Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours/Netgalley
Read: November 13, 2014
Winter, 1558: Elizabeth I has ascended the throne but the first days of her reign are already fraught with turmoil, the kingdom weakened by strife and her ability to rule uncertain. Summoned from exile abroad at the new queen’s behest, Brendan Prescott arrives in London to face his shattered past. He soon finds himself pitted in deadly rivalry with his life-long foe, Robert Dudley, but when a poison attempt overshadows the queen’s coronation, Elizabeth privately dispatches Brendan on a far more dangerous assignation: to find her favored lady-in-waiting, Lady Parry, who has vanished in Yorkshire. Upon his arrival at the crumbling sea-side manor that may hold the key to Lady Parry’s disappearance, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, but the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery, the more he becomes the quarry of an elusive stranger with a vendetta— one that could expose both his own buried identity and a long-hidden revelation that will bring about Elizabeth’s doom. From the intrigue-laden passages of Whitehall to a foreboding Catholic manor and the prisons of the Tower, Brendan must risk everything to unravel a vendetta that strikes at the very core of his world, including his loyalty to his queen.
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I discovered C.W. Gortner entirely by accident. I'd accepted an offer to review The Queen's Vow and The Tudor Conspiracy as part of two coinciding book tours and quickly fell in love with his work which is why I didn't stop to think when offered the opportunity to review The Tudor Vendetta. I simply said yes and jumped into the third installment of the Spymaster Chronicles.
As with its predecessor, I was struck by the complex intrigue Gortner created and his ability to surprise readers with unforeseeable twists and turns. This is no small achievement, but it takes on special significance when one recognizes how much Tudor literature is on the market. It is a very popular period and it's rare to find someone who can infuse a story with as much originality and imagination as Gortner.
Another thing I love about this book is how natural it felt. The author has a very keen understanding of court life and how tangled loyalties might have become as the crown passed from one head to the next. Blending this concept into the fabric of his fiction, the reader can recognize a tangible uncertainty in many of Brendan Prescott's relationships and in turn develop an authentic understanding of the precariousness of his position.
Though I appreciate many of the characters, I actually found Dudley the most interesting. I've never been particularly fond of him, but Gortner's interpretation proved something an exception. Details would spoil the story so you'll have to read the book to understand what I'm getting at, but suffice it to say Gortner's multifaceted caricature exceeded my expectations.
Though slow to start, I very much enjoyed the time I spent with this piece. There is an air of suspicion about it and glorious deception that keeps the reader on their toes up till the final page. Highly recommended as both a standalone and series read.
Another thing I love about this book is how natural it felt. The author has a very keen understanding of court life and how tangled loyalties might have become as the crown passed from one head to the next. Blending this concept into the fabric of his fiction, the reader can recognize a tangible uncertainty in many of Brendan Prescott's relationships and in turn develop an authentic understanding of the precariousness of his position.
Though I appreciate many of the characters, I actually found Dudley the most interesting. I've never been particularly fond of him, but Gortner's interpretation proved something an exception. Details would spoil the story so you'll have to read the book to understand what I'm getting at, but suffice it to say Gortner's multifaceted caricature exceeded my expectations.
Though slow to start, I very much enjoyed the time I spent with this piece. There is an air of suspicion about it and glorious deception that keeps the reader on their toes up till the final page. Highly recommended as both a standalone and series read.
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"This is what we do, Prescott. We are intelligencers. We cannot concede defeat even when we are weary, because our life is nothing compared to the one we must protect. You almost failed her last time and she barely survived it. Now, you must sacrifice everything you feel and think, if you’re to become her weapon."
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Check Out All the Stops on C. W. Gortner's The Tudor Vendetta Blog Tour Schedule
Wednesday, October 29
Review at Making My Mark
Review at Writing the Renaissance
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Guest Post at Bookish
Review at Making My Mark
Review at Writing the Renaissance
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Guest Post at Bookish
Thursday, October 30
Review & Guest Post at Drey’s Library
Review & Interview at The Copperfield Review & From Meredith Allard
Interview at Writing the Renaissance
Review & Guest Post at Drey’s Library
Review & Interview at The Copperfield Review & From Meredith Allard
Interview at Writing the Renaissance
