Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

The Scar-Crow Men (Swords of Albion) by Mark Chadbourn.  Historical fantasy.  US release February 8, 2011; UK release April 28, 2011.
The year is 1593. The London of Elizabeth I is in the terrible grip of the Black Death. As thousands die from the plague and the queen hides behind the walls of her palace, English spies are being murdered across the city. The killer's next target: Will Swyfte.
For Swyfte--adventurer, rake, scholar, and spy--this is the darkest time he has known. His mentor, the grand old spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, is dead. The new head of the secret service is more concerned about his own advancement than defending the nation, and a rival faction at the court has established its own network of spies. Plots are everywhere, and no one can be trusted. Meanwhile, England's greatest enemy, the haunted Unseelie Court, prepares to make its move.
A dark, bloody scheme, years in the making, is about to be realized. The endgame begins on the night of the first performance of Dr. Faustus, the new play by Swyfte's close friend and fellow spy Christopher Marlowe. A devil is conjured in the middle of the crowded theater, taking the form of Will Swyfte's long-lost love, Jenny--and it has a horrifying message for him alone.
That night Marlowe is murdered, and Swyfte embarks on a personal and brutal crusade for vengeance. Friendless, with enemies on every side and a devil at his back, the spy may find that even his vaunted skills are no match for the supernatural powers arrayed against him. 


The English Aristocracy 1070 - 1272; A Social Transformation by David Crouch.  Non-fiction.  UK release February 28, 2011; US release April 26, 2011.


For Ariella, Pompeii is a means to an end. As a young Jew, she escaped the fall of Jerusalem only to endure slavery to a cruel Roman general. She ends up in Pompeii, disguised as a young man and sold into a gladiator troupe. Her anger fuels her to fight well, hoping to win the arena crowds and reveal her gender at the perfect time. Perhaps then she will win true freedom.

But evil creeps through the streets of Pompeii. Political corruption, religious persecution, and family peril threaten to destroy Ariella and Cato, who are thrown together in the battle to survive. As Vesuvius churns with deadly intent, the two must bridge their differences to save the lives of those they love, before the fiery ash buries Pompeii, leaving the city lost to the world.

In case the FTC asks:  I received an ARC from the publisher to review

I recently finished Christine Trent's new book, A Royal Likeness, and one of the historical characters is Horatio Nelson, one of England's most well known and revered naval officers.  Born in 1758, as a young man he joined the navy and quickly moved up the ranks, obtaining his own command by the age of 20.  He was known for his military strategies and unconvential tactics which led to many of his victories - but which led to the loss of one of his arms.  His most notable victory was at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 during the Napoleonic wars.  Nelson was fatally wounded near the end of the battle and was accorded a state funeral.  He was also remembered for his affair with Lady Emma Hamilton while both of them were married.  His relationship with Emma lasted until his death and the couple had one daughter, Horatia.

This new biography takes a nuanced view both of Richard III’s reign and of the controversies surrounding it, exploring them in the wider context of the period. Defining Richard’s character as central to the analysis of his actions, David Hipshon emphasises the need to separate the man himself from the caricature that has so often been painted.
Incorporating new research and previously unpublished material, this book is a must-read for all those interested both in Richard III as king, and in the development of the English monarchy and society at the end of the medieval era and the beginning of the early modern period.




 The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham.  US release January 1, 2011; UK release January 31, 2011.
A man other than my husband sits on England's throne today.
What would happen if this king suddenly went mad? What would his queen do? Would she make the same mistakes I did, or would she learn from mine?
Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, cannot give up on her husband-even when he slips into insanity. And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son-even when England turns against them. This gripping tale of a queen forced to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds is at its heart a tender tale of love.
Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham will once again ask readers to question everything they know about right and wrong, compassion and hope, duty to one's country and the desire of one's own heart.





The Reluctant Queen by Freda Lightfoot.  US release January 1, 2011; released in the UK in September 2010. A brand-new historical novel from a well-loved storyteller - Sixteenth-century France. Gabrielle d’Esrées’ one wish is to marry for love, but her mother sells her as a mistress to three different men before she catches the eye – and the heart – of Henry of Navarre, King of France. Henry promises to marry her, but Gabrielle’s difficulties have just begun . . . for Henry’s wife will only divorce him if he promises not to marry Gabrielle. Is the love of a king enough to secure her both the happiness and respectability she craves and a crown for their son as the next dauphin of France?









