In The Shadow of The Crown

Radcliffe #1

by Susan Bowden

Days of Glory, Nights of Love

Torn from her family's Yorkshire estate by the death of her father, heiress Joisse Radcliffe flees by night to sanctuary in a nearby abbey. Beset by robbers, she is rescued by a brave horseman who serves Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and taken to Middleham Castle.

Once Richard makes her his ward, Joisse is swept up in the tapestry of history that will place the Duke on the throne of England. But her destiny will lie with Tom Thomson, the man who will defy danger to save her. Though the world considers Tom beneath her, Joisse knows he is the only man she will ever love. Then fate forces her to choose -- between the man she cherishes above all else, and the ancestral home she cannot bear to lose.

Set amid the clash of dynasties in 15th-century England, this thrilling saga of love and honor spans the tumultuous years of Richard III's reign, culminating in the shattering battle at Bosworth Field, and the ascension of the Tudors. Rich with the pageantry of court and the fierce splendor of the battlefield, IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROWN is an unforgettable tale of a time when the kingdom was in danger, and loving is the greatest risk of all.

Other books in this series:
The Divided Heart (Book 2)
Touched by Thorns (Book 3)

Genres: Historical Fiction

423 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1987

About the author

Susan Bowden was born in 1936 in Dorset, England and currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Susan's formal university training was interrupted by a writing career. She primarily works in the genres of historical and suspense fiction, although she has written romance novels and a young adult novel. Susan has been a speaker at conferences for the Manitoba Writers' Guild and the Canadian Authors Association. She has also served as a mentor in the Manitoba Writers' Guild mentorship program. She has done several interviews with Peter Gzowski on "CBC Morningside," and on "Arts Tonight" with Eleanor Wachtel. She has appeared as a regular opera quiz panelist on CBC's "Saturday Afternoon at the Opera."

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't let that cover fool you, this is _not_ a romance. Not only that, but the book jacket is misleading - only the first half of the book is set during Richard III's reign - so I'm here to set the record straight.

Although heir to her father's estate, Joisse Radcliff is slightly crippled and deemed unmarriageable by her aunt who plans to pack her off to a nunnery and keep the manor for herself. Joisse flees in the night, but is attacked by vandals and rescued by groom Tom Thomson and taken to Middleham Castle and Richard, Duke of Gloucester. No fool, Richard sees what her aunt is up to and takes her as his ward until she reaches her majority and can claim her estate. As lady to Richard's Duchess Anne, Joisse comes to London with the household upon Edward IV's death and Richard's eventual assumption to the throne itself - but her path always crosses with that of Tom and two find themselves fighting their attraction to one another as the daughter of a knight could never marry a base born servant.

Their story eventually culminates in the aftermath of the battle at Bosworth Field. Will Tom be able to save himself and return to Joisse? Even so, can she give up everything, including her beloved Radcliff hall to marry a mere groom? OK, so by this time I've hit page 200 and was expecting another what-happened-to-the-princes-in-the-Tower mystery to finish this out when the author did a 180 on me and fast forwarded to 1535. Now the story switches to Joisse's grandson Philip as Henry VIII is King and he and Cromwell are breaking up the monasteries and plundering their wealth in the north. A gentle soul, Philip was raised to serve the church and with that no longer possible is at a crossroads in his life - and he finds himself in the thick of the North's rebellion against Henry - the so called Pilgrimage of Grace. When his grandmother reveals his true identity as the rightful heir to Radcliff, Philip must travel to plead his case before Henry himself. There's also a love interest and more to the story but frankly this review has gone on long enough....

While certainly not the greatest piece of historical fiction out there, it was a refreshing change from much of the current releases of Tudor fiction. I didn't spot anything glaringly out of place in the historical details (heh, she even didn't succumb to everyone's favorite error of making Buckingham's wife older than he was), and it was interesting reading up on the Pilgrimage - so few novels set in this period deal with it. Despite the cheesy cover, this is most definitely not a romance and any sex is few and far between the pages and pages of historical details. As Philip was set for a life in the church, the latter half of the book has more of a religious overtone than some readers might care for. My only serious quibble was Philip's character - granted he wasn't even eighteen but still he was a whiny spineless ninny and I constantly wanted to slap him and shake some sense into him. Perhaps he'll do better in the next book because there are two more,

The Divided Heart
Touched by Thorns

[Pauline Calkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteen-year-old Joisse Radcliffe’s father has just died, leaving her as sole heir of his estate, which is a stone’s throw away from Middleham Castle in Yorkshire. Although she is quite capable of running the estate herself, her aunt and cousin Nicholas have swooped in and are determined to gain control of Radcliffe manor. Her aunt declares that Joisse should join a convent as she is unmarriagable because of her handicap (one leg is shorter than the other, causing her to limp) despite her fortune and beauty. What is almost as bad is that they are Yorkists, while her beloved father was a firm Lancastrian. To avoid being forced into a convent, Joisse rides off one night to seek refuge at Jervaulx Abbey, whose abbot was a friend of her father. On the way, she is attacked by outlaws only to be rescued by Tom, the personal stable groom of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. He takes her to Middleham Castle (yuck! that hotbed of Yorkists, Joisse thinks.) But Richard knows exactly what the aunt is up to and makes Joisse his ward, with the understanding that Radcliffe Manor will be hers when she comes of age. She becomes an attendant to Duchess Anne.

Joisse and Tom have a strong attraction to one another, but they recognize they have no future together because of their different stations in life. Tom was a 7-year-old London street urchin when the future Duchess, 10-year-old Anne Neville, saw him and prevailed upon her family take him in. When her father was killed, Tom became a groom in Richard of Gloucester’s household, and also helps out the horsemaster at Jervaulx Abbey. Tom earns the gratitude and regard of Richard and Anne, when he finds Anne hidden away in a London pie shop by the Duke of Clarence. Tom is devoted to Anne and worships Richard, vowing he will never wear another man’s livery, although he dreams of owning and breeding his own horses.

Joisse is frustrated by the formalities of court life, longing to return to the Dales and regain Radcliffe manor. She has two offers of marriage, one by her cousin Nicholas who is a gentle soul under the thumb of his mother, but rejects both because she is in love with Tom. She is in disgrace after she tempts Tom to kiss her in a public setting. Sensing her frustration, Queen Anne makes Joisse attendant to Elizabeth of York, and they become besties.

Meanwhile, Tom is off getting involved in the rebellions and the princes’ disappearance (it’s Buckingham) and he is with Richard at Bosworth. He has charge of preparing three horses for the King: White Surrey (he has to keep him awake all night before the battle so that he will be in a particularly vicious mood), Black Morrell (Surrey’s backup—just in case), and Silver Damozel (a speedy mare for a quick getaway.) As a groom, Tom is not trained in arms and is not expected to take part in the battle, but he is fiercely devoted to Richard and begs to be allowed to take part. Richard allows him to do so and he rides into battle, leading Black Morrell with one hand and a battle axe in another. When the battle takes a turn for the worse for Richard, Black Morrell disappears with Catesby and Tom makes his way to the horse park to make his escape on Silver Damozel—after all, Richard had promised him a quality horse of his own. Although he reaches the mare, he is intercepted by Tudor’s troops and is forced to lead the nag carrying Richard’s defiled body into Leicester. There, Tom escapes and makes his way to Sheriff Hutton where Joisse proposes to him. Although Elizabeth of York disapproves of Joisse marrying a lowly groom, she will not stand in her way and does support Joisse’s claim to Radcliffe. Tom does not want to be a “kept man” and goes to Jervaulx Abbey where he becomes its horsemaster. Joisse agrees to marry him and live with him there, allowing her cousin Nicholas to stay at Radcliffe as a tenant. As Book I ends, she vows to return to Radcliffe one day.

It is 1536 when we next see Joisse and Tom ensconced in their cottage at Jervaulx Abbey with their grandson Philip. Tom is horsemaster at the abbey and has bred his own horses from Silver Damozel. Philip has been instructed at Jervaulx but his hopes to become a monk have just been dashed when King Henry VIII has issued an edict that the abbeys can no longer accept novices. Philip thinks he might become a minstrel—which does not please Grandad Tom. His other options are entering the priesthood or marrying some local girl as his grandparents want. While he spends much time considering those choices, the reader knows he will do neither because he has met the beautiful Laura Metcalfe who is sort of betrothed to his cousin, Anthony—son of the Joisse’s cousin Nicholas. He believes she is far above his station. Anthony is sort of a bad ‘un and especially doesn’t like Philip who is the true heir of Radcliffe manor. Philip doesn’t know this because Granny Joisse never told him.

Philip’s romantic problems take a backseat when the Jervaulx Abbey is threatened with suppression by the King and the forces surrounding the Pilgrimage of Grace. At first the common rabble attack the Abbey and Philip helps to hide the Abbot who doesn’t want the king to think he supports the Pilgrimage. Later Philip is enlisted in sending a message to Pontefract Castle for Robert Aske, the “grant captain” of the Pilgrimage. Philip comes to admire Aske and feels empathy when Asks reveals that he is plagued by nightmares of suffering a traitor’s death.

Eventually, however, the Abbot is under suspicion of treason and the Duke of Norfolk in company with Anthony is inventorying and taking away the abbey’s treasures. Norfolk orders the horses to be gathered up, but Tom claims that eight of the horses are his. When Norfolk tells him to get out of the way, “old man,” Tom shouts his defiance: “Old, I may be, but not too old to forget your grandfather died fighting for the true king of England.” That’s gone, forgotten according to Norfolk. Tom replies, “Not by me it isn’t. Never by me. I’ll never forget how King Richard died; how Henry Tudor stood by and saw him stripped and mutilated—an anointed king. He spat at Norfolk’s feet, crying, “Tudors.” Philip tries to stand with his grandfather but runs away when he gathers that Tom wants him to hide Silver Jenny and her foal. When he returns, Tom has suffered a stroke after being struck during a scuffle, and he dies shortly afterwards. Joisse knows that Philip has to go to the king with the papers showing his right to Radcliffe and a letter from the king’s mother (Joisse’s bestie, remember?) pledging she and her descendants will come to the aid of Joisse or her descendants. She also gives him a ring that Elizabeth gave her to give the king.

Then there is a race to London between Philip and Anthony to see the king. Philip manages to disguise himself in a train of northern lords going to London intent on denying any part in the pilgrimage. Of course, Laura Metcalfe is in that party. Philip does manage to see the king but Anthony is there as well. The deeds, the pledge and the gift of the ring seem to win the day, and the king says he will grant Philip one request. Philip asks to be allowed to see Robert Aske who is languishing in the Tower. Philip gets Radcliffe manor only if Anthony dies without an heir. Laura marries Anthony because Philip chose Aske over her. Philip accompanies Aske to his execution in York—a prolonged and agonizing death—contrary to what Philip thought the king promised. When he returns to the Dales, he kills Anthony in a fight and he may get Laura in the end.

The romance sections were just sort of ordinary, and dragged a bit. Joisse was a “stock” romance novel heroine—independent, capable, feisty—Tom even describes her as a spirited filly at one point. Tom is much more interesting, especially in Book II as he curses the Tudor usurpers and tells his old war stories at every opportunity. (The author says she got the idea for making Richard’s groom her hero from the letter he sent to Louis XI, which insultingly asked for a written reply to be given to one of his grooms.) The events of the Pilgrimage were deftly worked into Philip’s story and the sketches of Aske and sly King Henry were well drawn. 3.5 ⭐️ .