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| Mira Books November 2014 |
I was delighted to be asked to guest review
for my friend Anne
at her wonderful book blog
Sister. Wife. Traitor.
She holds the fate of England in her hands.
She holds the fate of England in her hands.
Elizabeth of Lancaster is the
formidable daughter of John of Gaunt, and as such inherits the pride and
arrogance of the great Plantagenet dynasty. Rejecting a marriage to John
Hastings, the juvenile Earl of Pembroke, Elizabeth flouts convention to marry
the ruthlessly ambitious, Sir John Holland, Duke of Exeter, who is half brother
to the King Richard II. The marriage is passionate, volatile and not without
danger. However, disobedience comes at a price, and the rebellious nature of
Elizabeth’s husband ensures that the marriage is both dynastically and emotionally
flawed from the very start. Being close to the crown is to play with fire and
as the brothers, sisters and cousins in this deadly game of thrones continue to
play out their petty dynastic dramas, Elizabeth of Lancaster must act as a
political shield, in order to keep both her husband and brother from committing
the ultimate betrayal.
In history books, Elizabeth of
Lancaster, is portrayed as a shadowy figure caught on the periphery of royalty,
but her Plantagenet connections to both King Richard II and King Henry IV
ensured her a prominent role in the history of England, and it is commendable
that her story is told by an author who handles both her character, and the
time in which she lived, with remarkable sensitivity. There is danger and
intrigue in abundance and yet the shadow of loss seems to follow Elizabeth
around and I felt immense sympathy for her.
I was less enamoured of her husband, who I felt let her down, but as is
the way with historical fiction, nothing can be done about the eventual
outcome.
There is no doubt that the author
has captured this genre of historical romance, her books are delightfully
readable, not just with a good dollop of romance to keep you entertained, but
also with a wealth of factual detail which helps to connect the story
accurately into time and place. Impeccably researched and with a fine eye for
historical accuracy, the characters really come to life. As the drama of their complex lives start to
unfold, it becomes obvious that life at the royal court, in the fourteenth
century, was fraught with the threats and menace of a dark and dangerous time.
The consequences of this deadly manoeuvring for supremacy would, of course,
tear the Plantagenet family apart for generations.
Anne was born in the West Riding
of Yorkshire. After gaining a B.A. Honours degree in History at Manchester
University anda Masters degree in education at Hull, she lived in the East
Riding as a teacher of history. Always a prolific reader, she enjoyed
historical fiction and was encouraged to try her hand at writing. Success in
short story competitions spurred her on.
Leaving teaching - but not her
love of history - she wrote her first historical romance, a Regency, which was
published in 2005. To date nine historical romances and a novella, ranging from
medieval, through the Civil War and Restoration and back to Regency, have been
published internationally.
Anne now lives with her husband
in an eighteenth century timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh
Marches in Herefordshire, a wild, beautiful place on the borders between
England and Wales, renowned for its black and white timbered houses, ruined
castles and priories and magnificent churches. Steeped in history, famous people
and bloody deeds as well as ghosts and folk lore, it has given her inspiration
for her writing. Since living there she has become hooked on medieval history.
Thank you, Jo. A lovely review.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Anne - I really enjoyed learning more about Elizabeth of Lancaster.....another strong Plantagenet woman whose story needed to be told...
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