Review: Order of the Dragon - Book One by Lisa J Yarde

A 15th century illustration depicting an equestrian figure 

previously identified as Cillei Borbála

one of the key founders of the Order of the Dragon

Order of the Dragon : Book One by Lisa J. Yarde is the fictionalised biography and character portrayal of Dracula's father, Vlad II Dracul, also known as Vlad the Dragon. Grand and colourful, this historical novel spans the years 1408 to 1432, from Vlad the Dragon's youth to his early years as a father. Those curious about the real Dracula or Vlad the Impaler might be tempted to skip this book and wait until the other book instalments, but this would be a mistake. The life and times of Vlad the Dragon are so richly fascinating that readers would miss out on a journey of epic scale.

This novel is beautifully written and what lingers most for me is the depth of language and insights. There are many quotes that moved me, like,

“What was life and a man’s existence, except a test of his faith and resolve?”

Because this is after all a novel about a historical male figure, I want to stress that I really enjoyed the accent on Vlad’s character study. A thoughtful quote from an antiquity philosopher introduces each chapter, hinting to the passage’s themes and the life lessons that are to be learned, presumably by Vlad. Our main character begins his arc as a discontented and impulsive youth who has yet to acquire patience, gratitude, and strategic acumen. Throughout many years he will nurse political ambitions over his brothers, deep resentment toward the Turks, and later pay heed to a prophecy announcing his betrayal. He will be wary, not only of his lifelong enemy but also of his best friend. This last trait imbues one of the final scenes with a power I rarely felt in any novel. The passage is extremely well-written in its suspense and the complex emotions it stirs. It was a well-executed climax, drawing together all Vlad had experienced, and rendering his reactions highly plausible. Be ready for a surprise.

Never perfect, but of admirable character is our Vlad. The book’s in-depth study has the quality of reinforcing our curiosity about the son. For what could cause a boy raised by a decent father to eventually become a monster, as hinted by a name like Vlad the Impaler? It is hard not be curious about how events will unfold in subsequent books, if only to answer this question.

But onto the story. It takes place in a period wrought with war between Christendom and the Ottomans and this same tension is palpable in Vlad's intense hatred for the Turks who wage regular attacks into his homeland of Wallachia.

When we first meet Vlad, he is attempting a daring escape from home with his beloved twin sister, Arina. There are many things Vlad reproaches his father, the Voivode of Wallachia, not least that Prince Mircea has sold Arina as a betrothed to secure an alliance with the Turks. Arina's fate will haunt Vlad for many years to come.

Buda Castle from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493

Vlad is sent to Buda Castle in Hungary where begins his lifelong servitude to King Zsigmond. Through training, battles, tournaments, banquets and more adventures, he befriends an incredible cast of historical characters and through his eyes, we live through key dramatic events in Eastern European history.

During his service to King Zsigmond, the wicked queen Cillei Borbála will taunt Vlad and cause him great harm. Yet I found this woman captivating for several reasons, one being that Vlad soon learns of the Order of the Dragon, a secret confederacy of knights at the service of King Zsigmond which according to rumours was jointly formed by the queen. In all, I grew to respect Borbála and hope to read more of her in the next book in the series.

Milena Olivera a Serbian princess, also known as Despina Hatun

 became the wife of Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I in a bid for peace.

Both were captives of Timur after the Battle of Ankara (1402)

Romance-wise the story delves wonderfully into Vlad’s conflicted relationship with two fascinating women, one of which is no other than Cneajna of Moldavia who is gifted with strange prophetic powers and fated to become Dracula’s mother. Yet what I found most touching was the novel’s reverence toward friendship. Each of Vlad’s friends – the awe-inspiring Polish black knight, Zawisza Czarny, the love-thwarted and later canonized Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the warm and mystical Milena Olivera (Mileva Olivera Lazarević) an ex-consort to an ottoman sultan, and the Bulgarian noble, Fruzhin - are each worth their own novel. They were a treat to discover because Lisa J. Yarde is adept at painting well-rounded peripheral characters.

Stibor of Stiboricz, a member of the Order of the Dragon 

who will train Vlad in combat.

Those who enjoy culture and travel through literature will find pleasure in Order of the Dragon. It begins in today’s Romania, moves onto Hungary, today’s Slovakia, spends a while in Konstanz in Germany, later in Bohemia or today’s Czech Republic, followed by Poland, depicts a major battle in Serbia, travels to what is now Nuremberg in Germany to finally end in the birth town of Dracula, Sighișoara in Transylvania.

A novel of this breadth and depth is never easily undertaken and this speaks volumes about the author’s talent and historical research skills. When the journey draws to a close, one feels both enriched and curious to know more about the period. Thank goodness, there will be other books in the series.

Review: Jane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron

Stephanie Barron is a prolific author with a CIA career background who has penned a series of mysteries with Jane Austen as lead sleuth and narrator. Currently in love with all things Georgian, I found this titillating, and while I’m admittedly late to the Jane Austen tea party - there are 14 books now - I am no less enthusiastic than early adopters, ever since having read my first cosy mystery featuring the renowned 19th century author as main character.

In the splendidly titled, Jane and the Year Without a Summer, Jane Austen travels to Cheltenham in May 1816 with her sister Cassandra upon advice of her doctor. It is hoped the iron-rich spa waters will invigorate her.

