Song of the Nile

I was excited to read this book by Stephanie Dray, a new author for me, about Queen Cleopatra's daughter Selene.  I had read about her before in Michelle Moran's Cleopatra's Daughter.  Therefore I chose to skip her first novel Lily of the Nile where Selene is taken from Egypt after her parent's death, and taken to Rome as a trophy with her brothers.  I don't have much time to read, so I wanted to read something new about her.  This book follows Selene from Rome to Mauritania, where she is finally made a Queen and marries Juba, her childhood scholar.  They build their palace and a lighthouse to look like Alexandria, or what she remembers of it.  Selene's mother Cleopatra had killed herself with a snake bite after Octavian's armies invaded.  Her mother was famous both for her beauty, ambition and wit but also for her relationships with Julias Caesar and Marc Antony, her father.  Selene was a Ptolemaic princess, of Greek and Rome heritage. Her fraternal twin Helios by this point had disappeared, many assumed dead.  Selene had one last surviving brother, Philadelphius.  He was being kept back in Rome as a sort of blackmail for her good will. 

It was the emperor's sister Octavia that had convinced Octavian to let them live and raised them with other orphans.  Her kindness had spared Selene's life but not those of her other brothers.  Octavian had a fantasy of having his own Cleopatra, and seems to have had an obsession with Selene.  Selene also was smart and played her cards well; she pledged her loyalty to Augustus aka Octavian.  In Mauritania, Selene makes herself a capable ruler.  She brings about great harvest for Rome and wants to build a temple to her god, Isis.  She has a daughter not long after and in the book it is Augustus's baby, forced on her before she left Rome with her new husband.  It seems her relationship with Juba was platonic for some time, and she ruled capably without him when he traveled. 

Throughout the novel she is obsessed with finding her twin Helios, and of having Augustus restore her to Egypt's throne as Queen.  She wants to live for her dead parents and siblings, for the Ptolemaic dynasty.  She visits Augustus in Rome a few times, hoping he will grant her her greatest wish.  Along the way, she decides she is happy to be Queen of Mauritania, where her daughter was born and where Juba is.  She finally returns to reign with Juba, and they reconcile and make a son together.  Isis is a central belief to her; she was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife, and patroness of magic and nature.  Isis is often depicted as the mother of Horus, the hawk-headed god of war and protection.  Her headdress was a throne and she listened to the prayers of all. Selene sees her brother but whether in spirit or the flesh isn't clear.  She remains allies with Rome and they name their capital Caesarea.  She went by Cleopatra Selene and had many coins minted with images of her choice.  She isn't well written about, probably fading in the background after her mother. 

My Thoughts:  By the time Selene married Juba II of Numidia, she was actually the last living sibling.  Helios and Philadelphius were already dead, but in the book the author chose a different viewpoint.  The bond between twins is strong, as it shows in this book with Selene and Helios.  She feels him when he is near and sees him on several occasions.  After such powerful and well known parents, and such a tragic end, I'm not surprised Selene's life seems to have faded in history.  I'm sure her deepest desire was to return to Egypt and be restored to her parent's throne, but it seems she created a kingdom of her own in Mauritania where hopefully she was happy.  She seems to have known how to play Augustus, becoming his ally and living safe fully with a generous dowry.  She must have had some of her parent's spirit to have made it through what she did.  I enjoyed the book, but the worship of Isis and the parts where she displayed her magic were a bit sci fi for me.  Overall though, a great book that I would recommend.  I look forward to her next one in the series.

A Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora

This was the first book of several I had on hold at the library that came available, and I was excited to read it.  I heard about this book on Kate Quinn's Facebook page, and she has a remark on the front page.  This novel took me to sixth century Constantinople, to the life of Theodora.  She had a hard life for some time following the death of her father.  He had worked for the Greens at the Hippodrome, training bears.  The Hippodrome was the main arena of entertainment then; chariot races and circus acts.  The Greens and Blues were the main 2 factions and had political power to support or topple emperors.  Her mother remarried not soon after.  During this time there weren't many choices for a woman to make money.  Because of their address they weren't able to get the widow handouts, so Theodora and her older sister Comito took to begging.  The Greens just jeered them even though their father had worked for them, so the Blues took them in.  Their step father was given a job.  Her mother drank a lot which took up a lot of their money, and their little sister Anastasia was still starving.  Sometimes parents would mutilate their child because they usually received more when begging on the streets.  Their stepfather cut off Anastasia's ears, not long after he left the family and the little girl died, probably from an infection and malnutrition.

