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The Traitor's Son
"Exquisitely written. An evocative and thoughtful retelling of the early life of Richard III." Philippa Langley, MBECaught between a king and a kingmaker, young Richard Plantagenet knows he’ll have to choose...
1461: Richard Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place.
As the boy grapples with grief and uncertainty, his elder brother, Edward, defeats the enemy and claims the throne. Dazzled by his glorious sibling, young Richard soon discovers that imperfections lurk beneath his brother's majestic façade. Enter Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—cousin, tutor, luminary—whose life has given him everything but that which he truly a son. A filial bond forms between man and boy as they fill the void in each other’s lives. Yet, when treachery tears their world asunder, Richard faces an agonizing pledge allegiance to Edward—his blood brother and king—or to Warwick, the father figure who has shaped his life and affections.
Painfully trapped between duty and devotion, Richard faces a grim whatever he decides will mean a fight to the death.
In "The Traitor’s Son", Wendy Johnson masterfully weaves a tapestry of loyalty, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of England's turbulent history. Through the eyes of a young Richard III, readers are transported into a world where every choice is fraught with peril, and the bonds of kinship are tested to their limits. As Richard Plantagenet navigates the explosive tensions within his own family, readers are swept along on a journey of intrigue and passion that will leave them spellbound until the final page.
Book club questions
1461: Richard Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place.
As the boy grapples with grief and uncertainty, his elder brother, Edward, defeats the enemy and claims the throne. Dazzled by his glorious sibling, young Richard soon discovers that imperfections lurk beneath his brother's majestic façade. Enter Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—cousin, tutor, luminary—whose life has given him everything but that which he truly a son. A filial bond forms between man and boy as they fill the void in each other’s lives. Yet, when treachery tears their world asunder, Richard faces an agonizing pledge allegiance to Edward—his blood brother and king—or to Warwick, the father figure who has shaped his life and affections.
Painfully trapped between duty and devotion, Richard faces a grim whatever he decides will mean a fight to the death.
In "The Traitor’s Son", Wendy Johnson masterfully weaves a tapestry of loyalty, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of England's turbulent history. Through the eyes of a young Richard III, readers are transported into a world where every choice is fraught with peril, and the bonds of kinship are tested to their limits. As Richard Plantagenet navigates the explosive tensions within his own family, readers are swept along on a journey of intrigue and passion that will leave them spellbound until the final page.
Book club questions
424 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2024
42 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 27, 2024
More Richard III is a good bloke propaganda- but excellently written. Is apparently the first in a trilogy but I have no clue if the sequels are coming, would read them if they did come out though.
July 31, 2024
Actual vote 3.5 stars
This is supposed to be the first book of a trilogy covering the life of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. It opens when Richard is a child and has just learned about his father's death but won't believe it for a long time, and ends with the battle of Barnet. The book, very well written and well researched, focuses primarly on Richard's relationship with his brother George; I don't like no nuanced portraials of George, but maybe here he's a touch too candid...? Anyway their depiction is well constructed, but somehow it cut out other charachters, Richard's mother and sisters are scarcely present, ans his future wife Anne Neville is basically absent. I understand the writer didn't want to write a romance, yet I hardly believe these two never exchanged a word in years living under the same roof, at least as cousins. We are told that Richard has an adoration for his mentor Warwick, and he in return, but I never really felt that. Besides, the book is really detailed and it dragged a bit for me, especially in the middle section. And if I missed the family ties of The Sunne in Splendour, I equally missed the humor of J.P. Reedman's books.
This is supposed to be the first book of a trilogy covering the life of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. It opens when Richard is a child and has just learned about his father's death but won't believe it for a long time, and ends with the battle of Barnet. The book, very well written and well researched, focuses primarly on Richard's relationship with his brother George; I don't like no nuanced portraials of George, but maybe here he's a touch too candid...? Anyway their depiction is well constructed, but somehow it cut out other charachters, Richard's mother and sisters are scarcely present, ans his future wife Anne Neville is basically absent. I understand the writer didn't want to write a romance, yet I hardly believe these two never exchanged a word in years living under the same roof, at least as cousins. We are told that Richard has an adoration for his mentor Warwick, and he in return, but I never really felt that. Besides, the book is really detailed and it dragged a bit for me, especially in the middle section. And if I missed the family ties of The Sunne in Splendour, I equally missed the humor of J.P. Reedman's books.
