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| Harper Collins December 2016 |
The book blurb..
Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half-brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future.
Bestowing Earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
He seeks solace in his estates and in the arms of Jane Hywel, a young Welsh woman who offers him something more meaningful than a dynastic marriage. But passion turns to jeopardy for them both as the Wars of the Roses wreak havoc on the realm. Loyal brother to a fragile king and his domineering queen, Marguerite of Anjou, Jasper must draw on all his guile and courage to preserve their throne − and the Tudor destiny.
My thoughts about the book..
Best Read With....Chunks of roasted boar and a goblet of fine French wine...
Living in the shadow of the
royal court was both fragile and unpredictable, and for Edmund and Jasper
Tudor, the half-brothers to the king of England, their time in the spotlight
was dangerous but also the opportunity for great advancement. However, the
Tudor brothers find out to their cost that spending time at one of the most
capricious court in Europe can be treacherous. The internal politics of the
time is well explained as is the relationship between the king and his feisty
wife, Queen Margaret of Anjou.
Jasper Tudor has always been
something of an enigmatic figure, often overshadowed by the relationship of his
older brother Edmund, whose ill-fated marriage to Margaret Beaufort resulted in
the birth of Henry Tudor, and yet, Jasper was the one who was charged with the
protection of Henry Tudor when things went so badly wrong for the Lancastrians.
I enjoyed the story very much.
The author has a nice way of making history very readable and infuses her
characters with such warmth that they become very real in the imagination. I
liked the way that the major characters were given their own voice thus
allowing the different strands of the story to evolve gradually. There is a
good sense of history throughout, and time and place is captured perfectly. The
inclusion of a romantic element into the story allowed Jasper Tudor to become
more of a rounded character and gave an interesting insight into the important
Welsh aspect of the Tudor story.
First of the Tudors is the start
of a new series of novels by this author, which looks at the continuation of
the Tudors, with Henry Tudor’s story to follow in due course.
About the author
More about Joanna can be found by clicking here
Find on Facebook
Follow on Twitter @joannahickson
Read an interview with the author by clicking here
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