile, the interplay of the three central characters traces a delicate pattern of romance, longing, misunderstanding, and the obstacles to the pursuit of happiness.

For anyone who has been paying attention, 2010 is clearly the year of Eleanor of Aquitaine!  With at least three books scheduled for release this year about this very formidable woman, she may just be the thing to push the Tudors out of their favored status.  I posted about this book several months ago and happened upon this cover today - I love it!   Holland has written a number of books but I have never read any of them - this will definately be the first!



1151: As Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor grew up knowing what it was to be regarded for herself and not for her husband's title. Now, as wife to Louis VII and Queen of France, she has found herself unsatisfied with reflected glory-and feeling constantly under threat, even though she outranks every woman in Paris.
Then, standing beside her much older husband in the course of a court ceremony, Eleanor locks eyes with a man-hardly more than a boy, really- across the throne room, and knows that her world has changed irrevocably...
He is Henry D'Anjou, eldest son of the Duke of Anjou, and he is in line, somewhat tenuously, for the British throne. She meets him in secret. She has a gift for secrecy, for she is watched like a prisoner by spies even among her own women. She is determined that Louis must set her free. Employing deception and disguise, seduction and manipulation, Eleanor is determined to find her way to power-and make her mark on history.

Set in late first century Rome during the reign of Titus Flavius Domitianus (referred to as Domitian), Mistress of Rome revolves around the fictional Thea and those who come in and out of her life.  Thea is a slave and as the book begins, she serves Lepida, a teenage girl about her own age who delights in putting Thea down and creating problems.  Thea is able to find a small amount of happiness with the celebrity of the day - a captive Briton gladiator named Arius.  But as Lepida is set to be married off to an older man, her jealousy of Thea and Arius forces them apart and Thea finds herself sold off as a whore - only to be saved by a man who appreciates her musical talent.

It is not long before Thea captures the attention of the emperor Domitian, setting her up for another competition and showdown with Lepida.  But Thea's life as the emperor's mistress is not all that it appears and there are those who are all too familiar with the emperor's darker side and want to bring him down.

 

The first third or so of the book was a little slow – I kept trying to figure out where the story was going and I even considered not finishing it. But I’m glad I kept reading and thought the second half was much stronger with a more exciting plot as the storylines begin to intersect and Thea becomes entangled in political intrigues as she tries to save herself and her family. Emperor Domitian was apparently somewhat of a psychopath and although Quinn alludes to his fondness for playing games with people (both physically and mentally), she avoids going into graphic detail. The same can not be said for her treatment of “the games” of which the Romans were apparently so fond, both as “entertainment” and as social events. The gladiator games are vividly described with a pretty good dose of blood, gore and violence (although a guy might not think it so bad!) but understanding the life of the gladiator is important to understanding some of the characters relationships.

Thea is likeable enough with a strong survival instinct and her path from slave to mistress of the emperor is an interesting and sometimes disturbing one. Lepida is wonderfully evil - a villianess who is bad to the core and who gets what's coming to her in the end.  Arius is a big, hulking man whose demons and blinding rage makes him a hero in the games but you get the sense that buried deep inside is a sensitive soul.  Quinn uses a combination of first (Thea and Lepida) as well as third person narration. At times the switch between first and third person was a little confusing and the transitions were not always smooth, but for the most part it didn’t bother me and I thought it added dimension to the story.

As indicated in her “Historical Note”, Quinn based several of her fictional characters on people who really existed but who were either nameless to history or very little was probably known about them. A list of characters is included in the back of the book but I wish it had been in the front since I didn’t realize it was there until I was almost finished. Despite the slow start, I thought Mistress of Rome was an entertaining read and it’s nice to get out of England once in a while!

Rating:  Good (3.5 stars)
 
In case the FTC asks:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher
*a modified version of this review also appears on Royal Reviews

Here are a few covers I found this morning for books previously mentioned on Weekly Wishlist.  Amazon for some reason lists the first two as "currently unavailable" rather than available for pre-order so I'm not sure what's going on there - but the covers are nice to look at just the same!












James Forrester is the pen name of British historian Ian Mortimer.