Book Review - The Breaking Dawn

 
I am so excited today because I am back in my beloved Dark Ages with Jayne Castel The Breaking Dawn.

I love reading books by other authors in this era and Jayne Castel writes so passionately about her area of interest. She bases her stories on actual 7th Century historical figures and the protagonist of The Breaking Dawn is Cynddylan ap Cyndrwyn - the Prince of Powys (Wales).

Let's waste no time and have a quick look at the story.

Summer AD 641, Mercia, Britannia

Merwenna of Weyham's betrothed has gone to war. He promises her that he will return and when he does they will be married. But the months drag on and there is no word. She fears the worst, but she cannot wait any longer to find out his fate. She travels with her brother to Tamworth - the seat of Penda, the Mercian King - and their liege lord - only to discover that she is too late and her betrothed is dead.

Lord, Prince Cynddylan (Dylan to his friends) has allied himself with the King of Mercia. But the alliance is fragile and he is wary, for he trusts Penda about as far as he could throw him.

Dylan remembers Merwenna betrothed and it is he that breaks the news to her that the man she thought to marry is dead.

Dylan is attracted to Merwenna from first sight, but she is grieving and a peasant whereas he is a warrior who will, when he returns to Powys, be crowned King.

Fate intervenes and Merwenna finds herself at the mercy of Dylan. She does not fear for her life so much as she fears for her heart, because there is something about this Welsh prince that she cannot resist.

But dark forces are plotting against the Prince. Merwenna is determined not to lose another man she loves to war. She will do everything in her power to protect him, the way he once protected her.

So what are my thoughts on the book?

The Breaking Dawn is a beautiful historical romance set in one of my favourite periods. Castel paints a vivid picture of Mercia in the 7th Century. It is very easy to get lost in the world that she has created.

The Breaking Dawn has all the ingredients for a great romance story. The only issue I really had with it was how quickly Merwenna seemed to get over the death of her betrothal. She clearly loved him, and risked her father’s anger to find him, and when she discovers that he is dead, she weeps and grieves and thinks her life is over. However, one minute she is crying and the next she finds herself in the arms of a prince - it all happens rather suddenly. Although, she can be forgiven for this... I think any woman would find it difficult to keep her head when Dylan is around!

The romantic tension between the protagonists is very well written. I would go as far to say it is one of the most believable relationships that I have read about in the last six months. It is beautiful.

The story is fast moving and a real page-turner. I started reading it before I went to bed, but I set the alarm early so I could finish it before breakfast. It is one of those books.

I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

If you love historical romances then you will not be disappointed in The Breaking Dawn. Although be warned - this is the type of book where you need to find yourself a couple of hours of solitude, turn off your phone, make yourself a hot chocolate and curl up under a blanket next to a warm fire - because you are not going to want to put this book down.

 

Kindle

Paperback

About the author

JAYNE CASTEL writes Early Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England.

Two of her novels DARK UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT and NIGHTFALL TILL DAYBREAK, reached the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards in 2013 and 2014.

Jayne writes historical romance adventures about warrior heroes and strong-willed heroines. She weaves powerful love stories into meticulously researched stories about honor, valor, loyalty and vengeance.

Her KINGDOM OF THE EAST ANGLES series spans a decade and the reigns of three kings: Raedwald, Sigeberht and Annan. The series is a 'must-read' for anyone who loves reading historical romance set in a warrior-dominated culture.

 

The Du Lac Chronicles - Book Cover Reveal

I am so excited. I finally have the cover for The Du Lac Chronicles to share with you. I really hope you like it.

A generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring kingdoms and principalities.

Eighteen-year-old Alden du Lac ruled the tiny kingdom of Cerniw. Now he half-hangs from a wooden pole, his back lashed into a mass of bloody welts exposed to the cold of a cruel winter night. He’s to be executed come daybreak—should he survive that long.

When Alden notices the shadowy figure approaching, he assumes death has come to end his pain. Instead, the daughter of his enemy, Cerdic of Wessex, frees and hides him, her motives unclear.

Annis has loved Alden since his ill-fated marriage to her Saxon cousin—a marriage that ended in blood and guilt—and she would give anything to protect him. Annis’s rescue of Alden traps them between a brutal Saxon king and Alden’s remaining allies. Meanwhile, unknown forces are carefully manipulating the ruins of Arthur’s legacy.

"Just as you think everything's taken a turn for the better, something else crops up to completely change the direction of the tale - Gripping." The History Cupboard.

 

The Du Lac Chronicles is due for release early 2016. If you would like to keep up to date with my latest news then please sign up for my mailing list here. 

Book Review - The Doom Assigned: King Richard III in Victory

Book Review time....Yay!


Once again I find myself reading about the House of Plantagenet (1126 - 1485). The Plantagenet's gave us some of the most famed British monarchs of all time, as well as a few controversial ones as well! The Plantagenet reign came to an end on the 22 August 1485, when King Richard III was killed by the Lancastrian Army, lead by Henry Tudor, at Bosworth Fields.

On the face of it, Henry Tudor and his army should not have won at Bosworth, he was outnumbered. But Richard had an adder in his nest - also known as William Stanley - who betrayed his king and placed Henry Tudor on the throne of England and the rest, as they say, is history. But I often wondered what would have happened if Richard had won?


Author, Richard Unwin, has asked himself that very same question in his book, The Doom Assigned: King Richard III in Victory, (I am going to call it The Doom Assigned from now on).

I have read several articles written by Richard Unwin, and he takes a very different view to what historians commonly agree on as to what happened that fateful day in August. He has come to the conclusion that although Stanley may well have wanted to betray the king, the common people who were under his command, would not have taken a sword against their regal monarch in favour of a foreign invader. He believes that when Stanley finally joined the battle, he was in fact, coming to the aid of Richard. The Kings Army, seeing Stanley’s regiments charging towards them, thought, mistakenly, that they had been betrayed. 


Back to the book…
The Doom Assigned is an alternative history. A history in which Richard III's army does not make this disastrous mistake, instead they welcome the help from Stanley, and the fields at Bosworth is theirs.


I have not read an alternative history for a very long time. I believe the last one I read was Robert Harris, Fatherland, so I was looking forward to read The Doom Assigned.

After I got over my initial - that is not what happened -  chanting voice that seemed to be racing around my head, I began to enjoy it.


The story follows the - I want to say fortunes and misfortunes, but it is more like...that was lucky, incredibly lucky, and that's a stupid thing to do, don't do that again - adventures of a young squire, Robert de la Halle, the son of the king’s armourer. 



After the victory of Bosworth, Richard orders the Lancastrian's traitors, and those awful Tudors, to be hunted down and brought to justice. This war would end…for once and for all. Richard demands peace for the rest of his reign.


Robert finds himself in the thick of the action and he seems to inadvertently invite trouble. He certainly does not seek glory; his only wish is to serve his king to the best of his abilities.

The story takes you from shores of Morecombe Bay, to the siege of Pembroke Castle where the traitorous Jasper Tudor, has taken refuge. You experience the court of the King of Portugal and the struggles of a squire who has been awarded the dilapidated Staunton Manor. You find yourself immersed in bloody battles, both on land and at sea. Young Robert, also struggles with family secrets and first love, as well as a very naughty monkey - yes, I said a monkey - Robert learns a valuable lesson...one should never take a monkey hunting and drugging the said monkey is probably not such a good idea.


King Richard is determined to bring order to his kingdom, and to make the people of his kingdom love him. But Lady Margaret Stanley is intent upon revenge and threatens to destroy everything that Richard is working so hard to achieve.


When I started reading The Doom Assigned, I did not realise it was part of a series, thankfully it is a stand alone book. I did not, at any point, feel that I needed to read the other books that came before, in order to understand what was going on.


Richard Unwin historical knowledge is staggering. It is very clear from his writing that he has researched his area of interest well. He is very descriptive in his writing, however, sometimes I felt a little overwhelmed by this and I wasn't really that interested in what they were wearing or the genealogy of certain characters, who were not, I felt, that important to the story. For me, this slowed a perfectly good story down, and make no mistakes I thought the story was great. I really enjoyed it. The demise of Henry Tudor was breathtakingly haunting and it is one of those images that will stay with me for a long time.


Robert is a believable character, who is young, a little naive, courageous and very loyal to his king. I liked him, and it was nice to read a story from this era that was not from a highly born nobles perspective.

The epilogue was a pleasant surprise and I love the way the author has thought long and hard about what would have happened to the royal family if Richard had held on to the throne of England.

The Doom Assigned: King Richard III in Victory, was an enjoyable book and I must now hunt down the rest in the series.

If you are interested in the War of the Roses with an alternative ending, then this is the book for you. Why not check it out today?

 

UK Readers 

US Readers

About the author

 Richard Unwin is a retired Technical Author with an interest in English history, poetry and literature. His interest in medieval history, and particularly the life of King Richard the Third, goes back to his early youth. He is a member of the Richard III Society and a local Historical Society in Manchester, England where he lives. He particularly looks for, and exploits in his writings, those elements of history, which though popularly believed, can be shown to have an alternative but logical explanation.

 For more information about Richard Unwin, check out his website, here.

Writing, Knights, And Chasing Dreams - My 2015

"You always tell us to chase our dreams, when are you going to start chasing yours?"

That is what my daughter said to me 6 month ago when we were talking about what she wanted to do with her life. And as she left the kitchen, I sat, holding a cup of tea, and pondered on what she had just said for a very long time. She was right of course, she usually is, but don't tell her I said that, I would never hear the end of it.

About 12 years ago I had an idea for a book. My dearest friend, Zoe, was in the middle of her degree and one of her units of study was in creative writing and I was so fascinated by what she was telling me, that I told her my idea. I already had a title, The Du Lac Chronicles. She looked at me, handed me one of her books on creative writing and said "Write it."

So I did.

I can remember that butterfly in the tummy feeling when I had finished the first draft. It was, looking back, truly diabolical, but I had completed my first ever manuscript, which I thought was an achievement in itself. But now it was time to learn the craft.

Zoe read my first ever manuscript and I can remember her phoning me up laughing and saying "you write in Somerset, no one will understand what you are going on about"...I had no idea what she was going on about...I got good grades in English at school, I read all the time. English is my first language, of course I can write it. But she was right. In England each county has its own local dialect and the language of Somerset is pretty special. One of my favorite examples of it is this;

"She led on the bed." What we mean by this is "she lay on the bed." We don't lead our beds around, that would just be barmy. 

"And another thing," she said, "you didn't understand what I meant by show and not tell, did you?! Let me explain it again."

I wasn't disheartened by her words, just more determined than ever. So I rewrote the book and rewrote it and rewrote it and so it went on for the next twelve years. The manuscript developed, my writing skills improved, but my daughter was right, I always made excuses as to why I could not chase my dream.

It was time to practice what I preached.

It was time to stop making excuses and look into getting my baby published.

The past six months have been so incredibly enjoyable, I have loved every minute of it...I have learned so much. I had to find an editor, a book cover designer. I have had, and still am, learning about marketing. My kindle is overflowing with 'how to books.' And, oh my days, Amazon...by the time I have finished learning about Amazon I will be able to write a dissertation on the subject!

I decided to start a blog - you know that already because you are reading it! I am no computer expert so my husband set it up for me. Zoe and I found ourselves sitting around the table while she explained how to use it...she has been blogging for years. And to my surprise, I absolutely love blogging and I am so thankful to everyone who takes time out of their day to read my post. I am truly humbled.

I discovered Twitter and threw myself into it, without the first clue as to what I was doing and to be fair I still don't. But Twitter introduced me to this new world of writers and readers and people who are as obsessed with the life and times of King Arthur and his Knights as I am. And I have, through Twitter, met some truly amazing people who are only too willing to offer advice. Authors, Kim Headlee and Tony Riches have been so generous with their time and expertise, I am so thankful.

I was introduced to Triberr - which I am convinced runs on magic, - I still don't know how it works, but somehow it does.

I was contacted by the English Historical Fiction Authors and asked if I would like to write a guest blog. Of course I said yes...several times in fact... it is to be published on the 5th January 2016, so keep an eye out for that. And now I find myself judging for a book competition.

I feel like Alice in Wonderland who has entered into this magical kingdom that I never knew existed. I absolutely love it here and never want to leave.

My family have been fantastic and my husband somehow understands that a big part of my life is devoted to those Du Lac boys and probably always will be.

My closest friends have been as excited about my adventure as I am and they always ask for updates. Poppy, from The History Cupboard, has been so supportive and I want to thank her for going that extra mile for me.

2015 has been the year when I stopped dreaming and started to actually do something about those dreams. 2016 will see the publication of The Du Lac Chronicles, and I can not wait to hold an actual copy of that book in my hands.

I want to thank you all for supporting me on what has been an incredible journey so far and may you all have a peaceful and wonderful 2016. And remember, you can be anything you want to be...chase your dreams.

Owen - Book One of the Tudor Trilogy

I am not going to blog about King Arthur today. I want to, instead, talk about another period of history that I love just as much as the Dark Ages and that is the reign of the Plantagenet's. The House of Plantagenet reigned from 1154 until 1485 and they are, to date, the longest reigning royal dynasty in English history. Their long, and mostly successfully reign, finally came to an end on 22 August 1485 when Henry Tudor beat King Richard III on the fields of Bosworth - The Battle of Bosworth marked the dramatic climax to The Cousins War, or The War of the Roses as it is now more commonly known.

Philippa Gregory has done an awful lot bringing this fascinating period back into the spotlight. You may have read her books or you may have seen the British television series, The White Queen. If you have not, then you really should.

Philippa Gregory always writes from the view point of the women from that era, but I have often wished someone would write a really good novel from the male standpoint, and I think I may have just found the author that not only writes about that era, but does so to such a standard that he leaves you wanting to read his books over and over again.

The book I have the very great privilege of reviewing today is Tony Riches "Owen - Book One of the Tudor Trilogy."

When we usually think of The Tudors, we immediately recall Henry VIII..."Divorce, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived."... Or we may think of Elizabeth, "The Virgin Queen," and how she protected the shores of England from the Spanish Armada.

But, there is so much more to the Tudor dynasty than these two colourful characters.

Tony Riches takes his readers on a journey back to 1422.

King Henry V is dead and a young, handsome, Welsh nobleman - Owen Tudor - who was a soldier in King Henry's army - becomes the Keeper, of the beautiful Queen Catherine's, household.

Catherine's infant son, Prince Henry, has just been crowned King of England and France. But with the  death of his father, Henry V, the court is full of whispered accusations and a greed for power, because there is a lot to gain if you can manipulate the King, more in your favour.

This story is about how a humble Welshman falls in love with his Queen, who, despite all the reasons that she should not, returns his feelings. They marry in secret and their marriage stays a secret for many happy years, for Owen knows that if their marriage were ever to be discovered, it would be his head on the block.

Written in the first person, you witness the beginning of the Cousins War through the eyes of Owen Tudor.

Tony has weaved an incredibly evocative tale that immersed me in the time that he was writing about. I could almost smell the stench and feel Owen's desperation as he lounges, apparently forgotten, in Newgate Prison. I grieved with him as he lost members of his family. I felt his fear as he look towards a future, that he could not possibly predict anymore, and I have to admit I was shouting "NO," in my head, as the final chapter closed.

Some books have the power to stay with you and this is one of them. I have read this book twice and I know it is going to be one of those books that I read again and again.  And I really hope that the BBC will one day discover this book, because I would truly love to watch it come alive on the screen.

Do I recommend it? What do you think? It is in my top five favourite books that I have read this year, and I read a great many books. I cannot wait for the next in the series. So, if you are looking for something to read and love Philippa Gregory then I highly recommend you put Owen- Book One of the Tudor Trilogy at the top of your reading list.

U.K. Readers

U.S Readers

About the Author

Tony Riches is a full time author of best-selling fiction and non-fiction books. He lives by the sea in Pembrokeshire, West Wales with his wife and enjoys sea and river kayaking in his spare time.
For more information about Tony’s other books please visit his popular blog, The Writing Desk and his Wordpress website and find him on Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches.