Quest for a Queen: The Falcon

Quest for a Queen #2

by Frances Mary Hendry

Leezie Sinclair is a wild Borders lass, who carries a knife to protect herself and her mother, once the queen's nurse, from her violent step-father. So how can she cope with 'civilised Edinburgh', where religious fanaticism, murder and treason lurk in the narrow, twisted lanes and minds of Scotland's capital city? How can she come to be the friend of black Kate Lenton, the gorgeous courtesan, John Knox's worst enemy? How can she fulfil her dream of working with the Queen's hawks? And most challenging of all, how can she save Mary, Queen of Scots, from the nobles and preachers plotting her ruin? The historical background is fact; Leezie and her family are inserted, to help tell the story of Mary's life.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Frances Mary Hendry is a British writer of children's historical fiction. Born and educated in Glasgow, Scotland she now resides in Nairn, where many of her books are set.

Reviews

[Evan Þ. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hendry continues her historical fiction series surrounding Mary Queen of Scots.

This isn't as good as her earlier "The Lark" - it's more completely a kids' book, set in a shorter period of time, and with a protagonist who accomplishes less and spends more time learning about the world. Plus, I don't like Hendry's negative portrayal of John Knox - her protagonist is transparently opposed to him, and a partisan of Queen Mary's. In addition, I dislike a lot of the message she gives about marriage and romance.

But, her heroine's spunk is engaging, the plot carries on well, and I'm not sorry to have read the book.