Review ~ Under the Approaching Dark by Anna Belfrage

Matador
April 2017

What's it all about ..

Adam de Guirande has cause to believe the turbulent times are behind him: Hugh Despenser is dead and Edward II is forced to abdicate in favour of his young son. It is time to look forward, to a bright new world in which the young king, guided by his council, heals his kingdom and restores its greatness. But the turmoil is far from over. 

Under the Approaching Dark is the third in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.

What did I think about it..

Under the Approaching Dark, is the third book in The King’s Greatest Enemy series, which starts in 1327. Edward II has been incarcerated against his will and Queen Isabella and her henchman, Mortimer, flaunt their love affair before a court which neither accepts nor condones their illicit relationship, which, to some onlookers, goes beyond the bounds of common decency. The young king, Edward III, still little more than a teenager needs to look to his own men-at-arms for the love and support which is so often lacking in his relationship with his mother and Mortimer. With the announcement of Edward II’s death in captivity, Isabella and Mortimer’s political ambition once again plunges the country in turmoil.

It was a real delight to meet up again with the main protagonist of this series. Adam de Guirande is now firmly placed as one of the young King’s most loyal supporters and together with his beautiful wife, Kit, Adam is right at the very heart of the political conspiracy which fills the story with so much excitement and adventure. Plots, counter plots, intrigue and danger seem to follow Adam and Kit wherever they go, taking them on a journey which is rich in intrigue and alive with all the loving encounters which we have come to expect from this couple’s passionate relationship.

The author has once again given us a beautifully written story which is firmly ensconced in the early fourteenth century. From baronial manor houses to royal palaces, there is a real feeling of authenticity, so much so, you can sense the danger, feel the intrigue and experience all the sights and sounds of medieval life. No historical stone is left unturned and no aspect of medieval life is ignored or glossed over.

Under the Approaching Dark is a joy to read from beginning to end and I am looking forward to catching up with another well planned historical adventure in Book Four of the series - The Cold Light of Dawn, which is planned for 2018.

Best read with..Hot chicken and warm manchet bread, fragrant from the oven.. 

About the Author

 Anna Belfrage talks about her hero, Mortimer. Read an interview here

Find on Twitter @belfrageauthor

Amazon UK

My thanks to Anna for sharing Under the Approaching Dark with me 


and for continuing The King's Great Enemy series with such enthusiasm.

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Review ~ The Shadow Queen by Anne O'Brien

HQ
4 May 2017

What's it all about ..

A tale of treachery, power-hungry families and legal subterfuges.

Woven through it is a remarkable story of a beautiful girl, desirable as a bride, growing to be a woman of foresight and power.

A story of love and loyalty and of the cost of personal ambition. The story of the woman who would ultimately wield power as the King Mother to 10 year old King Richard II.


What did I think about it ..

If Joan of Kent had been alive today she would most certainly have been one of those people who the press would have had enormous amount of fun pursuing. Secretly married at twelve, bigamously married at fifteen and then, righteously remarried at twenty-one to the man she first married at twelve, only to be widowed, and then remarried to the heir to the English throne. Well, they do say that truth is stranger than fiction…

In The Shadow Queen, Anne O’Brien has once again given us a story of a little known member of the English royal family. Born on the periphery of the royal household, and a princess in her own right, Joan of Kent was never going to approach life by taking the easy option. Her abiding love for Thomas Holland, a minor knight, was to set to last despite her mother’s best efforts to ignore it and even, Joan’s bigamous marriage to William Montagu, a match that would, in effect, unite two prosperous branches of the English aristocracy, was doomed from the start.

Beautifully written and impeccably researched by a historical fiction writer who is absolutely at the top of her game, The Shadow Queen allows the little known story of Joan of Kent, to come alive in a truly exciting way. Filled with intrigue and dark with secrets, the story is both romantic and adventurous and this novel shows just how much scheming and plotting went on at the very heart of the medieval English court.

Joan is shown to be very much a woman who knows her own mind, she is both forthright and outspoken in an age when women who so often influenced by men who sought to control them. She is a feisty heroine, sharp, shrewd and a clever manipulator both in terms of her personal life and also in the way that she seemed determined to control rather than be controlled. Her later marriage to Edward, Prince of Wales, who we know from history as the Black Prince, is shown in a rather special way, and I particularly enjoyed seeing how their relationship, in the shadow of the crown, played out.

I devoured the book in quick time as, even when I had put the book down to grab a cup of tea, I was always eager to return to the fourteenth century and to the world of knights and jousts, war and intrigue, love and lust. Back to the story of a warm hearted heroine so beautifully brought to life by this clever author.

So intrigued was I by Joan’s story that I was encouraged to find out more about her first husband, Thomas Holland, and to my delight I discovered that Thomas, a minor knight was born in Up Holland, Lancashire, which is an area I know well as it is just a few miles from where I live. 

I love it when history comes alive on the page and in the hands of this talented author I  know that I am always guaranteed a good story, well told.

Best Read with..a glass of spiced wine and small bowl of sweet comfits...

About the Author

Anne O'Brien was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree in history at Manchester University and a Master's in Education at Hull. she lived in the East Riding for many years where she taught history.

Leaving teaching-but not her love of history-Anne turned to writing and her passion for giving voice to the oft forgotten women of the medieval era was born. Today Anne lives in an eighteenth century cottage in Herefordshore, an area steeped in history and full of inspiration for her work.

You can discover more about Anne on her website on Facebook and Twitter @anne_obrien #TheShadowQueen

Read a tantalising extract from The Shadow Queen  by clicking here...

My thanks to Bethan at edpr  and to HQ books for sending a copy of The Shadow Queen to read in advance of its publication on the 4th May 2017

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Review ~ The Plague Charmer by Karen Maitland

Headline Review
20 October 2016

A bit of Blurb...

Riddle me this : I have a price, but it cannot be paid in gold or silver.

1361. Porlock Weir, Exmoor. Thirteen years after the Great Pestilence, plague strikes England for the second time. Sara, a packhorse man's wife, remembers the horror all too well and fears for safety of her children. 

Only a dark-haired stranger offers help, but at a price that no one will pay.

Fear gives way to hysteria in the village and, when the sickness spreads to her family, Sara finds herself locked away by neighbours she has trusted for years. And, as her husband - and then others - begin to die, the cost no longer seems so unthinkable.

The price that I ask, from one willing to pay... A human life...

My thoughts about the book..

Set in 1361, and with a clever blend of mysticism, superstition and folklore, The Plague Charmer looks at the catastrophic effects of a great pestilence which is sweeping England and as it moves inexorably towards Porlock Weir an impoverished fishing village on the edge of Exmoor, so does the threat of impending doom. The villagers eke out a lowly existence, reliant on land and sea for their meagre survival, and so when an enigmatic stranger emerges from the sea and offers them a deadly bargain which will keep them safe from the plague, well, therein lies their dilemma, to acquiesce, or not, is a decision they must make for themselves. However, the menacing gloom which emanates from this stranger is enough to deepen their sense of growing unease.

I’m deliberately being reticent about the story content because if you are familiar with this author’s writing, you will know that her work is incredibly difficult to review without giving too much away, but what I will say is that The Plague Charmer bears all the usual hallmarks of this talented writer. She infuses her novels with such glorious historical detail, that it becomes difficult, on looking up from the book, to adjust to life in the 21st century. Life in the fourteenth century didn’t happen in a rush, and this is reflected in the way The Plague Charmer is allowed to evolve ever so slowly, but as always time and place is captured to perfection. There is so much historical detail that it truly reads like a medieval travelogue, not that you would want to return to Porlock Weir in 1361, but by the time you have finished The Plague Charmer, believe me, you will feel like you have been there and witnessed at first hand the blend of horror, superstitious terror and medieval chaos which this author brings so vividly to life.

The riddles and proverbs which head each chapter are fascinating and cleverly combine folklore and superstition into the narrative. The author’s complex historical detail, which is given at the end of the novel, shows just how much attention to detail goes into the story content. Even if I didn't know much about Karen Maitland as an author I would buy this book just for the cover, which tantalisingly, offers something deliciously dark.

Best read with.. fish caught in the weir pool and a cup of pungent ale from Sybil's brew house..

About the Author

Karen Maitland is the author of The White Room, Company of Liars,The Owl Killers,The Gallows Curse, The Falcons of Fire and ice, The Vanishing With and The Raven's Head.

You can find her on her website by clicking here


The Plague Charmer is published  on the 20th October 2016 and is available form Amazon and all good book stores.

My thanks to Caitlin at Headline for my copy of The Plague Charmer.

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The Author in my spotlight.... is Anna Belfrage..

Today I am delighted to welcome to the blog the historical fiction author

Anna Belfrage

Anna is the author of several historical fiction novels.

 The first two books in  The King's Greatest Enemy series are out now.

 

Hi and welcome to Jaffareadstoo Anna. Tell us a little about yourself and what got you started as an author?

“A little” is always relative, isn’t it? But very briefly I am Swedish, grew up in South America, attended English schools – and spent most of my childhood moping because I wasn’t born in medieval times (preferably as a rich somebody). So, seeing as I was stuck in the 20th century, I put pen to paper and transported myself back in time by writing stories. I am not sure those early efforts qualify as the start of a writing career, but I have been writing ever since… 

Where did you get the first flash of inspiration for The King’s Greatest Enemy Series?

I was eleven and had a somewhat choleric if passionate history teacher. He had a major thing about the Maya Indians – and about Edward II. Well, maybe not so much about Edward, whom he dismissed as a sadly weak successor to daddy Edward I, as about the lurid legends concerning how Edward II died. “Hogwash”, he’d say, before expending quite some time explaining just why it would be very, very difficult to kill someone with a red hot poker up their nether parts. 

Anyway, all of this made me read more and more about the period, and as a young teenager I stumbled upon Maurice Druon’s “Les rois maudits”, which is an excellent take on the period, albeit that it focuses on France rather than England. 

Will you explain to us a little more about the plot of this second book without giving too much away?

We are in 14th century England. Edward II is king, Roger Mortimer is disgruntled, royal favourite Hugh Despenser is nasty, Queen Isabella has had it, and in the midst of all this mess, my fictional protagonist Adam de Guirande with wife Kit have to navigate a political quagmire that can lead to death and ruin for them both.

When you start a new series do you have an idea where the series will finish, or does the story evolve as you go a long?

In this specific case, I had a very definite ending: late in the year 1330. That is not always the case, and my other series started out as “a book” and ended up being eight (with a ninth as WIP).

Your books are a mixture of historical fact and fiction, how much research do you do in order to bring the stories to life?

A lot. I read books about the period, biographies of the relevant people, etc. I end up being very distracted at times, like when I spent several days reading about the beguines, a fascinating religious lay order which offered a sort of haven to women who neither wanted to marry or commit to the life of a nun. (See? I’m still distracted by them…) 

Would you consider yourself to be a historian or are you more of a writer who likes history?

A writer who LOVES history and would dearly love to travel back in time to visit. 

What are the upsides and downsides of writing historical fiction?

The upside is that I get to spend a lot of time in the past – with my characters. The downside is that historical fiction is sometimes considered “difficult”, i.e. it may not attract quite so many readers. Personally, I think historical fiction is a very broad definition, encompassing all sort of genres which have one single thing in common: they’re set in the past. 

Who are some authors in your genre that inspire you?

Edith Pargeter, Sharon K Penman, Nigel Tranter, Elizabeth Chadwick, Sigrid Undset, Vilhelm Moberg (Swedish author)

What’s coming next in The King’s Greatest Enemy Series?

The next book Under the Approaching Dark is planned for late April 2017, with the final book in the series, The Cold Light of Dawn, coming either very late 2017 or early 2018.

  

More about the author can be found on her website by clicking here

Follow Anna on Twitter @Anna_Belfrage or on her blog 

Find the books on Amazon 

Huge thanks to Anna for sharing the first two books in this series with me. 

Jaffa and I wish you continued success with your work and look forward to the continuation of the story in Under the Approaching Dark.

~***~

Review ~ Blood Rose Angel by Liza Perrat

Perrat Publishing
November 2015

Blood Rose Angel takes us back to a dark and dangerous time, when Héloïse, the local midwife is forced to choose between her family’s wellbeing, or those who are suffering the devastating effects of the Black Death, the notorious plague which strikes at the very heart of the medieval community of Lucie-sur-Vionne.

As always, time and place is beautifully authentic and from the start of the novel I was transported back in time to the complicated dangers of living in 14th century rural France.  Arm in arm with Héloïse, I wrapped myself in a warm cloak, and travelled alongside her as she tended to the travail of the peasant women of Lucie-sur-Vionne. The tension is palpable; the shadowy atmosphere is filled with gloom and is all too sadly complicated by uneducated prejudices and widespread hysteria. Inevitably, Héloïse finds out to her cost, that with knowledge comes responsibility, and as the superstition of local folk is allowed to fester and gain momentum, perilous forces take flight, and even as she is drawn into the fight for survival, always at the heart of the novel, is Héloïse’s absolute conviction that she is following her destiny as the keeper of the Bone Angel talisman.

What I like about this author’s writing style is the way in which she allows both characterisation and plot to have equal importance, with neither one attempting to outshine the other. The medieval setting comes gloriously alive, with all the sights,sounds and smells of the medieval world, and yes, also the petty indifferences, which are so reminiscent of this dangerous time. However, Blood Rose Angel is also inhabited by vibrant and memorable characters who take command of their story and as they leap fully formed onto the page, we are allowed a tantalising glimpse into the intricacies and sadness of their daily lives.

Having travelled the Bone Angel Talisman journey from its inception with Spirit of Lost Angels and Wolfsangel, there is no doubt that Blood Rose Angel is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.  I was enthralled in the story from start to finish, and by the end, was completely immersed in medieval French culture, and it must be said, rather sorry to say goodbye to Heloise. However, as with all good stories which have been well told, I know that her story will always quietly linger in the shadows of my imagination.

Whilst Blood Rose Angel concludes the story, as with Spirit of Lost Angels and Wolfsangel, all the novels can be read comfortably as standalone historical fiction.

Best read with.... wooden cups of yeasty ale and rich, currant pastries liberally soaked in wine ....

  

About the Author



Visit Liza Perrat on her website
Follow on Twitter @LizaPerrat


Amazon UK

Triskele Books

Read an extract from Blood Rose Angel 

You can sign up for her email newsletter where you can find a fabulous free copy of

Ill fated Rose a short story that inspired The Bone Angel series,

My thanks to the author for sharing her book with me.

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Review ~ The Queen's Choice by Anne O'Brien

Harelequin
MIRA
January 2016

The Queen's Choice opens in 1396, when Joanna of Navarre, already the cherished wife of John de Montfort, Duke of Brittany, meets Henry, Earl of Derby for the first time at the wedding of Richard II to his six year old child bride, Isabella of Valois. Whilst fate decreed that Joanna and Henry would meet at this time, it would be several years before a momentous marriage between them would propel them both into the annals of English history.

Henry, known as Bolingbroke and later, Henry IV, had an uneasy connection with his first cousin Richard II, and even though they were brought up together as children, their troubled relationship would eventually end in a power struggle, which would tear England apart at the seams. In 1399 when Joanna's first husband dies, she is given the responsibly of ruling Brittany until her eldest son comes of age, it’s a challenge that Joanna is more than a match for and yet, an undeniable attraction exists between Joanna and Henry, now Henry IV. When delegates from England attempt to woo Joanna on Henry’s behalf, she has a huge decision to make, either to stay in Brittany with her children, or leave France forever in order to start a new life with a man she knows very little about. There were huge political and personal pitfalls to overcome for both Joanna and Henry and the troubled times in which they lived meant that life was never going to run smoothly for either of them.

The author writes about strong and decisive women with such conviction and uses considerable research to really bring her characters to life. Joanna is shown to be a complex woman with hopes and dreams, and yet, she also both resilient and vulnerable in equal measure. The love story between the royal couple is tender and passionate, but there is never a moment when some higher game of political spin is not being carried out. And such was the emotional pull of the novel that I was irresistibly drawn into royal court life of the early fifteenth century, taken back to a dangerous time when a deadly game of thrones was being carried out in the schemes and machinations of powerful men. 

Anne O’Brien writes the type of historical fiction I love to read. Beautifully written, impeccably researched and with a wonderful richness which truly brings history alive on the page. Without doubt, those royal women who have been so long overlooked have finally found their voice in the writing of this talented author.

Best Read with…. A silver gilt ewer of good Rhenish wine and a platter of preserved plums, sticky with syrup ..

About the author

Find Anne on her website

Visit her on Facebook

Follow on Twitter @anne_obrien

Amazon UK

Read a guest post by Anne here

My thanks to the author for sharing her book with me and also to the team at ed public relations and to Mira for my copy of this book

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Review ~ The Stolen Queen by Lisa Hilton

Corvus
1 October 2015

Isabelle of Angouleme is still a child when she is betrothed to the son of her father's enemy, Hugh de Lusignan. Taken to the Lusignan stronghold, Isabelle is introduced into a mysterious ‘old religion’ which seems to have its basis in the myths and legends which surround the story of the serpent enchantress, Melusine. Mysterious horned figures and cloak darkened shapes fever her dreams, until she is unsure of her place in reality.

Forced to grow up in this disordered world and with a growing antipathy towards her intended husband, Isabelle is relieved when the planned wedding to Hugh is abandoned and she is told that she is to marry, John, King of England. Escaping Hugh de Lusignan will prove to be easier than escaping the old religion, and swapping one meddlesome bridegroom for another is the price Isabelle must pay for alleged freedom. However, born into this turbulent time in medieval history, Isabelle discovers that she is merely a pawn to be used at the whim of ambitious men, and her freedom will come at a price.

I thought that the story moved along reasonably well, although there were times when the narrative seemed to falter and lose its way a little and became a little fanciful. However, interspersed within the narrative are some historical facts, which help to place The Stolen Queen accurately within its medieval time scale, but, I suppose, it is the supernatural elements which add a more unusual twist and thus allows Isabelle’s story to be told in a very different way. The political and domestic intrigue of living so close to the royal household comes across, as does John’s irascible and unreasonable temperament.

The author writes with passion and commitment, and clearly loves telling a story. I am sure that The Stolen Queen will appeal to lovers of medieval historical fiction, and the more unusual supernatural twist, adds an extra dimension to the story.

About the Author

Lisa Hilton is the author of four historical biographies and two historical novels, The House with Blue Shutters, which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Fiction Prize, and Wolves in Winter. She has made several historical programmes for television and is a regular art and book reviewer. She lives in London.

My thanks to Alison Davies at Atlantic Books for my copy of this book.

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Review ~ Twice Royal Lady by Hilary Green

Buried River Press
2015

Matilda, Empress of the Germans and Lady of the English, daughter of Henry I of England, was always destined to be used as a political pawn and her life from childhood was governed and shaped by the men who would control her destiny.

Twice Royal Lady begins in Germany when eight year Matilda is being prepared for her betrothal to the future Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V. We begin to learn what shaped Matilda's character and where she got the indomitable strength which she would later have to rely on.

Matilda's life is well-documented and has been the subject of many historical novels, all of which portray Matilda as a remarkable and formidable woman. This book is no exception, and whilst it doesn't throw up any new evidence about her life, it does reiterate just how fickle medieval politics was, and shows the capriciousness and volatility of male dominance.

There is no doubt that medieval history is a fascinating minefield of plot and counter plot and I think 

Hilary Green has done a good job in bringing the medieval world to life in a very readable way. Both time and place feel authentic and the author is largely considerate towards Matilda and describes her life in an interesting and informative way. 

About The Author

Hilary Green is a trained actress and spent many years teaching drama and running a youth theatre company. She has also written scripts for the BBC and won the Kythira short story prize. Hilary now lives in the Wirral and is a full time writer.

My thanks to Buried River Press for my review copy of Twice Royal Lady.

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