Last week I treated myself to $50 worth of Plaidy, and I received the two new Three Rivers Press editions in the mail today! Here’s a peek at what I ordered:

Defenders of the Faith

Arrow reprint via The Book Depository

description:

“These are dark days for England; the Tudor succession hangs precariously in the balance, along with the lives of its people. The wrong religion can all too easily mean a brutal death in a time when the difference between ‘faithful’ and ‘heretic’ rests on the monarch alone. With the shadow of the dreaded Inquisition looming across the continent from Spain, one family, lead by two brave men – daring and adventurous Felipe and his cousin, reserved and thoughtful Richard – struggles to survive against the overwhelming odds. This is an epic, unforgettable historical novel, set during some of England’s most tumultuous years.”

For a Queen’s Love previously printed as The Spanish Bridegroom

Three Rivers Press reprint via Amazon

description:

“Set against the glittering courts of sixteenth-century Europe, the Spain of the dreaded Inquisition, and the tortured England of Bloody Mary, For a Queen’s Love is the story of Philip II of Spain—and of the women who loved him as a husband and father.

Philip was a dark and troubled man, who, like many royals, had been robbed of his childhood. His first marriage, a romantic union with childlike Maria Manoela, brought him tragedy and a troublesome son, Don Carlos. Then followed marriage with the jealously possessive Mary Tudor, a political union that ultimately failed to bring Philip an heir that would solidify the unified power he so deeply desired. And finally, marriage again to a young bride Philip stole from his unbalanced son, sowing the seeds of brutal murder. But history is seldom what it seems, and in the hands of beloved author Jean Plaidy, we hear another side to the story of Philip II—the most powerful of kings who was at once fanatic, murderer, husband, father, and lover.”

A Favorite of the Queen previously printed as Gay Lord Robert

Three Rivers Press reprint via Amazon

description:

“Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester was the most powerful man in England during the reign of Elizabeth I. Handsome and clever, he drew the interest of many women—but it was Elizabeth herself that loved him best of all. Their relationship could have culminated in marriage but for the existence of Amy Robsart, Robert’s tragic young wife, who stood between them and refused to be swept away to satisfy a monarch’s desire for a man that was not rightfully her own. But when Amy suddenly dies, under circumstances that many deem to be mysterious at best, the Queen and her lover are placed under a dark cloud of suspicion, and Elizabeth is forced to make a choice that will define her legacy. ”

I also ordered some used Jean Plaidy books from Alibris:

A Triptych of Poisoners, Daughter of Satan and The King’s Adventurer

See my entire Plaidy collection here.

One of the most interesting medieval subjects for me is religious intolerance, the strife between the Catholics and Protestants, and basically the beliefs and practices of people from every level of society. Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s novels all cover these issues, and she has a new one coming out next month on the reformation during the reign of Henry VIII.

I read The Illuminator in 2008 (read my review) and count it as one of my favorite reads. I immediately bought The Mercy Seller but before I could read it I lost it when we were flooded and have not bought another copy as yet.

The Heretic’s Wife is due to release on April 13th and it’s going on my books to read in 2010! Read below for book descriptions of all three…

The Heretic’s Wife

“Tudor England is a perilous place for booksellers Kate Gough and her brother John, who sell forbidden translations of the Bible. Caught between warring factions—English Catholics opposed to the Lutheran reformation, and Henry VIII’s growing impatience with the Pope’s refusal to sanction his marriage to Anne Boleyn—Kate embarks on a daring adventure that will lead her into a dangerous marriage and a web of intrigue that pits her against powerful enemies. From the king’s lavish banquet halls to secret dungeons and the inner sanctums of Thomas More, Brenda Rickman Vantrease’s glorious new novel illuminates the public pageantry and the private passions of men and women of conscience in treacherous times.”

The Illuminator

“It is England, in the late fourteenth century, a time when the whim of a lord or the pleasure of a bishop can seal nearly anyone’s fate. The printing press has yet to be invented. Books, written only in Latin or Norman French, are rare and costly, painstakingly lettered and illuminated with exquisite paintings—far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

But there are cracks in the old feudal order—and in the absolute power of the Church. Finn is a master illuminator who works not only for the Church but also, in secret, for the heretical Oxford cleric John Wycliffe. Under the nose of the powerful Abbot of Broomholm, Finn illuminates pages for Wycliffe—an English translation of the Bible, meant to bring the word of God to the masses. And Finn has another secret, one that will lead both himself and his beloved daughter into ever-increasing peril.

Lady Kathryn, the mistress of Blackingham Manor, is a widow who finds herself caught between the King’s taxes and the Church’s tithes. To protect her sons’ inheritance, she strikes a bargain with the abbot—Kathryn will take in the illuminator and his daughter, and gain the monastery’s protection. What begins as a hesitant friendship between Finn and Lady Kathryn grows into a passionate alliance that touches off a chain of betrayals, tragedies, and unexpected acts of heroism.

Richly detailed and irresistibly compelling, The Illuminator is a glorious novel of love, art, religion, and treachery at an extraordinary turning point in history.”

The Mercy Seller

“In the fifteenth century, with religious intolerance spreading like wildfire across Europe, Englishwoman Anna Bookman and her grandfather, Finn, earn a living in Prague by illuminating precious books—including forbidden translations of the Bible. As their secret trade grows ever more hazardous, Finn urges Anna to seek sanctuary in England. Her passage abroad, however, will be anything but easy.

Meanwhile, a priest in London, Brother Gabriel, dutifully obeys church doctrine by granting pardons . . . for a small fee. But when he is sent to France in disguise to find the source of the banned manuscripts finding their way to England, he meets Anna, who has set up a temporary stall as a bookseller. She has no way of knowing that the rich merchant frequenting her stall is actually a priest—just as he does not know that he has met the woman for whom he will renounce his church.

It is only in England, which is far from the safe harbor once imagined, that their dangerous secrets will be revealed.”

The Queen’s Lady by Barbara Kyle

book description:

“London, 1527. Marry or serve: for Honor Larke, the choice is clear. Unwilling to perish of boredom as an obedient wife, she leaves the home of her ward, the brilliant Sir Thomas More, to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life at Henry VIII’s court holds more than artifice for an intelligent observer, and Honor knows how to watch–and when to act…

Angered by the humiliation heaped upon her mistress as Henry cavorts with Anne Boleyn and presses Rome for a divorce, Honor volunteers to carry letters to the Queen’s allies. It’s a risky game, but Honor is sure she’s playing it well–until she’s proven wrong. Richard Thornleigh may cut a dashing figure at court, but Honor isn’t taken in by his reckless charm. Only later does Honor realize that Richard has awakened something within her–and that he, too, has something to hide…

For the King’s actions are merely one knot in a twisted web that stretches across Europe, ensnaring everyone from the lowliest of peasants to the most powerful of nobles. Swept away in a tide of intrigue and danger, the Queen’s lady is about to learn everything: about pride, passion, greed–and the conscience of the king…”

giveaway: 1 new paperback. Open to everyone. Ends 3/19.

I’m behind, I know… running The Secret of the Glass event last week, reading and writing reviews (among other projects). So here are my winners for the past 2 giveaways and I’ll try to put up a new giveaway soon!

Galileo’s Daughter goes to Melanie at Tea Leaves

and

The Sultan’s Harem goes to Anna at Diary of an Eccentric

Congrats ladies and thanks for visiting!

There are so many novels on Eleanor of Aquitaine being published or republished this year! Recently I checked my web stats and the number one keyword in search engines that brings my site up (besides ‘historical fiction’) is Eleanor of Aquitaine. I don’t believe I have reviewed a lot of books on her, though I did write a character highlight post about her last year and I think that is where the hits originate.

The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick–well, she’s not exactly a character, only mentioned, but she was a character in the previous book on William Marshal titled The Greatest Knight. The Scarlet Lion focuses on King John’s reign and goes over Eleanor’s plight when captured by her grandson, Arthur, and later her death at Fontevrault abbey.

These are others that are based on her life or at least one facet of it:

The Secret Eleanor by Cecelia Holland

August 3, 2010

Cecelia Holland has lots of historical fiction–I cannot believe I’ve never heard of her. Check out her website! Here’s the official blurb:

“1151: As Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor grew up knowing what it was to be regarded for herself and not for her husband’s title. Now, as wife to Louis VII and Queen of France, she has found herself unsatisfied with reflected glory-and feeling constantly under threat, even though she outranks every woman in Paris.

Then, standing beside her much older husband in the course of a court ceremony, Eleanor locks eyes with a man-hardly more than a boy, really- across the throne room, and knows that her world has changed irrevocably…

He is Henry D’Anjou, eldest son of the Duke of Anjou, and he is in line, somewhat tenuously, for the British throne. She meets him in secret. She has a gift for secrecy, for she is watched like a prisoner by spies even among her own women. She is determined that Louis must set her free. Employing deception and disguise, seduction and manipulation, Eleanor is determined to find her way to power-and make her mark on history.”

The Captive Queen by Alison Weir

May 20, 2010

I’ve read one of Weir’s novels (Innocent Traitor) and enjoyed it and have The Lady Elizabeth on my TBR this year, so I think I’ll add this one to my collection as well.

“Renowned for her highly acclaimed and bestselling British histories, Alison Weir has in recent years made a major impact on the fiction scene with her novels about Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey. In this latest offering, she imagines the world of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the beautiful twelfth-century woman who was Queen of France until she abandoned her royal husband for the younger man who would become King of England. In a relationship based on lust and a mutual desire for great power, Henry II and Eleanor took over the English throne in 1154, thus beginning one of the most influential reigns and tumultuous royal marriages in all of history. In this novel, Weir uses her extensive knowledge to paint a most vivid portrait of this fascinating woman.”

Eleanor the Queen by Norah Lofts

April 20, 2010

If I get my hands on this beautiful book I will do a giveaway for my 2007 reprint, which is new (never read). I just love these new covers!

“At a time when a woman’s value was measured solely by her wealth and the number of sons she bore, Eleanor was the high-spirited, stubborn, and intelligent heiress to the vast duchy of Aquitaine.

Her leadership inspired the loyalty of her people, but she was continually doubted and silenced by the men who ruled beside her—the less wise but far more powerful men of the church and court who were unwilling to lose power to a woman, regardless of her rank or ability.

Through marriages to two kings, two Crusades, and the births of ten children— including the future King Richard the Lionhearted—Eleanor solidified her place in history. In Eleanor the Queen, Norah Lofts brings to life a brave and complex woman who was centuries ahead of her time.”

The Queen’s Pawn by Christy English

April 6, 2010

This one I am currently reading and loving the first person point of view.

“At only nine, Princess Alais of France is sent to live in England until she is of age to wed Prince Richard, son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alais is an innocent pawn on the chessboard of dynastic marriage, her betrothal intended to broker an uneasy truce between the nations.

Estranged from her husband, Eleanor sees a kindred spirit in this determined young girl. She embraces Alais as a daughter, teaching the princess what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But as Alais grows to maturity and develops ambitions of her own, Eleanor begins to see her as a threat-and their love for each other becomes overshadowed by their bitter rivalry, dark betrayals, conflicting passions, and a battle for revenge over the throne of England itself.”

Other older titles I still have waiting patiently on my shelf:

• Duchess of Aquitaine by Margaret Ball
• The Book of Eleanor by Pamela Kaufman
• Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
• Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman

Books I’ve read and recommend:

• Maid Marian by Elsa Watson
• The Courts of Love by Jean Plaidy
• The Plantagenet Prelude by Jean Plaidy
• The Revolt of the Eaglets by Jean Plaidy

Books I don’t have on my shelves, but probably should:

• The Canterbury Papers by Judith Knoll Healey
• Beloved Enemy by Ellen Jones
• Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine by Kristiana Gregory
• Mortal Love by Linda Hutchins
• Behold the Marshal by R.W. Hamilton
• Queen’s War by Jeanne Mackin
• Through a Glass Darkly by Carol Phillips Cooke
• A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg

The Stolen Crown

by Susan Higginbotham

Susan Higginbotham takes on the complicated and sometimes confusing era of the Wars of the Roses with her latest novel The Stolen Crown. A split narration between husband and wife, the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham gives a panoramic view of the nobility, the court and the country manors of late 15th century England.

Katherine Woodville—better known as Kate—is but seven-years-old when her older sister married King Edward IV in a private ceremony in her family’s home. She and her siblings are quickly ‘married well’ themselves, causing discontent and jealously among the existing nobles in the land. Kate surpassed all of her brothers and sisters, save Bessie, by becoming the Duchess of Buckingham. Her bridegroom, only 3 years older than herself, liked her well enough and they spent the next several years in separate lodgings, each learning the duties required of their station.

When they finally live as man and wife and start a family, England is continually in the midst of rebellion and war and they eventually find their loyalties are split—not as Yorkists and Lancasters, but as established peers of the realm and upstart Woodvilles.

Because the story is written with the characters looking back over their lives, much foreshadowing is written in, which I found to be charming even though, knowing the era as I do, the events rarely came as a surprise. Something that was completely new to me is the characters of Harry and Kate, and several others of the Woodvilles that have been slandered throughout history. I always find it refreshing to read a new take on old scandals.

