Tag: Mary Lawrence

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘Fool’ by Mary Lawrence”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Mary Lawrence to my blog today to share a snippet from her latest novel, “Fool.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Mary Lawrence for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Snippet

I expected to be an object of curiosity—what dwarf leading a costumed goat into town wouldn’t be? Plenty of townsfolk stopped in their steps to gawp. Women stared, kept a wide berth, while children laughed and pointed. Men, however… 

As if my size were a challenge to their manhood. But as I thought more on it later, I believe I was a challenge to their sense of convention. Most had probably never seen a smidge of a human. I think some considered me an insult, a queeb, Satan’s fart. I led Hazel to the conduit and stood by while she drank. One child was attracted to Hazel’s colourful harness and approached to stroke her back. 

“She likes to be scratched here,” I said, showing him the spot between her shoulder blades.  

“I like your goat,” he said. He concentrated on rubbing Hazel, then looked at me and tilted his head. “You look strange,” he said.  

“I am a dwarf,” I answered. “I’m not strange, I’m just built differently from you.”  

Blurb:  

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.  

From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival. 

“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.“–Goodreads Ecostell 

Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power. 

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely. 

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it. 

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked, and he’s ready to use that to his advantage. 

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool. 

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory 

 

Praise for Fool: 

“Vividly written and grounded in scrupulous research, Fool captures both the dark comedy and lethal danger of Henry VIII’s court.” 

~ Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown and The Blue 

“A masterclass in immersive storytelling.” 

~ Tony Riches, author of the best-selling Tudor Trilogy 

 

“A thoughtful and unsparing Tudor novel that reframes the court jester not as comic ornament but as a precarious witness to power.” 

~ Megan Parker for IndieReader 

Buy Links: 

Author’s Universal Buy Link: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com/linktree  

Amazon Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/479KQ8  

Author Bio: 

Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard mysteries, a 5-book series that takes place in the slums of Tudor London, featuring the daughter of an infamous alchemist. Suspense Magazine named The Alchemist’s Daughter and The Alchemist of Lost Souls best historical mysteries of 2015 and 2017. 

Her writing has been published in several journals, including The Daily Beast. When she is not writing, she tends a small berry farm in Maine with her husband and creates artisanal jams for sale at market. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.marylawrencebooks.com  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence.author/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marylawrence.author  

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mel59lawrence  

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-lawrence  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-Lawrence/author/B00N7JSO5Y  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/84420.Mary_Lawrence  

 

Book Review: “Fool” by Mary Lawrence

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Being a fool in any royal court can be dangerous, but being a fool in the court in King Henry VIII’s court could be deadly. While you could enjoy performing for royalty, you could also learn secrets about those close to the throne, secrets that have deadly consequences. Kronos knows this all too well. Born disabled, Kronos must navigate his way through prejudice to find his place in society. How did Kronos become the fool to King Henry VIII, and what secret threatens his life? Mary Lawrence explores what life must have been like for a fool in the tumultuous court of Henry VIII in her novel, “Fool.”

I would like to thank Red Puddle Print and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have read a few novels that have featured Henry VIII’s most famous fool, Will Somers, so when I saw the premise for this novel, it intrigued me. I like looking at the court of Henry VIII through the eyes of those who might have worked behind the scenes.

Kronos was not an actual fool of Henry VIII’s court, but his story reflects how real fools like Will Somers, Patch, and Jane the Fool must have felt dealing with prejudices at court. Kronos was born with dwarfism and was dropped off at Thetford Priory, where the brothers raised him. At the Priory, he learns medicine from Brother Ulric. Kronos also picks up the skill of juggling, which will become his skill when he becomes a fool. He is satisfied with not becoming a novice for a while, and then he meets Bess Holland, a young noblewoman whom he helps heal from an illness. Kronos becomes infatuated with the young noblewoman, which was a little weird to read at times.

After an incident at the Priory with a maid, Kronos leaves the Priory and begins to look for his own place in the world. He joins a travelling circus troupe, where he becomes a better juggler. He gains a reputation that lands him in the court of Henry VIII, but it is not all glitz and glam. Kronos soon learns that keeping a secret will have deadly consequences. Kronos is maimed, on the brink of death, but although he is brought to an apothecary, he soon learns that his rescuers may have darker plans for the fool.

Overall, I thought this was a decent novel. There was something about Kronos that made it hard for me to connect with him. I think the novel was well written and understood the Tudor world pretty well. If you want a darker look at what life was like for a fool in the court of King Henry VIII, I think you should check out “Fool” by Mary Lawrence.