Publisher: Resolute Books
Publication Date: 24th April 2023
Genre:Historical Ficton
Summary:
1469. England is in turmoil. For almost ten years, the attractive and charismatic Edward IV has ruled with the Earl of Warwick’s support, but now rebellion threatens the fragile peace.
Strong-willed and single-minded, heiress Isobel Fenton is determined that nothing will separate her from her beloved manor of Beaumancote even if she does have to marry to stay there. But as unseen witness to a summary execution, she is propelled into the world of personal feud and national politics, and her life will never be the same.
Left in the protection of the formidable Earl, Isobel soon discovers that she is much more than the daughter of his loyal retainer, but holds the key to the power base in a troubled region.
And she is about to marry Thomas Lacey – heir of the Earl’s enemy for whose peremptory execution he had been responsible.
The Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence foment rebellion. With the Midlands in uproar, King Edward wants peace in the shires and the last thing he needs is potential trouble in the form of an unwed heiress.
Isolated and alone, Isobel turns to the Earl’s younger brother, Robert Langton - newly sworn to Richard, Duke of Gloucester - and as unrest boils into war, she is drawn into the very heart of the conflict.
Facing extremes of courage and moral ambiguity, Isobel has to predict the motivations of those who decide her own and England’s fate. Caught between two men and a lie, and with nothing left to lose, which way will she turn?
Review:
Firstly thank you to Literally PR, Resolute Books and C.F. Dunn for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I was really looking forward to this book, it's set in one of my favourite historical time periods the Plantagenets/ Cousins war period in history but instead of being centred around the King and his family we are sort of looking ajecent to him. High enough up the social ladder to have the king's brother visiting but not so high that it all occurs at court. And I really liked that idea because so often when we have books set then it is all about court, almost to the point that you forget that they all had family seats to look after. I have to admit I got very excited to see how well-researched this book is, to the point of the author having had a medieval historian whose podcast I listen to read the book and endorse it. All of this made my history nerd self so very happy.
I did find this a very difficult book to get into though, at least for the first 100 pages, it's a very slow start to the book with a lot of scene settings and background giving, all of which are required for a book like this but it did make me have to come back to the book a few times. But once I hit the 100-page mark I did fly through the book, it's well-researched but also well-written so it's a very easy book to sit and devour. I wasn't a fan of Isobel in those first few pages, I didn't dislike her but I think I found her a little almost robotic maybe, she didn't have the fire I was expecting from the blurb until later in the book. I definitely warmed to her throughout the book and then further on as things happened to her I found that my emotions were coming into play and I completely wanted to just bundle her up and keep her safe. C.F Dunn has so brilliantly got across just how at the mercy of men women are in this age and how little control they have not only of their own lives but in some cases, their own bodies and those parts of the book are difficult to read because they've been written so well.
This book has left me at such a cliffhanger that I can't wait to start on book two of the series and see if Isobel manages to grasp any control back of her life and manor.
Krystina xx
Firstly thank you to Literally PR, Resolute Books and C.F. Dunn for having me on this tour and sending me a copy of the book.
I was really looking forward to this book, it's set in one of my favourite historical time periods the Plantagenets/ Cousins war period in history but instead of being centred around the King and his family we are sort of looking ajecent to him. High enough up the social ladder to have the king's brother visiting but not so high that it all occurs at court. And I really liked that idea because so often when we have books set then it is all about court, almost to the point that you forget that they all had family seats to look after. I have to admit I got very excited to see how well-researched this book is, to the point of the author having had a medieval historian whose podcast I listen to read the book and endorse it. All of this made my history nerd self so very happy.
I did find this a very difficult book to get into though, at least for the first 100 pages, it's a very slow start to the book with a lot of scene settings and background giving, all of which are required for a book like this but it did make me have to come back to the book a few times. But once I hit the 100-page mark I did fly through the book, it's well-researched but also well-written so it's a very easy book to sit and devour. I wasn't a fan of Isobel in those first few pages, I didn't dislike her but I think I found her a little almost robotic maybe, she didn't have the fire I was expecting from the blurb until later in the book. I definitely warmed to her throughout the book and then further on as things happened to her I found that my emotions were coming into play and I completely wanted to just bundle her up and keep her safe. C.F Dunn has so brilliantly got across just how at the mercy of men women are in this age and how little control they have not only of their own lives but in some cases, their own bodies and those parts of the book are difficult to read because they've been written so well.
This book has left me at such a cliffhanger that I can't wait to start on book two of the series and see if Isobel manages to grasp any control back of her life and manor.
Krystina xx
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