LOYALTY IN CONFLICT by April Taylor @authapriltaylor #TuesdayBookBlog

 4 out of 5 stars

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On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I know the author from Twitter and heard she was writing about this time period, one that always interests me.

In a Nutshell: Schemes and skulduggery during the Wars of the Roses!

Loyalty in Conflict is set in the period of the Wars of the Roses when Edward IV had been king for ten years, and when his brother George, Duke of Clarence, had teamed up with the Earl of Warwickshire to support the other side.  In case you are not familiar with this time in history, April Taylor has provided a brief and helpful summary of the state of play at the time when this story starts.

As the story is named 'A Gideon Rooke Adventure', I assume there will be more; Gideon is the son of the marshal at Lord Richard Welles' Lincolnshire manor at Eresby.  He works in the stable, though his basic intelligence must be hidden in a time when those of his station were thought of as dim-witted.

The household supports the red rose, but Gideon's father believes that Edward IV is the king the country needs, and sets out a plan for Gideon to inform the king about a planned rebellion.

The book is flows so well, a very 'easy read', sometimes with an almost 'cosy mystery' feel to it.  Gideon's personal development once he steps outside his own little world is most interesting, and the characters of Edward and Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III) were just as I've always imagined them.  As I often find with historical fiction of this period, an aspect that I loved was the detail that showed how people lived in this time; the book is clearly well researched.

Later in the book is a detailed account of Gideon's impression of the battlefield, which is shocking and moving, and shows that battle is no glorious adventure.  I look forward to reading more about this world that April Taylor has created.