Book Review: “The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily” by Nancy Goldstone

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A young queen stands on trial for the death of her husband. Some believed that she had something to do with his murder. They see her as a villainous woman who wants power, but in the time that she is living in, a woman must fight for any ounce of power she can get. This might sound familiar to those who study 16th-century European history, but our story goes back a few centuries to the 14th century. The story of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily, is often overlooked among the stories of powerful queens, especially those who came after her. However, Joanna’s story is worth telling, which is why Nancy Goldstone has decided to tell her tale in her biography, “The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily.”

I have heard of Joanna I of Naples from other history books, but her story was briefly mentioned. I didn’t really get a sense of who she was. That was until I found this book in a used bookstore and read the description on the back, which mentioned the murder case against her. It was very intriguing, and I wanted to know how she got to that point and how she became a legendary female ruler. 

Joanna was the eldest daughter of Charles, Duke of Calabria, and Marie of Valois, Duchess of Calabria. When both of her parents died, Joanna and her sister Maria were raised by their grandparents, Robert the Wise King of Naples, and his second wife, Sancia of Majorca. Since Joanna’s father died young, he never became King of Naples, so the title passed on to Joanna. With the title came the responsibility to marry well and produce an heir. Neither of these conditions came easily for poor Joanna. 

Her first husband was her cousin, Andrew, Duke of Calabria, the son of King Charles I of Hungary. They did not exactly see eye to eye when it came to who was in control of Naples, but the marriage did not last long as Andrew was assassinated, and the country of Hungary blamed Joanna for his death. Joanna decided to argue her case in court, and the pope found in her favor. Joanna’s second husband was Louis of Tartano, but again, it was a marriage at odds as Louis took all the real power away from Joanna. Husband number 3, James IV of Majorca, was the worst husband of all, as he was mentally unstable and abusive towards Joanna. Finally, Joanna married Otto of Brunswick, who was accepting of Joanna’s position as queen. 

While we tend to focus on Joanna’s marital exploits, she was also a queen of not only Naples, but also Jerusalem and Sicily. Joanna was connected to some of the greatest minds of the era, including Petrarch and Boccaccio, and would go on to build churches and hospitals. She was an ally to the papacy until the Great Schism, which would result in Europe being divided and the murder of Joanna. 

This was an extremely well-written and researched biography. Goldstone was able to show Joanna in a more sympathetic light and really made me feel sorry for a woman who lived centuries ago. It shows how dangerous it was for a woman in power during the Middle Ages and how one woman tried hard to fight for herself and her country. If you want a fantastic biography of one of the most dynamic and legendary medieval queens of all time, I highly recommend you read “The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem, and Sicily” by Nancy Goldstone.

Guest Post: “Born into a Man’s World: How War, Marriage and Inheritance Shaped the Woman Who Would Stand Between England and Conquest” by Rachel Elwiss Joyce

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Today, I am pleased to welcome Rachel Elwiss Joyce to my blog to share a guest post about the heroine of her novel, Lady of Lincoln, Nicola de la Haye. I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Rachel Elwiss Joyce for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

In October 1216, as England staggered through civil war and a French invasion, a dying King John made one of the last appointments of his life. 

He named a woman sheriff of Lincolnshire. 

That may not sound dramatic to modern ears. But in thirteenth-century England, a sheriff wasn’t a local official in any minor sense. Sheriffs collected royal revenues, administered justice, and represented the king’s authority in the shire. It was a powerful, public, unmistakably male role. 

Nicola de la Haye was the first woman appointed sheriff of an English county in her own right. 

She was also hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle, and when widowed, she was by extraordinary exception allowed to keep that role for herself.  

And in 1217, when English rebels and French forces besieged Lincoln, she held the castle until royalist relief arrived. Her defence helped secure the throne of the young Henry III and turn back the French invasion entirely. 

Historian Sharon Bennett Connolly calls her “the woman who saved England.” 

So why haven’t most people heard of her? 

Born to inherit. Not expected to rule. 

Nicola’s father was the constable of Lincoln Castle. His father had been before him. Without a son, that title and the barony of Brattleby would pass to Nicola. 

Being a medieval heiress sounds glamorous, but the reality was more complicated. 

An inheritance wasn’t just wealth. It was power, duty, military obligation, and political loyalty all rolled into one. It meant men, rents, courts, and the security of the Crown. And for a woman, all of that came with a catch. 

She needed a husband. 

A husband was expected to manage her estates, command her garrison, and deal with the world on her behalf. A good one could protect everything she’d inherited. A bad one could destroy it through debt, bad decisions, or outright disloyalty. 

Nicola was caught in a bind from the very beginning. She was born to inherit Lincoln Castle, but told her whole life that she needed a man to carry it. Her name mattered, her lands mattered, and her marriage mattered. 

Her own voice was unlikely to have mattered much at all. 

That tension is at the heart of Lady of Lincoln. 

A kingdom under strain 

Nicola’s early life unfolded during one of the most turbulent periods of Henry II’s reign.   

Henry’s empire stretched from the Scottish borders to the Pyrenees. It was vast, powerful, and under constant pressure. In 1170, his quarrel with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, ended with Becket’s murder on the floor of his own cathedral. The shock rippled across Christendom. 

Barely three years later, Henry’s own teenage sons rose against him. The Young King Henry led the rebellion, along with his brothers, and their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and many powerful barons across England and France. 

For Nicola, this was not distant politics, but danger literally knocking at her castle door.  

She had probably married her first husband, William FitzErneis, around the time of her father’s death in 1169. Marriage, for a young heiress, was meant to be protection. But by 1173, FitzErneis had joined the rebellion against the king. 

Which raises a question that history has never answered. 

Her husband rebelled, so why does Lincoln Castle never appear as a rebel stronghold? 

By then, Nicola was the hereditary constable. Did she defy him? Did her loyalty to her father’s legacy outweigh her duty to her marriage? Did she find herself trapped between the man she had married and the castle she was born to protect? 

We will probably never know. 

But for a novelist, that silence is irresistible. 

When private life becomes political 

One thing I try to do in my writing is show that history wasn’t happening somewhere in the background. For people like Nicola, it determined who you married, what you owned, and whether you were safe. 

Almost every great crisis of her age hit her directly. Church against Crown, rebellion in the royal family, and an empire splitting at the seams. 

And because she was an heiress, her marriage was never simply private. Who she married affected Lincoln Castle, and Lincoln Castle affected the security of the kingdom. 

Nicola was also born into the generation that grew up in the shadow of the Anarchy – the brutal civil war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda, with Lincoln at its very centre. The older people around her would have remembered what it looked like when loyalty broke down, and castles became prizes in someone else’s war. 

That memory shaped everything. It shaped her father and her father’s fears. And in Lady of Lincoln, it shapes the novel’s opening: his terror that without the right man beside her, Nicola cannot hold what she was born to protect. 

The making of Nicola de la Haye 

The Nicola history remembers is formidable: she holds castles, becomes sheriff, endures sieges, and helps save kings. She becomes one of the few women of her age to exercise power so openly that chroniclers, who rarely bothered with women, had no choice but to acknowledge her. 

But I didn’t want to start with the legend. 

I wanted to ask how she became that woman. 

What would it have done to you, being told from childhood that you’re responsible for everything but incapable of handling it yourself? Being valued for your land, not for who you are? And then having the husband who was supposed to protect your inheritance become one of the biggest threats to it? 

The Great Rebellion of 1173–4 may have been Nicola’s first real turning point: the moment when marriage, inheritance, and loyalty collided, and everything she stood to lose became terrifyingly real. That collision, and what she might have done about it, is at the heart of Lady of Lincoln. 

She was born an heiress in a man’s world. 

She was repeatedly tested in one of the most turbulent times of the Middle Ages.  

And those challenges would turn her into the woman who would eventually stand between England and conquest. 

Lady of Lincoln is the first novel in the Nicola de la Haye trilogy, in which a young Nicola learns to fight to keep and protect what is hers. 

Blurb: 

A true story. A forgotten heroine. In a time when women were told to stay silent, could she become the saviour her people need? 

 

12th-century England. Nicola de la Haye wants to do her duty. But though she’s taught that a female cannot lead alone, the young noblewoman bristles at the marriage her father has arranged to secure her inheritance. And when an unexpected death leaves her unguided, the impetuous girl shuns the king’s blessing and weds a handsome-but-landless knight. 

 

Harshly fined by Henry II for her unsanctioned union, Nicola struggles to salvage her estates while dealing with devastating betrayals from her husband… and his choice to join rebels in a brewing civil war. Yet after averting a tragedy and gaining the castle garrison’s respect, she still must face the might of powerful men determined to crush her under their will. 

 

Can she survive love, threats, and violent ambition to prove she’s worthy of authority? 

 

In this carefully researched and vividly human series debut, Rachel Elwiss Joyce showcases the complex themes of honour, responsibility, and freedom in the story of a remarkable heroine who men tried to erase from history. And as readers dive into a world defined by violence and turmoil, they’ll be stunned by this courageous young woman’s journey toward greatness. 

 

Lady of Lincoln is the gritty first book in the Nicola de la Haye Series historical fiction saga. If you like richly textured female heroes, courtly drama, and fast-paced intrigue, then you’ll adore Rachel Elwiss Joyce’s gripping true-life tale. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4980nW  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Author Bio: 

 

After a rewarding career in the sciences, Rachel returned to her first love—history and the art of storytelling. Fascinated by the women history has neglected or tried to forget, she creates meticulously researched, emotionally resonant fiction that brings her characters’ stories vividly to life. 

 

Her fascination with the past began early. At six years old, she was already inventing tales about medieval women in castles, inspired by her treasured Ladybird books and other picture-rich stories that transported her to another time. By the time she discovered Katherine by Anya Seton as a teenager, she knew the joy and escape that only great historical fiction can bring. 

 

Rachel’s two grown-up children still tease her (fondly) about childhoods spent being “dragged” around castles, archaeological sites, and historical re-enactments. For Rachel, history and imagination have always gone hand in hand. 

 

There was, however, a long gap between the stories of her childhood and her decision to write her own novel. The spark came when she discovered the remarkable true story of Nicola de la Haye—the first female sheriff of England, who defended Lincoln Castle against a French invasion and became known as “the woman who saved England.” Rachel knew she had found her heroine and a story she was destined to tell. 

 

Rachel lives in the UK, where she continues to explore the lives of women who shaped history but were left out of its pages. 

Author Links: 

 

Website: https://www.rachelelwissjoyce.com/  

Twitter / X: https://x.com/RachelElwJoyce  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelElwissJoyce  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheljoycehello/  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rachelelwjoyce.bsky.social  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-elwiss-joyce  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Rachel-Elwiss-Joyce/author/B0G25Q32PV  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61878154.Rachel_Elwiss_Joyce  

 

 

 

Book Review: “The Fourth Queen” by Nicola Cornick

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How far would you go to keep a secret? For Marris North in 16th-century England, the secret she keeps would change history forever. A secret such as this must be protected for centuries. But now, Jenna Bergin shares a deep connection with Marris. Can Jenna keep the secret that no one has known for centuries, or will an archaeological dig force it to be revealed? What is Anna of Cleves’ connection to Marris and the secret she carries?  Nicola Cornick explores this 500-year-old mystery in her latest dual-timeline novel, “The Fourth Queen.” 

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have enjoyed Nicola Cornick’s previous dual timeline novels, so when I heard that she was writing a new novel, I was excited. It was when I saw the cover and realized that this novel featured Anna of Cleves that I knew I wanted to read it. Anna of Cleves is one of my favorite wives of Henry VIII, so I was thrilled to read Cornick’s version of Anna and her life. 

We begin in the year 1539. Marris North, along with her sisters Rose and Bridget, is facing the end of their beloved monastery, Winterhill Priory, which is about to be sold to Sir William Sharington. Marris must find another place for her and her sisters to live, but Sir William has a proposition that Marris become a lady in waiting for Anna of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife, since Marris knows German. Along the way, Marris marries William, and she sees how Anna’s marriage began and dissolved quickly. Henry moved on to Catherine Howard, but Marris stayed with Anna when Anna revealed a massive secret to Marris, one that, if revealed, would change Tudor history forever. Marris and William promised to keep the secret safe no matter the cost, and they do as they grow their own family.

In the modern storyline, we meet the Bergin sisters, Jenna, Molly, and Bree. Jenna has a deep connection to Marris as she is her reincarnation. Jenna can recall Marris’ memories and feels like it is her responsibility to protect the secret in the modern age. That proves a bit of a challenge when she falls for Owen Power, who is the accountant for the Swan Power Trust, who are in charge of the archaeology project at Winterhill Priory. While she is dating Owen, Jenna must keep her reincarnation a secret as well as Anna’s secret from centuries ago. Can Jenna do this and survive like Marris, or will the secret be revealed at the cost of everything she holds dear, including her family?

This was another delightful novel by Nicola Cornick that was able to balance the past and the present with a fantastical element. I also thought the way she weaved Anna of Cleves’ tale, especially the play on a rumor about Anna during her lifetime, was very clever. I had a lot of fun reading this novel, and I cannot wait for her next story. If you are a fan of Tudor novels with a dual timeline twist, I highly recommend you read “The Fourth Queen” by Nicola Cornick. 

Book Review: “Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old” by Mary Beard

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In our education experience, we have all studied the ancient classics of Greece and Rome. To some, the subject may have seemed dry, but to others, it means so much more. But the deeper we dive into the past, the more questions arise about the subject of studying the classics.  Why do people study the classics? How has our understanding of the classics changed over time? Why do some political groups choose to use the classics to make their points? Do you need to learn Greek and Latin to understand the classics? As someone who has been a scholar and a professor of the classics, Mary Beard explores these questions in her latest book, “Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old.”

 

I would like to thank The University of Chicago Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. As someone who mainly reads about medieval and 16th-century history, I usually don’t dive further into the past, but this year I have decided to get outside of my comfort zone. I have been reading about medieval humanism, but I have not dived into the classics that the great humanists did. I wanted to learn more about the classics, and I heard that Mary Beard is a great place to start, so I decided to give her latest book a try.

 

This is not your typical nonfiction book about the classics. This is a book that explores themes surrounding the classics in a series of essay-like chapters. Beard begins with her own journey into antiquity when she was a young girl exploring the British Museum and found some Egyptian bread. This was the start of Beard’s exploration into thauma, or wonderment, of the ordinary. It’s by connecting to the ordinary of the past that we can better understand it, although the significant writings of Homer, Virgil, Plato, and Aristotle are important in their own ways. 

 

Beard explores questions like why we tend to focus on Greece and Rome when we think about the ancient world, as well as exploring how the art and architecture of antiquity inspired future generations. One of the bigger topics that she explores is how different political groups have used the classics to press their own agendas. Beard argues that the classics are for everyone and that they do not belong to one side or another. She also explores how the classics should be for everyone,  and that you don’t necessarily need to know Latin and Greek to appreciate and study the classics. Finally, Beard looks to the future and asks why we should continue to study the classics while leaving the field open for everyone.

 

I think Beard has a wonderfully engaging writing style, and her knowledge about the classics and antiquity is superb. I think for my first book, diving into the world of antiquity and the classics, it may not have been the best fit, but I did enjoy it. I think I will read more books by Mary Beard in the future. If you are interested in the classics and want to explore deeper questions about the subject, I would suggest you give “Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old” by Mary Beard a try.

Book Review: “The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton” by Jennifer N. Brown

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England was undergoing a shift during the reign of Henry VIII. The king was sick and tired of the pope not giving him the divorce he so desired so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, so he wanted to split from the papacy. Obviously, some opposed his break from Rome and used different methods to stop what they considered madness. Take, for example, Elizabeth Barton, known as the Holy Maid of Kent, for her prophecies tied to the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Many may not know her name, but centuries later, a book of her prophecies will change the course of Dr. Alison Sage’s life and those who attended a special Consortium. What secrets does this book hold, and can Alison survive the cutthroat world of academia? Jennifer N. Brown tells the tale of these two women, separated by centuries, and of a book that unites them in her first novel, “The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton.”

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. What caught my eye about this novel was the mention of Elizabeth Barton. I wanted to know more about Elizabeth Barton herself, as she is merely a footnote in other novels and nonfiction books. I wanted to see how Brown would approach her story with a modern tale.

We begin with Elizabeth Barton, an orphan who was a servant at the Cobb farm. One day, she fell ill with a fever and had her prophecy that came true. It attracted the attention of powerful men like Bishop Fisher, who allowed Elizabeth to enter St. Sepulchre’s Priory under the supervision of Prioress Philippa Jonys and her spiritual advisor, Edward Bocking. Bocking would write down Barton’s visions, but there was one that became too dangerous, the vision of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in hell if they married each other. The king did not take kindly to this prophecy, and so Barton and Bocking were killed and her books destroyed. Prioress Philippa and Agnes Vale worked hard to protect their memory.

In the modern age, we are introduced to Dr. Alison Sage, a historian, who recently found one of Barton’s books, which she presents at a medieval conference. It attracts the attention of Roger Shefield, who invites Alison to the Codex Consortium at Vale House Manor. There she runs into someone from her past, Westley, who goes from enemies to something more. To add to the drama, there is a treasure hunt about the Elizabeth Barton book and a murder mystery.

While I appreciate the amount of effort Brown put into this novel, I feel like she was throwing a lot of ideas at this book and not everything worked, especially having a murder mystery so late in the book. I feel like the modern storyline was a tad weaker than the 16th-century story. Overall, it was a thought-provoking read that shed a bit of light on the life and legacy of Elizabeth Barton. If you want a novel about a lesser-known figure in Tudor history with a modern twist, I recommend you read “The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton” by Jennifer N. Brown.

Guest Post: “Excerpt from ‘Infidel-The Daughters of Aragon’ by Nicola Harris”

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I am pleased to welcome Nicola Harris to my blog today to share an excerpt from her novel, “Infidel-The Daughters of Aragon.” I would like to thank Nicola Harris and Yarde Book Promotions for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Excerpt

Juana:

The shade beneath the lemon tree was cool, and Maria sat cross-legged, fists clenched, watching Juan with a hawk-like intensity. He was twelve now and fancied himself a man. Today, he was pretending to be the High Inquisitor.

Two page boys knelt before him, wrists bound with garden twine. Juan strutted before them, robes billowing, although it was only a velvet curtain stolen from the nursery, pinned together with Isabel’s sewing pins. He raised a stick like a sceptre and proclaimed their heresy with theatrical solemnity.

Catalina dozed in my lap, her breath warm against my arm, fingers curled into my bodice. Beside me, Isabel’s needle hovered mid-stitch.

‘I wonder,’ she murmured, ‘if Alfonso and I will still like each other now we’re grown.’

I brushed a curl from Catalina’s brow. ‘You speak perfect Portuguese, and you were fond of each other as children. By the time you’re Queen of Portugal, you’ll know your place, what your duties are, and your husband. That’s more than most brides can say.’

Isabel smiled faintly. ‘I know. But I’d rather not spend my life with someone dull. He used to laugh at my jokes.’

‘He will,’ I said. ‘You’re more mature now, but still amusing. That’s rare.’

She laughed softly. ‘Rare, but not romantic.’

‘Do your nightmares still wake you in the night, Isabel?’

‘Sometimes,’ She said, ‘but the fear of childbirth is natural for a new bride. Don’t you think?’

A cry split the air. One of the page boys gasped, face drained of colour. Juan had looped the twine around his neck and was pulling, not in play, but with grim, frightening fury.

I lurched to my feet, jolting Catalina awake. She wailed. ‘Maria! Fetch Mother!’

Dropping to my knees, I prised Juan’s hands from the boy’s throat. He resisted, flushed with triumph. The boy collapsed, coughing, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Juan sneered. ‘He is a false converso. He deserves it.’

‘He is a child!’ I spat, clutching Catalina to my chest. ‘What are you doing, Juan? Have you run mad? The boy is a servant and in your household. It’s.’

Maria sprinted across the scorched lawn. Moments later, Queen Isabella swept in, skirts flying, rosary clutched in her hand. She entered like a thunderclap.

‘Juan! Stop this at once!’

He dropped the twine but stood tall. ‘I was only doing what they do in the real trials.’

‘My angel,’ she said, voice trembling, ‘you mustn’t hurt people. Sometimes you are such a child, and the next so adult.’

Rage surged through me. ‘Do you think making children watch burnings will make us kind mother? Children turn the horror they see into games to try to make sense of it. Don’t you know that?’

Her eyes snapped to mine. Before I could brace, her hand struck my cheek. The sound rang through the garden like a bell.

I staggered. Catalina woke suddenly and screamed in my arms. Isabel dropped her embroidery.

‘You teach us cruelty, Mother, and call it justice,’ I said, voice shaking. ‘And now you’re surprised when it takes root in your son?’

Isabel slipped away before the storm could break. Juan sulked beneath the lemon tree, proud and silent. Catalina’s sobs softened into hiccups against my shoulder. My cheek burned, but the fire in my chest was fiercer. 

The page boy had been carried off, pale and trembling. Only the Queen stood rigid, fury barely contained, rosary clenched in her shaking hands.

‘You taught him this,’ I said, low but steady. ‘And now you’re shocked when he acts it out. I’m surprised you still have shackles enough for all the so-called heretics you have burned.’

She stepped closer, voice trembling. ‘We must protect Christians from conversos who cling to their old ways. They light candles on the Sabbath, refuse pork, and bury their dead with straight arms. They mock our faith.’

I shifted Catalina to my hip. ‘You do know Jesus was a Jew, don’t you? He will not approve of you garroting his people.’

She ignored me, pacing. ‘The Jews turn their beds to the wall before death. They bury their dead in Christian soil but follow Jewish rites. It is heresy. Defiance.’

‘Is that why you dig up the dead? To burn their bones? Do you hear how mad that sounds? People will think you are as insane as Grandmother.’

Her hand twitched but did not strike. ‘Your grandmother is not insane. Her stepson betrayed her. She withdrew from the world because she was wise. And the conversos, they are Judaizers. They spread their beliefs among good Christians.’

I shook my head. ‘Most noble families in Castile and Aragon have Jewish blood. Judges, priests and even notaries were once Jews. Perhaps some cling to old customs. But so do the uneducated masses. You must stop the radical priests who whip up hatred. Your people are turning on each other.’

She lifted her chin. The Church deals with heresy through inquisitions. It always has.’

I looked at her, my mother, my queen, and I felt the distance between us stretch like a chasm. Catalina stirred, and I held her tighter.

‘You were seen, Juana,’ she said. Spitting out the host. The body of Christ. In front of the priest, before God.’

I turned slowly. ‘Yes. I spat it out.’

She gasped. ‘You desecrated the sacrament. You insulted the Church.’

‘I refuse to lie,’ I said. ‘I do not believe in your God who demonises the Jews. My Jesus is different from yours.’

Her shoulders tensed. ‘Why do you defend God’s enemies?’

‘Because it’s the truth.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘You speak as if you know better than the Church.’

‘I speak as someone who has seen greed cloaked in a cassock,’ I snapped. ‘You know how it is, a woman covets her neighbour’s silver, so she calls her neighbour a heretic, and then she can take all the silver and her neighbour’s house too. Conversos denounce their own brothers and sisters because they are poor and desperate. They cry “Judaiser!” and watch the men of the Inquisition drag them away. That is your justice, Mother!’

She stepped forward, voice trembling. ‘They betray Christ. They cling to old rites. They mock our sacraments, and all the time they pretend to be one of us.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘They have to pretend to survive, and you have let poverty become a weapon. You let envy masquerade as piety. You let the Church burn the innocent because someone wanted a gold cup or their debts forgiven.’

Her hand twitched again.

‘You think you’re clever,’ she said. ‘You think you know everything, but you are just young and naive.’

‘I have seen enough,’ I said. ‘Enough to know fear and greed do more harm than any secret prayers.’

She turned away, swinging her rosary like a flail. ‘You will go to your rooms. You will stay there until you are ready to kneel, confess, and take communion.’

I laughed a long, bitter, and hollow laugh.

Her face darkened, ‘This is not a joke.’

‘No,’ I said. ‘It is a tragedy. You torture your people in public squares and burn children at the stake. You arrest the richest Jews, seize their property, and call it holy. And now you want me to swallow a wafer and call it God. I won’t. I will not kneel. Not for fear. Not for show.’

She pointed toward my apartments, then turned and left without another word.

And I stood in the silence, knowing I had made an enemy of my own blood.

Blurb:

Born in the glittering courts of Castile and Aragon and forged in the shadow of war, Catalina de Aragón grows up surrounded by queens, rebels, and explorers. She is her mother’s last daughter, the final jewel of a dynasty built on conquest and faith, and the one child Isabella of Castile cannot bear to lose.

 

But destiny has already claimed Catalina.

 

Promised to Prince Arthur of England since childhood, she is raised to bind kingdoms, soothe old wounds, and carry the hopes of an empire across the sea. Yet, Spain fractures under rebellion, grief, and the ruthless zeal of its own rulers.

 

From the burning streets of Granada to the storm-lashed Bay of Biscay, Catalina and her sisters must navigate a treacherous path shaped by ambition, betrayal, and the dangerous love of men who fear the power of queens. She learns to read cyphers, to read hearts, and to stand unbroken even as her childhood is stripped from her piece by piece.

 

And when she finally sails for England armed with her mother’s lessons, her father’s steel, and the ghosts of the Alhambra at her back, Catalina steps into her fate not as a girl, but as a force.

 

A princess.

A survivor.

A daughter of Aragon.

Infidel is the story of a young woman raised for greatness and destined to reshape the fate of nations. This is Catalina, as she has never been seen before. She is fierce, vulnerable, and unforgettable.

A sweeping, intimate portrait of sisterhood, survival, and the making of a dynasty, Infidel reveals the hidden lives of a woman whose courage shaped the Tudor world.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link 

https://books2read.com/u/4AZDEJ

 Read with #KindleUnlimited

Author Bio:

 

Nicola Harris

 

I’ve always been a writer, but it was only when illness forced me to stop everything that I finally had the time to write a novel. After decades of misdiagnosis, I learned I was born with a serious genetic condition, not rare, but profoundly misunderstood. The clues were there from birth, and suddenly, a lifetime of struggle made sense.

 

Writing became my lifeline: a way to step beyond my pain, to shape my experience into a story, and to find meaning where there had once been only endurance.

 

I have a lifelong love of children, Counselling, and Psychotherapy Theory and history.

 

Social Media Links:

 

Website: https://nicolaharrisauthor.com/

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/59955210.Nicola_Harris

 

Book Review: “In the Company of the Courtesan” by Sarah Dunant

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The year is 1527, and Rome is being attacked by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his army of Germans, Lutherans, and Spanish soldiers. The night the city was sacked, many fled or died at the hands of the soldiers, but there was a house who welcomes the incoming attackers, the house of the courtesan Fiammetta Bianchini and her dwarf companion Bucino. They decide to flee with their jewelry to Venice, but they soon learn that Venice is even more treacherous. Can Fiammetta and Bucino survive their new city, or will this new town destroy everything that they worked so hard to create? Sarah Dunant explores the world of a courtesan in her novel, “In the Company of the Courtesan.”

 

This is one of those books that I found at a used bookstore. I saw that it took place during the Sack of Rome, which was intriguing to me because I have not read many novels set during this time in Italian history. I also have never read any books by Sarah Dunant, but I have heard good things about her novels, so I wanted to give them a try.

 

We begin with the night that Rome was attacked. While Rome was burning and people were dying, Fiammetta Bianchini, one of the most prized courtesans in all of Rome, and her “pimp” Bucino, decided that to survive the night, they would open their home to the invading soldiers. In the aftermath, they decide to swallow their remaining jewels and leave Rome for somewhere safer, Venice. It was Fiammetta’s home before she moved away to Rome, but she soon realizes that beauty is fleeting as an illness wrecks her body. It is then that the duo meets a blind, elderly healer named La Draga. 

 

Fiammetta and Bucino must rebuild their lives in a new city, but they soon discover that a new city means new dangers. There’s a theft of a great jewel that could end their enterprise before it even begins, and a poet from the past who could spell disaster to Fiametta’s reputation. There is a book with scandalous drawings that is dangerous to own, a young lad whose puppy love could lead the Lady astray, and a Turk who has an interest in human novelties for his sultan’s court. And then, there is the case of La Draga and her true identity.

 

Dunant created a seedy underworld of Renaissance Venice that feels so believable, it is almost as if you can step into the pages. I enjoyed the characters of Bucino and Fiammetta, but towards the middle of the book, I was wondering how she was going to finish this novel. To me, the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, I think this was a decent novel about Renaissance Italy. If you want a novel set in 16th-century Italy that has a darker tone, I would suggest you read  “In the Company of the Courtesan” by Sarah Dunant.

Book Review: “Desiderius Erasmus: The Folly or Far Sightedness of Renaissance Europe’s Greatest Mind” by Amy McElroy

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The Renaissance was a time of learning and of challenging what was considered normal, especially in theology and the foundations of the Catholic Church. It was a time when humanism was beginning to take shape as an educational system, one that focused on the classical literature of Greece and Rome, as well as on rhetoric, philosophy, and critical thinking. One of the top proponents of the school of humanism was a monk turned scholar named Desiderius Erasmus. His name and his works have been famous for centuries, but what was his life like as a scholar in 16th-century Europe? Amy McElroy explores the life of this extraordinary man in her latest book, “Desiderius Erasmus: The Folly or Far Sightedness of Renaissance Europe’s Greatest Mind.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Amy McElroy for sending me a copy of this book. I have obviously heard of Desiderius Erasmus through his visits to the Tudor court, but when it comes to knowing his life story, I knew very little about the scholar. When I heard that McElroy was writing a book about Erasmus, I was excited to read it and learn more about him, which is why I was pleasantly surprised when McElroy sent me a copy of this book.

Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was born on either October 27 or 28 in 1469, at least according to McElroy. He was the illegitimate son of Margaret Roger and Gerard Helye, who was a scribe. His parents did want to get married, but while Gerard was travelling in Rome, he heard a rumor that Margaret had died, so he decided to become a Catholic priest instead. Erasmus would follow a similar path as his father and become a monk in an Augustinian monastery, but he wanted more from life. Erasmus had a love of learning and languages ever since he was a novice, and it is this love of learning that made him a quasi-celebrity.

Erasmus may have been one of the greatest scholars of his time, but fame did not mean wealth. The man was robbed numerous times, travelled around Europe constantly, and when he did have money, all he wanted to do was spend it on books. I completely understand the desire to buy books and write all the time. And boy did Erasmus write a lot. Some of his most famous works included In Praise of Folly and a translation of the New Testament, focusing on the original Greek, Hebrew, and Latin texts, which caused quite the uproar. He gained the respect of humanists like Thomas More and the ire of the most famous Reformer, Martin Luther. Erasmus wanted to reform the Church through education, and there were some people who did not agree with that way of thinking.

I applaud McElroy for the amount of research and the number of sources she had to use to track the busy life of Desiderius Erasmus. At times, it can be a bit dense, but everything in this book is necessary to understand the world of one of the greatest Renaissance humanists, and this book is very well written. He was a man on a mission who would not allow ill health, limited funds, or critics from stopping him from researching and writing. If you want to learn more about one of the most famous scholars of 16th-century Europe, I highly recommend you read “Desiderius Erasmus: The Folly or Far Sightedness of Renaissance Europe’s Greatest Mind” by Amy McElroy.

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘Bride of the Devil’ by J. P. Reedman

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Today, I am pleased to welcome J. P. Reedman to my blog to share a spotlight for her novel “Bride of the Devil.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and J.P. Reedman for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Blurb: 

She is a great heiress; he is the wickedest man in Normandy. 

Known to men far and wide as ‘The Devil,’ Robert de Belleme terrorises France alongside his equally fearsome mother, Mabel the Poisoner. But even a Devil needs an heir, and Mabel chooses the wealthy heiress Agnes of Ponthieu to be her son’s bride. The marriage is unhappy, though the longed-for son and heir is eventually born…but when Robert is away on one of his military campaigns, Agnes flees back to her father’s castle. 

She is not safe; her young son William is not safe. 

The Devil will seek to claim his own. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: mybook.to/nNxi  

This series is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio: 

J.P. Reedman was born in Canada but has lived in the U.K. for over 30 years.  

Interests include folklore and anthropology, prehistoric archaeology (neolithic / bronze age Europe; ritual, burial & material culture), as well as The Wars of the Roses and the rest of the medieval era. Novels include the popular I, Richard Plantagenet series about Richard III, The Falcon and the Sun (featuring other members of the House of York), and Medieval Babes, an ongoing series about lesser-known medieval queens and noblewomen. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://stone-lord.blogspot.com/  

Twitter / X: https://x.com/stonehenge2500  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IRichardPlantagenet/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpreedmanhistoricalfiction/  

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@jpreedmanhistoricalfiction  

Bluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/jpreedman.bsky.social  

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/jreedman/  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-p-reedman  

TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@janetreedman8  

Amazon Author Page: https://author.to/REEDMANHISTFIC   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6559443.J_P_Reedman  

 

Book Review: “Cleopatra” by Saara El-Arifi

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

Some queens throughout history surpass the history of their own countries and create legacies that would transcend centuries. One such queen was Cleopatra, Pharaoh of Egypt, who loved both Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony). She fought against her siblings and even Rome for the right to rule Egypt. There have been accusations of witchcraft and Cleopatra being a seductress, but is this a fair assessment of this Queen of Egypt? Saara El-Arifi tells her own version of Cleopatra’s story, from the queen herself, in her latest novel, “Cleopatra.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. As the name of my blog suggests, ancient Egypt is not something I normally read about, but when I was younger, I remember reading a Royal Diaries series book on Cleopatra, so I know elements of her story. When I saw this particular book with such a stunning cover, I decided to dive back into the world of ancient Egypt and give this novel a try.

Unlike many novels about infamous queens, this one is told by Cleopatra in the afterlife. By setting her novel in such a way, El-Arifi gives Cleopatra a chance to address the sources against her directly. It creates a semi-memoir type of novel, which is quite a unique approach to such a legendary figure. El-Arifi has decided to break down her novel into three sections after the three labels that Cleopatra is most known for: the Witch, the Whore, and the Villain.

We begin with the story of how Cleopatra, after the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, became co-ruler with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, also known as Mikro Theos, or Little god. Cleopatra had a loyal friend and servant named Charmion. In ancient Egypt, the Ptolemys were seen as chosen by the gods and were granted gifts to show their powers, but even though Cleopatra was blessed by the goddess Isis, she was granted no gift. Instead, Cleopatra had a love of learning, especially from the Library of Alexandria and practicing the medicinal arts. But Cleopatra knew that to stay in power as a Ptolemy, she had to fight for it, even if it meant taking down her siblings, Mikro Theos and her sister, Arsinoe, who believed she was the rightful queen. We also get to see Cleopatra’s relationship with Rome, primarily with Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius. Finally, we get to witness Cleopatra and Marcus’ death from her perspective.

This was such a gripping read. I found myself falling in love with Cleopatra’s story and blending fact with Egyptian mythology, which was prevalent in the society of ancient Egypt. The actual ending of this novel was different, and I am not sure if I liked it or not. Overall, I think this was a well-researched novel trying to revive Cleopatra’s legacy. If you are a fan of Egyptian history and this infamous queen, you should check out “Cleopatra” by Saara El-Arifi.