The author’s writing is reminiscent of Jean Plaidy in that relationship dynamics is the main style to the writing, while place names and dates are also displayed in neat, chronological order. This gives a balanced structure, however if the reader is looking for period detail, such as everyday life in 15th century England, this is not an elaboration in that arena.

The dialect of the characters is fairly modern and quite humorous, so those who find such reads to their taste will love the easy flow of this novel. I must surmise that the author has a wonderful married life, for her characters all seem to be blessed with happy marriages, though this is not necessarily a negative point—just an observation. Overall I found The Stolen Crown to be one of the better Wars of the Roses novels I have read and yet another new depiction of Richard III, as it’s not quite like any other.

Having one’s review printed in a published book of course! Donna Russo Morin sent me the manuscript for her 2nd novel, The Secret of the Glass, last fall and now that it’s out I snagged a copy at Borders last night…

As part of Donna Russo Morin week at HFBRT I have written an article on the character from THE SECRET OF THE GLASS who fascinated me the most: Galileo Galilei. One of the aspects of reading historical fiction I enjoy most is learning about real people, and I almost always end up researching the characters to separate fact from fiction.

Galileo was born in Pisa, the eldest of six children. His father was a professional lute player with published books on the subject of music under his belt. He was also an amateur mathematician, however he encouraged Galileo to pursue studies in the medical field. But, he found he had no aptitude for it and soon left school. He continued his studies in math via a tutor, built small machines and spent much time reading (specifically Ovid and Virgil). A few years later he managed to secure a position at the university at Pisa as a professor of mathematics, astronomy and poetry. The other teachers despised him for his contempt of their Aristotelian beliefs, which included dressing in togas and when his contract expired he lost his position. His next appointment was at the University of Padua near the very liberal and freethinking city of Venice.

Galileo never married, but had an extended liaison with a woman named Marina Gamba, who bore him 2 daughters and a son and later married. I was unable to find any information as to why he never married her, though it could have been either opposition from his father or the fact that he didn’t have the funds to support a proper family. As it was, his daughters went to convents and his son was eventually legitimized and attended university. It was his eldest daughter, Virginia, however, who was his favorite and became his confidante. The book Galileo’s Daughter is a biography on his life based on more than 100 translated letters from his ‘most affectionate daughter, Suor Maria Celeste’.

Supporting his siblings (after his father’s death in 1601), mistress and children was not easy for a mere professor, and Galileo found he needed to supplement his income. He heard about the instrument called a spyglass and decided to improve upon it and then market it. Whether it was truly his intent to trick the Venetian aristocrats into believing the entire invention was his idea is unclear, but there is a play that says as much. Regardless, his salary was doubled and he was given a permanent position at Padua. Galileo, however, had other uses in mind for his device. While the Venetians used it to upgrade their sea defenses, he pointed it to the night sky.

His major discovery, of course, was that the Copernican theory–that the sun, not the earth, is the center of the universe–is correct, despite the Catholic Church’s vehement argument otherwise. He also found the moon was not smooth, the sun has ’spots’, many of the planets have their own moons and Saturn has rings. At first he was quite vocal about his findings, but soon found the church officials knocking at his door and threatening him with heresy charges. In 1616 he was brought before the Papal court and reprimanded.

The next few years he spent on other projects, steering clear of the ‘heretical’ or, at least, keeping his experiments private. In 1623 a more open-minded cardinal became Pope–Urban VIII– and he was well acquainted with Galileo and agreed with at least some of his arguments. Galileo had no less than 6 audiences with the Pope and spent the next 4 years writing his book Dialogue on the Two Great World Systems. In it Galileo uses a derogatory character to voice the views of the church, and this angered the Pope. Thus, an investigation was held and ultimately Galileo was banned from publishing his works and put on house arrest for the remainder of his life.

Galileo continued to write and despite the ban he published Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences in Holland, outside the Papal jurisdiction. Sadly he spent the last 8 years of his life unable to view the glorious universe, as he lost his sight. His daughter, Maria Celeste, took care of him to the end.

This brief article does not cover much of Galileo Galilei’s discoveries and contributions to science. He fashioned a version of the compass, thermometer and an inclined plane. He discoursed on inertia, the speed of light and relativity. He famously dropped two objects of differing weights from the leaning Tower of Pisa to demonstrate that they would fall at the same rate.

Unfortunately I couldn’t sift through all of the information at my disposal, but I hope I have enlightened and perhaps ignited an interest in this ‘usually dull’ scientist and astronomer.

Sources:
Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris
Don’t Know Much about the Universe by Kenneth C. Davis
Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel
The Handy Space Answer Book by Phillis Engelbert and Diane L. Lupuis

GIVEAWAY: 1 paperback copy of GALILEO’S DAUGHTER

“Inspired by a long fascination with Galileo, and by the remarkable surviving letters of Galileo’s daughter, a cloistered nun, Dava Sobel has written a biography unlike any other of the man Albert Einstein called “the father of modern physics- indeed of modern science altogether.” Galileo’s Daughter also presents a stunning portrait of a person hitherto lost to history, described by her father as “a woman of exquisite mind, singular goodness, and most tenderly attached to me.”

The son of a musician, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) tried at first to enter a monastery before engaging the skills that made him the foremost scientist of his day. Though he never left Italy, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. Most sensationally, his telescopes allowed him to reveal a new reality in the heavens and to reinforce the astounding argument that the Earth moves around the Sun. For this belief, he was brought before the Holy Office of the Inquisition, accused of heresy, and forced to spend his last years under house arrest.

Of Galileo’s three illegitimate children, the eldest best mirrored his own brilliance, industry, and sensibility, and by virtue of these qualities became his confidante. Born Virginia in 1600, she was thirteen when Galileo placed her in a convent near him in Florence, where she took the most appropriate name of Suor Maria Celeste. Her loving support, which Galileo repaid in kind, proved to be her father’s greatest source of strength throughout his most productive and tumultuous years. Her presence, through letters which Sobel has translated from their original Italian and masterfully woven into the narrative, graces her father’s life now as it did then.

Galileo’s Daughter dramatically recolors the personality and accomplishment of a mythic figure whose seventeenth-century clash with Catholic doctrine continues to define the schism between science and religion. Moving between Galileo’s grand public life and Maria Celeste’s sequestered world, Sobel illuminates the Florence of the Medicis and the papal court in Rome during the pivotal era when humanity’s perception of its place in the cosmos was about to be overturned. In that same time, while the bubonic plague wreaked its terrible devastation and the Thirty Years’ War tipped fortunes across Europe, one man sought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope.

With all the human drama and scientific adventure that distinguished Dava Sobel’s previous book Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter is an unforgettable story.”

Open to everyone. Ends March 1, 2010.

The Secret of the Glass

by Donna Russo Morin

With elegant prose and alluring style, Donna Russo Morin brings 17th century Venice gloriously to life. Based around a glassmaker’s daughter and the invention of the telescope by Galileo Galilei, the story is both a tale of a young woman’s plight when faced with an arranged marriage and a retelling of the birth of modern science.

Venetian glass has been the one of the most sought-after luxuries for centuries, and for good reason — only the glassmakers on the island of Murano knew the secret formulas and methods of creating the exquisite works of art. For this they were forced by the Venetian government to guard the secret, even on pain of death.

Sophia, the premier glassmaker maestro’s daughter, learned the art of glassmaking from her father, though it was against the law for women to do so. Thus she was constantly in danger of discovery, but as Zeno Fiolario had no son to follow him in his trade, he indulged his eldest daughter. To the family’s great sorrow, Zeno became ill and found it necessary to betroth Sophia to a nobleman, in hopes of putting the family’s fortune into good hands and furthering the glassmaking business.

As Sophia helplessly watches her father deteriorate, she becomes more acquainted with her future husband through social gatherings, where he uses her as a showpiece and nothing more. Fending for herself, she meets and befriends a poor, younger son of a nobleman and in him she finds a kindred soul.

There are many underlying themes in this story. Albert Einstein has called Galileo the ‘Father of Modern Science’ for his views on the Copernican theory, and inventions and writings. The Doge of the Venetian government at the time was open to learning and new ideas, however the leaders of the Catholic Church wanted to suppress views they deemed heretical. Galileo was constantly in danger from the powers of the Vatican and indeed was imprisoned later in life and forbidden to write or publish his ideas further.

The suppression of women’s rights is also highlighted in this novel, as women of the time were, of course, nothing more than barter for grand marriages and used for the procreation of children. Sophia is not only subjected to this injustice, but is also thrust into the society of the nobility and seen degradingly in their company because her father is a merchant. As such, class is touched on as well as gender inequality.

This is an excellent look at one of the many lucrative trades in Venice. Having also read about Venetian masks (The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker) and Venetian silk making (Figures in Silk by Vanora Bennett) I was excited to get my hands on yet another read along the same lines – a fascinating setting centered around interesting characters and at the same time learning the history of a trade I would not otherwise have discovered.

Please proceed over to Historical Fiction Round Table to read up on this event and enter the book giveaway. There is a necklace giveaway to be posted later in the week!