Author: hmalagisi

Book Review: “Queens at War: England’s Medieval Queens” by Alison Weir

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The fifteenth century in England was a time of war. Between a usurper king, fighting with France, and fighting amongst themselves, an English king must be prepared to go into battle at any moment, and his queen must be ready to support him in any way. During this period, there were five kings and queens, and while the kings get a lot of attention, it is the queens who should get their flowers for what they did in times of distress. Alison Weir explores the lives of the final five Plantagenet queens in her final book in the England’s Medieval Queens series, entitled “Queens at War.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I am a big fan of Weir’s books, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her England’s Medieval Queens series. I wanted to see which queens Weir would focus on in this book and how she would approach their lives.

The years covered in this last book are 1399-1485, covering the reigns of Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III. The queens featured in this book are Joan of Navarre, Katherine of Valois, Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville (spelled Widville in this book), and Anne Neville. While I am familiar with the stories of Katherine, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Anne, Joan is a less well-known figure to me. Weir gives her readers a bit of background information about how Joan of Navarre was Henry IV’s second wife after his first wife, Mary de Bohun, died. Joan was married previously as well, to John IV de Montfort, Duke of Brittany. While she did have children with John, she never had royal children with Henry IV. Weir shows how Joan was treated as the stepmother to King Henry V after he married Katherine of Valois.

Weir explores Katherine of Valois’ relationships with both Henry V, the warrior king, and Owen Tudor, the man she fell in love with after the death of Henry V. We get to see how Katherine’s son, Henry VI, and his wife, Margaret of Anjou, dealt with the rising Yorkist faction. With her husband taking ill, it was Margaret of Anjou who was the figurehead for the Lancastrian cause in a conflict that would be known as the Wars of the Roses. Eventually, a young man named Edward IV would become King of England, and he shook the English court by marrying an English woman, Elizabeth Widville (Woodville). Finally, Weir explores the downfall of the Plantagenet dynasty and the end of the young Yorkist regime with Richard III and his wife Anne Neville.

Overall, I found this an informative and easy-to-follow book. It was a bit of a review for me as I am familiar with this period, but I found myself learning new information in this book, which was exciting. I think if you want to learn about 15th-century queens or if you are a fan of England’s Medieval Queens series, I recommend you read “Queens at War” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe” by Janina Ramirez

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When we think of famous medieval European women, we often think of figures like Joan of Arc and Isabella of Castile. They are seen as women who broke the mold and challenged traditional stereotypes by becoming leaders in traditionally male-dominated fields. These women would be used to craft the identities of their respective nations, but they would help shape the identities of other women from the 18th and 19th centuries. We think we know the stories about these medieval women and their lives, but what new information can we learn from their lives when we examine their lives from their eras? Janina Ramirez takes the stories of seven medieval women and their contemporaries to show how their legacies have been transformed in her latest book, “Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe.”

This is the third book that I have read by Janina Ramirez, as I have read her book “Femina” and her biography on Julian of Norwich, which I loved. So when I saw that she was writing a new book about medieval women, I knew it was an instant buy for me.

While there have been centuries worth of amazing women from all over the world, Ramirez is focusing on seven countries/areas of interest: France, the Iberian Peninsula, Greece, the Low Countries, Germany, Italy, and Britain. In each chapter, Ramirez focuses on two women or groups of women, one from the medieval era and one from either the 18th or the 19th century. For the medieval period, she has selected: Joan of Arc, Isabella of Castile, Anna Komene, Marie of Oignies and the Beguines, Empress Adelaide of Bavaria, Catherine of Siena, and Lady Godiva. For the more modern women, Ramirez focuses on Charlotte Corday, Agustina Raimunda Maria Saragossa, Laskarina Bouboulina, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Lola Montez, Anna ‘Nina’ Morisi, and Queen Victoria. 

What is truly inspiring about this book is seeing these stories removed from the glossy veneer used to promote nationalism, to show that these women were real and they made a difference by being themselves. We get to see warriors, writers, queens, empresses, revolutionaries, and religious women. However, we also get to see them as daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. These women did not live in a vacuum. They lived and were more than just symbols for their nations. They fought in their own ways for what they believed was right, whether it was to protect their families or their nations, or following the path set forward by their faith. These women were real, and they were not myths; they were human. 

This is another sensational book by Ramirez. While I did know a few of the medieval women featured in this book, I knew nothing about the 18th and 19th-century women, which was thrilling to see how Ramirez weaved these tales together. I loved this book so much, and I am excited to see what she will write next. If you love medieval women’s history and learning more about their legacies, I highly recommend you read  “Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe” by Janina Ramirez.

Book Review: “Canticle” by Janet Rich Edwards

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Have you ever believed in something or someone so much that you were willing to do anything to be with them? What if it meant isolating yourself from everyone and everything you loved? Aleys knows this all too well. Born near Bruges during the 13th century, Aleys believes that she is destined for great things and has religious visions. Can this young woman survive both religious and political challenges to make her aspirations of being closer to God a reality, or will she fly too close to the sun and lose everything? Janet Rich Edwards tells Alleys’ tale in her debut novel, “Canticle.”

I would like to thank Spiegel & Grau and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I am always looking for a fresh approach to the past, so when I read the premise of this novel, it sparked an interest in me. As it is a debut featuring a religious group of women that I was not familiar with, the beguines, I wanted to see how Edwards’s writing style would bring something new to medieval historical fiction.

“Canticle” is a novel that follows three main narrators: Aleys, the young woman who longs to have a deeper relationship with God; Friar Lukas, who wants to grow his monastery; and Jaan Smet, Bishop of Tournai, who wants to get closer to the pope and power. We begin with Aleys as a young woman. She lives with her mother, father, brothers, and sister. Her mother died during childbirth, leaving the family broken. Aleys’s father decides to marry her off to a rich merchant, but Aleys decides that she wants to live a religious life, so she runs away. It is here she meets Friar Lukas, a Franciscan, and she wants to become a Franciscan, but Lukas convinces her to join the community of beguines.

It is in the community of beguines that Aleys discovers her true self and a series of translations that will send shockwaves all the way to Rome. The Bishop wanted to take down this community so that he could earn the respect of Rome and possibly become a cardinal. However, it was Aleys who was about to change with a miracle that sent the town into a frenzy. It was Friar Lukas who convinced Aleys to take the ultimate step and become an anchoress. It was when Aleys became an anchoress that Edwards truly shines because she shows the isolation that an anchoress might feel in her cell. But life has a way of reaching even an isolated cell, and Aleys must choose whether to save herself or her beloved beguines.

I found this a delightfully evocative novel about medieval religious life. It made me feel sympathy for the beguines and the anchoresses who were willing to risk it all to get closer to God. I really enjoyed Edwards’ writing style, and I can’t wait to see what she will write about next. If you want something medieval that focuses on religious life, I would recommend you read “Canticle” by Janet Rich Edwards.

Book Review: “The Thistle and The Rose: The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Tudor” by Linda Porter

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The Tudors have been an area of fascination for historians and history nerds alike for centuries. The attention tends to focus on either Henry VIII and his six wives or his daughter, Elizabeth I, but we need to remember that they were not the only Tudors. In fact, we should remember that Henry VIII had siblings, Arthur, Margaret, and Mary. While Arthur and Mary tend to get more attention due to their proximity to Henry VIII and his marital life, Margaret Tudor had her own eventful life as Queen of Scotland and the mother of King James V. Linda Porter tells Margaret’s story in her latest biography, “The Thistle and the Rose: The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Tudor.”

I had heard that Porter was writing a new biography about Margaret Tudor, so I knew I wanted to read it. I have read a few books about Margaret Tudor, but they have been relatively short, so I wanted to see what new information Porter would include in this book.

Margaret Tudor was the second child of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York. As such, she was destined to marry a foreign prince and create a strong alliance for the brand-new Tudor dynasty. Since her brother Arthur was betrothed to Catherine of Aragon, Margaret’s parents chose a match with Scotland and King James IV, who was twice the age of Margaret. As Queen of Scotland, Margaret did her best to bridge the gap between England and Scotland, deal with her husband’s mistresses and illegitimate children, and be a mother to her son, King James V.

Everything changed when James IV died at the Battle of Flodden. Margaret was now a widow and regent for the young King James V. To protect her family, Margaret decided to marry Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, which turned out to be a trainwreck. Although Archibald did give Margaret her daughter, Margaret Douglas, he was stealing from Margaret’s own properties, which was a jerk move. Margaret wanted a divorce, but her dear brother Henry VIII was against the idea. A bit hypocritical, especially since he would divorce Catherine of Aragon a few years later. Eventually, Margaret would divorce Archibald and marry a third time to Henry Stewart, Lord Methven.

Throughout history, Margaret Tudor has been viewed negatively because she married Archibald so quickly, but Porter showed that Margaret should be applauded for how she survived during difficult circumstances. She fought for herself and her children, even if it meant that she was at odds with her husbands or her brother. Through her letters, we see how Margaret was a diplomat trying to make peace between England and Scotland.

Porter does an excellent job telling Margaret’s story in a respectful manner. This book is extremely well researched and easy to read. If you are a Tudor fan and you want to learn more about Henry VIII’s sister Margaret Tudor, I highly recommend you read “The Thistle and the Rose: The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Tudor” by Linda Porter.

Guest Post: “Researching ‘The Traitor’s Son’” by Wendy Johnson

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I am pleased to welcome Wendy Johnson to my blog today to share information about her research for her novel, “The Traitor’s Son.” I would like to thank Wendy Johnson and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

I’ve been fascinated by the period known retrospectively as the Wars of the Roses since childhood, so when I came to write ‘The Traitor’s Son’ I already had a grounding in the history. Over the years, I’ve amassed a number of secondary sources: biographies of the principal figures, battlefield histories, political commentaries, and so on, and these have proved invaluable in forming the backbone of the novel. These days, a great deal of primary sources are digitally transcribed, and can be a valuable means of verifying details which would be more difficult to access. 

My intention was always to underpin my fiction with fact. I didn’t want to invent things for the sake of the story—for me, the events of the fifteenth century are in themselves dramatic and exciting enough without the need for fabrication. But of course, the duty of a historical novelist is to add flesh to the bones, to bring the past to life, and this is essential as the reader has to be able to empathise with the characters and understand their motivation. So, how did I go about researching the lives of Edward IV, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick— and of course, my protagonist, young Richard Plantagenet, the future Richard III? 

I do feel as though I’ve grown up with these figures—the first castle I ever visited as a child was Raby Castle, in County Durham, home to the dynamic Neville family, and a fascination for this remarkable dynasty was formed. My lifelong interest in Richard III himself was kindled during a visit to Middleham Castle, Yorkshire, at the age of eight and has remained with me ever since. I’ve always had a sense of what I feel my characters were really like, but of course, that wasn’t enough: to write a believable novel, I needed to fully research their lives and the events which formed them, before I could consider recreating them on paper. Biographies proved extremely helpful, most providing a clear background to the lives of each individual and helping to form a realistic picture of that particular person, what their personalities may have been, and, in particular, who and what may have influenced them. This was significantly important when it came to Richard himself. 

The frustrating thing about the study of the fifteenth century is that, although some primary sources do survive, they are fewer in number than those of the following century, and those that do survive are mostly official documents. It would be wonderful if we could consult, for example, a greater number of personal letters from those concerned. We do have some, but once again, these tend to be letters composed in an official capacity. Those which remain, however, can help cast small rays of light on the people as individuals, for example, the letter sent by a youthful Edward IV, and his brother Edmund, to the Duke of York, thanking him for the gowns he has sent them and requesting him to deal with ‘the odious rule’ of Richard Croft and his brother, fellow trainee knights, who appear to have been bullying them. Although my novel does not cover this earlier period, the letter is illustrative of the comfortable relationship the sons of York had with their father. Likewise, Richard’s letter to his mother, written as king and signed ‘your most humble son’, requesting her ‘daly blessing to my synguler comfort’ offers a small insight into the affection and respect he bore for her. Although such correspondence is rare, many documents having been destroyed in the following century, letters like these do provide a glimpse of both Edward and Richard’s closeness to their parents. 

The relationships of the York family, one to another, are the focus of ‘The Traitor’s Son’. Rather than a sweeping saga, I very much wanted to keep the action close, concentrating on Richard and his brothers, Edward IV and George, duke of Clarence, their sister, Margaret, mother, Cecily—and the man, whom I believe played a huge part in young Richard’s upbringing, his cousin and mentor, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. Research into the life of Richard III indicates a deep reverence for the memory of his father, the Duke of York. York’s death in battle, when Richard was only eight years old, and the danger in which the family was placed thereafter, must have had a devastating effect on the boy. According to the Centre for Male Psychology…research shows the father-child relationship is an important one. In fact, it can be more influential than the mother-child relationship. This is especially true for the 8-12 year old child as they try to make sense of the outside world…’ i This observation helped confirm my theory that following the death of the Duke of York, it would have been natural for Richard to have searched for a father figure in his life, and that this figure could well have been his cousin, Warwick. 

Regarding locations, I found I could call on personal experience for some, but had to research others. Having grown up close to Middleham, I know the castle inside and out, so it was very easy to imagine the scenes set within its walls. The city of York, which was very familiar to Richard, remains in part unchanged, and again, it was an easy matter to reimagine his time there. Warwick Castle is another fortress I’ve visited in person, although naturally there have been additions since the days of Richard Neville. London needed to be researched carefully, as very little remains from the medieval period. I found an amazing resource on the Internet entitled the Agas Map of Early Modern London, which uses the Civitas Londinium, a detailed woodcut created in 1561. This incredible, interactive tool allows the user to search for particular streets, churches, parishes, gates, and so on. Highlighting these on the map, it becomes possible to visualise the city at a time not too distant from the period in which my novel is set. For Richard’s exile in the Low Countries, both at the age of eight and again at eighteen, I had to rely on published histories and on images and information I found online. A visual recreation of the Bishop’s Palace at Utrecht (where Richard and his brother, George, resided following their father’s defeat) was extremely useful, as was a delightful video I found of the adjacent tower, the Dom Toren, which actually featured the sound of its bells—so different in their melody from the chimes which would have been a constant accompaniment to life in London. 

My favourite element of the writing process will always be the creative part—seeing the characters in my mind’s eye, imagining their emotions and bringing them to life—but my greatest desire with the novel was to create an authentic narrative, and that meant remaining true to the facts and to the people who populate its pages. These were, after all, real people, and I felt I had a duty to portray them with respect and in the most accurate way I could. Therefore, research and facts remain twin components of ‘The Traitor’s Son’. 

Blurb:   

Caught between a king and a kingmaker, young Richard Plantagenet knows he’ll have to choose… 

1461: Richard, Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place. 

As the boy grapples with grief and uncertainty, his elder brother, Edward, defeats the enemy and claims the throne. Dazzled by his glorious sibling, young Richard soon discovers that imperfections lurk beneath his brother’s majestic façade. Enter Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—cousin, tutor, luminary—whose life has given him everything but that which he truly craves: a son. A filial bond forms between man and boy as they fill the void in each other’s lives. Yet, when treachery tears their world asunder, Richard faces an agonizing dilemma: pledge allegiance to Edward—his blood brother and anointed king—or to Warwick, the father figure who has shaped his life and affections. 

Painfully trapped between duty and devotion, Richard faces a grim reality: whatever he decides will mean a fight to the death.  

In “The Traitor’s Son”, Wendy Johnson weaves a tapestry of loyalty, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of England’s turbulent history. Through the eyes of a young Richard III, readers are transported into a world where every choice is fraught with peril, and the bonds of kinship are tested to their limits.   

Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel, Annie Garthwaite, and Sharon K. Penman.

Praise for The Traitor’s Son: 

“Exquisitely written. An evocative and thoughtful retelling of the early life of Richard III.” 

~ Philippa Langley, MBE 

 

“Sometimes the perfect use of the written word takes my breath away. Not very often, but this book is it. A wonderful story written so beautifully that I shall not forget it for a long time. Everything to my mind is perfect. The language, the story, the pacing. Just wonderful.” 

~ Kindle Customer, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“Wonderfully woven story of a young Richard III. Woven with a sure knowledge of the history and a realistic telling of a story about a young boy finding his way through tragedy and triumph, uncertainty, and a legacy he cannot escape.
Brilliant debut which promises more and more.” 

~ Cris, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“I loved this novel, it was beautifully written, extremely atmospheric, the characters’ personalities came through perfectly, can’t wait for the next instalment.” 

~ Linda Hayward, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“Really enjoyed this book. Holds the reader enthralled from the first paragraph to the last. The next volume can’t be released soon enough.” 

~ J.M. Henderson, 5* Amazon Review 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:    https://books2read.com/u/mdJqL5  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

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Author Bio:    

Wendy Johnson has a lifelong passion for medieval history, its people, and for bringing their incredible stories to life. Her specific areas of interest are the fifteenth century, the Wars of the Roses, and Richard III in particular. She enjoys narratives that immerse the reader in the past and tries faithfully to recreate the later Middle Ages within her own writing. She has contributed to a number of historical anthologies and was a runner-up in the Woman and Home Short Story Competition 2008. 

Wendy is also a founder member of Philippa Langley’s Looking for Richard Project, which located the king’s lost grave in 2012. She co-authored Finding Richard III: the Official Account of Research by the Retrieval and Reburial Project in 2014, and in 2019 received the Richard III Society’s Robert Hamblin Award.   

THE TRAITOR’S SON, volume one in a Richard III trilogy, is Wendy’s debut novel, and she is currently working on the sequel. 

Author Links: 

Author’s Page on Publisher’s Website: https://madeglobal.com/authors/wendy-johnson/  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/p/Wendy-Johnson-Author-61558759768505/ 

Book Bub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/wendy-johnson-cf3f97f7-3a8e-46d9-8394-c5a08caa594d  

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0D14SQJP3  

Goodreads:               https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208871994-the-traitor-s-son 

 

Book Review: “Royal Childbirth in the Middle Ages: Fertility, Pregnancy and Birth” by Michele Schindler

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Throughout history, many aspects of life have changed drastically, but one thing has remained the same: the different stages of life—birth, youth, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and death. It is the first stage of life, birth, that tends to get the least amount of attention when it comes to historical research. In recent years, it has been gaining more and more attention, especially when it comes to royal births, which have the most amount of written records. Michele Schindler has chosen to focus on the aspects of medieval childbirth in her latest book, “Royal Childbirth in the Middle Ages: Fertility, Pregnancy and Birth.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed the previous book that I have read by Michele Schindler, and so when I saw that she had a new book about the medieval period out, I was excited to read it. I have read a few books that featured childbirth, primarily in the Tudor period, but never when it comes to the medieval period, so I wanted to learn more.

Schindler has decided to divide her book into sections, each part focusing on a different stage of childbirth: conception, pregnancy, birth, baptism, infant care, and how society as a whole understood childbirth as part of a woman’s life. Each section has sub-sections that explore aspects like miscarriages, twins, confinement, stillbirths, wet nurses, and deaths during infancy. These are very heavy topics, but they are discussed in a respectful manner.

To give context to the topics discussed, Schindler uses examples from multiple centuries to show how royal and noblewomen dealt with childbirth and its struggles. Some of the women featured in this book include Margaret Beaufort, Margaret of Anjou, Eleanor Cobham, Isabella of Castile, Alice Chaucer, Anne Neville, and Elizabeth of York. She also compared these lives and how they experienced childbirth to the common people to show the difference in status and the importance of ceremonies like confinement to the nobility.

Overall, I found this book to be really well researched, as well as being pretty easy to follow along with. I found a deeper appreciation for medieval women and what they had to go through to have a child. If you want to learn more about medieval childbirth practices pertaining to the higher echelons of society, I would recommend you read “Royal Childbirth in the Middle Ages: Fertility, Pregnancy and Birth” by Michele Schindler.

Guest Post: “A Medieval Hospital, Ruined Roman Baths and Magnificent Apartments – Locations in ‘The Cameo Keeper’” by Deborah Swift

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I am pleased to welcome Deborah Swift back to my blog today to share information about the real-life locations for her latest novel, “The Cameo Keeper.” I would like to thank Deborah Swift and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

Santo Spirito Hospital 

One of my characters, Jacopo Vanelli, is a surgeon, so he spends his time at the Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome. The ‘Holy Spirit’ hospital was founded in the Middle Ages and was recognised as one of Europe’s oldest and most advanced hospitals. Its remit included not only tending to the sick and the poor, but also taking in unwanted babies, abandoned children, and travellers who fell ill within the bustling heart of Rome. 

Within its grand Renaissance walls, was a museum, an apothecary shop, a public operating theatre and an orphanage run by nuns. The operating theatre became an influential centre for medical education — hosting lectures, dissections, and practical training sessions that drew aspiring doctors from across Italy and Europe.  

Here is the octagonal tower of the main building, below.  

 

The architecture of the hospital was striking, with vast wards, airy cloisters, and a famous spiral staircase designed to allow for the swift transfer of patients. Ornate chapels and frescoes adorned the interior, along with stained glass windows. It was seen as an extension of the Church, in what was considered the holiest city in the Western world. 

The Ruined Roman Baths  

By the 17th century, the once-magnificent Roman baths of the city stood as haunting reminders of Rome’s imperial past. Structures such as the Baths of Caracalla and the Baths of Diocletian, though partially collapsed and overgrown, continued to inspire awe with their towering arches and crumbling mosaics. Locals and visitors alike wandered amidst these grand ruins, imagining the bustling social life and sophisticated engineering that had filled these halls centuries before. 

This was an ideal place for lovers to meet, and two of my characters meet at the Baths of Caracalla. Mostly in decay, the stone was pillaged to build new buildings, but there was also a market in trinkets and souvenirs that went on there amongst the ruins. Artists and antiquarians flocked to the baths, sketching their weathered columns and broken statues, and imagining the naked bathers of centuries before. 

The Vatican Apartments 

One of my characters is the Pope’s sister-in-law, Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, a powerful and wealthy woman who dominated Roman life. Many of my scenes take place in the Vatican Apartments, which represent the heart of papal authority and splendour. These lavish chambers were home to the Pope and his closest advisors, serving as both living quarters but also the centre of Rome’s governance. The apartments showcased the best artistry of Renaissance and Baroque craftsmen. Daily life within the Vatican Apartments was a blend of solemn ritual and political intrigue, with cardinals, diplomats, and foreign dignitaries as regular visitors. 

The most celebrated rooms, such as the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel—already famed for Michelangelo’s ceiling—were objects of wonder and inspiration for all who visited. The Vatican Apartments thus stood not only as the spiritual and administrative core of the Catholic world, but also as a testament to Rome’s enduring patronage of the arts and its pivotal role in shaping the cultural legacy of the 17th century. 

Rome is a fabulous place to set a novel with many beautiful and atmospheric locations, and I hope I’ve used them all to advantage in The Cameo Keeper. 

Blurb: 

Rome 1644: A Novel of Love, Power, and Poison 

 

Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always ― Dante Alighieri 

 

In the heart of Rome, the conclave is choosing a new Pope, and whoever wins will determine the fate of the Eternal City. 

 

Astrologer Mia and her fiancé Jacopo, a physician at the Santo Spirito Hospital, plan to marry, but the election result is a shock and changes everything. 

As Pope Innocent X takes the throne, he brings along his sister-in-law, the formidable Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, known as La Papessa – the female Pope. When Mia is offered a position as her personal astrologer, she and Jacopo find themselves on opposite sides of the most powerful family in Rome. 

Mia is determined to protect her mother, Giulia Tofana, a renowned poisoner. But with La Papessa obsessed with bringing Giulia to justice, Mia and Jacopo’s love is put to the ultimate test. 

As the new dawn of Renaissance medicine emerges, Mia must navigate the dangerous political landscape of Rome while trying to protect her family and her heart. Will she be able to save her mother, or will she lose everything she holds dear? 

For fans of “The Borgias” and “The Crown,” this gripping tale of love, power, and poison will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. 

Praise: 

‘historical fiction that is brisk, fresh and bristling with intrigue’ 
~ Bookmarked Reviews ★★★★★ 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/CameoKeeper  

Author Bio: 

Deborah Swift is the author of twenty novels of historical fiction.  

Her Renaissance novel in this series, The Poison Keeper, was recently voted Best Book of the Decade by the Wishing Shelf Readers Award. Her WW2 novel Past Encounters was the winner of the BookViral Millennium Award, and is one of seven books set in the WW2 era. 

Deborah lives in the North of England close to the mountains and the sea. 

Author Links: 

Website: www.deborahswift.com  

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

Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/swiftstory 

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/ 

 

 

Book Review: “Life in the Medieval Town” by Kathryn Warner

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Have you ever watched a movie, played a video game, or read a novel set in the Middle Ages and wondered if life was really like that? Was it super dirty, grimy, and deadly, or is this a fictional device to show how bad the past was compared to the present? Kathryn Warner has delved into the archives to uncover the truth about what life was like in an average medieval town for her latest book, “Life in the Medieval Town.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed the previous books that I have read by Warner about Medieval Europe, so when I saw this title available, it piqued my interest. I have read books about medieval life, so I wanted to see what new information she could provide to this area of social history.

As Warner explains at the beginning of this book, the modern world and the medieval world are opposites. While we in the modern era care about the latest gadgets and an excess of commodities, the medieval era cared about simplicity and owned very little. So, for those of us living in the modern world, Warner treats this book as a sort of time traveller’s guide to a medieval town. Warner chooses to highlight life in London, specifically between the reigns of Henry III and Henry VI, which is quite a range, but it shows how medieval England changed over time. 

We start with how medieval people partied after a particular knighting ceremony, before moving throughout the streets of London and exploring the different occupations one could have. We then explore the brothels and the different types of people and languages one might hear on an average day. It shows the diversity of medieval England at this time. Warner also shows her audience the importance of cleanliness and how modern medieval homes could actually be with glass windows, cellars, and latrines. We get to see the different popular names and how job titles were altered in their spelling due to gender. You get to see what curfew meant, what kinds of legal punishments were available, what people ate, drank, and wore on a typical day, plus how medieval people told time, how they handled health, and how they took care of one another, even during the Black Death.

This is such a fantastic resource for medieval novices, writers, and medievalists alike. I knew quite a bit of the information in this book, but I still found some fascinating facts. Warner has an immense knowledge of the medieval era, and it shows throughout this book while maintaining an easy-to-follow writing style. If you are a medieval nerd who wants to learn more about the social history of a medieval town, I highly recommend you read “Life in the Medieval Town” by Kathryn Warner.

Book Review: “Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life” by Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita

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Have you ever read about a historical figure and used what they went through to help you get through difficult times? It is as if you read about their life at the perfect time in your life to help you get through your own struggles. Growing up, for me, it was reading about young Elizabeth I. For Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita, it was reading about 16th and 17th-century nuns, the ones that they were researching for their PhDs. What lessons did Garriga and Urbita find when they were researching two centuries and the nuns who lived during this period? They share the lessons that they learned from the past in their book, “Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life.”

I would like to thank Avid Reader Press/ Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I am a novice when it comes to nun research, especially when it comes to those outside of England, so when I saw the title of this book, it was intriguing to me. I wanted to see how they could blend the past with the present day.

Garriga and Urbita met while working on their PhDs at Brown University, and this book follows their journeys as graduate students. They choose to pair their life experiences with those of nuns like Saint Teresa, Maria de San Jose, Catherine of Siena, Veronica Giuliani, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. We get to see these nuns deal with everything from extreme diets, feats of levitation, relationships with other nuns, and entrepreneurship to keep their convents and their own legacies going. 

While I appreciate what they were attempting to do, I felt like the modern portions did take away from the stories of the nuns and were a tad distracting for me. I enjoyed learning about the different types of Catholic orders of nuns and fun facts about the nuns. I also enjoyed learning about the authors experiences as graduate students. When the separate elements were put together, it did not work as well as I had hoped in this book.

Overall, this was a decent book. A bit too modern for my taste when it comes to a historical nonfiction book, but that is just a personal preference. I do want to check out their podcast, Las hijas de Felipe, and I want to learn more about some of the nuns mentioned in this book. If you want a self-help book with advice from the past that has a modern twist, I recommend you read “Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life” by Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita.

Book Review: “Edward IV & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance” by Amy Licence

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When we think of a fairy tale romance, we think about stories like Cinderella. A girl of lower status captures the heart of the handsome prince. They overcome the odds and live happily ever after. But that kind of romance only exists in books. The closest story we have to that in medieval English history might be the story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. A widow who begged the handsome and younger King of England for help, but ended up becoming his wife. It’s a story that any romance-loving history lover will swoon over, but how accurate is that story? What is the real story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville? Amy Licence explores the nature of their relationship in her book, “Edward IV & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance.”

I have been reading books by Amy Licence for a few years now, so when I saw this title, I knew I wanted to read it. The Wars of the Roses is one of my favorite areas of history to study, but I have not read a joint biography of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. When I saw this title, I knew that this was a must-read for me.

We begin in 1431 in Rouen, France, where the Maid of Orleans, who we know as Joan of Arc, is about to die on the pyre. In the same town, eleven years later, the future King Edward IV would be born to Cecily Neville and Richard, Duke of York. Edward’s future bride, Elizabeth Woodville, was born around six years after the death of Joan of Arc. Her mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, had married below her station after the death of her first husband, John Duke of Bedford passed away; Jacquetta would marry a knight, Sir Richard Woodville, Elizabeth’s father. Jacquetta was close to King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, the Lancastrian rulers of England, and Edward IV’s father, Richard, Duke of York, would fight against the Lancastrians for the right to rule England during the conflict that we know today as the Wars of the Roses. To top it all off, Elizabeth was married to Sir John Grey of Groby Old Hall, a man who fought and died for King Henry VI.

In other words, Edward and Elizabeth were on different sides of the Wars of the Roses, but somehow these two found each other after Edward IV became king. The obvious choice for Edward’s bride should have been a foreign princess to create an alliance, but there was something about Elizabeth that convinced Edward to forgo the wisdom of Warwick and marry her. Their court was based on the Burgundian court. They had a large family, but the fight for the crown with the Lancastrian cause and Edward’s own family continued. Just when the throne is secure, Edward passes away. Elizabeth had to fight for her children, fight against her brother-in-law, and join forces with her enemy Margaret Beaufort to help usher in the Tudor dynasty.

Licence was able to present the information not only about this period, but also about Edward and Elizabeth in such a comprehensive way that both novices and experts can understand. She can present theories that she either agrees with or disagrees with respectfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this joint biography as it gave me a better appreciation for the reign of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. If you want to learn more about the Wars of the Roses, the first Yorkist king, and his wife, I highly recommend you read “Edward & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance” by Amy Licence.