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Every week Tanzanite features upcoming historical fiction and history related non-fiction books that have come to her attention and may be of interest to others. Since she has an out of control TBR pile, so should everyone else!
Of Faith and Fidelity is the first book in the English Free Company series set in the late Middle Ages. The English Free Company is led by Geoffrey Hotspur, an orphan-squire and ward of the mighty Duke of Lancaster, whose driving ambition is to become a knight and serve a great lord. This captivating historical narrative not only follows the path to knighthood of a lonely English squire, but also considers some of the great issues of the day, from the many manifestations of fidelity to the meaning of faith during a period of political turmoil. Anyone who enjoys the stories of Bernard Cornwall and Jan Guillou will find more than an echo of their exuberant prose and vivid characters in Of Faith and Fidelity: Geoffrey Hotspur and the War for St. Peter’s Throne. Supported with extensive research done by a professional historian, Of Faith and Fidelity utilizes true personages and events to weave a vivid tapestry of this exciting time of transition between periods.
Of Faith and Fidelity: Geoffrey Hotspur and the War for St. Peter’s Throne takes place in 1394, at the height of the schism of the Western Church when the throne of St. Peter was contested by rival claimants in Rome and Avignon. For nearly sixteen years the papacy was been divided between claimants in Rome and Avignon. Unable to settle the dispute peacefully, both sides resorted to war. The key to winning the throne of St. Peter was always control of the Patrimony, a band of territory stretching the breadth of Italy that owes fealty to whichever pope who can rule it. From Scandinavia to Sicily, there is great anticipation that the campaign of 1394 will culminate in a battle that will secure the Patrimony of St. Peter for one man.
Before Henry V won his miraculous victory at Agincourt, before the Borgias had done their infamous deeds, there was Geoffrey Hotspur, a man as tall as Charlemagne and armed with a sword that rivals Excalibur. Thrown off the established path to knighthood, the ambitious and hot-tempered Geoffrey finds himself caught up in the war between the two popes, where he must adapt his beliefs and apply his training as a squire in order to survive. To this end, Geoffrey founds the English Free Company and fights in the battles between the armies of the two popes. With little money, fewer friends and no name, yet with his faith in chivalry firmly set, Geoffrey Hotspur possesses the confidence that what he does is right for him and for those he had sworn to serve.
Helping and hindering Geoffrey Hotspur in equal measure in his quest for knighthood is a gallery of characters with their own agendas, from professional debt collector Jean Lagoustine, to the Chancellor of Florence Coluccio Salutati, to a mysterious astrologer named Catherine, who seems to have a suspiciously impressive set of connections in the world of Italian politics.
A thrilling start to the story of Geoffrey Hotspur and his English Free Company, Of Faith and Fidelity is at heart a squire’s tale of hope, adventure and ambition during a time of great uncertainty.
From the author: Passion, drama and excitement fill the pages of my follow-up to THE HIGHEST STAKES. Set deep in the world of 18th century gaming, FORTUNE'S SON immerses the reader in a time and place where nothing is sacred, and virtually anything might be wagered on the turn of a card or roll of the die.
Beginning with their first chance meeting over a Hazard table, and with motives known only to themselves, FORTUNE'S SON chronicles the tumultuous romantic journey between a young but seasoned gamester, and a widowed courtier who refuses to be the next Royal Mistress, regardless of what it might cost.
Experiencing the agonies and ecstasies of the gaming tables, Philip Drake and Lady Susannah Messingham precariously navigate their way in the high-stakes world of card sharps, courtesans, and the intriguers of Georgian England. As their tale of passion and drama plays out, they are led through hardship, heartbreak and loss, before final culmination in redemption and enduring love.
With romance, a bit of adventure, and the excitement of gaming, coupled with a supporting cast of the wits, gamesters, sporting men, and roués of Georgian England, I promise great fun and a riveting read!
Devil’s Sonata is a brand new book releasing first in the U.S. from an internationally renowned author. This haunting tale follows two cursed families in a saga of romance, black magic, and music set in an ancient abbey where the lines between the past 500 years and the present are blurred into oblivion. The handsome, mysteriously compelling owner of Beauregard Abbey, Nicholas Beauregard, must help Zuleika Rathbone as she traces the path of a murderous ancestor, rousing an unimaginable evil centered around a mystical violin. An unlikely romance amidst the havoc wreaked by practitioners of the dark arts takes the reader deep into the thrilling world of the occult.
For years, the people of Judea suffered under the oppressive rule of King Antiochus and the Syrian-Greeks. Under his reign, Jews were massacred and Judaism was effectively outlawed. Fed up with the injustices, peasant farmer Judas Maccabee and his brothers lead a revolt against the king and mold the people of Judea into an army.
Judas’ older brother Simon stands beside him as his faithful lieutenant and second in command. But while these brothers are united in ideals on the field of battle, their love of the same woman threatens to tear them apart
The Reformation Experience: Life in a Time of Change by Eric Ives. Non-fiction. UK release November 18, 2011; US release Januayr 2012.There are many sound histories of the Reformation in the old style with its preference for ideas and theologians. This new book by Professor Eric Ives take a new approach and shows how the Reformation came to the individual Christian and what it meant. Ives analyses whether (and why) Reformation teaching was accepted or not, and looks at how it changed lives - with particular reference to the parish church, belief and commitment. The author focuses largely on Britain but does not ignore European experience, and in the second part of the book looks at questions such as: why was there a reformation? How did it happen? What did it achieve? and does it matter?
The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak. US release December 27, 2011; UK release January 19, 2012.
Behind every great ruler lies a betrayal. Eva Stachniak's novel sweeps readers into the passionate, intimate, and treacherous world of Catherine the Great, revealing Russia's greatest monarch from her earliest days in court, where the most valuable currency was the secrets of nobility and the most dangerous weapon to wield was ambition.
Two young women, caught in the landscape of shifting allegiances, navigate the treacherous waters of palace intrigue. Barbara, the narrator, is a servant who will become one of Russia's most cunning royal spies. Sophie is a naive German duchess who will become Catherine the Great. For readers of superb historical fiction, Eva Stachniak captures in glorious detail the opulence of royalty and the perilous loyalties of the Russian court.
Behind every great ruler lies a betrayal. Eva Stachniak's novel sweeps readers into the passionate, intimate, and treacherous world of Catherine the Great, revealing Russia's greatest monarch from her earliest days in court, where the most valuable currency was the secrets of nobility and the most dangerous weapon to wield was ambition.
Two young women, caught in the landscape of shifting allegiances, navigate the treacherous waters of palace intrigue. Barbara, the narrator, is a servant who will become one of Russia's most cunning royal spies. Sophie is a naive German duchess who will become Catherine the Great. For readers of superb historical fiction, Eva Stachniak captures in glorious detail the opulence of royalty and the perilous loyalties of the Russian court.
Lord James by Catherine Hermany-Vielle. UK release January 1, 2012.
Told from his final days in a Danish dungeon, James Bothwell's tragic story, centring on his intense relationship with Mary Queen of Scots, unfolds. Set against the backdrop of French and Scottish history, in a climate of revenge, ruthless killings and religious strife, James finds himself divided between his loyalties and his conscience. The life of this fierce warrior and passionate lover is followed from his troubled childhood to the events of his final betrayal. Yet it is his meeting with the beautiful Mary Stuart that would ultimately secure his fate. Whilst Scotland, England and France grapple for power, tragic consequences await the lovers, with repercussions that would alter their country forever.
Masques of Gold by Roberta Gellis. US reissue February 1, 2012.
Bold and beautiful, Lissa de Flael is caught up in a plot to prevent the signing of the Magna Carta when her husband is murdered. Sir Justin FitzAilwin, the noble and feared leader of the London watch, is sent to investigate. A single glorious night of desire between them becomes a shining, embattled alliance as intrigue and romance unfold in the turbulent and richly described setting of King John’s 13th-century England.
The Winter Palace looks great...I have a feeling my wishlist is going to be getting larger.
May 26, 2011 12:00 PM
Of Faith and Fidelity, Devil's Sonata and My Glorious Brothers are definitely going on my wish list. I'd add The Winter Palace, too, except it's already there :-)
Thanks for this list.
May 27, 2011 3:50 PM
Winter Palace also caught me eye. I'll have to mark it on my wishlist.
June 3, 2011 10:09 AM