Mistress of the Sea Review

Mistress of the Seas

Jenny Barden

Publisher: Ebury

Mistress Cooksley may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but she blushes at my words and meets my eyes look for look. Yet I cannot hope to court her without fortune, and a dalliance with a pretty maid will not hinder me from my path. Captain Drake's endeavour might bring me gold, but I, Will Doonan, will have my revenge. 
The Spaniards captured my brother and have likely tortured and killed him. For God and St George, we'll strike at the dogs and see justice done. I thought I'd left Mistress Cooksley behind to gamble everything and follow Drake, and here she is playing the boy at the ends of the world. She's a fool with a heart as brave as any man's. Yet her presence here could be the ruin of us all...

Ellyn Cooksley is fed up of everyone expecting her to choose between two very boring and dull suitors and get married. Especially when the only man who makes her heart flutter is the frustrating Will Doonan, who has just signed up with Sir Francis Drake to find Spanish gold in the New World. So she sneaks aboard Drake’s ship dressed as a boy, not expecting to find herself so far from all she knows amongst pirates, escaped slaves, and the Spanish...

It’s a pleasure to find a historical fiction novel set in Tudor times that doesn’t focus on royalty and the English court. Not that the court hi-jinks aren’t fascinating but variety is the spice of life! Ellyn is the daughter of a merchant trader so has a slight advantage in that she has options in who she can marry but the limits of class at the time still means she can’t follow her heart. So instead she follows her father to sea and finds herself in the Spanish Caribbean.

I have mixed thoughts about this story...I liked Ellyn as a leading lady – she had quick wit and an independence that was unusual in that day and age. However, after a spirited start she spends a lot of time waiting for Will to come and rescue her. Will I had plenty of issues with as he never really put Ellyn first – he was not much of a hero to her really. It’s difficult to fully enjoy a historical romance if you don’t like one of the leading characters.

The story of Drake’s adventures in the Caribbean is fascinating and I really liked the battles and adventures they have - in fact I wish a lot more time had been spent on that rather descriptions of Ellyn’s days on various islands. There was a lot of waiting especially as the story takes place over three years and that slowed down the pace. However, the atmosphere and historical detail is vibrant and exhilarating and I would interesting in the next book Jenny Barden writes!

Recommended for fans of Philippa Gregory and Anne O’Brien. 7 out of 10

Early Review: His Dark Lady

His Dark Lady

Victoria Lamb

Publisher: Bantam Press

London, 1583. When young, aspiring playwright William Shakespeare encounters Lucy Morgan, one of Queen Elizabeth I's ladies-in-waiting, the two fall passionately in love. He declares Lucy the inspiration for his work, but what secret is Will hiding from his muse? Meanwhile, Lucy has her own secret - and one that could destroy her world if exposed...

Set in the 1580s when Queen Elizabeth was aging fast, this is an intriguing mix of politics, spy thriller and romance. There are three main storylines that intertwine.  Elizabeth is an aging monarch terrified of losing those she loves but still unable to commit. Her throne is being threatened by Catholic plots within England and by Spanish ambition abroad. I loved this portrayal of an older woman who can’t forget the love she has for Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and is bitterly jealous of his wife and child but at the same time is utterly unable to give him what he wants. Many books portray the younger Elizabeth and her route to the throne but this picture of a Queen with very human failings and faults.

Working to help secure her throne is one of Walsingham’s spy’s Master Goodluck – who is anything but lucky. He goes undercover as a Catholic priest and comes across betrayal within the spy-ring. His adventure is the most adventurous – in fact he seems to be chased or fighting most of the time. The final thread is Lucy Morgan, the black skinned court singer who captures the eye and lust of a certain Mr Will Shakespeare.  I have to admit of all the characters Lucy frustrated me the most. She throws herself into a relationship with Will, with little thought and on very little time spent together. I wanted her to have a little backbone and not act so foolish! Especially as Will does not behave towards her particularly well – despite getting upset when people call her a whore, he does seem to treat her as such. That said, Lucy’s naivety is understandable and most of the blame must be put on the fair-weather player himself, Mr Shakespeare. I just wanted to protect Lucy from him!  

The romance may have fallen a little flat for me, but luckily there is plenty else to relish. I loved the politics and emotional tempests of the Queen. I enjoyed the action and spy elements of Master GoodLuck. And the writing was wonderfully atmospheric and places you right in the middle of sixteenth century London. There is a lot of background knowledge of the theatres and London’s Cheapside at that time which helps build a picture of the era without overwhelming.

Recommended for fans of Phillippa Gregory and Anne O’Brien. 8 out of 10

PS come back tomorrow for a chance to read a wonderful guestpost from the author herself, Victoria Lamb plus I have 3 copies of His Dark Lady to giveaway!!

The Queen's Secret Review

The Queen’s Secret

- Victoria Lamb

Publisher:  Bantam

Elizabeth I, Queen of England, arrives at Kenilworth Castle amid pomp, fanfare and a wealth of lavish festivities laid on by the Earl of Leicester. The hopeful Earl knows this is his very last chance to persuade the Queen to marry him. Yet despite his attachment to the Queen and his driving ambition to be her King, Leicester is unable to resist the seductive wiles of Lettice, wife of the Earl of Essex. And soon whispers of their relationship start spreading through the court. Enraged by the adulterous lovers' growing intimacy, Elizabeth employs Lucy Morgan, a young black singer and court entertainer, to spy on the couple. But Lucy, who was raised by a spy in London, uncovers far more than she bargains for. For someone at Kenilworth that summer is plotting to kill the queen. No longer able to tell friend from foe, it is soon not only the queen who is in mortal danger - but Lucy herself.

I’ve always been a bit of a history and the Tudor period holds a certain fascination for me (and most of the UK), so I was happy to receive this book as part of the Transworld Historical Challenge. Set in the middle part of Elizabeth I’s reign during her summer progress, The Queen’s Secret tells the story of a young black entertainer and how she gets caught up in political and romantic intrigue at court. Lucy Morgan is young, brave and naïve – all perfect characteristics for manipulation by the Queen and her favourite, Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. However, it’s not just romance that is on the courts mind this summer – foreign Catholics have sworn to return England to the faith and there are always those who believe Elizabeth’s claim to the throne is weak…

This was a relatively unknown period of Tudor history for me – and I enjoyed exploring an era a little less travelled. The long running relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley, is fascinating. She truly seems to love him, but refuses to marry him – not trusting his ambition if she made him King. Added to the mix is Lettice Knollys, the Countess of Essex and Elizabeth’s Cousin, younger, more beautiful and also in love with Dudley. This was my favourite aspect to the story as I felt for both women. Neither were the most innocent of people but flawed and more fascinating for this. Lucy is caught in the middle of this love triangle as Dudley spots her and sponsors her at court as the queen’s songbird. Lucy is a very likeable character, but I confess I couldn’t understand her loyalty to Dudley – he just seemed to be using her without a care for what she was risking. However, her youthful naivety and joy at the simple things in life was an interesting facet to the Tudor court. Lucy’s guardian Goodluck was intriguing and would have liked to know more about him – and why he took in Lucy when her mother died.

The descriptions of the scenery, entertainments, food and lavish lifestyle enjoyed by the court are absorbing and vivid. Victoria Lamb’s writing is instantly gripping and engaging, taking the reader on a whirlwind visit to the sixteenth century and a different time. The historical setting was a pleasant change from my recent reading habits and I’m glad that more novels featuring Lucy Morgan will be written as there were some tantalising plot ends left hanging. This would appealing to those who historical romance based on real characters – and those who don’t mind a little bit of intrigue in their stories.

Recommended for fans of Phillippa Gregory and Alison Weir. 8 out of 10