Review + Giveaway: To Serve A King by Donna Russo Morin

Be sure to sign up for a chance to win a copy of To Serve A King in the comments section below!

To Serve A King By Donna Russo Morin

★★★★

Source: I received a copy from the author in exchange for a fair & honest review.
Release Date: February 2011

Review:  I experienced a lot of firsts from reading just this one book. For instance, this was my first time reading a book by Donna Russo Morin and I haven’t read a historical novel centered around King Francois I’s court until now. Also, I believe it was the first novel I have read where the heroin was a female spy. This book was so rich and vibrant I couldn’t get enough of it.

The story started during one of the most historical moments in European history. It opened with the meeting between two of Europe’s most feared and respected kings: King Henry VIII and King Francois I. Their meeting became known as The Field of Cloth & Gold, which was brought on to signify a friendship and form an alliance between their two countries. This moment was definitely out shined once a colossal fire broke out in their camp tragically killing innocent bystanders and leaving little two year, Genevieve, an orphan. Henry VIII saw this as an opportunity he could not pass up.

We all know both Henry VIII and Francois I had multiple spies in each other’s court, but Henry VIII devised a plan that would put a spy right under Francois nose without him suspecting a thing, which is where little Genevieve came in to play. Henry had Madame de Montlhery raise Genevieve as her niece, which later I concluded the most likely possibility was that Montlhery was one of his spies as well. 

For nineteen straight years, Genevieve was brought up to despise the man who murdered her family with that man being King Francois I. Under the supervision of her aunt, Genevieve was schooled in areas that no proper woman of the times should have been educated in. She was taught to decipher encrypted codes, hunt, and ride like a gentleman. She became an expert with the sword, dagger, and highly accurate with a bow. Genevieve was being molded into a killer spy for Henry VIII.

When the time was right, Genevieve was sent to the court of the man she was taught to hate with every bone in her body. She becomes a lady in waiting for the king’s mistress, the Duchess Anne de Pisseleau with her sole purpose being to spy for the one man she felt she could count on, Henry VIII. Genevieve had no idea how much she would come to love being a courtier. It was the first time she ever had any friends and people she thought truly cared about her well being. 

The longer she remains in the French court the harder it is for her to continue to despise the one man she swore to make pay for her parents’ untimely demise. She begins to struggle with where her loyalties should lie. Should she remain loyal to the one man who has equipped her with the necessary tools to avenge her parents’ death or should she switch sides and be the faithful courtier and friend to the man who took her in and provided her with a warm bed, food, and most of all friendship and trust. Genevieve knows she must choose soon and when she does there will be no turning back.

Opinion: I loved this book! Kudos to Donna Russo Morin! I love a good book with a strong woman as the heroin. This had all the fine trimmings, which makes a good historical book worthwhile. I loved the twists and turns throughout the novel and how Morin really paid attention to detail. I did find the book had a few slow points, but it was an easy read, which was nice because I was studying for finals while also trying my hardest to keep up with my review requests. This book is highly recommended to all those who love both the French, Tudors, and thrill seeking adventures!

Giveaway:
Donna Russo Morin has so graciously offered up a copy to one lucky winner! This giveaway is only open to US Residents and it ends May 18^th.  All you have to do is say which king you'd be loyal to. Does your loyalty lie with King Henry VIII or King Francois I and why?

-You must be a follower of this blog through GFC follower.

-Leave your name and email address so I can contact you. If no email address is provided then you will not be entered into the giveaway.
-+1 entry if you're a new follower. Just tell me below in the comments that you are a new follower.
-+2 entries if you tweet, blog or facebook this giveaway. Please leave a link or else it wont count. 

Review + Giveaway: The Queen's Rival by Diane Haeger

The Queen’s Rival by Diane Haeger

★★★★★

Source: I received a copy from the publicist in exchange for a fair and honest review
Release Date: March 1^st 2011

Setting: It’s 1513 and Henry VIII is King of England. He is desperate for a male heir, which his wife Queen Katherine of Aragon has failed to produce. In order to take his mind off his duties as king and relieve some stress due to the of a male heir, Henry decides to turn his attention to the beautiful young ladies of the Queen’s household. 

Synopsis: Little Elizabeth “Bess” Blount is just a little country girl who dreams of one day going to court and becoming one of the Queen’s ladies just like her mother. Bess finally gets her chance at court life when her mother decides to give up her position in the Queen’s apartments in order to take care of her father who has been injured while fighting in France among the kings soldiers. 

Upon her arrival, Bess is put in her place by being constantly reminded that she is only there based on a personal request from her father. All the Queen’s maids have titles and she is merely Mistress Blount. Court life is nothing like she expected. She soon learns that Queen Katherine is a pious woman and is disappointed when she discovers that the Queen does not condone music or dancing in her apartments while she is with child. As a result, all of Bess' fantasies about the glamorous and exciting life at court is squashed.

Bess did not expect to feel the overwhelming feeling of being homesick; however, her spirits are lifted when she makes friends with Elizabeth Bryan and Gilbert Tailbois who are notorious for causing trouble at court. When the king finally returns to court after being fighting in France, the atmosphere of the court becomes more cheerful and glamorous just like Bess always dreamed it was. When she is finally introduced to the King, Bess becomes completely in infatuated with him. After watching her friend Elizabeth flirting and capturing the attention of both the king and his closest friends, it was obvious to Bess that she is way behind the other court ladies when it comes to charming young gentlemen of the court. 

It did not take long for Bess to start capturing the attention of the king with her youthfulness and charming naivety. It becomes so hard for her to fight her feelings towards Henry. She feels that by giving in to her true desires she will be betraying the Queen who has so graciously excepted her into her household. By giving in to her temptations and becoming the king's mistress, Bess gives Henry something he has desired more than anything in the world, but what will it cost Bess in the end?

Review: Diane Haeger has done it again everyone! Haeger is an amazing writer who knows how to capture every minute detail. She peered into the life of King Henry VIII as a young man who is battling his emotions and learning how to control them. This is a new side of King Henry VIII that I haven’t seen portrayed be any other author. The book gets its name The Queen’s Rival because Queen Katherine views Bess as a threat to the king’s heart and soul, which she has lost due to her failure of providing a male heir.

This was such a refreshing read because Bess Blount’s story is a side of Tudor history that hasn’t found its way in many historical novels. Bess has only been briefly mentioned in Tudor novels as being his most loved mistress who provided him with something no other has been able to give King Henry.

I loved this book! It was so beautifully written and I could not help but to fall in love with Bess Blount. It was such a romantic story that I would recommend to all HF lovers and especially Tudor fanatics like myself!

If you would like the chance to read The Queen’s Rival the publicist is kindly giving away a copy to one lucky winner! US only! Giveaway ends March 16th

For +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, or tweeting.  You can use the SHARE buttons below and please include the link in the form below

    You can also get +1 additional entry by being a new follower of my blog.

Upcoming Release! The Queen's Rival by Diane Haeger

I am so excited to bring you news of one of Diane Haeger's soon to be released novels The Queen's Rival. I absolutely loved Haeger's book The Perfect Royal Mistress and her latest release, The Queen's Mistake, is waiting patiently on my TBR bookshelf.

The Queen's Rival is due to be released March 1st of 2011. It's her 12th novel and her third book in the Court of Henry VIII Series. I have been anxiously waiting for this book to be released and it's finally almost here!

Synopsis from author's website:

The book is based on the true, not often told story of Bess Blount, mother of Henry VIII’s only acknowledged natural son. Her inspirational story is one of a naïve young woman’s coming of age amid the powerful English court and all its players, as mistress to the king--- and companion to his queen. Through the years, Bess triumphs and survives, finding not only herself through the challenges, heartbreaks and hurdles, as well as the balancing act she must live every day to survive, but she finds the two great enduring romances of her life there, as well….

Henry VIII 2011 Reading Challenge

Hey Everyone! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and possible expanded your library a little...I know mine sure did!

I have come up with a few new 2011 reading challenges to both host and participate in. I'm going to post them one at a time so people can sign up for the one's they want to participate in down below in the COMMENTS area.

So I decided to start off by posting the Henry VIII 2011 Reading Challenge that I'm hosting here at All Things Historical Fiction. Please feel free to join in the reading fun! The rules for this challenge are listed below.

Rules:

1. The book must be centered around Henry VIII in some way obviously and the books can overlap other challenges you may be participating in.

2. You must read at least 3 books and they can't be one's that you've already read because that sort of defeats the purpose.

3. This is a year long challenge so you have until January 1st of 2012 to finish your personal goal.

4. It's not mandatory to post a review but it would be nice so other people can read them but Non-bloggers please include your information in the comments below.

5. Please sign up by leaving a comment down below with your name, link to this challenge on your blog, and how many books you plan on reading.

6. You must some how link back to this post so others can join in the fun!

I will update my list as much as possible and will post my reviews as soon as I read them.  I hope to read as many as 5. Here's what I have so far:

1. The Queen's Rival by Diane Haeger (5 Stars) Read Review

Review: The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory

The Wise Womany by Philippa Gregory
☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2

The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory takes place in Durham County England in 1535.

It was during this time that the English Reformation was put forth by King Henry VIII. Henry VIII sought out to split from the Roman Catholic Church because Queen Anne Boleyn failed to produce England with a male heir. In order for Henry VIII to be completely rid of Anne and be free to marry another, he accused her of witchcraft. Anne Boleyn was sentenced to die by the sword. This led Henry to pass the Anti-Witchcraft Law for England, which caused many English citizens to become paranoid. Anyone who looked out of the ordinary or seemed to be doing something suspicious was accused of being a witch. This sets the stage for Philippa Gregory’s book The Wise Woman.


Alys is an orphan raised by her foster mother the local town’s wise woman, Morach. She and Morach live in a tiny shack right off of Bowes Moor where they are labeled as outcasts. The town fears Morach, suspecting her of being a witch capable of performing dark magic. Alys is sent away to live with the local nuns by the parents of her childhood crush Tom. This was done to prevent Tom from marrying Alys because his parents saw her as a girl with no respectable family that could pay her husband a dowry.

On a cold dark night, Alys awoke to a smell of something burning. She soon realized that the entire Abbey was on fire and was under attack by Lord Hugo and his men. Upon leaving her room she noticed that she was the only one who was awake. The other sisters and Mother Hildebrand were unaware of the danger they were in, but Alys was worried that if she helped them escape that she would be dead too. So Alys ran as fast as she could away from the nunnery not knowing whether anyone survived the attack or not. She found herself back at Morach’s door begging her to take her back so long as she would not have to use her powers and could remain true to her vows.

Alys was once again forced into living with Morach and succumbed to the feeling of being unclean and famished. One day Alys was summoned to the castle of Lord Hugh. His health was failing and he begged her to work whatever magic she could to save him. She confessed that she was only an herbalist and did not partake in witchcraft. Lord Hugh soon grew found of Alys and offered to let her stay in the castle where she would become his clerk. She agreed in order to escape from Morach’s damp and filthy shack.

It did not take long for Lord Hugh’s son Hugo to become infatuated with Alys, which caused his wife Lady Catherine to become extremely jealous. Alys soon finds herself backed into a corner as a result of Lady Catherine’s outrageous accusations of her being a witch and hexing Hugo into loving her. For her own safety, Alys decides to set aside her vows and take up the powers she’s learned from Morach. The spell she conjures up becomes too powerful for her to control and so it takes on a life of its own. This puts Alys in mortal danger and on the path to self destruction. Does Alys rise so far to the top only to fall so low to where not even her powers can save her?

After reading this book, I can see why so many had a hard time even finishing it because of the combination of witchcraft and very erotic sex scenes. I must admit this is not Philippa’s best work but it does not deserve to be shunned like so many have done. I went in knowing there were to be some crazy sex scenes and so I was prepared for them when they appeared. I enjoy reading paranormal books so the witchcraft aspect didn’t bother me a bit, in fact I found it refreshing. It was nice to read something a little different from your typical HF books.

I did find the character of Alys to be a little disturbing at times. I kept questioning why she chose to do some of things she did. I knew she wasn’t making very wise choices that may cause her to dig her own grave, but I was curious as to where it was going to lead her in the end.

Overall, I was not too disappointed with this book. If you can accept the fact that there will be some crazy and also some disturbing sex scenes down the line then it shouldn’t be too bad. If you choose to read this book, don’t expect another Other Boleyn Girl or The White Queen. Expect something more like Wideacre. If you could handle Wideacre then it may be a good choice for you.

Nov. 9, 1541, Queen Catherine Howard imprisioned in London Tower

Can you believe on this very day, November 11th, Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard was imprisoned in the London Tower.

Catherine Howard, who was a first cousin to Anne Boylen, was raised in the country in the home of the Dowager Duchess. When King Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves, Catherine was placed in Anne's household as a lady-in-waiting. Once the King saw Catherine he immediately fell in love with her. Some writers believe that the King was pathetically infatuated with her and that he truly did love her. There was an astounding age difference between them. Catherine was only 15 or 16 when they met and Henry was well into his 50’s and he no longer looked like the dashing King he once was.

It was no hidden secret that King Henry VIII despised Anne of Cleves. He once stated that she looked like a “horse.” So it did not take long for Henry to seek to divorce Anne and in order to take Catherine Howard as his wife. Cromwell was beheaded on July 28, 1540. It was on that very same day that Henry married Catherine. This shows how torn up Henry was about executing his once trusted advisor.

As a result of never being coronated, Catherine was never Queen in her own right, however, she was called the Queen Consort. To this day, there is much debate as to why Henry never crowned Catherine. Some believe that he did not want to put Catherine in the public’s eye since she had been raised always having her own privacy.

Many believed Catherine was feeding her Uncle secret information about the King; therefore she was always treated with suspicion by many people of the court. It did not take long for Catherine’s past to haunt her. Mary Lascelles, who was once a servant for the Dowager Duchess, brought Catherine’s past to the attention of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cranmer. She told Cranmer about Catherine’s love affair with Francis Dereham and Thomas Culpepper. It was Cranmer who informed the King of Catherine’s indecencies and current involvement with Thomas Culpepper. The King did not want to believe, what he thought to be, lies about his young wife.

It was a little later that Henry was shown letters addressed to Culpepper, supposedly written in Catherine’s own hand. What makes this interesting is that Catherine was known to be illiterate.

It was actually Catherine’s own uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, who sealed Catherine’s fate by turning against her in order to save himself. Does this sound familiar? It was also Anne Boleyn’s uncle who turned against her, which helped seal her fate of being beheaded. It was also Catherine’s uncle who visited her room reading aloud her Charge Papers.

"My Lady Catherine Howard. You have been charged with treason. The grounds for this charge is that you entered into marriage with His Royal Highness, King Henry VIII having knowledge of a previous betrothal to both Henry Mannox and Frances Dereham. It is also stated that you employed these persons, here at the Palace, with the full intention of continuing this sordid lifestyle. You have, not only brought shame upon your name, but have grievously sort to destroy His Majesty the King. It will be in your best interest to admit to these crimes and plead for his mercy".

Catherine's reply.

"I am innocent of all charges and will never admit to these lies. If there is any ground of truth in these statements, then it is because of childish ignorance and the evil companions with whom I was formally surrounded. I also seek to state, that I am faithful to the King and would never wish harm upon him. I will seek his mercy, but not by admitting to these treacherous lies".

It seemed for a while that Catherine’s charges were going to be dropped but like always there were evil people lurking around who ended up sealing her fate. So on November 11, 1541 Catherine was arrested and taken to the Tower of London where she was held until she was beheaded on February of 1542.

If you would like to read the Story of Catherine Howard, I highly recommend Jean Plaidy's novel Murder Most Royal.