Review: The Boleyn Deceit by Laura Andersen

Title:  The Boleyn Deceit (Boleyn Trilogy #2)

Author: Laura Andersen
Publisher:  Ballantine Books (November 5, 2013)

ISBN-13: 9780345534118

Pages: 416
How I Read It: ARC copy through GoodReads First Reads giveaway

Genre: Historical Fiction, Alternate History

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Allison Weir! After presenting readers with an irresistible premise in The Boleyn King (what if Anne gave birth to a healthy royal boy who would grow up to rule England?) Laura Andersen returns in this deepening saga, into the dangerous world of the Tudor court, where secrets can bring down an empire, and even the strongest of monarchs may not be able to prevent history from repeating...

The regency period is over and William Tudor, now King Henry IX, sits alone on the throne. But England must still contend with those who doubt his legitimacy, both in faraway lands and within his own family. To diffuse tensions and appease the Catholics, William is betrothed to a young princess from France, but still he has eyes for only his childhood friend Minuette, and court tongues are wagging. 

Even more scandalous—and dangerous, if discovered—is that Minuette’s heart and soul belong to Dominic, William’s best friend and trusted advisor. Minuette must walk a delicate balance between her two suitors, unable to confide in anyone, not even her friend Elizabeth, William’s sister, who must contend with her own cleaved heart. In this irresistible tale, the secrets that everyone keeps are enough to change the course of an empire.

Our thoughts:

We read The Boleyn King (the first book in this series) prior to reading The Boleyn Deceit and absolutely loved it. As soon as we finished, we raced to read the second book and daresay it is even better than the first! The story in this installment of the trilogy continues very shortly after the events of The Boleyn King, in which the author was able to cleverly blend fictional characters and happenings with actual historical figures and events to craft an alternate history based on the premise that Anne Boleyn gave birth to a son who lived and became King of England. In The Boleyn Deceit the author once again does a masterful job of weaving together fact and fiction while telling a tale that is packed full of political intrigue, action, drama and romance. The writing is beautiful, and the plot is compelling. The characters have wonderful depth and progression. 

We simply could not put this book down! We eagerly await the third book (scheduled to release in July 2014) to experience the resolution of this tale and to see how the author maneuvers her alternate history to once again align with the actual historical timeline. This book is a real page-turner and a truly fabulous read. If you enjoy this time period or the Tudors and are looking for a fantastic series read, we highly recommend you pick up Ms. Andersen's Boleyn Trilogy!

Our Rating

Review: The Boleyn Reckoning by Laura Andersen

Title:  The Boleyn Reckoning (The Boleyn Trilogy #3)

Author: Laura Andersen
Publisher:  Ballantine Books (July 15 2014)
ASIN: 9780345534132

Pages: 416 pages

How I Read It: eARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher

Genre: historical fiction, alternate history, romance
Find it at Goodreads
Previous books in this series: The Boleyn King and The Boleyn Deceit

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, The Boleyn Reckoning heralds the triumphant conclusion of Laura Andersen’s enthralling trilogy about the Tudor king who never was: the son of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn—Henry IX—who, along with his sisters and those he holds most dear, approaches a dangerous crossroads.
 
The Tudor royal family has barely survived a disastrous winter. Now English ships and soldiers prepare for the threat of invasion. But William Tudor—known as Henry IX—has his own personal battles to attend to. He still burns for Minuette, his longtime friend, but she has married William’s trusted advisor, Dominic, in secret—an act of betrayal that puts both their lives in danger. Princess Elizabeth, concerned over her brother’s erratic, vengeful behavior, imperils her own life by assembling a shadow court in an effort to protect England. With war on the horizon, Elizabeth must decide where her duty lies: with her brother or her country. Her choice could forever change the course of history.

Our Thoughts:

Release day is finally here! And as you can tell from our previous posts, The Boleyn Reckoning was without a doubt one of our most anticipated releases of 2014. In fact, receiving the ARC ‘might’ have had us squealing like a couple of schoolgirls...allegedly...and to be honest, once we had it in hand, it took all of our willpower not to cast aside our current read and dig right in…but we stayed strong and behaved ourselves, and believe us, it was worth the wait!

We knew from the outset that the endgame would be to see Elizabeth on the throne, but exactly how the author would get her there remained to be seen. This novel opens only a few months after the close of The Boleyn Deceit, amid the aftermath and fallout of the events of that book. Personalities and dispositions have changed, major upheavals have occurred, and secrets are being kept on nearly all sides. Intrigue and tensions are running extremely high, and the characters are feeling the effects.

“Minuette had felt a great pressure that spoke of unavoidable disaster. She didn’t know what form it would take or when it would strike, but every choice she made each day seemed designed only to plug a leak in the flood that threatened to overwhelm them all.”

Deception, betrayal, and retribution abound as political maneuverings ensue and the love triangle among the main characters explodes. The title of the book is well chosen, because over the course of the tale every member of the “Holy Quartet” (William, Elizabeth, Dominic and Minuette) experiences their own personal reckoning of sorts. None of the four emerges unscathed, with each suffering both regrets and consequences, in varying degrees, as a result of their choices and actions.

The contrast between the siblings as events play out is fascinating. As William loses himself and becomes increasingly like his father, descending into a mire of selfishness, brutality and instability, Elizabeth rises to the occasion, maintaining a wider view for the good of her country, and begins to come into her own and take on the mantle of leadership. Her growth over the course of the trilogy is both remarkable and compelling. Minuette and Dominic are changed as well, but remain true to each other and the love they share. Minuette is frustrating at times with the choices she makes, but remains sympathetic because she makes those choices out of love. And Dominic, well, let’s just say we love us some Dominic! He remains loyal and steadfast and utterly swoonworthy, as always.

“It’s a jump, Minuette, that’s all it is.

A jump out of this world, straight into my arms.”

“You will catch me?”

“Always.”

The writing here is beautifully done, and the character depth is excellent even throughout the minor characters. The pacing of the first portion of the book is a bit slower as the author maneuvers all of her pieces to fall into place at the end. One major event that was eliminated in this rewrite of history did give us a bit of pause. However, the alternative event serves to reinforce developments in the altered timeline very effectively, and the rest of the changes are so cleverly done, that we were more than impressed overall. In reading this series, we found it so thought provoking to consider not only how history might have been changed by a Boleyn King, but also the ways in which it ultimately may NOT have been altered much at all. Andersen does a brilliant job of illustrating this point as she deftly incorporates fact with fiction and puts her own spin on various historical events, some of which lead to the same eventual outcome just via a very different route.

The more measured pace at the beginning of the book is completely offset by the latter portion, because once the action starts, you'd best buckle up! It’s a non-stop roller coaster ride and things get VERY intense. You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough as the twists and turns unfold, and your emotions may never be the same after the battering they receive! We don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but suffice it to say that we found the ending to be both hauntingly bittersweet and extremely satisfying, though we admit we are more than a little sad to say goodbye to this wonderful series.

“I did not know until today that joy could be nearly as terrifying as grief.

But I survived the grief...we shall survive the joy.”

The Boleyn Reckoning easily rates as one of our best reads this year, and we highly recommend the entire trilogy. It is well crafted, thought provoking, and terrifically entertaining. We were thrilled to learn that Andersen already has a new book in the works, and we eagerly await it and all future releases from this very talented author. She has definitely earned a spot on our 'must read' list.
 

 Our Rating:

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Virgin's Daughter by Laura Andersen

Title: The Virgin's Daughter (A Tudor Legacy Novel #1)
Author: Laura Andersen
Publisher:  Ballantine Books (May 26, 2015)
ISBN: 9780804179362

Pages: 368 pages

How I Read It: eARC

Genre: historical fiction, alternate history
My Rating: 4.5 cups 

Synopsis:
What if Elizabeth the First, the celebrated Virgin Queen, had a daughter? For those who just can’t get enough of the scandalous Tudors, the author of the wildly popular Boleyn King series offers an enthralling new saga of the royal family, set in Elizabethan England. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir.

Andersen explores the thrilling possibility of a Tudor heir, the daughter of Elizabeth I, in her new trilogy, a captivating continuation of the alternate history of the Tudors launched in the award-winning Boleyn King trilogy. With her originality and imagination, Andersen breathes fresh life into this ever-fascinating epoch. Peppered with realistic period-details and genuine historical figures to add dimension and texture to her captivating story, Andersen brings the seduction and glamour of the Tudor court to life in this spellbinding new novel.

My Thoughts:

"...who ever said that being friends with royalty was fair?"

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the alternate history Laura Andersen began in her Boleyn Trilogy, so I was incredibly excited to learn she was releasing a new series of books set in that same world and focusing on the next generation of characters. While this book is listed as Book #1 of this new series, it very much builds on the story of the first trilogy. While you could read it as a standalone, I would not recommend it. Your enjoyment and appreciation will be so much greater if you are aware of and love the previous books - I am and I do, so I can say without hesitation that I absolutely adored this book as well.

It feels almost like a reunion with old friends. Nearly all of our favorite characters from the first three books are present, albeit more in the background than on center stage, and established fans of the series will appreciate the manner in which Andersen flawlessly captures and conveys these much loved characters even in small scenes and snippets of dialogue. She also effectively illustrates how these characters have evolved over the unseen intervening years, particularly Elizabeth and the subtle changes the weight of the monarchy has wrought on her personality.

"She had always cared about her appearance, but as queen her appearance was as much a part of ruling as her edicts. The nobility wanted a woman they could admire and pretend to understand, and the people needed a figure of myth so that they might not remember that she was only a woman."

To carry the main crux of the story this time, we are introduced to a captivating new cast in the children of Elizabeth, Dominic and Minuette, and Renaud. Just as The Boleyn King did not solely focus on William, here too the title character is not the only star of the show. In fact, this is actually more Lucette's story than it is Princess Anne's, and I'm fine with that. Lucette is a terrific character, and this focus on her story allows a few remaining questions from the prior books to be explored and dealt with. Andersen writes characters that are easy to care about and does a marvelous job with an ensemble cast, giving them all great depth and individuality. I have high hopes that the upcoming books will delve deeper into each of these newly introduced family members because the glimpses we have seen here are most intriguing.

I found all aspects of this novel to be extremely well done. Andersen once again weaves her altered events in amongst historical fact with great skill and believability. As always, I found it fascinating to discover what changed and what didn't in her version of events, and how even altered timelines might lead to identical outcomes. The plot is multi-faceted and very cleverly done. The romance is handled well and complements rather than dominates the story. This author has a lovely writing style and a great sense of pace that makes the reading fun and effortless. Her prose immerses you in this world perfectly, and I could happily spend a great deal of time there.

My only minor complaint would be that the reader is never really shown 'why' the bad guy came to be bad. I can't fully explain without venturing into spoiler territory, but perhaps others who have read this book will understand what I mean. Don't get me wrong, he totally works as the villain and we know the motivations for his present actions. We simply don't get a clear explanation or trigger for what started him on the path to badness. That was the only real issue I had, and it was in no way troubling enough to spoil my enjoyment of this book. To put it plainly, I loved this book and savored every minute spent with it. It was over much too soon for me, and I am already anticipating the next installment, with fingers crossed that it includes an extra large helping of Dominic...because, even though he's no longer a true lead character in these new books, we could all use a little more Dominic Courtenay in our lives.

"What we think and feel, for good or bad, is all we can honestly offer another human being."

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Teaser: The Boleyn Reckoning

After presenting readers with an irresistible premise in The Boleyn King (what if Anne gave birth to a healthy royal boy who would grow up to rule England?) and returning to the dangerous world of the Tudor court in The Boleyn Deceit, Laura Andersen brings to a triumphant conclusion the enthralling tale of the Tudor king who never was.

Coming soon! The final installment in The Boleyn Trilogy.

(Credits: #rhonnadesignsapp #masterfxapp)

Review: The Catherine Howard Conspiracy

Title: The Catherine Howard Conspiracy

Author: Alexandra Walsh

Publisher: 28th March 2019 by Sapere Books

Pages: 464 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, mystery

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

What secrets were covered up at the court of Henry VIII …?

Whitehall Palace, England, 1539

When Catherine Howard arrives at the court of King Henry VIII to be a maid of honour in the household of the new queen, Anne of Cleves, she has no idea of the fate that awaits her.

Catching the king’s fancy, she finds herself caught up in her uncle’s ambition to get a Howard heir to the throne.

Terrified by the ageing king after the fate that befell her cousin, Anne Boleyn, Catherine begins to fear for her life…

Pembrokeshire, Wales, 2018

Dr Perdita Rivers receives news of the death of her estranged grandmother, renowned Tudor historian Mary Fitzroy.

Mary inexplicably cut all contact with Perdita and her twin sister, Piper, but she has left them Marquess House, her vast estate in Pembrokeshire.

Perdita sets out to unravel their grandmother’s motives for abandoning them, and is drawn into the mystery of an ancient document in the archives of Marquess House, a collection of letters and diaries claiming the records of Catherine Howard’s execution were falsified…

What truths are hiding in Marquess House? What really happened to Catherine Howard?

And how was Perdita’s grandmother connected to it all?

THE CATHERINE HOWARD CONSPIRACY is the first book in the Marquess House trilogy, a dual timeline conspiracy thriller with an ingenious twist on a well-known period of Tudor history.

My Thoughts

Yes, I am a huge historical fiction fan, with the cherry on top being anything Tudor! So I was fairly confident I would find something in this book ... and I did. The Catherine Howard Conspiracy is first in a trilogy, ‘The Marquess House’ and combines a dual narrative with a mystery/thriller component. What we have here is a truly intriguing piece of literature that, similar to Laura Anderson’s The Boleyn Trilogy, offers a sensible spin on what could have been. Love it!

“How we view ourselves as a nation comes from the way we regard our collective history. But what if it were wrong? What if the version of history we have all been taught, that academics have studied for centuries, is in fact nothing more than a huge fabrication? That we have all been duped into believing lies, and that it’s all been done with the collusion of successive governments.”

What I found most impressive here is the extensive research Alexandra Walsh has undertaken. Although a work of fiction, it reads like an accurate recount of King Henry VIII court except a new creatively inspired twist on the well known tale of his wives. I was also impressed with how the two narratives worked so well together, creating a seamless jigsaw puzzle to be put together by the end. For history buffs, you will LOVE what Walsh has done here and how she has used historical facts to support new and exciting interpretations. You will ponder and reflect on how events may have transpired given situations and characters of Henry’s court in the 1540s. I should have probably scored this as a 4.5* given the far fetched conspiracy of the modern day and with the ending being a little fantastical, but I was prepared to suspend disbelief as it’s such a rollicking good tale!

‘Suddenly, she realised the true helplessness of her situation. Although her betrothment to the king had elevated her status at the court, to her family and, most particularly, her uncle who was the head of the Howards, she remained a puppet to be used in order to help him achieve his own plans and ambitions.’

Catherine Howard is probably the weakest and most flighty wife of the six wives, but here, Walsh gives her a real voice and takes the commonly accepted facts, twisting them in an absolute refreshing way to provide an utterly sympathetic tale of what might have been. This is not an easy path, rather, a complex and well thought out thriller produced with a plot that will keep you going right to the very end. Take your Tudor knowledge and turn it on its head! How fascinating! I can’t allude to much without giving away the turn of events, but suffice to say I fully embrace this new version of Catherine Howard and find it to be supported with some realistic fiction.

‘What had captured her imagination was the possibility that there was a different version of events leading up to Catherine’s death. One that suggested she had not been the spoilt, promiscuous child so many biographies hypothesised but, rather like her cousin Anne Boleyn, was the innocent victim of her scheming and powerful male relatives.’

Although the first in a trilogy, this story does reach some satisfying conclusions, whilst providing me with enough incentive to want to continue the journey for the follow up. I can only congratulate the author on her creativity and unique way of weaving historical facts with well thought out fiction. The research and imagination blend perfectly for a most thrilling read. Highly recommend for historical fiction fans.

“But if that’s the case and Catherine Howard wasn’t executed,” said Perdita, “where did she go and what happened to her?”  

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Teaser Two: The Boleyn Reckoning

Well, we must say July 15th is shaping up to be a fantastic day for book lovers! Why? Because another of the books we were most looking forward to this year, The Boleyn Reckoning, is having its 'book birthday' on that date, too! We'll be sharing our thoughts on this fabulous book with you on release day, but until then we thought you might enjoy another teaser featuring one of our favorite quotes from the book, courtesy of the ever swoonworthy Dominic Courtenay.

We wish you all a lovely weekend full of reading and relaxation, 

and hope you'll join us back here next Tuesday for our full review!

(Credits: #jopkedesigns, #oscraps)

Review: The Jane Seymour Conspiracy

Title: The Jane Seymour Conspiracy

Author: Alexandra Walsh

Publisher: 20th July 2022 by Sapere Books

Pages: 400 pages

Genre: historical fiction, Tudor

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Marquess House is under threat…

London, 1527

Nineteen-year-old Jane Seymour arrives at court to take her place with Queen Katherine of Aragon. Discovering a court already beginning to divide into factions between Katherine and Jane’s second cousin, Anne Boleyn, Jane finds herself caught between the old world and the new. Determined to have a son, the king appears to be prepared to take whatever steps he deems necessary to secure the Tudor dynasty.

When King Henry VIII finally succeeds in his pursuit of Anne, Jane witnesses the slow unravelling of his interest in the new queen as she, too, fails in her task to deliver a son. Having watched both Katherine and Anne fall from grace, Jane has no ambition for the throne, but when the king begins seeking her out, Jane realises the decision may be out of her hands…

Pembrokeshire, 2020

When a set of papers called The Pentagram Manuscript makes its way to Perdita and Piper at Marquess House, they find they have a new mystery to unravel. The manuscript is the tale of five women on a quest to find true love, written while Anne Boleyn was queen. As Perdita begins to unravel the text, she discovers a code that leads to a whole new outlook on Henry’s relationship with Jane Seymour.

But before they have a chance to reveal all, the twins find themselves under threat from a different source. Their second cousin, Xavier Connors, is determined to wrest Marquess House from them. As Marquess House must be passed down through the female line, and Perdita and Piper do not have children, Xavier sees his twin daughter as being next in line. And when Piper is nearly driven off the road, they realise he will stop at nothing to get what he wants…

What really happened to Henry VIII’s Tudor queens? Why was history rewritten?

Will Piper and Perdita be able to unravel all of the secrets before it’s too late…?

My Thoughts

I have read and enjoyed all the books in this series -The Marquess House - it was meant to be a trilogy, however, Alexandra states that Jane’s story kept arising and I am so glad she put pen to paper for this one. It was a breath of fresh air to see the demure Jane portrayed with strength and spunk! If you love English history, particularly the Tudor period, then this is most definitely the series for you. I believe it is essential that you read all the books in sequence for both the historical events and present day character development to make sense. Both narratives - past and present - in all books thus far are engaging and entertaining. 

As with Alexandra’s previous books, this instalment 'The Jane Seymour Conspiracy' is a massively researched undertaking that is structured and planned to perfection. The historical premise of an alternate narrative to this Tudor period is so well written that it appears entirely plausible. This is linked wonderfully well with the present day and the theory that there are movements to suppress undiscovered truths. As in dual time narratives, it requires a solid link between the two stories to work and I believe Alexandra weaves the two together well. If you love a good conspiracy theory then this series has them by the dozen.

‘Throughout her life, Jane had been schooled to understand her destiny was not her own to choose, that her husband would be selected for her and she would live a life decreed by the men around her. Yet, here was a group of women asking her to become involved in political intrigue. It was a heady feeling and the idea tingled with danger.’

The last book went a little off track for me, so I am happy to report that this instalment was right up there with the original book one. These are long reads and the amount of information can become overwhelming at times. I loved reading about Catherine Howard (book 1) and Elizabeth Tudor (book 2) . I did not warm to Arbella Stuart (book 3) but Jane Seymour’s story (book 4) is wonderful. You simply must suspend your rational thinking and just enjoy the ‘what ifs’ proposed - it’s fun pursuing a mystery. The current day story still offers its own mystery, overlooking the information dumps by the lead characters and their interacting dialogue often basic and robotic at times.

“… check the manuscript and discover what really happened to Jane Seymour. There is something strange here and my heart tells me there was no happy ending for anyone this time.”

Jane Seymour (third wife of Henry VIII) is such an interesting character to study. As Alexandra herself writes: “Often passed over for the more dramatic queens of Henry VIII, to me her depiction as the demure, shy wife has never tallied with the description of her behaviour - flirting with the king, accepting gifts, preparing her marriage chest while Anne was in the Tower of London, attempting to persuade Henry to return to Catholicism and trying to bring his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, back into Henry’s lives. These are the actions of a woman who knows how to survive and has a strong streak of determination, not an inexperienced wallflower.”

“Jane is there,” Perdita had said, “but she’s in the shadows and we need to bring her forward into the light.”

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. It proved fascinating reading but be warned it is an intriguing yet complex read. For those who love a good conspiracy theory related to the Tudors you simply must read the books of the The Marquess House series. This book will truly make you reconsider the current accepted historical facts and warm your heart that in this male dominated world, female solidarity likely existed. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen

Title:  Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen (Six Tudor Queens #3)

Author: Alison Weir

Publisher: 3rd May 2018 by Hachette (Headline Review)

Pages: 560 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: historical fiction, Tudors

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King.

She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin.

This new Queen must therefore step out from the shadows cast by Katherine and Anne. In doing so, can she expose a gentler side to the brutal King?

Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on new research for her captivating novel, which paints a compelling portrait of Jane and casts fresh light on both traditional and modern perceptions of her. Jane was driven by the strength of her faith and a belief that she might do some good in a wicked world.

History tells us how she died.

This spellbinding novel explores the life she lived.

My Thoughts

I am a fan of Tudor history and was looking forward to reading how Alison Weir would present her version of this well known period from history, having not read anything of hers before. I have not read the other two books, but each can be read as a standalone. At almost 600 pages, it is a definite commitment to undertake these epic reads but I believe one well worth the journey. The amount of detail that is provided will seamlessly transport you back to Tudor England and on this occasion, into the life of probably the least known of Henry’s wives.

Credit must be given to Weir and the amount of research - both old and new that I will elaborate on later - she delves into. It is an absolute credit to her that she produces such an easy to follow reenactment with the amount of cross checking of historical detail that she must have gone to. For you see, with so little information left behind on Jane Seymour, Weir makes the most of the bare facts that remain and fills the remainder in with rich imagery. In the perfect blend of historical fact and fictional story, a fascinating portrayal is presented of what might have occured during these tumultuous times.

I learnt much about Jane Seymour from the age of ten at her family home of Wulff Hall until her death after the birth of the long awaited Tudor prince. Always portrayed as modest and quiet, she was still well acquainted with court life having served both Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Having witnessed the downfall of not one but two queens would have been intimidating for any person and following the exuberant Anne, Jane would always be viewed in stark contrast. However, Weir goes to great lengths to try and present a much more interesting version.

In the ‘Author’s Note’ at the conclusion, Weir explains how she came by her interpretation of events, and this I very much enjoyed. With so little to go on i.e. there were no significant writings or letters left behind from this Queen, it was up to Weir to source information from alternate testimonies. This she does well and presents clear justifications on the conclusions she reached. The most notable here, is of course, the death of Jane which most would say was due to complications associated with childbirth. However, Weir collaborated with nurses and other medical specialists to come to her own conclusion (I won’t spoil it for you). I found her theories fascinating and had not heard of them before, but given the amount of thought and research she went to, one cannot help but be converted to her proposal.

Therefore, if you’re a Tudor fan, I can say without any shadow of a doubt you will love this introduction and interpretation into the life of this lesser known queen. However,  I also feel there is plenty here to entice any lover of historical fiction.

‘It was a terrifying world she inhabited, and suddenly she wanted with all her heart to go home, to a place that was safe and normal, where the old ways mattered and good people did not suffer for following their consciences, and where you could observe your faith in the time-hallowed ways.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release