Storms and Shadows

by Julie Anne Gates

Set in a troubled era in which King Henry II is at war with his sons, Storms and Shadows follows the fortunes of the de Braose family as they struggle to emerge as one of the most wealthy and influential families in medieval England. Responsible for the Abergavenny massacre of 1175, William de Braose, 4th Lord of Bramber and Lord of Abergavenny, rises high during Prince John’s accession to the throne and his turbulent reign as King. From Bramber Castle in Sussex to the wilderness of the Welsh Marches and over to the battlefields of France, the eventual confrontation between these two men sets in motion a devastating chain of events that eventually lead to William being stripped of his wealth and titles and his family being outlawed.

Taken into service at Bramber Castle in Sussex, in the year 1182, Ailith is inexorably drawn towards her new mistress, the ill-fated Matilda de Braose. Life it seems is set to take one unexpected turn after another for Ailith in her new position at Bramber. The shocking realisation that her new mistress has the ability to see the future and sometimes the past by scrying is tempered by the fact that she is herself the seventh child of the seventh child and has her own gift of the sight. Not surprisingly she and Matilda begin to build a special bond with one another as Ailith gradually realises that there is connection between her new mistress and the recurring dreams she had as a child.

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 19, 2011

About the author

Julie Anne Gates was born in London in 1963 but grew up in Cheam, Surrey, with her brother Andrew. Julie spent her early years as an artist, marriage and two children however soon found her finding a new life in Horsham, West Sussex, where she found and developed her love for history. `Storms and Shadows,' Julie's first novel was inspired by the haunting remains of Bramber Castle nearby, and in particular, a love of medieval history. Julie is currently working on a new novel `Windhall,' set in the Shetland Isles, which she hopes to complete later this year.

Reviews

[Manon · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the beginning of this book, I had quite some issues: too many characters, the narrator wasn't the person undergoing the actions, the writing was a little difficult to get into... But as the story progressed, I started to enjoy it more.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 12th century, about the deBraose family. The story centers on the wife, Matilda as seen through the eyes of her ladys' maid. The brutality she endures throughout her life, probably typical how women were treated then. The author may have taken some "creative interpretation" with many of the historical facts throughout the story. Her life was a hard, sad, lonely existance, frightening experiences day in and day out. All in all it was a pretty good read. Caught my interest right away, I could have done away with all the brutality though, but then, you really seemed to get the grit of the dirt between your teeth as the author lays out this story.

[Jackie Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great new and talented author, having been recommended Storms and Shadows by a friend I was not disappointed. Julie A Gates has an easy style to read and with good research maintains excitement and compelling flow of narrative from the first page.I have awarded it a five star rating and look forward to any future publications