The Young Elizabeth by Alison Plowden.  Non-fiction.  UK reissue January 1, 2011; will be reissued in the US in May 2011. Elizabeth I is perhaps England's most famous monarch. Born in 1533, the product of the doomed marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her mother was condemned as a witch and after her death, Elizabeth was disinherited and finally imprisoned by her jealous half-sister, Mary. Her childhood was one of fear and danger, she was aware from the outset that the eyes of the world were upon her and that to survive she would have to rely on her own judgement and strength of character. Many tried to use her for their own ends, however she rose out of the shadows and on the death of her sister, she became Gloriana - England's most iconic queen. Alison Plowden's portrayal of this young woman at turns frail and feisty, is a triumph of narrative history.

Tanzy and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!  This is the first year that we will not be "home" for Christmas and the first year that our daughter is not with us (she wanted to go back "home" so we bought her an overpriced plane ticket as part of her Christmas presents).  So, it's just the hubby and me spending a little quiet time and just hanging out.  We'll probably watch some movies - although he has already spent some time reading this morning (he's gotten hooked on Bernard Cornwell's Saxon books)!!

Need to brush up on your Italian history before Showtime's The Borgia's begins in the spring? Crown Publishing is going to help you out by re-publishing Jean Plaidy's two books on the Borgia family on January 18, 2011 (in the US - they were re-published a year or so ago in the UK). I included these in a Weekly Wishlist post a few months ago, but here are covers and summaries:

In case the FTC asks:  Bought this one used 

Well, the new releases just keep coming and you know I just have to share them!


Revenger by Rory Clements.  US release June 21 ,2011.  Released in the UK in April 2010. When the most powerful men in England--brilliant, conniving, ruthless--have their eyes on the throne, Chief Intelligencer John Shakespeare is summoned out of retirement and swept into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. This is electrifying historical suspense, perfect for fans of The Tudors, and the novels of Ken Follett and Ariana Franklin.
In Rory Clements's "engrossing" debut (The Washington Post) Martyr, readers were introduced to John Shakespeare, intelligencer in the service of Queen Elizabeth I. Now, in this gripping new hardcover, Shakespeare wants nothing more than to be headmaster at his school and a husband to his wife, leaving behind the deadly palace intrigue. But two of the most powerful men in all of England have their eyes on the aging monarch and her vulnerable throne. The Earl of Essex seeks to replace the Queen; Sir Robert Cecil seeks to protect her. Both will use Shakespeare as a pawn in a deadly chess match, where the stakes
are England itself.



Absolute Monarchs:  A History of the Papacy by John Julius Norwich.  Non-fiction.  US and UK release July 12, 2011. From the legendary British historian and author of the classic three-volume
series Byzantium and A History of Venice comes a comprehensive,
rollicking, and timely history of the papacy.  After nearly 2,000 years of existence, the papacy is the oldest continuing absolute monarchy in the world. To millions, the Pope is the Vicar of Christ on earth, the infallible interpreter of divine revelation. To millions more, he is the
fulfillment of Biblical prophecies of Antichrist. And yet, Absolute Monarchs is no solemn book about pious men of duty. Rather, it is an astonishing tale filled with rip-roaring stories of violence, sex, wars, and politics.







The Angel of Blythe Hall by Darci Hannah.  US release July 26, 2011. Superbly atmospheric and brimming with romance, thrilling historical
adventure, and mystical elements, Darci Hannah's remarkably textured new novel will appeal to fans of Diana Gabaldon's An Echo in the Bone.
In the year 1492, young Scottish noblewoman Isabeau Blythe is at last
returning to her ancestral home on the Borders. Now heir to Blythe Hall, Isabeau is determined to leave behind her family's extraordinary past. Their peculiar relations with the fantastical creatures commonly known as angels was the ruin of both her father and her brother. Isabeau is confident she can assume control of Blythe Hall and its people, stave off marriage until the moment it suits her, and bring the turbulent clans of the Borders under control. Yet fate thwarts her even as she enters the imposing gates of Blythe Hall. Incensed upon learning that Sir
George Douglas, the knight seeking to be the next Lord Blythe, has been tracking her movements, Isabeau is further disturbed at the appearance of her magnificently beguiling brother. Worse, Julius reveals he's on the hunt for an angel. Isabeau begins to experience wild visions of a strange man whom her heart inexplicably longs for. With Sir George's army outside her gates, she summons
help from the illusive man of her visions: Gabriel, who holds the secret of Blythe Hall.



The Golden Empire:  Spain, Charles V and the Creation of America by Hugh Thomas.  Non-fiction.  US and UK release August 9, 2011.For readers of Simon Schama and Jacques Barzun, a vast, engrossing narrative of Spain's dominant years in the New World, by one of the greatest historians of the Spanish world.
From one of our era's master historians, here is a fresh and compulsively readable account of Spain's dominant decades in what is now called Latin America. These years, 1522-1556, marked by exploration, conquest, plunder, proselytizing, and economic development, would go on to impact life in the region for the next half a millennium. Indeed, one cannot visit Latin America today--from
Mexico City to Buenos Aires--without seeing the influence of these tumultuous decades on life across this vast region.

Illuminations by Michelle Deiner. US & UK release August 2, 2011.

Based on historical figures and events, this richly drawn and beautifully written debut novel transports readers into the lush world of Henry VIII where a courtier and a royally commissioned artist uncover secrets that could mean the end of the King’s reign.

John Parker is one of Henry VIII’s most useful courtiers—utterly merciless and completely loyal. But one small favor for his King pulls Parker into a deadly plot against the throne: one that will test his courage, his resolve, and most especially, his heart. This hunter is about to become the hunted.A commission from Henry VIII should have been the crowning achievement of Susanna Horenbout’s career, but before the beautiful and talented artist even sets foot in England, she finds herself in possession of a secret that could change its history. With Parker as her only protection against killers who will stop at nothing to silence her, Susanna has to trust the dangerous, enigmatic courtier. She’s used to fighting in a man’s world, but she never expected to be battling for her life—or her heart.

Lush in its detail, smooth in its execution, and breathtaking in its voice, Illuminations offers a masterful blend of Tudor court intrigue, romance, and scandal that will delight fans of Philippa Gregory and Anne Easter Smith.



To Die For by Sandra Byrd. US & UK release August 9, 2011.

To Die For, is the story of Meg Wyatt, pledged forever as the best friend to Anne Boleyn since their childhoods on neighboring manors in Kent. When Anne’s star begins to ascend, of course she takes her best friend Meg along for the ride. Life in the court of Henry VIII is thrilling at first, but as Anne’s favor rises and falls, so does Meg’s. And though she’s pledged her loyalty to Anne no matter what the test, Meg just might lose her greatest love—and her own life—because of it.

Meg's childhood flirtation with a boy on a neighboring estate turns to true love early on. When he is called to follow the Lord and be a priest she turns her back on both the man and his God. Slowly, though, both woo her back through the heady times of the English reformation. In the midst of it, Meg finds her place in history, her own calling to the Lord that she must follow, too, with consequences of her own. Each character in the book is tested to figure out what love really means, and what, in this life, is worth dying for.

Though much of Meg’s story is fictionalized, it is drawn from known facts. The Wyatt family and the Boleyn family were neighbors and friends, and perhaps even distant cousins. Meg’s brother, Thomas Wyatt, wooed Anne Boleyn and ultimately came very close to the axe blade for it. Two Wyatt sisters attended Anne at her death, and at her death, she gave one of them her jeweled prayer book—Meg.



Josefina’s Sin by Claudia Long. US release August 9, 2011.

A thrilling and passionate debut about a sheltered landowner’s wife whose life is turned upside down when she visits the royal court in seventeenth-century Mexico.

When Josefina accepts an invitation from the Marquessa to come stay and socialize with the intellectual and cultural elite in her royal court, she is overwhelmed by the Court’s complicated world. She finds herself having to fight off aggressive advances from the Marquessa’s husband, but is ultimately unable to stay true to her marriage vows when she becomes involved in a secret affair with the local bishop that leaves her pregnant.

Amidst this drama, Josefina finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the intellectual nuns who study and write poetry at the risk of persecution by the Spanish Inquisition that is overtaking Mexico. One nun in particular, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, teaches Josefina about poetry, writing, critical thinking, the nature and consequences of love, and the threats of the Holy Office. She is Josefina’s mentor and lynchpin for her tumultuous passage from grounded wife and mother to woman of this treacherous, confusing, and ultimately physically and intellectually fulfilling world.



Sunrise of Avalon by Anna Elliott. US & UK release September 13, 2011.

In the final installment of Anna Elliott’s Twilight of Avalon trilogy, Trystan and Isolde continue their romance and adventure to protect their beloved Britain from threats both old and new.

Former High Queen Isolde and Trystan, a mercenary with a lonely and troubled past, have undertaken a dangerous mission and endured a perilous journey to keep the traitorous Lord Marche from the throne of Britain. But now a new traitor lurks amongst the kings on Britain’s High Council, and a new danger calls Trystan from Isolde’s side and tests the strength of their secret marriage vow.

As the clouds of war gather, Isolde and Trystan must once again fight to protect Britain’s throne. Together, they hold the key that can defeat Octa of Kent and Lord Marche. And yet the cost of Britain’s sovereignty may be their own forbidden love.

The world of medieval chivalry is at once glamorous and violent, alluring yet alien. Our popular views of the period are largely inherited from the nineteenth-century romantics, for whom chivalry evoked images of knights in shining armour, competing for the attention of fair ladies – with pennons and streamers fluttering from castle battlements.
But what is the reality? Were the rituals and romance of chivalry designed to provide an escape from the brutal facts of almost continuous warfare? Or did they instead help regulate the conduct of war and moderate its violent excesses?
Nigel Saul charts the introduction of chivalry by the Normans, the rise of the knightly class as a social elite, the fusion of chivalry with kingship in the fourteenth century and the influence of chivalry on literature, religion and architecture. He shows us a world of kings and barons, castles and cathedrals – a world shaped by Richard the Lionheart and the Crusades, by Magna Carta and the rule of law, by battles like Bannockburn and Crecy, by the Black Death and by tournaments, round tables and the cult of Arthurianism.
Structured around the related themes of war, politics and knighthood, For Honour and Fame tells the story of England from the Norman Conquest to the aftermath of Henry VII’s triumph at Bosworth in the Wars of the Roses. Wide-ranging, vivid and authoritative, this is the first book to treat chivalry as part of the wider history of medieval England.


The Great Siege:  Clash of Empires by William Napier.  UK release June 9, 2011. 1565: a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean stands gatekeeper between East and West. It is about to become the scene for one of the most amazing stories of bravery, battle and bloodlust: the siege of Malta.  Formed in the Holy Land in the 11th century, a small band of knights had long sought a home. Driven from their lands by Ottoman might, they came to rest in Malta from where they watched the Turks and corsairs raid the Spanish empire. 
ENEMY OF ROME
The great Carthaginian general, Hannibal, has never forgotten the defeat and humiliation of his father by Rome. Now he plans his revenge and the destruction of the old enemy.
SOLDIER OF CARTHAGE
While Hannibal prepares for war, the young son of one of his most trusted military commanders goes on an innocent adventure with his best friend – and disappears.
SLAVERY
Captured by pirates, put up for sale in the slave market, one of the boys is sold as a gladiator, the other as a field slave. They believe they will never see home or family again.
A WORLD AFLAME
But their destiny – interwoven and linked with that of their Roman masters – is to be an extraordinary one. The devastating war unleashed upon Rome by Hannibal will last for nearly twenty years. It will change their lives – and history – forever.



In this fascinating and innovative study, Peter Frankopan brilliantly shifts the paradigm and asks vital questions that have never been posed before. Why was there an overwhelming desire to liberate Jerusalem in the mid-1090s? After all, it had been taken by the Muslims nearly 500 years earlier. What were the causes of the Crusade in the east which provoked such an overwhelming response in the west? What role was played by the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople in the genesis and execution of the expedition? 

I'm currently reading Heresy by S.J Parris - a historical mystery/thriller featuring an exiled Italian Catholic in England named Giordano Bruno - turns out Bruno was a real person.  Born in 1548, Bruno was among the first individuals to voice the opinion that the universe was made up of a number of stars similar to our sun.  His astronomical theories went beyond those put forth by Capernicus - and eventually got him burned at the stake in 1600, although his beliefs about the church itself may have also contributed.   Bruno was also known for his work in memorization and wrote about a number of principles and techniques.  This portrait appears to be a colorized and slighly modified version of a black and white engraving.