My thoughts:
This is my first foray into the Thornleigh series by Barbara Kyle and I have to say, I was not disappointed. In fact, it was a wonderful historical novel. Easily read as a stand alone novel. Truth be told, I didn't even know it was part of a series until I read someone else's review.
I have long been fascinated with the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I (one of my most favorite historical figures) and her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. 'What would it have been like to order the execution of a blood relative?' is a question I have long asked myself as I have read about Elizabeth over the years. In Blood Between Queens, the situation between the two queens is the back drop to a story about a feud between families loyal to each faction respectfully, the Thornleighs and the Grenvilles. I liked the depiction of the famous rivalry between queens played out between these noble families.
What struck me is that Kyle knows her history. It is evident that the research was impeccable in the depiction of the historical figures and occurrences, as well in the sights and sounds of that age. I now must go back and read her other books. I can't believe I have not discovered her until now.
About the book:
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Kensington Publishing
Paperback; 448p
ISBN: 0758273223
Paperback; 448p
ISBN: 0758273223
Following her perilous fall from a throne she’d scarcely owned to begin with, Mary, Queen of Scots, has fled to England, hoping her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, will grant her asylum. But now Mary has her sights on the English crown, and Elizabeth enlists her most trusted subjects to protect it.
Justine Thornleigh is delighting in the thrill of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to her family’s estate when the festivities are cut short by Mary’s arrival. To Justine’s surprise, the Thornleighs appoint her to serve as a spy in Mary’s court. But bearing the guise of a lady-in-waiting is not Justine’s only secret. The weight of her task is doubled by fears of revealing to her fiancĂ© that she is in truth the daughter of his family’s greatest rival. Duty-bound, Justine must sacrifice love as she navigates a deadly labyrinth of betrayal that could lead to the end of Elizabeth’s fledgling reign…
Compelling and inventive, Blood Between Queens artfully blends history’s most intriguing figures with unforgettable characters, bringing to dazzling life the fascinating Tudor era.
About the author:
Barbara Kyle is the author of the acclaimed Tudor-era “Thornleigh” novels Blood Between Queens, The Queen’s Gamble, The Queen’s Captive, The King’s Daughter and The Queen’s Lady which follow a rising middle-class family through three tumultuous Tudor reigns. She also writes contemporary thrillers. Over 400,000 copies of her books have been sold in seven countries. In July 2013 Barbara will be a speaker at Ontario's world-renowned Stratford Festival with her talk "Elizabeth and Mary, Rival Queens: A Study of Leadership Lost and Won" about the cousin-queens Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots featured in Blood Between Queens.
Barbara has taught writers at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies and is known for her dynamic workshops for many writers organizations and conferences. Before becoming an author Barbara enjoyed a twenty-year acting career in television, film, and stage productions in Canada and the US.
For more information, please visit Barbara Kyle's WEBSITE.
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I can easily imagine ordering the execution of some of my blood relatives. Just sayin'.
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