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The Assassin's Wife
Second Sight is dangerous... Nan's visions of two noble boys imprisoned in a tower frighten her village priest. The penalty for witchcraft is death. Despite his warnings, Nan's determination to save these boys launches her on a nightmare journey. As fifteenth-century England teeters on the edge of civil war, her talent as a Seer draws powerful, ambitious people around her. Not all of them are honourable. Twists of fate bring her to a ghost-ridden house in Silver Street where she is entrusted with a secret which could destroy a dynasty. Pursued by the unscrupulous Bishop Stillington, she finds refuge with a gypsy wise-woman, until a chance encounter takes her to Middleham Castle. Here she embarks on a passionate affair with Miles Forrest, the Duke of Gloucester's trusted henchman. But is her lover all he seems? "The author reveals through a vivid, gripping narrative the fear, violence and chaos of that time. Will the assassin's wife have the power to alter the course of history? Read this book and find out." - Paul Sutherland, Multi-Published Author and Editor "...a vivid and visceral journey into the darkest hearts of men during the Wars of the Roses... An incredible, unforgettable story, surely made for the screen. Moonyeen Blakey is a major new talent to watch." - Sally Spedding, Award-Winning Mystery Author of Cold Remains
532 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 11, 2012
The Assassin’s Wife is a fascinating thriller set in the turbulent era of conflict between the houses of Lancaster and York leading up to the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485). Nan, the narrator, is an engaging and sympathetic heroine with the gift (or curse) of clairvoyance. From childhood on, her troubling visions of her own future are interwoven with the rise and fall of royalty, Lancaster’s demise and the ascendancy of York, and foreboding dreams of drowned Clarence and the young princes in the Tower.
Nan’s second sight, coupled with her knowledge of a well-kept royal secret, puts her at risk of being denounced for witchcraft. Through a series of believable, well-plotted circumstances, she serves in the household of one of King Edward’s mistresses, spends time among the Gypsies sharpening her esoteric powers, marries the Duke of Gloucester’s henchman Miles Forrest, and becomes Lady Anne Neville’s trusted maid, placing Nan at the very center of the Court’s Machiavellian machinations.
My knowledge of the period, and the cast of players, is limited largely to the Shakespeare plays, so it was intriguing to see history re-imagined from a different perspective. Nan is a strong, well-defined protagonist and the precariousness of her situation kept me on edge and wanting to read more. Miles Forrest is a complex and interesting character, and particularly intriguing since I believe he plays a role that Shakespeare assigned to Sir James Tyrrel. And Blakey’s actively scheming Anne—Kingmaker Warwick’s daughter, widow of Edward Prince of Wales, and Richard’s queen—is a bold contrast to Shakespeare’s passive victim.
The novel is quite well-written, with crisp, readable prose, intelligent, believable dialogue, and vivid detail that transports the reader to another world, capturing the sights, smells, customs, and culture of late Medieval England. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the period, and especially to fans of Phillipa Gregory’s The Kingmaker’s Daughter and Jean Plaidy’s The Reluctant Queen.
Nan’s second sight, coupled with her knowledge of a well-kept royal secret, puts her at risk of being denounced for witchcraft. Through a series of believable, well-plotted circumstances, she serves in the household of one of King Edward’s mistresses, spends time among the Gypsies sharpening her esoteric powers, marries the Duke of Gloucester’s henchman Miles Forrest, and becomes Lady Anne Neville’s trusted maid, placing Nan at the very center of the Court’s Machiavellian machinations.
My knowledge of the period, and the cast of players, is limited largely to the Shakespeare plays, so it was intriguing to see history re-imagined from a different perspective. Nan is a strong, well-defined protagonist and the precariousness of her situation kept me on edge and wanting to read more. Miles Forrest is a complex and interesting character, and particularly intriguing since I believe he plays a role that Shakespeare assigned to Sir James Tyrrel. And Blakey’s actively scheming Anne—Kingmaker Warwick’s daughter, widow of Edward Prince of Wales, and Richard’s queen—is a bold contrast to Shakespeare’s passive victim.
The novel is quite well-written, with crisp, readable prose, intelligent, believable dialogue, and vivid detail that transports the reader to another world, capturing the sights, smells, customs, and culture of late Medieval England. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the period, and especially to fans of Phillipa Gregory’s The Kingmaker’s Daughter and Jean Plaidy’s The Reluctant Queen.
