5 out of 5 stars
On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads
How I discovered this book: have read several others by this author.
In a Nutshell: the story of a monk who supported Mary, Queen of Scots, through all she suffered.
Anna Legat's books, of which I have read several, tend to be unusual in both theme and execution, and The Queen's Avenger is no exception.
The novel opens with young monk Gunther discovering, in his Bavarian monastery, scrolls written by the late Abbott, Ninian Winzet. The scrolls take the form of a journal that reveals the precarious life of Winzet as the protector of Mary, Queen of Scots. The main part of the story is his account of the monstrous treatment of Mary, throughout her life and by almost everyone with whom she was involved, whether a romantic partner, a political/religious opponent or a member of her own family, not least of all the execrable Lord Darnley, her second husband.
This is a story of greed, lust for power, murder, malevolent conspiracies and fickle loyalties. There were a few, like Winzet, who remained faithful and honourable, but these were in the minority. I didn't know much about the late Elizabethan period or the life of Mary before, and this made me marvel that she remained alive and sane, at all. Brother Gunther's own world was only marginally less dark.
The novel is so well written and I was glued to the pages throughout. Highly recommended for all addicts of this period in history.
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