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The Son in Shadow
In a world of dark intrigue, one man risks everything to find the light and save the woman he loves.
Will Hawkins has spent his life under the thumb of powerful men, but no more. He's finally carved out a comfortable existence for himself, working in Elizabeth's court for the esteemed Cecil and Walsingham. His future appears secure and full of potential, especially with his burgeoning love for the delightful Kit Rowan, his niece's governess.
But Kit unknowingly harbors a dangerous secret, and when she comes under the watchful and unforgiving eye of Walsingham, Will's carefully constructed world begins to crumble. He's forced to make an agonizing his future or the woman he loves.
Desperate to save Kit from the spymaster's clutches, Will embarks on a perilous journey, navigating a web of deceit and political intrigue, and finds himself partnering with the last person he ever expected - his domineering father. Can they find a way to free Kit from Walsingham's grasp, or will their efforts be in vain, costing them not only their hearts, but their very lives?
Prepare to be swept away by this captivating tale of love, loyalty, and survival in the treacherous world of Elizabethan England.
Start reading today and discover if Will and Kit can outsmart their enemies and find a way to be together, against all odds.
Will Hawkins has spent his life under the thumb of powerful men, but no more. He's finally carved out a comfortable existence for himself, working in Elizabeth's court for the esteemed Cecil and Walsingham. His future appears secure and full of potential, especially with his burgeoning love for the delightful Kit Rowan, his niece's governess.
But Kit unknowingly harbors a dangerous secret, and when she comes under the watchful and unforgiving eye of Walsingham, Will's carefully constructed world begins to crumble. He's forced to make an agonizing his future or the woman he loves.
Desperate to save Kit from the spymaster's clutches, Will embarks on a perilous journey, navigating a web of deceit and political intrigue, and finds himself partnering with the last person he ever expected - his domineering father. Can they find a way to free Kit from Walsingham's grasp, or will their efforts be in vain, costing them not only their hearts, but their very lives?
Prepare to be swept away by this captivating tale of love, loyalty, and survival in the treacherous world of Elizabethan England.
Start reading today and discover if Will and Kit can outsmart their enemies and find a way to be together, against all odds.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 15, 2024
91 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Karen Heenan
22 books89 followersAs an only child, Karen Heenan learned young that boredom was the ultimate enemy. Shortly after, she discovered perpetual motion and has rarely been seen holding still since.
Since discovering books, she is never without one in her hand and several more in her head. Her first series, The Tudor Court, stemmed from a lifelong interest in British history, but she's now turned her gaze closer to home and is writing stories set in her hometown of Philadelphia.
Karen lives in Lansdowne, PA, just outside Philadelphia, where she grows much of her own food and makes her own clothes. She is accompanied on her quest for self-sufficiency by a very patient husband and an ever-changing number of cats.
One constant: she is always writing her next book.
Since discovering books, she is never without one in her hand and several more in her head. Her first series, The Tudor Court, stemmed from a lifelong interest in British history, but she's now turned her gaze closer to home and is writing stories set in her hometown of Philadelphia.
Karen lives in Lansdowne, PA, just outside Philadelphia, where she grows much of her own food and makes her own clothes. She is accompanied on her quest for self-sufficiency by a very patient husband and an ever-changing number of cats.
One constant: she is always writing her next book.
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June 18, 2024Disclaimer: Karen Heenan and I are friends. I am the reason (he said modestly) why this book exists, because I whin– inspired Karen repeatedly until she gave in. Therefore, I choose not to rate the book.
When I was first introduced to Songbird, the first book in The Tudor Court series, and I saw a perfect 5.0 average score on Amazon and Goodreads, it put me off. 5.0 scores are suspicious. “She must have a lot of friends,” I thought. Then I read the book and had no choice but to add another 5* to the list, because Karen Heenan is disturbingly good at what she does.
The Son in Shadow, the fourth book in the series, suffers from unusual fate: people choose not to read all the books, or don’t read them in order. (Why would somebody do that to themselves?!) This made Heenan’s work harder, because The Son in Shadow has to work both as book four and as a standalone, in case of weirdos. I mean… each book is written in first person, with a different protagonist, but don’t people understand how series work? The first part took me the longest to read, because there is a lot of information scattered here and there that I simply already knew. There is no infodump – Heenan’s writing was already scary good when her debut came out, and let’s say she hasn’t gotten any worse since. But for every paragraph that moves the action, there is another one that explains who, what, when, and why. Luckily, this doesn’t last long. Nonetheless, it’s the first time when I blame the readers. Shame on you. Robin is a slappable delight.
But I was reviewing The Son in Shadow, not the readers. *clears throat*
Will, Nick Hawkins’s son, has all the daddy issues. So do I, and I haven’t caught my father cheating on my mother when I was a kid, and then again when I was an adult, and then with a woman I loved, and also my father was not powerful and popular, and neither my stepfather nor I worked for any queen (although it just dawned on me that my ex-manager, who shares his first name with Will’s dad, probably counts as one). For obvious reasons, Will resolves to never become anything like his father. Unfortunately, that means not becoming powerful, popular, or learning how to talk to women. He’s unlikely to cheat on his wife if he avoids ever finding one, even if it makes him feel desperately lonely.
What surprised me the most about Songbird was that the actual Tudor court was just a backdrop, with Anne Boleyn making a brief appearance as a character that only had a name because that name was Anne Boleyn. The Son in Shadow is full-on political intrigue in England torn between Protestants and Catholics, Elizabeth I vs Mary, and Will is a Royal Messenger who might not be entirely happy with his life, but doesn’t feel ready to die for someone whose chair stands higher than his. Resentment and a few friends keep him going, so does the occasional female company, until he finds himself in love. Which forces him to realise that both he and the woman he loves are pawns. Their feelings, or lives, are of no importance. They can be replaced or tossed aside, or separated, like other characters certain readers don’t know, just because someone can do it.
While Will doesn’t have the riches or the sort of power his father has, or experience, he has knowledge that comes from being reliable and unattached for so long that his superiors have begun to take him for granted. He’s not stupid, either, and there is suddenly something he wants more than his father’s love he knows… Will ‘knows’ a lot of things… he’ll never get. Life’s harder when you have something to lose, though. You can become more useful, more dangerous, and more hated. And sometimes more dead.
Towards the end, I started reading slower again, because I was terrified. Cecil, Ned, Queens Mary and Elizabeth I, are historical figures*, and their fates are well documented. I simultaneously wanted a happy ending and feared I wouldn’t get it. The last 10% or so of The Son in Shadow was one massive rollercoaster of plot twists (and then I wonder why I can’t fall asleep at night). AND THEN THAT SCENE which requires a wee bit of suspension of disbelief, but honestly? WORTH IT.
Does The Son in Shadow have a happy ending?
Depends. That’s all you get from me.
The rest you get from Karen Heenan.
* The author insists that Ned is not, in fact, a historical figure. My knowledge of the Tudor era comes mostly from Gemma Lawrence’s and, um, Karen Heenan’s books, and there’s a Ned all over the place(s), so your historicality mileage may vary.
When I was first introduced to Songbird, the first book in The Tudor Court series, and I saw a perfect 5.0 average score on Amazon and Goodreads, it put me off. 5.0 scores are suspicious. “She must have a lot of friends,” I thought. Then I read the book and had no choice but to add another 5* to the list, because Karen Heenan is disturbingly good at what she does.
The Son in Shadow, the fourth book in the series, suffers from unusual fate: people choose not to read all the books, or don’t read them in order. (Why would somebody do that to themselves?!) This made Heenan’s work harder, because The Son in Shadow has to work both as book four and as a standalone, in case of weirdos. I mean… each book is written in first person, with a different protagonist, but don’t people understand how series work? The first part took me the longest to read, because there is a lot of information scattered here and there that I simply already knew. There is no infodump – Heenan’s writing was already scary good when her debut came out, and let’s say she hasn’t gotten any worse since. But for every paragraph that moves the action, there is another one that explains who, what, when, and why. Luckily, this doesn’t last long. Nonetheless, it’s the first time when I blame the readers. Shame on you. Robin is a slappable delight.
But I was reviewing The Son in Shadow, not the readers. *clears throat*
Will, Nick Hawkins’s son, has all the daddy issues. So do I, and I haven’t caught my father cheating on my mother when I was a kid, and then again when I was an adult, and then with a woman I loved, and also my father was not powerful and popular, and neither my stepfather nor I worked for any queen (although it just dawned on me that my ex-manager, who shares his first name with Will’s dad, probably counts as one). For obvious reasons, Will resolves to never become anything like his father. Unfortunately, that means not becoming powerful, popular, or learning how to talk to women. He’s unlikely to cheat on his wife if he avoids ever finding one, even if it makes him feel desperately lonely.
What surprised me the most about Songbird was that the actual Tudor court was just a backdrop, with Anne Boleyn making a brief appearance as a character that only had a name because that name was Anne Boleyn. The Son in Shadow is full-on political intrigue in England torn between Protestants and Catholics, Elizabeth I vs Mary, and Will is a Royal Messenger who might not be entirely happy with his life, but doesn’t feel ready to die for someone whose chair stands higher than his. Resentment and a few friends keep him going, so does the occasional female company, until he finds himself in love. Which forces him to realise that both he and the woman he loves are pawns. Their feelings, or lives, are of no importance. They can be replaced or tossed aside, or separated, like other characters certain readers don’t know, just because someone can do it.
While Will doesn’t have the riches or the sort of power his father has, or experience, he has knowledge that comes from being reliable and unattached for so long that his superiors have begun to take him for granted. He’s not stupid, either, and there is suddenly something he wants more than his father’s love he knows… Will ‘knows’ a lot of things… he’ll never get. Life’s harder when you have something to lose, though. You can become more useful, more dangerous, and more hated. And sometimes more dead.
Towards the end, I started reading slower again, because I was terrified. Cecil, Ned, Queens Mary and Elizabeth I, are historical figures*, and their fates are well documented. I simultaneously wanted a happy ending and feared I wouldn’t get it. The last 10% or so of The Son in Shadow was one massive rollercoaster of plot twists (and then I wonder why I can’t fall asleep at night). AND THEN THAT SCENE which requires a wee bit of suspension of disbelief, but honestly? WORTH IT.
Does The Son in Shadow have a happy ending?
Depends. That’s all you get from me.
The rest you get from Karen Heenan.
* The author insists that Ned is not, in fact, a historical figure. My knowledge of the Tudor era comes mostly from Gemma Lawrence’s and, um, Karen Heenan’s books, and there’s a Ned all over the place(s), so your historicality mileage may vary.
July 30, 2024
I want to stop right here and marvel at the perfection of this last novel in Heenan's Tudor series. Every character I have loved is being given the proper weight going into the end and I cannot be more relieved. You could start with this book--all the books can be read in any order--it would be just as rich an experience as beginning with Songbird (sigh, so good), as I did.
Each book is richly detailed and cinematic visually, in her representation of sound (you can hear the notes sung and every voice of every character), and compelling in its grasp on history through the impact on the lives of the characters. And the characters? I needed a novel with Will. I needed his story to be complete, and here he is. Tender, judgmental, courageous, smart, and above all seeking love in the midst of a war between two queens and standing in the shadow of his impressive father. Absolute perfection. I'll come back and update, but needed to stop midstream and simply gush!
You can read Bjorn's review for a big account of the contents. But I disagree with him completely on the reprise of the past stories for the present. He must have the memory of a god. I don't. I really appreciated being reminded of little bits and pieces of the past novels. It also makes it possible for them to act as standalones, which they do. And like he said, accurately, these are not information dumps, they are expertly woven into the story. I didn't notice them except to feel completely immersed without having to have the thought, "Who was that person?" "What did that guy do again?" I only thought of it when he said it bothered him and I thought, "What the heck?" Anyway.
He gives a great background. He talks about her writing being at the height of the game and I concur. Heenan's writing is at literary fiction level. I'd say she is going to have a Hamnet in her before long. Hat's off. These books are FANTASTIC.
Each book is richly detailed and cinematic visually, in her representation of sound (you can hear the notes sung and every voice of every character), and compelling in its grasp on history through the impact on the lives of the characters. And the characters? I needed a novel with Will. I needed his story to be complete, and here he is. Tender, judgmental, courageous, smart, and above all seeking love in the midst of a war between two queens and standing in the shadow of his impressive father. Absolute perfection. I'll come back and update, but needed to stop midstream and simply gush!
You can read Bjorn's review for a big account of the contents. But I disagree with him completely on the reprise of the past stories for the present. He must have the memory of a god. I don't. I really appreciated being reminded of little bits and pieces of the past novels. It also makes it possible for them to act as standalones, which they do. And like he said, accurately, these are not information dumps, they are expertly woven into the story. I didn't notice them except to feel completely immersed without having to have the thought, "Who was that person?" "What did that guy do again?" I only thought of it when he said it bothered him and I thought, "What the heck?" Anyway.
He gives a great background. He talks about her writing being at the height of the game and I concur. Heenan's writing is at literary fiction level. I'd say she is going to have a Hamnet in her before long. Hat's off. These books are FANTASTIC.
May 28, 2024
Behind the scenes of any government – past or present – is the secret world of intelligence-gathering. A world in which a man whom few notice has an advantage, and Will Hawkins is one of those men. He barely knows himself who he is, so why should others see him?
With her usual elegant prose, Karen Heenan embroils us in the divisions of Elizabethan England: Protestant versus Catholic; Elizabeth I versus her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots – and the conflicts and confusions of a man who hasn’t yet found his place in the world. Raised by a neglectful, disinterested father whose actions continue to appall him, Will is disgusted by his own human needs. He reveres Robin Lewis while desiring his wife Margaery. Life as a Royal Messenger to and from the continent, gathering information from the French court, is as good as life as any other, Will thinks. A life in the shadows, a human cipher in Cecil and Walsingham’s network of operatives, suits him. Until he falls, suddenly and unexpectedly, in love.
Familiar characters from Heenan’s previous Tudor Court novels make appearances, in small roles or larger, but The Son in Shadow is solidly Will’s story. A satisfying end to one of my favourite series, balancing Will’s personal story against the politics of the times. There is intrigue; there is loss; there is happiness won, all against an expertly-drawn background of Tudor England. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the author for an advance review copy.
With her usual elegant prose, Karen Heenan embroils us in the divisions of Elizabethan England: Protestant versus Catholic; Elizabeth I versus her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots – and the conflicts and confusions of a man who hasn’t yet found his place in the world. Raised by a neglectful, disinterested father whose actions continue to appall him, Will is disgusted by his own human needs. He reveres Robin Lewis while desiring his wife Margaery. Life as a Royal Messenger to and from the continent, gathering information from the French court, is as good as life as any other, Will thinks. A life in the shadows, a human cipher in Cecil and Walsingham’s network of operatives, suits him. Until he falls, suddenly and unexpectedly, in love.
Familiar characters from Heenan’s previous Tudor Court novels make appearances, in small roles or larger, but The Son in Shadow is solidly Will’s story. A satisfying end to one of my favourite series, balancing Will’s personal story against the politics of the times. There is intrigue; there is loss; there is happiness won, all against an expertly-drawn background of Tudor England. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the author for an advance review copy.
June 12, 2024
I fell in love with Karen Heenan's writing in her Sister's series, starting with Coming Apart (which is fantastic!). I thoroughly enjoyed Songbird (what a fascinating premise), although I hadn't had the time to read the next two in this Tudor series when this forth book came out. So I impatiently skipped ahead to this one and read Will's story …
Heenan's writing shines, as usual. She has a genius way of saying so much with a one liner that really packs a punch. Will's journey is engaging, entertaining, and full of juicy history. I loved the relationships with his father, sisters, niece, and of course, Kit. Additionally, he takes us to meet many of the characters from past books, so if you've read books 2 and 3 in this series, you will be so glad to see all your beloved characters again. If you haven't yet read those books, I recommend you read them first! Although it's not necessary to understand this well-told story, I know that if I had a relationship with these past characters, who come into play as side-characters in this book, I would have enjoyed this book even more than I did.
Heenan is a skilled storyteller as always, and The Sun in Shadow is an excellent historical fiction, especially if you love the Tudor time period!
Heenan's writing shines, as usual. She has a genius way of saying so much with a one liner that really packs a punch. Will's journey is engaging, entertaining, and full of juicy history. I loved the relationships with his father, sisters, niece, and of course, Kit. Additionally, he takes us to meet many of the characters from past books, so if you've read books 2 and 3 in this series, you will be so glad to see all your beloved characters again. If you haven't yet read those books, I recommend you read them first! Although it's not necessary to understand this well-told story, I know that if I had a relationship with these past characters, who come into play as side-characters in this book, I would have enjoyed this book even more than I did.
Heenan is a skilled storyteller as always, and The Sun in Shadow is an excellent historical fiction, especially if you love the Tudor time period!
December 24, 2024
I want to stop right here and marvel at the perfection of this last novel in Heenan's Tudor series. Every character I have loved is being given the proper weight going into the end and I cannot be more relieved. You could start with this book--all the books can be read in any order--it would be just as rich an experience as beginning with Songbird (sigh, so good), as I did. Each book is richly detailed and cinematic visually, in her representation of sound (you can hear the notes sung and every voice of every character), and compelling in its grasp on history through the impact on the lives of the characters. And the characters? I needed a novel with Will. I needed his story to be complete, and here he is. Tender, judgmental, courageous, smart, and above all seeking love in the midst of a war between two queens and standing in the shadow of his impressive father. Absolute perfection. I'll come back and update, but needed to stop midstream and simply gush!
July 1, 2024
I’m amazed how author Karen Heenan can successfully write a series of books about sisters in Philadelphia in the 1930s, then accurately depict life in Elizabethan England in her new release, The Son in Shadow. I was immediately drawn into the story of William, struggling with his emotions concerning his poor relationship with his father, yet letting nothing stand in the way of his love for his niece’s governess, even though he had to confront his issues with his father in the pursuit. In the background Karen describes life in the 1560;s, including housing, food, dress, transportation and language. She is the master of historical fiction!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews