AMAZON UK £1.20 £8.99
AMAZON US $1.66 $14.53
AMAZON CA $1.95
Fictional saga
1500s Tudor
Scotland
Jen Black’s novels are a
delight to read, not merely because of the enjoyment of ‘romance’ but because
she is adept at diversifying from one period to another with apparent ease.
This one is set in that troubling Tudor era where England and Scotland do not
see eye-to-eye. Here, the future Mary Queen of Scots has her life mapped out by
her mother, Mary of Guise and the English monarch, Henry VIII. But not all maps
are reliable or pre-ordained, nor do the map-makers necessarily agree with each
others’ marks on the charts they hope to produce.
The Queen’s Courier is a sequel to Abduction of the Scots Queen, where Matho Spirston had kidnapped Mary,
an infant, and given her into the care of Margaret Douglas - Meg - the daughter
of the Earl of Angus and Henry VIII’s sister, with Meg then being blamed for
the deed. But it is not necessary to read this first novel (although I would recommend
it!)
Matthew, Earl of Lennox, champions
Meg but he is greedy for power, and as the niece to the English King, Meg
herself is obliged to retain her
virginity and follow the King’s permission for marriage. As for the future Mary
Queen of Scots, Henry wants her as wife to his son, Edward. Her mother has
different plans.
The author, in addition
to being able to write delightful novels, is skilled at taking the reader right
into the feel of time and place, by painting visual pictures within her
narrative. Her research is well done, as is her depiction of the unsettled
politics of the period, with all the upheaval of war, intrigue, scandal, plot
after counter-plot and the dangers of being an appointed spy where messages had
to be taken in utmost secrecy between Scotland, London and France.
Jen Black’s characters
are believable, the diplomacy, the scheming, the hopes, dreams, nightmares and
dangers all zip along at a good page-turning pace. The only regret I had is
knowing the eventual fate of Mary Queen of Scots!
© Ellen Hill
click here to return to home page 'Bookshelf' then scroll down for more items of interest
No comments:
Post a Comment
We do not accept comments. If you need to contact Discovering Diamonds go to the CONTACT facility
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.