I thought there were a few here that y'all would enjoy reading. Sometimes I really do just sit here, scratching my head in confusion. :)
buff mother reviews
That's not exactly what I'd call what I'm seeing in my mirror.
cat king
They do think they are, don't they?
pic of a peaceful medieval kingdom
Unfortunately these were lost right after they stopped being a peaceful medieval kingdom.
a treasury of scandalous scandals
Can be found right next to the book of Redundant Redundantness.
download the perfect bride for Mr. Darcy
A lost chapter in which Mr. Darcy looks for an email order bride.
i, too am looking forward
Okay...?
The King of Battle
In our next episode watch Henry V and Edward IV fight for the title while Henry VIII bribes the scribes just to give him the title.
october 5, 1962 + dr.no + love me
Umm...I am totally clueless on this one...
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Book Review: Crown in Candlelight
Crown in Candlelight, Rosemary H. Jarman
4.5 roses
This is only the second of Ms. Jarman's novels I have been able to get my hands on and read but if they're all as good as this one, I shall enjoy exploring her works further. This novel focuses on a time I have not read anything about beyond Shakespeare's play on Henry V. The story is about Catherine of Valios, the French princess who married England's King Henry V. All I knew about Catherine before picking up this novel was that she was a daughter of mad King Charles of France, she married Henry V (who I can only picture as Kenneth Branagh!), gave birth to the future Henry VI, and may (or may not) have married Owen Tudor, thus giving birth to that future dynasty. That was the extent of my knowledge so I was happy to read something that truly focused on her life not only before she met and wed Henry but her life after he died. I loved every minute I was lost in its pages.
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
While there are two or three other narrators besides Catherine, the novel really is about her and the other narrators just give the reader a better idea of the events surrounding her. The first part of the book covers her early life and the struggles she had to get through with her father King Charles, who seemed to be a caring man when he was in his right mind, and her very formidable mother Isabeau who was only concerned with maintaining her power and money. Seeing the life she had before she met Henry its no wonder she was so deeply in love and devoted to him. Her closeness to her older sister Isabelle (who was married to Richard II) throws an interesting twist into her emotions later down the line. For me, the story really picked up once she was married to Henry. I don't know if that's because of the writing or just because things historically began happening at a pretty rapid pace from that point on. We also see how Owen Tudor ended up in the royal household and thus having the chance to meet the Queen. I loved the scenes between Catherine and Henry and my heart ached for the very fleeting time they actually had together. My heart also went out to Henry as he suffered with the sickness in his stomach that eventually killed him; he was obviously a very strong willed person to be able to battle (literally!) through all that pain. If Henry had lived I think theirs would have been a loving, successful marriage and she would have been a very successful Queen. It certainly would've changed history. The story between Catherine and Owen was a sweet tale of true love and I loved seeing their relationship grow. Even knowing what happened to them I was still hoping that somehow things would all work out in the end. The "villain" in this story is certainly Henry's overly ambitious and sneaky younger brother Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was made Protector over baby Henry VI after his father died. This man truly gave me the creeps whenever he showed up on the page and I wanted to reach back through history and smack him upside the head.
Beyond the characters and historical events, the writing in the novel, while keeping an "authentic" feel about it managed to not get bogged down with really heavy language, which I feel will make it easier for readers not familiar with the time period to read. The descriptions and details of battles, clothing, daily life also will help transport the reader to another time and place. I really enjoyed this look into Catherine's life, despite the fact that she was a pivotal player for the Lancastrians and gave birth to major figures in the Wars of the Roses. There was one line right at the end of the story, where Owen's Welsh friend is describing to the reader what she sees in the future, that put a huge smile on my face and took away any guilt I "might" have felt about enjoying a Lancastrian story (I won't spoil it for you but it has to do with my favorite English monarch, Richard III). I can easily recommend this story, especially if you'd be interested in reading more about Catherine, who is rarely talked about even though she is such an important part in history.
4.5 roses
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
While there are two or three other narrators besides Catherine, the novel really is about her and the other narrators just give the reader a better idea of the events surrounding her. The first part of the book covers her early life and the struggles she had to get through with her father King Charles, who seemed to be a caring man when he was in his right mind, and her very formidable mother Isabeau who was only concerned with maintaining her power and money. Seeing the life she had before she met Henry its no wonder she was so deeply in love and devoted to him. Her closeness to her older sister Isabelle (who was married to Richard II) throws an interesting twist into her emotions later down the line. For me, the story really picked up once she was married to Henry. I don't know if that's because of the writing or just because things historically began happening at a pretty rapid pace from that point on. We also see how Owen Tudor ended up in the royal household and thus having the chance to meet the Queen. I loved the scenes between Catherine and Henry and my heart ached for the very fleeting time they actually had together. My heart also went out to Henry as he suffered with the sickness in his stomach that eventually killed him; he was obviously a very strong willed person to be able to battle (literally!) through all that pain. If Henry had lived I think theirs would have been a loving, successful marriage and she would have been a very successful Queen. It certainly would've changed history. The story between Catherine and Owen was a sweet tale of true love and I loved seeing their relationship grow. Even knowing what happened to them I was still hoping that somehow things would all work out in the end. The "villain" in this story is certainly Henry's overly ambitious and sneaky younger brother Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was made Protector over baby Henry VI after his father died. This man truly gave me the creeps whenever he showed up on the page and I wanted to reach back through history and smack him upside the head.
Beyond the characters and historical events, the writing in the novel, while keeping an "authentic" feel about it managed to not get bogged down with really heavy language, which I feel will make it easier for readers not familiar with the time period to read. The descriptions and details of battles, clothing, daily life also will help transport the reader to another time and place. I really enjoyed this look into Catherine's life, despite the fact that she was a pivotal player for the Lancastrians and gave birth to major figures in the Wars of the Roses. There was one line right at the end of the story, where Owen's Welsh friend is describing to the reader what she sees in the future, that put a huge smile on my face and took away any guilt I "might" have felt about enjoying a Lancastrian story (I won't spoil it for you but it has to do with my favorite English monarch, Richard III). I can easily recommend this story, especially if you'd be interested in reading more about Catherine, who is rarely talked about even though she is such an important part in history.
The Queen's Pleasure Virtual Book Tour
I am super excited to be a part of the next virtual tour introducing Brandy Purdy's newest novel The Queen's Pleasure! I will be posting my review on June 4 and I can not wait to share my thoughts on this story! Head on over to the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours blog where you can see the entire tour schedule and special events. You're not going to want to miss out on anything with this one!
About the novel:
Publication date: June 26, 2012
When young Robert
Dudley, an earl's son, meets squire's daughter Amy Robsart, it is love
at first sight. They marry despite parental misgivings, but their
passion quickly fades, and the ambitious Dudley returns to court. Swept
up in the turmoil of Tudor politics, Dudley is imprisoned in the Tower.
Also a prisoner is Dudley's childhood playmate, the princess Elizabeth.
In the shadow of the axe, their passion ignites. When Elizabeth becomes
queen, rumors rage that Dudley means to free himself of Amy in order to
wed her. And when Amy is found dead in unlikely circumstances,
suspicion falls on Dudley - and the Queen...Still hotly debated amongst
scholars - was Amy's death an accident, suicide, or murder? - the
fascinating subject matter makes for an enthralling read for fans of
historical fiction.
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