#BlogTour: The Lady Of The Ravens by Joanna Hickson @joannahickson @HarperFiction @annecater #TheLadyOfTheRavens #RandomThingsTours

Book Synopsis:

Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII.

Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, as conspiracy whispers through the dark corridors of the Tower.

Through Joan’s eyes, The Lady of the Ravens inhabits the squalid streets of Tudor London, the imposing walls of its most fearsome fortress and the glamorous court of a kingdom in crisis.

The Lady Of The Ravens is published on the 9th of January 2020 in ebook and hardback. You can pre-order your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, particularly books set in the Tudor era, so this book really appealed to me.

I hadn’t read much about Joan Vaux before so I found it very interesting to learn more about her story. I really liked Joan who came across as a very clever, honest lady who doesn’t take herself too seriously which made me warm to her. I also liked her husband Richard who underneath everything was a lovely, kind man whose love and loyalty to his family shined through. I enjoyed reading about the two of them throughout the book.

There is some amazing historical details in this book which helps make the era come to life. I especially enjoyed all the vivid descriptions of the big events like the coronation and Henry’s marriage to Elizabeth which made me feel like I was actually there watching everything unfold. The author has clearly done her research and I liked the way she managed to blend the historical facts into the story making it really come to life.

The novel is set in and around the tower of London which I found fascinating as I don’t remember reading many books set there. The presence of the ravens made the book stand out to me and I liked learning more about the myths surrounding them. They also added a bit of a dark, almost gothic feel to the book as it felt like they were always watching and waiting!

Overall I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very absorbing and intriguing. The author paints a bleak picture of life at that time and all the dangers that were around then. I found myself feeling very glad that I didn’t live then especially, as a woman I think I’d have had a hard time.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book. If you’re a fan of author’s like Philippa Gregory then you’ll enjoy this book as the styles are similar.

About The Author:

Joanna Hickson spent twenty five years presenting and producing News and Arts programmes for the BBC. Her first published book was a children’s historical novel Rebellion at Orford Castle but more recently she has turned to adult fiction, concentrating on bringing fifteenth century English history and some of its fascinating principal characters to life.

She is married with a large family and gets inspiration from her Wiltshire farmhouse home, which dates back to her chosen period.