Rosie’s Review Team #RBRT THE FIRST BLAST OF THE TRUMPET @MGMacPherson #HistFic #TuesdaybookBlog

Today’s team review is from Noelle, she blogs at http://saylingaway.wordpress.com

Noelle has been reading The First Blast Of The Trumpet by Marie MacPherson

The book is the first of a trilogy about John Knox, a Scottish minister, theologian, and writer who was a leader of the Reformation and the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, marking the 500^th anniversary of his birth. In this first book, Knox plays a minor role to the two main characters: Elizabeth Hepburn, a feisty woman who becomes the Prioress of a convent, and David Lindsey, her one-time lover, who is the long-time tutor and confidant of King James V of Scotland.

The story opens with a charming scene that reminded me of Little Women, where Betsy, the nanny to the three Hepburn daughter, herbalist and possible witch, divines the girls’ fates from the tossing of nuts into a blazing fire. The three girls are completely different in character and although the book traces the fate of little Meg and the voluptuous and fiery Kate, it is the strong-willed Elizabeth who drives the story.

This is a meticulously researched historical novel, right down to the immediate inclusion of a Scots dialect with the English. I must admit this put me off at first, because there were many words I didn’t know and I hardly wanted to take time to look them up. However, as the chapters passed it became clear what the words meant, much like reading English with words represented by only a few letters.

The amount of detail, intertwined plots, religious conflicts, monarchical rivalries, and interpersonal connections are too much for this reviewer to detail, but if a sense of time and place drive your interest in history, and especially Scottish history, you will be in pig heaven.

Ms. Macpherson’s main characters shine with description like bright pennies – the gluttonous and painted Dame Janet, Prioress before Elizabeth; Maryoth, the nun covetous of being prioress, evil and conniving against Elizabeth; John, Elizabeth’s uncle and Prior of St. Mary’s, greedy and eager to have Elizabeth replace Janet, his sister, to keep the rich convent in the family; and Davie Lindsey, Elizabeth’s young lover, who proves feckless and sacrifices Elizabeth more than once to serve his king. If there was any downside to the many characters, it was the number of them, but the author includes family trees and a complete cast of characters for the challenged!

There are no lusty love scenes, although rape and sex abound, so this is not a romantic barn-burner. The author, however, does a great job educating the reader about the social mores of sex, courtship, marriage and child-bearing.

John Knox comes into the tale rather late, as the apparent son of a poor woman, into whose lungs Elizabeth breathes life, then adopts as her godson. He will be a major character in the next two books. This volume lays down the considerable history of the time from Margaret Tudor, sister to Henry VIII and wife of James IV, to the birth and early years of Mary, Queen of Scots, and sets the stage for Mary’s contentious relationship with Knox.

All in all, a challenging and intellectual but satisfying read, which I recommend – but not to the casual reader.

Book description

Hailes Castle, 1511. Midnight on a doom-laden Hallowe’en and Elisabeth Hepburn, feisty daughter of the Earl of Bothwell, makes a wish ― to wed her lover, the poet David Lindsay. But her uncle has other plans. To safeguard the interests of the Hepbum family she is to become a nun and succeed her aunt as Prioress of St. Mary’s Abbey, Haddington.

However, plunged into the political maelstrom and religious turmoil of the early Scottish Reformation, her life there is hardly one of quiet contemplation. Strong-willed and independent, she clashes with those who question her unorthodox regime at St. Mary’s, including Cardinal David Beaton and her rival, Sister Maryoth Hay.

But her greatest struggle is against her thrawn godson, John Knox. Witnessing his rejection of the Roman Catholic Church ― aided by David Lindsay ― she despairs that the sins of her past may have contributed to his present disenchantment. 

As he purges himself from the puddle of papistry, Knox finds his voice, denouncing everything he once held dear, but will that include his godmother, Prioress Elisabeth? And by confessing her dark secrets, will Elisabeth steer Knox from the pernicious pull of Protestantism or drive him further down the fateful path he seems hell-bent on; a path that leads to burning at the stake?

In a daring attempt to shed light on a wheen of unanswered questions about John Knox’s early, undocumented life, this novel throws up some startling claims and controversial conjectures.

Book one of The Knox Trilogy.

About the author

Marie Macpherson was born in the Honest Toun of Musselburgh, six miles from the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. After earning an Honours Degree in Russian and English, she spent a year in Moscow and Leningrad to research her PhD thesis on the work of the 19th century Russian writer, Lermontov, said to be descended from the Scottish poet and seer, Thomas the Rhymer. The rich history of East Lothian – especially the Reformation period – provides the inspiration for her first fictional work, based on the early life of the Scottish reformer, John Knox. Ms.Macpherson is the winner of the Martha Hamilton Prize for Creative Writing from Edinburgh University and was awarded the title ‘Writer of the Year 2011’ by Tyne & Esk Writers.
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Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE LADY ANNE by G Lawrence @TudorTweep #Tudor #HistFic

Today’s team review is from Cathy, she blogs here http://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Cathy has been reading The Lady Anne , book #2 in the Above all others series by Gemma Lawrence

As with the first book, this one also opens with Anne in the Tower of London awaiting her fate, lost in reminiscences. She recalls arriving in England after her years in France, unhappy and homesick to leave the country and people she loves. And all because her father wants to marry her off to acquire the estates and titles he thinks should rightly belong to his family.

Anne is not at all happy with the situation. She feels more French than English, is afraid she won’t fit in and will be friendless in this country which now seems alien to her. The terrible English weather doesn’t help, adding to her misery. But her childhood friend and neighbour, Thomas Wyatt, soon becomes her ally and champion. Joining the court as a maid of honour to Henry VIII’s Queen, Katherine, Anne becomes very popular and a leader in fashion with her own individual dress sense.

It’s fascinating to read an account of what could have been Anne’s thoughts, feelings and daily life, getting an insight into her character and motivations, to see Henry VIII through her eyes, and also through the eyes of her brother, George, and sister, Mary, both of whom were close to Henry. In some ways Anne is a contradiction, intelligent and sophisticated yet with the romantic ideals of a girl, as shown by her involvement with Henry Percy.

Anne had felt an attraction to Henry for years but only after she re-enters the Court after her banishment by Cardinal Wolsey for her ‘presumptuous and arrogant’ plans to marry Percy, does the attraction flourish as she and Henry were often in the same circles. Although she’s always been envious of her sister’s relationship with Henry, Anne is determined she will be no man’s mistress, not even a King’s.

Anne’s portrayal is realistic and believable and I enjoyed the interactions between Anne and Henry. It’s extremely interesting to read about court life, the intrigues behind the scenes and how false it seems most of the time.

As with the first book, the attention to detail and obvious research is wonderful, clothes, food, manners and court politics, all bringing the past to life vividly.

Book Description

1522, England. 
Anne Boleyn has lived an adventurous youth in the glittering courts of Europe, now, promised in marriage to a man she knows nothing of, Anne has been called home by her ambitious father. She will enter the English Court, to find many admirers courting her. Anne finds potential for love in three men, but there is one… more unexpected than all the others, who claims her heart. 
The beginning of a love which would change the course of English history, and shake the foundations of the Church… 
The courtier’s daughter who captured the heart of a King; Anne Boleyn. 
The Lady Anne is book two of Above All Others: The Lady Anne by G.Lawrence. 

AmazonUK | AmazonUS | Goodreads | Twitter

About the author

I am an independently published author, and proud to be so. Living in a little cottage in Cornwall in the UK, I love where I live as much as I love to write.

The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later. 

I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I’m currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven’t found a genre I didn’t enjoy something about so far… 

You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I’m not writing…

LA PETITE BOULAIN by G Lawrence @TudorTweep #HistFic the early years of Anne Boleyn #Tudors

La Petite Boulain by G. Lawrence
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four point five stars
La Petite Boulain is historical fiction about the young years of the life of Anne Boleyn. The book opens in 1536 with adult Anne held prisoner in the Tower of London awaiting the final judgement on her life. Queen for only three years she is the scapegoat taking the blame for the fall of Katherine of Aragon, the fate of the princess Mary, the church reforms and the dissolution of the monasteries.

Surrounded by the eyes and ears of her enemy Anne looks back on her life, to where it all began. 1505 Hever castle, home of the Boleyn family. The family were well thought of at court. Henry VIII is crowned King and there is rejoicing at the birth of a baby Prince. But when the child dies a great sadness befalls the country.

Anne is sent abroad to the court of Burgundy to continue her education and perfect her courtly graces. First for Margaret of Austria, then as a lady in waiting for the Princess Mary Tudor when she is Queen of France and then for Claude, another Queen of France. Anne makes many friends in these courts and discovers the works of Martin Luther and many other authors who write about church reforms.

Anne meets King Henry of several occasions in her court roles, one most memorable was The Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520 when the kings of England and France met to form treaties. Soon after this Anne’s father demands she return to England and the story continues on the second book in the series.

The writing style is filled with rich descriptions of the era and Anne’s life immersing the reader in the Tudor period, which I enjoy reading about. We get to see Anne’s very thoughts and feelings towards her king from humble childhood beginnings to adolescent stirrings and admiration. But don’t think Anne only ever had eyes just for Henry, the ways of court life spun many admirers and potential lovers in intricate webs around her. It was down to her education in court ways and her personal beliefs which made her the woman she was to become. Everyone knows about Henry’s six wives but few perhaps know more about Anne than simple details gleaned from history lessons. This book offers a great incite into how she became the women we know as Henry’s second wife.

Book Description

May 1536, London… a fallen queen sits waiting in the Tower of London, condemned to death by her husband. As Death looms before her, Anne Boleyn, second queen of Henry VIII looks back on her life…from the very beginning. 
Daughter of a courtier, servant to queens… she rose higher than any thought possible, and fell lower than any could imagine. 
Following the path of the young Mistress Boleyn, or La Petite Boulain, through the events of the first years of the reign of Henry VIII, to the glittering courts of Burgundy and France, Book One of “Above All Others; The Lady Anne” tracks the life of the young Lady Anne, showing how she became the scintillating woman who eventually, would capture the heart of a king. 
La Petite Boulain is the first book in the series “Above All Others; The Lady Anne” on the life of Anne Boleyn by G.Lawrence. 

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com also available free from Kindle Unlimited

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT THE LADY ANNE by G Lawrence @TudorTweep #Tudors #HistFic

Today’s team review is from Noelle, she blogs at http://saylingaway.wordpress.com

Noelle has been reading The Lady Anne by G Lawrence

Book Review: The Lady Anne by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep for #RBRT #historical fiction

The Lady Anne is the second book in the Above All Others series about the life of Anne Boleyn by Gemma Lawrence. The first book, La Petite Boulain, which I also reviewed, concerns the early years of Anne’s life, beginning with her happy childhood at Hever Castle in Kent and her education in the courts of France. This volume concerns Anne’s life and loves from her return home to when she falls in love with Henry VIII.

When Anne returns to England on the orders of her father, she is scheduled to become a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine, wife of Henry VIII. During her first days at her family home at Hever, acclimatizing to a land she hardly knows, she meets Thomas Wyatt, a neighbor whom she played with as a child. Thomas is an accomplished poet and a close friend of King Henry and falls in love with the talented, accomplished and stylish Anne. However, he is married, and Anne rejects him, wanting to be his friend, but the rejection is taken badly and it shapes some aspects of her life at court. At court she meets the young Henry Percy, with whom she falls in love, projecting onto him some of the innocence she still feels. Their intended engagement is thwarted, and from there the inevitable unwinds when Henry notices her and becomes besotted.

As with the first book, I liked the exceptional historical detail, from the food to the clothing to courtly romance, and the minutiae of life in that age – even to the way members of court and others smelled. Courtiers bathed more than most, but the fact the Queen often wore a hair shirt and how that led to her musky and repulsive odor was something new that wrinkled my nose! The politics of Henry’s royal courts, which defined everyone’s life and fate, is laid out in detail in terms of how it affected Anne and her family.

I also found that more than with La Petite Boulain, Anne becomes a rounded character, petty and venal, but also thoughtful and caring. The multiple sides of her personality made her real – not always likeable, but very human.

Above all, The Lady Anne is a love story, one that is hard to ignore. As the attraction between Henry and Anne grows, this reader found herself shaking her head at Anne’s determination to guard her honor and not become the King’s mistress, as her sister had been, worrying at what Henry would do in response to her audaciousness. Even though I knew how it would turn out. Such is the power of the author’s writing.

The Lady Anne is heavy in exposition, and particularly noticeable are the dialogue dumps – conversation from one side that last a page or more. There are also repetitions of facts and ideas. I will freely admit I skipped over the repetitions and skimmed the overlong conversations.

Nevertheless, the story has a fascination, especially so for this Tudor fan, that holds one’s attention. I was immersed in Anne’s life more than with the first volume, and I look forward to reading the third.

I purchased this book and reviewed it as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT LA PETITE BOULAIN by @TudorTweep #Tudors #HistFic

Today’s Team Review is from Cathy, she blogs here http://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Cathy has been reading La Petite Boulain by G Lawrence

The story begins in the Tower of London where Anne Boleyn awaits her fate, contemplating those who died in the manner that now lies ahead for her. In return for Henry VIII’s promise of protection for her daughter, Anne signs her life away, admitting to all she is falsely accused of. Sleepless, determined not to panic and to die with dignity, Anne lets her thoughts wander back to her happy and carefree childhood at Hever Castle.

It’s longer than I care to remember since I read a book about Anne Boleyn so I was looking forward to this one. It was a refreshing change to read the account from Anne’s perspective, giving a different slant altogether on her story and making her more ‘real’ than the impression I had from other books.

In La Petite Boulain Anne’s early years are illustrated comprehensively and we see hints of the intelligence and insight which would become very evident as she learned more of the world and her place in it. But initially Anne’s days were filled with lessons as she and her elder sister, Mary were educated in languages, music, hunting, deportment and how to conduct themselves in society.

When she was twelve Anne, along with Mary and their younger brother, George, left home to complete their education within other households. Anne was placed with Margaret of Austria at the Court of Burgundy, where she learned the ways of a courtier as well as keeping up with her studies. It was here Anne began to question the authority and reliability of the clergy, who were only fallible men, after all. As we follow Anne from Margaret’s court to that of Princess Mary Tudor, the impact and influence these high-born ladies have upon her colour her view of court etiquette and the hypocritical politics, which becomes more apparent, along with Anne’s growing appreciation that the way these are observed can make or break a reputation and have the potential to ruin a life.

The historical aspects, including clothing, food and manners, are detailed exceptionally well, as is the role and treatment of women. No matter their station in life, women are just there, it seems, to further the ambitions of men and are used accordingly, a commodity to be bartered, bought and sold.

I would have preferred a little more dialogue to break up the descriptive passages which, on occasion, were a little overpowering but that said, I enjoyed this excellent book very much. It gives a rounded picture of a determined, complex and intelligent woman whose high moral standards possibly hold the potential to aid in her downfall.

Book Description

May 1536, London… a fallen queen sits waiting in the Tower of London, condemned to death by her husband. As Death looms before her, Anne Boleyn, second queen of Henry VIII looks back on her life…from the very beginning. 
Daughter of a courtier, servant to queens… she rose higher than any thought possible, and fell lower than any could imagine. 
Following the path of the young Mistress Boleyn, or La Petite Boulain, through the events of the first years of the reign of Henry VIII, to the glittering courts of Burgundy and France, Book One of “Above All Others; The Lady Anne” tracks the life of the young Lady Anne, showing how she became the scintillating woman who eventually, would capture the heart of a king. 
La Petite Boulain is the first book in the series “Above All Others; The Lady Anne” on the life of Anne Boleyn by G.Lawrence.

About The Author

I am an independently published author, and proud to be so. Living in a little cottage in Cornwall in the UK, I love where I live as much as I love to write.
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later. 
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I’m currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven’t found a genre I didn’t enjoy something about so far… 

Twitter @TudorTweep

Find a copy of La Petite Boulain here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com also available free from Kindle Unlimited

Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE LADY ANNE by G Lawrence @TudorTweep #Tudors #HistFic

Today’s team review is from Olga, she blogs at http://www.authortranslatorolga.com

Olga has been reading The Lady Anne by Gemma Lawrence

I write this review as one of the members of behalf of Rosie’s Books Review Team. I was provided with a free copy of the book as part of the team.

I have read and enjoyed La Petite Boulain, the first book in the Above all Others series and really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about Anne Boleyn’s childhood, and particularly, the way the story was told, in the first person from the point of view of young Anne, or, to be more precise, the young Anne as remembered by the older Anne at the moment of awaiting her death in the Tower.

Here we see Anne return to England after spending part of her childhood and teenage years in courts abroad. She is sad to leave France, as she feels by now more French than English, and the weather and the difficulties of her trip don’t help make her feel at home. Luckily, things take a turn for the better quickly. She meets Thomas Wyatt, a neighbour, accomplished poet, and a childhood friend, and once she joins the court, becoming one of Queen Katherine’s ladies in waiting, she soon meets interesting people, makes new friends, rekindles old friendships, and becomes a fashion icon and very admired for her style, accomplishments, and her personality.

I was curious to see how this novel would portray Anne as a young woman, in an era more familiar to most people than that of her early years. She is presented as an interesting mixture of a clever and intelligent woman, with far wider knowledge and experiences than many of the women her age she meets, but still a young girl at heart, who loves the idea of courting, handsome and romantic knights, and has to admit to being proud of the way men are attracted to her and women copy her dresses and jewels. She changes her mind often and she thinks she is in love with Tom Wyatt one day, although it’s an impossible love, but then decides it’s only friendship. She falls in love with Henry Percy (of much higher standing than her as he’s due to become the Earl of Northumberland) and with her father’s approval pursues a marriage that would have been very advantageous for her family, but when Cardinal Wolsey and Henry’s father forbid the match, her disappointment makes her hate him. And then, there’s King Henry…

I must confess that I enjoyed the discussions about Anne’s ideas and her education in religion and philosophy in the first book, and there were only passing references to it here (partly because she worried about the company she keeps and how they would react if they were aware of her opinions, and partly because there are other things that occupy more of her time), and there is much more about romance and romantic ideas. King Henry seems to notice her following an accident (although perhaps before that) and her behaviour and her refusal to become his mistress seem to spur him on rather than make him forget her and move on. If Henry Percy gave up on her without a fight, this is a man who would risk everything (even the future of his kingdom) for his own enjoyment and to prove himself, and in Anne, he meets a challenge. Not being a big reader of romance, the pull and push of the relationship and the will she/won’t she (especially knowing how things will turn up) part of it was not what interested me the most, although the scenes are well done and I found the fights and disagreements between the couple enjoyable. I became intrigued by King Henry’s portrayal, not so much by what he does and says, but by how others see him. There is a very apt warning her brother George gives her, recalling how King Henry was walking with his arm around a nobleman’s shoulders one afternoon and two days later the said nobleman’s head was topping a pole on the King’s orders.

I was more interested in matters of politics and alliances (confusing as they were), the inner workings of the court, marriages and births, and Anne’s reflections about the roles of women and men in the society of the time, that she struggles against but ultimately feels obliged to follow. I was also intrigued by the depiction of her family, her brother George, always close to her, her sister Mary, who although Anne always saw as too free and easy, she comes to understand and appreciate (and who manages to achieve a happy existence in her own terms, eventually), her mother, who suffers from a strange illness, and her father, who appears to be only interested in the family’s advancement (although claims that it is not for himself, but for those who’ll come after). He seemingly has no respect for morality if it can get in the way of achieving his goals, and at times he treats his daughters as pawns or worse. In the novel, Anne is portrayed as having much of the initiative, at least at the beginning, regarding her relationship with King Henry, but I was very intrigued by the role her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, would come to play, and how much he influenced later events and the rise of Anne to become Queen.

This volume made me wonder, more than the first one, how reliable a narrator is Anne supposed to be. She makes a very interesting comment about wearing masks and the fact that we all perform our roles in public, whatever our feelings or thoughts might really be. After all, this is Anne remembering her life and trying to distract herself from her likely dark fate. Sometimes she does protest too much, when talking about her accomplishments, intelligence and fashion sense, and insists that she does not believe in false modesty. She also talks about Tom Wyatt’s affections and how she had not encouraged him, but she evidently enjoys his attentions. At other times, she describes events and scenes as if she were at the same time protagonist and observer (from telling us what she was feeling and her concerns, she will go on to describe what she looked like or what she was wearing). She does highlight the behaviours she thinks show her in a good light and easily finds ways in which to dismiss some of her more selfish or problematic behaviours, but at a time such as the one she’s living through, after having lost everything and everybody, it’s only understandable. If anything, it shows her as a complex and contradictory individual and makes her appear more real.

The writing is once more fluid and beautifully detailed, bringing to life places, customs and times long past.

Although I know what will happen next, I’m intrigued to read Anne’s version of events and look forward to the next book. I highly recommend this series to anybody interested in Anne Boleyn who enjoys historical fiction, and to anybody who is considering reading about such a fascinating historical figure.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com also available free from Kindle Unlimited

SIX TUDOR QUEENS: KATHERINE OF ARAGON, THE TRUE QUEEN by Alison Weir #HistFic #Tudors #Bookreview

Six Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen by Alison Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Six Tudor Queens: 1 Katherine Of Aragon, The True Queen is the latest historical novel from renown historian Alison Weir. The first in a series about Henry VIII’s six wives, I was lucky to read an ARC, this is a huge book coming in at 553 pages and I believe the Hardback may be longer at 624 pages, expected publication date 5th May 2016.

The first part opens in 1501, sixteen year old Catalina, a Spanish Princess sails to England for her marriage to fifteen year old Prince Arthur, eldest son of Henry VII. Catalina is now to be known by her English version of her name, Katherine and she faces a new language, new food and very cold weather. Katherine’s first meeting with Arthur is at the Bishop’s Palace in Dogmersfield, this village today is a stone’s throw from where I currently live and the local pub “The Queen’s Head” proudly displays a Pub sign with a picture of Katherine and a local House also bears her name, hundreds of years later, even the Bishops Palace still has a large residence built on it’s foundations which is now a Hotel.

Moving on Katherine and Arthur are married, but Arthur is very sickly, probably suffering from Tuberculosis. They move to the Prince of Wales’ residence in Ludlow, but Arthur dies after just six months of an unconsummated marriage. The political games of power marriages were so important to the royal households of England, France, Spain, Flanders and beyond. They made or broke wars and wealth. Katherine was next to be betrothed to Arthur’s ten year old brother Henry, after a couple of years of negotiations they were betrothed when Henry was just twelve years old, but even this was no safe guarantee as power shifted in Europe. Katherine’s usefulness to the English throne peaked and dipped, delaying her marriage, leaving her in a form of poverty at one time while Kingdoms were won or lost. It wasn’t until 1509 when King Henry VII died that Katherine could finally marry Henry.

Even through there was a large age gap between the couple, Henry was devoted and Katherine fell in love with him. Henry oozed wealth and extravagance and huge amounts of money were spent on his wedding, his crowning and on the palaces he owned. Every Kings wants a male heir to succeed him, this stabilises politics and power and became Henry’s priority. As Henry preferred pomp and play to political governing he appointed Thomas Wolsey, who later took the title Lord Chancellor. Wolsey also rose through the Church and ended his days as a Cardinal.

Katherine fell pregnant seven times during her marriage to Henry and lost six of those children with only daughter Mary surviving. This put a great strain on their marriage as Henry became more and more desperate for a male heir. Political powers turned in Europe too with treaties and friendships turning and turning again. Katherine was ever adamant that relations with Spain should stay strong, but Henry blamed her when her father Ferdinand of Spain signed a treaty with Maximilian of Flanders and Louis of France, keeping Henry out of the power struggles.

Court rumours flew about Henry’s romantic affairs while Katherine struggled through pregnancies, but she refused to believe ill of Henry and remained devoted to him as was her duty as a wife. However when it became obvious that Katherine would bare no more children, Henry’s desperation for a male heir became apparent. The “Great Matter” threw the country into turmoil as Henry questioned the legality of marrying his brother’s wife, even though at the time they had been given special permission form the Pope. Katherine was a devout Catholic, but Henry became persuaded by new religious thinkers, he began querying the power of the Roman church in England and his passion for Anne Boleyn had a huge sway on his beliefs and actions.

In this book Weir paints Anne Boleyn as a powerful and greedy political mover with much support, she helps topple Wolsey and with men like Thomas Cramner and Thomas Cromwell now holding much sway in Henry’s courts, Katherine is kept from her daughter and put under near house arrest while Henry declares himself head of the English church and divorces Katherine so he can marry Anne. Katherine is stripped of her title, her assets and her household until her dying day, but she always believed in her love for Henry and her true right as Queen of the English throne.

This is a very long and detailed book, as is my review, which lovers of Tudor History will enjoy.

Pre-order this book here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads.

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Karen reviews Last Child by @TerryTyler4

Today’s team review is from Karen, she blogs at https://mytrainofthoughtson.wordpress.com/

Karen chose to read and review Last Child by Terry Tyler

Last Child by Terry Tyler

My Opinion

The book provides a greater insight into life after Harry Lanchester’s death. I will not tell you more about the story than shown in the Goodreads plot description. This would spoil the fun of reading this book yourself.

With Last Child, Terry Tyler has created an excellent sequel to Kings and Queens. Harry Lanchester’s death has not only affected his very different offspring; the lives of his friends and employees have changed as well. Last Child is a and gripping read with all too real characters. Terry Tyler carefully lets her characters evolve – a true art. I was drawn into the story right away, feeling like a close observer. This sequel confirmed my opinion on some characters; in some cases I gladly revised my opinion. Jaz, Isabella, Erin and their closest contacts are masterly portrayed. All other characters are equally real with all their virtues and/or flaws. Last Child is a great read for family saga and drama fans, readers who like parallels to history.

This is definitely not my usual genre. Despite that, I consider this – as well as Kings and Queens – as books to read again.

Recommended!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Judith reviews Kings and Queens by @TerryTyler4

Today’s review comes from team member Judith, she blogs at http://judithbarrowblog.com/

Judith chose to read and read Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler

Kings and Queens – Terry Tyler

My review of  Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler

 My rating 5 out of 5 stars 

My mother used to have the habit, when she finished a book of closing it up and saying, ‘By heck, I enjoyed that’. When I finished Terry Tyler’s Kings and Queens I had a ‘by heck’ moment.

I only discovered Terry Tyler’s novels last year, they are true page-turners and I’ve enjoyed each one. This book, Kings and Queens, is both a family saga and a clever contemporary take on history; Harry Lanchester lives a hedonistic life that, in many ways, parallels that of Henry VIII. He might not order the death of his wives and lovers but they are just as easily discarded, he is portrayed as a patriarch and is at the centre of his world. And that world is filled with everything that makes up ‘real life’ today; stable families, dysfunctional families, erratic individuals, stable characters, revenge and bitterness, love and caring, sex, lust, romance, death and grief, even murder – the list is endless and multi layered.

Normally I say I don’t include spoilers in my reviews but the background, the general plot in Kings and Queens is obviously a given. Yet the narrative is so original and innovative, it is easy for the reader to sit back and enjoy the modern-day twists and turns that the author conjures up as though the story is completely unknown.

As usual, Terry Tyler presents characters that are rounded, well drawn and given so many different facets to their personalities that it is easy to cheer with them, be irritated by them and to suffer with them. Through the various individualistic voices of the characters (and the dialogue is brilliantly written) the author takes us, chapter by chapter through the story. This is a particularly favourite writing style for me as a reader. Told in the first person point of view, there is always the slight suspicion (or knowledge?) that the narrator is sometimes unreliable; this certainly made me slow down and think about some passages, even though I so much wanted to know what happened next.

Kings and Queens covers the decades of the nineteen-seventies to the present time. The author’s research on each era is impeccable; every setting is drawn with subtle touches through the business economy,  the fashions, the communities, the music, the social scene.

This is a stand-alone novel but I knew there was a sequel, Last Child, so I read both in quick succession.  The review for , Last Child will follow soon. As for Kings and Queens, all I can say is that I was hooked from the first page and cannot recommend it highly enough.

Can’t say it too often -by heck I enjoyed it!

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Alison reviews Last Child by @TerryTyler4 #wwwblogs

Today we have a review from team member Alison, she blogs at alisonwilliamswriting.wordpress.com

Alison chose to read and review Last Child by Terry Tyler

Last Child by Terry Tyler

Last Child

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Kings and Queens’ so was really looking forward to the sequel and ‘Last Child’ does not disappoint.

Harry Lanchester is dead, leaving behind three very different children – young Jasper, who just wants to be a teenager and, although the youngest, the heir to the Lanchester business; bitter, unhappy Isabella, still reeling from her father’s deception and abandonment of her mother; and Erin, beautiful, strong and somewhat spoilt. These three carry with them the traits of their respective mothers, and the lasting legacy of the tragedies, upheavals and dramas so well-portrayed in ‘Kings and Queens’.

Add to the mix rivalry between those taking care of the business until Jasper comes of age – Ned Seymour and Jim Dudley – and you have a wonderful, modern take on the politics, intrigues and battles for power that dominated the English court after the death of Henry VIII.

Lanchester Estates is split down the middle – Ned Seymour is supported by Isabella, while Dudley is favoured by Erin, so much so that she sells him some of her shares in the company. Jasper is trying to cope with the difficulties of growing up, aware of the responsibility that awaits him, but more interested in girls and drinking. Former nanny Hannah, still very much a part of the family, tries to help, offering some stability to the fractured family, but then tragedy strikes and Isabella takes over the company.

Unpopular and unhappy, Isabella thinks she’s turned a corner when she meets Phillip Castillo. But Phillip isn’t all he seems. I couldn’t decide if I hated Isabella or felt terribly sorry for her – she acts selfishly and horribly, but deep down she’s so sad, and the writing conveys this so well; people behave as they do for a reason, and Isabella is a complex character whose flaws are well-explained.

Erin, meanwhile, is involved in an on-off relationship with Robert Dudley, which causes its own tragedies and unhappiness. Out of all the characters, I felt that Erin was the one who developed the most, who really ‘grew up’ as the story unfolded. Although she was far from perfect and still had her flaws, she became less the selfish, spoilt teenager and more the accomplished, capable intelligent woman that Lanchester Estates needed to keep the company going.

It’s great fun to link all these characters to their historical counterparts, and Terry Tyler does a great job of showing those links without making them obtrusive or restricting the characters or the story. Raine, for example, while ‘standing in’ for tragic Lady Jane Grey has a very different, albeit potentially heart-breaking, fate to the original.

The characters draw you in, and the writing is clever, entertaining, at times funny and always compelling. Each has his or her own story and their motivations are clear and believable. It’s one of those books that leaves you disappointed at the end – not because of the story but because you want to carry on, to see what happens next to the Lanchesters and, when you reach that last page, you’re left feeling slightly bereft. There aren’t many books that make me feel like that, so ‘Last Child’ definitely deserves five stars.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com