Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Prisoner of the Queen Blog Tour: Review

Publication Date: July 2014
Knight Media, LLC
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Series: Tales From the Tudor Court
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis From Goodreads:


I have served three queens in my life. One was my sister, one was my savior, and one my bitterest enemy.

Knowing she was seen as a threat to the Queen she served, Lady Katherine Grey, legitimate heir to the throne, longs only for the comfort of a loving marriage and a quiet life far from the intrigue of the Tudor court. After seeing her sister become the pawn of their parents and others seeking royal power and then lose their lives for it, she is determined to avoid the vicious struggles over power and religion that dominate Queen Elizabeth’s court. Until she finds love—then Kat is willing to risk it all, even life in prison.


 So What Did I Think About The Story?:


There are few things I like better than a well told Tudor historical! There are so many angles to take and interpretations to present that show the many players and many sides in this political viper’s nest. While Jane Grey, the 9 days queen, is a key player in many novels surrounding the Tudor court her younger sisters, Katherine and Mary Grey, are usually relegated to the sidelines. Ms. Knight’s Prisoner of the Queen places Katherine front and center, letting her tell her heavy story of great love and much loss.
I have to say that I could not help but love Katharine! Sweet, generous and often innocently naïve, Katherine wants nothing more than to devote herself to helping others less fortunate and to find a marriage match based in true love and safety, something she has rarely seen among those of her class. But being a princess of the blood means many others – including her own cruel and unloving parents – will use her as a pawn in the dangerous game of power that always looms heavy around the throne. Seeing her sister beheaded by their own cousin, Queen Mary, for doing nothing more than being the unwitting recipient of the crown placed on her head by men who wished to rule through her, Katherine learns quickly she wants nothing of it. But everyone is suspicious of her and she can’t be sure who she can trust as she carefully slides around those jealous of her beauty and kindness, no one more than her other cousin, Queen Elizabeth. But don’t let her kindness deceive you! Katherine’s spine is all steel under her elaborate finery and she will let no one – not even the Queen – keep her from having the true love she finds in Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford.  She will live for her heart, regardless of the consequences. How can you not root for a woman like that?!

Elizabeth is portrayed as a nasty, vengeful young woman and, eventually, Queen. While she seeks the love of her subjects she is refused the passion and love of a man of her own, making her bitter and jealous of anyone else having it. She plays quite the loathsome villain with all her arrogant, vicious and hypocritical ways. I kept thinking a glimmer of heart would shimmer through all that cold and calculation but she proved to be too damaged and scarred to see beyond her selfishness and fear. The gilding on this glamorous court and its people is thoroughly stripped off and what is left is the defensiveness and cunning of a group of people always living on the line between greatness and destruction.

Even with this wonderful character development my favorite aspect of the novel would still be the elaborate descriptive style. The reader is so effectively saturated in period details and descriptions that they can almost hear the wind rustling the elaborately embroidered dresses and feel the abject fear flowing through Katherine’s royal blood. I felt completely transported into her world and wanted her to find the peace and happiness she so longed for – even as I knew her story couldn’t possibly end that way – as if she was a real friend of mine.

Prisoner of the Queen is top shelf historical fiction. Anyone as addicted to Tudor history as I am will love escaping into this heartbreaking yet touching look at a woman taking her own life into her hands and making her own choices despite what tragedies may come.
 

So What Did I Think About The Cover?:


I really like it! While the woman on the cover isn't exactly the picture of Katherine I had in my head I love her dress and the color scheme. I also enjoy the bare wall behind her, making me think of Katherine trapped in the Tower of London.
 

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

 
Thank you to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for providing me with a free copy of Prisoner of the  Queen in exchange for an honest review! Be sure to continue below for more information about the author and the book tour.



About The Author

 
E. Knight is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America and severalwww.historyundressed.com). Under the pseudonym Eliza Knight, she is a bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author of historical and erotic romance.

For more information please visit E. Knight’s website and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
RWA affiliate writing chapters: Hearts Through History, Celtic Hearts, Maryland Romance Writers and Washington Romance Writers. Growing up playing in castle ruins and traipsing the halls of Versailles when visiting her grandparents during the summer, instilled in a love of history and royals at an early age. Feeding her love of history, she created the popular historical blog, History Undressed (

 

Tales From The Tudor Court Series


Book One: My Lady Viper
Book Two: Prisoner of the Queen

Prisoner of the Queen Blog Tour Schedule


Monday, September 15

Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Tuesday, September 16

Review & Giveaway at JulzReads
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Wednesday, September 17

Review at Just One More Chapter
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, September 18
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Spotlight at Historical Fiction Connection

Friday, September 19
Guest Post at What Is That Book About

Monday, September 22
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Interview & Giveaway at The Tudor Enthusiast

Tuesday, September 23
Review at Book Nerd
Review at Historical Tapestry

Wednesday, September 24
Review at leeanna.me
Spotlight & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Thursday, September 25
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at Curling Up By the Fire

Friday, September 26
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, September 29
Review at Book Drunkard
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, September 30
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Wednesday, October 1
Review at Caroline Wilson Writes
Review at 100 Pages a Day – Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Thursday, October 2
Review & Excerpt at Romantic Historical Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Friday, October 3
Review at The True Book Addict
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee





3 comments:

  1. This sounds another good Tudor historical fiction read. Thanks for the review.

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    Replies
    1. It was wonderful, Mystica! There is going to be a Facebook launch party tonight for the book and I believe there will be chances to win a copy so you should check it out! Here is the link to the information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1536262656610601/1537707493132784/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity.

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  2. I have not read the book yet, so I will not comment on its handling of the history. However, let's just make it clear that Lady Jane was all into the conspiracy to take the throne after the death of Queen Mary. In addition, there were many conspiracies. I also think that the author exaggerated QEI quite a bit. Now to the cover. Horrible! The dress is NOT Tudor, it is mid-18th century, Georgian.

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