Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

In the years following William of Normandy’s victory at Hastings, he found that the English were perhaps not as easy to conquer as he originally thought as small rebellions rose up around the country. One of leaders of these rebellions is Hereward the Wake and his story is largely unknown and untold. Conquest is one of two books being released this year that will change that.


Hereward is the son of the thegn of Bourne and is commonly known as Hereward of Bourne. As a young man he is rebellious, irresponsible and has a knack for getting himself into trouble – he’s the 11th century version of the juvenile delinquent. When a crime of passion leads him to take the law into his own hands, Hereward finds himself banished and left to fend for himself.  Resourceful and skilled with weapons, he makes his way into the service of various masters, including Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales , Macbeth of Scotland, a commander in Sicily, William of Normandy and ultimately, back in England with King Harold II.

Even before the fateful events at Hastings, Hereward is convinced that the Normans mean bad news and that their success will mean an end to the English way of life. Having spent time with the Norman duke, he is afraid for his country and its people but he is powerless as the events in the fall of 1066 spiral towards their ultimate conclusion.  Hereward is badly wounded and after leaving England for two years he returns amid stories of the brutality of William's rule.  But even though there are others in the country who would like nothing more than to see the Normans sent back to where they came from, they bicker amongst themselves rather than joining forces.

Hereward is an excellent warrior and good with military tactics and strategies. He lives to fight – but only for causes that he feels are justified and right. Throughout his travels he learns different ways of fighting and methods that will help him as he tries to frustrate and irritate England’s new king. He also learns the concept of self-control and the value of thinking things through. Hereward’s military skill is evenly matched by William and eventually Hereward comes to the realization that the majority of the English people just don’t have the heart to oppose the Normans. Not quite ready to totally surrender their way of life, he puts together a last ditch stand at Ely to at least try and convince William to rule them fairly and justly – five years after Hastings.


Overall I enjoyed Conquest - the writing reminded me somewhat of Cornwell's Saxon books - but the narrative set up is a little unusual as an old man tells Hereward’s story to a couple of princes from the Byzantine empire who are looking for the mysteries and answers surrounding an ancient talisman. This results in some fairly lengthy passages of “telling” the surrounding history, especially in the first half or so which caused the plot to drag at times.   Still, this is an entertaining story of honor, loyalty, sacrifice and  redemption woven around a slightly different perspective of one of history's great events.
 
 

In case the FTC asks: The publisher sent me a copy to review

A couple of days ago I posted the cover of the US version of Gabrielle Kimm's first book His Last Duchess.  Well, here is the cover for the follow - up, The Courtesan's Lover which will be released in the UK on September 29, 2011.   There are plans to bring this one to US as well, probably in early 2012.

Summary:  Francesca Felizzi, former mistress of the Duke of Ferrara, is now an aspiring courtesan. Astonishingly beautiful and ambitious, she revels in the power she wields over men. But when she is visited by an inexperienced young man, it becomes horribly clear to Francesca that despite her many admiring patrons, she has never truly been loved. Suddenly, her glittering and sumptuous life becomes a gaudy facade. And then another unexpected encounter brings with it devastating implications that plunge Francesca and her two young daughters into the sort of danger she has dreaded ever since she began to work the streets all those years ago.

I am the Chosen King by Helen Hollick.  US and UK release date March 1, 2011 (previously released in the UK as Harold the King).




 
 
 
 
 
 
Sins of the House of Borgia by Sarah Bower.  US and UK release March 1, 2011 (previously released in the UK as The Book of Love).

A Notorious Duke
An Infamous Duchess
An Innocent Girl

Violante isn't supposed to be here, in one of the grandest courts of Renaissance Italy. She isn't supposed to be a lady-in-waiting to the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia. But the same secretive politics that pushed Lucrezia's father to the Vatican have landed Violante deep in a lavish landscape of passion and ambition.

Violante discovers a Lucrezia unknown to those who see only a scheming harlot, and all the whispers about her brother, Cesare Borgia, never revealed the soul of the man who dances close with Violante.  But those who enter the House of Borgia are never quite the same when they leave-if they leave at all. Violante's place in history will test her heart and leave her the guardian of dangerous secrets she must carry to the grave.



The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas.  US release March 1, 2011; UK release March 24, 2011.

A rich, compelling historical novel-and a mystery of royal intrigue.

In a city-state known for magnificence, where love affairs and conspiracies play out amidst brilliant painters, poets and musicians, the powerful and ambitious Alfonso d'Este, duke of Ferrara, takes a new bride. Half of Europe is certain he murdered his first wife, Lucrezia, the luminous child of the Medici. But no one dares accuse him, and no one has proof-least of all his second duchess, the far less beautiful but delightfully clever Barbara of Austria.

At first determined to ignore the rumors about her new husband, Barbara embraces the pleasures of the Ferrarese court. Yet wherever she turns she hears whispers of the first duchess's wayward life and mysterious death. Barbara asks questions-a dangerous mistake for a duchess of Ferrara. Suddenly, to save her own life, Barbara has no choice but to risk the duke's terrifying displeasure and discover the truth of Lucrezia's death-or she will share her fate.


Mermaid:  A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon. Young Adult.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.  
Two sheltered princesses, one wounded warrior; who will live happily ever after?

Princess Margrethe has been hidden away while her kingdom is at war. One gloomy, windswept morning as she stands in a convent garden overlooking the icy sea, she witnesses a miracle: a glittering mermaid emerging from the waves, a nearly drowned man in her arms. By the time Margrethe reaches the shore, the mermaid has disappeared into the sea. As Margrethe nurses the handsome stranger back to health, she learns that not only is he a prince, he is also the son of her father's greatest rival. Sure that the mermaid brought this man to her for a reason, Margrethe devises a plan to bring peace to her kingdom.

Meanwhile, the mermaid princess Lenia longs to return to the human man she carried to safety. She is willing to trade her home, her voice, and even her health for legs and the chance to win his heart….

A surprising take on the classic tale, Mermaid is the story of two women with everything to lose. Beautifully written and compulsively readable, it will make you think twice about the fairytale you heard as a child, keeping you in suspense until the very last page.




With Fire and Sword:  The Battle of Bunker Hill.  Non-fiction.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.
A masterful new history of the first real battle of the Revolutionary War

If Lexington and Concord was the shot heard around the world, then Bunker Hill was the volley that rocked Parliament and the ministry of George III. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first time that a genuine American army had ever taken the field. Just as David McCullough’s 1776 did for the fighting in New York and David Hackett Fischer’s Washington’s Crossing did for the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, With Fire and Sword reveals the dramatic story of the fight that changed the face of the Revolution.








The Queen's Rival by Diane Haeger.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.

From the author of The Queen's Mistake comes the untold story of King Henry VIII's first well-known mistress.

As the beautiful daughter of courtiers, Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount is overjoyed when she secures a position as maid of honor to Katherine of Aragon. But when she captures the attention of the king himself, there are whispers that the queen ought to be worried for her throne.

When Bess gives birth to a healthy son the whispers become a roar. But soon the infamous Boleyn girls come to court and Henry's love for her begins to fade. Now, Bess must turn to her trusted friend, the illegitimate son of Cardinal Wolsey, to help her move beyond life as the queen's rival...




Scandalous Women:  The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon.  Non-fiction.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.

Throughout history women have caused wars, defied the rules, and brought men to their knees. The famous and the infamous, queens, divorcées, actresses, and outlaws have created a ruckus during their lifetimes-turning heads while making waves. Scandalous Women tells the stories of the risk takers who have flouted convention, beaten the odds, and determined the course of world events.

* When Cleopatra (69 BC-30 BC) wasn't bathing in asses' milk, the last pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt and forged an important political alliance with Rome against her enemies-until her dalliance with Marc Antony turned the empire against her.

* Emilie du Châtelet (1706-1748), a mathematician, physicist, author, and paramour of one of the greatest minds in France, Voltaire, shocked society with her unorthodox lifestyle and intellectual prowess-and became a leader in the study of theoretical physics in France at a time when the sciences were ruled by men.

* Long before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1928) fought to end discrimination and the terrible crime of lynching and helped found the NAACP, but became known as a difficult woman for her refusal to compromise and was largely lost in the annals of history.

* Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) had a passion for archaeology and languages, and left her privileged world behind to become one of the foremost chroniclers of British imperialism in the Middle East, and one of the architects of the modern nation of Iraq.

 
 
Royal Pains:  A Rogues' Gallery of Brats, Brutes and Bad Seeds by Leslie Carroll.,  Non-fiction.  US release March 1, 2011; UK release April 28, 2011.  
The author of Notorious Royal Marriages presents some of history's boldest, baddest, and bawdiest royals.

The bad seeds on the family trees of the most powerful royal houses of Europe often became the most rotten of apples: über-violent autocrats Vlad the Impaler and Ivan the Terrible literally reigned in blood. Lettice Knollys strove to mimic the appearance of her cousin Elizabeth I and even stole her man. And Pauline Bonaparte scandalized her brother Napoleon by having a golden goblet fashioned in the shape of her breast.

Chock-full of shocking scenes, titillating tales, and wildly wicked nobles, Royal Pains is a rollicking compendium of the most infamous, capricious, and insatiable bluebloods of Europe.




Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.

The 6th in a series set in 1812 London. Sebastian St. Cyr finds himself in the realm of international intrigue when he investigates the murder of a foreign office diplomat—a murder his reluctant bride-to-be, Hero Jarvis, knows something about. And when a second body is found, Sebastian must race to unmask a ruthless killer who is now threatening Hero’s life—and the life of their unborn child.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.  
Bathsheba is a woman who longs for love. With her devout husband away fighting the king's wars for many months at a time, discontent and loneliness dog her steps--and make it frighteningly easy to succumb to King David's charm and attention. Though she immediately regrets her involvement with the powerful king, the pieces are set in motion that will destroy everything she holds dear. Can she find forgiveness at the feet of the Almighty? Or has her sin separated her from God--and David--forever?

With a historian's sharp eye for detail and a novelist's creative spirit, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the passionate and emotional story of David's most famous--and infamous--wife. Smith uses her gentle hand to draw out the humanity in her characters, allowing readers to see themselves in the three-dimensional lives and minds of people who are often viewed in starkly moralistic terms. You will never read the story of David and Bathsheba in the same way again.




Behind the Palace Doors:  Five Centures of Sex, Adventure, Vice, Treachery and Folly from Royal Britain by Michael Farquhar.  Non-fiction.  US and UK release March 1, 2011.

Spanning 500 years of British history, a revealing look at the secret lives of some great (and not-so-great) Britons, courtesy of one of the world’s most engaging royal historians

Beleaguered by scandal, betrayed by faithless spouses, bedeviled by ambitious children, the kings and queens of Great Britain have been many things, but they have never been dull. Some sacrificed everything for love, while others met a cruel fate at the edge of an axman’s blade. From the truth behind the supposed madness of King George to Queen Victoria’s surprisingly daring taste in sculpture, Behind the Palace Doors ventures beyond the rumors to tell the unvarnished history of Britain’s monarchs, highlighting the unique mix of tragedy, comedy, romance, heroism, and incompetence that has made the British throne a seat of such unparalleled fascination.

Featuring:

• stories covering every monarch, from randy Henry VIII to reserved Elizabeth II
• historical myths debunked and surprising “Did you know . . . ?” anecdotes
• four family trees spanning every royal house, from the Tudors to the Windsors



Royal Sisters:  The Story of the Daughters of James II by Jean Plaidy.  US and UK reissue March 1, 2011.
Two sisters change the course of a nation by forsaking the King—their own father.

England is on the verge of revolution. Antagonized by the Catholicism of King James II, the people plot to drive him from the throne. But at the heart of the plot is a deep betrayal: the defection of the daughters James loves, Mary and Anne.

Both raised Protestant according to the wishes of England, the sisters support Protestant usurper William of Orange, Mary's husband, who lusts after the British crown. Passive Queen Mary is subservient to her husband's wishes, while Anne is desperate to please her childhood friend Sarah Churchill, a bold and domineering woman determined to subdue Anne, the queen-to-be, and rule England herself.
Intrigue and political drama run high as the sisters struggle to be reconciled with each other--and with the haunting memory of the father they have exiled.



Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran.  UK release March 3, 2011; released in the US in February 2011.
Marie has grown up in her step-father's waxwork museum, learning the ways of crafting human statues for the rich and famous of Paris. But all is not well in the French capital, the people are going hungry while the king and queen and their court live increasingly lavish lives. Surrounded by her father's friends, Marie learns of their plans for revolution. All the while, she talks to her best friend and childhood sweetheart, Jack.

Meanwhile a visit from Marie Antoinette results in Marie being offered a job in the palace, teaching the reviled queen how to make waxwork masks. Wary at first, Marie soon discovers the most hated woman in France to be charming, endearing and ultimately a dear friend. And when the revolution comes, Marie's loyalties are sorely tested.

As an ally of the queen, she is thrown into jail and only has one method of survival - to make death masks of the key figures of the revolution and buy her way out. Will Jack have waited, or lost patience with her friendship with the queen?



The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland.  US and UK release March 3, 2011.
1210 and a black force is sweeping England. For a vengeful King John has seized control of the Church, leaving corpses to lie in unconsecrated ground, babies unbaptized in their cradles and the people terrified of dying in sin. And in the village of Gastmere, the consequences grow darker still when Elena, a servant girl, is dragged into a conspiracy to absolve the sins of the lord of the manor. As the terrors that soon begin to plague Elena's sleep grow darker, in desperation she visits the cunning woman, who has been waiting for just such an opportunity to fulfil an ancient curse conjured at the gallows. Elena, haunted by this curse and threatened with death for a crime she didn't commit, flees the village ... only to find her nightmare has barely begun. For treachery lurks in every shadow as King John’s brutal reign makes enemies of brothers, murderers of virgins and sinners of us all.



Prophecy by S. J. Parris.  UK release March 3, 2011; US release May 2011. 
The second in a major new series of historical thrillers featuring Giordano Bruno, philospher, scientist and heretic, for all fans of C.J.Sansom and The Name of the Rose.


Autumn, 1583. It's the year of the Great Conjunction: an astrological phenomenon believed to herald the death of one age and the dawn of another. England's tentative peace is under threat and prophecies foretell the death of Queen Elizabeth and, with her, the end of the Protestant religion.

When one of the queen's young maids of honour is found murdered inside the palace walls - astrological symbols carved into her flesh and clutching a sinister witch's doll - Elizabeth refuses to believe the killer could be someone within her own court.

In the meantime, Giordano Bruno, now secretly working for Elizabeth's spymaster Francis Walsingham at the French Embassy, is closely monitoring a Catholic conspiracy funded by King Philip of Spain and a cousin of Mary Stuart. But his position is growing increasingly tenuous; though the ambassador trusts him, his presence has been noted by Lord Henry Howard, a devout Catholic who publicly opposes anyone associated with magic or esoteric knowledge.

Bruno has cause to believe there's a connection between the murdered girl and the conspirators at the embassy. But when a second maid of honour is killed in the same way, he realizes that the killer may be watching him too. Determined to prove his worth to Elizabeth, Bruno must play a dangerous game: can he allow the plot to progress far enough to hand the queen the proof of conspiracy she needs, without putting her, England or his own life in danger?



Deliverance from Evil by Frances Hill.  US release March 3, 2011.
 
Salem, Massachusetts, Winter 1692: In the parsonage of Reverend Samuel Parris, two young girls are seated by the fire and play at fortune-telling as snow falls softly outside. What starts as a game sends one of the girls into a hysterical trance, and a small town begins its descent into madness. Accusations of witchcraft would destroy lives and old scores would be settled. Over 150 people would be arrested and imprisoned, with even more accused of consorting with the devil.


In Deliverance from Evil, Frances Hill brings her deep historical and political understanding together with her honed skills as a novelist to produce a picture of the Salem witch trials both realistic and emotional.







A Dark Anatomy by Robin Blake.  UK and US release March 4, 2011.
This title introduces a major new historical mystery series. The year is 1740. George II is on the throne but England's remoter provinces remain largely a law unto themselves. In Lancashire a grim discovery has been made: a Squire's wife, Dolores Brockletower, lies in the woods above her home, Garlick Hall, her throat brutally slashed. Called to the scene, Coroner Titus Cragg finds the Brockletower household awash with rumour and suspicion. He enlists the help of his astute young friend, doctor Luke Fidelis, to throw light on the case. But this is a world in which forensic science is in its infancy, and policing hardly exists. Embarking on their first gripping investigation, Cragg and Fidelis are faced with the superstition of witnesses, obstruction by local officials, and denunciations from the Squire himself.




And there you have it...19 new books that you'll just have to have!!

Here are a few covers for previous Weekly Wishlist postings:


The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin.
US Release date:  July 26, 2011

From the nationally bestselling author of Alice I Have Been—the story of an extraordinary woman who overcame overwhelming odds, who dined with presidents and kings, who traveled the world, whose toughest limitations became her greatest strengths.


She was born in 1841 and named Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, but she became known the world over as Mrs. Tom Thumb. Thirty-two inches tall, "Vinnie" refused to let her stature cost her opportunity. When she was invited into the circus of P. T. Barnum, however, she used her limited height to her limitless advantage. Melanie Benjamin pens an autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, a barnstorming tale of the antebellum south, of a bygone era, of a woman's public triumphs and personal tragedies. Here are some of the most memorable figures from the era, and a portrait in an unforgettable, singular voice—that of Vinnie—a woman who knocked the Civil War from the headlines.



Delilah by Eleanor de Jong.
UK release date:  April 7, 2011

Maligned as the courtesan who revealed the mighty Samson's secret for money, Delilah has become synonymous with treachery. But behind the myth is a tale far more tragic…


From the moment they met, there was a fire in their relationship, with Samson pitted against Delilah's family. But Samson soon develops an overwhelming passion for Delilah; entranced by her beauty and passionate nature.  Meanwhile the Israelites and the Philistines are in a state of constant conflict, with Samson a seemingly unbeatable warrior. The Philistines are desperate to learn the secret behind Samson's power and enrol Delilah as a pawn to bring him down. Driven by misplaced anger, Delilah agrees to use her wiles to discover the secret of his strength.

But Delilah finds that Samson is far from the ogre that she had assumed. But a sequence of events have been set in motion which both of them are powerless to stop.  The consequences of her mistake have gone down in history and this wonderful novel is as alluring and beguiling as Delilah herself. The perfect treat for fans of Anita Diamant and Helen Dunmore.



UK release date:  August 18, 2011

England stands divided: king against Parliament, town against country, brother against brother.


For Captain Stryker, scarred hero of a dozen wars, the rights and wrongs of the cause mean little. His loyalties are to his own small band of comrades - and to Queen Henrietta Maria's beautiful and most deadly agent, Lisette Gaillard. So when Prince Rupert entrusts him with a secret mission to discover what has happened to Lisette and the man she was protecting - a man who could hold the key to Royalist victory - nothing, not false imprisonment for murder, ambush, a doomed siege or a lethal religious fanatic will stand in his way.

From the bloody rout of Cirencester, to the siege of Lichfield and finally to the killing fields of Hopton Heath, Michael Arnold brings vividly to life all the drama and the passion that lay behind the English Civil War.


Last year I read His Last Duchess by Gabrielle Kimm which was released only in the UK.  Well, apparently the good folks at Sourcebooks will be bringing the book to the US, hopefully in the fall!  This is the US cover.


Summary:  When sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de' Medici marries the fifth Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso d'Este, she imagines life with her handsome husband will be idyllic. But little does she know that he is a very complicated man. The marriage is fraught with difficulties from the start, and, as time passes, Lucrezia becomes increasingly alienated. For Alfonso, the pressure mounts as the Vatican threatens to reclaim his title should the couple remain unable to produce an heir. Only his lover Francesca seems able to tame his increasing fury. But Alfonso's growing resentment towards his duchess soon becomes unbearable, and he begins to plot an unthinkable way to escape his problems. Originally inspired by a Robert Browning poem, His Last Duchess gorgeously brings to life the passions and people of sixteenth-century Tuscany and Ferrara. It is a story you are unlikely to forget for a long time.

Want to read The Tudor Throne by Brandy Purdy before it's released in late June?  Brandy has some ARCs available to people who are interested and are willing to post a review either on a blog, Amazon, Barnes and Noble or even an appropriate book discussion forum in June or July.  Brandy would also like the review to mention that the book is being published in the UK under a different title and a slight change to her name (Mary and Elizabeth by Emily Purdy). 

Summary:  In the wake of King Henry VIII's death, England’s throne is left in a precarious state-as is the peculiar relationship between his two daughters. Mary, the elder, once treasured, had been declared a bastard in favor of her flame-haired half-sister, Elizabeth, born of the doomed Anne Boleyn. Yet the bond between the sisters was palpable from the start. Now reinstated, Mary eventually assumes her place as queen. But as Mary’s religious zeal evolves into a reign of terror, young Elizabeth gains the people’s favor. Gripped by a tormenting paranoia, Mary is soon convinced that her beloved Elizabeth is in fact her worst enemy. And the virginal Elizabeth, whose true love is her country, must defy her tyrannical sister to make way for a new era...


A brilliant portrait of the rule of "Bloody Mary” and her intricate relationship with Elizabeth I, the adored "Virgin Queen,” here is a riveting tale of one family's sordid and extraordinary chapter in the pages of history.

This offer is available to US residents only.  If interested, please email Brandy directly at bkpbooks at yahoo dot com and include where you would post the review and your complete mailing address.  The supply is limited, so it's first come first served.

The Intrigue. . . .
The Scandal. . . .
The Borgias.

“We are a family. And the loyalty of the family must come before everything and everyone else. For if we honor that commitment, we will never be vanquished—but if we falter in that loyalty, we will all be condemned.”

The crowning achievement of a truly phenomenal career, Mario Puzo’s final novel is a remarkable epic of greed, treachery, sin, and power beyond mortal imagination. It is a journey to a different time and place—when the Church held the ultimate authority and ambition was cloaked in robes of the richest velvet. But most of all, it is the spellbinding story of a father and his children, bonded by blood, devotion, and dark purpose, who would descend into hell to rise to challenge the heavens; a family whose name is forever emblazoned in the annals of infamy… Borgia!


The Silver Soldier: A Novel about Paul Revere by Maureen Stack Sappey.  US release July 1, 2011.


Consumed by guilt over his part in the wrongful death of his closest friend, Paul Revere's oldest son is thrust into the drama unfolding on the streets of Boston in the 1770s. A senseless shooting, the Massacre on King Street, the dumping of tea in the harbor, the near-fatal ride by his father, and the slaughter of Patriots on Lexington Green all define the struggle for liberty for the younger Paul. Pitted against Andrew Carlton, a ruthless Tory and father of the girl he loves, Paul learns to forgive himself for the tragedy that has haunted him from an early age. In his unique position as Revere's son, Paul reveals the complexities of his courageous father who accomplished far more than a midnight ride on a borrowed horse. This novel centers on oppression and rebellion, and the selfless love between a son and his remarkable father, Paul Revere.


The Kings that Made Britain: The Tumultuous Reign of the Plantagenets - 1154-1485 by Derek Wilson.  Non-fiction.  UK release September 1, 2011.


Plantagenet is the name given to the English royal house descended from the union of Queen Matilda of England and her second husband Geoffrey of Anjou. The name derived from Geoffrey's nickname, which came from the sprig of broom (planta genet) which he wore in his hat. The Plantagenets ruled England for more than three hundred years, from the accession of reign of the dynasty's founder, Matilda and Geoffrey's son, Henry II, in 1154, to the death of the last Plantagenet, Richard III, at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The Kings that Made Britain is a compelling, year-by-year chronology of a tumultuous and critical period in the development of the English nation. Each year is covered by a concise, informative and accessible narrative, amplified by extensive quotation from contemporary sources and accompanied by generously captioned and stunning images of the period - including illuminations, portraits, maps, royal seals, tapestries and other artefacts. Authoritative, informative and sumptuous, and compiled by a scholar who is steeped in knowledge of the period, The Kings that Made Britain brings a critical era of English history dramatically and vividly to life. It is the perfect gift book for anyone with a love of, or fascination for, medieval English history.



Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman.  US release October 4, 2011.  No official summary yet, but, like it matters - the summary could recite the alphabet and I'd buy it anyway!!  It is on Amazon for pre-order.


The Inquisitor’s Wife  by Jeanne Kalogridis.  Anticipated release in 2012.


From the author of the critically acclaimed BORGIA BRIDE and THE SCARLET CONTESSA, comes another irresistible historical novel set during the Spanish Inquisition about a young woman who will stop at nothing to save her people from Torquemada’s torturers. In 1480 Seville, Marisol, a fearful young conversa (descendant of Spanish Jews forced to convert to Christianity), is ashamed of her Jewish blood. Forced into a sham marriage with a prosecutor for the new Inquisition, Marisol soon discovers that her childhood sweetheart, Antonio, has just returned to Seville and is also working for the inquisitors. When Marisol’s father is arrested and tortured during Spain’s first auto da fe, Marisol comes to value her Jewish heritage and vows to fight the Inquisition. When she discovers that her beloved Antonio is working to smuggle conversos safely out of Spain, she joins him and risks her life on behalf of her people; a passionate romance follows. Unfortunately, Marisol does not realize that her supposedly kind and gentle inquisitor-husband has been using her all along to lead Antonio and her fellow conversos to their doom...




This one I have mentioned before but I came across a much more detailed summary so thought I would include again (it's quite lengthy!):


The Women of the Cousins' War:  the Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin and Michael Jones.  Non-fiction.  US and UK release September 6, 2011.

Introduction by Philippa Gregory:

Philippa Gregory addresses the questions her readers ask most often: What is the difference between writing history and writing historical fiction? How much of a role does speculation play in writing each? How do the historian and the novelist approach creating a narrative and a character? In a historical novel, how much fiction should there be and how much fact? Why are the characters in Philippa Gregory's novels either absent from or hardly mentioned in the hsitorical record? How and why have male historians misunderstood some of history's great women? How are female historians changing our view of women in history?

Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford by Philippa Gregory
Jacquetta St Pol was the oldest dughter of the Ducal family of Luxembourg, who could trace their family back to the founding of Luxembourg in 963 and to Melusina, the water goddess, the legendary wife of the first count of Luxembourg. She made a glorious marriage to the Regent of France, John, Duke of Bedford, whose life's work was holding English gains in France for his nephew Henry VI. The duke died within two years of their marriage, and Jacquetta took as a lover his young squire, Sir Richard Woodville. They married in secret when she became pregnant, and after paying heavy fines for marrying without the king's permission, set up a home at Grafton. Richard served in two campaigns in France, and when the peace was made, Richard and Jacquetta were sent to escort to England the new queen, Margaret of Anjou.

Jacquetta was Margaret's lady in waiting and confidente for many years. She remianed at the queen's side when Henry VI slipped into a catatonic state that left the country vulerable to revolt and throughout the battles and changes in fortune that followed. They only parted when Henry and Margaret were finally defeated and Edward took the throne. Soon thereafter, Edward married Jacquetta's daughter Elizabeth, causing the family's meteoric rise to greatness. During the uprisings against Edward, Jacquetta was tried for witchcraft, and she was only freed from prison when Edward's power was restored. As the Yorks and Lancasters battled for the throne and their fortunes rose and fell, Jacquetta and Margaret of Anjou were on opposite sides of the battle lines, and when Margaet's husband was eventually murdered by Edward, it must have been Jacquetta who suggested that Margaret be allowed to live with a fmaily friend in England.


Elizabeth Woodville by David Baldwin:
This essay will be divided into six parts:

Elizabeth's early life--Historians have no direct knowledge of Elizabeth's early life, so Baldwin will use general sources to describe what life at Grafton would have been like. He will exlore her first marriage to Sir John Grey and her life as the wife of a country knight and the mother of two young sons. After her husband's death, Elizabeth appealed to King Edward to return her husband's lands to her, and they were secretly married.

Her relationship with the Earl of Warwick--The king's cousin and mentor had hoped for a French match for the king, and Edward's marriage to Elizabeth presented him with many other problems as well. The Earl ultimately led rebellions against the king, resulting in the two most dangerous years of Elizabeth's life.

Elizabeth as Queen--Here Baldwin consideres Elizabeth's royal children, her presence on state occasions, her management of her household, and her readiness to intercede on behalf of plaintiffs. No one ever accused Elizabeth of failing to live up to her responsibilities, and her abilility to distinguish between her private feelings and her public duty is one of the most striking features of her reign.

Elizabeth the woman--What was Elizabeth Woodville really like? She had an interest in books and learning, was genuinely pious and charitable. What did those she treated harshly have to say about her?

Elizabeth and her in-laws--Elizabeth's relationships with her mother-in-law Cecily of York; her brothers-in-law George, Duke of Clarence and Richard III; and her son-in-law Henry VII were fraught and sometimes deadly, and she was far more astute and alive to impending danger than many of her contemporaries and her own family members. The central question here: Did Elizabeth think her brother-in-law Richard III murdered her sons?

Her final years--Elizabeth spent her last five years in exile at Bermondsey.

Lady Margaret Beaufort by Michael Jones

Margaret Beaufort's story is a compelling one. Born a wealthy heiress with a close blood link to England's ruling house, she was a valuable pawn in the medieval marriage market. She was married to the king's half-brother Edmund Tudor and at the age of 13 bore a child. Before the child was born, Tudor died, and Margaret was taken under the protection of his brother Jasper Tudor. The birth itself was extremely difficult, and it left margaret unable to bear other children.

After this traumatic beginning, Margaret Beaufort emerged as a resilient political survivor. Eventually, she negotiated her own advantageous mariage to Sir Henry Stafford, and they successfully charted a course through the political upheaval of the time. Because of her close claim to the throne, Margaret had to send her son Henry into the care of one of the king's favorites, but she never lost sight of the fact that he could one day be king. Margaret was behind many conspiracies and plots to overthrown Yorkist rule, all the while serving in the York court. She eventually saw her plans come to fruition at the battle of Bosworth, where her son defeated Richard III and became king and the founder of the Tudor dynasty.

“In her life she had been maiden, seducer, warrior and queen.”


The legend of the warrior queen exists in many cultures and for the Irish, theirs is Maeve of Connacht. Building on the story of Deirdre of the Sorrows told in her last book, The Swan Maiden, Jules Watson once again pulls from ancient myths and folklore to tell the story of a fierce and ambitious woman who sacrificed nearly everything for the sake of her people.

As a young woman, Maeve (the daughter of the King of Connacht) is already on her third husband (the first two having been pushed aside when her father found a better deal) – Conor of Ulster who was also the man behind the tragedy of Deirdre. Although Maeve and Deirdre have never met, they are both captives of sorts and at about the same time, they each decide to flee – Deirdre on her fated trip with three brothers and Maeve back to her family. Since the two women have Conor in common, threads of Deirdre’s story became tangled with Maeve’s as Conor tries to regain his pride.

Shortly after Maeve returns home, her father dies. But with a brother who is immature and irresponsible, Maeve decides that she would be a better leader and protector of her people. Using skills secretly learned from her husbands warriors, Maeve challenges her brother to a fight in order to determine who should be the next ruler. She wins but her path to the throne doesn’t come easily. But once there, she manages to pull the contentious kingdoms of Erin together in an effort to put a stop to Conor’s plans to make himself high king over the whole island.

Like The Swan Maiden, there is a strong fantasy/magical element to the story and it is steeped in the druid culture that existed in pre-Christian Ireland. But as in Deirdre’s story, at times the magic of the sidhe (people of the mounds similar to fairies) overwhelms the story and there were times when I felt I just wasn’t “getting” it. But that is more my issue than anything to do with Watson’s writing which is often beautiful, poetic, and vividly descriptive. The use of magic reminded me a lot of Manda Scott’s Boudicca series and since I don’t usually read a lot of fantasy books, I sometimes struggle with fantasy elements. I think that in order to enjoy them you have to open your mind, let it go and loose some of the logical constraints of what is or is not possible. But that’s a hard sell to the rational and logical part of my brain!!

Despite her tough exterior, Maeve is not all hard – beneath the toughness also lies a woman with a heart and compassion and who craves love and acceptance. She’s passionate, cunning and, complex and not content with being told what she can’t do; she struggles to find her way in a man’s world and she is often her own worst enemy. Although the story was a little slow to get going, once it did, it was a thrilling tale that culminates in the showdown between Maeve and Conor and in the aftermath, in Maeve finding where her heart and her future really belong.

The book includes a list of characters, a map, as well as a pronunciation guide and short glossary. Watson also includes a lengthy explanation of the various myths and historical records that she drew from in telling Maeve’s story.



In case the FTC asks: From the publisher for review

I'm very pleased to help kick off the blog tour for Jules Watson's new book - The Raven Queen.  And what better way to start things off than with a giveaway!!  I have one copy to give away (US residents only - sorry) and all you have to do is fill out the below form by midnight Monday, February 28, 2011.  Get one extra entry for being a follower and an extra entry if you help spread the word (please copy the link in the Extra Entry field or use the Tweet button if you share via Twitter). 

And make sure you check the other stops on the tour and look for my review later today!

Monday, February 21: Author Interview at Passages to the Past

Thursday, February 24: Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, February 25: Review at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Tuesday, March 1: Review at Bookworms Dinner

Wednesday, March 2: Review at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, March 3: Review at A Sea of Books

Friday, March 4: Author Interview at Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog

Saturday, March 5: Review at Confessions and Rambling of a Muse in the Fog

Monday, March 7: Author Interview at The True Book Addict

Tuesday, March 8: Review at Bippity Boppity Book

Wednesday, March 9: Review at Tempting Persephone

Thursday, March 10: Review at Historical Tapestry and The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Friday, March 11: Review at The True Book Addict

Monday, March 13: Review at The Tome Traveller



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She was born to be a pawn, used to secure her father’s royal hold on his land. She was forced to advance his will through marriage—her own desires always thwarted. But free-spirited Maeve will no longer endure the schemes of her latest husband, Conor, the cunning ruler of Ulster. And when her father’s death puts her homeland at the mercy of its greedy lords and Conor’s forces, Maeve knows she must at last come into her own power to save it.

With secret skill and daring, Maeve proves herself the equal of any warrior on the battlefield. With intelligence and stealth, she learns the strategies—and sacrifices—of ruling a kingdom through treacherous alliances. And to draw on the dangerous magic of her country’s oldest gods, Maeve seeks out the wandering druid Ruan, whose unexpected passion and strange connection to the worlds of spirit imperil everything Maeve thought true about herself—and put her at war with both her duty and her fate.



She Wolves:  The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor.  Non-fiction.  US release February 22, 2011; released in the UK in October 2010. 
When Edward VI died in 1553, the extraordinary fact was that there was no one left to claim the title of king of England. For the first time, England would have a reigning queen—but the question was which one: Katherine of Aragon's daughter, Mary; Anne Boleyn's daughter, Elizabeth; or one of their cousins, Lady Jane Grey or Mary, Queen of Scots.


But female rule in England also had a past. Four hundred years before Edward's death, Matilda, daughter of Henry I and granddaughter of William the Conqueror, came tantalizingly close to securing the crown for herself. And between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries three more exceptional women—Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, and Margaret of Anjou—discovered how much was possible if pre-sumptions of male rule were not confronted so explicitly—and just how quickly they might be vilified as "she-wolves" for their pains.

The stories of these women, told here in all their vivid detail, expose the paradox that female heirs to the Tudor throne had no choice but to negotiate. Man was the head of woman, and the king was the head of all. How, then, could royal power lie in female hands?

Richard de Lacey is a crusader with an injured arm – an injury that limits his ability to wield a sword and ends his dreams of helping to liberate Jerusalem. But Richard’s dreams don’t die easily and he figures that if he can’t fight he can help in another way – helping to develop an improved breed of war horse than will trample the infidel into the ground. Such a dream takes more money than Richard has but he manages to convince the Templars to help him. Unknown to Richard, the Templars are prepared to sacrifice him if the political situation becomes too dicey.

Joanna de Cantelo is the only child of a minor baron. Spoiled, stubborn and educated she has her father wrapped firmly around her finger and loves the horses that are bred on the manner. Allowed more freedom than is probably proper, nothing in her life has prepared her for the battle she will soon face.

William Catface is a poor man who works on the Cantelo manor. Struggling to feed his family, he is always on the lookout for ways that might improve his situation and isn’t above poaching the king’s deer in order to eat. He’s rough around the edges but with a conscience buried deep under the grime.

Richard, Joanna and William’s lives are woven together in this well told story set during the reign of King John. The key to Richard’s success lies with a large war horse named Soloriens who belongs to Hugh de Lusignan but is currently housed as a “guest” by the king. When Joanna’s father dies, she is placed in the king’s wardship and her manor taken over for its rich pastureland. Treated with disrespect by the men now in charge, Joanna feels a certain kinship with the great horse that is now lodged in her stable and will risk everything in an effort to save them both.

With an interesting cast  of characters and writing full of the sights and sounds of the English countryside, I enjoyed this quite a bit.  Even though this isn't an action packed adventure, the plot moves along at a pretty good pace as Richard finds he has competition not only for Soloriens and as Joanna tries to find a way to save her manor.  I'm looking forward to reading Whittock’s other fiction books - Dice in Flight (set during the Peasant’s Revolt) and Moon in the Morning (14th century merchants in the Baltics).   All were published in the mid-1990s.



In case the FTC asks: Bought it used

Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away
from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her
friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.



The Tudors by Richard Rex.  Non-fiction.  UK paperback release was originally scheduled for February 15, 2011 but looks like it was available a little early.  An intimate history of England's most infamous royal family. The Tudor Age began in August 1485 when Henry Tudor landed with 2000 men at Milford Haven intent on snatching the English throne from Richard III. For more than a hundred years England was to be dominated by the personalities of the five Tudor monarchs, ranging from the brilliance and brutality of Henry VIII to the shrewdness and vanity of the virgin queen, Elizabeth I.





















 From Splendor to Revolution:  The Romanov Women 1847-1928 by Julia Gelardi.  Non-fiction.  US release February 15, 2011;  UK release in March. This sweeping saga recreates the extraordinary opulence and violence of Tsarist Russia as the shadow of revolution fell over the land, and destroyed a way of life for these Imperial women