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Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen

I recently finished my NetGalley copy of Alison Weir's fabulous new novel JANE SEYMOUR: THE HAUNTED QUEEN.  Wow, what a fantastic story.  I've always thought of Jane Seymour as a mousy, quiet woman.  A woman who was the antithesis of Anne Boleyn.  The calm after the storm.  Well, this book throws all my preconceived ideas out the window.  I have no doubt she was the calm after the storm that was Anne Boleyn, but she was no shrinking violet, either.  The Jane Seymour portrayed by Alison Weir (one of THE BEST historical novelist I've ever read), is a calm, but highly intelligent young woman.  One who happened to catch the eye of Henry.  The only woman who was able to give him the son and heir he required and craved.  She was full of life and joy, but the title tells it all.  She was haunted.  There is an element of the supernatural in this book.  She is haunted by a dark figure; she feels partly responsible for the death of ...
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The Secret

The Secret

BOUDICA VS THE ROMAN EMPIRE

02_A Year of Ravens_Cover

A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion

by Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, and Russell Whitfield
Publication Date: November 13, 2015
Knight Media LLC
eBook & Paperback; 440 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

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Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica led her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume heroes and cowards, young and old, Roman and Celt . . . and these are their stories. A calculating queen sees the sparks of revolt in a king's death. A neglected slave girl seizes her own courage as Boudica calls for war. An idealistic tribune finds manhood in a brutal baptism of blood and slaughter. A conflicted warrior hovers between loyalty to tribe and loyalty to Rome. A death-haunted Druid challenges the gods themselves to ensure victory for his people. An old champion struggles for everlasting glory in the final battle against the legions. A fiery princess fights to salvage the pieces of her mother's dream as the ravens circle. A novel in seven parts, overlapping stories of warriors and peacemakers, queens and slaves, Romans and Celts who cross paths during Boudica's epic rebellion. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?



my thoughts:

A brutal and gruesome story of war. Boudica vs the might of the Empire of Rome. This is not a romanticized story of a frail queen who revolts against big, bad Rome, but of an indomitable warrior queen who rises up and dares to challenge the empire. (think Star Wars with a different ending).

For those who are unfamiliar with the history, Boudica is an Iceni (celtic) queen, wife of King Prastagus. He is a client king of Rome, meaning, he is allowed to remain in power as king as long as he bends to Roman will. He dies without a male heir, not a problem to the Iceni people, but a great problem to male dominated Rome. Boudica argues that she, as wife to the king, is the new ruler and will not bow down to Rome. The result? She is flogged, her two daughters raped. This sets the scene for a violent, brutal war.

We watch this war progress through the eyes and writings of seven very talented authors. This is not a one sided book. We, the readers, are witness to the fears and desires of both the Romans and the Iceni. In fact, my favorite character, Andecarus, son of Duro, is an Iceni male taken as a 'hostage' to Rome. He is raised in a roman household as a foster son. He returns to the Iceni as an adult and is compelled to fight alongside the Iceni. He, having been raised a roman, is not trusted by his countrymen. Caught between two worlds, he exemplified courage, strength and honor.


This is a tale told in multiple views, by very talented authors. Don't skip any of the stories, read them in order, as the expand upon the story with each passing page.









A Year of Ravens Authors

                       Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, and Russell Whitfield

Ruth Downie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Kate Quinn, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, & Russell Whitfield

Blog Tour Schedule


 Tuesday, December 8Review at Book Lovers Paradise

  Wednesday, December 9Review at I'm Shelfish

  Thursday, December 10Review at Boom Baby Reviews

  Friday, December 11Review at Historical Readings & Reviews

  Monday, December 14Review at History From a Woman's Perspective

  Tuesday, December 15Review at CelticLady's Reviews

  Wednesday, December 16Review at A Literary VacationGuest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

  Thursday, December 17Review at The True Book AddictReview at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Friday, December 18Review at Broken TeepeeReview, Excerpt, & Interview at Unshelfish

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a Celtic inspired set of silver tone metal and red Swarovski crystal beads, including a necklace, bracelet, and earrings inspired by the setting of A Year of Ravens! Please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Rules  Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 18th. You must be 18 or older to enter.  Giveaway is open to residents in the US and UK. Only one entry per household.  All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion ñ Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. A Year of Ravens



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Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen

I recently finished my NetGalley copy of Alison Weir's fabulous new novel JANE SEYMOUR: THE HAUNTED QUEEN.  Wow, what a fantastic story.  I've always thought of Jane Seymour as a mousy, quiet woman.  A woman who was the antithesis of Anne Boleyn.  The calm after the storm.  Well, this book throws all my preconceived ideas out the window.  I have no doubt she was the calm after the storm that was Anne Boleyn, but she was no shrinking violet, either.  The Jane Seymour portrayed by Alison Weir (one of THE BEST historical novelist I've ever read), is a calm, but highly intelligent young woman.  One who happened to catch the eye of Henry.  The only woman who was able to give him the son and heir he required and craved.  She was full of life and joy, but the title tells it all.  She was haunted.  There is an element of the supernatural in this book.  She is haunted by a dark figure; she feels partly responsible for the death of ...
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