Author Interview & Giveaway: Christine Trent author of A Royal Likeness

Hey everyone! Boy do I have a treat for you today! Christine Trent, author of A Royal Likeness and The Queen's Dollmaker is here today to discuss her new book and her life as a Historical Fiction author. She is also graciously giving away a copy of her new book A Royal Likeness, which is open INTERNATIONALLY! 

A ROYAL LIKENESS

Guest Interview with Christine Trent

All Things Historical Fiction

1. I was pleasantly surprised that A Royal Likeness picks up right where The Queen's Dollmaker left off with Marguerite taking over Claudette's Doll shop. What made you decided to continue the story of Marguerite and Claudette?

Well, truth be told, I continued the story because my editor told me to!  I was halfway through an entirely different manuscript when I sold THE QUEEN’S DOLLMAKER, but my editor at Kensington, Audrey LaFehr, said she’d prefer to see a sequel.  I knew instantly that Marguerite’s story needed to be told, and that her dollmaking skills would transfer well to waxworking.

2. One of the things that I love about both your books is that you creatively incorporated doll making (The Queen's Dollmaker) and wax working (A Royal Likeness) into your storyline. What made you decide to write books centered on artistic trades in the late 1700s and early 1800s?

My inspiration was British historical romance author Rosalind Laker, whose romances frequently incorporate a heroine in a business – fan making, mask-making, haute couture, etc.  Reading her books inspired me to write my own with professions but with a twist:  I wanted to write about very unusual professions, with a little more emphasis on the historical aspect, vs. the romance side.

3. When beginning a new book or project, what steps do you take in researching and developing both your characters and your plot? Do you travel abroad to do your research or do you do it all through the internet? Where do you get your ideas for your main characters both fictional and historical?

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been abroad, but I’ve visited many of the places I write about:   Versailles, Edinburgh, and Brighton Pavilion, to name a few.  To develop a book, I first decide on the unusual profession.  From there, I try to build the profession around both major and minor historical events, and I draw in as many real people as I can.  There are usually only half a dozen or so invented characters in my books.  As far as my portrayal of fictional characters goes, I can only say that those people just pop into my head fully formed.

4. Who did you enjoy writing about most, Marie Antoinette or Madame Tussaud and why?

Wow, a difficult choice.  I guess I’d have to say that Madame Tussaud was a greater creative challenge, because so little is known of her touring years in early 19^th-century England, so I had to fill in a lot of gaps myself.  And who doesn’t enjoy a creative challenge?

What I really enjoyed about Marie Antoinette, though, was giving her a more sympathetic portrayal than history has done.  The queen was silly and extravagant, but so was everyone else around her.  I don’t think she deserves the “let them eat cake” reputation she’s been stuck with for many years.

5. Do you have a favorite place to do all your brainstorming and writing for your books, such as a coffee shop or your home office. Where do you think you do your best writing?

My husband built me a little 3x5 writing space in our home library.  We call it The Writing Hut, or The Hut for short.  It has space for my current project’s research books, as well as a cat bed for whichever kitty is joining me that day.  I do all of my writing there, except for once each month when I go to the hairdresser.  I can do an amazing amount of writing while sitting in a chair with potions on my head!

6. I really like when books that I have read get turned into films because I can see all the characters and settings come to life. If the opportunity ever came your way, how would you feel about turning your books into film and seeing your creations come to life? If this is something that appeals to you, which one of your books would you most like to see on the big screen and why?

There is no author on the planet who doesn’t want to see her book turned into film!  Those opportunities are, unfortunately, few and far between.  If I had a choice, I’d like to see A ROYAL LIKENESS on the screen.  It would be sort of a cross between Master and Commander and the Vincent Price movie, House of Wax.  J

7. What projects are you currently working on and if you're willing can we have a little sneak peak as to what we can expect from you in the future?

My next book, tentatively titled THE PRINCE’S PAVILION, about a cloth merchant named Annabelle Stirling, should be released in early 2012.  Thanks to her patron, the great architect John Nash, Belle Stirling is a rising star in the homes of London’s fashionable elite.  Even the Prince Regent wants her elegant, high quality fabrics used in the decoration of his new palace, Brighton Pavilion.  But when those closest to her conspire against Parliament, she risks losing her reputation, her business. . .and even her life.  To read the prologue, visit here:  http://www.christinetrent.com/theprincespavilion.html#excerpt

As always, I plan to bring in historical events both great and small, including the Luddite riots, the Cato Street Conspiracy, the rebuilding of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, and other events of Regency England.  I hope readers will be as fascinated as I was by details of early 19^th century cloth manufacture.

My fourth novel will encompass another unusual profession, this time a dark and mysterious one set in Victorian England.  And that’s all the detail I’m giving for now!

Thanks Christine for taking the time out of your day and spending it with us here at ATHF!

 If you would like to read my review of A Royal Likeness click here: A Royal Likeness

A Royal Likeness International Giveaway: Ends February 1st

If you would like to win a copy of Christine's new book all you have to do is:

1. Be a follower of my blog
2. Leave your name and email address in the comments section

Review: The Princess of Nowhere by Prince Lorenzo Borghese

The Princess of Nowhere by Prince Lorenzo Borghese
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (Enjoyable read)
 
Book Source: Given to me by Amy of Passages to The Past
Genre: Historical Fiction

Setting: Early 1800’s. Pauline’s husband, Emmanuel, has just passed away and now her ambitious brother, Napoleon Bonaparte, wants her to marry Prince Camillo Borghese for his own political reasons.

Synopsis: Recently widowed, Pauline is asked by her brother to take in her young cousin, Sophie, in order to provide her with a better life than what her father can give her. At first Sophie is shy and reserved around her vivacious cousin. However, it doesn’t take long for Sophie to see Pauline as a goddess who she begins to idolize.

Prince Camillo Borghese knew since childhood that his bride required the approval of the pope and would be chosen for him not by him. This was true until he laid eyes on the flirtatious Pauline. Within their first meeting they both were in awe of each other, although, Camillo had his reservations in marrying her due to her scandalous reputation. Pauline was still supposed to be in mourning for her first husband, but they couldn’t wait to be with one another. So they were soon married in secret, despite Napoleon’s relentless objection.

Even though they were both passionately in love with one another, their marriage was no fairytale. Pauline was wild and eccentric and did not like being told what and what not to do by anyone, especially by her husband. Camillo was very conventional and adamant in staying true to tradition. It was no shock when Paulina started to rebel by having affairs with other men and spending outrageous sums of money. Camillo only put up with her unseemly behavior for so long out of love. They later went their separate ways and lived separate lives for many years until something brought them back together one last time.

Review: I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Lorenzo Borghese’s book. With him being a distant heir to the Borghese family and this being his first novel I thought this book would be full of bias and that I would be let down. Let me just say that that was not the case. I found this story to be charming, erotic, and amusing.

The characterization was perfection. It was apparent that Lorenzo did his research and really built the characters from the inside out. Paulina was so eccentric and wild that I just couldn’t help but envying her at times. Don’t get me wrong I don’t envy her being able to go out and have affairs with other men but what I do envy is her confidence and poise. Prince Camillo is the dark and handsome prince that every girl dreams about. Yes he was a little prude in the beginning but he did come out of his shell bit by bit. Now Sophie was a bit odd. At first she sort of gave me the creeps by always sneaking around and practically worshiping Pauline, however, I began to understand her better as the story progressed.

As witnessed through the eyes of Pauline’s young cousin and surrogate daughter, this book is full of scandal, passion, and humor. I loved the historical aspect of this book and getting to know Pauline and Camillo Borghese. I would recommend this book to any historical fiction enthusiast.

Review: Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer

Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer

☆ ☆ (Just okay)

This is the first book to be read for my Georgette Heyer 2011 Reading Challenge.

Book source: My own copy
Genre: Regency Romance

Book Synopsis: Abigail Wendover, on the shelf at 28…is determined to prevent Fanny, her pretty and high-spirited niece, from becoming attached to Stacy Calverleigh, a good-looking town-beau and an acknowledged fortune-hunter of shocking reputation.

Miles Calverleigh, the Black Sheep of his family…is enormously rich from a long sojourn in India, has a scandalous past, and is not at all inclined toward good manners. Could he be Abby’s most important ally in keeping her niece from a most unfortunate match? But Miles turns out to be the most provoking creature Abigail has ever met with a disconcerting ability to throw her into giggles at quite the wrong moment…

Review: This is the first book by Georgette Heyer I’ve read. I was so excited to read this book because I have only heard good things about her work. Unfortunately, I was lost from the very beginning. I had to go back and re-read the first 5 pages or so just to understand what was going on. I think what confused me in the beginning was how the story is told. This book is told in the third person point of view and it kept skipping from one character to the other, which caused me to get lost a number of times throughout the book. Also, regency romance is not the genre I tend to read and so the old fashioned wording really through me for a loop. For example on page 106

“You don’t favor your father much: for one thing, he wasn’t a dapper-dog. Hadn’t the figure for it. I collect that yellow calf-clingers are now all the crack?”

Due to the narrative and the old fashioned wording, I found myself drifting off and then coming to and realizing I have no idea what I’ve just read. This was really frustrating. However, once the story started to pick up and I got more used to the wording I began to enjoy the book more.

One other thing that I didn’t much care for was the characterization. I never could really connect to the characters of the story. They weren’t very developed and I never really got a since of who they were with the exception of Abby Wendover and Miles Calverleigh. I got to know who Abby was right from the beginning whereas Miles’s character was being developed throughout the entire book. He was sort of a mystery character and bits and pieces of him were revealed to the reader throughout the story.

Overall, the book was just eh for me. I never got the urge to rush back to it to see what would happen next. There were some highlights throughout, such as Abby’s and Miles first meeting but overall I was disappointed. I hope Heyer’s historical fiction novels will do more for me than her regency romance novels. I would only recommend this book to someone who loves regency romance and understands their jargon otherwise you may be bored at times if you are like me and like the fast-past plots that keep you wanting more. 

Here's the link if you would like to sign-up for this challenge: Georgette Heyer

The Borgia's on Showtimes

So I don't know how many of you have Showtimes or if you have even heard of the Borgia family, but Showtimes has a new show called The Borgias airing some time this year. I absolutely can't wait and I'm so glad that my mom just purchased Showtimes for us to watch! I decided to post this because I thought this may be of interest to some of you. Enjoy!

Here's the plot of the show:

Oscar®-winning actor Jeremy Irons will star in the epic drama series as Rodrigo Borgia, the cunning, manipulative patriarch of The Borgia family who ascends to the highest circles of power within Renaissance-era Italy. Additionally, Academy Award® winning director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) will create and executive produce the series as well as direct the first two episodes.
THE BORGIAS will be a complex, unvarnished portrait of one of history's most intriguing and infamous dynastic families. The series begins as the family's patriarch Rodrigo (Jeremy Irons), becomes Pope, propelling him, his two Machiavellian sons Cesare and Juan, and his scandalously beautiful daughter, Lucrezia, to become the most powerful and influential family of the Italian Renaissance.

Here's a sneak peak that I found on You Tube:

Review: Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Book Source: My own copy

Setting: It’s 1351 BCE Thebes, Egypt. The crown prince Tuthmosis dies from injuries what was to be thought from a chariot accident, but some are skeptical that the crown prince’s death wasn’t an accident at all. Now the second eldest son, Amunohotep is crowned Prince of Egypt and is soon to become Pharaoh of Lower Egypt while his father rules Upper Egypt.

Synopsis: Nefertiti, the eldest daughter of Vizier Ay, is stunningly beautiful with a strong personality to go along with it. She is destined to marry the unpredictable Pharaoh Amunohotep in order to sway him back to Amun, the most important God in Egypt, and distract him from his interests in the sun disk Aten.

At 15 years old, Nefertiti marries Amunohotep who instantly becomes transfixed by her captivating spell. Now Nefertiti is Amunohotep’s Chief Wife and Queen of Lower Egypt, however, this isn’t enough for Nefertiti. She becomes so obsessed with Kiya, Amunohotep’s second wife, that she forgets the reasons why she was placed on the throne to begin with. Instead of convincing Amunohotep that Amun is all powerful, Nefertiti goes along with Amunohotep’s outrageous ideas of destroying and robbing all the temples of Amun out of fear of losing Amunohotep to Kiya.

By desecrating the temples of Amun, Amunohotep loses the love and respect of the people and now everything rests on Nefertiti’s shoulders in order to prevent the people from rebelling. The only person courageous enough to stand up to Nefertiti and tell her the truth is her younger sister Mutnojmet who has always remained loyal to her and the crown. However, Nefertiti refuses to see the error of both Amunohotep’s and her own ways. So the one loyal person to Nefertiti refuses to stand by and watch her sister singly corrupt Egypt. It doesn’t take long for Egypt to crumble under Amunohotep and Nefertiti’s reign and now they are both afraid of a rebellion that will result in either losing their crown or even worse their death.

Review: I absolutely loved this book! This was my first encounter with Michelle Moran and I am so pleased that I picked this book up off the rack at Barnes & Noble. From start to finish I was lost in the world of the Egyptians. Michelle did an amazing job describing every minute detail that I felt like I was their witnessing it.

This story was told in the point of view of Nefertiti’s younger sister Mutnodjmet, which was perfection! The characters were so well developed that you couldn’t help but to fall in love with Mutnodjmet and her body servant Ipu and absolutely despise the weak and shallow Amunohotep, who later changes his name to Akenhaten for Aten. Nefertiti is in a category of her own. Throughout the entire book I kept going back and forth from loving and feeling sorry for her to thinking she’s selfish and deserved what she got.

I recommend this book to everyone both historical lovers and not. I guarantee you will be griping your seat throughout the entire ride. I can’t wait to read the next book The Heretic Queen.

Review: Pilot Mountain by Robert Wall

Pilot Mountain by Robert Wall

☆ ☆ 1/2
 

Setting: It’s 1862 and America is in the midst of Civil War. During this year on April 16, a law was passed stating that it was mandatory for able-bodied men 18 to 35 to serve in the military.

Synopsis: 18 year-old Louis is the eldest son of the Wall family in North Carolina. Along with some cousins, Louis decides to join up fighting for the South. He and his cousins are shipped off into the Army of Northern Virginia. Upon arrival, Louis is introduced to Sergeant Flarity who takes Louis under his wing and teaches him the craft of making medicinal alcohol and stills.

Later on, Louis’s abilities become noticed and appreciated by his Captain, which gives him the idea to send Louis on a treacherous trip to Arkansas in order to give medicinal aid to another Southern regiment. Throughout the entire trip, Louis was put in several life-threatening situations where he used his cunningness to escape with his life. Once Louis makes his way back home he is forced to make a decision that could change his life forever.

Review: Pilot Mountain isn’t directly focused on the Civil War like I initially thought. Instead it is about a young man’s life journey serving in the Army and his near death experiences in some of the most famous and horrific battles during the Civil War. This story was based on the author’s Great-grandfather and his regiment during the Civil War.

Some highlights of this story that I liked was Louis’s journey to Arkansas and how he managed to stay alive despite all the obstacles he had to face. I also liked learning about how to make medicinal alcohol, which saved many lives during this war. 

There were some things that were really distracting throughout the entire book. For one I didn’t see how the book cover pertained to the story until the very end. I kept wondering who the woman was on the cover and what her role is in the story. Also, there were so many grammatical and punctuation errors in the book. I would have over-looked them if it was a review copy, but it wasn’t. I found those mistakes to be very distracting. 

 Overall the story was really an easy read that was a bit dry in certain areas. It was really hard to get myself motivated to finish the book. Robert Wall did a great job researching for this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I don’t think of this book as being completely hopeless, but I wouldn’t go out and recommend it to just anyone. I would have to say that I would recommend it only to someone looking for a light read looking for bits and pieces of the Civil War thrown in the mix of the story.

2011 Jean Plaidy & Victoria Holt Reading Challenge

Alright, so I promised I would host one more reading challenge and I came up with the perfect one! I'm so excited about this one! I have decided to host a Jean Plaidy & Victoria Holt 2011 reading challenge! Jean Plaidy is my all time favorite author and her real name is Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert and she wrote under many pseudonyms. Since work under the pseudonyms Jean Plaidy and Victoria Holt are my two favorites I've decided that this challenge should include her works under both names. Feel free to join in the fun and the more the merrier!

Rules:
1. The books must be written under the pseudonyms Jean Plaidy and/or Victoria Holt. Feel free to mix and match!

2. You must read at least 3 books but if your as crazy about her as I am I guarantee 3 won't be enough!

3. If you want to participate in this challenge and you have a blog please post the challenge button somewhere on your blog and make sure to link it back to this page so others can join in the reading fun.

4. As with all my other reading challenges, a review is not mandatory but it would be nice to see what you thought about the books you read for this challenge.

5. To sign up please leave your name, a link to your site so others can read what you are reading for this challenge, and also how many books you plan to read. If you aren't quite sure that's okay because you can always add to your list later.

(You don't have to have a blog to participate just let me know if you want to participate and feel free to comment about what you read in the comments below and on other participants blogs)

My Plaidy & Holt Reading List:
1. The Three Crowns by Jean Plaidy
2. The Queen's Secret by Jean Plaidy
3. My Enemy the Queen by Victoria Holt
4. The Loves of Charles II by Jean Plaidy
5. The Captive Queen of Scots by Jean Plaidy
6. Lord of the Far Island by Victoria Holt

This is a tentative list. I may add or reduce this list depending on how busy I get this year. Hope you enjoy your Plaidy and Holt reading extravaganza!

Review: Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy

Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Setting: It’s 1837 and Queen Victoria has just inherited the English throne from her Uncle William and for the first time in her life she feels a since of freedom.
  

Synopsis: Ever since Victoria was a little girl she was constantly watched and never allowed to be a lone for a second. Her mother, the Duchess of Kent, saw Victoria as her ticket to becoming the Regent of England and ruling until Victoria became of age to rule England herself. Victoria felt like a prisoner in her Kensington Palace where her mother dictated her life. Everything grew dark when Victoria’s mother brought in Sir John Conroy to take control of the household. Victoria did not trust him at all. She knew Sir John had motives of his own and wanted to rule England through her mother if she became Regent. Victoria was a very perceptive child and she knew both her mother and Sir John did not have her best interests at heart.

Once Victoria became Queen of England she rid herself from both her mother’s and Sir John’s retched grasp. She became very fond of her Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, a Liberal for the Whig party. She called him Lord M out of endearment. Her reign as Queen did not start off on the right foot. It seems she became too fond of Lord M, therefore, she always trusted his advice. This led to her over throwing her own government over a disagreement about her ladies maids. The people were so outraged that a man pulled out a pistol and aimed for Queen Victoria while she was riding in her carriage one day. Fortunately the madman missed.

Things turned around for the better once she met the dashing Prince Albert of Sacs-Coburg Germany. Prince Albert was Victoria’s cousin and through the coercion of her Uncle Leopold they fell in love.  The people of England did not like Albert because he was a German and looked to feminine, but of course Victoria did not care what the people thought of him. She knew he was perfect for her and they soon were married and had a grand total of nine children together. 

Review: Victoria Victorious by Jean Plaidy is the eleventh novel in Plaidy’s Queens of England series. It’s told in Victoria’s point of view, which makes it sort of her memoir. I did enjoy this book to a point. However, I found it a bit dry in some parts. Mainly, I found the political aspect of this book to be boring. 

What I really enjoyed most about the book was getting to know young Victoria as the Princess living under her mother’s rule in the Kensington Palace. Victoria was so quick witted as a child and she really pulled at everyone’s heart strings. You just couldn’t help but sympathize with her. She was kept in pretty much a prison and hardly ever allowed to visit her very own Uncle the King of England who became very fond of little Vicky. In her entire life there were seven attempts at her life and she tried very hard to not let it bother her. I also enjoyed the courting of young Prince Albert and Victoria. Albert was truly perfect. He put up with Victoria’s “storms” of anger and did not let it affect their marriage. 

Although this is not my favorite Plaidy novel I did enjoy it. Queen Victoria was truly a strong woman and was the longest reigning British Queen. She reigned for sixty years. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about the ups and downs of Victoria’s life. She really was an inspiration.

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

Favorite Books Read in 2010

Hey everyone! HAppy ChriStmaS Eve! Can you believe it's almost the end of the year 2010 and we are vastly approaching 2011!

Today I wanted to list my top 5 favorite reads that I read this year, whether they be books published this year or several years back. So here it goes and I'm sorry if this makes your Christmas wishlist even bigger!

My favorite book read this entire year was...

The Courts of Love by Jean Plaidy

I absolutely loved this book! It's about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine in Jean Plaidy's Queens of England series. Unfortunately, I hadn't started reviewing books when I read this book so I don't have a review posted on this one. Here's the review from publishers weekly.
From Publishers Weekly

This fifth volume in the Queens of England Series is devoted to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Evoking the beautiful, tempestuous and sensual woman who divorced the King of France and married the King of England, Plaidy employs the ingratiating domestic details that are characteristic of her historical storytelling. Despite a hobbling first-person narrative that tends to repetition, the novel is dramatic in the sweep of its background and in the vividly realized events of Eleanor's long life. Raised with the Provencal languor of the courtly love tradition in her native Aquitaine, her beauty the toast of jongleurs, Eleanor relieves the tedium of her marriage to the pious French King Louis by daringly joining the Crusaders. She further shocks by pursuing her attraction to unattractive Henry Plantagenet, lured as much by the English crown as by the mutual sensuality that produces her favorite son, the enigmatic Richard the Lionhearted. Later, ambitious, headstrong Eleanor locks wills with Henry, leading to her imprisonment for many years. Even then, Eleanor remains central to the tumultuous epoch that witnessed the murder of Thomas a Becket and other royal infamies. Plaidy's prose style is serviceable at best, lacking in grace and nuance. Readers who enjoy easily accessible historical fiction, however, will find Eleanor's story adequately told.

Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
 
Next in the running was...
 

The Queen's Bastard by Robin Maxwell

 

This was an amazing read. Here's publishers weekely review:

From Publishers Weekly

Maxwell's second novel (after The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn) breathes extraordinary life into the scandals, political intrigue and gut-wrenching battles that typified Queen Elizabeth's reignAas seen through the eyes of Arthur Dudley, the man who may have been the illegitimate progeny of the Virgin Queen and her beloved Master of the Horse, Robin Dudley. Arthur's first-person narration is cleverly juxtaposed with third-person dramatization of significant events in the queen's life, bringing an intricate authenticity to the possibility that Elizabeth gave birth to a bastard son. Maxwell's research examines the biographical gaps in, and documented facts about, the queen's life, making this incredible tale plausible, and the author aptly embellishes her story with rich period details and the epic dramas of the late 16th century. Switched at birth with a baby's corpse by a lady-in-waiting who foresaw the disastrous political consequences of a royal bastard, the infant is raised in the English countryside, where he is abused by his adoptive mother. Only his adoptive father, Robert Southern, knows his true background, and it is only when Southern lies dying that he reveals the secret to Arthur. The circumstances leading to Arthur's reunion with his father and finally his mother range from the young man's military training in Wales and encampment in the Netherlands to his post as a spy in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, all played out against the backdrop of England's defeat of the Spanish Armada. The novel falters only with an abundance of references to Anne Boleyn's diary (coy allusions to the author's first novel), but this minor affectation defuses none of the powerfully lascivious intersections of sexual and international politics that, combined with Maxwell's electrifying prose, here make for enthralling historical fiction.

My third favorite book of 2010 was...

A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent

This was such an enchanting read entaingled with the wax workings of Madame Tussuad. Here's my review: Synopsis: A Royal Likeness is the sequel to The Queen’s Synopsis: A Royal Likeness is the sequel to The Queen’s Dollmaker. Years have passed and Marguerite is now the sole heir of Claudette’s Fashion Doll business. She couldn’t be happier living the life of a tradeswoman with her devoted husband, Nicholas Ashby, constantly at her side. It would seem nothing could bring Marguerite’s spirits down until a raging band of rioters end up on her doorstep harassing and accusing her of conspiring with the enemy as a result of being a French émigré. Suddenly, the riot breaks loose and descends upon her shop breaking everything in their path. While defending his wife’s work, Nicholas is brutally murdered right before Marguerites eyes and her life ceases to matter.

Marguerite decides to escape everything that reminds her of Nicholas and goes to stay with her Aunt Claudette and Uncle William in the country. She soon finds herself immersed in the depths of depression, until one day her aunt gets the idea to send Marguerite to work as an apprentice for Madame Marie Tussaud, who has a wax exhibition residing in London.

Just when Marguerite becomes settled in her new life working for Madame Tussaud, England’s Prime Minister William Pitt, sees Tussaud’s wax work as a useful war strategy and decides to commission a wax figure of Admiral Horratio Nelson. Madame Tussuad decides Marguerite has developed enough skills to go to London herself. Upon arrival, Marguerite captures the attention of two completely opposite men who desperately try to compete for her affection. It doesn’t take long for disaster to strike again and Marguerite finds herself entangled in a dangerous adventure that no woman should ever be subjected to.

Click here for more:

Fourth in the running is...

O'Juliet by Robin Maxwell

I loved Maxwell's spin on Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet! It had me guessing the entire time. Here's a tid bit of my review:

When Juliet meets Romeo Monticecco, at her friend Lucrezia’s masquerade ball, she immediately falls in love with him. They find they have something in common; their love of Dante’s poetry. They quote his work to express their feelings towards one another, which brings them even closer. For once in Juliet’s life, she has found someone who actually understands and shares her passion for writing and reading poetry, however, this posses two problems. The Capalletti’s and the Monticecco’s are families at war with one another and Juliet is soon to be betrothed to Jacopo Strozzi.
Click here to read more:

Last in the lineup is...

Katherine of Aragon by Jean Plaidy

Here's Publisher's Weekly review:

Katharine of Aragon, first of Henry VIII's six wives, is brought to life in the three books which make up this volume. Katherine comes to England from Spain to marry Henry's older borther, Arthur; after his death she marries Henry. The three novels cover the time she spent in England, up through Henry's divorce from her. Katherine is a figure who is often passed on for more exciting fare such as Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, and I'm pleased that Jean Plaidy chooses to spend time upon her. As always, each writer of historical fiction has a different conception of the people and places he or she writes about, but Plaidy plays much attention to detail- whether or not what she recounts in fact took place.

This book follows the story of Katharine, but it doesn't focus soley uopn her; we also see bits and pieces of the politics which occur at court. Thomas Wolsley plays a small role here as the upstart butcher's son who dreams of someday becoming Pope.