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The Elizabeth of England Chronicles #8
Invincible
July 1588
Mary Queen of Scots is dead, executed by order of her cousin, Elizabeth Tudor. With the name of the dead Queen upon their lips, an invasion force has set out from Spain: the invincible Armada.
As England rushes to prepare for war on land, Elizabeth Tudor sends her sea dogs out into the water to face the largest fleet assembled, in a desperate bid to save England from invasion, and herself from death.
Invincible is Book Eight in The Elizabeth of England Chronicles by G. Lawrence
The author's thanks are due to Julia Gibbs, proof reader of this book, and to KUDI Designs, who designed the cover art.
Mary Queen of Scots is dead, executed by order of her cousin, Elizabeth Tudor. With the name of the dead Queen upon their lips, an invasion force has set out from Spain: the invincible Armada.
As England rushes to prepare for war on land, Elizabeth Tudor sends her sea dogs out into the water to face the largest fleet assembled, in a desperate bid to save England from invasion, and herself from death.
Invincible is Book Eight in The Elizabeth of England Chronicles by G. Lawrence
The author's thanks are due to Julia Gibbs, proof reader of this book, and to KUDI Designs, who designed the cover art.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2019
63 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
G. Lawrence
50 books282 followersI am an independently published author, and proud to be so. Living in a little cottage in Wales in the UK, I love where I live as much as I love to write.
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later.
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I'm currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven't found a genre I didn't enjoy something about so far...
You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I'm not writing...
The age of the Tudors has been an obsession for me since I was a child, and many of my upcoming books will center on that time, but I also pen the odd dystopian fiction or historical fiction from other time periods. I will be releasing all my titles on amazon, for kindle and then hopefully for print later.
I studied Literature (with a capital L) at University and usually have twenty or more books I'm currently reading. Reading and writing are about mood for me, and I haven't found a genre I didn't enjoy something about so far...
You can often find me on Wattpad or Twitter when I'm not writing...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 23, 2023
Indubitably, the history of human civilization has been saturated with warfare. Whether it be small skirmishes or full-blown world conflict… war has touched every single generation. We see it discussed and analyzed in depth throughout various history books and literature. Also, many of us learned about many of the key battles while we were in school. However, what is frequently missing in such analysis is the human element. How were the different players actually feeling? What were their hopes and dreams? Conversely- what were their greatest fears? In short, we seldom get to experience the human emotions which accompanied such great conflicts. In author Gemma Lawrence’s novel, Invincible, we are given an opportunity to do just that! A beautiful piece of historical fiction which provides a very human element to the brutal reality of warfare and death.
Invincible is Book Eight in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles. Essentially, it focuses upon the attempted invasion of England by the seemingly invincible Spanish Armada. King Phillip was livid with England for their constant interference in Spanish interests, not to mention his desire to convert England from Protestantism back to the Catholic Church of Rome. He held a deep contempt for Elizabeth and was holding a grudge which needed to be settled. Aware that an overwhelming force was bearing down on England, Elizabeth hastily begins to prepare for their defense. Key players such as the crafty pirate, Francis Drake, are quickly recruited to meet and repel the Armada. No easy task for a Navy which is ill-supplied and so badly outnumbered. If the Spanish manage to land on English soil, their sheer numbers will lead to a devastating defeat for England, and the end of the line for Elizabeth. Can they manage to repel the awesome invaders? Or are they bound for death and destruction on a scale nobody had ever imagined?
As this is the first work I have read by this author, I really did not know what to expect. I must say- I thoroughly enjoyed the novel from start to finish. The writing was fluid and beautifully crafted. It was full of breathtaking scenes which created vivid images within my “reading mind”. At times, I felt as if I was onboard the ships and experiencing the sheer terror of the events right alongside the various characters. This is no easy feat for an author to accomplish. It is a fascinating story which Ms. Lawrence has built from real historical events. Fiction though it may be… the amount of research the author has conducted to tell this story is blatantly obvious. She has used that arsenal of information to create a top-notch novel!
Further, the many different characters who are portrayed in the novel are fully developed and come across as completely authentic and genuine. I particularly enjoyed the multiple points of view which were used. This is a key technique which allows the reader to experience and understand the motivations and emotions the various characters were experiencing. Elizabeth, Phillip, Drake, Sidonia, and Howard all allowed us access to their innermost thoughts. In doing so, we were able to not only see the strategies involved in ruling and warfare… but ultimately the heartbreak and devastation which accompanied this. Indeed, war is by no means glorified in this novel. Instead, it is presented in all its inherent cruelty and injustice… ultimately leaving no winners at the end. I am sure the Narrator- otherwise known as Death- would surely agree with me!
Invincible is Book Eight in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles. Essentially, it focuses upon the attempted invasion of England by the seemingly invincible Spanish Armada. King Phillip was livid with England for their constant interference in Spanish interests, not to mention his desire to convert England from Protestantism back to the Catholic Church of Rome. He held a deep contempt for Elizabeth and was holding a grudge which needed to be settled. Aware that an overwhelming force was bearing down on England, Elizabeth hastily begins to prepare for their defense. Key players such as the crafty pirate, Francis Drake, are quickly recruited to meet and repel the Armada. No easy task for a Navy which is ill-supplied and so badly outnumbered. If the Spanish manage to land on English soil, their sheer numbers will lead to a devastating defeat for England, and the end of the line for Elizabeth. Can they manage to repel the awesome invaders? Or are they bound for death and destruction on a scale nobody had ever imagined?
As this is the first work I have read by this author, I really did not know what to expect. I must say- I thoroughly enjoyed the novel from start to finish. The writing was fluid and beautifully crafted. It was full of breathtaking scenes which created vivid images within my “reading mind”. At times, I felt as if I was onboard the ships and experiencing the sheer terror of the events right alongside the various characters. This is no easy feat for an author to accomplish. It is a fascinating story which Ms. Lawrence has built from real historical events. Fiction though it may be… the amount of research the author has conducted to tell this story is blatantly obvious. She has used that arsenal of information to create a top-notch novel!
Further, the many different characters who are portrayed in the novel are fully developed and come across as completely authentic and genuine. I particularly enjoyed the multiple points of view which were used. This is a key technique which allows the reader to experience and understand the motivations and emotions the various characters were experiencing. Elizabeth, Phillip, Drake, Sidonia, and Howard all allowed us access to their innermost thoughts. In doing so, we were able to not only see the strategies involved in ruling and warfare… but ultimately the heartbreak and devastation which accompanied this. Indeed, war is by no means glorified in this novel. Instead, it is presented in all its inherent cruelty and injustice… ultimately leaving no winners at the end. I am sure the Narrator- otherwise known as Death- would surely agree with me!
December 23, 2019
The 8th installment in the Elizabeth I series by G. Lawrence is excellent! We are shown the entire (attempted) Spanish Armada invasion from start to finish.
The battle of Gravelines is told from multiple points of view which I enjoyed, so we can see what each person was thinking and feeling and also how they reacted to the situations they were placed in. To name a few we see it from the point of view of Death-the common theme in all her books, Elizabeth, Phillip, Drake, Seymour, Sidonia.
I really did learn so much more about the Spanish Armada after reading this installment, and feel that I have a more complete understanding of the Battle of Gravelines.
The portrayal of the undying love between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley (Leister) in this installment was touching and heartfelt. The language was flowery and pleasant, and the analogies were clever and creative. I did shed a tear to see just how much grief Elizabeth went through after Roberts death. The reader truly sees just how truly and completely they loved each other.
G. Lawrence does a fantastic job of portraying Elizabeth in fiction. Please read her other books in this series, you will see what I mean!
The battle of Gravelines is told from multiple points of view which I enjoyed, so we can see what each person was thinking and feeling and also how they reacted to the situations they were placed in. To name a few we see it from the point of view of Death-the common theme in all her books, Elizabeth, Phillip, Drake, Seymour, Sidonia.
I really did learn so much more about the Spanish Armada after reading this installment, and feel that I have a more complete understanding of the Battle of Gravelines.
The portrayal of the undying love between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley (Leister) in this installment was touching and heartfelt. The language was flowery and pleasant, and the analogies were clever and creative. I did shed a tear to see just how much grief Elizabeth went through after Roberts death. The reader truly sees just how truly and completely they loved each other.
G. Lawrence does a fantastic job of portraying Elizabeth in fiction. Please read her other books in this series, you will see what I mean!
June 14, 2023
This book revolves mostly around the sea battle between the Spanish Armada, and the English Fleet, lead by Howard and Drake. I'm not to fond of reading about battles, neither on land nor sea - but as this was a huge point in the time and reign of Elizabeth I wanted to both read and learn about it. And Lawrence brings such an abundance of details, yes - I know, loads of fiction - but she made it rather interesting. And she does use all the facts she can, and then elaborates. I like that.
And, in this book - it's not just Elizabeth who's telling the story. In this book, both Elizabeth and actually Death gets their Point of View. After all, this whole series is told to Death (he's very very patient) in 1603, but from time to time, and especially in this book - he's allowed to tell of the things where Elizabeth herself could not be.
In the end, she "wins" the battle, but there are some heavy loss as well. I'm sorry for her. But the book is so cleverly written as all the others, with a masterful (mistressful??) turn of phrases that speaks straight to the heart.
And, in this book - it's not just Elizabeth who's telling the story. In this book, both Elizabeth and actually Death gets their Point of View. After all, this whole series is told to Death (he's very very patient) in 1603, but from time to time, and especially in this book - he's allowed to tell of the things where Elizabeth herself could not be.
In the end, she "wins" the battle, but there are some heavy loss as well. I'm sorry for her. But the book is so cleverly written as all the others, with a masterful (mistressful??) turn of phrases that speaks straight to the heart.
June 16, 2020
Perfect Escapism
Once again Ms. Lawrence has given this reader a fascinating glimpse into the Tudor world. I know it is fiction of course but to me it reads like fact. Particularly her very insightful description of The Lord High Admiral Howard!
Beautifully written, not a word wasted or overused. Love her writing, her knowledge and the fact that even at my age, 86 , she can still thrill me. I would recommend all of the Lawrence Tudor books . I do it read them in chronological order it that makes them more interesting for me For pure escapism based on Facebook read these wonderful books 📚📚📚
Paul Howard
Once again Ms. Lawrence has given this reader a fascinating glimpse into the Tudor world. I know it is fiction of course but to me it reads like fact. Particularly her very insightful description of The Lord High Admiral Howard!
Beautifully written, not a word wasted or overused. Love her writing, her knowledge and the fact that even at my age, 86 , she can still thrill me. I would recommend all of the Lawrence Tudor books . I do it read them in chronological order it that makes them more interesting for me For pure escapism based on Facebook read these wonderful books 📚📚📚
Paul Howard
December 27, 2019
Amazing perspective
This is probably my second favorite in the series, with the one preceding being my absolute favorite. I really enjoyed the alternating perspective, going from Elizabeth and her surroundings during the Armada battles then going to Death and His view of the battles as well as Phillip's reality. This created a dynamic view of one of the most dramatic and intense events in English history. Rich with detail and research, another 5 star read from Lawrence!
This is probably my second favorite in the series, with the one preceding being my absolute favorite. I really enjoyed the alternating perspective, going from Elizabeth and her surroundings during the Armada battles then going to Death and His view of the battles as well as Phillip's reality. This created a dynamic view of one of the most dramatic and intense events in English history. Rich with detail and research, another 5 star read from Lawrence!
December 6, 2025
The Armada
Death is a great narrator. He goes into minute detail about every aspect of the attempted Spanish invasion. He describes the sea battles, the agonies of the sailors on both sides, the jealousies, the inspirational ideas. Elizabeth also tells a story well and teaches us eternal truths about our lives that apply now 450 years on. This wonderful series continues, I loved all of the first eight I look forward to reading Old Foxes and I dread reaching the end in 1603.
Death is a great narrator. He goes into minute detail about every aspect of the attempted Spanish invasion. He describes the sea battles, the agonies of the sailors on both sides, the jealousies, the inspirational ideas. Elizabeth also tells a story well and teaches us eternal truths about our lives that apply now 450 years on. This wonderful series continues, I loved all of the first eight I look forward to reading Old Foxes and I dread reaching the end in 1603.
July 9, 2020
Fantastic
I read all eight books with fervour and I would l highly recommend to any one
Who like me is fascinated with the history of the Tudors O will give these books the highest star rating that I can. Which is a full 5 stars
I read all eight books with fervour and I would l highly recommend to any one
Who like me is fascinated with the history of the Tudors O will give these books the highest star rating that I can. Which is a full 5 stars
May 30, 2021
Yet again
G. Lawrence hits a home run in this series. I deliberately used an American metaphor concerning this book because she clearly demonstrates the future connection between history and future; without which we today may not have experienced without the defeat of the Armada.
G. Lawrence hits a home run in this series. I deliberately used an American metaphor concerning this book because she clearly demonstrates the future connection between history and future; without which we today may not have experienced without the defeat of the Armada.
January 24, 2020
I have absolutely loved this series! But....I didn't like this one as much as the previous books!!!!
July 1, 2021
This book reads like a report, not a novel. This happened, then that happened, this was here and that was there, it tells and tells to nausea but never shows. The story is not there and the characters are flat. Elizabeth I and the first person writing is never a good idea, her voice sounds fake. The use of the Death as a narrator I didn't like either. Also, Drake is glorified and the author exaggerates the weakness of the English land forces.
August 22, 2020
Wonderful!
I enjoyed reading all the action about the conflict of the spanish armada. I keep saying each one is my favorite, but the action in this installment can’t be beat.
I enjoyed reading all the action about the conflict of the spanish armada. I keep saying each one is my favorite, but the action in this installment can’t be beat.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews