THE MIND'S EVIL TOY (The Life and Death of Amy Dudley) by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: A favourite author, was looking forward to it.

In a Nutshell: Historical fiction with a fantastical element.

Amy Dudley, neglected wife of Lord Robert Dudley, walks through the story of her life with him ... after she has departed this world.  She is led from place to place, from situation to situation, by her companion: Death.  The purpose of this journey is to uncover the truth, and thus allow her to rest in peace, behind not only her mysterious passing, but the crumbling of her once happy marriage, as the love between Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I deepens.

I'm not into the genre of fantasy at all, but this book worked for me so well.  I loved it.  It didn't feel like fantasy as such, I think because the events portrayed really did happen. 

Amy and Death discuss the machinations of her husband and his ill-fated relationship with the queen, shown to them via their invisible presence in scenes from the past.  I found this a perfect way to tell such a story; a straight fiction from the points of view of Elizabeth, Robert and Amy would not have been half so compelling.

The twist on the likely truth behind Amy's demise is clever and interesting, written in the mode of any good murder mystery, though the notes at the back of the book reveal the author's actual thoughts on the matter (I too am in agreement with the general opinion).  However, this is not all the book is about.  It's the story of a love that couldn't be, of ambition and deceit, of the Queen's triumph of sense over passion; it makes one ponder an abandoned woman's lot in such times, and also the value of life itself, with some wise observations from the not-at-all-demonic Death.

'The wisdom of others should never be ignored, but it should also never be followed with such slavish abandon that we forget to use the matter of our own minds'

'All things must end, that is the way of things. But other beings than me, grief, bitterness, resentment, these are the true enemies, for they steal life still there to live.  They make people think life, this precious and unlikely gift, is not worth living, and the worst of it is, it is a lie and people are tricked into believing it.  I am not the enemy, just the end.  Those who steal away life from those still living, they are the enemy'

It is observations such as these that reiterate to me why Gemma Lawrence is so successful at her chosen profession.  Well done.

LITTLE ROOMS by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: Last in a series by one of my favourite authors - automatic purchase.

In a Nutshell: The last years of of Elizabeth I

I actually missed about three of this ten book series because, you know, so many books so little time, so I thought I'd chance not knowing exactly what was going on and dive into the finale - and what a finale it was.  It's a huge achievement to have written such a detailed biography of a historical character, and must make Gemma Lawrence one of the finest authorities on the last of the Tudors.

Little Rooms opens with contemplation on old age and death, a thread that continues throughout the whole as Elizabeth looks back on her life, those she has cared for and still misses, and feels Death waiting for her in the shadows.  I loved her outlook on what it means to grow old; anyone over the age of fifty will identify with all that she says, particularly her thoughts on how she views the young, and how they view her.

Much of the book is taken up with the bizarre behaviour and treachery of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and stepson of Elizabeth's life-long love, Robert Dudley.  Here I was aware of the gaps in my reading, as I hadn't read about Dudley's death or her favouritism towards Essex.  Not knowing the history of the later Elizabethan period actually added to the 'page-turner' quality of this book; I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to this sly, fickle young man, what would happen in Ireland, etc.  I was most interested in the Bolingbroke and Richard II comparison, too.

In Little Rooms, Elizabeth comes across as all I've imagined her to be at this stage in her life - a wise old woman hitting out with a stick and her sharp tongue, bestowing much on those she loves, applying sense and reason to problems in the realm with great insight and a dry wit.  All of this, while wearing elaborate gowns, wigs and make-up.  In fact, 'elaborate' doesn't even go there.  See below.

It was great, but you really should start at the beginning of the series!

BLOOD OF MY BLOOD by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

4.5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: I have read the other 5 books in this series, so it was an obvious choice!

In a nutshell: Book 6 in series about the life of Elizabeth I.

I expected this to be the last in the series but realised half way through that there is quite a long way to go - this book takes place in the middle of Elizabeth's reign, and concerns her ongoing battles with the comfortably captive Mary of Scots, her struggles to keep England out of the wrangles between Spain, France and the Low Countries, her own battles with her age as she reaches her 40s, and her complex relationship with Robert Dudley.

I was less interested in the political to-ing and fro-ing in this book than the more domestic aspects - the dramas with her 'Robin' were as compelling as ever, and so sad; I like how Gemma Lawrence showed Elizabeth's human side, in her jealousy and, yes, sometimes spite, when she discovered that Lettice Knollys was more than just another of his mistresses.  I felt sad for her that, as someone who chose to remain a virgin and be married to her country only, she could not understand the power of sex, that most people need more than a cerebral relationship, and that the closeness this brings can lead to love, and the desire to have a family.  She seemed so lonely, somehow.... but I completely understood her reasons for her decisions, so well-painted was Ms Lawrence's portrayal.

I very much enjoyed the more human side of this episode, showing the customs and domestic routines of the people, both rich and poor, and also the little glimpses of people like William Shakespeare, and the information about Drake's adventures.  The beliefs of the people, even those wealthy and educated, about the rest of the world were both amusing and fascinating.

Well done Gemma Lawrence for another great achievement.  I believe a book about Catherine Howard is in the pipeline, which I can't wait to read!

TREASON IN TRUST by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: I love Gemma Lawrence and have read the rest of this series, of which this is book 5!

Genre: History, Biography, Tudors, Elizabeth 1st.

Treason in Trust covers the middle part of Elizabeth's reign, or some of it ~ not a period of history with which I am familiar, so this was quite a new experience for me with one of Gemma Lawrence's books. 

The attention to detail in this book is as good as ever, and I especially loved the descriptions of London itself and how the people lived, made all the more meaningful because of Elizabeth's well-documented view that she was married to her country, with her subjects her children.  She talks often about the reasons for her remaining single, and her thoughts about the patriarchal society in which she lives ~ an early feminist, indeed.  

I enjoyed reading about Francis Drake, battles upon the seas, the customs, medicines and superstitions of the time ~ and the introduction of the wristwatch: "A clock... for my wrist?" I asked.  "What a novel idea, Robin!"

Much of the novel deals with the problem of the disgraced Mary, Queen of Scots, and the rebellions within her beloved England, as the problems of religious differences rear their ugly heads over and over again.  Death haunts her, as she thinks of all those she has lost, especially as she grows older and succumbs to illness ... and learns of terrible massacre and relgious persecution abroad.

Reading this, you will feel as though Gemma Lawrence knows the older Elizabeth every bit as well as she knew the girl.  There has not yet been one of her historical novels that I don't consider worthy of five stars.

STRANDS OF MY WINDING CLOTH by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

5 out of 5 stars

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How I discovered this book: Gemma Lawrence is one of my favourite authors ever, and I adore all her books!

I have been so looking forward to this, the 4th book in the Elizabeth of England series.  It covers of the reign of Elizabeth I from 1560-1567, after the death of Amy, wife of Elizabeth's great love, Robert Dudley, to the resolution of the succession question.  The Queen is under great stress as she is pressured by Robert for his hand in marriage, and by the rest of her realm, and beyond, to choose a husband and name an heir.  In case you are wondering, the 'winding cloth' of the curious title (which I love) refers to her death shroud; Elizabeth is only in her late twenties, but feels that death is ever with her, not only in the passing of those close to her and her own health problems, but because of the endless discussion about who will sit on the throne after she is gone.

  
This book has much to do with the politics behind the gaiety of court life, as Elizabeth struggles against her cousins (Mary of Scots, Margaret Lennox and Katherine Grey), and those who consider them to be not only the rightful heir, but, perhaps, to have a better claim on the throne that she has, despite her being the last child of Henry VIII... meanwhile, there is trouble to the north, and in France and her own country, with the never ending Catholic vs Protestant wrangles.

This part of Elizabeth's reign is not something I knew about, which meant that I learned much from this book.  I didn't know, for instance, that James 1st was the great-grandson of Henry VII, though how that had eluded me I don't know.  I knew how all the cousins (second and otherwise) were related, but had to stop and think, often; I would have loved a family tree at the beginning of the book (hint, hint!).  I felt I understood Elizabeth more and more as I read; this book is listed as a biography rather than historical fiction.  Clearly her personality is shaped by her early life: the fate and loss of her mother, her father's attitude to marriage, her abuse (and the shame she felt at her response) at the hands of Thomas Seymour, and her abandonment by just about everyone.  Those who she could rely on were her friends: Parry, Blanche and, of course, Kat Ashley.  As the book went on, I came to wonder if she was by nature, or was made to be by circumstances, almost asexual; not a bad thing for a monarch to be, in those times; certainly friendship was more important to her than romantic love, and she clung to Kat Ashley as a young girl clings to her mother.   I had sympathy for Robert Dudley ~ she expected him to remain true to her whilst never giving him what he really wanted, but dangling it, always out of his reach, letting him believe that she would one day grant him her hand in marriage.  No wonder, then, that he sometimes acted outside her best interests ~ and will, in volumes to come, replace her.

Threaded throughout the story is the drama and catastrophe of Mary, Queen of Scots; fascinating, I must read about her soon, too.  At the end of the book, Elizabeth and Robert draw parallels between their own situation and that of Mary's.  

I loved the representation of Tudor life, the changing of the seasons, the peep into how the people of 450 years ago actually lived, and the strange beliefs held by even the most educated and intelligent.  When the winds whistled around the castle walls, I could imagine being there.

Terrific book, a great achievement, well worth the hours spent reading it ~ it's long!  Highly recommended, but do start at the beginning, with The Bastard Princess. 👑

THE MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

How I discovered this book: I used to talk to the author on Twitter because of our mutual interest in the Tudors.  When she published her first book, The Bastard Princess, I read it and was blown away.  This is the fifth she has published ~ she writes another series, about Anne Boleyn: Above All Others.  She's become one of those authors whose books I now buy automatically, when they come out.  

The heart is blind to all but its own desires.  It is a subtle trickster, for it plants its seeds within the mind and lets them grow as though the thoughts it has created come from a place of reason and sense.

The third book in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles, this one covers the beginning of her reign, when she aims to dispel the sour taste left in the mouths of her people by the reign of her sister, Mary, to deal with the march of the prospective suitors, the pressure to marry, rivals to the throne, trouble with France and Scotland, opposition from the Church as she tries to find a happy medium between Protestant and Catholic for the Church of England ~ and when, of course, she is in love with the married Robert Dudley, and he with her.

  
Early in the book there is great description of her coronation, and demonstration of how she wanted so much to be a queen of the people.  There is a beautiful scene that made me cry, in which she takes a bunch of herbs as a gift from an old woman; be prepared to dissolve into tears at location 2383!

As with the other books, Gemma Lawrence's voice made me feel as if Elizabeth could almost be speaking through her, so real does it seem.  And, as before, the novel does not deal only with the story and her feelings, but her changing philosophies.  I liked this observation about the religious fanaticism of Mary and others: Those unsure in their faith seem to have a need to make all others think as they do.  They must impose their idea as the only idea.  So right, not just in matters of religion.  

I liked this, too: The past is a bad master, for it will hold us back when we should strike forth, it will paralyse us with terror when we should be bold enough to act.  

...and: the man who wins in this life ... is the man who knows how to make the best of what is given.

This books gives much in depth consideration to why she chose not to marry.  I know how well this author's work is researched; she was reading all she could about this period before she knew to what end it was leading, and it shows.  Therefore, this is possibly the most accurate fictional account of the first Elizabeth you will read.  So much has been written about the Queen and Robert Dudley, but I believe in Gemma Lawrence's version of the story, and most tragic I found it, too.  I think that, had they been able to marry without the shadow of Amy Dudley's death, they would have brought great happiness to each other and the people, and been memorable rulers together, for many years.

I loved reading about Elizabeth's first summer progress, and seeing the lost England of long ago, before it was covered in concrete and tarmac. The detail in this book is great; it covers a period of only a couple of years, and I'd say it's a book for those who already have something of a passion for the Tudors, not readers who are looking for an entertaining piece of general historical fiction.  It needs to be this detailed; I believe this is one of the best written-as-fiction accounts of the life of Elizabeth in existence.

 

 

THE HERETIC HEIR by Gemma Lawrence

5 GOLD Stars

Tudor history as fiction

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE
On Goodreads HERE

"I wanted not a husband who was fine to look on but useless for counsel, company or conversation.  What would I do with such a flower?  Put him in my buttonhole and wear him as an ornament?"

I read the first in Gemma Lawrence's Elizabeth of England series, The Bastard Princess, last year, and was hugely impressed by it.  This is even better.  I started it yesterday, read about twenty per cent, and today I let nothing take me from it; it's seven pm and I haven't even got dressed.  I'm not being over the top here, and neither am I drunk: honestly, this book is a masterpiece.

This second episode takes Elizabeth and the reader through the dangerous world that was the reign of her sister, Mary.  Much of the story I knew, much detail I didn't.  Written in the first person, Ms Lawrence's writes Elizabeth just as I have always imagined her, showing her strength, charisma, wit and confidence, her love for her family (both blood and from the bonds of loyalty and friendship), and her sense of duty towards her country.  She shows so well all the Princess's motivations, in particular the reasons why she would never marry.  I enjoyed her understanding of other characters, too: Stephen Gardiner, Philip of Spain, The Duke of Norfolk, and in particular Anne of Cleves; there is a delightful tribute to her at the time of her death, ending with this line, which I loved:  "She passed from this life the greatest and least celebrated survivor of my father's reign."  How true!

The other leading lady in the story is, of course, Mary ~ and Ms Lawrence made me see (and feel) Elizabeth's conflicting emotions towards her; the fear, the pity, the sadness, resentment, frustration, all bound up together, never forgetting that in her own bitterness she cause so much pain and suffering to so many. 

"She put the wishes and wants of her heart above those of her people, and covered it all in a mask of religion."

The narrative is interspersed with the occasional short chapter from the viewpoint of the older Elizabeth, fifty years later and nearing death; in both this and the main story Elizabeth speaks so many truths.

"The heart is the most dangerous enemy, and all too often it becomes the master of the mind."

"A thousand people could read the same text and see a thousand different ideas.  Writers and their books are but platforms for the imagination of a million minds.  We can take nothing from books but that which is possible in our own imaginations."

I highlighted so many quotes, too many; I could write an essay on this book.  We see Elizabeth's wit, too (inherited from her mother, one presumes!); the descriptions of Henry Bedingfield, under whose weak but watchful eye she suffered house arrest, made me smile a lot.

The story is written in the first person, in a simple way, never trying to overdo the language of the time, and it's completely convincing.  I was reminded of another series of books I'm reading at the moment, 'The Last Kingdom' by international bestseller Bernard Cornwell.  Ms Lawrence's style is very similar and it's as good, it really is.   Aside from the accessibility of the way she writes, she shows so much insight into the spiritual beliefs of the time, into the desires and machinations of men.

Love, love, love this book.  If you've got any interest in this period of history (it's one I find fascinating), I do hope you will take my recommendation and read this.  It's the best Tudor fiction I've read.
 
"If ever something is done in the name of religion that brings naught but disorder and destruction, then you can take a fine bet that it is not the heart of God that is involved, but the heart of man." 

THE BASTARD PRINCESS by Gemma Lawrence is reviewed HERE

THE BASTARD PRINCESS by G Lawrence

5 GOLD Stars

Historical fiction based on fact

On Amazon UK HERE
On Amazon.com HERE

I adored this book.  It's a first person account of Elizabeth I, from her earliest, hazy memories of her mother, Anne Boleyn, to the rightful taking of the throne by her sister, Mary Tudor.  If the next one in the series, The Heretic Heir, had been available already I would have downloaded it straight away and been reading it now instead of writing this review!

Ms Lawrence has a real talent, and I'm delighted to see that this book is selling well on both sides of the Atlantic.  I worship at the altar of such historical fiction authors as Phillipa Gregory and Norah Lofts and, honestly, this is as good.  The story is written simply, the language is perfect for the time, the style clear and highly readable, and the factual element not only accurate but so detailed, teaching me more about this period than I already knew.  It's the best story of Elizabeth I've read, and illustrates every impression I have always had of her, from her old head on young shoulders to the reasons why she chose never to marry.  Ms Lawrence's young Elizabeth is impulsive, passionate, wise, philosophical ~ there are some wonderful passages: 

"It is a great sadness of this life that those who are dull of wit and understanding are sure enough of their beliefs , whereas those who are intelligent and wise know only too well that they can never know everything."

"But love is a complicated and jealous friend at the best of times.  Even the littlest infraction can lead the heart of one who loves deeply to suspect the darkest of things.  We are such fragile creatures, when we give our love to another."

This book will delight all fellow Tudor addicts, and I hope it does as well for the author as it should ~ it's magical.

THE HERETIC HEIR (the follow up) reviewed HERE