Historical fiction is back on the blog today. Carol McGrath is an author I know will bring quality and a rip-roaring tale. Thanks yo Rachel’s Random Resources and Headline for my gifted copy of the book to write my honest review.
1191 and the Third Crusade is underway . . .
It is 1191 and King Richard the Lionheart is on crusade to pitch battle against Saladin and liberate the city of Jerusalem and her lands. His mother, the formidable Eleanor of Aquitaine and his promised bride, Princess Berengaria of Navarre, make a perilous journey over the Alps in midwinter. They are to rendezvous with Richard in the Sicilian port of Messina.
There are hazards along the way – vicious assassins, marauding pirates, violent storms and a shipwreck. Berengaria is as feisty as her foes and, surviving it all, she and Richard marry in Cyprus. England needs an heir. But first, Richard and his Queen must return home . . .
The Lost Queen is a thrilling medieval story of high adventure, survival, friendship and the enduring love of a Queen for her King.
Acclaim for Carol McGrath’s ROSE trilogy:
‘Powerful, gripping and beautifully told‘ KATE FURNIVALL on The Silken Rose
‘A tour de force of gripping writing, rich historical detail and complex, fascinating characters’ NICOLA CORNICK on The Stone Rose
‘A beautifully narrated novel’ K J MAITLAND on The Damask Rose.
My Review
Carol McGrath is an author who always brings the past alive for me. I have read several of her books and have enjoyed everyone. The Lost Queen is set in a period I haven’t read much about, so it’s a book I was happy to read.
Set In the 1190s and during the Crusades, this is a novel that brings the Queen of Richard the Lionheart into the foreground. Told from the perspectives of Berengaria of Navarre, the Queen of England to be, and Lady Avalina of Middleton.
Lady Avalina’s husband didn’t return from the previous crusade three years ago. She is fighting pressure to accept that he is dead. Lady Avalina, along with some nuns on pilgrimage, accompanied the Princess and Eleanor of Aquitaine on their way to Cyprus for her wedding to King Richard 1.
Rich, vivid, and excellently researched, The Lost Queen tells a tale from so long ago, but it felt like I was actually with these historical figures, some of whom I only knew the basic facts about. Berengaria is consigned to history as Richard the Lionharts’ wife. I never knew details, and it was certainly an interesting and immersive read.
Lady Avaline turns into a friend of this Queen of England after joining her court when they arrive, and Berengaria has married King Richard 1.
I learned such a lot about this time period with the colourful and varied descriptive writing. It is a novel I would say any historical fiction reader would adore. Especially if they are interested in the nobility of the past. This has everything sometimes a little slower in its telling, but with strong women and the danger of pirates and assasins along the way!
Purchase Link https://tinyurl.com/5n8ab2xv
Author Bio
Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London. The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy. Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, was republished by Headline in 2020. The Silken Rose, first in a medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, saw publication in April 2020. This was followed by The Damask Rose. The Stone Rose was published April 2022. Carol is writing Historical non-fiction as well as fiction. Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England was published in February 2022. The Stolen Crown 2023 and The Lost Queen will be published 18th July 2024. Carol lives in Oxfordshire, England and in Greece.
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