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.

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.

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)

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 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