A Rainha Cativa

Thornleigh #3

by Barbara Kyle

Inglaterra, 1554. No rescaldo da fracassada Revolta de Wyatt, uma rainha Maria vingativa manda capturar e executar todos os conspiradores. Entre os detidos encontra-se a irmã, Isabel, de vinte e um anos. Isabel declara-se inocente, atitude que intensifica ainda mais a raiva de Maria.

Isabel anseia por recuperar a liberdade - e conquistar a coroa da irmã. Em Honor e Richard Thornleigh e no filho de ambos, Adam, a jovem princesa encontra aliados leais. Revoltada com a intenção proclamada por Maria de queimar todos os hereges, Honor visita Isabel, presa na Torre, e as duas mulheres tornam-se amigas. E quando Adam desmascara um potencial assassino, a gratidão de Isabel transforma-se numa atracção forte e mútua. Mas embora Honor esteja disposta a pôr em risco a sua segurança pela futura rainha, a participação numa nova revolta contra a impiedosa Maria obriga-a a fazer uma escolha impossível…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period, British Literature, Royalty, Ebooks

392 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 19, 2010

About the author

Thanks for visiting!

Here’s a little about me. Before becoming an author, I enjoyed a twenty-year acting career playing Shakespearean heroines on stage, leading roles in daytime TV dramas, and characters in Disney made-for-TV movies. It felt like a natural extension of my acting to create characters for fiction, and I hope you'll enjoy my novels. Over half a million copies have been sold worldwide.

My seven-book Thornleigh Saga series is set in 16th-century England and follows a middle-class family’s rise through three generations and three tumultuous Tudor reigns. ("Riveting Tudor drama" - USA Today). I’m also the author of acclaimed thrillers.

My new novel, THE DEADLY TRADE, is a murder mystery. I hope you’ll love it!

As a writing mentor I’ve launched many writers on the path to published success. My video course YOUR PATH TO WRITING A PAGE-TURNER shows how to craft a book that excites publishers and thrills readers. It's a Udemy Bestseller! See: https://www.udemy.com/course/your-pat...

My husband and I live in Guelph, a university city in southern Ontario where we enjoy its riverside walks, vibrant arts community, and good-neighborliness.

Happy reading!

Barbara Kyle

P.S. Follow me on Instagram @BarbaraKyleAuthor

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a minor in history. Tudor History is my favorite time period. I even wrote a paper comparing the reign of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. This book was so offensive, I don't know where to begin. The Catholic bigotry was appalling.
Someone has to be the villain and this author chose Mary. I can live with that. It was all the burning of heretics that made Mary so evil like Protestants DIDN'T DO THE EXACT SAME THING. (Fact check: more Catholics were tortured and killed under Elizabeth than Protestants under Mary. If there was one thing Protestants and Catholics could agree on was what to do with a heretic.)
Honor Thornleigh, the main character, loves playing victim. Her character is all about how not to be held accountable for what she does. Everything is about money with her. She plays Catholic to keeps her lands stolen from the church and she plots against Mary to keep her livelihood. Honor is a heretic and a traitor but it's all Mary's fault because Mary is so evil and Honor is so????---not Christian.
Honor is also too modern. She has this weird passage debating the sacrament (as in bread and wine) that was a present-day interpretation and not quite what Luther said. She feels badly for Mary's false pregnancy. The author even mentions that the modern diagnosis was uterine cancer but at the time, even Catholics thought she was crazy.
Then there were these facts that seemed to be randomly thrown in which did not move the story forward in any way nor help with character development. One was the weird sacrament debate. Anglicanism was not about biblical accuracy in worship but about breaking papal power. Another was bringing up Luther at all. England might have had to make alliances with Lutheran nations but Henry VIII did not like Martin Luther. There was also a weird statement about Christians liking Paul the Jew. Like 90% of the people in the bible aren't Jews/Hebrews/Israelites? Or was it because if you're Christian you are automatically anti-sematic? Or aren't Protestants Christian?
I started skipping through parts because they were annoying but realized I didn't care about any of the characters except Elizabeth and Mary and they were barely in the book. Stopped at Chapter 16. Sorry I paid money for this.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up to 4*

This book is well-written with a compelling story. I didn't like how the author portrayed the Princess Elizabeth or her relationship with Adam Thornleigh.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. The author cleverly melds fictional characters into historical events without altering too many known facts. I like how she explains her changes to history at the end of her books. It makes you want to believe the Thornleigh's were historical figures because the author is so forthcoming with information on how and what she changed.
one thing that did stand out to me though was her portrayal of Mary as the historical "Bloody Mary" when in fact her father killed by far more people and over less than she ever could if her reign had been as long as his. May have been because the main character was at court and sheltered from much whereas she was much more aware of it in this time since she wasn't as sheltered.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in the Thornleigh series I have read ( been jumping around a bit) and, so far, it is the one I have liked less.

It is Queen Mary’s bloody reign , with mass burnings of heretics that cause more discontent among the English. Honor Thornleigh, a loyal protestant, is sent to convince – and prepare - young imprisoned Elizabeth to take the throne from her sister, but the task is not easy. Meanwhile, Honor’s stepson Adam offers to help, but does not expect to be so enchanted with the young princess. He promises to defend Elizabeth with is life, but knows he may not dream of anything in return… or may he?

There are two sides to every story and, although I understand the idealized image that Americans may have of Elizabeth, if you are Spanish, or French, or Portuguese (like me), the feelings are not the same. A sweet, innocent Elizabeth, an ideal model of righteousness? Really? This was just too strange and unbelievable for me ! I understand the author wanted to create an interesting love story, but it just seemed too forced, too unrealistic, which is sad because she is very convincing with the gruesome details of Mary’s reign, the oppression, the fear, the conflicts. It was great to read about Honor and Richard again, but Elizabeth is best kept in the background, as a supporting character.

[IrishFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this book the most so far in this series. While the first 2 lagged a little until a hundred or so pages in, this one kept me reading from the start. I was so upset that Honor and Richard kept getting arrested and jailed and tortured. I was wondering how much they could take before just dying. So glad to see them survive together. something at the end though, when Isabel's ship is coming in has me worried that she might have died on the journey. I am starting the 4th book, so I will see.

[Jeanne (love2cook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the stories about Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth, half sisters, one the daughter of Queen Catherine and King Henry VIII, the other the daughter of the King's mistress and second wife Anne Boleyn. Interesting the way they lived and died in Merry Old England back in the time of these royals. 

[Bish Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the story dragged a bit in places, I truly appreciated the research the author must have done. Most of the time I felt I was in England during this tumultuous time. The detail and care Kyle took to describe the scenery and how people lived and dressed etc., was almost more fascinating to me than the story itself.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven’t read the previous books in this series, but I don’t think it was necessary. This book was entertaining enough, though I did feel it over explained some things. Like, I think the book explained three times why defeating the Exiles bill was important. I also didn’t think the Grenvilles were very believable characters.

[Noelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my least favorite out of the three Thornleigh novels I've read. I missed Isabel as the central character and I really missed Honor and Richard working together and being together.
I am definitely learning more history from these books.

[Marina Luck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading the first book in this series and loving it but the ones following are just...blah. Not bad but not good either. Again predictable, the whole family makes it through unscathed when how realistic is that?

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

did not see that coming!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didnt realise this was a series, this is a good stand alone. Loved the story, great read

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frustrating

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Barbara Kyle’s books is always time well spent.

[Pattie]

Unfinished

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was an enjoyable read that improved as the story developed. It started out somewhat slowly but about a third of the way through the pace quickened and the plot became more dynamic. I had previously read 'The King's Daughter' which featured Honor's daughter, Isabel, and found it to be an exciting read. However, Isabel does not feature in this novel and so I had to learn to relate to Honor instead. Perhaps if I had of read 'The Queen's Lady', which is about Honor's earlier life, then I would have appreciated the return of Honor as the central character. Nonetheless, I found Honor to be an intriguing woman--loyal, brave and incredibly determined. I very much enjoyed reading her story.
Another intriguing character was Elizabeth herself. Humanised through the perspective of Honor, this future queen is portrayed as a somewhat selfish and stubborn young girl. However she is very intelligent and her quick-wittedness means that she learns from her life experiences, maturing into an impressive figure. The author has clearly shown Elizabeth's transformation from a green girl to a great woman. The reader is left in no doubt that she becomes a great queen aswell. In many ways this novel is a build-up to Elizabeth meeting her destiny.
An interesting literary addition to Elizabeth's story is her relationship with Adam Thornleigh. It added an interesting diversion from the murderous and revengeful main plot and also allowed Elizabeth's character another way in which it was developed into the queen that we know her to have been. Truly I believe the author put a lot of thought into how Elizabeth was to be portrayed and the means by which she could achieve this. It was very well written.
Overall I've enjoyed reading these novels as I've found the fictionalized Thornleigh characters to be a great way to offer a peephole into the past and it's exciting historical figures. Historical fiction is brilliant in how it brings the past to life, and this novel was no exception.

[Ne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passado algum tempo das minhas Primeiras Impressões lá consegui pegar no livro final desta trilogia.



A memória nunca foi boa e agora também me falha, mas como isto é tipo passador e o que fica é que interessa, vamos lá ver como me vai sair esta opinião já com bolor.

A Rainha Cativa, como sabem, é o terceiro e último volume de uma trilogia, a Trilogia Thornleigh. Dos três, começo já por dizer que este foi o que menos gostei. Não sei se foi pelo tempo de intervalo que li os dois primeiros deste ou se foi mesmo o facto de Barbara Kyle se ter dispersado um pouco e ao ter inserido uma protagonista que ao mesmo tempo era princesa-quase-rainha tornou tudo mais centrado nos negócios reais do que no romance. Ora bem, isto resulta com Philippa Gregory, mas na minha opinião, o mesmo não acontece com este livro ou com esta autora.

Eu adorei os dois primeiros por terem uma aventura centrada em plebeus, com a realeza em segundo plano. Neste caso, Adam, que supostamente é o protagonista, é quase excluído da história. Sendo uma romântica e seguindo a linha de pensamento dos outros, estava à espera de algo mais romântico, com mais enfase em Adam e Isabel, mas em vez disso, deparo-me com uma gaiata cheia de mimo, com uma irmã tarada, e com os pais de Adam outra vez nas lonas!!!

Adorei a parte em que ele (não digo quem) leva uma flecha por ela (também não digo!). Foi o momento alto sem dúvida, porque aqui é que a obra começou a aquecer e a ganhar minimamente interesse. Fiquei com pena, mas julgo já estar habituada com últimos livros de trilogias mais fraquitos...

Bem, afinal até tinha muita coisa aqui guardada. E por isto tudo, termino esta opinião afirmando que apesar desta ovelha cinzenta (vá, não foi assim tão má, apenas difícil de terminar) não vou deixar de seguir as obras de Barbara Kyle.

[Gaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel takes place in Tudor times. Although it got off to a slow start, the pace very quickly picked up and then sped along until I was quite breathless. The plot alternated POV between several characters but it still works and there is a surprise with one unlikeable character. Queen Mary has taken the throne and imprisoned her sister, Elizabeth after the Wyatt Rebellion. Another rebellion is soon plotted but the Princess refuses to commit herself. When this plot too fails on account of a spy, another is immediately planned.
I thought I might be bored with this book as I know Tudor history so well and I did know the plots against Bloody Mary would fail. However I have never understood why these women, both Queen Katherine and her daughter, May obstinately stuck to their convictions even when they could see they could not win. Katherine Of Aragon's sister was Juana who when her husband died would not let go of his dead body. Katherine in her turn would not let go of a husband who no longer wanted her. Mary, too bankrupted her kingdom for Phillip Of Spain leaving Elizabeth to clean up her mess. It makes me wonder if interbreeding caused madness and obsessive compulsiveness in these poor women. Reading this book, Mary seems as crazy as her mother's sister, Juana.
I think Elizabeth was lucky to have been born to Anne Boleyn as she certainly had more sense than the blue blooded offspring of Isabella and Ferdinand Of Spain.
This is the third of a sequel.
I think it is better to read the other two first.
They are The Queen's Lady and The King's Daughter both by Barbara Kyle also.

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical novel had me hooked within the first few pages. Even when I realized it was not the first book in the Thornfield series (and the rest were in my library bag), I didn’t put it down but kept reading. Why? Because the heroine is a woman of a certain age.

At the start of the series, a few books back, Honor was a young innocent who fell into an adventure. Pretty standard premise. Here, she’s been married for decades to Richard, her heartthrob from Book 1, they’ve raised children, and they are really too old to be gallivanting around trying to topple a monarch. But they do anyway. Both Honor and her husband long for peaceful resolutions to their troubles, but trouble just keeps finding them and Kyle keeps the pace of the story snapping along.

What happens to young, beautiful, lusty main characters once that first adventure is over? Give full credit to author Kyle for portraying her characters in middle age and keeping it real. There is still plenty of passion that motivates the (younger) characters to take risks, but what I loved was the role Kyle sets for Honor: she uses her brains and experience to try and influence a young Princess Elizabeth, who is on the verge of decisions that affect her life and the fate of the realm. Honor becomes a mentor to the princess, even if Elizabeth doesn’t always welcome the advice.

I’m rather glad to have made Honor’s acquaintance at this stage of her life. Now on to the “The Queen’s Lady” to see whether her younger self is as interesting.

[Amy Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

The Queen’s Captive is the third book in the Thornleigh series, following The Queen’s Lady and The King’s Daughter. The main protagonist Honor Thornleigh is living in exile with her husband Richard in Antwerp when Sir William Cecil appears and asks that she assist and advise Elizabeth Tudor, who is imprisoned at Woodstock by her sister, Queen Mary.

Elizabeth is under suspicion of supporting the Wyatt rebellion and Cecil is afraid that the young princess will break under the constant harassment and questioning by her sisters’ councilors, which will give Mary the excuse she needs to execute her or that she will be quietly killed by an assassin. Hesitant to be thrust back into the fire, but with their funds almost down to nil and with the promise of receiving a full pardon and the chance at moving back home to England, Honor accepts the mission.

Having not read the previous two books in the series I thought I would be a little lost, but Kyle does a good job at providing just enough background information to get the reader by but without rewriting the last book. Now it’s rare that I deviate from just straight historical fiction and have only read one or two historical mysteries, so it took a bit of sitting back and allowing my imagination to run and just let myself be entertained. And entertained I was, with great characters and an interesting plot Kyle is an author I will be reading again!

[Marisa Martins · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Arrancou-a do fio. Estava demasiado quente, de modo que embrulhou a mão na roda da saia. Era tão bela. E tão querida, um presente de Richard no dia em que se casaram. Brilhando ao sol, reflectia vinte e três anos de recordações. Os dois a fazerem amor. A comentarem o primeiro dente de Isabel, os estudos do Adam, o navio, os negócios, rumores, Natal, livros. Amor."
(extracto retirado da pág. 369)

(LIKES) As aventuras de Honor, Richard e Adam Thornleigh. A combinação entre factos verídicos com os ficcionados pela Barbara. Os últimos dias e o declínio de uma rainha sangrenta, Maria, e os caminhos percorridos para a ascenção de uma rainha do povo, Isabel. A escrita que continua simples e os factos narrados de forma emocionante.

(DISLIKES) Mais do mesmo. Durante a leitura deste 3º capítulo, o leitor fica com a sensação que está a viver quase as mesmas conspirações, traições, intrigas e resultados dos livros anteriores, A Aia da Rainha e A Filha do Rei, onde mudam apenas alguns protagonistas e cenários.

[Tita · Rating 4 out of 5]

De volta à leitura de um dos meus géneros e época preferidos - A época Tudor. E desta vez durante o período do reinando da Rainha Maria, a Sanguinária(Bloody Mary).
Neste terceiro livro da saga acompanhamos o cativeiro da princesa Isabel, ordenado pela sua irmã Maria, bem como as tentativas da Rainha em conseguir culpar Isabel de traição.
Paralelamente, temos Honor, que com a sua família, tenta colocar Isabel no trono, e que de regresso a Inglaterra enfrentam um inimigo antigo - a família Grenville.

Uma história bem construída, com detalhes e cenários bem descritivos, com guerras e intrigas que são habituais na época Tudor. As personagens fictícias são bem construídas e bem inseridas na história, e que conseguimos gostar de umas e odiar outras.
Uma saga que quero continuar a acompanhar, e espero que a editora Planeta não demore a editar os restantes.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I have read a lot of historical novels, especially related to the Tudors' reign, and most of them are either WAY off the mark and just full of sex and smut or they are so boring and dry that they may as well be a history book instead of a novel. Barbara Kyle walks the perfect line between entertaining and educational, and she throws in just enough romance (and I'm not talking about the Young Adult form of romance, either, so be warned) to give you a delicious feeling without filling the book with smut. Let's face it, the courts of the English monarchy weren't exactly convents, so there needs to be a little action referenced from time to time! I'm anxious to pick up Kyle's other Honor Thornleigh novels after reading this one. Recommend for sure!

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I just couldn't get into the book. I picked it up because I recognized the title. But of course my luck I forgot that it was apart of a series. Well damn. My fault on that, but luckily this story goes into enough of the history of the characters that someone who just randomly picks up book three isn't confused. But I couldn't really connect with the characters. Honor annoyed me constantly, Elizabeth was just flip flopping and her decisions were stupid and it was hard to believe she could be that manipulated especially for being a Princess. Not to mention it took me FOREVER to get into the story. It never takes me that long to read a book anymore and there were plenty of times where I thought about just throwing the book down.

[Erica Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really going to give this book 3 1/2 stars. I didn't love it but it still sucked me in anyways. I am in a complete tudor England phase and this was a nice break of pace from my other current novels. This novel focused more on post Henry VIII rule and on Queen Mary's rule and Princess Elizabeth's rise to the thrown. My only issue with the book is there were tons and tons of people. So many that you sometimes got lost in what you were reading. I do think that I might go back and read one of her early books since I really did like the characters that were created in the book. Not a must read, but still for those Tudor England/Elizabethean England fans a good read.

[Janel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Queen's Captive focuses on the later half of Queen Mary's reign and the struggles she had to produce an heir. Once again the heroine is Honor as she is called back to England to help advise Princess Elizabeth on matters of the court. Richard is pardoned from the murder he committed and works on reestablishing their wool business in England. Their son Adam commissions a new ship to be built and falls madly in love with the Princess. The feud between the Greenvilles & the Thornleighs continues as religious tensions and threat of rebellion arise again.

[Darlene Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Barbara has lots of action going on in this 3rd novel of the Thornleigh series. I admire she is not afraid of hurting her characters and, in some cases, creating their demise. It makes for unpredictability, which I seek in a novel. The only difficulty I had with suspension of belief (necessary for most historical fiction novels)was with the relationship between Adam and Elizabeth. All in all, an enjoyable read Barbara Kyle! I'll definitely be on the lookout for the 4th.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting facts from the book:

Angel Coins, worth 10 shillings were put under the mast head on ships for good luck.The Angel is a gold coin introduced into England by Edward IV in 1465 as a new issue of the Noble, thus is was first called the "angel-noble".
Legend has it that anyone who owns an Angel Coin is promised love, money, and happiness.


Fitzroy means "son of a king" Henry VIII had an illegitimate son whose last name was Fitzroy.
















.

[Laddie Tabor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This an exceptionally written historical fiction novel. It's elements of truth and fiction were so well blended to make the whole story seem as if it could have happened as written. The historical issues between Queen Mary and the then Princess are well documented. However, this book ends where the young Princess finally becomes Queen, and as history records she served England quite well for a rule of more than 40 years. Definitely highly recommended for all who love historical novels. Well done.

[Andrea Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and it did not dissapoint it's great predessors. Suspenful and romantic and great for all who like/love historical fiction! The only thing I didn't like about this book was the unsatisfactory ending with Frances and Adam. But then again I am one who loves the "perfect ending" so I guess this ending was real. ANd maybe that's what makes this book so good...