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Court of Lions
"Kate Fordham, escaping terrible trauma, has fled to the beautiful sunlit city of Granada, the ancient capital of the Moors in Spain, where she is scraping by with an unfulfilling job in a busy bar. One day in the glorious gardens of the Alhambra, once home to Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed, also known as Boabdil, Kate finds a scrap of paper hidden in one of the ancient walls. Upon it, in strange symbols, has been inscribed a message from another age. It has lain undiscovered since before the Fall of Granada in 1492, when the city was surrendered to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. Born of love, in a time of danger and desperation, the fragment will be the catalyst that changes Kate's life forever.
An epic saga of romance and redemption, Court of Lions brings one of the great turning-points in history to life, telling the stories of a modern woman and the last Moorish sultan of Granada, as they both move towards their cataclysmic destinies."
An epic saga of romance and redemption, Court of Lions brings one of the great turning-points in history to life, telling the stories of a modern woman and the last Moorish sultan of Granada, as they both move towards their cataclysmic destinies."
448 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2017
79 people are currently reading
2253 people want to read
About the author
Jane Johnson
103 books552 followersJane Johnson is an English writer of books for adults and children and fiction book editor. As a writer she has used the pseudonyms Gabriel King, jointly with M. John Harrison, and Jude Fisher, as well as her real name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
October 16, 2025
Another fine book from Jane Johnson, containing many of her trademarks: east meets west, split time line - historical/present, elements of romance, some bloodshed, and fascinating historical fiction. Johnson's stories bring both past and present to life, and by offering a western eye in an eastern setting she is naturally able to satisfy our curiosity.
This book also has food porn! I want Friday couscous now!
Even though it took me a while to read the book felt too short, in as much as I was sorry to leave it. The past thread covers a period of twenty years or more, the modern thread less than twenty days + flashbacks to a time several years early.
The setting for both the past and present stories is the Alhambra in Granada, and Johnson is clearly very familiar with the place and more than a little in love with it. The palace becomes an additional character, and I would very much like to visit it myself!
The themes of war and terror between Christians, Muslims, and (less centrally) Jews very clearly resonate in modern day Spain. But there are also themes of friendship and love between individuals from these cultures too, and it would be nice to think those will be the ones to eventually prevail.
If you're a fan of historical fiction with a focus on the people against a background of great events, then Johnson should be on your tbr list!
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This book also has food porn! I want Friday couscous now!
Even though it took me a while to read the book felt too short, in as much as I was sorry to leave it. The past thread covers a period of twenty years or more, the modern thread less than twenty days + flashbacks to a time several years early.
The setting for both the past and present stories is the Alhambra in Granada, and Johnson is clearly very familiar with the place and more than a little in love with it. The palace becomes an additional character, and I would very much like to visit it myself!
The themes of war and terror between Christians, Muslims, and (less centrally) Jews very clearly resonate in modern day Spain. But there are also themes of friendship and love between individuals from these cultures too, and it would be nice to think those will be the ones to eventually prevail.
If you're a fan of historical fiction with a focus on the people against a background of great events, then Johnson should be on your tbr list!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
July 2, 2017
Caveat: The author is a long time friend, one I have worked with professionally. I don't think this affects my feelings about the book, but I like to be transparent.
Because I so often review fantasy books, I will mention that this is based on real events, and is a stand-alone tale.
Some books I love. Other books I live as I read them. This is a passionately felt book, a retelling of historical events from the viewpoint of a fictional character. I think this structure works very well for immersing the reader into the story.
We share the intertwined tales of both Kate and Blessings. Kate is a modern woman who has fled to Granada, Spain to escape a life that has become not only intolerable but dangerous. She removes herself to protect those she loves. Interspersed with Kate's experience is the tale of Blessings, a humble servant to Momo, otherwise known as Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the heir apparent to the Sultan. Blessings leads a precarious existence, harboring a secret that, if exposed, will tear him away from everything he loves.
From the time Kate coaxes finds a coiled bit of paper with incdecipherable writing on it from a crack in a wall in the Alhambra, I was hooked. They mystery spans the centuries between the two tales, weaving them together.
Loyalty and treachery are examined mercilessly as the twin stories unfold. What lasting damage is done to the one who is betrayed, with trust replaced by fear in an intimate relationship? What toll must one pay who, with the best of intentions, betrays a loved one's trust in the name of protecting him?
There is history here, examined from a fresh perspective, and humanity injected into a tale that perhaps the reader only knew as names and dates and places. An excellent reminder that weighty events can pivot on the actions of a few determined souls.
Because I so often review fantasy books, I will mention that this is based on real events, and is a stand-alone tale.
Some books I love. Other books I live as I read them. This is a passionately felt book, a retelling of historical events from the viewpoint of a fictional character. I think this structure works very well for immersing the reader into the story.
We share the intertwined tales of both Kate and Blessings. Kate is a modern woman who has fled to Granada, Spain to escape a life that has become not only intolerable but dangerous. She removes herself to protect those she loves. Interspersed with Kate's experience is the tale of Blessings, a humble servant to Momo, otherwise known as Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the heir apparent to the Sultan. Blessings leads a precarious existence, harboring a secret that, if exposed, will tear him away from everything he loves.
From the time Kate coaxes finds a coiled bit of paper with incdecipherable writing on it from a crack in a wall in the Alhambra, I was hooked. They mystery spans the centuries between the two tales, weaving them together.
Loyalty and treachery are examined mercilessly as the twin stories unfold. What lasting damage is done to the one who is betrayed, with trust replaced by fear in an intimate relationship? What toll must one pay who, with the best of intentions, betrays a loved one's trust in the name of protecting him?
There is history here, examined from a fresh perspective, and humanity injected into a tale that perhaps the reader only knew as names and dates and places. An excellent reminder that weighty events can pivot on the actions of a few determined souls.
May 21, 2017
Book to be published 30/05/17
Similar to The Sultan's Wife, Court of Lions was a bit difficult to get into at first, but after a few chapters I read quite steadily until the end. A dual narrative, Jane Johnson brings readers into the sights, sounds,and society of contemporary and 15th century Spain. As dual narratives go, I preferred the historical period as it was steeped in historical research( Johnson's historical note at the end of the book was highly informative). Not to mention that I preferred Blessings voice and story line over that of Kate and her nutty husband.
The book description describes Court of Lions as a Ken Follett meets Jodi Picoult and that is just a strange combo. Kate's story promised intrigue and long forgotten historical verses, but not many chapters are focused on this issue. Rather Kate is on the run from a husband that appears to have become a maniac over his wife and his religious views. As well, her love interest is a bit predictable and I felt it was an attempt by the author to make sure the "pretty girl snags a cute guy" in the end . So, it didn't work for me.
But Blessings and his love and devotion to the prince. Now that truly captured my heart and my attention. It was such a beautiful story. It was in this story that I could feel how trapped people were in the time period and the rising power of Ferdinand and Isabella to suppress all other faiths in favor of their own.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
Similar to The Sultan's Wife, Court of Lions was a bit difficult to get into at first, but after a few chapters I read quite steadily until the end. A dual narrative, Jane Johnson brings readers into the sights, sounds,and society of contemporary and 15th century Spain. As dual narratives go, I preferred the historical period as it was steeped in historical research( Johnson's historical note at the end of the book was highly informative). Not to mention that I preferred Blessings voice and story line over that of Kate and her nutty husband.
The book description describes Court of Lions as a Ken Follett meets Jodi Picoult and that is just a strange combo. Kate's story promised intrigue and long forgotten historical verses, but not many chapters are focused on this issue. Rather Kate is on the run from a husband that appears to have become a maniac over his wife and his religious views. As well, her love interest is a bit predictable and I felt it was an attempt by the author to make sure the "pretty girl snags a cute guy" in the end . So, it didn't work for me.
But Blessings and his love and devotion to the prince. Now that truly captured my heart and my attention. It was such a beautiful story. It was in this story that I could feel how trapped people were in the time period and the rising power of Ferdinand and Isabella to suppress all other faiths in favor of their own.
Thanks to NetGalley for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2018
4☆ Enchanting and steeped in history
Court of Lions is my first book I have read by Jane Johnson
Court of Lions is enriched with history, Passion, it's enchanting and , It is written within two timelines. From past and present.
The past timeline is told by Blessings. Blessing is a companion to Prince Abu Abdullah Mohammed (Momo - The last Sultan of Granada). He holds the Prince in very high regards as we learn just how much he cares for the Prince.
The story told by Blessings is steeped in rich history. I adored being immersed into Granada in 15th Century and following along on his journey as we uncover his story.
The second timeline is of the future. Here we meet Kate. Kate is running away from her troubles. When she enters into the beautiful gardens of The Alhambra palaces,
It's here her life is about to change as she discovers a secret rolled up piece of paper tucked into the wall.
The piece of paper contained a series of tiny markings. Some kind of message.
But what does the message say?
For me I thoroughly appreciated Blessings story more than Kate's as I feel her story was a little misplaced
I found the Court of Lions a little slow to get into at first. I am not familiar with this period in history. But once I immersed myself deeper into the story. I found that that the story came alive.
The story is very well written and the amount of research Jane has done to make an authentic read really shines through.
Jane certainly made me comfortable enough with the historical side of the story, that I didn't find it too confusing. Which I really appreciated as some stories can get too bogged down you lose the beauty of the story. I also loved the lil extras like the maps & Authors Notes
For me I enjoy historical stories as I love learning about New things.
I also want to mention just how beautiful the Cover is. It's very opulent and luxurious full of romance and promise.
This book does contain cultural discrimination, domestic violence, religious views.
If you are looking for a historical read that is full of adventure, love, passion, tragedy, war,yet rich In history that alternates between time lines then I think you will definitely enjoy this book.
Thank you to Head of Zeus for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
Court of Lions is my first book I have read by Jane Johnson
Court of Lions is enriched with history, Passion, it's enchanting and , It is written within two timelines. From past and present.
The past timeline is told by Blessings. Blessing is a companion to Prince Abu Abdullah Mohammed (Momo - The last Sultan of Granada). He holds the Prince in very high regards as we learn just how much he cares for the Prince.
The story told by Blessings is steeped in rich history. I adored being immersed into Granada in 15th Century and following along on his journey as we uncover his story.
The second timeline is of the future. Here we meet Kate. Kate is running away from her troubles. When she enters into the beautiful gardens of The Alhambra palaces,
It's here her life is about to change as she discovers a secret rolled up piece of paper tucked into the wall.
The piece of paper contained a series of tiny markings. Some kind of message.
But what does the message say?
For me I thoroughly appreciated Blessings story more than Kate's as I feel her story was a little misplaced
I found the Court of Lions a little slow to get into at first. I am not familiar with this period in history. But once I immersed myself deeper into the story. I found that that the story came alive.
The story is very well written and the amount of research Jane has done to make an authentic read really shines through.
Jane certainly made me comfortable enough with the historical side of the story, that I didn't find it too confusing. Which I really appreciated as some stories can get too bogged down you lose the beauty of the story. I also loved the lil extras like the maps & Authors Notes
For me I enjoy historical stories as I love learning about New things.
I also want to mention just how beautiful the Cover is. It's very opulent and luxurious full of romance and promise.
This book does contain cultural discrimination, domestic violence, religious views.
If you are looking for a historical read that is full of adventure, love, passion, tragedy, war,yet rich In history that alternates between time lines then I think you will definitely enjoy this book.
Thank you to Head of Zeus for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
February 23, 2020
Court of Lions is a dual time story of a modern woman and the last Sultan of Granada.
I love to read books about places that I have been to or would like to go.
The Alhambra is one of those places.
This novel takes us to Granada in the 15th Century. Kate Fordham escapes from her troublesome marriage and travels to Granada.
In the beautiful gardens of the Alhambra, Kate finds a piece of paper with a hidden message. This is where the mystery begins.
In present day Granada, Kate tries to unravel this puzzle. What does this message say and what does it mean?
We go back to 1476 to begin this journey and learn the fascinating history of Granada.
This book is very well written, at first I enjoyed the 15th century story and had little interest in Kate’s story. That got turned around as Kate’s story developed .
Will Kate find the answers she is seeking and will she find happiness?
Read Kate’s story to find out.
I love to read books about places that I have been to or would like to go.
The Alhambra is one of those places.
This novel takes us to Granada in the 15th Century. Kate Fordham escapes from her troublesome marriage and travels to Granada.
In the beautiful gardens of the Alhambra, Kate finds a piece of paper with a hidden message. This is where the mystery begins.
In present day Granada, Kate tries to unravel this puzzle. What does this message say and what does it mean?
We go back to 1476 to begin this journey and learn the fascinating history of Granada.
This book is very well written, at first I enjoyed the 15th century story and had little interest in Kate’s story. That got turned around as Kate’s story developed .
Will Kate find the answers she is seeking and will she find happiness?
Read Kate’s story to find out.
July 8, 2017
Decades ago I studied History at A'level - including a paper in European History from about 1480 to 1680. My revision strategy consisted of stringing together every incident of European History and making them but branches from a single stem of "Why did Spain decline in the 1600s?" It was a sure bet as this precise essay question had come up on every exam paper since before even my History teacher had been born.
That long ago study came back to me as I read Jane Johnson's glorious twin tale. In essence it is two stories separated by half a millenium, but conjoined in Geography. Johnson follows two parallel threads - a double helix if you will, not so much intertwined as touching gently on each other - with points of connection as light yet poignant as a lover's kiss. This is a story of duality - at once a present day mystery taut with tension and conflict and yet also a piece of historical fiction vividly bringing a lost world to life,
In the present day we follow Kate, a woman with a bruising past taking a far from secure refuge in the back streets of Granada. In the past we ride with the strangely named Blessings - companion to the boy prophesied to be the last Sultan of Granada.
My school boy study of Spain began with the reigns of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, As formidable a pair of monarchs as Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine - though the legacy of the Spanish Catholic Monarchs has endured better than Henry II's Angevin Empire. Blessings' account has the same starting point as my A'level European History, but sheds an alternative light on the deceptive (arguably duplicitous) simplicity of Ferdinand and Isabella's crusade against the moors.
Tolerance is another theme that seems to run through the book, in both the sense of being accepting of difference, and also in the sense of to tolerate or put up with something. Kate is a woman who has tolerated too much. The worm has not so much turned as run and - in Kate's case - run to a place that was once celebrated for its tolerance, indeed its celebration of diversity.
Today we live in interesting times, and Johnson's book reflects that. Fear, prejudice and zealotry simmer below the surface of any civilisation and the parallels between the past and the present are easy to draw.
However, neither in Kate's tale nor Blessings' does Johnson fall into the trap of casting either side as wholy saints or sinners. The moors of Granada have their bloody villains, as crimsoned as any grimdark anti-hero. The christians of Castile and Aragon have their honourable champions alongside their venal sovereigns. But the conquest of Granada still ranks alongside that of the American midwest, or aborginal Australia, as an episode of human history littered with dishonour and broken treaties. Once again history greatest gift to the winners has been to allow their perspective on events to be the one best preserved for posterity - and Johnson's novel offers a different slant on that history.
Blessings stands watching from the margins of history, harbouring secrets great and small, trading in them yet driven always by a purity of love to which all other considerations are ultimately subordinate. His voice is convincing, his tale compelling - told in Johnson's effortless liquid prose.
Kate in her journey meets similar prejudiced zealotry as she struggles to emerge from a shell into which great trauma had driven her. Yet she is endlessly drawn to the Alhambra the Moorish palace around which both Blessings' and her own story revolve.
The writing is at its most convincing when describing the people, the culture, the food even of those whose lives straddled and still straddle the Straits of Gibraltar. The author's fondness - passion even - for the places, the period and the people add well defined flesh to the bare bones of the story.
Kate's past trials - while truly dreadful - do not have quite the depth of flavour that we get when the story stalks the streets of Granada. We are necessarily removed from the events in England - which are described either as past occurrences or through panicked telephone conversations. In such circumstances it is difficult to deliver the tension of a full blooded thriller. Nonetheless, Kate's story provides an engaging counterpoint to Blessings' and brings something of that lost age into the present.
A book's power is best felt in what the reader does when it is finished. Does the story's grip persist beyond the last page? In the case of The Court of Lions, I scoured through the author's notes before throwing myself at Google to research for myself the captivating events Johnson had described.
As to my long History A'level - gentle reader. Well that year for the first time in centuries the History paper did not have a "Why did Spain Decline?" question, instead there was a different question. "How did Portugal break free from the Spanish Yoke?" So I wrote "Portugal broke free of the Spanish yoke because Spain declined." - and then wrote my planned essay.
That long ago study came back to me as I read Jane Johnson's glorious twin tale. In essence it is two stories separated by half a millenium, but conjoined in Geography. Johnson follows two parallel threads - a double helix if you will, not so much intertwined as touching gently on each other - with points of connection as light yet poignant as a lover's kiss. This is a story of duality - at once a present day mystery taut with tension and conflict and yet also a piece of historical fiction vividly bringing a lost world to life,
In the present day we follow Kate, a woman with a bruising past taking a far from secure refuge in the back streets of Granada. In the past we ride with the strangely named Blessings - companion to the boy prophesied to be the last Sultan of Granada.
My school boy study of Spain began with the reigns of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, As formidable a pair of monarchs as Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine - though the legacy of the Spanish Catholic Monarchs has endured better than Henry II's Angevin Empire. Blessings' account has the same starting point as my A'level European History, but sheds an alternative light on the deceptive (arguably duplicitous) simplicity of Ferdinand and Isabella's crusade against the moors.
Tolerance is another theme that seems to run through the book, in both the sense of being accepting of difference, and also in the sense of to tolerate or put up with something. Kate is a woman who has tolerated too much. The worm has not so much turned as run and - in Kate's case - run to a place that was once celebrated for its tolerance, indeed its celebration of diversity.
Today we live in interesting times, and Johnson's book reflects that. Fear, prejudice and zealotry simmer below the surface of any civilisation and the parallels between the past and the present are easy to draw.
However, neither in Kate's tale nor Blessings' does Johnson fall into the trap of casting either side as wholy saints or sinners. The moors of Granada have their bloody villains, as crimsoned as any grimdark anti-hero. The christians of Castile and Aragon have their honourable champions alongside their venal sovereigns. But the conquest of Granada still ranks alongside that of the American midwest, or aborginal Australia, as an episode of human history littered with dishonour and broken treaties. Once again history greatest gift to the winners has been to allow their perspective on events to be the one best preserved for posterity - and Johnson's novel offers a different slant on that history.
Blessings stands watching from the margins of history, harbouring secrets great and small, trading in them yet driven always by a purity of love to which all other considerations are ultimately subordinate. His voice is convincing, his tale compelling - told in Johnson's effortless liquid prose.
Kate in her journey meets similar prejudiced zealotry as she struggles to emerge from a shell into which great trauma had driven her. Yet she is endlessly drawn to the Alhambra the Moorish palace around which both Blessings' and her own story revolve.
The writing is at its most convincing when describing the people, the culture, the food even of those whose lives straddled and still straddle the Straits of Gibraltar. The author's fondness - passion even - for the places, the period and the people add well defined flesh to the bare bones of the story.
Kate's past trials - while truly dreadful - do not have quite the depth of flavour that we get when the story stalks the streets of Granada. We are necessarily removed from the events in England - which are described either as past occurrences or through panicked telephone conversations. In such circumstances it is difficult to deliver the tension of a full blooded thriller. Nonetheless, Kate's story provides an engaging counterpoint to Blessings' and brings something of that lost age into the present.
A book's power is best felt in what the reader does when it is finished. Does the story's grip persist beyond the last page? In the case of The Court of Lions, I scoured through the author's notes before throwing myself at Google to research for myself the captivating events Johnson had described.
As to my long History A'level - gentle reader. Well that year for the first time in centuries the History paper did not have a "Why did Spain Decline?" question, instead there was a different question. "How did Portugal break free from the Spanish Yoke?" So I wrote "Portugal broke free of the Spanish yoke because Spain declined." - and then wrote my planned essay.
August 16, 2017
At the back of the book, the Author goes into the History of Granda and the great Palace, the area was ran by a Muslim king untill the Catholics turned up.
I enjoyed reading about Adu Abdullah Mohammed, the young Sultan and his Bestest friend Blessing (blessing is not a real person of history) Blessing was the Sultan's ears, eyes and protector and rescued him when he was locked up.
The Young Sultan didn't have it easy with a powerful dad, a power hungry Uncle and a mother who also liked to try and rule the nest. So alot of in house fighting. In the end a sort of take over puts the Young Sultan on the throne while the King (dad) and Uncle are away from the Palace.
All goes well until Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand turn up a couple of very evil, very power hungry people, who would stop at nothing to control all of the land.
At one stage in the book during a war there is body parts thrown each way, so not a story for the faint of heart.
I liked the story of Blessing and the Young Sultan. I didn't mind the war bits. But I am not sure if the morden day story running along side was needed to keep the story going. In fact I found it anoying at times and just wanted to get back to the main event.
I enjoyed reading about Adu Abdullah Mohammed, the young Sultan and his Bestest friend Blessing (blessing is not a real person of history) Blessing was the Sultan's ears, eyes and protector and rescued him when he was locked up.
The Young Sultan didn't have it easy with a powerful dad, a power hungry Uncle and a mother who also liked to try and rule the nest. So alot of in house fighting. In the end a sort of take over puts the Young Sultan on the throne while the King (dad) and Uncle are away from the Palace.
All goes well until Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand turn up a couple of very evil, very power hungry people, who would stop at nothing to control all of the land.
At one stage in the book during a war there is body parts thrown each way, so not a story for the faint of heart.
I liked the story of Blessing and the Young Sultan. I didn't mind the war bits. But I am not sure if the morden day story running along side was needed to keep the story going. In fact I found it anoying at times and just wanted to get back to the main event.
July 2, 2017
Worst book I've ever read. The one star is only for the descriptions of The Alhambra. I'm sorry I spent money on this book. I'm sorry I wasted time reading it in the hopes that it would get better. It didn't.
May 29, 2017
Absorbing and romantic!
This is a historical love letter to the city of Granada complete with incredibly intriguing and genuine details about The Granada War that took place in the late 1400s and included the rise and subsequent fall of Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the twenty-second and last Islamic ruler of this emirate.
The story is told from differing perspectives; Blessings, a young confident whose yearning and love for the young sultan never wavers; and Kate, a middle-aged woman who finds herself immersed in a mystery from the past while running in fear from her own. The prose is exceptionally descriptive. The characters are complex, fascinating, and sympathetic. And the plot uses a back and forth, past/present style that sweeps you along through the highs and lows of both Blessings and Kate's life.
Once again, with this novel, Johnson has written a remarkably researched tale that effortlessly interweaves religious persecution, cultural discrimination, and violence with threads of passion, acceptance, devotion, support and the true power of love.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Doubleday Canada, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
This is a historical love letter to the city of Granada complete with incredibly intriguing and genuine details about The Granada War that took place in the late 1400s and included the rise and subsequent fall of Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the twenty-second and last Islamic ruler of this emirate.
The story is told from differing perspectives; Blessings, a young confident whose yearning and love for the young sultan never wavers; and Kate, a middle-aged woman who finds herself immersed in a mystery from the past while running in fear from her own. The prose is exceptionally descriptive. The characters are complex, fascinating, and sympathetic. And the plot uses a back and forth, past/present style that sweeps you along through the highs and lows of both Blessings and Kate's life.
Once again, with this novel, Johnson has written a remarkably researched tale that effortlessly interweaves religious persecution, cultural discrimination, and violence with threads of passion, acceptance, devotion, support and the true power of love.
Thank you to NetGalley, especially Doubleday Canada, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
All my reviews can be found on my blog at http://whatsbetterthanbooks.com
November 23, 2017
Somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars.
Firstly, I want to address something. This is a novel with a dual-timeline, something that I had absolutely no clue from by reading the blurb. Yes, this tells the story of Kate Fordham, who works in a bar in modern-day Granada after fleeing from an abusive husband(whom I may or may not have imagined as Ioan Gruffudd after finishing Liar ) and who struggles to get her life back in order. But I would argue that this is not her story at all, but rather that of Blessings.
Blessings is a North African child sold into slavery in the 15th century and purchased to be the companion of 'Momo', or, as history knows him, Boabdil/Muhammed XII of Granada. I should state that the author identifies Blessings as a male (so I will refer to Blessings as thus), as I personally found there to be a lot of ambiguity surrounding his gender as I read the novel. While there are discussions of dressing as a female in order to infiltrate harems (or mention of male soldiers' clothing), Blessings never outright identifies with either gender in his 1st person narration. (It is later revealed that he is a hermaphrodite, though this does not have any real implication for the plot but it could potentially raise questions of gender fluidity? I'll admit that I'm not really educated enough to make any conclusions.) After having his leg amputated after breaking it in a childhood incident, Blessings spends the rest of the novel with a wooden prosthetic leg, though I can't speak with any authority about the disability rep.
Anyway, my point is that over half of the novel is spent in 15th century Granda in Blessings POV, with all the intrigue and politics of the sultan's court as its focus, and the rumblings of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon in the background (which slowly become more and more prominent). So forgive me if I find it strange that Blessings was not mentioned in the synopsis at all, apart from being the implied writer of the centuries-old note that Kate discovers. Perhaps on other editions there might be an inclusion, but there was certainly none on mine.
For me, anyway, Blessings' chapters were much more interesting than those focusing on Kate, who really only appeared every now and then. I'm not sure why, but I was far more invested in Blessings and his unrequited romantic love for Momo and the chaos of the impending fall of Granada than Kate's modern woes. I don't know much about Spanish history, and it was really interesting to read something from the point of view of the Moors (although I am aware the novel was written by a (presumably) white woman). Also, from what I can gather, most people tend to take a rather negative view of Momo/Boabdil, as he was responsible for letting Granada pass into Castillian hands. Here though, Johnson has provided a rather sympathetic portrayal of a young man conflicted by the events around him, and struggling to do not only the 'right' thing, but what's best for his people.
I don't mean to belittle Kate's problems in any way - certainly not the fact that she was a victim of domestic abuse - but her timeline just didn't hold my attention the way that Blessings' did. Added to this, I felt that the highly-extreme, cultish, fanaticism to Catholicism that her husband showed was written unrealistically, and more fitting to a torture-chamber of the Dark Ages. Plus, Kate's story-line was wrapped up a little to quickly and conveniently for my liking.
I don't know, this is a hard one for me to rate and review. I did enjoy reading this, but there were a few things that grated, and having read it a week or two ago, I can already sense that this one is not going to be that memorable at all. Which is a shame - that cover deserved better.
Firstly, I want to address something. This is a novel with a dual-timeline, something that I had absolutely no clue from by reading the blurb. Yes, this tells the story of Kate Fordham, who works in a bar in modern-day Granada after fleeing from an abusive husband
Blessings is a North African child sold into slavery in the 15th century and purchased to be the companion of 'Momo', or, as history knows him, Boabdil/Muhammed XII of Granada. I should state that the author identifies Blessings as a male (so I will refer to Blessings as thus), as I personally found there to be a lot of ambiguity surrounding his gender as I read the novel. While there are discussions of dressing as a female in order to infiltrate harems (or mention of male soldiers' clothing), Blessings never outright identifies with either gender in his 1st person narration. (It is later revealed that he is a hermaphrodite, though this does not have any real implication for the plot but it could potentially raise questions of gender fluidity? I'll admit that I'm not really educated enough to make any conclusions.) After having his leg amputated after breaking it in a childhood incident, Blessings spends the rest of the novel with a wooden prosthetic leg, though I can't speak with any authority about the disability rep.
Anyway, my point is that over half of the novel is spent in 15th century Granda in Blessings POV, with all the intrigue and politics of the sultan's court as its focus, and the rumblings of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon in the background (which slowly become more and more prominent). So forgive me if I find it strange that Blessings was not mentioned in the synopsis at all, apart from being the implied writer of the centuries-old note that Kate discovers. Perhaps on other editions there might be an inclusion, but there was certainly none on mine.
For me, anyway, Blessings' chapters were much more interesting than those focusing on Kate, who really only appeared every now and then. I'm not sure why, but I was far more invested in Blessings and his unrequited romantic love for Momo and the chaos of the impending fall of Granada than Kate's modern woes. I don't know much about Spanish history, and it was really interesting to read something from the point of view of the Moors (although I am aware the novel was written by a (presumably) white woman). Also, from what I can gather, most people tend to take a rather negative view of Momo/Boabdil, as he was responsible for letting Granada pass into Castillian hands. Here though, Johnson has provided a rather sympathetic portrayal of a young man conflicted by the events around him, and struggling to do not only the 'right' thing, but what's best for his people.
I don't mean to belittle Kate's problems in any way - certainly not the fact that she was a victim of domestic abuse - but her timeline just didn't hold my attention the way that Blessings' did. Added to this, I felt that the highly-extreme, cultish, fanaticism to Catholicism that her husband showed was written unrealistically, and more fitting to a torture-chamber of the Dark Ages. Plus, Kate's story-line was wrapped up a little to quickly and conveniently for my liking.
I don't know, this is a hard one for me to rate and review. I did enjoy reading this, but there were a few things that grated, and having read it a week or two ago, I can already sense that this one is not going to be that memorable at all. Which is a shame - that cover deserved better.
July 10, 2017
Find all my reviews, plus author interviews, guest posts and book extracts, on my blog: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.com/
The story of Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed, known as Momo, is related through the eyes of Blessings, a slave brought as a young orphan from a desert tribe to be his companion. Despite the difference in their status, Blessings and Momo form a deep and lasting friendship although, for Blessings, the relationship becomes more than friendship. Their relationship will be tested over the years of political turmoil and war as Granada fights for its survival against the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and to protect the Muslim faith of its people.
I found the story of Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed utterly compelling and admired the way the author brought it to life in such vivid and colourful detail. For me, there was a perfect balance between the intimate, personal story of Momo and Blessings and the wider story of the historical events of the time – the plots, alliances, treaties, battles and defeats. Ultimately, both Momo and Blessings are forced to make heart-breaking compromises.
In the contemporary story, Kate’s troubles are domestic in nature and gradually revealed throughout the novel. For her Granada is a refuge and a chance to leave behind unhappy memories and traumatic events. The scrap of paper she finds in a crevice in the walls of the Alhambra and a chance encounter eventually provides the opportunity for her to move on in her life but not before she is forced to confront her traumatic past. Although expertly told, I wasn’t drawn to Kate’s story as much as the parts of the book set in the past. Shared themes of secrets, religious fundamentalism and discrimination were there but subtle. Personally, I would have liked slightly more substantial links between the two stories as, at times, they felt rather disconnected from each other.
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Head of Zeus in return for an honest review.
The story of Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed, known as Momo, is related through the eyes of Blessings, a slave brought as a young orphan from a desert tribe to be his companion. Despite the difference in their status, Blessings and Momo form a deep and lasting friendship although, for Blessings, the relationship becomes more than friendship. Their relationship will be tested over the years of political turmoil and war as Granada fights for its survival against the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and to protect the Muslim faith of its people.
I found the story of Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed utterly compelling and admired the way the author brought it to life in such vivid and colourful detail. For me, there was a perfect balance between the intimate, personal story of Momo and Blessings and the wider story of the historical events of the time – the plots, alliances, treaties, battles and defeats. Ultimately, both Momo and Blessings are forced to make heart-breaking compromises.
In the contemporary story, Kate’s troubles are domestic in nature and gradually revealed throughout the novel. For her Granada is a refuge and a chance to leave behind unhappy memories and traumatic events. The scrap of paper she finds in a crevice in the walls of the Alhambra and a chance encounter eventually provides the opportunity for her to move on in her life but not before she is forced to confront her traumatic past. Although expertly told, I wasn’t drawn to Kate’s story as much as the parts of the book set in the past. Shared themes of secrets, religious fundamentalism and discrimination were there but subtle. Personally, I would have liked slightly more substantial links between the two stories as, at times, they felt rather disconnected from each other.
I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Head of Zeus in return for an honest review.
April 12, 2019
As I will be visiting the Alhambra next week ( a big tick on my travel bucket list) I was pleased to find a historical fiction novel which told the tale of the last days of the Nasrid Dynasty and described the beauty of this inspirational palace. Juxtaposed with this historical part of the story is a contemporary one of a British young woman on the run from an abusive husband who finds shelter in this lovely part of the world. Although I found the historical part fascinating unfortunately it was let down a little by the modern aspect of the story as the two parts didn't really gel together well.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
January 3, 2018
A very enjoyable, atmospheric and immersive read.
March 31, 2018
Excellent, very hard to put down.
June 13, 2017
Court of Lions is the first book I’ve ready by Jane Johnson and it certainly won’t be the last! This novel was a sensual and emotional delight from beginning to end.
The reader is taken on two fascinating and gripping journeys, one in 15th century Spain, following Blessings, companion to Prince Abdullah Mohammed, and the other modern day, following Kate Fordham, an Englishwoman working in Granada.
The two stories are interwoven, which is a narrative technique that I really enjoyed. Both characters have secrets and fears and suffer mistreatment at the hands of others, but both have enduring hopes and dreams.
Ms Johnson creates captivating descriptions of the Alhambra, whisking the reader away to the Granada of Prince Abdullah Mohammed with her exquisite prose and meticulous historical research, and her own love of the location shines through.
One thing in particular that stood out for me is that this is a love story. Blessings’ love for Prince Abdullah Mohammed is beautiful, all consuming and painful, as unrequited love can be. There is a message here that love is love, whatever form it comes in, and the human capacity for love – and sometimes forgiveness – has not changed, whatever else mankind might be guilty of.
Court of Lions is a book about life, love, friendship, families and passion. It’s about greed and fanaticism and how damaging both can be, whether in the 1400s or 2017. It’s about light and darkness, and how sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between the two. And it’s about hope. Because sometimes hope is all we have to cling to.
I thoroughly recommend this book, especially for readers who enjoy dual timelines, for readers who like romance novels and for those who appreciate well-researched historical tales.
*I would like to thank Jane Johnson and Head of Zeus publishing for the ARC of Court of Lions.*
June 26, 2017
Another triumph for Jane Johnson. I got hooked on her writing with The Sultans Wife, and in Court of Lions, she returns to familiar territory. This time her narrative is a dual timeline, set in Moorish Spain, during the ascent and conquest by Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon and Castille.
The story of Blessings, a young boy bought and assigned to the heir to the Moorish throne of Granada and the Alhambra, and of his feelings for Momo as he calls the young Prince. Uncertain of his own sexuality, this is a story of a love that can only be unrequited but is set in one of the most turbulent periods in the history of southern Spain.
The book also tells the story of Kate, a young woman who found herself in a marriage to a controlling psychopath. She has fled England and is hiding out in Granada, under an assumed name.
A scrap of paper she finds, with some ancient and indecipherable writing on it leads her to the world of the Moors and the Moorish diaspora that exists in Spain today.
Court of Lions carries with it Jane Johnson's usual eye for detail and impeccable research. Well up to standard and highly recommended to anyone who loves historical or romantic fiction or both. Jane Johnson has a wonderful feel for the time and the place.
An excellent read and I look forward to Jane's next book.
The story of Blessings, a young boy bought and assigned to the heir to the Moorish throne of Granada and the Alhambra, and of his feelings for Momo as he calls the young Prince. Uncertain of his own sexuality, this is a story of a love that can only be unrequited but is set in one of the most turbulent periods in the history of southern Spain.
The book also tells the story of Kate, a young woman who found herself in a marriage to a controlling psychopath. She has fled England and is hiding out in Granada, under an assumed name.
A scrap of paper she finds, with some ancient and indecipherable writing on it leads her to the world of the Moors and the Moorish diaspora that exists in Spain today.
Court of Lions carries with it Jane Johnson's usual eye for detail and impeccable research. Well up to standard and highly recommended to anyone who loves historical or romantic fiction or both. Jane Johnson has a wonderful feel for the time and the place.
An excellent read and I look forward to Jane's next book.
July 10, 2018
This is a lavish and detailed history which reimagines Granada under its last Moorish sultan. The tale is brought up to date by connecting to the distressing life of a woman fleeing an abusive, controlling and manipulative man. The British woman Kate has gone to Spain - oddly for a computer analyst she doesn't do anything legal and logical.
The only fault for me really is that because we get concerned about our modern heroine, after halfway we may find the tale of slave Blessings dragging, since it's lengthy, occurred in the past, and Blessings doesn't really have a romantic interest with the master he adores. If you prefer the history you'll be fine. I also note that the author, who now lives in Morocco, says only good of the modern Muslim community in Spain, which may be polite but seems too good to be realistic. Every community has its problems. Having wandered around Moorish castles in Spain, I enjoyed the tale.
I was sent an e-ARC by Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
The only fault for me really is that because we get concerned about our modern heroine, after halfway we may find the tale of slave Blessings dragging, since it's lengthy, occurred in the past, and Blessings doesn't really have a romantic interest with the master he adores. If you prefer the history you'll be fine. I also note that the author, who now lives in Morocco, says only good of the modern Muslim community in Spain, which may be polite but seems too good to be realistic. Every community has its problems. Having wandered around Moorish castles in Spain, I enjoyed the tale.
I was sent an e-ARC by Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
June 6, 2017
I read it and I really didn't like either main characters (Blessings and Kate). I found both of them to be very annoying and not easy to sympathize with at all.
Blessings kept going on and on about the love of his life, Boabdil, how jealous he is, how he thinks Boabdil loves him, how he can do no wrong. ENOUGH! We get it! You love Boabdil, but can never act upon those feelings for so many annoying reasons.
Kate had a traumatic couple of years, especially involving her "husband" James, and is now hiding and working in Granada. She is so passive most of the time, and her story is pretty bland for the most part, except for those that involves the amazing architecture in Granada and the vast history of the place.
The contrast between the present and the past was glaring. The story talking about the past was slightly more well developed and engaging. The story talking about the present was slowly moving along.
Blessings kept going on and on about the love of his life, Boabdil, how jealous he is, how he thinks Boabdil loves him, how he can do no wrong. ENOUGH! We get it! You love Boabdil, but can never act upon those feelings for so many annoying reasons.
Kate had a traumatic couple of years, especially involving her "husband" James, and is now hiding and working in Granada. She is so passive most of the time, and her story is pretty bland for the most part, except for those that involves the amazing architecture in Granada and the vast history of the place.
The contrast between the present and the past was glaring. The story talking about the past was slightly more well developed and engaging. The story talking about the present was slowly moving along.
January 29, 2018
Court of Lions is the latest novel by author Jane Johnson. In the present day, Kate Fordham is an Englishwoman living incognito in Granada, Spain. Kate is hiding from her abusive husband, James. One day Kate is visiting the Alhambra and finds a small piece of paper with unusual writing on it hidden in a wall in the garden. How long has that paper lain hidden in the wall? Kate meets friends at the Alhambra who help her discover what is on the paper and its origins. Kate is worried about her sister, Jess after she receives a coded email from her. James has found Jess and taken something very precious. It will not be long before he tracks down Kate.
Blessings is a companion to Prince Abu Abdullah Mohammed in Granada in 1476. Blessings cares for Prince Abu aka Momo, but must keep his feelings to himself. As Momo gets older, the tasks set to Blessings by Momo become more challenging. Momo’s father, Sultan Moulay Hasan takes a mistress who will bring conflict to the palace that will forever change Momo’s life. Then there is Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand with their Inquisition. What will happen to Blessings and Prince Abu?
Court of Lions is a dual time line story (alternating chapters). The book is a slower-paced story that took me a short time to become engaged. I found the writing to be descriptive. The vivid descriptions of the Alhambra (I adored the tile descriptions) and the region allow readers to visualize it (I would love to visit it). The historical sections seemed more alive than those set in the present day. As the book progresses, we find out why Kate is hiding in Granada, how she met James and what happened to their marriage. Kate was a bit of a contradiction (and a little hard to like at times). I thought she would be more afraid of getting involved with another man after her disastrous relationship with James. The romantic entanglement felt predictable, but he was needed to aid the story. Blessings history is revealed throughout the story. We find out why he had to leave his tribe and came to be with Prince Abu. Blessings was devoted to Prince Abu and would do anything he requested. I was curious as to how the two separate storylines related, but it becomes more obvious as the novel progresses. The author did a wonderful job at incorporating the history into the book. She made the time-period come alive and beautifully weaved it into her story. It is obvious that Ms. Johnson did her research for Court of Lions. Christopher Columbus even makes an appearance. Blessings story takes place over twenty years while Kate’s section encompasses less than one month. Some of the themes presented in Court of Lions are love, poverty, grief, heartache, differences and similarities between religions, religious persecution, friendship, greed, cultural discrimination, family, violence, war, bond between sisters, domestic abuse and passion. I do wish readers to know that there is foul language, graphic violence and descriptions of intimate relations included in Court of Lions. To discover what is written on the scrap of paper Kate found at the Alhambra and get swept back in time, then grab a copy of Court of Lions.
Blessings is a companion to Prince Abu Abdullah Mohammed in Granada in 1476. Blessings cares for Prince Abu aka Momo, but must keep his feelings to himself. As Momo gets older, the tasks set to Blessings by Momo become more challenging. Momo’s father, Sultan Moulay Hasan takes a mistress who will bring conflict to the palace that will forever change Momo’s life. Then there is Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand with their Inquisition. What will happen to Blessings and Prince Abu?
Court of Lions is a dual time line story (alternating chapters). The book is a slower-paced story that took me a short time to become engaged. I found the writing to be descriptive. The vivid descriptions of the Alhambra (I adored the tile descriptions) and the region allow readers to visualize it (I would love to visit it). The historical sections seemed more alive than those set in the present day. As the book progresses, we find out why Kate is hiding in Granada, how she met James and what happened to their marriage. Kate was a bit of a contradiction (and a little hard to like at times). I thought she would be more afraid of getting involved with another man after her disastrous relationship with James. The romantic entanglement felt predictable, but he was needed to aid the story. Blessings history is revealed throughout the story. We find out why he had to leave his tribe and came to be with Prince Abu. Blessings was devoted to Prince Abu and would do anything he requested. I was curious as to how the two separate storylines related, but it becomes more obvious as the novel progresses. The author did a wonderful job at incorporating the history into the book. She made the time-period come alive and beautifully weaved it into her story. It is obvious that Ms. Johnson did her research for Court of Lions. Christopher Columbus even makes an appearance. Blessings story takes place over twenty years while Kate’s section encompasses less than one month. Some of the themes presented in Court of Lions are love, poverty, grief, heartache, differences and similarities between religions, religious persecution, friendship, greed, cultural discrimination, family, violence, war, bond between sisters, domestic abuse and passion. I do wish readers to know that there is foul language, graphic violence and descriptions of intimate relations included in Court of Lions. To discover what is written on the scrap of paper Kate found at the Alhambra and get swept back in time, then grab a copy of Court of Lions.
July 18, 2017
This was just a sumptuous, glorious book that had such an engrossing split story narrative. By the last few chapters, I could see how there was a clear past and present narrative.
The past was centred around a period of history, in a place I knew little about, yet Johnson has written it in such vivid detail that the locations and people became very clear in my mind. These events are all seen through the eyes of Blessing, the "Special Guardian" of the last Sultan of Granada. I ended up growing very fond of this character, but there was revelation that, in my opinion, really wasn't needed and I am still not sure why it was included.
As for our central character in the present, Kate? Well, I did like her and I felt that her story was interesting, but found myself drawn more to the events in the past. However, as I said earlier, the parallels between Kate and the events of the past became so much clearer.
Its an engaging book and I will be looking at Johnsons back catalogue to see if there are any books set firmly in the past.
The past was centred around a period of history, in a place I knew little about, yet Johnson has written it in such vivid detail that the locations and people became very clear in my mind. These events are all seen through the eyes of Blessing, the "Special Guardian" of the last Sultan of Granada. I ended up growing very fond of this character, but there was revelation that, in my opinion, really wasn't needed and I am still not sure why it was included.
As for our central character in the present, Kate? Well, I did like her and I felt that her story was interesting, but found myself drawn more to the events in the past. However, as I said earlier, the parallels between Kate and the events of the past became so much clearer.
Its an engaging book and I will be looking at Johnsons back catalogue to see if there are any books set firmly in the past.
April 6, 2017
This is almost 500 pages and was a very long read for me as I had to shuffle between reading time and work. I finally finished it after a week :)
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is about Kate Fordham, who has a disastrous past and flies away from it to the Province of Granada. She is broken, thanks to her past, and she just manages to survive in a foreign country living each day in guilt and fear. She finds solace in the gardens of Alhambra and one day when she takes a stroll, she finds this note hidden in the walls. She is intrigued by it and in an attempt to find what the note actually means, she meets new people and finds friendship and finally the courage to let someone else in her life.
There is also a parallel narration, from the point of view of Blessings, the (fictional) royal companion of Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the last Nasrid ruler of Granada (Also called as Momo by Blessings) . This narration explains the unrequited love that Blessings had for Momo, the war that led to the fall of the Nasrid dynasty and the Spanish Inquisition. This was quite tough to follow, because of various historical references and me not being very good at World history.
Kate's part was easy to follow and I was expecting something more along the lines of the 'note' she finds. Blessings' narration was little difficult and I was confused from the beginning whether its a girl or a boy. So this was explained towards the end of the book and that made sense. I liked the way the chapters were set, one suspense from Kate and the next chapter begins with Blessings narration or the vice versa.
There was so much love in the eyes of Blessings for Momo, even though the Sultan loved his royal companion, it was clearly a 'Friend Zoned' relationship.
All those religious wars.. :( I hate to think about it and this suppression/oppression makes me stand with Momo who loves nothing but peace for his people and decides to give up everything for them. And this is still happening!! One day everything is peaceful and next day they are gassing or bombing people. :(
"Moors and Hews and Castilians mingling in souks and markets to buy and sell and exchange news and gossip. Until, of course, the ambitions of the powerful set one against the other."
The author's note explains why she had written this book around the Sultan. History has it that the Sultan wept after giving away the keys of his Kingdom to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. But this is debated as a story made up, and so the author decided to give the story from his closest ally's point of view recounting the events that led to the fall of his kingdom. A chance to celebrate him, for what he truly is.
It was beautifully detailed and leaves you with so much pain. I wasn't that much hooked to Kate's life and how the story progresses there.
And hey, Christopher Columbus makes guest appearance ;-)
I give 4/5 stars. A tragic historical fiction with a little suspense.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is about Kate Fordham, who has a disastrous past and flies away from it to the Province of Granada. She is broken, thanks to her past, and she just manages to survive in a foreign country living each day in guilt and fear. She finds solace in the gardens of Alhambra and one day when she takes a stroll, she finds this note hidden in the walls. She is intrigued by it and in an attempt to find what the note actually means, she meets new people and finds friendship and finally the courage to let someone else in her life.
There is also a parallel narration, from the point of view of Blessings, the (fictional) royal companion of Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed, the last Nasrid ruler of Granada (Also called as Momo by Blessings) . This narration explains the unrequited love that Blessings had for Momo, the war that led to the fall of the Nasrid dynasty and the Spanish Inquisition. This was quite tough to follow, because of various historical references and me not being very good at World history.
Kate's part was easy to follow and I was expecting something more along the lines of the 'note' she finds. Blessings' narration was little difficult and I was confused from the beginning whether its a girl or a boy. So this was explained towards the end of the book and that made sense. I liked the way the chapters were set, one suspense from Kate and the next chapter begins with Blessings narration or the vice versa.
There was so much love in the eyes of Blessings for Momo, even though the Sultan loved his royal companion, it was clearly a 'Friend Zoned' relationship.
All those religious wars.. :( I hate to think about it and this suppression/oppression makes me stand with Momo who loves nothing but peace for his people and decides to give up everything for them. And this is still happening!! One day everything is peaceful and next day they are gassing or bombing people. :(
"Moors and Hews and Castilians mingling in souks and markets to buy and sell and exchange news and gossip. Until, of course, the ambitions of the powerful set one against the other."
The author's note explains why she had written this book around the Sultan. History has it that the Sultan wept after giving away the keys of his Kingdom to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. But this is debated as a story made up, and so the author decided to give the story from his closest ally's point of view recounting the events that led to the fall of his kingdom. A chance to celebrate him, for what he truly is.
It was beautifully detailed and leaves you with so much pain. I wasn't that much hooked to Kate's life and how the story progresses there.
And hey, Christopher Columbus makes guest appearance ;-)
I give 4/5 stars. A tragic historical fiction with a little suspense.
July 6, 2017
I have to start by saying straight off that I absolutely loved this novel, and that I now have a deep urge to book the first flight out to Granada. Whilst my job prevents me from doing the latter, I can bring my love of the former to everybody who will listen.
The beauty of this book is that it ties together two plot strands in a way that, at first glance, have hardly anything to do with each other, but whose similarities are slowly revealed as the story goes on- and provides us with two equally compelling stories, and views of Granada. One is set in the present day: Kate, who is working as a waitress in a bar, has fled there to escape her past, and her abusive husband, but finds a scrap of paper that dates back to before the fall of the city to the Christians in the fifteenth century. It’s a confession of love, and it’s our opening into the story of Blessings, the slave to the last Moorish Prince of Granada, who witnesses the slow decline and fall of their empire in the most beautiful palace in the world, the Alhambra.
The chance to explore two sides of the same city, five hundred years apart, is fascinating, as are our protagonists. There’s an air of mystery to both of them: Kate is running from her past, and lives hand-to-mouth in a way that would make many gap-year students green with envy. Curious, desperate, interesting and determined, she’s a relatable person, and as she becomes more involved with the city, and Blessings’ story, so do we.
Though this book is everything I could expect- or want- from an adventure, or romance, story, at its heart it’s a love song to the city of Granada. Johnson imbues every description of the city with such love that it practically sings from the page, and adds fresh life to the stories of the people on the page. Intriguing and colourful, this book is definitely one to add to your reading list.
Not to mention your travelling list.
The beauty of this book is that it ties together two plot strands in a way that, at first glance, have hardly anything to do with each other, but whose similarities are slowly revealed as the story goes on- and provides us with two equally compelling stories, and views of Granada. One is set in the present day: Kate, who is working as a waitress in a bar, has fled there to escape her past, and her abusive husband, but finds a scrap of paper that dates back to before the fall of the city to the Christians in the fifteenth century. It’s a confession of love, and it’s our opening into the story of Blessings, the slave to the last Moorish Prince of Granada, who witnesses the slow decline and fall of their empire in the most beautiful palace in the world, the Alhambra.
The chance to explore two sides of the same city, five hundred years apart, is fascinating, as are our protagonists. There’s an air of mystery to both of them: Kate is running from her past, and lives hand-to-mouth in a way that would make many gap-year students green with envy. Curious, desperate, interesting and determined, she’s a relatable person, and as she becomes more involved with the city, and Blessings’ story, so do we.
Though this book is everything I could expect- or want- from an adventure, or romance, story, at its heart it’s a love song to the city of Granada. Johnson imbues every description of the city with such love that it practically sings from the page, and adds fresh life to the stories of the people on the page. Intriguing and colourful, this book is definitely one to add to your reading list.
Not to mention your travelling list.
September 3, 2017
Rich and steeped in history.
The present day narrative felt a bit distracting -- Kate's escape from her abusive and over-the-top religious husband has enough going on to fill a book on its own, yet because it shared space with Blessings' story, things like self-harm and the daily effects of PTSD are told rather than shown and we get an odd kidnapping interlude.
Blessings and Momo's story is interesting and tragic. I knew of the Inquisition and of Ferdinand and Isabella, but less is widely taught about all the countries they colonized and forced to convert, so I like that this book takes us into the story of Granada and its sultan who fought hard to have his people retain their right to worship as they please. Momo is a tender-hearted man, ill-suited to war, and his desire to keep his people comfortable and free led to some decisions that made him seem weak to more traditionally minded rulers, and I just wish we delved more into his thinking process, and how he came to understand the extent of his people's poverty, as it would've clarified the reasons behind his decisions.
The present day narrative felt a bit distracting -- Kate's escape from her abusive and over-the-top religious husband has enough going on to fill a book on its own, yet because it shared space with Blessings' story, things like self-harm and the daily effects of PTSD are told rather than shown and we get an odd kidnapping interlude.
Blessings and Momo's story is interesting and tragic. I knew of the Inquisition and of Ferdinand and Isabella, but less is widely taught about all the countries they colonized and forced to convert, so I like that this book takes us into the story of Granada and its sultan who fought hard to have his people retain their right to worship as they please. Momo is a tender-hearted man, ill-suited to war, and his desire to keep his people comfortable and free led to some decisions that made him seem weak to more traditionally minded rulers, and I just wish we delved more into his thinking process, and how he came to understand the extent of his people's poverty, as it would've clarified the reasons behind his decisions.
July 7, 2017
Finished reading: July 5th 2017
"History was rather wasted on the young, who had yet to discover that looking back could sometimes be a lot more instructive than looking forward."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Head Of Zeus in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
March 30, 2019
First of all, this book is offensive and inaccurate. It offers a biased view of both Spanish people and the catholic faith. The way the author portrays and generalises is disrespectful and infuriating.
Secondly, the story line is poor and unbelievable, even for fiction. I found myself at various points rolling my eyes at the unlikely events and circumstances described by Jane Johnson. The "big secret" reveal at the end was extremely disappointing.
The one star is for the Alhambra.
Secondly, the story line is poor and unbelievable, even for fiction. I found myself at various points rolling my eyes at the unlikely events and circumstances described by Jane Johnson. The "big secret" reveal at the end was extremely disappointing.
The one star is for the Alhambra.
April 5, 2020
Eh, actually didn’t do it for me. Too detailed on the historical plot with not enough connection to the current plot.
February 15, 2020
The Alhambra in Granada, Spain is incredible and its centre role in Court of Lions was the reason I chose to read this book.
Court of Lions sets a sense of place really well, with the modern day story and the historic story describing so well Granada and the Alhambra. While I thoroughly enjoyed the history presented and think it provides an easy description of the fall of Granada and the factors leading to it, I didn't really like the two main characters, Kate and Blessings, and this greatly impacted on its readability for me.
As companion to Momo, future sultan of Granada, Blessings' unrequited love is painted with a heavy helping of unfairness that just wouldn't have even existed in the late 1400s and therefore introduces too many modern biases. I just wanted Blessings to get over it and get on with being the best Special Guardian possible or choose a different path.
Kate's story was interesting, but it could have done with being a standalone story with a more fleshed out character development because her husband goes from charming to creepy to crazy in mere heartbeats which seems implausible.
I pulled out a souvenir book on the Alhambra that my parents bought when they visited Spain 20 years ago to try and follow some of the historic descriptions of the where with some more context. Court of Lions makes me want to go back to Granada now and walk the streets, visit the Alhambra and spend time in the bars and restaurants. I think reading Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra, another of my parents' souvenir purchases, will have to suffice for now.
Court of Lions sets a sense of place really well, with the modern day story and the historic story describing so well Granada and the Alhambra. While I thoroughly enjoyed the history presented and think it provides an easy description of the fall of Granada and the factors leading to it, I didn't really like the two main characters, Kate and Blessings, and this greatly impacted on its readability for me.
As companion to Momo, future sultan of Granada, Blessings' unrequited love is painted with a heavy helping of unfairness that just wouldn't have even existed in the late 1400s and therefore introduces too many modern biases. I just wanted Blessings to get over it and get on with being the best Special Guardian possible or choose a different path.
Kate's story was interesting, but it could have done with being a standalone story with a more fleshed out character development because her husband goes from charming to creepy to crazy in mere heartbeats which seems implausible.
I pulled out a souvenir book on the Alhambra that my parents bought when they visited Spain 20 years ago to try and follow some of the historic descriptions of the where with some more context. Court of Lions makes me want to go back to Granada now and walk the streets, visit the Alhambra and spend time in the bars and restaurants. I think reading Washington Irving's Tales of the Alhambra, another of my parents' souvenir purchases, will have to suffice for now.
October 31, 2017
Jane Johnson is a master storyteller. Her in depth knowledge/research of ancient history is impressive. She has done an excellent job of putting emotions into historical facts.
There are 2 story lines in this novel - dual narratives. Current day Kate has escaped from her abusive and weird and dangerous husband to the city of Granada in Spain. Granada is the ancient capital city of the Moors from northern Africa or Morocco.
The other narrative is a young person called Blessings who is the playmate to the son of the Sultan and apparent heir to the throne, in the year 1492. Johnson takes us through the struggle the Sultan had to hang on to his city and protect his people, and then the eventual fall of Granada to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. It is a fascinating story fraught with much struggle for power and riches and land.
It is artful how Johnson brings these 2 stories together with a common thread. I won't give any spoilers in this review.
I also found this story about Sultans fascinating; remembering my time in Istanbul, Turkey a few years ago and touring the Sultan's palace there, trying to imagine what life was like inside these walls so many years ago.
There are 2 story lines in this novel - dual narratives. Current day Kate has escaped from her abusive and weird and dangerous husband to the city of Granada in Spain. Granada is the ancient capital city of the Moors from northern Africa or Morocco.
The other narrative is a young person called Blessings who is the playmate to the son of the Sultan and apparent heir to the throne, in the year 1492. Johnson takes us through the struggle the Sultan had to hang on to his city and protect his people, and then the eventual fall of Granada to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. It is a fascinating story fraught with much struggle for power and riches and land.
It is artful how Johnson brings these 2 stories together with a common thread. I won't give any spoilers in this review.
I also found this story about Sultans fascinating; remembering my time in Istanbul, Turkey a few years ago and touring the Sultan's palace there, trying to imagine what life was like inside these walls so many years ago.
November 11, 2017
I loved this book. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, surprising and enthralling.
It is an enchanting tale of the fall of Granada, told through the eyes of Blessings, the devoted servant of the Sultan's son and heir. Blessings adores Momo, (known to everyone else as Abu Abdullah Mohammed), and spends a lifetime trying to keep his beloved from harm, without betraying his own secret.
The story was told from such a personal perspective that it pulled me deep into its magic. I loved Momo and Blessings. I felt as though I knew them so well, but still the ending managed to surprise me.
A second narrative follows the life of Kate, a modern-day woman who has fled a life turned dangerous and is working in a bar in Spain. One day, in a crumbling wall at the Alhambra she discovers an ancient piece of paper, with indecipherable script. This piece of paper leads her on the journey towards her new life.
Kate’s story was so different to the older tale. It dug into a very harsh side of our world, honing in on how easily domestic violence can be hidden, and how horribly damaging it is. Kate was mysterious and yet somehow so open, showing the reader each crack, whilst hiding the big break for as long as possible.
I really loved Court of Lions, and will definitely be recommending it.
It is an enchanting tale of the fall of Granada, told through the eyes of Blessings, the devoted servant of the Sultan's son and heir. Blessings adores Momo, (known to everyone else as Abu Abdullah Mohammed), and spends a lifetime trying to keep his beloved from harm, without betraying his own secret.
The story was told from such a personal perspective that it pulled me deep into its magic. I loved Momo and Blessings. I felt as though I knew them so well, but still the ending managed to surprise me.
A second narrative follows the life of Kate, a modern-day woman who has fled a life turned dangerous and is working in a bar in Spain. One day, in a crumbling wall at the Alhambra she discovers an ancient piece of paper, with indecipherable script. This piece of paper leads her on the journey towards her new life.
Kate’s story was so different to the older tale. It dug into a very harsh side of our world, honing in on how easily domestic violence can be hidden, and how horribly damaging it is. Kate was mysterious and yet somehow so open, showing the reader each crack, whilst hiding the big break for as long as possible.
I really loved Court of Lions, and will definitely be recommending it.
June 23, 2021
Loved some parts of this (mainly the historical parts - as fraught, violent and frightening as they inevitably were, there was also lyricism, beautyand wonder there) but as with Jane Johnson's other work, I felt the modern storyline was weaker - in this case very much weaker. While in The Sea Gate the modern characters and plot were strong enough to make up for a minor issue of believability near the end, here the heroine's actions at the finale were so irrationally and irredeemably stupid that it retroactively spoiled that whole narrative for me. The author does say that originally she intended this to be a single-storyline novel, a historical epic, and I can't help thinking, given that the historical narrative must have been incredibly research heavy, and was so substantial, effective and moving - and that modern day plot was going to end with such an utter letdown in terms of plotting and characterisation - that it's a crying shame she changed her mind! This was still worth reading though, and I will definitely be on the look-out for more of Ms Johnson's work.
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