Honour

by Matthew Lewis

In this sequel to Loyalty, Hans Holbein returns to London in search of royal patronage, a secret from his past will define his future in a new, terrifying way.

The story that he knows did not end at Bosworth. In the aftermath, Henry Tudor must try to secure his dynasty against unending, unseen threats. From the ashes of all that they knew, those who cannot accept King Henry's rule must find a place in the new world being forced upon them.

Francis, Lord Lovell has survived the battle. Now he must survive the peace. He must protect King Richard III's greatest secret or doom England to more years of bitter conflict.

Who does the truth belong to?

Genres: Tudor Period, Historical Fiction

Audible Audio

First published December 9, 2013

About the author

Matthew Lewis was born and grew up in the West Midlands. Having obtained a law degree, he currently lives in the beautiful Shropshire countryside with his wife and children. History and writing have always been a passion of Matthew's, with particular interest in the Wars of the Roses period. His first novel, Loyalty, was born of the joining of those passions.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tudor dynasty begins in this second novel by author Matthew Lewis. Beginning where Loyalty left off, the reader is immediately engaged in post Bosworth drama. Following Richard III's best friend, Francis Lovell, the author pieces together a unique and detailed account of the mysteries surrounding the sons of York.

This is one of the best novels that I have read covering the years following the tragic end of the Plantagenet dynasty at Bosworth Field in 1485. Viscount Lovell is plagued by guilt that he survived when so many of his friends fell, but Richard had other plans for him. Lovell dedicates the remainder of his life to Richard's cause and attempting to ensure that his friend and pious king does not become "consigned to history as the malevolent uncle who stole the crown from a boy, his own nephew."

Clearly, the Tudor propaganda machine was more successful in defining Richard's character than Francis was, but this novel proposes an interesting, if not completely plausible, explanation of events that clear Richard's name. Characterizations of the Stafford brothers, John de la Pole, and William Catesby are intriguing and believable, encouraging the reader to take up the York standard themselves.

The story of the aftermath of Bosworth is interspersed with a side plot taking place during the reign of Henry VIII, the usurper Henry Tudor's son. With Hans Holbein returning to the scene, he is once again asked to secretly protect the truth about the York remnant. But what is the truth?

This novel is an interesting historical what-if that leaves the reader wishing that things could have turned out differently. If only certain schemers had not been so successful, some been less trusting of others' honor, and key figures not driven by personal vainglory. Could things have turned out different for the boys of York?

Though Richard III lies dead at the beginning of this novel, his spirit lives on in this novel through the many who still love him and are loyal to his memory. For this author's excellent novelization of Richard's life, pick up his first book, Loyalty.

[Gabby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My, what a roller coaster! I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this story and having more Francis Viscount Lovell, of course. ☺️ This did not make me as emotional as Loyalty did, but it still gripped me.

I did find the story of Hans Holbien and Thomas Cromwell a tiny bit irrelevant at the beginning, but it all started to make more sense in the final few chapters. It really got me thinking, that's for sure.

[Bettie]

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[Loreley Maidana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I liked it more than Loyalty because let’s face it we all know King Richard’s history (mainly the slandered one from Shakespeare, Tudor propaganda, More, etc) however too little is known about the post Bosworth time except for the 2 rebellions against Tudor, Lambert Simmel and Perkin Warbeck - but what about the remaining Yorkists? And this book briefly and in the name of fiction tells possible stories about the events between 1483-1487.
Matthew is an amazing historian, stating facts, and I have loved his books so far, however “Honour” mixes creativity with historical facts and tbh I have loved it.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story gets... weird.

Points for creativity, but it does get quite convoluted.

One half of the book is the death throes of the War of the Roses, with an elaborate shell game in place to hide what happens to all the young princes that history declared dead, getting harder and harder to track.

And the other half is Holbein getting sucked into Tudor politics, as much as he keeps trying to call in sick, so to speak, leading up to the unveiling of one of his more famous paintings with an explication straight out of the da Vinci Code.

Creative... but weird.

[Kristine Hicken · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in the late 15th century, the Wars of the Roses, the aftermath of Bosworth and the early Tudors, you will probably enjoy this novel. It is a work of fiction, but Matthew Lewis has done his research and reached some very interesting conclusions regarding many of the mysteries surrounding this time period. His use of Hans Holbein in the court of Henry VIII as our story teller is a superb piece of writing. I enjoyed both his 2nd book and his first book Loyalty.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Matthew Lewis for showing another side to Richard III.

[Jane Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but could be better

Lewis's first book was much better than this sequel, but HONOUR raises many intriguing theories. Worth reading, learning, & researching .