April 4, 2012
I edited this book, so I'm possibly unreliable, but The Assassin's Wife by new author Moonyeen Blakey is a refreshing, vivid foray into English history that the reader is sure to remember for a long time.
It's told from the point of view of Nan, a woman gifted -- or cursed -- with Second Sight. Nan must navigate the political intricacies of England during the Wars of the Roses as well as demanding late medieval social expectations while defending herself from ghostly visions, dreaming of her true love, and avoiding being arrested as a witch. Her overarching goal in life is to save the boys who appear in her visions trapped and in imminent peril in the Tower of London.
The history is complex, but the storytelling is so clear, the reader is never confused. It's also a long book, taking exactly as long as it needs to in order to tell the story. Over the course of all the pages, the reader becomes more and more attached to the main character and the historical figures she comes into contact with. During editing, I ended up reading a certain scene six or seven times because I was naturally drawn to it. The first time I teared up, which is unusual enough, but I found that each time I reread the scene, it had the same devastating effect on me. Because of its powerful writing, this book won a prize before it was even published. If you like history, and enjoy getting to know your narrator intimately as a friend, you will understand why.
It's told from the point of view of Nan, a woman gifted -- or cursed -- with Second Sight. Nan must navigate the political intricacies of England during the Wars of the Roses as well as demanding late medieval social expectations while defending herself from ghostly visions, dreaming of her true love, and avoiding being arrested as a witch. Her overarching goal in life is to save the boys who appear in her visions trapped and in imminent peril in the Tower of London.
The history is complex, but the storytelling is so clear, the reader is never confused. It's also a long book, taking exactly as long as it needs to in order to tell the story. Over the course of all the pages, the reader becomes more and more attached to the main character and the historical figures she comes into contact with. During editing, I ended up reading a certain scene six or seven times because I was naturally drawn to it. The first time I teared up, which is unusual enough, but I found that each time I reread the scene, it had the same devastating effect on me. Because of its powerful writing, this book won a prize before it was even published. If you like history, and enjoy getting to know your narrator intimately as a friend, you will understand why.
June 5, 2012
I echo the view of the author Sally Spedding, that this debut novel of exciting new talent, Moonyeen Blakey, is a “an incredible, unforgettable story , surely made for the screen”.
This is a book that you will not want to put down! It’s wonderful, fast flowing narrative describes the War of the Roses through her main character, Nan, who has the gift(or the curse) of “second sight”.
The plot is so well told that the reader can sense for themselves the real fear that it was to live in England during the bloody rise to power, reign and aftermath of Edward IVth, leading to that fateful day at Bosworth Field immortalised by Shakespeare, when Richard III lost his crown to Henry Tudor.
Will Nan save the boys in the Tower? Will she save herself ? Read and find out!
This is a book that you will not want to put down! It’s wonderful, fast flowing narrative describes the War of the Roses through her main character, Nan, who has the gift(or the curse) of “second sight”.
The plot is so well told that the reader can sense for themselves the real fear that it was to live in England during the bloody rise to power, reign and aftermath of Edward IVth, leading to that fateful day at Bosworth Field immortalised by Shakespeare, when Richard III lost his crown to Henry Tudor.
Will Nan save the boys in the Tower? Will she save herself ? Read and find out!
August 5, 2012
The fate of the two princes in the tower (Edward and Richard), imprisoned in the Tower of London as the child king Edward V awaited his coronation, has long been the subject of debate and speculation. When bones of two male children were found under a staircase in the White Tower in 1674,it was widely accepted that the children were murdered by their uncle, Richard III to assure that there were no threats to his monarchy.
The Assassin's Wife, Moonyen Blakeley's beautifully researched and written novel is the story of Nan,a simple country girl with the gift of second sight whose gift becomes more of a curse than a gift. Seers are witches and in England, witches are burned at the stake. When her gift becomes too obvious in the village where her family lives, they send her away to filthy, dangerous London to go into service and to assure their safety. Throughout her life, she has a vision of little boys, locked up and in peril. Nan wants to save them but has no idea who they are or how she can help. Nan rises in service, eventually marries Miles Forrest, a dangerously handsomeman who works for the Duke of Gloucester. However, a secret that only she knows is a threat to the throne and Bishop Stillington, the most powerful clergyman in England has been searching for her for years, perhaps to kill or or perhaps to use her in his quest for more power.
The subplot of the princes in the tower is a glittering thread running through Nan's story but the story of Nan's life is compelling on its own. The Assassin's Wife is Blakely's first novel but it reads like historical fiction written by the best authors in that genre. This colorful, vividly realistic novel was one that I hated to finish because I wanted so badly to stay in the world that Blakely's so compellingly recreated. She has a wonderful career ahead of her and I fully intend to devour everything she writes. Bravo and congratulations to the Phillippa Gregory of her generation!
The Assassin's Wife, Moonyen Blakeley's beautifully researched and written novel is the story of Nan,a simple country girl with the gift of second sight whose gift becomes more of a curse than a gift. Seers are witches and in England, witches are burned at the stake. When her gift becomes too obvious in the village where her family lives, they send her away to filthy, dangerous London to go into service and to assure their safety. Throughout her life, she has a vision of little boys, locked up and in peril. Nan wants to save them but has no idea who they are or how she can help. Nan rises in service, eventually marries Miles Forrest, a dangerously handsomeman who works for the Duke of Gloucester. However, a secret that only she knows is a threat to the throne and Bishop Stillington, the most powerful clergyman in England has been searching for her for years, perhaps to kill or or perhaps to use her in his quest for more power.
The subplot of the princes in the tower is a glittering thread running through Nan's story but the story of Nan's life is compelling on its own. The Assassin's Wife is Blakely's first novel but it reads like historical fiction written by the best authors in that genre. This colorful, vividly realistic novel was one that I hated to finish because I wanted so badly to stay in the world that Blakely's so compellingly recreated. She has a wonderful career ahead of her and I fully intend to devour everything she writes. Bravo and congratulations to the Phillippa Gregory of her generation!
April 22, 2012
Moonyeen Blakey's debut historical novel plunges the reader into the War of the Roses period of English history as seen through the eyes of Nan, a young girl with second sight who reaches womanhood burdened with the foresight of a particular vision of two princes held captive in a tower. Through various twists and turns in her life she becomes close to powerful court figures and her own husband is caught up in its intrigues. This is a gripping and very descriptive read of a tumultous period in English history.
September 10, 2012
'The Assassin’s Wife' is an ambitious book and an epic tale about the War of the Roses. It is told entirely through the eyes of Nan, a girl from a Norfolk village, who becomes a servant and the confidante of Ann Neville (wife of the notorious King Richard III.)
A fast pace and plenty of fabulous description keep the reader hooked to the very end. Ms. Blakey brilliantly recreates the bustling streets of Mediaeval London. We merge into its crowds, hear the gossip and experience the sights, sounds and rancid smells of the Capital at the height of civil war. Her depiction of the English countryside is also evocative; she paints an image of a world where honey bees drone and ‘the last pennants of sunlight streamed across a smoke-grey sky, and a warm smell of pottage flavoured the breeze.’
But fifteenth century England is no rural idyll. The novel seethes with intrigue, betrayal and superstition at every social level: bakers’ lads become spies; serving maids ruin reputations with dangerous rumours of witchcraft. Fratricide and regicide are common and priests and Queens fear the machinations of the ambitious and the hands of torturers.
Poor Nan, who is blessed – or cursed – with second-sight, treads a dangerous path through this snake pit as she battles to find happiness with her flawed husband, please her demanding mistress and save the lives of ‘the princes in the tower’, whose deaths she has foreseen in her dreams.
The main characters are brilliantly drawn – especially those at the heart of English politics during this turbulent time. Occasionally, the servants became confusing blur but this does not distract from an excellent – and cleverly researched – novel which brings alive a fascinating era.
A fast pace and plenty of fabulous description keep the reader hooked to the very end. Ms. Blakey brilliantly recreates the bustling streets of Mediaeval London. We merge into its crowds, hear the gossip and experience the sights, sounds and rancid smells of the Capital at the height of civil war. Her depiction of the English countryside is also evocative; she paints an image of a world where honey bees drone and ‘the last pennants of sunlight streamed across a smoke-grey sky, and a warm smell of pottage flavoured the breeze.’
But fifteenth century England is no rural idyll. The novel seethes with intrigue, betrayal and superstition at every social level: bakers’ lads become spies; serving maids ruin reputations with dangerous rumours of witchcraft. Fratricide and regicide are common and priests and Queens fear the machinations of the ambitious and the hands of torturers.
Poor Nan, who is blessed – or cursed – with second-sight, treads a dangerous path through this snake pit as she battles to find happiness with her flawed husband, please her demanding mistress and save the lives of ‘the princes in the tower’, whose deaths she has foreseen in her dreams.
The main characters are brilliantly drawn – especially those at the heart of English politics during this turbulent time. Occasionally, the servants became confusing blur but this does not distract from an excellent – and cleverly researched – novel which brings alive a fascinating era.
February 7, 2014
I was hugely excited about starting it as it is set in an era that I love. I also enjoy reading about, and believe in, the sight.
This is about a woman named Nan who struggles all her life because she was born with the sight in a time where women were burned as witches for the ability. Many people shun her for it and she's passed from person to person after her father dies. Her life is tough. Many obstacles are in her way and it seems her entire reason for being, in her mind, is to help save two children in the tower. That is something she never accomplishes. She also finds the man she's married to, the man she's loved forever it seems, is carrying dark secrets that rock her world.
At times I struggled with the story and felt it jumped months and years within one chapter here and there, leaving me confused and paging back to see if I missed anything. My biggest thing with the story is that she spends her entire life moving towards one thing and never reaches it. It began to become tiring for me to read. Maybe if the book weren't as long as it was it would have read better. For me, it just seemed to drag out. There was a point halfway through that I considered laying it down but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I felt I needed to see it through to the end for my own satisfaction. For those reasons I gave it 3 stars.
There were historical instances that were added to the story that I enjoyed and the descriptions of the areas and people were really spot on. From previous reviews many have rated this 5 star so I suggest you pick it up yourself and give it a go. It just may not have been right for me, at this moment but could be perfect for you.
This is about a woman named Nan who struggles all her life because she was born with the sight in a time where women were burned as witches for the ability. Many people shun her for it and she's passed from person to person after her father dies. Her life is tough. Many obstacles are in her way and it seems her entire reason for being, in her mind, is to help save two children in the tower. That is something she never accomplishes. She also finds the man she's married to, the man she's loved forever it seems, is carrying dark secrets that rock her world.
At times I struggled with the story and felt it jumped months and years within one chapter here and there, leaving me confused and paging back to see if I missed anything. My biggest thing with the story is that she spends her entire life moving towards one thing and never reaches it. It began to become tiring for me to read. Maybe if the book weren't as long as it was it would have read better. For me, it just seemed to drag out. There was a point halfway through that I considered laying it down but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I felt I needed to see it through to the end for my own satisfaction. For those reasons I gave it 3 stars.
There were historical instances that were added to the story that I enjoyed and the descriptions of the areas and people were really spot on. From previous reviews many have rated this 5 star so I suggest you pick it up yourself and give it a go. It just may not have been right for me, at this moment but could be perfect for you.
September 28, 2012
A gripping new take on what happened to the princes in the tower.
The central, fictional character, Nan, is our narrator, and a very likeable young girl. Gifted – or cursed – with second sight, she is caught up in the conflict between York and Lancaster, kings and their womenfolk, as a servant in various important households. I was impressed by the way Blakey ensured that Nan moved to wherever the story was best served, while making Nan’s motives for such a move seem entirely believable. I knew little about this period of history apart from the controversy over the princes’ fate but I was completely drawn into the 15th century world and its people, real and imagined. Empathy with Nan made me desperate to prevent the scene recurring in her nightmares and there was plenty of suspense to keep those pages turning. It was even possible to understand Nan's love and compassion for the assassin of the title, so well were the tragic dilemmas of the period conveyed.
Maybe there is a little too much ominous melodrama and obscure prophesy but this is just the sort of book to read curled up by the fire, on a winter’s evening, shivering as the ghost blows out a candle, or the nightmare raven promises blood.
The central, fictional character, Nan, is our narrator, and a very likeable young girl. Gifted – or cursed – with second sight, she is caught up in the conflict between York and Lancaster, kings and their womenfolk, as a servant in various important households. I was impressed by the way Blakey ensured that Nan moved to wherever the story was best served, while making Nan’s motives for such a move seem entirely believable. I knew little about this period of history apart from the controversy over the princes’ fate but I was completely drawn into the 15th century world and its people, real and imagined. Empathy with Nan made me desperate to prevent the scene recurring in her nightmares and there was plenty of suspense to keep those pages turning. It was even possible to understand Nan's love and compassion for the assassin of the title, so well were the tragic dilemmas of the period conveyed.
Maybe there is a little too much ominous melodrama and obscure prophesy but this is just the sort of book to read curled up by the fire, on a winter’s evening, shivering as the ghost blows out a candle, or the nightmare raven promises blood.
September 14, 2013
The Assassin's Wife, Nan, takes us into her life, her thoughts, and her fears. I feared for her and with her. Blakey is wonderful writer; she led me on a time-travel back to the C15th, gave me the scent of herbs and the taste of sweet wine; I could see what her characters were wearing and smell the Thames in the old city of London. Convincing and compelling writing - I was so tempted to turn to the last page, but I stayed up reading until I found out exactly what happened to the two boys in the tower. Well recommended
December 7, 2012
Reading this fast-paced novel really was like stepping back into the England of the 15th Century.
With her vivid and vibrant imagination, the author brilliantly evokes the sounds, smells, tastes and sense of turmoil that must have characterised the time for all classes of society.
There was no media then, of course, so the events of the day - including the activities of kings and princes - were almost entirely passed on by gossip.
It was often a cruel, dangerous and sadistic world - with burnings and hangings regarded both as justice and as entertainment for the masses.
To that extent, the narrative often reads like a dream tipping into a nightmare. This novel is thus both gripping and sometimes extremely disturbing.
To provide immediacy, the plot unfolds through the observations, thoughts and actions of the narrator, a young woman - heroine of a sort - who finds herself embroiled in the events leading up to what, to this day, is one of British history's great unsolved mysteries, the death of two princes in the Tower of London.
What adds spice to the tale is that she is a psychic with a recurring sense of foreboding about what the future might hold. For her, as it emerges, it is not so much a gift as a cursed - not least because it puts her at risk of being burned as a witch.
But to all other purposes, she is a normal woman - one with an eye for a handsome man. And yes, there is some sex which is handled with verve and passion. There is nothing in the slightest bit flimsy. The author doesn't beat about the bush in how she handles physicality - and that's to her credit.
It's a chunky read, but don't let that put you off. It races along like a babbling brook. All highly refreshing - but beware, the current is dangerous!
Some reviewers have likened the work to a movie. They are spot-on. In many respects, reading it is just like being in a cinema.
That's all down to the skill of the author and her super-keen sense of moving images, along with plot and character.
It's terrific stuff - can't wait for Blakey's next novel to be published . . .
November 29, 2013
A vivid historical fiction piece with a little bit of magic set in England during the midst of the turbulent War of the Roses. We follow Nan, who has the gift of the Sight. From the time she is a little girl she has terrifying dreams and visions of two boys in the Tower who meet a terrifying death. Nan's sight brings her trouble with her family and friends in her small country village. With her only alley being the village priest who sees the Sight as more of a gift than a curse, she is sent to live in London with family. Trouble with her visions and nightmares follows Nan as she is sent from her family in London to a placement in a bakery until she finds herself with a lady of high standing and finally Duchess Anne Neville, who appreciates Nan's gift even though it could be considered witchcraft. Nan's visions of the boy's continue to haunt her, but she also dreams of a man who she is drawn to...if she only knew that their fates were intertwined.
The Assassin's Wife will transport you into the time of the War of the Roses with wonderful descriptions of the landscape, people, clothing and buildings. The mystery of the princes is seen from a different point of view and Nan's character is wonderful. I enjoyed the different settings that Nan was taken to and how she was expertly inserted within to the lives of real historical figures. A wonderful read for any lover of Tudor history!
This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review.
The Assassin's Wife will transport you into the time of the War of the Roses with wonderful descriptions of the landscape, people, clothing and buildings. The mystery of the princes is seen from a different point of view and Nan's character is wonderful. I enjoyed the different settings that Nan was taken to and how she was expertly inserted within to the lives of real historical figures. A wonderful read for any lover of Tudor history!
This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2014
The Assassin's Wife is novel based on the true mystery of the missing princes from the Tower of London. The setting is the turbulence of the War of the Roses. Nan is a young woman born with prophetic site. From a young age, she has experienced disturbing dreams pertain to the fight for England’s throne between the houses of York and Lancaster.
But to be clairvoyant in the 15th and 16th centuries is dangerous. Many are put to death for being witches. When she is befriended by gypsies, she learns to hone her gift of sight. When she marries Miles Forest, a shady character who does the Duke of Gloucester’s dirty work, she becomes a Lady-in-Waiting to Lady Anne Neville. What follows is a tension-filled plot as Nan weaves through peril in an attempt to save the young princes.
The novel is wonderful, richly-plotted, and well-written. It has an enchanting, fast-paced story line that definitely held my interest to the end. I look forward to future books by this author.
But to be clairvoyant in the 15th and 16th centuries is dangerous. Many are put to death for being witches. When she is befriended by gypsies, she learns to hone her gift of sight. When she marries Miles Forest, a shady character who does the Duke of Gloucester’s dirty work, she becomes a Lady-in-Waiting to Lady Anne Neville. What follows is a tension-filled plot as Nan weaves through peril in an attempt to save the young princes.
The novel is wonderful, richly-plotted, and well-written. It has an enchanting, fast-paced story line that definitely held my interest to the end. I look forward to future books by this author.
October 28, 2012
Debut author Moonyeen Blakey is a force to be reckoned with. She has taken a young girl named Nan, someone very likeable, someone that I immedately felt for, and placed her in a dangerous world. A girl with visions, rejected by her own family and the community, with only a priest that listened to her and actually believed what she was saying.
An original story that brought an interesting view of the War of the Roses and the mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower. I really like a story that does not focus on the main players but with background ones, in this case a fictional one along with main (real) players (Anne Neville being one, I had to read The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory as soon as I finished this book).
Definitely a author that I will be reading more of.
An original story that brought an interesting view of the War of the Roses and the mystery surrounding the Princes in the Tower. I really like a story that does not focus on the main players but with background ones, in this case a fictional one along with main (real) players (Anne Neville being one, I had to read The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory as soon as I finished this book).
Definitely a author that I will be reading more of.
December 19, 2012
I love books of this period and was attracted to this one by the additional premise of a main character with the dangerous gift of "sight"
From the outset I was captivated by Nan and the way her character was carefully and believably, developed throughout this book. The prose was quite beautiful, and a joy to savour.The period detail and setting drew me in, in such an natural and effortless way,a compliment indeed to the author.Nan's visions served to rank up the suspense as they increased in number and intensity. The reaction of both Nan and those around her fully illustrating the fear and suspicion, abound in those times.
I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and well researched tale.This is a must read for those who enjoy historical fiction.
From the outset I was captivated by Nan and the way her character was carefully and believably, developed throughout this book. The prose was quite beautiful, and a joy to savour.The period detail and setting drew me in, in such an natural and effortless way,a compliment indeed to the author.Nan's visions served to rank up the suspense as they increased in number and intensity. The reaction of both Nan and those around her fully illustrating the fear and suspicion, abound in those times.
I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting and well researched tale.This is a must read for those who enjoy historical fiction.
April 17, 2016
The book was pretty fascinating until three quarters of the way through, when it became apparent that Nan was powerless to do anything to change her fate or that of those she was aiming to save. Basically, Nan predicted that the two boys in the tower would die, and was trying the entire book - which is most of her life - to save their lives... And failed! And then the book ended!
so yes, I like the language/tone of the book, but the plot needs a little more punch. I don't think a positive ending is needed, per se, like the boys' lives being saved, but there definitely needs to be more.
so yes, I like the language/tone of the book, but the plot needs a little more punch. I don't think a positive ending is needed, per se, like the boys' lives being saved, but there definitely needs to be more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2012
I love historical fiction and and Ms. Blakey pulled me in immediately to this book. This was one of those stories that I did not want to end. From the beginning, I loved Nan and hated the way that she was treated but also understood the time and place where she lived. This is a fast paced book with plenty of descriptions along the way. Typically, I don't read stories that take place during the War of the Roses but I found this one to be quite entertaining. I hope to see more from this upcoming author.
February 4, 2018
A woman, Nan, with second sight foresees the murder of two noble boys in the reign of King Richard III. Her husband, Miles Forest, is a shady henchman of Richards. The boys in question - well, the princes in the Tower.
There were enough plot twists and dramas to keep the reader entertained. The plot was plausible enough without bordering on the stuff of fantasy. The story for me however, was a little too long in the telling and could have been condensed a little. The ending was, as we known, predictable.
There were enough plot twists and dramas to keep the reader entertained. The plot was plausible enough without bordering on the stuff of fantasy. The story for me however, was a little too long in the telling and could have been condensed a little. The ending was, as we known, predictable.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews