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The Courts of Illusion
Once again, Jarman (Crown in Candlelight, The King's Grey Mare) overshadows nearly all her competition in the British-historical genre--with a rich, often operatic tale of the 1490s, when Henry Tudor was working hard to establish his dynasty after the death of Richard III on Bosworth Field. Her narrator is tall, tow-headed young Nicholas Archer, haunted by the grisly execution of his knighted ...
Mais father (a Richard supporter), living with his imperious mother, hard-working brother, and beloved sister in near-poverty. And, in the three-act tragedy that follows, Nicholas will eventually become the most trusted follower of ""Richard IV,"" pretender to the throne. The first act is the most mesmerizing: virginal Nicholas develops an unrequited homoerotic passion for his London-wastrel chum Hugh Finch (stepson of the king's jester) while his mother and upright brother Edmund become involved in anti-Tudor conspiracies; but, when Hugh seduces Nicholas' innocent sister Josina, it's Edmund who dies in the ensuing fray--so the stricken Nicholas vows to atone by taking Edmund's place in the Plantagenet conspiracy. Off, then, in the second section, to the Continent--where Nicholas is part of the ragged army/court that follows mercurial young Richard, nephew of the dead Richard III: he follows the Pretender to Flanders when the French king betrays them; he falls in love there with weaver Krista; he hears the persistent rumors that ""Richard"" is really a fake, a commoner named Pieter Warbeck; he's mistaken for the Pretender at one point, captured by the Tudors, then luckily rescued before martyring himself. And finally, in the third section, though pessimistic (""No one wins against Tudor"") and loath to leave Krista, Nicholas follows the Pretender on his would-be invasion--getting support in Scotland from King James (a practical sort who condones atrocities) but finding no welcome as they attempt to bring the insurrection south (""A turdpot aimed at the prince hit my visored face""); the flighty Pretender, who takes on Richard II-like dignity through his defeats and humiliations, is indeed doomed. . . while Nicholas reaches for spiritual peace after a ghastly discovery about Krista. This melodramatic revelation, in fact, is the only hackneyed moment here. Everywhere else, Jarman invests her straightforward scenario (a far simpler design than the Crown in Candlelight maze) with ironic dialogue, Shakespearean dimensions, and distinctive period colors--from cockfighting and Bartholomew Fair to the looms of Flanders. And the result is a noble yet earthy journey through an unfamiliar decade of British-royal tension: the fiction of choice for readers who want more than frills and jousts from historical drama.
Mais father (a Richard supporter), living with his imperious mother, hard-working brother, and beloved sister in near-poverty. And, in the three-act tragedy that follows, Nicholas will eventually become the most trusted follower of ""Richard IV,"" pretender to the throne. The first act is the most mesmerizing: virginal Nicholas develops an unrequited homoerotic passion for his London-wastrel chum Hugh Finch (stepson of the king's jester) while his mother and upright brother Edmund become involved in anti-Tudor conspiracies; but, when Hugh seduces Nicholas' innocent sister Josina, it's Edmund who dies in the ensuing fray--so the stricken Nicholas vows to atone by taking Edmund's place in the Plantagenet conspiracy. Off, then, in the second section, to the Continent--where Nicholas is part of the ragged army/court that follows mercurial young Richard, nephew of the dead Richard III: he follows the Pretender to Flanders when the French king betrays them; he falls in love there with weaver Krista; he hears the persistent rumors that ""Richard"" is really a fake, a commoner named Pieter Warbeck; he's mistaken for the Pretender at one point, captured by the Tudors, then luckily rescued before martyring himself. And finally, in the third section, though pessimistic (""No one wins against Tudor"") and loath to leave Krista, Nicholas follows the Pretender on his would-be invasion--getting support in Scotland from King James (a practical sort who condones atrocities) but finding no welcome as they attempt to bring the insurrection south (""A turdpot aimed at the prince hit my visored face""); the flighty Pretender, who takes on Richard II-like dignity through his defeats and humiliations, is indeed doomed. . . while Nicholas reaches for spiritual peace after a ghastly discovery about Krista. This melodramatic revelation, in fact, is the only hackneyed moment here. Everywhere else, Jarman invests her straightforward scenario (a far simpler design than the Crown in Candlelight maze) with ironic dialogue, Shakespearean dimensions, and distinctive period colors--from cockfighting and Bartholomew Fair to the looms of Flanders. And the result is a noble yet earthy journey through an unfamiliar decade of British-royal tension: the fiction of choice for readers who want more than frills and jousts from historical drama.
370 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
108 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Hawley Jarman
29 books31 followersRosemary Hawley Jarman is an English novelist and writer of short stories. She was born in Worcester April 27, 1935. She was educated first at Saint Mary's Convent and then at The Alice Ottley School, leaving at eighteen to study singing in London for the next three years, having developed a fine soprano voice.
Family circumstances prevented her from continuing in this direction and she worked for a time in local government. She was married to David Jarman in 1958 and divorced amicably in 1970. She lived most of her time in Worcestershire at Callow End, between Worcester and Upton on Severn. She began to write for pleasure, and followed a very real and valid obsession with the character of King Richard III (1452-1485 - reigned 1483-85).
With no thought of publication she completed a 228,000 word novel showing the King in his true colours, away from Tudor and Shakespearian propaganda. The book was taken up almost accidentally by an agent, and within six weeks a contract for publication and four other novels was signed with William Collins Publishers, (now Harper Collins).
The author has had short stories published in many magazines in the UK and France and has been a member of the Society of Authors since 1970. She has been dubbed "A Daughter of Mark Twain" by the Samuel Clemens Society in the U.S.A. for her services to literature.
She lived with the prize-winning author R. T. Plumb for eighteen years in a West Wales cottage. They married in September 2002, but the marriage was cut short after Roy died of cancer in October 2003. Jarman (now Mrs. Plumb) is herself recovering from lung cancer, and is writing in the Fantasy genre.
Family circumstances prevented her from continuing in this direction and she worked for a time in local government. She was married to David Jarman in 1958 and divorced amicably in 1970. She lived most of her time in Worcestershire at Callow End, between Worcester and Upton on Severn. She began to write for pleasure, and followed a very real and valid obsession with the character of King Richard III (1452-1485 - reigned 1483-85).
With no thought of publication she completed a 228,000 word novel showing the King in his true colours, away from Tudor and Shakespearian propaganda. The book was taken up almost accidentally by an agent, and within six weeks a contract for publication and four other novels was signed with William Collins Publishers, (now Harper Collins).
The author has had short stories published in many magazines in the UK and France and has been a member of the Society of Authors since 1970. She has been dubbed "A Daughter of Mark Twain" by the Samuel Clemens Society in the U.S.A. for her services to literature.
She lived with the prize-winning author R. T. Plumb for eighteen years in a West Wales cottage. They married in September 2002, but the marriage was cut short after Roy died of cancer in October 2003. Jarman (now Mrs. Plumb) is herself recovering from lung cancer, and is writing in the Fantasy genre.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 10, 2009
This is the first novel by Rosemary Hawley Jarman that I've read. I will certainly be reading more.
I recently read The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth and was fascinated by the story of "Perkin Warbeck" the so-called pretender to the throne of England who vexed Henry Tudor for eight years by claiming that he was Richard, Duke of York, the true claimant to the throne, son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, one of the princes in the tower.
There aren't many books out there written about "Warbeck". I was able to find just a few. I read 'Richard of England' by Diana Kleyn which supports the idea that Perkin was who he said he was and the rightful heir to the throne, it's a convincing work on non-fiction.
I also read 'The Wrong Plantagenet' by Marian Palmer, her work of historical fiction has a traditional perspective and portrays "Warbeck" as nothing more than the pretender Henry Tudor claimed he was.
This novel came down more closely on the side of Warbeck being Richard Duke of York, while at the same time offering glimpses of doubt.
I was immediately endeared to our protagonist when on the first page we learn he has been lamenting the loss of his beloved horse, Bedesman. The year is 1490, five years after the battle at Bosworth Field, Nicholas Archer is nineteen years old. It was his father's keen eye that spied out the enemy for Richard III at Bosworth Field and he paid for his devotion with his life.
Nicholas becomes estranged from his family, he pledges his devotion to Richard Duke of York and eventually becomes one of his most trusted aides. And so we follow Richard Duke of York (Perkin Warbeck) through the many courts of Europe as he garners support for his cause.
Jarman weaves a rich tapestry of fifteenth century England replete with poverty, hunger, filth, many fortunes reversed and harsh punishments meted out. Archer recounts his experience after enduring the hardships and joys of his adventure and frequently alludes to future events which creates a constant tension throughout his tale.
I chose this book because I wanted to read more about Richard Duke of York but found that my interest in him was eclipsed by that for Nicholas Archer. Jarman has created a moving character and an engrossing story that weaves together history and fiction. I stayed up late reading and was rewarded for my efforts.
I recently read The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth and was fascinated by the story of "Perkin Warbeck" the so-called pretender to the throne of England who vexed Henry Tudor for eight years by claiming that he was Richard, Duke of York, the true claimant to the throne, son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, one of the princes in the tower.
There aren't many books out there written about "Warbeck". I was able to find just a few. I read 'Richard of England' by Diana Kleyn which supports the idea that Perkin was who he said he was and the rightful heir to the throne, it's a convincing work on non-fiction.
I also read 'The Wrong Plantagenet' by Marian Palmer, her work of historical fiction has a traditional perspective and portrays "Warbeck" as nothing more than the pretender Henry Tudor claimed he was.
This novel came down more closely on the side of Warbeck being Richard Duke of York, while at the same time offering glimpses of doubt.
I was immediately endeared to our protagonist when on the first page we learn he has been lamenting the loss of his beloved horse, Bedesman. The year is 1490, five years after the battle at Bosworth Field, Nicholas Archer is nineteen years old. It was his father's keen eye that spied out the enemy for Richard III at Bosworth Field and he paid for his devotion with his life.
Nicholas becomes estranged from his family, he pledges his devotion to Richard Duke of York and eventually becomes one of his most trusted aides. And so we follow Richard Duke of York (Perkin Warbeck) through the many courts of Europe as he garners support for his cause.
Jarman weaves a rich tapestry of fifteenth century England replete with poverty, hunger, filth, many fortunes reversed and harsh punishments meted out. Archer recounts his experience after enduring the hardships and joys of his adventure and frequently alludes to future events which creates a constant tension throughout his tale.
I chose this book because I wanted to read more about Richard Duke of York but found that my interest in him was eclipsed by that for Nicholas Archer. Jarman has created a moving character and an engrossing story that weaves together history and fiction. I stayed up late reading and was rewarded for my efforts.
May 29, 2021
Nicholas Archer is the eldest son of the Man with Keen Sight who told his story as a supporter of Richard III in the author’s We Speak No Treason. Nicholas’s story picks up in 1490–five years after his father was executed by the victorious Henry Tudor a week after the battle of Bosworth. Nicholas is haunted by dreams of that week: dreams of a nun gone mad following the defeated king’s defiled body arriving in Leicester; dreams of the blood from the miscarriage of a young wife who witnessed the execution of her husband; dreams of his father’s horrible death as a traitor. Even going so far as to wish that his father had fought for Tudor, Nicholas is ready to put this all in the past and accept the new regime. His mother and younger brother Edmund are not and are involved in Yorkist plots. His mother blatantly favors Edmund who has inherited his father’s keen sight.
Nicholas has no purpose in life, but he does love two people above all others. The first is his younger sister Josina. She calls him Tristan and he calls her Iseult, and, yes, he wishes she was not his sister. The other person is Hugh Finch, whom Nicholas met when he saw him dead drunk lying in a gutter. Nicholas picked him up and carried him home to the cookshop he inherited from his mother. Hugh is the stepson of the Fool from WSNT. (He also meets the Fool’s son Piers who is dismissively referred to as “priest” by Hugh and who eventually becomes a bedesman for Nicholas.) Hugh is depraved and cruel. He beats the pot boys at his cookshop and he is involved in a protection racket to extort money from poor stall owners—something that Nicholas joins in on. But Nicholas loves Hugh and has homoerotic feelings for him. While Hugh loves Nicholas in return, he repulses any sexual relationship with him. He was sexually abused by his uncles as a boy, and since then he focuses his sexual attentions on women, preferably virgins. About 30 pages into this book, one can figure out what is going to happen when Hugh meets Josina. (Hugh, I guess, is supposed to be a tortured soul who has a conscience—Nicholas notices tears in his eyes before he leaves him to go off and do the deed—but do the deed he does.)
The inevitable happens, leaving both Edmund and Hugh dead in its wake. Nicholas seeks atonement by taking his brother’s place in the Perkin Warbeck conspiracy. Before he leaves to join the prince (Richard Plantagenet, the pretender, or Perkin—take your pick), his “mother” reveals that he is not her son but the son of some Flemish “whore” conceived when his father was in exile with Richard of Gloucester. (This is another less than surprising revelation.)
Two years later, Nicholas is in Amboise as a part of a group of supporters serving Prince Richard, who is being feted by the French king. Nicholas finds the prince haughty and jealous of the treatment he should be accorded. However, one night Nicholas has one of his terrible dreams while attending the prince, and Richard proves to be compassionate. Soon Richard and his attendants must leave the French court and seek refuge in Flanders. During their flight, the group is attacked by Tudor agents and the tall, fair Nicholas is mistaken for the prince. On a whim, he tells the attackers that, yes, he is Richard Plantagenet and is taken prisoner. He is rescued shortly thereafter, but has earned the trust and regard of the prince.
One of his rescuers has given Nicholas a beautiful cloak of worsted wool. In Bruges, he meets a young woman, Krista, who wove the cloth and they fall instantly in love. When they next see each other, she runs away later telling him that she somehow felt there was something “wrong.” Her mother , Anneke, looks kindly on the relationship which reminds her of her younger, wanton days when she met Richard of Gloucester and his squire. Nicholas and Krista are betrothed and he “pricks her maidenhead.” By the way, he calls Krista “Iseult” so this may give you a clue where this soap opera is heading.
Before Nicholas and Krista can be married, he must flee with Prince Richard and the rest of his English supporters because the Flemings have turned hostile towards the English because of Tudor’s trade embargo. Thus begins the most interesting and moving part of the book in my opinion—the Prince’s futile efforts to claim the English throne. Despite repeated proof to the contrary, feckless, dreaming Richard continues to believe nobles and commoners will flock to him when he sets foot on English soil simply because he is who he is—the rightful heir. He does not abandon his ally James of Scotland during the foray into northern England because of cowardice but because he was sickened by the brutality and atrocities inflicted on his own people. Nicholas is never absolutely certain who he was, but in the end he “bore himself like a prince. He was my lord. I loved him.”
While some parts of the novel are very good, it is heavy on the melodrama and contains more than its fair share of astonishing coincidences. I find the author’s style can be somewhat overwrought at times and the pacing glacial—probably because I know what is going to happen and it takes a long time getting there. 3.5⭐️
Nicholas has no purpose in life, but he does love two people above all others. The first is his younger sister Josina. She calls him Tristan and he calls her Iseult, and, yes, he wishes she was not his sister. The other person is Hugh Finch, whom Nicholas met when he saw him dead drunk lying in a gutter. Nicholas picked him up and carried him home to the cookshop he inherited from his mother. Hugh is the stepson of the Fool from WSNT. (He also meets the Fool’s son Piers who is dismissively referred to as “priest” by Hugh and who eventually becomes a bedesman for Nicholas.) Hugh is depraved and cruel. He beats the pot boys at his cookshop and he is involved in a protection racket to extort money from poor stall owners—something that Nicholas joins in on. But Nicholas loves Hugh and has homoerotic feelings for him. While Hugh loves Nicholas in return, he repulses any sexual relationship with him. He was sexually abused by his uncles as a boy, and since then he focuses his sexual attentions on women, preferably virgins. About 30 pages into this book, one can figure out what is going to happen when Hugh meets Josina. (Hugh, I guess, is supposed to be a tortured soul who has a conscience—Nicholas notices tears in his eyes before he leaves him to go off and do the deed—but do the deed he does.)
The inevitable happens, leaving both Edmund and Hugh dead in its wake. Nicholas seeks atonement by taking his brother’s place in the Perkin Warbeck conspiracy. Before he leaves to join the prince (Richard Plantagenet, the pretender, or Perkin—take your pick), his “mother” reveals that he is not her son but the son of some Flemish “whore” conceived when his father was in exile with Richard of Gloucester. (This is another less than surprising revelation.)
Two years later, Nicholas is in Amboise as a part of a group of supporters serving Prince Richard, who is being feted by the French king. Nicholas finds the prince haughty and jealous of the treatment he should be accorded. However, one night Nicholas has one of his terrible dreams while attending the prince, and Richard proves to be compassionate. Soon Richard and his attendants must leave the French court and seek refuge in Flanders. During their flight, the group is attacked by Tudor agents and the tall, fair Nicholas is mistaken for the prince. On a whim, he tells the attackers that, yes, he is Richard Plantagenet and is taken prisoner. He is rescued shortly thereafter, but has earned the trust and regard of the prince.
One of his rescuers has given Nicholas a beautiful cloak of worsted wool. In Bruges, he meets a young woman, Krista, who wove the cloth and they fall instantly in love. When they next see each other, she runs away later telling him that she somehow felt there was something “wrong.” Her mother , Anneke, looks kindly on the relationship which reminds her of her younger, wanton days when she met Richard of Gloucester and his squire. Nicholas and Krista are betrothed and he “pricks her maidenhead.” By the way, he calls Krista “Iseult” so this may give you a clue where this soap opera is heading.
Before Nicholas and Krista can be married, he must flee with Prince Richard and the rest of his English supporters because the Flemings have turned hostile towards the English because of Tudor’s trade embargo. Thus begins the most interesting and moving part of the book in my opinion—the Prince’s futile efforts to claim the English throne. Despite repeated proof to the contrary, feckless, dreaming Richard continues to believe nobles and commoners will flock to him when he sets foot on English soil simply because he is who he is—the rightful heir. He does not abandon his ally James of Scotland during the foray into northern England because of cowardice but because he was sickened by the brutality and atrocities inflicted on his own people. Nicholas is never absolutely certain who he was, but in the end he “bore himself like a prince. He was my lord. I loved him.”
While some parts of the novel are very good, it is heavy on the melodrama and contains more than its fair share of astonishing coincidences. I find the author’s style can be somewhat overwrought at times and the pacing glacial—probably because I know what is going to happen and it takes a long time getting there. 3.5⭐️
June 23, 2023
The Courts of Illusion is a little different from the other books by Rosemary Hawley Jarman that I have previously read. While similar in style to the earlier books, and definitely following along with the track of the same story, there seems to be no hint of the magic – even if it was just slightly superstitious magic – that played around the edges of the earlier books like Crown in the Candlelight or The King’s Gray Mare. Also, while it still concerns recognized events of English history (even though a lot of it takes place outside England) and continues with the story from the end of We Speak no Treason about the fall of Richard III and the rise of Henry VII, this story is only tangentially concerned with an actual English king.
Instead, it concerns the so-called rebellion of the supposed pretender to the throne known as Perkin Warbeck. This is a historical incident of the time that is probably mentioned in nearly every English history book worthy of the name, much as the Whiskey Rebellion is mentioned in American history books: they tell the name of the thing and maybe (if you are lucky) a sentence or two of what it was about and go on.
I have never before seen a serious attempt to go into what this rebellion must have looked like from the inside.
This story begins some five years after the scene near the end of We Speak No Treason when King Richard’s companion, Sir Mark d’Archier, was hanged after the battle of Bosworth Field for fighting on the losing side. The main character of this story is his son, Nicholas Archer. Patch, the jester from the earlier story also appears in this one as sort of an elderly relic, along with his son and stepson, who have larger parts.
After a tragic outing during which Nicholas’ sister’s honor is compromised by his best friend, Patch’s stepson, Hugh Finch, leading to the deaths of both Finch and Nicholas’ brother, Edmund, Nicholas agrees, by way of atonement for the affair, to join the supposedly secret campaign of the man whom many believe to be the younger son of King Edward III, Richard Plantagenet, who would have been Richard IV. He does this at the suggestion of the woman he believes to be his mother, although he finds out at the same time that he is, in fact, the product of a brief liaison his father had while he was on some military campaign in Flanders years earlier.
Nicholas joins the army of the supposed Richard Plantagenet, following him from country to country where the kings or other rulers promise him support for a time, and then their support fizzles out when faced with the prospect of fighting the English, or with a trade embargo with the English, or some other unfortunate consequence of their association with Richard. I was rather impressed with King Henry’s political skill in using techniques such as embargos and driving wedges between his rival’s political supporters. There was (fortunately) little actual fighting.
There was one exciting incident where Nicholas was mistaken for his lord and was held prisoner for a while. He became close to the supposed King, and truly believed him to be the missing Plantagenet prince. Apparently, the prince believed it too.
There were some good times – in Flanders where the Duchess was believed to be his aunt; apparently, she too believed he was the missing prince – and in Scotland, where Richard married the daughter of the King of Scotland. But for the most part, their journey was an ever more depressing trip from one country to another as more and more of his followers lost faith in him.
Finally, the whole enterprise fell apart. Nicholas returned to Flanders, where he had found a girl he wanted to marry. Only, at the last minute, even that turned out to be destined not to happen.
Instead, it concerns the so-called rebellion of the supposed pretender to the throne known as Perkin Warbeck. This is a historical incident of the time that is probably mentioned in nearly every English history book worthy of the name, much as the Whiskey Rebellion is mentioned in American history books: they tell the name of the thing and maybe (if you are lucky) a sentence or two of what it was about and go on.
I have never before seen a serious attempt to go into what this rebellion must have looked like from the inside.
This story begins some five years after the scene near the end of We Speak No Treason when King Richard’s companion, Sir Mark d’Archier, was hanged after the battle of Bosworth Field for fighting on the losing side. The main character of this story is his son, Nicholas Archer. Patch, the jester from the earlier story also appears in this one as sort of an elderly relic, along with his son and stepson, who have larger parts.
After a tragic outing during which Nicholas’ sister’s honor is compromised by his best friend, Patch’s stepson, Hugh Finch, leading to the deaths of both Finch and Nicholas’ brother, Edmund, Nicholas agrees, by way of atonement for the affair, to join the supposedly secret campaign of the man whom many believe to be the younger son of King Edward III, Richard Plantagenet, who would have been Richard IV. He does this at the suggestion of the woman he believes to be his mother, although he finds out at the same time that he is, in fact, the product of a brief liaison his father had while he was on some military campaign in Flanders years earlier.
Nicholas joins the army of the supposed Richard Plantagenet, following him from country to country where the kings or other rulers promise him support for a time, and then their support fizzles out when faced with the prospect of fighting the English, or with a trade embargo with the English, or some other unfortunate consequence of their association with Richard. I was rather impressed with King Henry’s political skill in using techniques such as embargos and driving wedges between his rival’s political supporters. There was (fortunately) little actual fighting.
There was one exciting incident where Nicholas was mistaken for his lord and was held prisoner for a while. He became close to the supposed King, and truly believed him to be the missing Plantagenet prince. Apparently, the prince believed it too.
There were some good times – in Flanders where the Duchess was believed to be his aunt; apparently, she too believed he was the missing prince – and in Scotland, where Richard married the daughter of the King of Scotland. But for the most part, their journey was an ever more depressing trip from one country to another as more and more of his followers lost faith in him.
Finally, the whole enterprise fell apart. Nicholas returned to Flanders, where he had found a girl he wanted to marry. Only, at the last minute, even that turned out to be destined not to happen.
dnf
August 1, 2021I gave up on this so not actually rating. The tone just wasn't right for me. The main character was not likable and not very intelligent, so while I'm interested in the Plantagenet story I wasn't taken by the narrator which made me less interested in what he was saying.
April 1, 2021
7/10
Filled with many details that make the story ring true, this book follows the life of fictional Nicholas Archer, aide to Richard Plantagenet during his campaigning to reclaim the throne of England from Henry Tudor in the 1490s. Against this backdrop of spies, plots, battles and shifting alliances is the tale of a Nicholas, his family and foolishness, his struggles and service, his loves and losses.
Filled with many details that make the story ring true, this book follows the life of fictional Nicholas Archer, aide to Richard Plantagenet during his campaigning to reclaim the throne of England from Henry Tudor in the 1490s. Against this backdrop of spies, plots, battles and shifting alliances is the tale of a Nicholas, his family and foolishness, his struggles and service, his loves and losses.
October 30, 2025
As a young teenager I liked this historical novel set in the 1490's England
December 12, 2015
A good telling of another possible ending for the princes in the tower. The main character becomes one of Richard/Perkin Warbeck's main supporters. Most of the book is more about Nicholas, the fictional main character, but by the time I reached the end I realized I had a very human idea of Richard (who would've been the 4th). I'm an R3 fan so I realize I'm biased (not with the more popular Tudor bias, that is), but I found the idea of the prince's survival & rebellion at least as believable than the murder in the Tower.
August 9, 2016
This book fictionalizes the story of Richard, one of the two princes reportedly murdered by his uncle, Richard III. It's told through the eyes of one of the King's supposed men. It was a good story although I was a little frustrated to see how Nicholas (eventually a trusted follower of the "Richard IV" pretender) allowed others to choose his life. The book is satisfying for its finely woven details and interlaced plot lines right to the end.
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March 3, 2015A compelling interpretation of Perkin Warbeck's story - or was he Richard, Duke of York? This is the sequel to the cult classic We Speak No Treason - a much loved novel about Richard III - but it's a fine book in its own right.
September 24, 2014
Perkin Warbeck
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews