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The Mists of Middleham: An Alianore Audley novel
Alianore and her husband receive a new commission from King Edward IV. He has heard that the Holy Grail is to be found somewhere within his dominions - and he wants them to find it!
At the same time, Jasper Tudor is suspected of trying to organise a new rebellion in Wales. Can he be stopped? Can the Grail be found? Will Alianore ever achieve her ambition of being allowed to retire to her home to grow gilly flowers?
At the same time, Jasper Tudor is suspected of trying to organise a new rebellion in Wales. Can he be stopped? Can the Grail be found? Will Alianore ever achieve her ambition of being allowed to retire to her home to grow gilly flowers?
- GenresHumorHistorical Fiction
237 pages, Paperback
Published July 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2023
Readers may remember Alianore Audley as the wise-cracking, no nonsense Yorkist Intelligence operative who gave us her first-hand account of the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III in The Adventures of Alianore Audley. Since its publication, additional writings by Alianore have been uncovered in which she recounts some rather strange happenings that occurred while performing a commission for King Edward. At the time Alianore and her husband, Sir Roger Beauchamp, were in the household of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at Middleham. Alianore was officially a lady-in-waiting to the Duchess, Anne Neville, but also served with some reluctance as an intelligence officer, keeping Duke Richard and the king apprised of developments along the Scots border.
It is during the Christmas season, 1478 (a particularly boring one according to Alianore) that she and Roger receive a commission from the king to search for the Holy Grail. Alianore thinks that the superstitious Edward must have listened to his so-called wife or one of her lunatic relatives to believe that the Grail could be found within his realm. For her part, she doubts it exists, or can be found, but she and Roger embark on the search—it is a royal command, after all. Besides, she plans to submit a detailed and padded expense account.
They hadn’t even gotten as far as Doncaster when Roger and Alianore have their first adventure; they are abducted by Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Not the “historic” Robin who was supposed to have lived two centuries before, but a group of re-enactors who see themselves not so much outlaws as caterers. Alianore and Roger are eventually released without being charged for lodging or their gourmet meals after Alianore mentions her particular friend the Duke of Gloucester and her cousin, King Edward.
Their journey is plagued by more than inept outlaws. Alianore has begun to have visions—the first one seems to be a sort of shrine to Richard but without candles or offerings, or attendant monks— and Roger says some strange things, such as asking an innkeeper for a Bacardi and Coke, whatever that is, and mentioning something about a space-time continuum. By the time they reach London, Alianore is so concerned that dark forces are at work that she consults Bishop Russell who concludes that Roger’s condition is a clear case of demonic possession. He recruits (to Alianore’s horror and over her objection) Bishop Morton to aid him in an exorcism, which seems to be successful.
However, Alianore and Roger are not pleased when Lord Hastings explains that the quest for the Grail is a cover story in order for them to travel into Wales and Cornwall to learn about a rumored landing in the summer by “Uncle” Jasper Tudor. Roger is disillusioned that the noble quest for the Grail (an ultra-knightly goal) is merely a dirty spying mission. He feels like seeking an audience with the king and telling him to “stick the whole thing where the Sun in Splendour doesn’t shine.” Edward charms him instead, and the couple set off on the quest which takes them to Wales and to Warwick and Guy’s Cliff where they encounter not only John Rous and a boggart but Ursula Plantagenet. That’s right, Edward and Richard’s younger sister who was thought to have died in infancy. She is much into mysticism and insists on being called Crystal Plantagenet.
Alianore gets homesick for Middleham. Keep in mind that she has always disliked the place—bone chilling cold and boring, but she tells Roger that is irrelevant now. She needs Middleham. She needs Richard and Anne, for reasons she can’t explain. And she has another vision that she is at King Arthur’s court, where Guinevere bears a striking resemblance to Anne Neville, and the more she looks at Arthur the more he starts to resemble Richard of Gloucester.
I won’t bother to relate all the twists and turns the plot takes, but, eventually, the search for Uncle Jasper and that for the Holy Grail merge, with powerful forces influencing the characters’ actions. When Richard and Roger are both put under spells, Alianore and Anne lead a rescue party that includes the Robin Hood re-enactors, and their spells are broken by the Grail’s power. This is an immensely entertaining work, which can be enjoyed on several different levels. Filled with humor and memorable one-liners, it has an intriguing plot and plenty of adventure. On another, more serious level the ever skeptical Alianore discovers a need in herself to believe in something or someone; she finds it in Richard. Some may think that the comparison between Richard and King Arthur is over the top. Not me.
It is during the Christmas season, 1478 (a particularly boring one according to Alianore) that she and Roger receive a commission from the king to search for the Holy Grail. Alianore thinks that the superstitious Edward must have listened to his so-called wife or one of her lunatic relatives to believe that the Grail could be found within his realm. For her part, she doubts it exists, or can be found, but she and Roger embark on the search—it is a royal command, after all. Besides, she plans to submit a detailed and padded expense account.
They hadn’t even gotten as far as Doncaster when Roger and Alianore have their first adventure; they are abducted by Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Not the “historic” Robin who was supposed to have lived two centuries before, but a group of re-enactors who see themselves not so much outlaws as caterers. Alianore and Roger are eventually released without being charged for lodging or their gourmet meals after Alianore mentions her particular friend the Duke of Gloucester and her cousin, King Edward.
Their journey is plagued by more than inept outlaws. Alianore has begun to have visions—the first one seems to be a sort of shrine to Richard but without candles or offerings, or attendant monks— and Roger says some strange things, such as asking an innkeeper for a Bacardi and Coke, whatever that is, and mentioning something about a space-time continuum. By the time they reach London, Alianore is so concerned that dark forces are at work that she consults Bishop Russell who concludes that Roger’s condition is a clear case of demonic possession. He recruits (to Alianore’s horror and over her objection) Bishop Morton to aid him in an exorcism, which seems to be successful.
However, Alianore and Roger are not pleased when Lord Hastings explains that the quest for the Grail is a cover story in order for them to travel into Wales and Cornwall to learn about a rumored landing in the summer by “Uncle” Jasper Tudor. Roger is disillusioned that the noble quest for the Grail (an ultra-knightly goal) is merely a dirty spying mission. He feels like seeking an audience with the king and telling him to “stick the whole thing where the Sun in Splendour doesn’t shine.” Edward charms him instead, and the couple set off on the quest which takes them to Wales and to Warwick and Guy’s Cliff where they encounter not only John Rous and a boggart but Ursula Plantagenet. That’s right, Edward and Richard’s younger sister who was thought to have died in infancy. She is much into mysticism and insists on being called Crystal Plantagenet.
Alianore gets homesick for Middleham. Keep in mind that she has always disliked the place—bone chilling cold and boring, but she tells Roger that is irrelevant now. She needs Middleham. She needs Richard and Anne, for reasons she can’t explain. And she has another vision that she is at King Arthur’s court, where Guinevere bears a striking resemblance to Anne Neville, and the more she looks at Arthur the more he starts to resemble Richard of Gloucester.
I won’t bother to relate all the twists and turns the plot takes, but, eventually, the search for Uncle Jasper and that for the Holy Grail merge, with powerful forces influencing the characters’ actions. When Richard and Roger are both put under spells, Alianore and Anne lead a rescue party that includes the Robin Hood re-enactors, and their spells are broken by the Grail’s power. This is an immensely entertaining work, which can be enjoyed on several different levels. Filled with humor and memorable one-liners, it has an intriguing plot and plenty of adventure. On another, more serious level the ever skeptical Alianore discovers a need in herself to believe in something or someone; she finds it in Richard. Some may think that the comparison between Richard and King Arthur is over the top. Not me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2023
The Mists of Middleham
By Brian Wainwright
Reviewed July 23, 2023
Alianore Audley is back, that wise cracking, reluctant operative for Yorkist Intelligence, and this time she’s been assigned by King Edward himself to find the Holy Grail, and while she and her husband are out and about, could they check out some rumors about Jasper Tudor stirring up trouble in Wales?
Alianore and her husband, Sir Roger Beauchamp, are quite happy at Middleham, serving the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, so a quest for something that likely doesn’t really exist is not very appealing even if it does include some intelligence gathering, but you can’t say no to the king, so it’s off on a quest they go, Alianore planning on treating this like an extended vacation.
In spite of her skepticism that the Grail really exists, it soon becomes apparent to Alianore that powerful forces are at work in the kingdom. They barely start their trek when they are ambushed by Robin Hood and his merry band. Okay, not the real Robin Hood but a band of reenactors who prefer to think of themselves as caterers. The situation is eventually worked out to everyone’s satisfaction, but now Alianore is having visions, and Sir Roger starts behaving strangely, spouting nonsense like asking an innkeeper for a Bicardi and Coke. Sir Roger’s condition becomes so bad that an exorcism is required to expel the group of demons who have taken up residence inside the knight.
Continuing on their cross-country trip, they make stops in Wales (where Alianore is sure she has spotted “Uncle” Jasper, as she refers to him), Glastonbury Abbey, Warwick Castle, and a few other places along the way. They encounter many strange and wondrous things, just like in an Arthurian Grail quest. In fact, Alianore has a vision in which she meets King Arthur and Queen Guenevere and notes that without his beard, the legendary king could almost be a double for her cousin, Duke Richard. They also meet a number of colorful and sometimes dodgy characters, including a member of the Plantagenet family long thought dead, a talking dog who likes to be fed slices of roast beef, and get to take part in a battle when traveling through the Welsh Marches.
If you have read The Adventures of Alianore Audley, you will know that our heroine is not your run of the mill medieval damsel, and while she retains her sense of humor and sharp wit in this second volume, it is also a bit more serious in tone than the first. She is also not as harsh toward her royal cousin, Duke Richard, and instead of being the boring stick-in-the-mud she described in her first story, we get to see Richard of Gloucester in a more heroic light.
Although Alianore, Sir Roger, Duke Richard, and their rag-tag group end up thwarting an attempted uprising and saving the day, Alianore knows that this peace will be short lived, that with “Uncle” Jasper still on the loose the danger is far from over.
She also recognizes that in the long run, their only hope will lay with Richard, but his glory will be brief because the forces of evil aligned against him are too strong. But she takes comfort in that “he would be remembered long after all the rest of us were forgotten dust. That he and Arthur were essentially the same Being.” What a nice thought – Richard III as a reincarnation of The Once and Future King.
I ended up giving this a five-star rating for several reasons. Alianore Audley is always fun to read about, and there were many times while reading that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and annoy the dog; I loves me a good Grail Quest story; and I’m drawn to the idea of King Richard III and King Arthur being two sides of the same coin. That, and I was up past 3 am finishing the book when I’d planned on going to bed at a more sensible hour.
By Brian Wainwright
Reviewed July 23, 2023
Alianore Audley is back, that wise cracking, reluctant operative for Yorkist Intelligence, and this time she’s been assigned by King Edward himself to find the Holy Grail, and while she and her husband are out and about, could they check out some rumors about Jasper Tudor stirring up trouble in Wales?
Alianore and her husband, Sir Roger Beauchamp, are quite happy at Middleham, serving the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, so a quest for something that likely doesn’t really exist is not very appealing even if it does include some intelligence gathering, but you can’t say no to the king, so it’s off on a quest they go, Alianore planning on treating this like an extended vacation.
In spite of her skepticism that the Grail really exists, it soon becomes apparent to Alianore that powerful forces are at work in the kingdom. They barely start their trek when they are ambushed by Robin Hood and his merry band. Okay, not the real Robin Hood but a band of reenactors who prefer to think of themselves as caterers. The situation is eventually worked out to everyone’s satisfaction, but now Alianore is having visions, and Sir Roger starts behaving strangely, spouting nonsense like asking an innkeeper for a Bicardi and Coke. Sir Roger’s condition becomes so bad that an exorcism is required to expel the group of demons who have taken up residence inside the knight.
Continuing on their cross-country trip, they make stops in Wales (where Alianore is sure she has spotted “Uncle” Jasper, as she refers to him), Glastonbury Abbey, Warwick Castle, and a few other places along the way. They encounter many strange and wondrous things, just like in an Arthurian Grail quest. In fact, Alianore has a vision in which she meets King Arthur and Queen Guenevere and notes that without his beard, the legendary king could almost be a double for her cousin, Duke Richard. They also meet a number of colorful and sometimes dodgy characters, including a member of the Plantagenet family long thought dead, a talking dog who likes to be fed slices of roast beef, and get to take part in a battle when traveling through the Welsh Marches.
If you have read The Adventures of Alianore Audley, you will know that our heroine is not your run of the mill medieval damsel, and while she retains her sense of humor and sharp wit in this second volume, it is also a bit more serious in tone than the first. She is also not as harsh toward her royal cousin, Duke Richard, and instead of being the boring stick-in-the-mud she described in her first story, we get to see Richard of Gloucester in a more heroic light.
Although Alianore, Sir Roger, Duke Richard, and their rag-tag group end up thwarting an attempted uprising and saving the day, Alianore knows that this peace will be short lived, that with “Uncle” Jasper still on the loose the danger is far from over.
She also recognizes that in the long run, their only hope will lay with Richard, but his glory will be brief because the forces of evil aligned against him are too strong. But she takes comfort in that “he would be remembered long after all the rest of us were forgotten dust. That he and Arthur were essentially the same Being.” What a nice thought – Richard III as a reincarnation of The Once and Future King.
I ended up giving this a five-star rating for several reasons. Alianore Audley is always fun to read about, and there were many times while reading that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and annoy the dog; I loves me a good Grail Quest story; and I’m drawn to the idea of King Richard III and King Arthur being two sides of the same coin. That, and I was up past 3 am finishing the book when I’d planned on going to bed at a more sensible hour.
September 4, 2023
Just okay for me. Not nearly up to the fun of the first one, in fact this was terribly silly. I like a good funny take as much as the next person but I wasn't actually exciting a bad retelling of Monty Python's Holy Grail, and I'm a huge MP fan. Sorry, this wasn't for me
September 13, 2024
Good fun!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews