Tudor England was a chaotic dynasty, especially when it came to issues pertaining to religion. If you were a citizen, you had to either sacrifice your faith to stay alive or sacrifice yourself for your faith. This animosity between Catholics and Protestants came to the forefront during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and the most prominent battleground was the universities. To protect the queen, Sir Francis Walsingham has decided to send Giordano Bruno to Oxford University to uncover a Catholic conspiracy, but as soon as he arrives, the murders begin. Can Bruno uncover the conspiracy and find the murderer before they murder him? And can Bruno find his own treasure at the university? This is the premise of the first novel in the Giordano Bruno series by S.J. Parris, “Heresy.”
I am always looking for a new take on the Tudors. I have heard about S. J. Parris’s novels online, but I have yet to read any of her books. The description of this novel was intriguing, and Bruno sounded like a Shardlake-esque character, which I love.
So let’s talk about Bruno. Giordano Bruno was a free thinker and a monk at the monastery of San Domenico. Bruno is not afraid to read controversial texts, even if it means that the Inquisition is fast on his heels. We jump a few years ahead when Bruno is living in England and is friends with Sir Philip Sidney. Sir Francis Walsingham has heard about Bruno and asked him to visit Oxford to uncover a Catholic conspiracy, which works out well since Bruno was planning on debating the Copernican theory of the universe with one of Oxford’s greatest minds. But Bruno also has another goal in going to Oxford, which is to find a controversial book that is rumored to be at Oxford, for his own enjoyment.
Unfortunately, things at Oxford are not as calm as they seem. A sinister plot begins to unfold as it is discovered that a man is mauled to death by a dog. It seems to be a tragic accident, but Bruno soon discovers that this was only the beginning of a series of murders. While the murders may not seem connected, Bruno finds out that there is a Catholic thread connecting them all. Rector Underhill may want to hide these murders from the public to protect the school, but he struggles to protect his own family, especially his headstrong daughter Sophia.
Bruno reminds me a lot of Shardlake in the best possible way. The man is intelligent and is willing to find out the truth no matter what it takes. This novel felt so similar in style but unique in the writing style, the characters, and the macabre crimes. It is so compelling that I cannot wait to read more of this series. If you want a mystery series set during the reign of Elizabeth I with a religious twist, I highly suggest you read book one of the Giordano Bruno series, “Heresy” by S. J. Parris.
I would like to welcome Justin Newland to my blog today to share his inspiration for his novel “The Spirit of the Times.” I would like to thank Justin Newland and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
The word Zeitgeist means the spirit of the times, and this was one of the inspirations for my novel of the same name. The German word alludes to the governing principles of the age or epoch.
It’s not just wars or battles that are influenced or determined by the Zeitgeist, it’s everything. The spirit of the times form up as the ideas, beliefs and aims that typify or characterise a particular period in history. Another way to view the spirit of the times is as a set of governing permissions.
Historians perceive that periods of history are sufficiently different to warrant giving them identifying names: such as the Dark Ages, the Age of Discovery, the Reformation, the Great Enlightenment, or the Information Age.
These are best represented by the saviours, the prophets, the leaders, the kings and queens, the explorers, the scientists, the artists, the composers, and all those great men and women who drew close to and were inspired by the spirit of their times.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Middle Ages, and how this period above all others sowed the seeds of the modern world. The Mongol leader Genghis Khan in particular seemed to personify the spirit of those times. Because, through his actions, his inflexible will and belief in the sky god Tengri, he set about unifying a bunch of disparate nomadic tribes and forged them into the era’s most effective killing machine.
Why did they conquer such a huge area that stretched from China in the East to Hungary in the West? In truth, Genghis was driven by an inexorable belief, given to him by the god Tengri. In 1220, he led his army across the wide steppes and reached the city of Bukhara, which was known as God’s Fascination. He mounted the pulpit of the great Namazgokh Mosque (shown in the image), and spoke to the conquered city. A nomad, accustomed to living in a yurt and beneath the clear blue sky, this was an unusual if not a radical act on his behalf.
This is an extract of what he is reputed to have said:
“O People, know that you have committed great sins. If you ask me what proof I have for these words, I say it is because I am the punishment of God.”
Basically, he’s saying, he’s conquering them because of the Law of Karma. Because of the bad things they had done (they had killed his envoys), he was compelled to take revenge to balance the scales of justice.
Genghis was a scout for the coming spirit of the times, in that he and his Golden Horde destroyed obsolete cultures, preparing the way for a new set of influences that govern our times. Like a strong autumn wind breaks off the weak, rotten boughs from the trees, his mission was to remove decaying, redundant cultures including the Khwarazmian Empire, Western Xia Tangut Empire, the northern and southern Chinese Dynasties, the Delhi Sultanate in India, the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, the Kievan Rus’ and then into eastern Europe.
One way in which this phenomena can be seen is in the founding of the Moghul Empire in India in 1526 by Babur, a direct descendant of Genghis Khan on his mother’s side and the Turkic conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) on his father’s side. Moghul means Mongol. Remember that Shah Jahan was the fifth Moghul Emperor, and is fondly remembered to this day for constructing perhaps the most sublime monument to a love by a grieving husband – the Taj Mahal. Without Genghis Khan, the Taj Mahal would never have been built.
Just as a bird or a fish knows exactly when to migrate, and how to get to their destination, so men like Genghis Khan’s higher instinct responded to and translated his Zeitgeist. That meant that he was current with the influences washing over the world at that time.
He lived by the rules of his times, not of the previous era. He searched and found the spirit of his times, because that was the only valid currency of the day, so to speak.
The two messages he left for us were: Be in your times. And in them, be in the full of your full.
These are some of the inspirations that prompted me to explore The Spirit of the Times.
Justin Newland
9th July 2026
Blurb:
From a land of milk,
And a Road of Silk,
To a ring of roses,
And a dance of posies,
Comes the tale of the spirit of the times!
In fourteenth-century Central Asia, Karia is a young woman living under the yoke of Mongol occupation. But she’s different. She’s a fighter with supernatural powers. She could use them to keep the Black Plague at bay and solve the mystery of the purple skies at dawn – if only she could overcome her self-doubt.
Travelling in caravans on the Silk Road, she faces dangers seen and unseen – from sandstorms and slave traders to the desert djinn and folk who believe she’s a witch. She fears losing Abi, her little cousin, who’s fascinated by roses and the dance of the Whirling Dervishes of Bukhara.
When Karia falls in love with an English sailor fleeing the Knights Hospitaller, they sail to England with Abi to unravel the meaning of the purple skies, a dance, a posy tree, and a ring of roses.
The Spirit of the Times is part history, part fiction and part speculation: on the origin of disease; the power of innocence; the unfortunate aspects of custom and dogma; and humanity’s ability to respond to the governing influence or spirit of the times.
Justin Newland’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres, from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism.
Undeterred by the award of a doctorate in mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. Next came The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.
The Coronation (Matador, 2019) features the Great Enlightenment and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.
At this point in his writing career, after four self-published books, Justin was offered a part-funded contract with the Book Guild.
The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book ‘The Island of Angels’ series. It tells the epic tale of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era. The second in the series, The Midnight of Eights (Book Guild, 2024), charts the uncanny coincidences of time and tide that culminated in the repulse of the Spanish Armada.
His latest novel, The Spirit of the Times (Matador, 2026), is to be published in July. It tells the story of a young Kyrgyz woman’s journey westwards along the Silk Road. With purple skies at dawn, and a supporting cast of Genghis Khan, the Black Plague, a perplexing rhyme, a ring of roses, it explores the greatest mystery of all – the spirit of the times.
Justin’s enduring passion is to explore the origins of our current time. This prompted a broad research into what we’ve inherited from history – encompassing Egypt, China, Prussia and Tudor England. He also writes entertaining talks which he gives to the WI, U3A, Probus, Rotary and local historical associations. Please visit his website for a current list of the talks.
Alongside the talks, Justin promotes his work with regular book signings at TG Jones (ex. WH Smith) high street stores, selling over 3,500 books since 2019. He has sponsored over 40 UK and US blog tours, given frequent radio interviews and penned many guest posts.
His current book signing motto is: Enjoy, Imagine, Discover.
As a member of the Society of Authors, he has Public and Products Liability Insurance.
Born in Essex, England, three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his lady in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
In 15th-century Livonia, peace was restored after the chaos caused by the notorious pirates, the Victual Brothers, was brought to an end. The town of Tallinn has begun to rebuild, but things do not stay quiet forever. The deaths of a prostitute, a Flemish painter, and a Tower watchman may not seem connected until the detail that they all allegedly saw a ghost on Rataskaevu street before they died. Now, it is up to Apothecary Melchior Wakenstede to figure out if something supernatural was the killer or if it was a human with a grudge. Can Melchior solve the case, or will the spirit from the past get away with murder? This is the premise of book two of the Apothecary Melchior Mystery series, called “The Ghost of Rataskaevu Street” by Indrek Hargla.
I would like to thank Pushkin Vertigo and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. Earlier this year, I read the first novel of Hargla’s Melchior series, called “The Secret of Saint Olaf’s Church,” which I did enjoy, so when I saw the second novel was available, I wanted to see if I would continue to enjoy the series.
We join Melchior and the town of Tallinn a few years after the incident in the first book. Like the previous book, Hargla pulls the story from the archives and gives it more of a twist. The story begins with the death of a soldier named Tobias Grote, who was a Tower watchman. Before he died, he is said to have seen a ghost on the infamous Rataskaevu street. However, as Melchior soon discovers, Grote was not the only one to die that day, nor is he the only one who saw a ghost on Ratatskaevu Street. Soon, we see the deaths of a merchant, a prostitute, and a beggar. These deaths do not seem connected, but when the stories of two families come to life, the strings that tie these murders together get tighter.
I enjoyed how Hargla continued to develop his existing characters and the world of Tallinn in this second mystery. He stuck with the murders, which contained many layers and twists that I was not expecting. For a novel that was originally written in Estonian, it is well translated and compelling in English. If you enjoyed the first book in the Apothecary Melchior mystery series, I think you would enjoy book two, “The Ghost of Rataskaevu Street” by Indrek Hargla.
Today, I am pleased to welcome Jon Byrne back to my blog to share an excerpt from his latest novel, “Soldiers of Christ.” I would like to thank Jon Byrne and the Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
There was another cheer from the Semigallians around us. I was too exhausted to feel anything but relief that it was all over. My friends reluctantly went to help collect the dead.
The infirmarer eventually made it over to where I sat in the snow. Brother Burkhardt was as brusque as ever, examining the swelling around my neck with deft fingers before turning his attention to the wound on my leg. ‘It is heavily bruised, but you will live and walk again. Come and see me when we return to the commandery.’
He left as quickly as he had arrived. A little way off, my horse whickered. For a moment, I looked at the sky, watching the circling crows and ravens. Some of the birds were already gorging on the bodies further away from the main site of the battle, squawking and flapping over the pickings. A large group of Semigallians, flushed with victory, gathered about fifty paces from me, looking in my direction. Were our erstwhile allies, almost all of them pagans like the Lithuanians we had just defeated, contemplating treachery? They certainly heavily outnumbered our men. If they turned on us suddenly, we would be in real trouble.
My heart jumped when one of the Semigallians gestured at me. Misunderstanding his meaning, I glanced quickly over my shoulder to see who he was pointing at, but there was no one else. My apprehension grew when the group began walking towards where I sat. There must have been nearly a hundred of them, and they were all armed with an assortment of axes, spears, and javelins. The rest of my comrades were some distance away, stripping the dead of valuables and piling up the corpses. No one even noticed, and they were too far away to help anyway. As the Semigallians came closer, I came to my feet hurriedly and drew my sword, my heart hammering in my chest.
The group stopped in front of me. I gripped my sword in clammy hands, but I swiftly realised the tribesmen were not hostile. They were smiling. My attention was grabbed by a small man wearing a blue felt shirt who began to sing and dance. I watched dumbfounded as he cavorted around whilst his comrades began banging their shields with their weapons and chanting. What in the Devil’s name was the man doing?
‘They are singing a song to honour you,’ Dieter said, suddenly behind me.
‘You understand them?’
‘A little. Remember, I have been here from the beginning.’
‘But why me?’
‘Because you killed the Lithuanian champion.’ Dieter said. ‘They are proclaiming your courage to one of their Gods… Perkūnas. He is the God of thunder, lightning and war.’ Dieter laughed. ‘And, more suitably, the god of oak trees!’
I smiled. The Lithuanian champion had been named Ąžuolas, which aptly meant ‘oak tree’ in their language. The pagans continued their singing and dancing. I watched bemused now rather than uncomfortable, a warm glow flowing through me. It was true… against all odds, I had killed the champion and survived.
However, I was aware that the scene was attracting attention. More people were looking over in our direction. I saw Wenno and Sighard, both mounted, talking together and frowning. My adversaries, Wolfgang and Gabriel, paused in their work clearing the bodies, pointing at where I stood.
The crowd of Semigallians parted as Viesthard, their king, pushed his way through. A man behind was carrying something, and he tossed it at my feet. When I saw what it was, I recoiled and stepped back instinctively. It was the Lithuanian champion’s head.
King Viesthard laughed and said something I didn’t understand. I had seen the Semigallian king a few weeks earlier in the town hall in Riga, and he didn’t look any different now dressed in his battle gear. He wore a large bear pelt fastened by a gold circular clasp fashioned to look like a snake. Around his neck was a chunky chain, and several armbands of silver adorned his lower arms. Viesthard spoke with the man who had been dancing. With a quick movement, he yanked off the thin leather cord from around his man’s neck and gave me the charm that was attached. It was a tiny silver axe.
‘It is a symbol of their god,’ Dieter said. ‘They honour you.’ He turned as Wenno rode up with Sighard, Berthold, and several other knight-brothers.
When I look back on this day, nearly forty years later, it is the irony that strikes me most. I was a member of an Order whose duty and mission was to forcibly convert the pagans of Livonia to Christianity, being praised and lauded by other pagans for my bravery in my first proper battle – for killing the pagan champion. They gave me this token, the tiny axe, which I still have today. It also saved my life later, which my story will tell, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Suffice it to say, the whole spectacle was a little embarrassing for my comrades, and when Master Wenno turned up, it ended quickly. The Semigallians drifted off to continue looting the remaining bodies, and Viesthard lost interest, probably more concerned with the spoils to be found.
I just wanted to go home.
Blurb:
In a land torn by crusade and rebellion, honour is earned in blood.
1205. Richard Fitz Simon has fled England after his title was usurped, joining the Livonian Order of Swordbrothers – a German brotherhood of warrior-monks fighting to bring the word of God to the pagan frontier. After slaying the Lithuanian champion at the Battle of Rodenpois, Richard is celebrated by the Order and their Semigallian allies.
Yet his position remains precarious. Jealous rivals question his right to stand among the brotherhood, and his master, Knight-brother Rudolf, is enraged by Richard’s disobedience. When dark secrets from Lübeck resurface, Richard also finds himself at odds with Bishop Albert, head of the Christian mission in Livonia. As he struggles to reconcile faith, duty, and identity, he is drawn into a brutal world of suspicion and bloodshed.
Sent on an expedition to build a castle deep in the wilderness, Richard soon sees tensions erupt – and the path he has chosen threatens to destroy everything he has fought to become.
Jon Byrne, originally from London, now lives with his German family by a lake in Bavaria with stunning views of the Alps. As well as writing, he works as a translator for a local IT company and occasionally as a lumberjack. He has studied the medieval world for over twenty years, building up a comprehensive personal library and a particular interest in the often-overlooked Northern Crusades.
Soldiers of Christ is Book Two of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.
Written for readers who value authenticity and atmosphere over romanticised adventure, the novel explores a largely forgotten crusading frontier, culminating in the first of many confrontations in a harsh wilderness of forest and swamp.
Readers who enjoy the historical detail of authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, or Ben Kane may find familiar ground here.
A wedding can be one of the happiest days for a couple, but the lead-up to the nuptials can be the most chaotic time not only for the couple but also for their families. You take multiple families with differing personalities to the same location as you wait for the nuptials that will blend the families. Now imagine combining the Montagues and the Capulets with a royal family when the daughter of famed star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, marries into the noble house of Leonardi; family chaos ensues with fighting and even murder. Can Rosie and her husband-to-be, Prince Cal, solve the case before they say I do, or will their marriage follow the path of how her parents’ story is often told? Christina Dodd continues the story of Rosie in the Daughter of Montague series in the latest novel, “Teach the Torches to Burn.”
I would like to thank A John Scognamiglio Book/Kensington Publishing and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I previously read the second book in this series, “Thus With a Kiss I Die,” so when I heard she had another book coming out following the adventures of Rosie and Cal, I jumped at the chance to read it.
We join Rosie and Cal with their families enjoying a night of entertainment when Princess Ursula decides to do a séance, which feels a bit unusual for 14th-century Italy. During the seance, Ursula sees three prophecies: a long marriage for Rosie and Cal, a feud ended when a lost treasure is found, and someone is going to die. Such a cheerful evening. Things run normally until Rosie’s great-uncle Magno Montague decides to invite himself to the wedding, and with him drama follows.
Shortly after he arrives, a party of wine drinkers, including Magno and Romeo, falls victim to poisoning, which leaves a man dead. Rosie and Cal must arrange their marriage, keep the Montagues and Capulets from killing each other, and find the murderer before they can kill Great-Uncle Magno, who seems to be the target. Rosie is sharp as ever, and seeing other members of the blended Montague-Capulet family was fun. We get to see Rosie and Cal’s love blossom, which is lovely to see. However, even though I am used to this series breaking the fourth wall, the mention of Disney in one passage threw me for a loop. I also felt like the murder mystery element was lost in the other plots until the very end.
Overall, I found this an enjoyable read that has hints of the 14th century with a whimsical take on what if Romeo and Juliet lived and had a very headstrong eldest daughter. If you want something a bit lighter in tone but you want a novel with a 14th-century murder mystery, I recommend this series, especially the third novel, “Teach the Torches to Burn” by Christina Dodd.
For centuries, Italy has been a powerhouse of a nation, but it has been shaped by powerful families. There were the de Medicis, the Estes, the Sforzas, and the Orsinis. However, there is one family that lives in a bit of infamy. The father became a pope, and his illegitimate children would create their own legacies. They were the Borgias, mainly Lucrezia, Pope Alexander VI ( Rodrigo Borgia), and Cesare, and they have fascinated novices and history nerds alike for centuries. Christopher Hibbert tells their story in his nonfiction book, “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519.”
I found this book at a used book store. I have been interested in the Borgia family ever since I read “Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History’s Most Vilified Family” by Samantha Morris. I have wanted to read more about this family and see how other historians approach their lives.
Hibbert begins this joint biography of the Borgias with a quick overview of how the papacy moved from Avignon back to Rome and the countless popes who came before Rodrigo Borgia. Rodrigo was the nephew of Calixtus III and was a man known as a scholar, which came in handy as he climbed the ranks of the church, mostly thanks to his connections to the pope. Nepotism would be a common theme when it came to the Borgias. Rodrigo would eventually become a cardinal, but he enjoyed the finer things in life, including mistresses such as Vannozza dei Cattenei, the mother of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia.
Rodrigo Borgia would eventually become Pope Alexander VI, and his children would benefit greatly. Yet again, a case of nepotism. Cesare would become a strong military leader who depended on his Spanish allies and his father, but gained numerous enemies. Lucrezia would marry three times. Her first marriage was to Giovanni Sforza, but it was annulled. Her second husband, Alfonso of Aragon, was assassinated. And finally, she married Alfonso d’Este and was able to provide him with several children. The Borgias had to deal with assassinations and war while their legacies were dragged through the mud. Their rise was as quick as their fall after the death of Pope Alexander VI.
I thought this was an okay book. The pacing seemed rushed in places and slower in other while the information presented wasn’t really new to me. If you want a decent introduction to this infamous family, I recommend you give “The Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519” by Christopher Hibbert a try.
The Boleyns were one of the most infamous families during the Tudor reign in England. The rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, her father, Thomas, and her brother, George, were seismic. However, there was one Boleyn who didn’t get nearly enough attention, and that is Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s sister, who was mistress to King Henry VIII before Anne was even part of his life. Throughout history, it has been debated that Mary’s children with her first husband, William Carey, were in fact the illegitimate children of Henry VIII. Alison Weir explores the life of Mary Boleyn’s daughter, Catherine Carey, in her latest novel, “The Boleyn Secret.”
I would like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. Alison Weir is one of my favorite historical fiction authors, so whenever I hear that she has a new novel coming out, I jump at a chance to read it. The idea of a new novel about Catherine Carey was an appealing concept, and I could not wait to see how she would approach Catherine’s story.
Catherine, known in this novel as Kate, did not have the greatest start at court, as her first assignment was to assist her aunt Anne Boleyn in the Tower as she awaited her execution. For a young woman, it was a time that would change her life forever. Kate would help serve her cousin, Elizabeth Tudor, the recently declared bastard child of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. The two cousins have a strong connection that will last for decades. However, Kate falls in love with a young courtier named Francis Knollys, and they begin a life away from court at their new home, Greys Court.
While Kate is creating a family with Francis, she learns two major aspects that will define her life moving forward. She becomes aware of the secret that her mother kept until her deathbed about who Kate’s true father was. This secret will radically alter how she views her own family and her connection to Elizabeth. Kate also explores her own faith, becoming one of the Reformist faith, like Francis, but it puts the family in danger during the reign of Mary I. We get to see the struggle of those who did reform during Mary’s reign, seeking refuge in other European countries like Germany, which, at the time, was more lenient towards Reformers. When Elizabeth becomes queen, Kate believes that this will be a time of peace for her and her family. But Kate learns that Elizabeth’s love towards her cousin is possessive, and Kate is in a constant state of tug-of-war between Elizabeth and Francis with her 16 children.
Catherine Carey/Kate Knollys’ story is one filled with love and dangers of living with a secret that, if it were revealed, would alter history forever. Kate’s story is often overlooked when we talk about the Tudor dynasty, but it shows the dangers of the dynasty and what it meant to fight for your family and for love in the 16th century. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Alison Weir wrote this novel and gave Kate her own voice. If you want a delightful novel full of love and danger set in the midst of the Tudor court and focusing on a Boleyn cousin of Elizabeth I, I highly recommend you read “The Boleyn Secret” by Alison Weir.
Mary Tudor, the daughter of Katherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII, has been viewed as a villainess for centuries due to her treatment of Protestants. She has unfortunately been given the nickname of “Bloody Mary.” However, if we really take a look at this woman’s life, we will see that it is full of tragedies and the search for love. Who was Mary Tudor, later known as Queen Mary I, the first ruling Queen of England, and why has she been misunderstood for centuries? H.F.M. Prescott explores the life of this much-maligned queen in her biography, “Mary Tudor: The Spanish Tudor.”
This was a used bookstore find for me. When I began studying the Tudors when I was younger, I fell into that category of seeing Mary I as a horrible villainess, but as I have gone on with my adventures into the Tudor dynasty, I have felt more sympathetic towards Mary’s story. I wanted to read a biography about her, so when I saw this thick tome, I decided to give it a try.
Mary Tudor, later Queen Mary I of England, was the only child of Katherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII. Since she was the only legitimate child of Henry VIII at the time, she was named Princess of Wales. Things were going well until Henry decided to divorce Katherine to marry Anne Boleyn. By the time Anne Boleyn had her daughter, Elizabeth, Mary was declared a bastard, separated from her mother, Katherine, forever, and forced to serve her half-sister. The humiliation as she was forced to submit to her father’s authority as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. Only after she submitted to her father was she able to return to his favor for a bit, and Mary and Elizabeth were returned to the line of Succession until he died in 1547.
Mary’s younger half-brother, Edward, was now King, which meant that he could bring forth a more Protestant-leaning government, putting Mary, a devout Catholic, in a dangerous predicament. Mary thought about running away, but she ultimately decided to stay and wait it out because she believed that she would be queen after Edward died. She was right, but it took a few days to figure it out as Edward chose Lady Jane Grey to be the next queen. Eventually, Mary did become the first ruling Queen of England, but she soon learned that just because she wore the crown did not mean she would gain the love she so wanted. She fought for her religion, the love of her husband, Philip II of Spain, and the child she would never have. In the end, Mary’s life and legacy were tarnished for centuries, which is a sad conclusion to such a tragic tale.
Prescott does a great job telling Mary’s story with a more sympathetic look. While I did enjoy this biography, I wish we had a bit more about Mary’s reign, as it felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the biography. I also wish she had provided translations of the Latin texts she had within the biography for those of us who are not familiar with Latin. Overall, I found this biography informative and well-researched. If you want a solid biography about Queen Mary I, I recommend you read “Mary Tudor: The Spanish Tudor” by H.F.M. Prescott.
I am pleased to welcome Anna Belfrage back to my blog to share an excerpt from her latest novel, “Queen of Shadows.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Anna Belfrage for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
Alma felt safer the moment she entered her city. One of the guards at the city gate recognised her and asked her to give his regards to her mother. She slowed her pace along the familiar streets, passed by the huge cathedral just as the bells in the Giralda rang out the noon hour, and came to an abrupt stop at the sight of her childhood home. The gates stood wide open, people spilling out from the courtyard within to stand in the street. She pushed her way through, her initial fear that something bad had happened assuaged by the laughter, the loud voices.
The small patio was crowded with people, and sitting on a chair in the centre was Ramona, her cheeks flushed.
“Alma!” Abuela greeted her with a hug. “How propitious that you should come today. We are celebrating.”
One of the women present broke out in song. Several others fell in, some clapping out the rhythm. A song of love, of marriage and future babes, and Alma turned to blink at Ramona, who gave her a smug look.
“You’re getting married?” Alma asked.
“I am. The contracts were signed earlier today. I come with an adequate dowry, so Mamá has arranged a good marriage for me.” Ramona smirked. “Not much left for you. Or Nuria.”
For the first time ever, Alma felt a twinge of jealousy. Not because Ramona was to wed, but because she, Alma, would never have anything to offer someone like Rodrigo.
“Is he handsome?” she asked.
Ramona shrugged. “I have not met him. Mamá says he is.” She lowered her voice. “He’s a widower, father of three.”
“Ah.” Whatever jealousy she’d felt dissipated. “Is he from Sevilla?”
“No.” Ramona frowned. “He is from Cádiz.”
So far away!
“Have you been there?” Ramona asked.
She had, some years back when Doña Leonor had instead on accompanying the king when he set out to visit both Cádiz and Tarifa, central locations for his plans to one day retake Gibraltar from the Marinids.
“Mamá says it is a good place to live.” Ramona snorted. “How would she know? She’s never been further away than the Sierra Morena.”
“It benefits from the sea,” Alma said. “It is never as hot as Sevilla because there is always a breeze.” And it was also very small compared to Sevilla, the protective walls resulting in cramped conditions, but she did not think Ramona needed to hear this. “Is your future husband a caballero?”
“Sí. He now serves the king as a tax collector,” Ramona replied. “Before that, he served the local adelantado for years. He commanded men at the siege of 1333 but was grievously wounded and can no longer ride to war.” She cocked her head. “Mamá says the king should have persisted until he won.”
“Mamá knows nothing of what it is to be king.” Alma knew, from listening to Doña Leonor, that the king had every intention of retaking Gibraltar, but then, back in 1333, he’d had to break the siege to handle Juan Manuel and his cohorts, who had been happily raiding their way through Castile. Outlaws and renegades, the lot of them! Since then, Juan Manuel had been reined in—until last year, when he’d allied himself with Portugal.
“No, I suppose she doesn’t. Just as she doesn’t know anything about living in Cádiz.” Ramona sighed. “I won’t know anyone.”
“You will make friends soon,” Alma told her. “Your husband will be so proud of you and will likely parade you round every plaza, every church.”
Ramona gnawed her lip. “You truly think so?”
“You are very pretty.” And also very young, only a year older than Alma. Her husband-to-be had to be at least twice her age if he’d held command in 1333. She dug into her basket and found the pair of ivory hair combs she’d intended to give Mamá. Of Moorish origin, they were old but beautiful. “Here. For the bride-to-be.”
Ramona gaped. And then she threw her arms around Alma.
“I bought them for you,” Alma said much later to her mother. “But Ramona—”
“You did the right thing,” Mamá said. “You made her very happy.”
Blurb:
She should have stayed in the shadows—but Leonor de Guzmán yearned for the sun.
Castile in the 1330s is a place of constant turmoil. King Alfonso must contend with the incursions from the Muslim Marinids, eager to reclaim Al-Andalus while struggling with repeated rebellions against his firm rule.
When Alfonso needs respite, he finds it in the arms of his Leonor—the most beautiful woman in the realm. But while he may love Leonor over all others, his lawful wife, Maria of Portugal, is tired of being constantly displaced by the fair Leonor.
Leonor loves her man. She gives him healthy sons, a place to be himself. But she is only a mistress, even if Alfonso treats her like a queen. Leonor’s enemies watch and hate.
Flying too close to the sun comes at a high price. How much will Leonor’s love cost her?
Based on the true story of Alfonso XI and his complicated relationships to wife and lifelong mistress
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance, and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time-travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th-century Scotland and Maryland, as well as two equally acclaimed medieval series: The King’s Greatest Enemy, which is set in 14th century England, and The Castilian Saga, which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales. She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel Times of Turmoil, and is now considering just how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding. . .
All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals, as well as having won various Gold, Silver, and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.
“A master storyteller. “This is what all historical fiction should be like. Superb.”
Find out more about Anna, her books, and enjoy her eclectic historical blog on her website, www.annabelfrage.com, where you will also find her post about Alfonso and Leonor:
I am pleased to welcome Helen Hollick & Friends to my blog today to share a spotlight for their latest book, “Courage Anthology: Tales of History, Mystery and Hope.” I would like to thank Helen Hollick & Friends and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
Blurb:
Fifteen historical short stories, covering eras from Roman to present-day by Judith Arnopp, Anna Belfrage, Derek Birks, Cathie Dunn, Patricia Furstenberg, Jean Gill, Kathy Hollick-Bater, Helen Hollick, Carolyn Hughes, Amy Maroney, Alison Morton, Elizabeth St.John, Marian L Thorpe, Antoine Vanner, Annie Whitehead. With an introduction by Lorna Fergusson.
The lion has long been a symbol of courage, loyalty, and hope. A creature of power and, in some traditions, of the divine. We imagine it unflinching, unafraid. Yet the truest bravery is not found in the open, but within, where the lion lies hidden, waiting to be called upon. In moments of uncertainty or grief. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to face it. It is the moment when we would rather flee, but instead, find a strength we did not know we possessed.
These powerful and often emotional stories follow men, women, and children as they face profound adversity, the resilience to endure, cling to hope for the future, and the courage to change their lives forever.
Join these ordinary people as they uncover extraordinary strength and emerge, in their own way, lion-hearted.
The Stories – in appearance order: (collated by Helen Hollick)
THE SENTRY by Alison Morton
Roman province of Noricum, AD 395
When danger strikes, and you are on your own with only fear as a companion
THE SAXON by Derek Birks
Southern Britain, the frontier between the Belgae and the Atrebates. AD 471
When escape means more than just running for your life
THE PHOENIX by Marian L Thorpe
Ésparias, a fictional country bordering the western sea circa AD 900
A mother’s dilemma? To keep them safe – or let them go?
SIFLEDE by Judith Arnopp
London, October 1066
When the Normans come, Southwark’s residents need to fight, flee, hide, or die.
DAISY CHAIN by Annie Whitehead
England, 1141
A mother’s love. A mother’s grief
STEPPING BETWEEN by Anna Belfrage
Ludlow Castle, England, 1308
When all you can do is to endure
CONFRONTING PLAGUE by Carolyn Hughes
England, 1361
When courage must survive in the face of history’s cruellest plague
KATE’S LETTER by Patricia Furstenberg
Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, 1478
One letter, sealed in dragon’s wax
THE PORTRAIT’S SECRET by Amy Maroney
Paris, 1536
When a woman holds a secret, does she keep it or share it?
LEGACY by Jean Gill
Tudor England, 1558
When a man loses everything, what is his legacy?
A TALETELLER’S TALE by Helen Hollick
Somewhere in the Caribbean, 1709
When the only sound is the song of the sea, do you listen? Or do you drown in the embrace of a mermaid?
THE GATE by Elizabeth St.John
London, 1900
When courage costs everything
DARKNESS RISING by Cathie Dunn
Venezia, June 1923
Can the mystery of a secluded island and a murder be solved before
time runs out?
A SACK OF POTATOES by Antoine Vanner
Groenhorst, outskirts of Amersvoort, The Netherlands
November 11th, 1954
Courage meant survival for many – but others relied on greed
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bios:
Helen Hollick: About Helen – (anthology compiler)
Originally first published in 1993, and now known for her captivating storytelling and attention to historical detail, Helen’s historical fiction, nautical adventures, cosy mysteries, and short stories invite readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between fiction and history blend together. Her historical novels span a variety of periods, with a particular focus on the Early Medieval. Her Pendragon’s Banner series offers a vivid portrayal of the King Arthur story set against a plausible reality setting, while the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings shows her ability to bring historical figures and settings to life. Her novel about Queen Emma (The Forever Queen – USA title) became a USA Today best-seller.
In the Sea Witch Voyages, she subtly weaves in elements of supernatural fantasy against the Golden Age of Piracy, creating an immersive and addictive nautical adventure experience.
Her Jan Christopher cosy mystery series is set during the 1970s, based around her sometimes hilarious years of working as a North London library assistant. Her 2025 release of Ghost Encounters, co-produced with her adult daughter, Kathy, reveals some benign ghosts of North Devon, where the family moved to in 2013. Helen has written several short stories, further exploring the echoes of the past, all with her compelling and convincing signature style.
Judith Arnopp: About Judith – Multi-award-winning author Judith Arnopp’s novels are set in the late medieval and Tudor period. Her main focus is on the women of the era, her meticulous research offering deep psychological analysis of well-known figures such as Margaret Beaufort, Marguerite of Anjou, Anne Boleyn, and Henry VIII himself. She has also written a non-fiction How to Dress like a Tudor.
Anna Belfrage: About Anna – Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history, romance, and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time-travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th-century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy, which is set in 14th-century England, and The Castilian Saga, which is set against the medieval conquest of Wales. She has also published a time travel romance, The Whirlpools of Time, and its sequel, The Times of Turmoil, and is now considering how to wiggle out of setting the next book in that series in Peter the Great’s Russia, as her characters are demanding.
Derek Birks: About Derek – Derek writes character-driven, action-packed fiction. His debut historical novel, Feud, is the first of a series of eight books and one novella, entitled The Wars of the Roses. which follows the fortunes of the fictional Elder family. He has also written the Amazon bestselling series, The Last of The Romans, which focuses on the real fifth-century Romano-British character of Ambrosius Aurelianus. His first non-fiction book is: A Guide to the Wars of the Roses. Under the pen name Tom Hadley, he has also written the Liv Fisher modern thriller series, which begins with Eyes Like Blades.
Derek has written and produced over 40 podcasts on the Wars of the Roses, and now co-hosts the podcast series, A Slice of Medieval, with historian Sharon Bennett Connolly.
Cathie Dunn: About Cathie – Cathie is an award-winning, Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, mystery, dual-timeline, and romance set in Scotland, England, and France. Her latest release, Ascent – the story of Poppa of Bayeux, handfasted wife of Rollo the Viking – is her sixth novel, and she is currently working on the sequel, Treachery. In her House of Normandy series, Cathie seeks to showcase the forgotten women behind the famous warriors who forged early medieval Normandy.
Cathie lives in the south of France with her husband and two rescue pets, enjoying the Mediterranean sunshine and visiting the many historic sites whenever she can.
Patricia Furstenberg: About Patricia – Patricia is a Romanian-born, South Africa-based author of character-driven historical fiction set in medieval Eastern Europe. Her latest novel, When Secrets Bloom, part of the Blood of Kings, Heart of Shadows saga, explores the turbulent world of Vlad the Impaler, weaving meticulous research with moral complexity, faith, and the quiet resilience of women navigating power and peril. Her short stories, poetry, and travel features have appeared in anthologies and online publications. Patricia blogs about overlooked corners of history and cultural heritage on her
Jean Gill: About Jean – Award-winning Welsh author and photographer Jean Gill lives in Provence with the best scent-hound in the world, a Nikon D750, and a man. Best known for writing epic medieval adventures in The Troubadours and The Midwinter Dragon series, Jean has published twenty-seven multi-genre books since 1988, including the dog bestseller Someone To Look Up To.
For many years, she taught English and was the first woman to be a secondary headteacher in the Welsh county of Dyfed. She is a mother or stepmother to five children, so life is hectic. With Scottish parents, Welsh and French residence,e and an English birthplace, she can usually shout for the winning team in sporting events.
Kathy Hollick-Bater: About Kathy – Kathy is severely dyslexic and struggles with her reading and writing. Her passion is horses and mental well-being. She started riding at the age of three, had her own pony at thirteen, and discovered showjumping soon after. Kathy is now a Devon farmer’s wife, runs Taw River Equine Events, and coaches riders of any age or experience, specialising in positive mindset and overcoming confidence issues via her Centre10 accreditation and Emotional Freedom Technique training. EFT, or ‘tapping’, uses the body’s pressure points to aid calm relaxation and to promote gentle healing around emotional, mental, or physical issues. She hopes to extend her training in order to help ex-servicemen overcome PTSD.
Kathy regularly competes at British Showjumping, and rides side-saddle (‘aside’) when she has the opportunity. She produces her own horses, several from home-bred foals. She also has the ability to see, hear, and talk to friendly ghosts, several of whom share our 1769 farmhouse.
Carolyn Hughes: About Carolyn – Carolyn is the author of The Meonbridge Chronicles series, historical fiction set in fourteenth century England. The first Chronicle, Fortune’s Wheel, is set in the immediate aftermath of what we call The Black Death. Times of social change are always fascinating, and trying to depict the great upheaval in society brought about by the plague was the inspiration for the book. In the subsequent novels, Carolyn has sought to reveal the lives of mostly ordinary medieval folk through stories that tell of experiences especially pertinent to the time but which also resonate today. The stories focus particularly on the lives of women, if only because women in history often have not had much opportunity to “speak”.
There are now eight books in the series. More will follow.
Amy Maroney: About Amy – Amy lives in Oregon, U.S.A., and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction. Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail; and the Sea and Stone Chronicles, which features strong, talented women seeking their fortunes in the medieval Mediterranean. To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s community of readers on her website: https://www.amymaroney.com/
Alison Morton: About Alison – Alison writes the thrillers she always wanted to read – ones featuring tough but compassionate heroines. Her eleven-book Roma Nova thriller series is set in an imaginary European country where a remnant of the ancient Roman Empire has survived into the 21st century and is ruled by women who face conspiracy, revolution, and heartache but with a sharp line in dialogue.
All six full-length Roma Nova novels have won the BRAG Medallion, the prestigious award for indie fiction. SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, INSURRECTIO, and JULIA PRIMA have been selected as Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choices. AURELIA was a finalist in the 2016 HNS Indie Award. The Bookseller selected SUCCESSIO as Editor’s Choice in its inaugural indie review.
Six years’ military service, a fascination with ancient Rome, and a life of reading crime, historical, and thriller fiction have inspired her writing. She lives in Poitou in France, the home of Mélisende, the heroine of her contemporary thrillers, Double Identity, Double Pursuit, and Double Stakes.
Elizabeth St.John: About Elizabeth – Elizabeth’s critically acclaimed historical fiction brings to life the stories of her ancestors—extraordinary women whose close connections to England’s kings and queens offer an intimate perspective on Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times. Inspired by family archives and historic residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, she explores ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens—and occasionally encounters a ghost. Discovering a whole different family history in The Gate, Elizabeth expands her storytelling into the early 20th century, adding a new era to her repertoire.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park and curator of The Lydiard Archives, where she is always searching for inspiration for her next novel. Her works include The Lydiard Chronicles, set during the English Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, exploring the mystery of the princes in the Tower. In The King’s Intelligencer, set in the court of Charles II, a young woman must decide what she is willing to risk to reveal the whereabouts of the missing princes.
Marian L Thorpe: About Marian – Marian’s novels are historical fiction of an imagined world, one that is close to Britain, Northern Europe, and Rome, but isn’t any of them. Her short stories, either in multiple-author anthologies or her own collections, range from urban fantasy to historical fiction, slice-of-life to climate fiction.
After two careers as a research scientist and an educator, she decided it was time to do what she’d always wanted, and be a writer. Her first book was published when she was in her mid-50s. Her lifelong interest in Roman and post-Roman European history provided the inspiration for her first series, while her other interests in landscape archaeology and birding provide background.
Antoine Vanner: About Antoine – Antoine spent four decades in international business, latterly at a senior executive level, and lectured in academia afterwards. He lived through military coups, a guerrilla war, negotiations with governments, storms at sea and life in mangrove swamps, tropical forest, offshore oil-platforms, and the boardroom. He has lived and worked long-term in eight countries, has travelled widely in all continents except Antarctica, and is fluent in three languages.
He has a passion for nineteenth-century political and military history and has a deep understanding of what was the cutting-edge technology of the time. His knowledge of human nature and his first-hand experience of the locales – often surprising – of the most important conflicts of the period provide the impetus for his chronicling of the lives of Royal Navy officer Nicholas Dawlish and his magnificent wife, Florence. There are thirteen volumes so far in the Dawlish Chronicles series, the actions set in the period 1858 to 1915.
Vanner now lives in Britain with his wife, Eva Lagassé (a journalist by background), their dog, and five horses.
Annie Whitehead: About Annie – is a prize-winning writer, historian, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and has written four award-winning novels set in ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Mercia. She has contributed to fiction and nonfiction anthologies and written for various magazines. She has twice been a prize winner in the Mail on Sunday Novel Writing Competition, and won First Prize in the 2012 New Writer Magazine’s Prose and Poetry Competition, a finalist in the Tom Howard Prize for nonfiction and shortlisted for the Exeter Story Prize and Trisha Ashley Award 2021. She was the winner of the inaugural Historical Writers’ Association HWA/Dorothy Dunnett Prize 2017 and subsequently a judge for that same competition. She has also been a judge for the HNS (Historical Novel Society) Short Story Competition, and was a 2024 judge for the HWA Crown Nonfiction Award and chaired the same panel in 2025.
Her nonfiction books are Mercia: The Rise and Fall of a Kingdom (a #1 Amazon Best-seller, published by Amberley Books) and Women of Power in Anglo-Saxon England (Pen & Sword Books). In 2023, she contributed to a new history of English monarchs, published by Hodder & Stoughton, and in 2025, Murder in Anglo-Saxon England was published by Amberley Books.
In February 202,6 she signed a contract for a new nonfiction book about the Anglo-Saxons, to be published by The History Press in 2027.
With an introduction by Lorna Fergusson: About Lorna – Lorna Fergusson is an award-winning short story writer and novelist. Founder of Fictionfire Literary Consultancy, she is an experienced editor, writing coach, and speaker. She has taught on various Oxford University writing programmes since 2002. Her stories have won an Ian St James Award, the Historical Novel Society’s Short Story Award, and been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, Pan Macmillan’s Write Now prize, and the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters prize. She was twice runner-up for the Mogford Prize. Author of The Chase and An Oxford Vengeance, her latest book is a collection of stories set in France, One Morning in Provence. She is currently developing one of the Mogford stories as a novel, as well as working on poetry and a book on mindset for writers. Born in Scotland, she is married with two sons and lives in Oxford, England.