April 27, 2024
This story of the early life of Richard III is true to its title, for he is the son of Richard, Duke of York, who died branded as a traitor to King Henry VI. He is also like a son to his cousin and mentor, the Earl of Warwick, who was a traitor to the Yorkist cause that Richard held so dear. Told from Richard’s point of view, it begins when eight-year-old Richard refuses to believe his father has died in battle, and ends with Warwick’s death at Barnet.. The characters of Richard and his kin, and their relationships to one another are well-developed through a series of conversations. Thus, we see Richard as a serious, idealistic boy who is thoughtful of the people who serve him. His guiding principle is “what would father have done.” George may bully his younger brother but, as their sister Margaret remarks, he sees himself as his guide and protector. The mutual affection of the brothers is genuine and lasting as is their regard for the Earl. The importance of Margaret to the family dynamics is evident and her presence is sorely missed after her marriage and move to Burgundy.
This is not a romance and it lacks the touches of humor that I have enjoyed in other recent Ricardian works such as J.P. Reedman’s I, Richard Plantagenet series and Meredith Whitford’s Treason. The author considers Richard not in isolation but as part of a family, and so narrows her focus on the intimate family and political events that shaped him. As a result of the concentration on the politics of the day, Richard often appears emotionally detached in his other relationships. Thus,we become aware that Richard has a mistress and has other romantic relationships but these women are off-stage characters only. If this is a deficiency, then it is more than made up for by the skill with which the relationships within the York family are developed.
This is not a romance and it lacks the touches of humor that I have enjoyed in other recent Ricardian works such as J.P. Reedman’s I, Richard Plantagenet series and Meredith Whitford’s Treason. The author considers Richard not in isolation but as part of a family, and so narrows her focus on the intimate family and political events that shaped him. As a result of the concentration on the politics of the day, Richard often appears emotionally detached in his other relationships. Thus,we become aware that Richard has a mistress and has other romantic relationships but these women are off-stage characters only. If this is a deficiency, then it is more than made up for by the skill with which the relationships within the York family are developed.
April 27, 2024
My favorite kind of book: engaging, fascinating, well told, and a window into a time and place of interest. The author promises us a trilogy, of which this is the worthy first book: the young Richard navigating the difficult territory of siblings with royal responsibilities and history. The times are harsh, and here we have a Richard who is loyal and gentle; his closest sibs are neither. Harsh times seem to yield compelling stories, and this book gives me a new appreciation for times and personalities. Amazing the responsibilities assumed and rapids encountered and successfully passed before Richard is twenty years old. I eagerly await book two.
April 24, 2024
I really enjoyed Wendy Johnson’s debut novel a must for all Ricardians and historical fiction lovers #KindleUnlimited
April 22, 2024
A superb, beautifully written and accurate portrayal of Richard III’s early life. I highly recommend this book.
April 22, 2024
What a super novel! It tells the story of the childhood and early youth of King Richard III – the real man not Shakespeare’s precocious villain – from his refusal to believe the news of the death in battle of his father, the Duke of York (the ‘traitor’ of the title – according to the victorious Lancastrian faction at least), through the trials and tumult of growing up as the brother of the new king, Edward IV.
Young Richard’s relationship with King Edward, with his closest brother George of Clarence (he of the supposed death by drowning in Malmsey wine), and with his powerful cousin and mentor the Earl of Warwick (the ‘Kingmaker’), and his growing teenage realization of his spinal condition (that we now know to have been scoliosis), are woven together with a deft touch to create a realistic portrait of this young man, whose later actions still provoke debate even today, more than 500 years after his death. Was this a man who would have ruthlessly murdered his young nephews to seize the throne, as history and Shakespeare have long told us? Or would he more likely, as increasing amounts of evidence – such as Philippa Langley’s Missing Princes Project – appear to indicate, have hidden them safely abroad to wait out threatening events at home – as his mother and brother did with him and George when they were children? This excellent debut novel by Wendy Johnson will, I imagine, lead most readers towards the latter view.
A member of the Looking for Richard Project team who spearheaded the famous 2012 rediscovery of King Richard’s grave under a Leicester car park, Wendy brings a wealth of knowledge and research to her writing. But, as with all good historical novelists, she allows it to inform her narrative of the thoughts, relationships and actions of her protagonists, and never overshadow them.
