The Long Shadow

Morland Dynasty #6

by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

1670 - Charles II and James II

Morland Place has flourished under Ralph's stewardship, while Annunciata is a great lady of the Court. Splendid futures seem to be promised for her children; but the religious rift opened by Henry VIII has never been fully healed, and conflict resurfaces at the accession of the Catholic James II. Frightening times ensue, when it is impossible to know who to trust. Annunciata herself is put on trial, while jealousy, betrayal and sudden death threaten her family. And in the shadow of revolution comes a new love to Annunciata, one that can only lead to tragedy.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Stuart, 17th Century

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 14, 1983

About the author

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (aka Emma Woodhouse, Elizabeth Bennett)

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born on 13 August 1948 in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, where was educated at Burlington School, a girls' charity school founded in 1699, and at the University of Edinburgh and University College London, where she studied English, history and philosophy.

She had a variety of jobs in the commercial world, starting as a junior cashier at Woolworth's and working her way down to Pensions Officer at the BBC.

She wrote her first novel while at university and in 1972 won the Young Writers' Award with The Waiting Game. The birth of the MORLAND DYNASTY series enabled Cynthia Harrod-Eagles to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four.

In 1993 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association Romantic Novel of the Year Award with Emily, the third volume of her Kirov Saga, a trilogy set in nineteenth century Russia.

Reviews

[Lolly's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

God, this book seemed interminable! I can't blame the story or the writing or the research, all of which were up to Harrod-Eagles's normal, excellent standards. No, I blame *growl* Annunciata. I loathe that spoiled, narcissistic, self-indulged, self-centered, amoral, and thoroughly sybaritic bitch. She never grew, never changed, never left behind any of her selfish ways; was perfectly content, happy even, to leap from man to man, husband to husband, uncaring as to what vows, what laws of man or God she broke, unfeeling as to whose hearts she trampled in her quest for a life in which her needs and her whims were satisfied. To hell with anyone who might dare get in her way or oppose her desires. Including her own children, one of the main nuisances in her life once they aged past the cute and easily-passed-off-to-nanny infant stage.

Grrrrr!

Every time Annunciata climbed into a saddle, I hoped she'd break her pretty white neck.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem with this book is that the whole time we are keenly aware that absolutely no one would tolerate Annunciata if she wasn’t beautiful. Even the parts where we are clearly supposed to find her charming or witty are dragged down by how thoroughly unpleasant and hypocritical she is. She’s such a raging cunt that I ended up being glad Edward died just because it made her miserable and she deserved that.

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT ********


I love the history in the Morland Dynasty series . This book disappoints simply because of the way Annunciata is drawn. She's depicted as being extremely self centred ,masterful & ambitious even by the standards of that particularly difficult period .And a truly atrocious mother! Every time she thinks she's found true love & every time finds some ridiculous reason to fall out of love (in this book).How does one fall in love with a man you helped raise as a child? One admires a charismatic heroine- here I felt no empathy for Annunciata's character & kept hoping she'd finally receive her just deserts .Sadly this did not happen.

[Edith Clayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

#6 in the Moreland Dynasty series. This one, like the last (and apparently the next), revolves around Annunciata, a beautiful & selfish bitch. I guess one of the things I like about this series is that the characters are realistically flawed, but still I wish there was not so much focus on such an unlikeable character! ...I'm still looking forward to the next in the series.

[Elizabeth Martel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 6th book in the Morland Dynasty, and my favourite since the first. The political intrigue was simple enough for me to understand, and it is now moving into a period I've never previously studied. Keeps an interesting balance between the lives and loves of the Morlands themselves, the social history of the period, and the historical and political events of the time.

[Emma Griffiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annunciata Morland is my least favourite of the Morland Heroines so far - She is shocking towards her children, She is disinterested and cold towards them. This novel is set when William of Orange invades England and it is a pretty gripping read however, I hope that in the next book there will be a heroine that I actually like!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably my least favourite so far because I find Annunciata SO ANNOYING. Is there anyone that woman won’t have an affair with? Her own step-son/son-in-law shows terrible judgment and the way the book tries to excuse it was difficult to read. On the other hand, yay for a female character being sexually free? I suppose the plot just wasn’t really for me.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad there are 29 to go.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do not read this review if you have not already read the previous book in this series!


After several years of marriage to her cousin Ralph, Annunciata becomes disillusioned with life at Morland Court, and longs for the excitement of London and her friendships with the royal family. Both Annunciata and Ralph are saddened by the deaths of several of their young children. In addition, Annunciata tends to play favorites among the children from her previous marriages, preferring her second son to her first, who resents this treatment. Meanwhile momentous happenings are afoot politically as the Puritans seek to eliminate Catholic influence, even though the royal family is Catholic, as are the Morlands. This leads first to the Monmouth Rebellion, followed several years later by the Glorious Revolution. Both of these seriously affect the Morland family.

I had trouble liking Annunciata in this book which is why I haven't rated it higher. Otherwise it is a fascinating view on an often neglected period of British history.

Recommended.

[Chrisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 re-read.

First attempted this in 2021 and found it kind of dry, kind of academic, kind of dense.

Found it much more digestible and interesting on this second attempt.

Gave me a lot to think about, and a framework with which to think about familiar things in a different light.

Meadows is a really good writer. She has a very strong personal voice in what otherwise is a very academic feeling discourse.

Lots of good examples. Very clear. You can tell she was a very effective educator.

I'd recommend this as a starting point to anybody who is curious about what systems thinking is, and how you might use it in daily life. Don't be afraid of bouncing off of it on your first attempt. I did. But do consider coming back to it at some point.

[Pattie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh! I struggled with this one! The family story was good but I was totally lost in the Monarchy and war history. At least in book 7 of the series it includes a Royal Family tree which will be helpful. I'm not giving up on the series yet!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one seemed very long and, though it was built around the reigns of Charles II and James up to the takeover by William, it focused too much on the love lives and selfishness of Anunciata Morland for my taste. She's the first of the "strong Morland women" I have disliked.

[Rhona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well written, but I despised the main character!!! (pretty sure I was meant to)

[Helen Geng · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read August 2020

[Cindy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dynesties

It was an easy read. I loved the dynesty. I enjoyed how each were explained. It was like I was there

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again I have given this a low ratin because of all the errors getting worse. Have reported many of them but wondr if they will look at them.!

[John Hardy]

Sadly I could not get into this one. The earlier ones in this Morland Dynasty series (this one #6) don't interest me much.
Decided to DNF so no rating.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This 6th book in the Morland Dynasty series is the reason I abandoned the series back in the 80's after enjoying the first 200 years or so of the Morland family. I honestly wanted to slap Annunciata because she became so shallow and stupid in the book, and her children weren't much better. Over 20 years later, I found books 7-20 as a lot in an estate sale and bought them to give the series another try. I hated The Chevalier too; the story did not improve until book 8 The Maiden, but then it really got better and the ensuing French Revolution/Napoleonic War era books are excellent. I'm glad I hung in there, but The Long Shadow and The Chevalier are pretty awful. Unfortunately, you have to read them to understand what comes later, but brace yourself.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book six of this brilliant series. Annunciata, again takes centre stage amidst political and royal intrigue and family drama at home with the Morlands. The Long Shadow is set towards the end of the reign of Charles II and the beginning of the reign of James II. I was captivated by the forbidden love story in this book and by Annunciata's fabulous life at home and at court.

[gardienne_du_feu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annunciata, ehemals Hofdame unter Charles II., ist als Ehefrau von Ralph, dem Herrn über den Familiensitz Morland Place, nach Yorkshire zurückgekehrt, vermisst aber schmerzlich das glanzvolle pralle Leben bei Hofe. Sie wünscht sich sehnlich, aus den Konventionen auszubrechen und sich nicht mehr nur um Haus und Hof sowie Kinder und Stiefkinder zu kümmern und geht zum Unverständnis vieler tatsächlich den Schritt zurück nach London, um wieder nahe am Puls der Zeit zu leben und alte Bande wieder aufleben zu lassen.

Es sind äußerst bewegte Zeiten. Die erste Euphorie über die Rückkehr des Königs ist verflogen, die Gräben zwischen den Konfessionen werden immer tiefer und die Auseinandersetzungen über den "wahren" Glauben nehmen kein Ende. Als sich abzeichnet, dass Charles II. wohl keine direkten Nachkommen haben wird, facht die Konfessionsfrage auch noch einen erbitterten Streit um die Thronfolge an. Erneut ist England ein gespaltenes Land und die Morlands als Katholiken von neuem in Gefahr.

Der Reigen von Geburt, Tod, Hochzeit, Politik, Freund- und Feindschaft geht im sechsten Band weiter mit Annunciata als schillernder Hauptfigur und einer neuen Generation junger Morlands. Die sich immer stärker verzweigende Familie ist nach wie vor von unterschiedlichsten Charakteren bevölkert, die trotz des relativ geringen Umfangs des Buches allesamt sehr lebendig dargestellt werden, und Harrod-Eagles besticht immer noch durch gute Recherche und die Gabe, historische Ereignisse auf unterhaltsame Weise zu vermitteln.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb for The Long Shadow is rather misleading. It talks about the reign of James II as though that forms the bulk of the book, when it's probably less than the final hundred pages. Which in a way is nice, as life for all the Morlands and their connections is better under Charles II than under his brother's four-year reign.

I will say this book killed any liking I had left for Annunciata. Yet again there are few really likeable characters in this series: Hugo got on my nerves, and even Elizabeth Hobart (poor dear) couldn't grab me. Annunciata is fascinating, and a wonderful character, but I don't like her, or have much sympathy for her,

I continue to find it fascinating that Harrod-Eagles take on history is so far from my own. Or should that be her take on the contemporary view as events were unfolding? Still, I've always felt quite sorry for both Mary and Anne, and H-E/her characters seem quite the opposite.

[Sara G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the Morland family during the end of Charles II's reign, and through the end of his brother James II's reign, ending with the Glorious Revolution. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the family, the characters, and the history unfolding around them. This book focuses on Annunciata, though, who is my least favorite Morland woman yet. She never really grows or develops as a person, and always seems to want to sleep with inappropriate men. I enjoyed it, though, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

[Lian Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favourites of this series - though in a way it's hard to separate out the individual books. This is the second book in which Annunciata plays a major role, and it's hard to sympathise with her when she treats her children so appallingly and appears to think only of her own pleasure. But at least she is interesting, and the series continues to intrigue me, and teach me a considerable amount about English history.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy this series, although like all series some books are stronger than other. This one, detailing Annunciata Moreland and her involvement in the courts of Charles II and James II is a weak entry, mostly due to the fact that Annunciata is petty, vain, and highly annoying. Also, the marriage and dating pool of the Morelands is insular, reaaaaaalllly insular.

[Virginia Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Annunciata , Countess of Chelmsford, is now wealthy and well connected and a close friend of King Charles II. But jealousy among her children and Annunciata's constant search for love bring chaos as rebellion and hatred of James II flood England, bring siege warfare to Morland Place. More romance - sometimes annoying - and less history than in other volume,s but still gripping reading.

[Becky Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regarding the Kindle version: The story is good, but...

But... the editing is atrocious. So distracting. And sometimes the reader has to stop and guess at what the mis-typed words are even supposed to mean. I've been reading the series, and the editing is progressively worse with each book.

[Olimpia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible typos!!!!

how dare Amazon sell this book for over $10.00 it has typos on every page!!! !! I'm going to try the next in the series and if it's as bad I will stop buying them from you!

[Luci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. I am beginning to really like the interplay between family members. This is really a historical fiction soap opera.

[Boorrito · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tired of reading about Annunciata. Looks like the next book isn't focused so much on her though, thank god.

[Marg · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't like Annunciata you might struggle with this book, and there is a lot not to like about her!

Onto the next book in the series.