Review: The Sisters of Richard III by Sarah J Hodder

Synopsis: This book is the narrative of three women of York, sisters to not one, but two kings of England. Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret Plantagenet were the daughters of Richard, Duke of York and his wife, Cecily Neville, and therefore sisters to Edward IV and Richard III. These women watched from the sidelines as their father challenged England’s anointed king and lost his life, as their brothers fought together for the throne of England and then amongst themselves and as the Plantagenet dynasty fell, making way for the reign of the Tudors.

But they were not just bystanders; they had their own stories to tell. Anne of York was married to the Lancastrian Duke of Exeter who sided against her father and brother, before finding later happiness, albeit briefly, with her second husband. Elizabeth of York married John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk and became the mother of eleven children who would become thorns in the side of the Tudor kings and Margaret of York became Duchess of Burgundy, a hugely influential woman in her adopted kingdom although she never stopped supporting her family back in England. Between them, they witnessed and contributed to one of the most turbulent times in English history yet they have naturally been overshadowed by their more famous brothers. This is their story.

~ ~ ~

The story of the three Yorkists sisters - Anne, Elizabeth and Margaret - as told against the backdrop of the Wars of the Roses. And the story of the sisters is one full of persistence in keeping both the Yorkist cause and that of their family name, alive. With their mother Cecily, these three women were the great survivors of this tumultuous period in history.

Hodder provides the reader with a well-researched tome that covers off the events of the Wars of the Roses, whilst linking the lives of these women to both their family and the events.

That there may have been a perception that they had gone unremarked is only due to the fact that two of their brothers - Edward IV and Richard III - outshone them. However, they did not go completely unobserved - a careful historian or student of history will find all three women,scattered across the pages of numerous tomes. What Hodder does is bring this all under one book cover and puts their lives into context with events as their not only occurred but also how they impacted this particular family.

The keen reader of the Wars of the Roses history will enjoy this as will someone who is coming new into this period. There were many extraordinary women at this point in history - this is the story of three of them (four if you also count in their mother, Cecily).

Review: The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr by June Woolerton

Synopsis: What killed Katherine Parr?

She was the ultimate Tudor survivor, the queen who managed to outwit and outlive Henry VIII. Yet just over eighteen months after his passing, Katherine Parr was dead. She had been one of the most powerful people in the country, even ruling England for her royal husband, yet she had died hundreds of miles from court and been quickly buried in a tiny chapel with few royal trappings. Her grave was lost for centuries only for her corpse to be mutilated after it was rediscovered during a tea party. The death of Katherine Parr is one of the strangest of any royals – and one of the most mysterious.

The final days of Henry VIII’s last queen included a faithless husband and rumors of a royal affair while the weeks after her funeral swirled with whispers of poison and murder. The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr dives into the calamitous and tumultuous events leading up to the last hours of a once powerful queen and the bizarre happenings that followed her passing.

From the elaborate embalming of her body, that left it in a state of perfect preservation for almost three centuries despite a burial just yards from her place of death, to the still unexplained disappearance, without trace, of her baby, the many questions surrounding the death of Queen Katherine are examined in a new light.

This brand new book from royal author and historian June Woolerton brings together, for the first time, all the known accounts of the strange rediscovery of Katherine’s tomb and the even odder decision to leave it open to the elements and grave-robbers for decades to ask – how did Katherine Parr really die?

~ ~ ~

When Henry VIII died in 1547, his widow Katherine Parr was not only still considered to be Queen, she was also free to remarry - which she did, six months later, to the man who became her fourth husband, Thomas Seymour. Then Katherine found herself pregnant - and eight days after the birth of her only child, a daughter, Katherine was dead and hastily buried.

Woolerton takes the reader through the discovery of Katherine's tomb at Sudeley, the rumours surrounding her death, and her rather hasty and low key funeral. Katherine's husband - Thomas Seymour - hot-foots it back to London, leaving the newborn in the care - initially - of Katherine's attendants. We already know that Katherine's daughter Mary will soon be left without both mother or father, as after a plot was discovered to put the protestant Elizabeth on the throne, her father Sir Thomas Seymour was beheaded for treason.

Woolerton explores Katherine's final months and days, and notes her actions were in sharp contrast to the self-assured woman she was prior to and during her marriage to Henry VIII - and considers this against the backdrop of what we already know - or think we know. Katherine's funeral, in stark contrast to other female monarchs was, as mentioned, a rather hasty and covert affair, not even attended by her husband - and Woolerton delves into this quite deeply, as she does with Katherine's will.

I found Woolerton's exploration of events quite engaging and her open-mindedness to other hypothesis rather refreshing. She posits a number of plausible theories for Katherine's actions and behaviours after Henry's death whilst exploring Seymour's own actions against the changing political tableau.

A must for Tudor lovers, and for those with an interest in royalty and notable women.

Review: House of Lilies by Justine Firnhaber-Baker

Synopsis: The definitive history of the Capetians, the crusading dynasty that made the French crown the wealthiest and most powerful in medieval Europe and forged France as we know it today

In House of Lilies , historian Justine Firnhaber-Baker tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today.

Reigning from 987 to 1328, the Capetian kings became the most powerful monarchy of the Middle Ages and established the foundations of a shared French culture. Consolidating a fragmented realm that eventually stretched from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, they were the first royal house to adopt the fleur-de-lys, displaying this lily emblem to signify their divine favor and legitimate their rule. The Capetians played a part in some of the most dramatic and far-reaching episodes in European history, including the Crusades, bloody waves of religious persecution, and a series of wars with England. The Capetian age saw the emergence of Gothic architecture, the romantic ideals of chivalry and courtly love, and the Church’s role at the center of daily life.

Evocatively interweaving these pivotal developments with the human stories of the rulers who drove them, House of Lilies is the definitive history of the dynasty that forged France—and Europe—as we know it.

~ ~ ~

Four stars for the following reasons:

* easy to read

* informative though not dull or dry

* covers the Capetian Dynasty well, including the women

* well researched

* additional notes, maps, family trees

Covering nearly over three centuries of French history and international politicking, Firnhaber-Baker does a remarkable job at presenting one of the pivotal dynasties in French history - the Capetians. This work has all the elements: religious fervor and upheaval, crusades,scandal, warfare, adultery, ambition, family drama, politicking - and on a magnificent grandiose scale.

Each monarch has their own dedicated chapter which covers off the pivotal moments of their reign, including each monarch's relationships with France's closest neighbours - England, Normandy, Flanders, Blois, Anjou, Valois - as France as we know it today, was still very much in its infancy and only really beginning to coalesce.

Recommended reading for those with an interest in French history and royal dynasties.

Review: The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn

Synopsis: London, 1932.

When Harriet White rebuffs the advances of her boss at the Baker Street building society where she works, she finds herself demoted to a new position… a very unusual position. Deep in the postal department beneath the bank, she is tasked with working her way through a mountain of correspondence addressed to Baker Street’s most famous resident: Mr Sherlock Holmes.

Seemingly undeterred by the fact that Sherlock Holmes doesn’t exist, letter after letter arrives, beseeching him to help solve mysteries, and Harry diligently replies to each writer with the same response: Mr Holmes has retired from detective work and now lives in Sussex, keeping bees.

Until one entreaty catches her eye. It’s from a village around five miles from Harry’s family estate, about a young woman who went to London to work as a domestic, then disappeared soon afterwards in strange circumstances. Intrigued, Harry decides, just this once, to take matters into her own hands.

And so, the case of the missing maid is opened…

~ ~ ~

Cosy mystery where a young society demoiselle plays detective to solve a case addressed to Sherlock Holmes. Harry White has been relegated to the basement of the bank in which she is employed after the spurning the unwanted advances of her boss. Here, she is tasked with replying to postage the bank receives addressed to Holmes - the bank straddles 221 Baker Street. The letter sends Harry White off on an adventure to solve ... the case of the missing maid.

A decent start to what looks to be a new mystery series.

Ian Fleming, Special Correspondent to a Moscow Show Trial ‹ CrimeReads

From Crimereads:

In the late 1960s, the screenwriter Jack Whittingham, who had collaborated on the writing of Thunderball, started to write a screenplay based on the life of Ian Fleming. Whittingham’s daughter Sylvan says: ‘He had Fleming as a Reuters correspondent travelling on that train across Russia. Fleming was sitting in a compartment, and this alter ego like a ghost came out of him, and this whole adventure took place. That was how Dad played it – that Fleming had this other life that was Bond.’

Read full article at Crimereads

Review: The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski

Synopsis: An action-packed debut from Gregg Podolski, The Recruiter is a thrilling and unique adventure through the European underworld.  When bad guys need good help, they call Rick Carter.

He’s a criminal recruiter, searching for contract killers, cyber hackers, gun smugglers, and any other assorted villains-for-hire a European crime boss might need. But, when the family he left behind in New Jersey is caught up in a client’s plot to monopolize the black market, Rick has to save them from two of his own top candidates: deadly assassins known only as Ghost and The Persian.

Fixing his own mess will require a set of skills he doesn’t have—not a problem, as finding qualified help is where he excels. But stepping into action, becoming the hero his family needs, that’s new territory. For a man who’s spent the last ten years being the best at helping the worst, this may be his last chance to do something right.

~ ~ ~

Barely a quarter of the way in, I gave this four stars. It deserves five - what a roller-coaster ride through the murky underworld and the shady world of espionage. The bad guy is the good guy and the villains are suitably bad.

Rick Carter is a recruiter - he lines up "staff" for those who are willing to pay big bucks for a job to be done - no questions asked. However, things go a little awry (understatement) when a new client comes on the scene and makes Rick an offer he cannot refuse. Now Rick must use his skills and contacts to ensure that this new client does not achieve their end game - and it will come at a personal cost.

It is so easy to become invested in Rick's narrative as the tale rockets along - sometimes a break-neck speed - to an inevitable outcome, which is not a a tidy affair at all. The body count is high, the violence oft times gratuitous, the humour suitable dark, the undertones noirish, the action non-stop. For a first novel, the reader could not ask for anything more. Except more!

A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to read a number of books of a similar genre (Truhen, Milford, Johnson, Holmen, Hamdy, and McDonnell). Podolski is in good company and I look forward to reading more.

Book review: Beatrice’s Last Smile: A New History of the Middle Ages - The Washington Post

Michael Dirda from The Washington Post reviews historian Mark Gregory Pegg’s book ‘Beatrice’s Last Smile’.

In “Beatrice’s Last Smile: A New History of the Middle Ages,” he [Mark Pegg] tracks these “fluctuations between the divine and the human by interweaving stories about men, women, and children living and dying between the third and the fifteenth centuries.” It’s quite a tapestry.

The book opens with the martyrdom of a 22-year-old Christian woman in 203 and ends in 1431 with the burning of Joan of Arc as a heretic. In between these two horrific events, Pegg — a professor of history at Washington University in St. Louis — relies on short biographies and dramatic anecdotes to illuminate, if only in strobe-light flashes, what many people still regard as the “Dark Ages,” a millennium of ignorance, confusion and all-encompassing religiosity.

See full review here @ The Washington Post

Review: Blood Roses by Douglas Jackson

Synopsis: As the Nazis roll into Warsaw, a serial killer is unleashed…

September 1939. A city ruled by fear. A population brutalized by restrictions and reprisals. Amid the devastation, another hunter begins to prowl. What are a few more deaths amid scores of daily executions?

Former chief investigator Jan Kalisz lives a dangerous double life, forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the fledgling Polish resistance. Even his family cannot be told his true allegiance.

When the niece of a Wehrmacht general is found terribly mutilated, Jan links the murder to other killings that are of less interest to his new overlords. Soon, he finds himself on the trail of a psychopathic killer known as The Artist. But, shunned as a Nazi collaborator, can he solve the case before another innocent girl is taken?

~ ~ ~

My initial thoughts upon immediately finishing this book were that it was:

• well written
• evocative
• engaging
• great read
• start of a thrilling new series
• and I was left wanting more

This thriller is set at the time of the Invasion of Poland by German, Russian and Slovak forces (1 September 1939 - 5 October 1939). Polish forces were stretched thinly along defensive lines, and supply lines were poorly protected. Although the Polish military had prepared for conflict, the civilian population remained largely unprepared. The German invasion saw atrocities committed against Polish men, women and children. The German forces (both SS and the regular Wehrmacht) murdered tens of thousands of Polish civilians.  The Leibstandarte SS were notorious throughout the campaign for burning villages and committing atrocities in numerous Polish towns, including massacres. A campaign of ethnic cleansing was organized by multiple elements of the German government, resulting in tens of thousands of Polish civilians being shot at 760 mass execution sites by the Einsatzgruppen.

On October 30, 1939, Higher SS and Police Leader in General Government Friedrich-Wilhelm Krüger ordered the mobilization of the pre-war Polish police into the service of the German authorities. The policemen were to report for duty or face severe punishment. The main reason for the restoration of the Polish police was the inability to maintain order under wartime conditions, the lack of knowledge of the Polish language by German policemen, as well as the undecided fate of the occupied Polish lands, the formation of the so-called residual state, Reststaat, was still under consideration.  The police was finally formed on December 17, 1939, by order of Governor General Hans Frank.

Into this turmoil falls Jan Kalisz - a patriotic soldier and police officer of the pre-war Polish Police Force. Wounded in action against the Germans, Kalisz is visited in hospital, in secret, and is made an offer - one he cannot really refuse - and one that must remain secret from all, including work colleagues and his family. Thus Kalisz leads a double life - as a collaborating police officer and a supporter of the fledgling Polish resistance.

Investigating a series of (at first) seemingly unconnected murders, Kalisz is brought into the fold of the Germans and is eventually paired with the lawyer, Ziegler. However, Kalisz soon comes to the realisation that solving the mystery of the serial killer known as The Artist may cost him both personally and professionally.

There is a cadre of writers who set their protagonist in these same times - Furst, Kerr, Gardner - and Jackson slots in nicely. Suffice to say, this first in a series does not disappoint. Highly Recommended.

Next in the series:

• Blood Uprising
• Blood Vengeance
• Blood Enemy

Review: Bury The Lead by Hilton & Renzetti

Synopsis: A big-city journalist joins the staff of a small-town paper in cottage country and finds a community full of secrets … and murder.

Cat Conway has recently returned to Port Ellis to work as a reporter at the Quill & Packet . She’s fled the tattered remains of her high-profile career and bad divorce for the holiday town of her childhood, famous for its butter tarts, theatre, and a century-old feud. One of Cat’s first assignments is to interview legendary actor Eliot Fraser, the lead in the theatre’s season opener of Inherit the Wind . When Eliot ends up dead onstage on opening night, the curtain rises on the sleepy town’s secrets. The suspects include the actor whose career Eliot ruined, the ex-wife he betrayed, the women he abused, and even the baker he wronged.

With the attention of the world on Port Ellis, this story could be Cat’s chance to restore her reputation. But the police think she’s a suspect, and the murderer wants to kill the story―and her too. Can Cat solve the mystery before she loses her job or becomes the next victim of a killer with a theatrical bent for vengeance?

~ ~ ~

"The whole town was like a giant murder mystery game, 

except with real weapons, and real blood."

The murder of the lead actor in a local production sets local tongues wagging as the past intrudes on the present - much to the chagrin of those involved.  And for one, murder is seen as the best way to keep the past (dead and) buried. 

After a slow start, things finally start to pick up once the investigation into the murder, by Cat and the rest of the local paper's editorial team, gets under way.

There is the proverbial cast of characters - from the local towns' people to the actors themselves - all with links to the dead man.  The narrative is nicely paced with character development established enough with the potential for further exploration in future books.

All in all an enjoyable read and the potential start of a new series ...

Review: Forgive Me by Joy Ellis

This story is about a suicide that is attended by a pair of police officers. They are confronted by a suicide note asking for forgiveness.

The remarks of the leading female officer - PC Yvonne Collins - is that there is something nasty or suspicious about the dead man, identified as Arthur Sims. However, the younger male officer - PC Jamie Smith - thinks otherwise. 

The dead man’s neighbors and acquaintances said that he was a good man, but the senior officer continues with her doubts. 

The younger officer takes it upon himself to investigate the man and his past. As he digs deeper - the mystery comes full circle with a plot twist that will delight (??) the reader.

This short story is my first from book by Joy Ellis that I have read - however, she is now on my radar!

Review: For The Want Of Silver by Michael E Wills

Synopsis: A novel based on the true story of a Viking raider who, over 30 years, acquired a fortune in English silver.

In the churchyard of the village of Orkesta, just north of the city of Stockholm, there are two eleventh century rune stones. One of them, in a few brief words, tells the world of the extraordinary achievements of Ulf of Borresta, who lived nearby. During a long career as a Viking raider, he became extremely rich on the proceeds of extortion: Danegeld. The carved runes mention the names of real Norse historical figures with whom he ravaged the English countryside. These names can be dated and the vicious raids and bloody battles where the Danegelds were won, identified.

~ ~ ~

Historical fiction account of Ulf of Borresta, a real historical viking who "lived and fought to satisfy the want of silver". We begin with the aged Ulf reflecting on his youth and the events that lead him to where he currently is.

The narration covers Ulf's youth and his adventures as part of the armies invading England in the 10th century.

Much more can be read about Ulf here @ Wikipedia

This for me was a quick and easy read, which I personally thought was perfect for a young adult reading market. It is a stand alone read - and was was pleasing to see an "unknown" historical figure being given a new lease on life.

Review: Women of the Irish Rising by Michael Hogan

Synopsis: This is the story of the women who put their lives on the line for Irish freedom. They were not only the nurses, cooks, and couriers, but also gunrunners, sharpshooters, and organizers. Many who barely received mention in mainstream histories are fully revealed here both in their own words and by those who witnessed their incredible courage and leadership.

Over 250 women took part in the Irish Rising, more than 70 were imprisoned, and one was sentenced to death by the British. The struggle was initially betrayed by a conservative government which compromised their rights to equality, but women were finally vindicated in recent years.

Now the fight for distributive justice and the unity of the entire nation, original goals of the Easter Rising, have passed to the present generation.

~ ~ ~

This is exactly what it sets out to be - an easy to follow account of the women who were participants - combatants, auxiliaries, medics - in the events of the East Rising in Ireland in 1916. Hogan links these women directly with the events of the Rising as they played out. These women were active in their roles not just voices of support. And it should be noted that out of all the male leaders, it was only De Valera who refused to have women in his contingent.

The Easter Rising was an Irish republican insurrection against British government in Ireland, which began on Easter Monday, April 24, 1916, in Dublin. The uprising was planned to be nationwide in scope, but a series of mishaps led to its being confined to Dublin alone - the British had discovered the plans, leaders were arrested and planned action was called off. Following a forces surrender, Pearse and 14 other leaders of the rebellion were court-martialed and executed by British authorities in the weeks that followed. Though the uprising itself had been unpopular with most of the Irish people, these executions excited a wave of revulsion against the British authorities and turned the dead republican leaders into martyred heroes.

Of the 250 or so women who participated, 79 received sentences of imprisonment - and some of deportation.  Only one - Constance Markiewicz - received a court marital and death penalty (later commuted to imprisonment). The first fatality of the Irish Rising was a nurse - Margaret Keogh. And it was nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell who, under constant fire from the British, delivered the order to surrender to the Volunteers.

Of the women included by Hogan, some of the roles consisted of: gun-running, financial support, medical support, communications, military combatants, and training. The women in the 1916 Rising represented a cross-section of Irish society - single and married, from different religious denominations and social strata, and they included an actress, nurses, a doctor, a noblewoman, shop-assistants, seamstresses, feminists and pacifists.

The majority of the women were supporters and / or actively involved in the suffrage movement and of Cumann na mBan (Women's Guard), or were themselves members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood or the Irish Civilian Army.

Many documented their experiences during the Rising and beyond, and continued to be active in both the womens' suffrage movement and the struggle for a free Ireland. Notwithstanding their most active roles in the Rising, womens' rights were largely forgotten (despite promises to the contrary contained in the Proclamation). Their roles were severely restricted under Eamon de Valera (who as noted above, refused to have them in his contingent).

These women were deserving of more than just a mere footnote in the history books, and Hogan concludes with a further discussion on womens' rights, and the meaning of the Rising and the role of women which was - and still is - only imperfectly understood.

A valuable resource for further study and research for those with a deep interest in their particular period of history. Highly recommended reading - and a great addition to my own personal library.

Review: Fool by Peter K Andersson

Synopsis: The first biography of Henry VIII’s court fool William Somer, a legendary entertainer and one of the most intriguing figures of the Tudor age.

In some portraits of Henry VIII there appears another, striking figure―a gaunt and morose-looking man with a shaved head and, in one case, a monkey on his shoulder. This is William or "Will" Somer, the king’s fool, a celebrated wit who reportedly could raise Henry’s spirits and spent many hours with him, often alone. Was Somer an “artificial fool,” a cunning comic who could speak freely in front of the king, or a “natural fool,” someone with intellectual disabilities, like many other members of the profession? And what role did he play in the tumultuous and violent Tudor era? Fool is the first biography of Somer―and perhaps the first of a Renaissance fool.

After his death, Somer disappeared behind his legend, and historians struggled to separate myth from reality. Unearthing as many facts as possible, Peter K. Andersson pieces together the fullest picture yet of an enigmatic and unusual man with a very strange job. Somer’s story provides new insights into how fools lived and what exactly they did for a living, how monarchs and courtiers related to commoners and people with disabilities, and whether aspects of the Renaissance fool live on in the modern comedian. But most of all, we learn how a commoner without property or education managed to become the court’s chief mascot and a continuous presence at the center of Tudor power from the 1530s to the reign of Elizabeth I.

Looking beyond stereotypes of the man in motley, Fool reveals a little-known world, surprising and disturbing, when comedy was something crueler and more unpleasant than we like to think.

~ ~ ~

A strictly academic work that is neither a standard nor chronological biography on this rather enigmatic character from Tudor history.

With the use of contemporaneous sources and comparisons outside of the Tudor court, Andersson explores to what extent was the fool a servant or a courtier. Andersson also acknowledges that there is too little information on the actual man - Will Somer - for the reader to gain any real insight into him - what we know is based upon scant administration records of the Tudor period.

I came into this wanting to know more, but came away no closer to finding any real substance to the real man. I have given it three stars are this looks to be the first - for me anyway - real attempt to put some flesh on the bones of an elusive historical person. However, for my mind, this particular work is more of an exploration into the perception and the role of the fool and comedy during the early renaissance period.

Definitely one for those with an interest in the Tudor and Elizabethan courts.

Review: Showbiz Cakes & Deadly Slices by Amber Crewes

Synopsis: This is a short prequel that introduces the Sandy Bay Cozy Mystery series.

Meghan Truman always had a dream to become a Hollywood actress. Hollywood decided she wasn’t good enough. She left Hollywood broken but with a burning desire to start afresh in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing her second dream – opening a bakery.

~ ~ ~

This is the story - aspiring actress Meghan is passing around cakes at the studio where she worked - a big star is murdered and she, of course, becomes the prime suspect. Meghan and her best friend Karen investigate and the mystery is solved. As a result, Meghan decides Hollywood isn't at all for her and plans on leaving to start her bakery career. Best friend and neighbour Karen suggests ... Sandy Bay.

Nice set up for the fourteen books that make up this series.

Review: Donuts & Disaster by Amber Crewes

Synopsis: Meghan Truman’s relationship with her assistant is severely tested when she becomes prideful over a donut recipe she’s introduced to Truly Sweet’s menu. Matters are further worsened when a distant relative of this assistant, with selfish intentions and bad manners, is found dead in the town center.The local handyman is arrested and put in jail when several witnesses confirm they saw him having an altercation with the murdered victim. Handsome detective Irvin and Meghan believe he’s innocent but the evidence against him is too damning to overlook.

Will Meghan’s attempt to give her assistant a second chance at restoring their relationship backfire or will a determination not to harbor unforgiveness in her heart lead her to the true murderer?

~ ~ ~

Okay - so as this is number four in the Sandy Bay cosy series of fourteen, a little background.

Meghan Truman always had a dream to become a Hollywood actress. Hollywood decided she wasn’t good enough. She left Hollywood to start afresh in the Pacific Northwest, pursuing her second dream – opening a bakery.

It was not hard to pick up four books in as the backstory is mentioned. Not a particularly labourious read - a nice way to while away a few hours in the sun.

Review: Chevauchee by Ian Cooper

Synopsis: A chevauchée is nothing more than a raid, designed to punish as much as for plunder. Sir Thomas has seen it all, and lived to tell the tale. The withered old man was a vigorous knight and a pillar of the community, with his wife and sons gone before him. Sir Thomas Jolly is on his deathbed. Father Hardie is there at his side, to give him the last rites, to offer comfort and solace and to listen, as Thomas opens up about his feelings, possibly for the first time in many years. A short story of The Hundred Years War.

~ ~ ~

This is a brief story of a young man's initiation into the harsh realities of war (in Nantes), with Sir Thomas Jolly recounting events on his deathbed to one Father Hardie, who is present to give him the last rights.

A fair story with a rather abrupt ending.

Review: Caledonii - Birth of a Celtic Nation by Ian Hall

Synopsis: A 10,000 word prequel to the Caledonii: Birth of a Celtic Nation series.

It is 69AD, and the Romans have been lords of the southern part of Britain for over twenty years. Knowing their eyes are forever northward, the Brigante King Venutius decides to send two of his young sons north to safety.

Sewell, a northern druid, is sent on the mission to locate the boys, then get them safe to his homeland in the Caledonii nation.

It is a dangerous journey through hostile lands, and there are many who would stand in his way. He cannot fail.

~~ ~

The prequel to the "Caledonii" series is set in the time just after Venutius' break with the warrior-queen Cartimandua - 69AD.

"There was danger in the land ... the ominous seepage of the foreign influence .." - Rome! Fearing the encroachment of the Romans, Venutius decides to send his young sons north, with the Druid Sewell, to safety.

Not having read any in the series, there was no preconceptions. It was a fair short "pursuit" story. Will I follow up with the series - probably not.

Review: The Rescue by Steven McKay

Synopsis: Yorkshire, 1325 AD

“Your brother ain’t here lass,” the man spat, stepping towards her. “And this time you are going for a swim.”

There was a snap and a shocking blur of motion as an arrow tore from the thick summer foliage behind the girl and hit the approaching man’s thigh. The missile buried itself in the muscle so hard that it knocked him off his feet and he screamed in agony as the excited dogs began barking and straining at the ropes that tethered them to the cart. In contrast, the great brown bear in the cage looked on in silence.

“My brother is here, lad,” Marjorie hissed, eyes moving from the fallen man to his stunned companions. “And so are his friends.”

“The Rescue” is part of the 100,000+ selling Forest Lord series.

~ ~ ~

A short tale that forms part of McKay's "Forest Lord" series - and a familiarity with the series is always recommended when an author throws out something extra.

This tale features Matilda Hood (wife of Robin) and Marjorie (sister of Robin) as they get into a scrape that leads to ..... the rescue.

Enjoyable diversion.

Review: Letitia Coyne Quartet

Britannia (Book I)

Maia and her step-brother Cilo were raised in an opulent but isolated villa in the Seine Valley. At fifteen Cilo escaped to the army in Britannia, leaving Maia alone and afraid.

Lucius, Luc, is commander of an auxiliary cavalry unit of Legio XX, Valeria Victrix. The son of a Caledonian mercenary who joined Rome, he and his four brothers are soldiers of renowned ability and bravery. At twenty-five he has served ten years, has another fifteen to serve, and has had enough of killing. Exhausted and battle fatigued after the brutal AD77 Cambrian campaign, he has been weighing up his chances of survival as a deserter.

As a matter of convenience, Maia is married off to her stepbrother, and once again abandoned when he returns to his post. Seizing her one chance to escape, she joins an exclusive group of travelling prostitutes on their way to Britannia. With them, she finds herself moving through a complex web of lies and deceptions, where everyone knows more than they will say and everyone she meets has their own agenda.

If she can trust Lucius, he will take her to her husband. But everything she knows about the world will change -- if she can survive the journey.

Hispania (Book II)

Although the siege of Numantia in 133BC marked the end of organized resistance to Rome, the Celtiberian tribes of northern Spain maintained their heritage of warrior elites -- and their hatred of Rome.They accepted the comforts, infrastructure and the benefits of Empire, while remaining independent tribal city-states under the control of noble families.

Marella was the daughter of one such family.  Falsely accused by a vile and corrupt Druidic high priest, she is set to be executed. Her rescuer is Marcus, a Roman deserter from Britannia who has made his home in the Gallego valley above Caesaraugusta.

Finding no purpose in the life he leads, bored and frustrated, he relishes the chance to face the challenges that come with saving the life of this young noblewoman. Her best chance of survival lies in travelling across the province to Numantia, and her only chance of survival is to do that with Marc.

Somehow they must stay ahead of High Priest Leucetius and the priests of a Romanised and corrupted temple; Marella's noble brother Taran and his standing army; and the army of Rome itself.

Away from the capital, the Roman world was a complex, sometimes bloody, blend and clash of cultures. The people were not stereotypical Roman ladies and gents consumed by the politics of Caesar's court. Hispania is a glimpse into the less well known lives of Rome.

Caledonia (Book III)

By AD83 the Romans in Caledonia held a line of glen-blocking forts, (now known as the Gask Ridge forts, from Glasgow to Perth) and the three active legions, XXth, IXth and IInd, were split along this defensive line.

Calgacus was one of a number of first century Pictish barons -- part of a landed class in northern Celt society with access to slaves, money, men and arms. He fixed on the plan to unify the Caledonian Celtic tribes against Rome, beginning with the tribes of the Forth-Clyde area. After a crushing defeat at a fort along the Roman line, Calgacus tried to bring together all the Pictish tribes and rallied an army of perhaps sixty thousand men (and women) for the Battle of Mons Graupius.

Once Calgacus' lover, Eirbrin has been sent north to her family lands on the Gleann Mor above Inbhir Nis. Fanatical dedication to the fight to free Caledonia from Rome has been her only way to deal with the deep and disabling shames of her past. When she meets Antony she believes she has found a mystic, a man of power who can help her to overcome the demons of guilt and shame.

He is a spy, a Natione -- native Britons conscripted to the Roman auxiliary army -- used extensively by Agricola in the Caledonian wars where the Celt's guerrilla tactics and harsh terrain made Roman success near to impossible. Everything about him should warn Brin of his deception, but her longing to atone, her need to be free of shame, and her growing desire for him allow her to deny or justify any doubts that come.

To him, she should be no more than an enemy, and with her ties to the leader of the Picts, a formidable source of information. But as they move through the Caledonian midlands toward the gathering battle, her beauty and courage, her innocence and the unfaltering faith she places in him draw him into an impossible situation.

Trapped between an irresistible love and an immovable duty, he must find a way to untangle his web of lies, or return to a life of service, to live or die alone.

Petra (Book IV)

Aya grew as a filthy scavenger, trailing the Bedouin caravans that crossed the Nafud wastes and the Rub’ al Khali. Bought from the arena as a young man, his new life as Sethos, the adopted son of a wealthy Roman merchant, is stained by the stigma of his past.

Jaida and her sisters were raised in luxurious slavery, destined to be the virgin oracles of Isis at provincial temples throughout the empire. When the fall of a dice brings the girls’ future into question, it is Seth who must define freedom and slavery, life or liberty – for himself and for them.  He has money, strength and cunning, and she has no more than her faith.

The gods are fickle. When they move among men, they all have their own pieces in play, some fuelled by anger, greed and vengeance.

But Isis is Queen of Heaven - Goddess of ten thousand names; she is every goddess. For every god of stone and wood, she is their mother, their sister, their lover and their nemesis. And somewhere she will have an accounting....

~ ~ ~

Britannia: Not for me - confusing and disjointed narrative. Three chapters in and absolutely no interest at all in pursuing.

Hispania: Gave this author another go - unfortunately more bland characters and incredulous storytelling put paid to further reading.

Attempted again with the remaining two books - same plotline, different timeline and place: mysterious man, strong but naive heroine, brutal society. To give them their due, the covers are quite nice,

I have no interest in pursuing anything further from this author.

Review: The Granddaughters of Edward III by Kathryn Warner

Synopsis: Edward III may be known for his restoration of English kingly authority after the disastrous and mysterious fall of his father, Edward II, and eventual demise of his mother, Queen Isabella. It was Edward III who arguably put England on the map as a military might. This show of power and strength was not simply through developments in government, success in warfare or the establishment of the Order of the Garter, which fused ideals of chivalry and national identity to form camaraderie between king and peerage. The expansion of England as a formidable European powerhouse was also achieved through the traditional lines of political marriages, particularly those of the king of England’s own granddaughters.

This is a joint biography of nine of those women who lived between 1355 and 1440, and their dramatic, turbulent lives. One was queen of Portugal and was the mother of the Illustrious Generation; one married into the family of her parents' deadly enemies and became queen of Castile; one became pregnant by the king of England's half-brother while married to someone else, and her third husband was imprisoned for marrying her without permission; one was widowed at about 24 when her husband was summarily beheaded by a mob, and some years later bore an illegitimate daughter to an earl; one saw her marriage annulled so that her husband could marry a Bohemian lady-in-waiting; one was born illegitimate, had sixteen children, and was the grandmother of two kings of England.

~ ~ ~

An accessible history of the family of King Edward III of England.

At a mere 144 pages of biographical content, this book will provide a basic introduction to not only the granddaughters of Edward III and his queen, Philippa of Hainault, but also of their children and other grandchildren.

Warner provides a basic Who's Who and family trees at the start, and ends with the descendants of the featured granddaughters, and approx 50 pages of notes.

If this is your particular era of study, Warner's book will provide a handy introductory resource for the lineage and general biographical study of Edward's offspring. For those wanting a bit more substance to those featured granddaughters, you will find it lacking here.

read in 2023

Review: The Cecils by David Lee

Synopsis: The Cecils: The Dynasty and Legacy of Lord Burghley looks at the lives of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Elizabeth I’s Chief Minister and Secretary of State and that of his son, Robert Cecil, Earl of Salisbury.

Lord Burghley served three Tudor Monarchs in an unparalleled rise to power during the reign of Elizabeth I and his political influence on state matters, his remarkable close bond to the queen, and the self-sacrifice in his service to the state and crown, are closely examined in this unprecedented work. The life and career of William’s youngest son Robert, Earl of Salisbury, who also became Elizabeth’s Chief Minister as heir to his father’s political mantle, will also be discussed.

Robert served his queen equally to, if not more ruthlessly than his father. His powerful position remained intact during the transition of the crown from the House of Tudor to the House of Stuart upon Elizabeth’s death in 1603. Robert’s loyalties and his relationship with his father remain a topic of discussion and debate. This book will also explore the transition of power from one Cecil to another, and how both men created a powerful dynasty and legacy that continues to fascinate readers today.

The book is based on a close examination of William and Robert Cecil’s correspondence, personal papers, state papers, legal documents, and memoranda. By closely examining these sources, the author has gained a clearer insight into the lives and careers of the Cecil’s, the true powerhouse behind the throne.

~ ~ ~

A detailed look at the father / son duo of William and Robert Cecil, from their humble beginnings to their prominence under Queen Elizabeth I. Author David Lee explores their political careers and personal lives, their personalities and relationship with Elizabeth, politics and religions, their rises and rewards, and finally their legacy.

We begin with William - his family and early life, his own marriage and family, and his formation of ties to the monarchy. His career began under Henry VIII and continued under Henry's son and successor Edward VI - Lee comments that Cecil's "... early life and religiosity reflected that of the monarchs .." - a wise move no doubt under Henry. Even at this stage (1540s & 1550s), Cecil was developing his relationship with Elizabeth. When Catholic Mary Tudor came to power, Cecil, a protestant, wisely stayed away from court, and he only re-emerges when Elizabeth takes the throne.

Lee then examines Cecil's position as secretary and how he was viewed by his contemporaries; his patronage and influence; and onto his own family and their positions.

Cecil's tenure coincided with religious tensions both in England and Europe. There was also the question of Mary Queen of Scots and the secret marriages of Elizabeth's kinswomen. During this time, another key player at the Elizabethan court was on the rise - Walsingham - the Spy Master. Quite timely as the 1580s were marked by plots and treason, the execution of Mary, the rise of the Jesuits and the threat of the Spanish Armada.

Cecil's final decade witnessed the rise of his son Robert, who had taken over from Walsingham whilst his eldest son by his first marriage, Thomas, took his place in the parliament, and succeeded his father as Lord Burghley.

We move onto Robert's career under James I, which begins rather precariously due to his rivalry with Walter Raleigh. However, following the Gunpowder Plot, Robert's position stablises and he too rises in esteem. But the court of James I was a hotbed of scandal, not the least for Thomas Cecil.

What Lee provides is a valuable insight into a family whose sense of duty to the monarch and crown saw them well rewarded and regarded even if not by those courtiers who viewed them with a slightly envious eye. Their political legacy extended even into the 20th century.

Recommended for those wanting to expand their reading beyond general histories of both the Tudor, Elizabethan and Jacobite periods.

Review: Peter of Savoy by John Marshall

Synopsis: 

Where did the story that ended with the great Edwardian castles of north Wales begin? How was it that hundreds of men from Savoy built castles in north Wales? Whose stylised statue sits outside the Savoy Hotel in London on the site of his former palace? Whose castle of Pevensey endured successfully the longest English siege? Why does much of Switzerland speak French to this day? Why do we find elements of the Magna Carta in the Statutes of Savoy? Who was one of the greatest figures of the thirteenth century? Peter of Savoy, known to chroniclers of his homeland as The Little Charlemagne.

Peter of Savoy came to England as the uncle of Queen Alianor de Provence, the consort of King Henry III. He quickly found favour as one of Henry’s closest advisers and noblemen. Peter was in effect Queen Alianor’s right-hand man in England, her protector, and subsequently the protector of Lord Edward, the future King Edward I. He played a key role in Henry’s military and diplomatic efforts to recover his ancestral lands in France which culminated in the 1259 Treaty of Paris. This rapprochement between the Capetians and Plantagenets might have warded off the Hundred Years War, but it was not to be.

Nonetheless, the nineteenth-century monks of Savoy thought it his greatest accomplishment. Peter played a key role in the Second Baronial War which engulfed Henry’s reign, at first siding with Simon de Montfort but then changing sides as the reform movement veered toward xenophobia. Returning to Savoy he laid the foundations for the County of Savoy to become a powerful Duchy which in turn almost became a country before it was dismembered by Switzerland, Italy and France. His historical reputation suffered at the hands of English chroniclers keen to eulogise the Montfortian regime. This work is an attempt to discover the real Peter of Savoy.

~ ~ ~

It get five stars as it ticked all the boxes for me - it achieves what it sets out - to discover the real Peter of Savoy.

And why five starts - it is a biography about a man who was at the forefront of European politics in the 13th century; it is a biography that provided additional information from what I had already read; it is a biography that provided a more balanced view of an historical figure; and it is a biography that I would be more than happy to have on the shelves of my own library (and will be - adding it to my own library, that is). Definitely one for those with an understanding of period and the major players, but also one for those looking for that little bit more.

Marshall does extraordinarily well to bring to life the character and person that was Peter of Savoy. Marshall notes that in reference to the Savoyards and their attachment to the royal family, that "... in assessing 13th century international affairs, we must think of them as family first and foremost ...". For that was how monarchs ruled - they tended to surround themselves not only with capable military and political minds, but with family, whose loyalty to them and them alone, was rarely doubted. And in Peter of Savoy and his family, Henry III, King of England, found a staunch ally who guarded the monarchy through the later tumultuous years of his reign. Peter was a pragmatist, who led a life with one foot in England and the other in Savoy; who was driven by the protection of his family and its interests in the Plantagenet dynasty. His niece was - afterall - Queen of England - but he was more than that - though depending on the political camp you were in, he was both praised and vilified.

Marshall begins with Savoy - and Peter's (or Pierre) antecedents, the foundation of the County, and its early links to England. In Savoy, Marshall advises, succession is never so simple and there was constant inter-family strife over inheritance from both sides of Peter's family - those in Savoy and those in Geneva.

Then the focus then turns to four sisters, the daughters of Raymond Berenguer V, Count of Provence. Briefly, these are: Margaret (m. King Louis IX of France); Eleanor (m. King Henry III of England); Sancha (m. Richard, King of the Romans, and brother of Henry III); and finally, Beatrice (m. Charles I, King of Sicily). And mentioned above - family was key in the world of international politics (he was uncle to all four women) - and these marriages, as with others, would play their part.

Peter found himself at the English court, where his appointments were viewed with some suspicion - nepotism was alive and well in 13th century England. However, Peter was a very capable administrator who was well rewarded - how else was he able to manage the affairs of both England and Savoy! But his main aim was to build a familial network around both Henry III, but more importantly, around his niece Eleanor and her son, Edward (later King Edward I of England). 

Henry's reign was far from popular: there were failed military forays (designed to reclaim lost Continental lands); there were the attempts to place his brother on the Imperial throne and his second son on the throne of Sicily; there were rebellions in Gascony; and there were efforts to remove the influence at court of "foreigners".  This period in English history would also be known for the Barons' Wars, and the rise and fall of the King's brother-in-law, Simon de Montfort.

The latter part of Peter's life would see him back in Savoy, consolidating his European lands, taking on the Habsburgs, settling disputes and ensuring the family succession. He was a key player on the international political scene; he was a reformer, a visionary, a statesman and diplomat, and a peacemaker.

I could literally wax lyrical about this book till the cows come home - but for those with an interest in 13th century European politics, this is a must have biography.

I would recommend reading this in conjunction with Marshall's book: Welsh Castle Builders

Review: The Case of Cem by Vera Mutafchieva

Synopsis: Vera Mutafchieva’s The Case of Cem, presented as a series of depositions by historical figures before a court, tells a straightforward tale: Upon the death of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1481, his eldest son Bayezid takes the throne. However, discontented factions within the Ottoman army urge Mehmed’s second son Cem, a well-educated and experienced warrior, to oppose his brother’s ascension. Bayezid refuses, setting off a ruthless power struggle and forcing Cem into long years of exile, a pawn for European powers as they try to slow the Ottoman Empire’s expansion.

This enticing novel of court intrigue maintains lasting resonance for being a personal exploration of emigration and loss as told through the historical era during which the politics of the East and West were sketched out with utter clarity. These early lines of demarcation, as voiced through Christian and Muslim emissaries, power hungry rulers, unflinching warriors, and poets, have indelibly influenced the word as we know it today.

~ ~ ~

As the synopsis mentions, this historical fiction novel is set out as if the characters were themselves in court, setting out their own history before embarking on their recollection of their involvement in the events surrounding the last years and days of the Ottoman Prince and Sultan Cem. Each character, speaking in the first person, provides their own unique and personal view on events from their interactions with the exiled Cem. Each character provides a little more to the overall story of Cem, with the fictional character of the poet Saadi, providing the main thread linking all to and providing an insight into Cem, as Cem himself does not provide any account for the reader.

Following his failed attempt to take his father's throne and the accession of his brother Bayezid as ruler of the Ottoman Empire, Cem became the ultimate bargaining chip in international political relations between the East (Ottoman Empire) and the West (Kings, Popes, Knights) - all of whom were eager to bring about some truce with the encroaching Ottoman Empire - for themselves, individually, not collectively. Cem is often viewed as "a hapless prisoner and cruelly betrayed paramour of a bored and similarly imprisoned noblewoman".

Cem was far from being a distant figure - having come across him in my readings on the Ottoman Empire (a fascinating lesson in the art of political survival) and other historical tomes where he has featured during his exile, not least as a "guest" of the Hospitallers on Rhodes and of the Borgia Pope in Rome.  Even in death, Cem still provided to be worthy of bargaining.

This is quite a lengthy read but I would say one that is not overly cumbersome - take your time and enjoy the story. A new reader to this period may find this style a bit more user-friendly as opposed to diving head first into Ottoman politics and history (which is quite the fascination).