The Heretic's Wife

I know, a pretty intense title huh? The Heretic's Wife was actually quite good, although full of what you could expect- burnings and religious strife. The book is set during the time of Henry VIII and his desire to divorce Queen Katherine to marry Anne Boleyn. During this treacherous time, an English Bible is being translated and distributed by William Tyndale. Many who work for the Protestant Reformation cause, end up imprisoned or worse. Many booksellers or printers are either put out of business or imprisoned or even killed. It follows Kate Gough, a book and print shop owner, who works with her brother. John ends up being arrested and imprisoned for some time, because he has sold banned or heretical works, but Kate manages to find him and pay for his safety.

During this tumultuous time, many working for the King such as Thomas More are very opposed to the Protestant cause, and is working very hard to stop them. Thomas More was a deeply religious man, a very conflicted and complicated one too. With his chancellor's seal, he uses every means possible to get his prisoners to recant or he has them burned. He is zealous in his efforts, and his greatest prize would be to capture William Tyndale. As you follow his story, it also follows the King and his courting of Anne Boleyn. During this book, you mainly follow Kate Gough. Upon her brother's release from prison, he is not the same and decides to leave for the country with his wife and child. Kate stays behind in England and tries to keep the print shop open, but fails. She decides to take up the work her brother left behind, and dresses as a boy to meet a shipment of smuggled English books. On her journeys, she meets a John Frith who has escaped prison and certain death. He works with William Tyndale, and despite his recent arrest, is still working for the Protestant cause.

While on her travels, she has to reveal she is a woman and while staying with a nice family, she tends for John Frith as he recovers from his sicknesses. While caring for him, they find they like each other and he proposes marriage to her. He is to meet a ship that will take him to Antwerp, and asks her to go along with him. He is basically a fugitive hiding from the law, which is very dangerous, but she agrees and goes with him. Their captain, Tom Lasser, is very kind and treats them well. He often takes smuggled goods and books for the Protestants, even at his own risk. Once in Antwerp, they set up house and John immediately sets to working with William Tyndale and The English Counting house. They meet many friends there of like mind, and spend a few peaceful years there. Kate starts and works with a women English bible group, praying and singing and worshipping together. She has a miscarriage, and starts to get bored with life because John is constantly busy.

Despite a few men out searching for them, they escape arrest and continue their secret and dangerous work. Kate finds out she is pregnant again, and shortly after John decides to leave for England to go preach and such. The King had thrown off the pope and cut off ties from the church to start his own, and so he could marry Anne Boleyn. She was known to be a secret Reformist, so John felt it was safe to enter England again. Thomas Wolsey had fallen from grace and died, and then Thomas More had taken his place. He ended up resigning when he could not agree to the King's new marriage to Anne Boleyn. No one could be arrested without the King's consent, so John felt fairly safe returning. Kate stays behind in Antwerp with William Tyndale, and gets excited as her baby gets bigger inside her. Soon news reaches her that John has been arrested in the Tower. He had written some doctrine down, along with his true name, and he was caught. Thomas Cromwell, the new King's man, was somewhat sympathetic and tried to help him. But again, John was too trusting, and wrote something down on paper that they could use against him. His main sticking point was that the sacrament did not really turn into Christ's blood and flesh.

Even when he was being brought to trial, he was given a chance at escape, but he decided to take the martyr's route. He was burned at Smithfield a few days later. Kate had traveled to England to try and save John, but she was too late. She lost her baby in the process, and stays in England in her old print shop. A lady friend of Captain Tom Lasser's also stays with her, and they befriend a local woman and her daughter. The friend gets very sick and is dying, so the 2 women take in her daughter Madeline and raise her as their own. A few months after John 's death, the Captain that had helped them before, comes to propose marriage to her. She accepts, and they all go to live on his ship which he has renamed Phoenix. I enjoyed the book, because there were several different stories going on at once. Religion has always been a heavily debated and controversial subject, it is so sad to me how many have died for their beliefs. There was some torture in the book and violence, so it's not for the faint of heart. It's hard to do a good review when there is so much going on; John was a good husband but his heart was with the Church first. His decision to be a martyr may seem selfish, but he felt it was right. Although Kate remarried rather quickly, she had already had a friendship/relationship with Tom Lasser so it wasn't quite a surprise.

The Second Duchess

As you can see, I am writing another post because I just devoured this book in a little more than a day. I discovered this book while perusing the aisles at the library, and it popped out to me. Elizabeth Loupas wrote The Second Duchess, and right away I could tell it would be fascinating. In Europe the Duke of Ferrara is ready to take a new bride, so Alfonso d'Este is wed to Barbara of Austria. She is his second wife, and as soon as she lands in Ferrara she hears the whispers of how his first wife died. She is very nervous to be getting married at an older age, 26, and also to be going someplace new. It seems everyone around her is whispering juicy tidbits of gossip in her ears, and it makes her instantly curious to find out more. When she gets to know her new husband, she discovers him to be quite stern, serious and strict. When he sees his sisters whispering to her, he demands to know what they are speaking about.

Even though newly married, Alfonso instantly keeps his grip on his new wife. He has her painted with her hair long and flowing, which only unwed women do, and she discovers while being painted that there is a portrait hidden of the first duchess, Lucrezia. The duke her husband had already warned her not to listen to idle gossip or do anything untoward, but her curiosity gets the better of her and she finds the portrait and looks at it. Alfonso finds her, is very upset and beats her. The duchess is very upset at such treatment, especially after only being married a short amount of time. While recovering and staying away from him, she comes into contact with more courtiers that whisper things to her. The first duchess, Lucrezia, had died while imprisoned at Corpus Domini. Barbara, the duchess, takes just a few of her ladies to pay a visit under the pretense of prayer. While there, she meets the duke's aunt who is the abbess there. She pretends to be sick so she can question the infirmarian, the nun Corsica. She gives her a ruby ring in exchange for information.

Soon the Duke finds out about her questionings and starts to get upset again. While on a hunt, the duchess falls off her horse because her bridle had been cut clean through. Someone had tried to kill her. The duke puts her under house arrest while he tries to find out who would do this. He demands she tell him the truth of her doings before he'll let her go. He had also imprisoned her three Austrian ladies, so she was surrounded by women she did not know or trust. She opens up to him and tells him of her investigations. Instead of divorcing her or sending her away like she thought, he agrees to help her in the investigations, claiming his innocence. As they question more people, especially those at Corpus Domini, they find more clues. His first duchess had been a young girl of 14, lowly born and with no real maturity about her. They were not happy together, and did not spend much time together. Soon word spread of her many affairs, and so the duke imprisoned her in the abbey until further notice.

Soon he found out she was pregnant, and so he intended to keep her there to deliver her child in secret, and then to be sent away. While there, she passed away one night with no signs of having been unhealthy. The duke believed she had committed suicide, but the people thought he had killed her. In order to save face, he had spread the rumors that she had died of ill humors so that she could receive the last rites and be buried properly. Suicide would not have allowed such a burial, and would also have marred the duke's reputation. As Barbara works with her husband the duke to discover the truth, she is at war with herself as to whether she truly believes him innocent of the whole matter. He is prickly most the time and hard to get along with. In private moments, he is more tender but still fierce.

The ending comes quickly, full of excitement, intrigue and danger. I was not expecting the killer to be who it was, so it was exciting. I liked Barbara the duchess, because of her strength and wisdom in standing up to her husband, and striving to find out the truth. Surely their marriage could not have been healthy until the past was overcome. They come to get along better and ultimately have a happy marriage. Barbara and the duke are real historical characters; she comes from the Medici line, and he from the Borgias. She was rumored not to be pretty, but she did have long flowing red hair. The other very interesting part of the book, was that the author inserted some dialogue or thoughts rather, from the deceased first duchess Lucrezia. She is like a ghost in between life and death, sort of like purgatory. She offers her views on each chapter, and gives you tidbits here and there that help fill in the story. It always leaves you wanting more, as a good mystery should.

The book had many interesting and complex characters, and I found it very enjoyable. There were some sexual scenes, but easy enough to see coming and skip. I grew to like the duchess Barbara, but I never did like the duke Alfonso; he was too rough for me. The author took a poem from the 1800's by a Robert Browning titled My Last Duchess. The rumors of his first duchess were true, but in fact they think she died of tuberculosis. He did marry Barbara next and they lived happily together, surprisingly for a forced match. It is interesting how from the poem the author was able to weave a story together. I recommend the book because it is very interesting, a historical mystery that flows smoothly. For ghost lovers out there, it kind of left you with a creepy feeling when the first duchess spoke. A very creative and great way to keep the book flowing.

Daughters of Rome

I just finished Daughters of Rome by Kate Furnivall and I enjoyed most of it. It is A.D. 69 and Nero is Dead-it is The Year of Four Emperors that will change everything. The book centers on the Cornelii cousins, all named Cornelia. The eldest, Cornelia, is the perfect Roman wife; obedient, loyal and domestic. Her sister Marcella known as Cornelia secunda, is more withdrawn and loves to write histories. They have two cousins Lollia; she marries multiple times and was raised by her grandfather, who was a slave and is now very wealthy. Then there is Diana, a cousin that lives with her father who sculpts busts; she is obsessed with horses rather than men.

Right away the book is interesting, because you have 4 very different and complex characters. Suddenly Piso, Cornelia's husband is named heir, but not before Galba is hacked to death and the mob turns on them. The four cousins flee to the temple of the Vestal Virgins, only to find it abandoned. Piso is killed in front of them, and luckily the 4 girls survive. Otho is now Emperor, and Marcella finds herself speaking with him quite a bit about politics. Cornelia is now a widow, where once she was to be the Empress and First Lady of Rome. She lives with her brother and his wife, and also her sister Marcella because her husband is always gone. They live together quite unhappily, as the Rome they know around them changes. Marcella takes a hand in trying to make history, and ends up sharing military secrets that may or may not have led to the death of Otho. Vitellius is next and once again things change, Lollia weds another man loyal to the new Emperor, and they scramble to keep up.

You get to closely follow the 4 girls and their various lives as the events unfold in the book. There are quite scandalous parts in the book that are sometimes hard to skip, so I wouldn't read the book if that bothers you. Cornelia eventually remarries a former Praetorian Guard, the one who actually had saved their lives when her husband Piso was killed. They marry and live happily and have children together. It is happy to see her life unfold, because she had had 8 happy years with Piso, childless, before it was all taken away. Marcella is a bit more complex, because she meddles in history and tries to change things. She ends up being in a position she never wanted; First Lady of Rome and Empress to a mad and abusive husband. She is now trapped, never to live the life she wanted again. Lollia is kind of entertaining, but also comes off as a ditzy bimbo. She marries 7 times for her grandfather, while keeping a slave as her lover. She has a daughter but doesn't always pay attention to her. Diana is related to the Huntress, because all she cares about are her horses and the races.

Vespasian comes to rule for about 10 years, and it is just what the people needed, some peace. Rome had always ruled as a Republic, so it was shocking when the Empire went up for grabs a few times to any usurper that had an army and a chance. Rome was never to be quite the same again after the Year of the Four Emperors. The book is exciting because of all the events, although it can be bloody. I try not to divulge too much when writing my reviews, but I'm sure that sometimes I give plots away. It is always different though to actually read the book. I like the author, but I would have left out most of the sexual scenes because they aren't necessary to the plot. Yes, we know it is happening, but we don't need to read about it. Not my favorite book of all time, but pretty good.

Revenger: A novel of Tudor Intrigue

I've been a little MIA lately as far as this blog goes, even though I'm still not sure if many people read it. I had a few books I was reading but stopped either halfway or 3/4 of the way through because it got boring. I'm not sure still if I'll finish them and blog about them. Not every book I read is a winner, or that interesting. I try to be honest in my book reviews, but being a historical novel fanatic such as myself makes it so I take greater interest in those kinds of books anyways. My sister suggested blogging about other books to get more of a variety, but I tend to stick to the historical genre. Sorry to disappoint; until something interesting comes along I'll stick to what I know and love.

Revenger was an interesting book, I found it at the library on one of those hot picks tables. I believe this book is a 2nd in a series, but I didn't know that when I picked it up. In this book you follow John Shakespeare, a chief intelligencer and schoolmaster, as he works for both Sir Robert Cecil and the Earl of Essex. He is working both sides, so of course there is danger fraught on both sides. He strives mostly to serve the Queen Elizabeth by keeping her throne and her person safe. At the same time, he tries to appear loyal to the Earl of Essex, who is the Queen's favorite. While dabbling in his works in both worlds, he comes to face some dangerous foes. His wife Catherine is Catholic and protects those who would be called heretics and could bring danger or death to the family in so doing. John is a Protestant, and so they often butt heads because of their differences in religion. John Shakespeare owns a school, and has a daughter Mary. He soon finds himself back in the life of intelligencer with murder, spies, poison and secrets as the order of the day.

With a plague devastating the country and Catholics facing extreme persecution, martyrdom and torture, John tries to keep his wife and daughter safe even though he is not often at home. He sends them away to her parents home to keep her safe while he pursues his work. There was a man named Roanoke, who had founded a colony in North America of women, men and children. All but 1 were killed either by the savage Indians on the land, or because of sickness from bad food or water. There are rumors that one, a Eleanor Dare had survived and was back in London. The Earl of Essex charged John with finding her. As he works to unravel that mystery, using the help of some of his trusted workers, he also becomes intangled in the Earl of Essex's plot to marry Arbella and become King after Queen Elizabeth has died. Arbella had Tudor blood in her as she was a great granddaughter of Mary Boleyn, who had had an affair with King Henry back in the day. As John works hastily to stop this marriage from happening, and keep his family safe, and discover the whereabouts of this Eleanor Dare, he finds himself almost killed himself a few times.

He works also to bring McGunn to justice, after finding out that in working for the Earl of Essex, he himself is a most brutal and viscious murderer. The book is exciting, full of plots and turns and danger. There are scences of torture and brutality which I just skipped over. A few brief references to sexual matters that can be skipped over as well. I won't revel the ending, but I enjoyed the book and will probably read the Martyr which came before this book.

FATE

I just read an unpublished book for a friend, Cassandra Mae Cook, called FATE. She is in the process of getting it read to be published, and she asked if I would read it for her. I will keep vague about the details so as not to give anything away that is important to the plot. If you would like to find out more, you can visit her blog at http://www.readingwritingandlovinit.blogspot.com

In the city of Chyann, there rules a King and Queen that love each other very much. They have 2 beautiful daughters, Claire and Emmaline. Emma is more carefree and happy about life, and befriends a mute gardener named Rupert. He works on the palace grounds with his father and they enjoy spending time together. Soon she is to sequestered so she can earn her degree to learn about ruling a kingdom. Part of the purpose of being shut away, is so that she can concentrate and also be kept safe. She is not able to see Rupert during this time and years pass by.

An unfortunate accident befalls the kingdom, and soon Emmaline and Claire are left with the pieces and the will to the kingdom. The book gets exciting and has a lot of twists and turns that leave you excited to read more. The characters are like able and exciting; it is like a romantic fairytale but with a darker edge to it. I thought it read sort of like a Twilight/Tangled or Cinderella kind of story. The target audience is teenagers, but it sure will appeal to a wider audience. I liked the book because it kept you going, it smoothed flowly, and it had much to reveal as time went on. There are characters you will root for, and others you will wish away. It is exciting, thrilling and scenic. I am honored I got to read the book before it was published, and I wish Cassie much luck with her on it and her upcoming books as well. If I hear more about the status of the book FATE, I will post here in my blog so others can read it as well.

The Borgia Betrayal

The Borgia Betrayal is the sequel to Poison. Although in a series the books don't have to be read in order and can be stand alone. I prefer to keep in order so as not to get confused, although I don't always do that. Once again we follow Francesca, Rodrigo Borgia aka Pope Alexander VI's poisoner. He has now been pope almost a year and has already had 3 major attempts on his life. Francesca is busy keeping him alive, and his children and mistress. She inspects all foods or drinks that come into the palace, as well as gifts because poisons can also be made on contact. In the first book, Francesca was after revenge for her father's death. Morozzi has been spotted and is once again somewhere in Rome. She uses the resources of her Jew friends to help find him, as well as some of her Lux friends. Lux is a secret group that meets together to learn and spread learning; which is against the Holy Mother Church's rules. They want their followers to be kept in the dark and not to question things.

As they try to find Morozzi, Francesca comes in contact with a leader in the underground tunnels that has many children as his followers, Alfonso the First. He is the king of smugglers, using children he were thief's or still are to help him. He agrees to try and help her find Morozzi, because he is probably using underground tunnels to make his way through the city unnoticed. During this time, Il Papa, Pope Borgia, is trying to work with their Spanish Majesties as well as trying to work with Naples and the Portuguese. Christopher Columbus had come back saying he had discovered a new world, and the Pope was busy deciding who got what. Many did not believe he had made it so far alive, but he brought back proof as well as a crew full of new diseases. Lucrezia, Francesca's friend and also Borgia's daughter, was betrothed to marry a Sforza. The Pope needed their support, they were a big part of the reason he even became Pope.

Times were busy as usual, and one night while returning to her apartments, Francesca heard her landlady being attacked. Portia was calling out in danger, and without any thought, Francesca went in there and killed the attacker with a knife she kept on her person. Part of her job was to dispatch those that were trying to kill the Pope; she did not like to admit it to anyone, but she liked the kill. Perhaps because she was a poisoner she had to think about death on a daily basis, but she didn't like the dark side that it brought to her. Many in the city who knew her feared her, and called her strega which means witch. For a woman to hold a position such as she, and to be known to kill, many feared her and wanted her dead. Francesca is a deeply complex character, because she wants to do what is right but is required to kill people sometimes. Usually they are bad people, but not always. She also desires a normal life being married with children, but then other times thrives on her wealth and independent and single status.

In the first book she had started an affair with Cesare, the Pope's eldest son. They still meet when possible, and he soon starts living with her when in Rome on duties. After the attempt on Portia's life, Francesca is more careful and believes she needs to find Morozzi soon. Word is soon arrived that Della Rovere, the Pope's rival, is preparing to enter France and start a war against him. Since Morozzi is around again, Francesca tells Rocco her glass maker friend to take his son Nando into hiding where he will be kept safe. An attempt had been made on is boy's life in the first book. While trying to keep him alive, as well as his family and herself, a murder happens in the streets. A girl is burned at a stake; she is one of Alfonso the First's girlfriends. Morozzi probably killed her to send a message to Francesca, that he could do anything anytime he wanted. Since the wedding is little than a month away, her time is running out once again.

The Pope wants her to find a way to kill della Rovere, his rival, while also trying to find Morozzi and killing him, not to mention her other duties. One day she sees Morozzi out in the open just smiling at her, then he disappears. They find out he is using a nearby church to get in and out of the tunnels. She sets up a trap for him, to flush him out and is waiting for him with her knife that also has poison on it. He comes with an ally, and Francesca is able to kill him but Morozzi gets away once again. The Pope is becoming frustrated with her, and demands she use help next time to kill him. She wants to kill him herself because he killed her father. Plus she worries that if he senses others nearby, she won't ever get the chance to kill him. Cesare and Juan, his brother, are fighting and they discover that Juan is possibly hiding Morozzi in his home. It has secret hidden rooms, and they try to find him.

Lux is not able to meet because of an attack on the group; for fear of discovery they keep in hiding because they know what they believe is heretical. Rocco is also part of the group, the glass maker. As the wedding approaches, Francesca visits Lucrezia often to help calm her nerves. She is taking a bath one day, and Francesca notices her box of soaps doesn't have her seal of approval on them. She decides to have a servant try one of them, and she ends up getting bad burns and marks all over her hands. They had been poisoned somehow, probably to mark Lucrezia with scars so people would say it was God who had deemed Borgia and his family cursed. There were people out there wishing to bring him down; they used obscene graffiti and rumors to spread lies that he was a terrible person. Although not entirely a Saint, he was not guilty of the things they said.

The guards are on great patrol around the city, because things in the city seem tense. Francesca devises a plan with her Jew friends, and soon it is under way. She takes a potion that makes her seem dead; cold, no heartbeat or breath. Although unsure it will work, she believes if Morozzi thinks she is dead, he will soon make his move and they can catch him. While the city, not all of it, mourns her death, Morozzi is on the move again. Alfonso and his gang burns down a church, believing the followers of Morozzi are in there. When Francesca comes to, those who believed her to be dead are very angry with her, but happy she is alive. Suddenly the clue comes into place for her as she studies the burnt down church, and she rushes to the church where the betrothal of Sforza and Lucrezia is taking place. She finds gunpowder up in the rafters, and moments away from burning and exploding the building. It would have killed the Borgia family and many nobles and churchmen also. Morozzi's hand was behind it, but once again nowhere to be found.

I like these books because they are compelling, fast moving and exciting. Francesca is a complex character and very interesting to unravel her layers. She believes herself to be dark and evil, but actually does a lot of good and risks her life several times in the process. She has many friends and contacts in her high position, and much wealth. I wonder if she'll eventually leave Borgia's service to settle down. You can tell Cesare loves her, the son of the Pope, but so does the glass maker Rocco. I'm sure there is another coming in the series and I'm excited to read it as well. There are some scenes of violence or torture, brief though, and some sexual scenes that you can just skip over easily enough.

Poison

I finished this book while on vacation in California, and I loved it! Sara Poole did such a fantastic job with this book I am so glad I discovered it. Sometimes I find books or authors by reading the reviews on the books I read, or sometimes they will suggest authors at the end of the book to read. But once in a while, I'll just peruse the books at the library and I found this little gem. It is set in the summer of 1492 in Rome, and it follows Francesca Giordano as she works for Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. Francesca's father was killed while employed by Rodrigo as his poisoner. The mystery following his death leads Francesca to seek employment to try and avenge her father's death.

While at Court, she uses her wiles and smarts to take her father's place as Rodrigo Borgia's poisoner. People employed them to keep them safe from being assassinated or killed, and their families as well. So Francesca's job was to make sure the households were safe from poisons in all their different forms; she inspected the foods, drinks and such that entered the houses. Her job was busy and also dangerous, because she also tasted the food herself before allowing her employers to eat. She also used her scientific smarts to develop poisons of her own. While working for Rodrigo, she soon is entangled in a plot to kill Pope Innocent. He is about to sign an edict that would have all of the Jews in Rome killed, and Rodrigo among others wants to stop him. In order to do so, they need to kill him before it is too late. It is up to Francesca to do the job, even though her conscience is bugging her not to.

As she battles within herself, she does what she must and is almost killed herself. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain had driven the Jews out of Spain with nothing on their backs, and they came to Italy to find a home. They were packed in such close confines and poor conditions, that many died and many diseases and sicknesses were spread. Francesca often visited that part of the city, to try and discover a disease of the blood that could also kill Pope Innocent, and in so doing, making his death look natural. The main part of being a poisoner, was to make the death look natural so as not to look guilty in the crime. If Pope Innocent were to die of unnatural causes, Rodrigo Borgia would naturally be found guilty, because he was a fierce competitor for the next Pope opening.

The book is exciting and intense as it follows Francesca and her friends, some Jews, as they help her to accomplish her dangerous mission. In her line of work, she is oftentimes ordered to kill even when she doesn't want to. She finds the man responsible for her father's murder, a crazed priest that looks like an angel, named Morozzi. The book follows her through the Vatican, and even into the Jewish ghetto and the palaces and churches of Rome. It almost reads like another Da Vinci Code, but even better. I liked her character because she had morals, and despite the things she had to do for her job, she tried to be the best she could be, and tried to save the thousands of lives of Jews. I find the scenery of Rome and Italy beautiful and interesting. Eventually, Francesca is able to succeed in her desires, and Rodrigo Borgia is made the next pope. I was intrigued by this book for many reasons; a woman holdling such a lucrative job, that of a poisoner, and also by the times. The Borgia's are a highly controversial subject still today, known for their lust, power and even danger. It was interesting to be able to read more about the family through the perspectives of an employee who was also a friend.

Another interesting aspect of the book, was to see how corrupt a lot of priests and church men were. I'm not doubting that there were truly some obedient and faithful men, but there were many that were corrupt, using money and power to get their means. Rodrigo Borgia was one such person; he had many mistresses and illegitimate children, he had people killed to get what he wanted, he used money to buy people and their support, etc. The one thing I liked about him was that he was such a hard worker, that he kept his family private and didn't use them for his means, and he also tried to keep the Jews safe. At the end of the book, Francesca is still not able to kill her father's killer, he is still on the loose. I am excited and anxious to read the next book in the series, Serpent. I highly recommend this book because it is so interesting and a real page turner. Very brief sexual scenes, tasteful and brief, no swearing, but some violence and torture.