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The Tyrant's Shadow
England, 1652: since Charles I's execution the land has remained untethered, the people longing for change. When Patience Johnson meets preacher Sidrach Simmonds, she believes her destiny is to become his wife and help him spread the Lord's word. Simmonds sees things quite differently. Patience's brother Will has been bestowed the job of lawyer to Oliver Cromwell. Tasked with aiding England's most powerful man, he must try to overcome his grief after the loss of his wife. Then Sam Challoner, Will's brother-in-law, returns unannounced after years in exile, forcing Will and Patience to question their loyalties: one to a ruler, the other, a spouse. Who do they choose to save? Themselves, their loved ones or their country.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 2017
6 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Antonia Senior
6 books15 followersAntonia Senior is a writer and journalist. After many years at The Times, she is now freelance. She writes columns, book reviews and features for various national publications, including The Times, the Guardian and the Financial Times. Antonia lives in London with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 8, 2019
interesting and easy going read based just after the execution of Charles I about mixed loyalties
March 26, 2017
Set in the Time of Cromwell, yeah, I do not like that guy. It seemed like a really messy time. Everyone hating each other, well a civil war does that. They are trying to build a new world, but at the same time there is tension everywhere. Political and religious ones.
And in this world we have Will who lost his wife during those dark days. He honestly just tried to get by, and he did work near Cromwell so he kept his head down. His sister Patience who lives with him and she was the naive one who thought the best of everyone but will learn her lesson. But I did like her. She had a transformation. As for the preacher she marries, I did not like him. He was a zealot. There is also a third POV, Sam, Will's brother in law, and the one who wants the king back on the throne. I liked this POVS, the one who just wants to live his life, the one who sees so much more in life, and the one who wants to change the country.
Cromwell is trying to make the country better. People are still fighting. The court is in exile. We do get both worlds thanks to the different POVS. But it really is about the characters.
It sure was an interesting time. I would for sure not have liked to live there. But it sure brings the drama. There are people to like, and people to dislike.
And in this world we have Will who lost his wife during those dark days. He honestly just tried to get by, and he did work near Cromwell so he kept his head down. His sister Patience who lives with him and she was the naive one who thought the best of everyone but will learn her lesson. But I did like her. She had a transformation. As for the preacher she marries, I did not like him. He was a zealot. There is also a third POV, Sam, Will's brother in law, and the one who wants the king back on the throne. I liked this POVS, the one who just wants to live his life, the one who sees so much more in life, and the one who wants to change the country.
Cromwell is trying to make the country better. People are still fighting. The court is in exile. We do get both worlds thanks to the different POVS. But it really is about the characters.
It sure was an interesting time. I would for sure not have liked to live there. But it sure brings the drama. There are people to like, and people to dislike.
November 9, 2024
Surprisingly good.
August 31, 2024
It is a fantastic read as I couldn't put this book down.
It is a real page-turner with a vivid retelling of life during the early years of Cromwell's Protectorate.
Will Johnson, working as Oliver Cromwell's lawyer, must cope with the loss of his wife and raise his motherless son.
His sister Patience marries a charismatic preacher Sidrach Simmons hoping to share in doing God's work but her husband turns out to be controlling and abusive behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, Royalist Sam Challenor arrives unexpectedly after years in exile.
And a boy seeks revenge for what Cromwell's men did to his mother in Drogheda.
I wonder if there will be a sequel to this novel about life under King Charles II.
This book is highly recommended if you love reading novels set during the Stuart and Commonwealth eras.
It is a real page-turner with a vivid retelling of life during the early years of Cromwell's Protectorate.
Will Johnson, working as Oliver Cromwell's lawyer, must cope with the loss of his wife and raise his motherless son.
His sister Patience marries a charismatic preacher Sidrach Simmons hoping to share in doing God's work but her husband turns out to be controlling and abusive behind closed doors.
Meanwhile, Royalist Sam Challenor arrives unexpectedly after years in exile.
And a boy seeks revenge for what Cromwell's men did to his mother in Drogheda.
I wonder if there will be a sequel to this novel about life under King Charles II.
This book is highly recommended if you love reading novels set during the Stuart and Commonwealth eras.
April 27, 2017
This novel follows several characters in the years following the Civil War. We see Cromwell trying to rein in the various religious groups and lead the country without becoming the monarch he so despises; Will is Cromwell's secretary trying to raise a motherless son and still grieving for his murdered wife; Sam who still believes in the monarchy but believes he has no home in England; Patience who marries who she believes is a godly man only to find herself in an abusive relationship with no rights except as property. I loved how all the strands interwove through ideas and relationships and the characters seemed so real and believable. This is the second of Senior's novels I've read and her writing is excellent.
March 2, 2021
As you read this book, it becomes clear that it builds on the events of a previous one, but you don't have to have read that previous book to be able to understand what's going on in this one. The story deals with some weighty historical events in terms of being set in the era of Cromwell and his "Protectorship", looking at how politicians and religious figures are all vying for power and trying to ensure *their* particular vision of England's future gets to play out. Endless bickering in Parliament... some things never change.
Meanwhile, ordinary people are going about their lives, one of them being Patience, who gets involved with one of the numerous religious sects taking advantage of the turmoil to try and spread their version of Christianity. The plot with Patience reminded me very much of modern religious fundamentalists, who often prey on the vulnerable, enticing them with promises of hope and heaven, but who turn out to be abusive and manipulative (literally in the case of the leader).
There are parts of the book where I found it difficult to keep track of Will and Sam and which one is doing what for whom, but there are other parts that are very vivid - the coffee house was a nice touch as that was obviously still a novelty in those days.
Although it is not listed here as being part of a series, I will try and find the book that deals with the previous events affecting the family during the Civil War itself. But this book works well enough if you haven't read that one.
Meanwhile, ordinary people are going about their lives, one of them being Patience, who gets involved with one of the numerous religious sects taking advantage of the turmoil to try and spread their version of Christianity. The plot with Patience reminded me very much of modern religious fundamentalists, who often prey on the vulnerable, enticing them with promises of hope and heaven, but who turn out to be abusive and manipulative (literally in the case of the leader).
There are parts of the book where I found it difficult to keep track of Will and Sam and which one is doing what for whom, but there are other parts that are very vivid - the coffee house was a nice touch as that was obviously still a novelty in those days.
Although it is not listed here as being part of a series, I will try and find the book that deals with the previous events affecting the family during the Civil War itself. But this book works well enough if you haven't read that one.
August 8, 2020
This is a very well structured and researched historical novel set during the 'reign' of Oliver Cromwell. I particularly enjoyed the insights into government, power and ambition which seemed relevant to certain current day political events... A little reminiscent of some of Robert Harris's writing. The battle between government, army and different religious movements (particularly a group called the fifth Monarchists which believed in an imminent Second Coming) also gave a real taste of the period as did, if you'll excuse the awful pun, the introduction of coffee drinking. This makes the book sound dry whereas in fact it is the plot and varied characters, including a sensitive portrayal of Cromwell himself, which drive the novel along at a good pace. The writing is precise, engaging and thought-provoking. The happy ending feels perhaps too convenient given the times in which these characters were living (although you desperately want it to work out for the central characters!) and for me, occasionally, the language used to describe the romance and emotion felt a little anachronistic. However, this is minor criticism as The Tyrant's Shadow is an immensely readable novel which gives an excellent sense of what were tumultuous times.
June 4, 2017
Really great stuff. The mid-seventeenth century is one of my favourite time periods and the 1650s has been sadly neglected in recent fiction (as compared to the 1660s, about which loads of novels have been written).
Most of the historical fiction I read is historical crime fiction, so this was a bit of a departure for me, and had more romance than I'm used to. That said, I wasn't put off by it at all. It was still a cracking adventure with a good plot and strong characterisation. The structure is particularly good, with chapters set a few months after each other allowing for developments and changes without all the details having to be shown. This always seemed to strengthen, rather than weaken, the narrative.
My only criticism is that the Fifth Monarchists were portrayed almost entirely negatively. I'm sure many of them deserve the portrayal that Antonia Senior gives them, but they were a more varied group than is sometimes recognised. Many, perhaps most, Fifth Monarchists were women, including some of their leading writers such as Anna Trapnel. While I dare say some Fifth Monarchists were as mysoginistic as the main Fifth Monarchist character in this book, I kept wondering what he would think of the vocal Fifth Monarchist women.
But despite that, this book is highly recommended!
Most of the historical fiction I read is historical crime fiction, so this was a bit of a departure for me, and had more romance than I'm used to. That said, I wasn't put off by it at all. It was still a cracking adventure with a good plot and strong characterisation. The structure is particularly good, with chapters set a few months after each other allowing for developments and changes without all the details having to be shown. This always seemed to strengthen, rather than weaken, the narrative.
My only criticism is that the Fifth Monarchists were portrayed almost entirely negatively. I'm sure many of them deserve the portrayal that Antonia Senior gives them, but they were a more varied group than is sometimes recognised. Many, perhaps most, Fifth Monarchists were women, including some of their leading writers such as Anna Trapnel. While I dare say some Fifth Monarchists were as mysoginistic as the main Fifth Monarchist character in this book, I kept wondering what he would think of the vocal Fifth Monarchist women.
But despite that, this book is highly recommended!
March 10, 2025
Sadly, I found this book really dull, long winded and hard to get through. Saved from a one star by the fact I did persevere to the end and the brief moments of political intrigue, exploring Cromwell's challenge of finding a position between Prime Minister and King and the complexities of what that means in 17th Century England. Sadly, these are few and far between, but would have made a much better tale!
May 10, 2017
For some reason, unexpectedly brilliant. This story grows and grows in front of you, told by strong characters that demand empathy or hate in response to their actions by the reader.
The story is crafted well, with locations and scenes described vividly. What's not to like here?
The story is crafted well, with locations and scenes described vividly. What's not to like here?
May 8, 2019
Enjoyed this book. A bit different to my usual read being an historical novel set in Cromwells era.
November 28, 2019
I loved this book - a fascinating period of history, complex characters, and a great story.
September 27, 2020
An enjoyable read with a great villain and a hero we can all cheer on. Some good historical stuff for a bit of learning too.
July 1, 2022
A well-written and worthwhile read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews