The Queen's Avenger by Anna Legat @LegatWriter

 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.

RIZZIO by Denise Mina #RBRT #TuesdayBookBlog

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Novella about Mary, Queen of Scots

The first word that came to mind when I was thinking how to describe this book was 'enchanting', though the story itself is the very opposite.  The way in which it is written, however, is a delight indeed, even down to the off-the-wall chapter headings.  The shocking story of the murder of David Rizzio, servant, advisor and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots, bounces along in page-turning fashion, with a whisper of almost humorous cynicism as the author narrates the appalling events of the few days in question.

It is a chilling irony that the hornéd demons who stormed the Queen's apartments in Holyrood Palace claimed to be motivated partly by divisions in the Christian church - this grisly moment in history could have come straight from an anthology entitled 'The Devil and his Work'.  Also that the unborn child the demonic lords were so keen to write off actually became James VI of Scotland and James I of England - named by Elizabeth I as her successor.

Spoiled wastrel Lord Darnley - Mary's husband who threw his toys out of his pram when he didn't receive his 'Crown Matrimonial' (the sharing of the reign and the authority to rule in his own right if he outlived her) - was beautifully portrayed, while background information about the activities of his father and some of the other lords who took part in the brutality sent a chill up my spine that remains with me.  This novella brings home what a wild, dark and dangerous place 16th Century Scotland was - every scene is atmospherically perfect, and one is given the feeling that in aristocratic and 'noble' circles, one's life was hanging by a thread pretty much all the time.  

I loved what Denise Mina did with the insane Henry Yair, and the 'afterwards' section, when we read what happened to Mary in the years to follow and, most interesting of all, what happened to the Queen's apartments at Holyrood Palace.  Fascinating.  I have to look up more about this!

Excellent.  Loved it.

STRANDS OF MY WINDING CLOTH by Gemma Lawrence @TudorTweep

5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

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. 👑