Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

These were included in a Weekly Wishlist post over the last few weeks, but now there's a cover!

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey.  US and UK release August 9, 2011

Summary:  Here is the first in an exciting new trilogy that follows the transformation of ten-year-old Maria Antonia, a spoiled archduchess in the Austrian court, into the reckless, powerful, beautiful Queen Marie Antoinette, who left an indelible mark on history.

Much has been written about Marie Antoinette, whose ascent to power—and steep downfall—during the French Revolution is legendary. But Juliet Grey is the first to look beyond the crown, starting on the spring day in 1766 when the young archduchess learns that she will one day marry the dauphin of France. Raised alongside her many brothers and sisters at the hands of the powerful Empress Maria Teresa of Austria, the coddled heiress must undergo a startling transformation before making the journey to marry the man who will soon become King Louis XVI. A fascinating window into the gilded splendor and treacherous intrigue of history, as well as a remarkable coming-of-age story, this dynamic portrait of a complex, often misunderstood figure will resonate soundly with lovers of history and fiction alike.
 


 Troubled Bones by Jeri Westerson.  US release October 11, 2011.

Summary:  Disgraced knight Crispin Guest gets himself into some serious trouble in London and as a result is forced to accept an assignment far out of town.  The Archbishop of Canterbury has specifically requested Guest to investigate a threat against the bones of saint and martyr Thomas a Beckett, which are on display in the cathedral in Canterbury.  The archbishop has received letters threatening the safety of the artifacts, and he wants Guest to protect them and uncover whoever is after them.

When he arrives at Canterbury, Guest is accosted by an old acquaintance from court – one Geoffrey Chaucer – and is surrounded by a group in town on a pilgrimage. Trapped amongst the pilgrims (who were, quite possibly, the model for Chaucer’s famous story cycle), looking for a murderer, a hidden heretic and a solution to the riddle that will allow him to go back home, Crispin Guest finds his considerable wit and intellect taxed to its very limit.