Theodora and Comito took to the stage at a very young age.  An actress was no better than a prostitute, because they often took their clothes off or were courtesans at the same time.  Theodora served as Comito's assistant, until she earned her own role.  She was good at being a comedian as well as taking off her clothes.  To make more money, both girls had also become courtesans.  During her career Theodora met a rival named Antonina, who later became her best friend.  Despite her attempts to not conceive, she gave birth to a daughter at age 18.  Her sister Comito had kicked her out because Theodora got in the way of her love life.  Antonina found her in labor on the streets, and took her and her daughter in.  She saved her life and helped to watch her daughter so she could go back to work.  Theodora's mother eventually came to find her and moved in as well.  They lived in an upper apartment for some time, Theodora acting and Antonina using her "skills" on men and her mother babysat.  It was well for a woman to find a patrician to fund them to live with them, a patron.  She met a man named Hecebolus, and he wanted to take her to Pentapolis in North Africa to begin his role as governor there.  She took the risk, leaving behind her daughter and took off.  The lovers didn't last long and he abandoned her.  She had no money and no way to get back to Constantinople.

Theodora managed to get herself to Alexandria in Egypt, where she met an important person in her life, Severus.  At this time there was much unrest in religion.  The Emperors had been trying to force religious unity throughout the empire.  Christians in a few areas believed in Monophysitism whereby Christ had only one nature. But the Orthodoxy insisted upon by the emperors held that Christ had two natures; one divine and one human.  Refugees fled to Alexandria as the dissent continued.  Severus was the Patriarch of Antioch, and he took her under his wings.  He taught her and she became a Monophysite, leading a more spiritual life.  It was the first time in many years she didn't have to sleep with men for money.  In the book it says she had Hecebolus's child, a boy, and that Severus helped her to live while she recovered.  She traveled some time later to Antioch where she met a dancer named Macedonia.  She finally arrived back in Constantinople in 522.  She decided after her spiritual time to lead a better life for her children.  She spinned for work, and Antonina helped her with her children.  Her mother had passed away while she had been gone.

Her destiny was soon coming with the help of Macedonia; she met Justinian, nephew to the emperor Anastasius.  He fell in love with her quick wit and knowledge.  She hid that she had a son from him, for fear what he would think of a possible threat to his heirs or throne.  After the passing of Anastasius and a bill that would clear the way for a patrician to marry an actress, they were married.  She was his mistress first then he raised her to a patrician.  Her daughter came to live with them, and her son stayed with Antonina.  Theodora was crowned along with Justinian, he loved her very deeply and valued her.  She was a very capable empress, helping to stem the Nika riots.  She helped Justinian to rebuild and reform Constantinople.  They built aqueducts, bridges, and more than 25 churches, the best of which was the Hagia Sophia.   In spite of Justinian being Chalcedonian, Theodora founded a Miaphysite monastery and supported the religion all her life.  The plague hit and took almost 10,000 people a day, and Justinian barely survived.  The throne was not without its troubles or enemies. 

Belisarius was a general of Justinian's, and one Theodora disliked.  He made mistakes among many victories, and funneled a lot of treasure and money into his own accounts.  Justinian turned a blind eye to his faults because of his usefulness.  She had matched him up with Antonina when her husband died, so she could have wealth and close ties to Theodora as empress.  Antonina cheated on him with her godson and it was widely known.  At this time, Theodora found out that her friend Macedonia, who had helped her so much in her life to finding Justinian, had allied with her worst enemy John the Cappadocian.  He had found out she had a son and was blackmailing her in exchange for not telling Justinian.  He had also formed his own political party and had spread vicious rumors about Theodora, and he was also implicated in the murder of the Bishop of Cyzius.  She discovered that John wanted her out of the way and so she set a trap for him.  It worked and he was imprisoned until after her death, stripped of his titles and wealth, which were given to his daughter Euphemia.  Theodora was smart and knew she couldn't make such a blatant attempt on the life of her husband's favorite.

Macedonia had told Theodora that her son had died on a boat, but then she found a man his age with an amulet she had had sent to him.  He pretended to be her son, until she found out he wasn't by Antonina.  Macedonia and John's devious plot was uncovered, and Antonina and Theodora cut out Macedonia's tongue and beat her to death.  It was said she was cut to pieces and dumped in the ocean.  Theodora had been deeply betrayed by a close friend, and mourned the loss of her son.  She found out later that Justinian had known about her son all along.  The book flashes years ahead to when Theodora's daughter is married and has a son, and her niece, Comito's daughter, is being married.  They had founded a new dynasty through their siblings, because they never conceived a child together.  Theodora died at the age of 48 from cancer.  She was always faithful to Justinian and they had loved deeply.  Her influence on Justinian was so strong that after her death, he worked to bring harmony between the Miaphysites and the Chalcedonian Christians in the Empire, and he kept his promise to protect her little community of Miaphysite refugees in the Hormisdas Palace. 

My Thoughts:  There was so much to this book once Theodora became empress, that I couldn't include everything.  I skimmed over her enemies and the Nika revolts because I am trying to be concise....trying.  Theodora was certainly a capable empress and ruthless when it came to her enemies.  It is most sad to me that she kept it a secret she had a son, because it shadowed her entire life.  It is not known whether she actually had a son or not but in the book she did.  Justinian never remarried after her death, some say because of how much he loved her.  This was a good book, one historical lovers will enjoy.  There is violence, sickness and sexual promiscuity so be cautious when reading it.  I enjoyed the book because I always enjoy a love story and seeing a woman come from the street to power.  The main historical sources for her life are the works of the contemporary Procopius, scribe for General Belisarius.  One work portrays her as courageous and influential, another shrewish and whoreish.  The third flattered her beauty and piety, so his record has to be taken with a grain of salt.  I love how this author filled in the historical gaps as well as took her own take on Procopius' Empress Theodora.  Theodora did pass some laws that were helpful to actresses, women that were raped or seeking a divorce on the grounds of infidelity.  She was well known for her piety and beauty.

Books Coming Out!

This comes out July 23rd and I'm so excited!  This is her 5th book and will be about Elizabeth of York, daughter of The White Queen.  Also, starz.com will start premiering White Queen on August 10th.  It is already showing in the UK on BBC. 

This comes out July 16th by C.W. Gortner.  So excited for this one also!

This is out now, and is a novel about Empress Theodora.  This is a new author for me and I can't wait to read it.

This comes out August 6th, and I am so excited to read it!  These are my top favorite authors and their books are addicting.  She has written about Rome and now this one is about The Borgias.  The Lion and The Rose will follow as a sequel not long after.

Not sure when this is available in the US but excited to get it this year I hope.

Michelle Moran is working on her 6th book, about Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess of wealth.  I cannot wait for this to come out also.

Royal Harlot

This book follows Barbara Villiers Palmer in London during the time of English Interregnum.  Their monarch Charles had been executed in 1649 as a tyrant and this time of Cromwell government would last for 11 years.  The family of Stuart remained in exile in mainland Europe and this is where Charles the younger was until he could claim the throne.  Barbara was a Royalist as was her husband Roger Palmer.  They supported the monarchy and wanted Charles to come and claim the throne.  This period of time was governed by military and parliamentary rule by Puritans.  Oliver Cromwell was the parliamentarian hero of the English Civil War and General.  He became the creator of the New Model Army and for which these 11 years would be known as Cromwell government.  Any members that were willing to work with Charles were no longer part of this government.  This became known as the Rump Parliament, and they declared themselves as leaders of the nation.  Monarchy was abolished and religious reforms took place.  Cromwell's defeat of Ireland as well as Catholic threats made him popular.  But the Rump Parliament was not doing so well, and it was disbanded.  Shortly after another attempt, he declared himself the Lord Protector.

In 1658, after dissolving Parliament once more, Cromwell passed away.  His son Richard took his place, but did not do well.  Parliament and the Army did not support him.  With some tussles back and forth, within two years the Prince of Wales had landed on shore.  Barbara was a key person during this time, having been sent by her husband Roger and their other Royalist friends with gold coins sewn into her petticoats to support him.  They began an affair that would change her life forever.  Charles took his throne in 1660 on his 30th birthday as King of England, Scotland and Ireland.  The people were ecstatic at this change.  He practiced religious tolerance and tried to pass acts such as that between Catholics and Protestants.  Charles kept Barbara a secret until he married Catherine of Braganza, so his happy return would not be sullied with scandal.  The court was bawdy and Barbara was at the center.  She gave him 5 children and he gave her the titles of Countess of Castlemaine and Duchess of Cleveland.  She was beautiful, witty and controversial.  The people called her the royal harlot and spread gossip and malice constantly about her.

The couple were not loyal to each other and each took other lovers.  Barbara was his closest friend and mistress for ten years.  She finally left court for overseas when he seemed to have tired of her and had taken up with the actress Nell Gwynn.  As is usual at court, religion was a big issue and Parliament always fighting against the King.  When it was found out his brother and heir was Catholic, because his wife had given him no children, the people rebelled.  Charles dissolved Parliament in 1681 and ruled alone until his death in 1685.  He converted to Catholicism on his deathbed, whether his choice or not no one knows.  Barbara reconciled with her husband Roger in Paris until his death.  She had enough wealth to support herself and her children.  She died at age 68 of dropsy.  She was well known for being a harlot and is one of the most reviled woman in history.  Charles II is known as the "merry monarch" for having a happy and immoral court.  He ruled during the great Plague and Fire.  He was succeeded by his brother James II who only ruled for three disastrous years.

The book was interesting because I hadn't read much of Charles and nothing of the Countess of Castlemaine.  She was indeed greedy, ambitious and beautiful.  I did not like her because of her wantonness and for making the Queen's life miserable as her rival.  Whether or not I like her matters little, because only she knows who she truly was like and not everyone who made a name for themselves was nice.  That is why I have a quote that says "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History." (lol).  At least she did care for her children and provided well for them.  If is interesting to me how someone like Anne Boleyn was beheaded for supposedly committing adultery, whereas Charles and Barbara did constantly with no repercussions.  It is likely because Barbara was not Queen but just a mistress.  Barbara did not have loving parents and was often let to do whatever she wished at a young age.  Her mother did not rule her strictly and she was passionate at a young age.  Which likely led her to a discontented marriage and then to being the King's mistress.

Royal Mistress

I was excited to be one of the first on the library's hold list to get this book.  I read it as fast I could, excited to learn more about Jane Shore.  She is best known for being the mistress of King Edward IV and for being his merriest whore.  I did not know more than that about her.  Jane Lambert, actually named Elizabeth but went by Jane, was the daughter of a silk merchant.  She had a father whom she did not get along well with.  She was wilful and quick witted whereas her mother was more soft spoken and subservient.  Jane met Tom Grey, Marquess of Dorset and stepson of the King.  She didn't know his true identity at the time, but fell in love with him.  He was married and she refused to be his mistress.  She thought often of him and would see much of him in the future.  She had rejected several marriage proposals but agrees at age 22 to marry William Shore, also a silk merchant.  She became a free woman with the marriage.  Unfortunately the marriage doesn't go well as he is dull and impotent.  Jane desires children and is of a passionate nature, so she tries to get an annulment.  Her beauty if not hidden long as she is spotted by Will Hastings, the King's chamberlain and invited to several events.  It is obvious he desires her, but Jane demurs because he is much older than her.  When Will talks about his new friend to the King, he desires to meet her for himself.  The King, Will and his step son Tom Grey, often shared women and went out on the town together to visit brothels.  Will was not happy to see her taken from him, but agrees as he is his sovereign. 

Invited to court, William and his wife Jane Shore go happily to meet the King and Queen.  It is not long before the King pays William to agree to an annulment and helps him set up a business away in Antwerp.  He agrees and Jane becomes the King's mistress; he buys a house for her nearby the palace.  He showers her with gifts and jewels and loves her deeply.  During their 7 year relationship, Jane stays good friends with Will Hastings.  After the death of King Edward, Jane is unsure what to do.  She had used her royal gifts to help purchase goods or gifts for friends and people in need.  She only had a little saved by.  Her family had disowned her after she became a mistress, so she didn't see them anymore.  Will offered her his protection and she agreed, after contemplation, to be his mistress.  Following the King's death, much tumult arose.  The King had named his brother Richard as protector over the boy Edward until he came of age.  At this time, the widowed Queen Elizabeth Woodville was conspiring as well.  She entered sanctuary with her children while she figured out what to do. 

Richard was apprised of a story of a precontract between his brother Edward and an Eleanor Butler.  This meant the boy king Edward was illegitimate and meant Richard would be king.  He was not expecting this role but took it on with the help of Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.  By then the two princes, brothers, were in the Tower together while the rest were in sanctuary.  Richard was declared King, and set about making a more modest and moral court.  He had a wife Anne and a son.  During these few months the princes suddenly disappeared, believed killed by the king.  Buckingham had come to tell him he had smothered them to erase the threat of their mother and her schemings for them.  Richard was disgusted and upset but didn't share this information.  It came back to haunt him, when Buckingham turned against him with Bishop Morton.  They spread the lie that King Richard had actually killed the boys.  Morton persuaded Buckingham to turn against his cousin and go to support Henry Tudor, Margaret Beaufort's son.  This is how Richard III became known as a monster and a killer.

Jane's relationship with Will was short, as he was suddenly taken and immediately beheaded for treason.  King Richard wanted a moral court and was not pleased that Will took his former King's mistress as his own.  He was also believed to have conspired with Elizabeth Woodville against Richard.  Jane was soon taken to Ludgate Prison for adultery with the deceased king and his chamberlain Will.  Will Hastings was immediately beheaded without trial.  Jane's home and possessions were all taken.  She was eventually released, and forced to do penance.  She had to walk in just a shift for an hour in the streets of London with a taper, and then prostrate herself before the church and priests.  She was forgiven but not allowed back to her home.  Not long after her penance, she met up with Tom Grey and they began a relationship after all the years of waiting.  Her ideas of him had been lofty and had had time to grow, so she thought she had finally found her true love.  Instead, he left her abruptly and took her jewels and money with him. 

She was again charged by King Richard with adultery and sent to prison again.  She was also charged with possibly housing Tom, now a fugitive.  While in prison, she was questioned by Thomas Lyneham.  He fell in love with her immediately and proposed to her.  He worked for King Richard and had to ask permission, and was granted such if she lived with her family until their wedding day.  Jane reconciled with her father and kept herself chaste until their wedding.  They had a daughter named Julyan and were very happy together.  Jane had found her true love. 

My Thoughts:  Jane Shore was an interesting character- she was known as King Edward's merriest whore, the Rose of London, as well as for being beautiful and doing many good deeds for people.  She was a mistress three times, then a wife and mother.  Thomas More wrote a kind story about meeting her when she was old, begging for favors or money from acquaintances.  It seems her husband Thomas had passed away leaving her with debts.  A sad end to an interesting woman.  It is very sad Will Hastings was executed so suddenly.  This time was so interesting following Edward's death, because it changed so much.  His children were declared illegitimate, his two boys murdered, his brother became King, his mistress Jane Shore took 2 more lovers before marrying.  Richard III was eventually killed in an uprising schemed by Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort.  Her son Henry Tudor took the throne and Richard was killed in battle.  Elizabeth's eldest daughter married Henry, and they started The Tudor line.  The Lancaster's and York's were finally at peace with this marriage.  Tom Grey was never again given any power after fleeing sanctuary and leaving Jane.

Richard III is still heavily debated as well as the disappearance or rather murder of the two princes.  Richard is believed by many to have killed his nephews where others believe it was likely Buckingham or even Margaret Beaufort to make way for her son Henry Tudor.  Either way, I find it unlikely they just were sent away somewhere.  They were too big of a threat.  A pre contract was valid back then, when a couple plighted their troth to one another.  It is amazing it was kept secret until after Edward's death when it was most fortuitous to Richard.  I do wonder because of that if he was a good man or not.  It seems he didn't have ambitions during his brother's life, and the author certainly believes he didn't kill his nephews or want the throne.  He was a religious fanatic and many construed that for ambition.  Either way, a very interesting time period and interesting people.  Jane Shore was interesting to me because even after such a severe penance and the beheading of her lover, she still hooked up rather quickly with Tom Grey.  Her belief in love must have swayed her.  I am happy that she reunited with her father and did find love in marriage and had a child. 
I recommend reading the author's other books to find out more about this time period.

The Countess and the King

This book follows Katherine Sedley during the time of King Charles II.  She was born to wealth and freedom, being raised primarily by her father after the age of 6.  Her mother entered a convent for psychiatric reasons, and so she was raised by her father, Sir Charles Sedley.  He was a poet and close friends and an employee of the King.  He let Katherine follow him to most functions when young, and she was witness to much at a young age.  She was full of wit but not beauty, and many loved her for her personality.  In Restoration England her father is a libertine, but the young Duke of York is not.  He marries Italian Princess Mary of Modena, who is very Catholic.  The two brothers, the King and the Duke, are of different religions and it causes a lot of upheaval, and even makes the King exclude the Duke from the succession for several years.

Katherine has refused marriage a few times, and finds herself spurned in love as well.  She decides instead, when noticed, to become the mistress of James Duke of York.  She does not ask for special favors or gifts as most mistresses do, or have fancy rooms at the palace.  Since she already has her own considerable wealth from her father, she instead prefers only his company and a home nearby.  They have two children, a girl and boy.  The baby boy dies at a young age from a fever.  Katherine is in a unique position as a mistress- she is hated by his wife and even her father becomes suspicious of her.  Is she loyal to England or to the Duke? 

Their relationship is unique in that she can use her sharp tongue and wit on him, even scold him on his religion and he still loves her.  When the Duke is exiled to Ireland, she misses him while at the same time tries to bring him around.  She wants to reconcile her lover with his brother.  The Duke's councilors and priests are constantly telling him to give her up, which he eventually does.  She was created the Countess of Dorchester for life, and he provided well for her and their daughter.  She later married and had two sons and died at age 60.

I enjoyed reading this book, it was entertaining and I found Katherine entertaining. 

The Crown

This book was a historical mystery novel, entertaining and suspenseful.  It follows Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun in 1537 England.  She finds out a favorite cousin has been condemned to be burned at the stake, on orders of King Henry VIII.  She breaks the enclosure vow to see her cousin die, to give her a familiar and loving face before she dies.  While at Smithfield, she sees her father at the last minute throw some gunpowder on the flames to make for a speedy and less horrific death.  She is arrested along with her father in The Tower for interfering.  As she is also of royal blood, her uncle being Edward Stafford and third Duke of Buckingham.  Buckingham had been killed for plotting for King Henry's throne, so the Stafford name was no longer popular or safe.  While in The Tower, she discovers that her father has been tortured by Bishop Gardiner.  In order to stay safe and save her father, she is ordered back to Dartford Priory to resume her novice duties.  While there, she is given the task of finding a sacred relic of King Athelstan- it had the ability to end the Reformation that Cromwell was assisting in.

From Dartford Priory to Malmesbury Abbey, Joanna along with Brother Edmund who is also employed by Bishop Gardiner, must hurry and find the crown before Cromwell does.  They must do so quietly so no one at the abbey knows.  Many abbeys and sanctuaries were being closed down all around them, their riches emptied into the royal treasury and the nuns left without a home.  Time is of the essence as well as discretion.  The relic involves the Black Prince, Richard the Lionhearted and Katherine of Aragon's first husband, Arthur.  The book is full of suspense and mystery as the abbess dies and murders happen within the abbey walls.

I enjoyed this book because it involved a time period I much enjoy reading about, but another angle.  It was interesting to read from the angle of an abbey that was soon to be suppressed during the Reformation of King Henry VIII's time, and also to have it be a mystery at the same time.  It was easy to read, interesting and I didn't guess the culprit in the end.

I also want to share a few other blog sites that have helped me find good books coming out.  http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/23965.Historical_Fiction_2013,   http://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/  and http://historicalboys.blogspot.com/  this one written by a favorite author of mine, C.W. Gortner.