Book Synopsis:
The new historical novel from Philippa Gregory, the Number One bestselling author of Tidelands and Dark Tides.
In a divided country, power and loyalty conquer all…
It is 1685 and England is on the brink of a renewed civil war against the Stuart kings with many families bitterly divided. Alinor, now a successful businesswoman, has been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save Queen Mary from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant.
Inspired by news of a rebellion against the Stuart kings, Ned Ferryman returns from America with his Pokanoket servant to join the uprising against roman catholic King James. As Ned swears loyalty to the charismatic Duke of Monmouth, he discovers a new and unexpected love
Meanwhile, Queen Mary summons her friend Livia to a terrified court. Her survival, and that of the Stuart kings, is in the balance, and only a clever and dangerous gamble can save them…
A compelling and powerful story of political intrigue and personal ambition, set between the palaces of London, the tidelands of Fowlmire and the shores of Barbados.
My Review:
Philippa Gregory is an automatic pre-order for me as I absolutely love her books. She has this amazing ability to bring history to life and shine the spotlight on some fascinating historical figures.
It’s been great to follow the family throughout the generations and watching what women had to do to survive. This time we follow the lovely Alinor as she becomes a grandmother and meet the detestable, selfish Livia who’s trying to involve the family in a plot to install an imposter Prince Of Wales. I loved to hate Livia who was a seemingly glamorous lady but was truly heartless in her actions and uncaring about how they might impact others.
The author does a great job of setting the scene in this book and I always love learning more about how people lived in the 17th Century. I enjoyed learning more about the social and political scene there as that side of history always intrigued me. There are battles of course but they are mentioned in passing rather than in a lot of description.
Overall I loved this book and I’m sad that this series has come to an end. I found the book hard to put down as in typical Philippa Gregory style there always seemed to be something happening to keep me thoroughly absorbed in the story. This is the last book in the trilogy but I think you could easily read it as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. If you’re a fan of historical fiction I highly recommend this book.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
PHILIPPA GREGORY is one of the world’s foremost historical novelists. She wrote her first ever novel, Wideacre, when she was completing her PhD in eighteenth-century literature and it sold worldwide, heralding a new era for historical fiction.
Her flair for blending history and imagination developed into a signature style and Philippa went on to write many bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl and The White Queen.
Now a recognised authority on women’s history, Philippa graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck University of London.
Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Nielsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output.
She welcomes visitors to her site http://www.PhilippaGregory.com.
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