Ricardians will love this book, of course. But all readers who enjoy historical fiction will find an enjoyable, intriguing story in beautiful prose, with fresh, believable characters – and one that might just nudge them to become Ricardians too.
Young Richard’s relationship with King Edward, with his closest brother George of Clarence (he of the supposed death by drowning in Malmsey wine), and with his powerful cousin and mentor the Earl of Warwick (the ‘Kingmaker’), and his growing teenage realization of his spinal condition (that we now know to have been scoliosis), are woven together with a deft touch to create a realistic portrait of this young man, whose later actions still provoke debate even today, more than 500 years after his death. Was this a man who would have ruthlessly murdered his young nephews to seize the throne, as history and Shakespeare have long told us? Or would he more likely, as increasing amounts of evidence – such as Philippa Langley’s Missing Princes Project – appear to indicate, have hidden them safely abroad to wait out threatening events at home – as his mother and brother did with him and George when they were children? This excellent debut novel by Wendy Johnson will, I imagine, lead most readers towards the latter view.
A member of the Looking for Richard Project team who spearheaded the famous 2012 rediscovery of King Richard’s grave under a Leicester car park, Wendy brings a wealth of knowledge and research to her writing. But, as with all good historical novelists, she allows it to inform her narrative of the thoughts, relationships and actions of her protagonists, and never overshadow them.
Ricardians will love this book, of course. But all readers who enjoy historical fiction will find an enjoyable, intriguing story in beautiful prose, with fresh, believable characters – and one that might just nudge them to become Ricardians too.
August 29, 2024
Beautiful Wars of the Roses bio-pic of Richard III as good guy
Richard Plantagenet, later to be crowned the IIIrd, grows up in Baynard’s Castle. His brother Edward sees three suns in the sky, portents of a York victory.
Fleeing Marguerite, the Red Queen, he and his brother George are sent to safety in the Low countries. He is driven by a desire to disprove the Red Queen’s slander that his father was a traitor.
When Edward is crowned, everything changes—titles, palaces, ceremonies, servants, gifts. Yet new jealousies fester among the brothers York. Everyone is up in arms over the secret marriage to the Lancastrian widow Elizabeth Wydeville, yet Richard feels a surprising empathy. Edward’s court is ‘blighted by the stink of treason’.
Entrusted to his cousin Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, he forms a bond, but his loyalties are tested. Will he support his royal brother or his cousin, later to be nicknamed the Kingmaker?
This novel contains some beautiful time and place appropriate metaphors—his parting with Warwick is ‘as final as the raising of a drawbridge’. He remembers his father’s last embrace, ‘a sweep of heavy wool, breathing scents of oily leather’.
Maligned by Shakespeare and by the Tudors, we tend to think of Richard III as a hunchbacked monster. Johnson’s Richard is honest, filial and eager to please as a child, struggles to keep his spinal condition secret as a youth and is utterly loyal to his brother king. Indeed, Johnson was one of the leading lights in the movement to rehabilitate Richard which culminated in finding his skeleton underneath a Leicester carpark in 2012.
A wealth of information on the noble Yorks and Lancasters is available; Johnson adds subtlety and a personal touch, full of drama, free of info-dump. For all our familiarity with this history, Johnson’s puts personalities and emotions into the picture. The characters are sympathetic, especially Richard, and the mediaeval lifestyle well painted.
This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review.
Richard Plantagenet, later to be crowned the IIIrd, grows up in Baynard’s Castle. His brother Edward sees three suns in the sky, portents of a York victory.
Fleeing Marguerite, the Red Queen, he and his brother George are sent to safety in the Low countries. He is driven by a desire to disprove the Red Queen’s slander that his father was a traitor.
When Edward is crowned, everything changes—titles, palaces, ceremonies, servants, gifts. Yet new jealousies fester among the brothers York. Everyone is up in arms over the secret marriage to the Lancastrian widow Elizabeth Wydeville, yet Richard feels a surprising empathy. Edward’s court is ‘blighted by the stink of treason’.
Entrusted to his cousin Richard Neville, earl of Warwick, he forms a bond, but his loyalties are tested. Will he support his royal brother or his cousin, later to be nicknamed the Kingmaker?
This novel contains some beautiful time and place appropriate metaphors—his parting with Warwick is ‘as final as the raising of a drawbridge’. He remembers his father’s last embrace, ‘a sweep of heavy wool, breathing scents of oily leather’.
Maligned by Shakespeare and by the Tudors, we tend to think of Richard III as a hunchbacked monster. Johnson’s Richard is honest, filial and eager to please as a child, struggles to keep his spinal condition secret as a youth and is utterly loyal to his brother king. Indeed, Johnson was one of the leading lights in the movement to rehabilitate Richard which culminated in finding his skeleton underneath a Leicester carpark in 2012.
A wealth of information on the noble Yorks and Lancasters is available; Johnson adds subtlety and a personal touch, full of drama, free of info-dump. For all our familiarity with this history, Johnson’s puts personalities and emotions into the picture. The characters are sympathetic, especially Richard, and the mediaeval lifestyle well painted.
This review first appeared in Historical Novels Review.
January 23, 2025
A meticulously written book, the reader is swept along as the future of England, and that of the House of York, is decided. With young Richard Plantagenet, the future Richard III, as the main focus, the story begins with the loss of his father and takes you to the Battle of Barnet, where, at least for awhile, the throne is secured. But it’s not a straight path, and the changes in fortune of those close to Richard, and to himself, are thoroughly charted.
That given, I did feel that Richard is portrayed as rather too broken, too undecided and unwilling to stand up against what he perceives as bad decisions. He vacillates too much between his affection for his cousin and his loyalty, not to his brother, oddly enough, but to his dead father and what he perceives the man stood for. I understand that he’s still basically a boy, yet I felt that the author focused too much on that part of his personality.
Still, in the long run it’s a fine book. The wiring is excellent, and I liked that, now that the information is out there, we see Richard’s reaction to the scoliosis which is beginning to affect him.
This is supposed to be the first book in a trilogy. Given that it took the author ten years to write this one, readers could be in for a long wait.
That given, I did feel that Richard is portrayed as rather too broken, too undecided and unwilling to stand up against what he perceives as bad decisions. He vacillates too much between his affection for his cousin and his loyalty, not to his brother, oddly enough, but to his dead father and what he perceives the man stood for. I understand that he’s still basically a boy, yet I felt that the author focused too much on that part of his personality.
Still, in the long run it’s a fine book. The wiring is excellent, and I liked that, now that the information is out there, we see Richard’s reaction to the scoliosis which is beginning to affect him.
This is supposed to be the first book in a trilogy. Given that it took the author ten years to write this one, readers could be in for a long wait.
December 3, 2025
Full review on the blog, https://www.rachelelwissjoyce.com/rac..., but here's the summary:
This novel shines in its exploration of relationships; Richard’s bond with his brother George, the dazzling presence of Edward IV, and the complex, deeply felt loyalty he develops towards the magnetic Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
As Richard is pulled between duty and devotion, Johnson paints a sensitive, believable portrait of a young man shaped by love, loss, and impossible choices.
If you love Wars of the Roses fiction, richly drawn characters, and historical depth, this is for you.
This novel shines in its exploration of relationships; Richard’s bond with his brother George, the dazzling presence of Edward IV, and the complex, deeply felt loyalty he develops towards the magnetic Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.
As Richard is pulled between duty and devotion, Johnson paints a sensitive, believable portrait of a young man shaped by love, loss, and impossible choices.
If you love Wars of the Roses fiction, richly drawn characters, and historical depth, this is for you.
June 16, 2024
What a treat!
I have very much enjoyed Wendy's book about my favourite king, a man who I am passionate about. This is a well told take of Richard's younger life. Well done Wendy and thank you.
I have very much enjoyed Wendy's book about my favourite king, a man who I am passionate about. This is a well told take of Richard's younger life. Well done Wendy and thank you.
June 29, 2024
An excellent historical novel
I really enjoyed reading the Traitor’s son. It is a fascinating period. Wendy Johnson brings it alive. It has made me very interested in Richard III and I am eagerly awaiting her next book in the series.
I really enjoyed reading the Traitor’s son. It is a fascinating period. Wendy Johnson brings it alive. It has made me very interested in Richard III and I am eagerly awaiting her next book in the series.
May 10, 2024
Please keep writing! So satisfying. & I want more. This is the Richard I imagine (& the George, Edward, & Warwick as well).
December 13, 2024
Fantastic
I enjoyed this book so much. As an avid reader of medieval history both fiction and non fiction I found this book flowed beautifully.
I enjoyed this book so much. As an avid reader of medieval history both fiction and non fiction I found this book flowed beautifully.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews