Author: hmalagisi

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.

Book Review: “The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty” by Tracy Borman

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It is March 1603, and the Virgin Queen is dying. She has no children to inherit her throne directly, so she must choose a successor. She chooses the son of Mary Queen of Scots, the queen who had been executed a few years before. James VI of Scotland will become James I of England, but was it as easy as William Camden makes it in his account? What does a recent discovery about Camden’s original manuscript of Annales tell us about James’ succession to the throne of England? Tracy explores the messy conflict to find an heir to the English throne in her latest book, “The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty.”

I would like to thank Grove Atlantic and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have been a fan of Tracy Borman’s books for a few years now because of how she is able to present new information about stories from the past that I already know and give them a fresh look. When I heard that James might have stolen the crown from Elizabeth I, that thought intrigued me so much that I knew I wanted to read this book.

So how did the Stuarts come into power, and why did Elizabeth have James as her successor? To understand that question, we have to explore briefly the origins of the Tudor dynasty and how Elizabeth I came to the throne. After we are firmly established in the reign of Elizabeth I, Borman goes through why Elizabeth needed to elect a successor and the nominees. Those up for Elizabeth’s throne were: James VI, Arbella Stuart, Lady Katherine Grey, Mary Grey, and Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon. We get to see how Elizabeth handled each of her potential choices as the next ruler of England, but the two that are highlighted significantly in this book are Arbella Stuart, the daughter of Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Lennox, and Elizabeth Cavendish, and the man who would become King James VI of Scotland.

Borman shows her readers the complex relationship between Elizabeth and James, a tumultuous relationship, especially after the death of James’ mother, Mary Queen of Scots. It was not the most cordial relationship that has been shown in history, including the Annales written by William Camden. However, due to extraordinary research that was revealed in 2023, it was shown that Camden’s writing had serious revisions to paint James in a better light during the fight for succession. In fact, there were attempts on Elizabeth’s life that James knew about, including one incident where he might have been directly involved. Just because James became King of England after Elizabeth’s death does not mean that he had an easier time in England. In fact, the Stuarts lasted less than a hundred years before the monarchy was dissolved with the execution of James’s son Charles I in 1649.

This is another spectacular book by Borman, one that changed how I viewed the relationship between Elizabeth and James in the final years. It reads like a political thriller and offers a deeper appreciation for Elizabeth’s fight for the English throne, while also highlighting how the Stuarts employed similar tactics to the Tudors in securing their right to rule England. Suppose you want an extremely well-researched book that provides great insight into the end of Elizabeth’s reign and provides new information about this period. In that case, I highly recommend you read “The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit and the Death of the Tudor Dynasty” by Tracy Borman.

Book Review: “Daughter of the Otherworld” by Shauna Lawless

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When we think about the Norman Conquest, we often think about how it impacted England, Wales, and Scotland, but we tend to forget about Ireland. Early medieval Ireland  do not get a whole lot of attention in historical fiction. That is, until Shauna Lawless’s Gael Song trilogy. Now, fifty years after the events of the original trilogy, Lawless has brought in a new cast of characters, as well as old characters, into the fight between the Descendants of the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorians. When a child of prophecy is introduced into the mix that is said to be able to defeat the Fomorians, the race is on to protect the child or to kill her. Will the Descendants survive, or will the Fomorians torch the land and the Descendants’ hope? Shauna Lawless jumps back into this work with the Gael Song Era 2 book 1, “Daughter of the Otherworld.”

I would like to thank Bloomsbury USA and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I am new to this series, but I wanted to read it because I have never read a book about medieval Ireland or about Irish mythology, so when I saw this book available, I decided to give it a shot, especially with such a stunning cover.

We pick up fifty years after the Battle of Clontarf, and a man named Donnchad is on the run from Broccan of the Tuatha De Danann. Donnchad is a Fomorian, which means he can use fire magic and is the mortal enemy of those descendants of the Tuatha De Danann. Donnchad can reunite with his mother, Gormflaith, in Rome. Meanwhile, Broccan has a dream that tells him that he must go back to Rathlin Island and protect the daughter of Fodla, who has been in the Otherworld for a long time. The daughter, Isolde, is destined to defeat the fire, which might be a reference to the Fomorians.

Broccan raises Isolde as his own daughter until she is 17, but he never tells her who she is or her purpose in this giant conflict. But that all changes when the Fomorians find out about Isolde and decide to attack Rathlin Island. They believe that the threat has been neutralized, but Isolde lives and must travel to the mainland to find her cousin Colmon in Seir Kieran. While Isolde is searching for family and to figure out who she is, the Fomorians seek to control Ireland with the Norman lords of England.

This is a novel full of conflict, both magical and mortal, romance and heartbreak. Lawless does a great job of not only balancing numerous perspectives but also balancing mythology with historical battles and figures to create an original story. While I did enjoy the story, it did take me a while to figure out who the characters were and the overall conflict. I think after reading this particular book, I want to read the previous books in the series before I jump into the latest one. If you have read the previous books in the Gael Song trilogy, I think you will enjoy “Daughter of the Otherworld” by Shauna Lawless.

Book Review: “Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England” by Alison Weir

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Throughout medieval English history, there have been some famous queens who left their marks. Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Castile, Philippa of Hainault, and Margaret of Anjou each left an impression on English history, either good or bad. However, there was one queen whose negative reputation came with the nickname “She-Wolf of France,” and her name was Queen Isabella of France. The wife of Edward II and mother of Edward III, she left her husband for Roger Mortimer and overthrew her husband in favor of her son. For centuries, she has been viewed as a horrible villainess, but is that a fair assessment of her life? Alison Weir dives into the archives to find the truth about Isabella of France, and she presents her findings in her biography, “Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England.”

As a fan of Alison Weir, I am trying to read every book she has written so far, so when I saw this book in a used book store, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have read books that have featured Isabella of France, but I have never read a biography about her until now. I wanted to see if this book would change how I feel about her.

Isabella of France was the daughter of Philip IV, King of France, and Jeanne I, Queen of Navarre, born in 1295. As the only surviving daughter of Philip and Jeanne, she was expected to make a match that would create an alliance, which she did when she married Edward II of England. On paper, it should have been an ideal match, but Edward II had his favorites. The first was Piers Gaveston, whom Edward II knew before he married Isabella. Edward paid more attention to advancing Gaveston than governing, which led to the great men of England (known as the Ordainers) enacting the Ordinances of 1311 and Gaveston’s execution in 1312. Edward II swore revenge against those who killed Gaveston.

For a while, Edward and Isabella had a loving relationship. They had four surviving children: Edward III of England, John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall, Eleanor Countess of Guelders, and Joan Queen of Scots. Unfortunately, Isabella’s happiness would not last long as Hugh Despenser the Younger would take the place as Edward’s new favorite. Things got so bad for Isabella that she decided to leave for France, stay there with her son Edward III, and start a relationship with Roger Mortimer. It would end with an invasion of England, the death of the Despensers, Edward II captured, and Edward III becoming King of England.

Isabella of France’s reputation may have been marred for centuries for her role in overthrowing her husband in favor of her son, and for what happened to Edward II afterward, but I think Weir does a decent job in rehabilitating her reputation. I don’t necessarily agree with her assessment of Edward II, but I felt like, when it came to Isabella herself, I appreciate her story and feel a bit sympathetic for what she had to deal with. If you want a biography about Isabella of France, I would recommend you read “Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War” by Michael Livingston

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Medieval Europe was a time of conflicts and change. While smaller disputes between countries or civil wars would define borders, the most prominent conflict during this period was the Hundred Years’ War. A conflict that has been traditionally taught to have lasted 116 years between England and France. It is often told from the English perspective, with battles such as Agincourt, Crecy, and Poitiers celebrated. But what if we look at the bigger picture and expand our lens to the whole of Europe while keeping a neutral approach to the France vs England conflict? What if the conflict did not last a mere hundred years, but in fact two hundred years? What type of story would this kind of approach tell when it comes to medieval European history? Michael Livingston takes on the mammoth challenge of telling the tale of how this war changed European history forever in his latest book, “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War.”

I would like to thank Basic Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed the previous book that I read by Michael Livingston on the Battle of Crecy, so when I heard that he was writing a new book about the Hundred Years’ War, I was intrigued. I wanted to see what new information he could provide for a conflict that has been discussed heavily for centuries.

Livingston delivers with a plethora of information. He begins by explaining that the term Hundred Years’ War came from a French textbook in 1823. We often think that it began when King Philippe VI of France declared English lands forfeit on May 24, 1337, so King Edward III declared that he was the rightful king of France; and the end of the war was when the French seized the city of Bordeaux on October 19, 1453. However, Livingston argues that the war began in 1292 and ended in 1492, which means it was a two-hundred-year war. Livingston then goes into explaining the origins of France and England to explain how on earth they even got to a state of strife.

While the study of the conflict between France and England tends to focus on these countries, Livingston expands his view to include a pirate war between English and Norman merchants, wars in Portugal, the Burgundian Wars, fights between England, Scotland, and Wales, peasant revolts of all varieties, and wars with the Flemish. We also see a few civil wars in both France and England, including the Wars of the Roses. There are also colorful characters, including a couple of mad kings, the Black Prince, Henry V, Joan of Arc, William Wallace, earls and dukes of every variety, knights who were loyal to a fault, queens who fought for their families, heiresses fighting for their land rights, and a ton of family squabbles. And of course, Livingston focuses on the battles that defined the period, including Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt, and Orleans, as well as lesser-known battles that helped shift the momentum for either side. Livingston can provide such vivid details that it feels like you are on the battlefield, even when it comes to the more obscure battles.

In my opinion, Livingston is one of the finest medieval military historians right now, and this is his magnum opus. I learned so much by reading this book that it kind of redefined what I think of the Hundred Years’ War. This is one of the best books I have read this year. If you want a book about medieval Europe that will challenge your way of thinking about one of the biggest conflicts of the age, I highly recommend you read “Bloody Crowns: A New History of the Hundred Years War” by Michael Livingston.

Guest Post: “Ines de Castro” by Catherine Mathis

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Today, I am pleased to welcome Catherine Mathis to my blog to discuss Ines de Castro, the main protagonist of her novel, “Ines,” the first book in her Queens of Portugal trilogy. I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Catherine Mathis for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Inês resides more in our imaginations than in fact. She lived, had children, and died. 

Her family came from Galicia, in the northwest of Spain, where the famous city of Santiago de Compostela is located. Her father was a powerful noble, Pedro Fernãndez de Castro. Her mother, a noblewoman of Portuguese antecedents, was the mistress of her father. Her birth was illegitimate, which narrowed many of the choices available in her social class. She had kings in her lineage. Her parents also had a son, Alvaro. It is recorded that Alvaro became a good friend of the Pedro in this tale. 

Some accounts say she was raised in Portugal, and others in Castile. Inés could have been a young woman serving in the court of Portugal. But the legend says she came from Castile with Constanza, who married Portugal’s Infante Pedro. Coming with Constanza feels more probable because they were cousins and knew each other. If the legend is true that she and Pedro fell in love quickly, then the odds fall on the side to say their first knowledge of each other was a sudden arrival at court, not her growing up there. 

What comes down in the legend is her blonde hair and long neck, neither particular markers of great beauty in medieval Portugal. Yet, she is held out as a beauty. In those days, a high forehead was greatly prized, so women plucked their hair to make their foreheads taller. Did Inês? Probably – what young woman does not follow current fashion?  

There are no paintings or drawings for most people at this time. Pedro did leave us with an incredible gift, their sarcophagi. He was instrumental in their design. This is how Pedro remembers Inês. 

(Effigy of Inês. © Alcobaça Abbey, Portugal.) 

My underlying belief for Inês is that her beauty stems partly from appearance and partly from personality. I see her as easy to talk with, an attentive listener, and someone who gives you her full attention. She is loyal. She is determined. 

Most of all, Inês is true to herself. She is likely just 14- or 15-years old when she arrives on the scene. We know nothing of her years beforehand. I expect she could read and write as well as stitch and hunt, all skills of a medieval noblewoman. I believe that having suffered the shame of her birth, she desired the life of a legitimately married woman. She would eschew being mistress of any man, even the heir to the throne. Combine her marriage goal with her loyalty to her cousin Constanza, Pedro’s wife, and just sleeping with Pedro was out of the question. When you are marked young with an unfortunate circumstance, the power of motivation to alter the course of your life is strong. She will suffer for her choices, losing the trust of the king and being exiled. Repeatedly, the crown of Portugal throws obstacles in her way, and she perseveres. 

Then comes the day when Pedro plays his part. A widower, he holds out the promise of marriage. No one sees her as fit to be a queen. Of course, there is political intrigue involving her brothers. Life is never simple when you are in the orbit of the royal family. She loves children. She cares for her cousin’s children and her own with recorded affection. 

She is the glue of the story. In the novel, she is caught between two men, one whom she is unworthy to wed and one who repels her. When she rejects the king’s trusted adviser, Gonçalves, his hurt turns to jealous anger. “If I cannot have her, then no man can.” Who will the king trust, his son or his adviser? The choices she makes have dire consequences for our protagonist and antagonist.

Blurb:     

An heir to the throne, a gorgeous blonde lady-in-waiting, the king’s trusted advisor. When a father and son don’t understand each other, the son pays an outrageous price. 

Love, jealousy, loyalty, and revenge roil the court of 14th-century Portugal. 

In this engrossing launch to the Queens of Portugal trilogy, Catherine Mathis gives a fresh take on the tale of Pedro and Inês, Portugal’s real-life Romeo and Juliet. Pedro’s father would not have been king if not for his trusted advisor, Gonçalves. Once king, he wants no part in neighboring Castile’s royal convulsions, though his son, Pedro, befriends powerful Castilians. 

The all-consuming drive of the king is to ensure his line rules Portugal for centuries to come. He needs legitimate, strong heirs. The Infante Pedro loves a woman not deemed worthy to wear the crown as queen. Between father and son is Gonçalves, the king’s powerful, unquestioned counselor, who is a mentor to the son. Both Gonçalves and Pedro seek the attention of Inês. 

There is a horrific cost to winning the love of Inês. She will not release her grip on Pedro until he keeps the two sworn oaths he made to her. Can Pedro do the impossible to satisfy Inês? 

Inês is based on real people and events, exploring a cultural touchstone of Portuguese history. 

Praise for Inês: 

“Mathis masterfully weaves emotional depth into the narrative, creating a deeply engaging experience that leaves a lasting impression and invites readers on an unforgettable journey through the grandeur and intrigue of Portugal’s past.”
~ Mary Anne Yarde, The Coffee Pot Book Club 5* Review 

“This exciting start to the Queens of Portugal trilogy describes the legendary love story of Pedro and Inês, and I was amazed at the excellent storytelling and how the author brings the courts to life. There is a lot of drama and intrigue, and the characters’ emotions are beautifully captured in this engrossing tale.”
~ Readers’ Favorite 5* Review 

 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:   https://books2read.com/u/br8OBY  

Author Bio: 

Catherine Mathis was born in Berlin, the daughter of an American spy. As she grew up in Washington, D.C., her spy father turned into a drug enforcement agent. His career change wrecked any chance at high school popularity. She graduated from Sewanee | The University of the South with a degree in history focused on the medieval period. After a career in finance, she returned to her first love of medieval history to ‘Share Iberian Tales.’ Outside of writing, spare time joys are family, friends, reading, collecting folk/outsider art, and travel. 

Author Links: 

Website:  www.catherinemathis.com  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100007239702480  

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

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Catherine-Mathis/author/B0F7FZHJ9T  

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6987876.Catherine_Mathis 

Book Review: “The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court” by Susan Abernethy

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews4 Comments

Throughout European history, we tend to think about the countries as a whole when it comes to the political sphere of influence. We think of the big countries like France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and England as having the most impact, but we have to consider that during the Middle Ages, duchies held immense power. Take, for example, the Duchy of Burgundy, also known as the Burgundian Empire. It was a part of France, but that does not mean that the dukes stayed on the side of the French. The Burgundians used their influence to expand and marry into the medieval European families, affecting European history as a whole. While we tend to focus on the Dukes of Burgundy, we should be paying attention to the women of this duchy. That is why Susan Abernethy chose to focus on these women in her latest book, “The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed Susan Abernethy’s first book about Catherine of Braganza. When I heard that she was writing a book about medieval Burgundian women, I was intrigued. I know a little bit about historical figures connected to Burgundy, but I didn’t know much about the history of the duchy itself, so I was excited to learn more.

Abernethy begins by giving her readers a brief history of how Burgundy became a kingdom and a duchy of France. While the history of Burgundy is extensive, we are mainly focusing on the Valois Dukes of Burgundy and the women in their lives. The Valois Dukes of Burgundy were Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good, and Charles the Bold. While this is primarily about the women of Burgundy, it is important to understand the political and military landscape that these women had to deal with in Burgundy and other countries during this time.

The bulk of this book focuses on the women of the Burgundian empire, starting with Margaret of England, Duchess of Brabant, in the 13th century, and ending with Queen Juana of Castile, in the 16th century. We get to hear stories about duchesses and queens, countesses and diplomats, and even a saint. They had to deal with wars, international diplomacy, family drama, and husbands who were not faithful. There were some familiar figures like Mary of Guelders, Queen of Scots, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy, and Margaret of Austria, but the majority of these women were new to me, which was very exciting.

It’s a lot of ground to cover, but Abernethy has a way of telling the stories of women comprehensively. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Burgundy and these extraordinary women who made the duchy an empire. If you are someone who wants to learn about the Duchy of Burgundy, I would recommend you read “The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage at the Burgundian Court” by Susan Abernethy.