The Royal Well Spa, Cheltenham by Robert Cruickshank, published in The English Spy 1826

(Image courtesy of antiqueprints.com)

As they settle into their lodgings at Mrs Potter’s, we meet an eccentric cast of characters. Miss Rose Williams is a wheelchair-bound sylphlike young heiress. Her childhood friend and companion, Sarah Fox exerts a Wollstonecraft-ian feminist influence on her.  Elegant Hannah Smith is a free-spirited actress with a secret shame who manages to outrage a moralistic Miss Garthwaite more than once, lending some spice to the dialogue.  The reverend in Miss Garthwaite’s brother, James is inclined to sermonising at length uttering his, "Repent!" to all who would hear. In his eyes, the current sunless year can only spell doom:

“Are you aware—or as yet ignorant of the intelligence—that the warmth of the sun has been wrapped in a veil; that no man may say when it shall be torn asunder; and that perpetual winter shall wither crops in the fields, bringing desolation upon the multitude?”

As it turns out, much more than the historical climatic gloom is forthcoming.

But it wouldn’t be a Jane Austen story without a dash of romantic excitement for the author. So who should happen to also be visiting Cheltenham but her love interest, Raphael West? The younger women on the other hand, married or not, seem to be taken by the limping Captain Harry Pellew.

Faithful to the format of an Agatha Christie novel, simmering tensions are revealed between several characters, laying down suspicions and motivations for what is to come. The unexpected arrival of Miss Williams’ husband, alongside a beautiful and mysterious woman, sends the fragile Rose Williams into a frenzy of hysterics.  Spendthrift Viscount Portreath is adamant that his wife should return home at once. Captain Pellew is not alone in his negative reaction to this. Sarah Fox wishes her friend, Rose to flee from her husband. A certain Dr Lionel Hargate who turns out as patronising as they get (especially with his dealings with our Jane), intervenes promptly against Miss Williams travelling, even while Sarah Fox insists her life is in danger.

It’s not long before we begin to suspect Lady Portreath‘s life might indeed be under threat. But there are more happenings brooding under the surface and it is just as well Jane Austen proves so insightful. 

How about some poisoned macaroons with your tea?

A relaxing stay that ought to have consisted of sensible attendances to the theatre and visits to the Cheltenham library, unfolds with unexpected twists. A tea party with a case of poisoned macaroons, a disturbing pattern of dead rats, a tragic costume ball, anorexic behaviour in a distressed young woman, violent jealousy, and more fervent preaching about the apocalypse - there is much to entertain and transport as the suspense culminates into not one, but two vicious cold-blooded murders. 

Luckily by this time, Miss Austen has brilliantly pieced together enough about her companions’ behaviour to solve the case in style.

This was an enjoyable historical cosy mystery even without the detective’s author credentials. I happily lost myself in the intrigue, while also exploring a bygone Cheltenham, and gasping at the rudeness of Miss Garthwaite’s classist remarks. A brilliant, entertaining story with vivid characters.

I haven’t opened a Jane Austen book in a long time so I admit that the language, faithful to her own, took a bit to get used to but twenty pages in, and I was delighted with its stile (style) and its spelling variations - I had somehow forgotten that one could chuse (choose) to spell panic as panick, and gothic as gothick. But setting aside my own ignorance, this deliberate adherence to Jane Austen’s form of expression is what made the text so transporting.

There are some delightful descriptions, as when we first meet Lady Portreath aka Miss Rose Williams :

"Flawless skin, tho’ too wan and pallid; shadowed eyes of cornflower blue; guinea-gold curls trailing from a deliciously upturned poke bonnet, a frail figure handsomely gowned—and yet all confined to the basket-chair of an invalid’s conveyance. There was a thinness, a languor, that spoke of suffering gallantly borne. Such a picture, eloquent of Divine gifts and burdens equally bestowed, must inspire the most sympathetic concern!"

With such evocative prose, I am in no doubt that a TV series producer will one day want to adapt Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries. 

I leave you with one last charming quote from Raphael West :

“Where are you ladies bound? May I cajole you to visit the Cheltenham Library? I mean to peruse the London papers; I have ruralised in ignorance long enough.”

Many thanks to Soho Crime from Soho Press for providing me with an ARC of this novel. 

Jane and the Year Without a Summer is out on 8 February 2022.

Review: The Stuart Vampire by Andrea Zuvich

As a fan of historical fiction, The Monk and Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles, I will not cease raving about this book - it hit all the right notes! It is astounding that the author wrote this novel in her mid-twenties; this in itself was an INCREDIBLE achievement but The Stuart Vampire is a real treat for lovers of horror and the gothic.

Told beautifully, in a language most suited to the 17th century, and by a historian who is intimate with the Stuart period, this book could be described as The Monk meets Cinderella with a touch of Charlotte Dacre's Zofloya.

The prince charming in this tale happens to be Henry Stuart the Duke of Gloucester, who bedridden with smallpox does not die as history tells us, but instead is transformed into a vampire by a ruthless, self-interested Venetian vampiress in league with the devil. Griselda is her name and she is as bone-chillingly wicked as they come, offering us some of the best dialogue in the novel. Her cruelty and scheming in her quest for adoration and love reminded me of Zofloya's female protagonist.

One of the best passages in the book is when Zuvich introduces us to the inbred village where a Cinderella-esque Susanna grows up ill-treated and brutalised. I loved the sinister atmosphere that Zuvich's almost stoic voice manages to stir in those moments. The author's keen insights into the social condition, backwardness and hypocrisy of the villagers and how these factors will eventually lead to witchhunts artfully merges the gothic with the historical realities of the period.

Throughout the novel, Zuvich takes her heroine through much suffering and one really needs to be a fan of the horror genre to withstand it, but the climatic ending brings much relief and satisfaction.
When all the ghastly macabre scenes have passed, a beauty emerges that is both spiritual and touching. Susanna is a wonderful character.

Evocative writing, a gripping plot unfolding within a vivid historical setting, and an ancient vampiric movement all work splendidly together in a novel that ultimately celebrates the most precious force of all - love.

Chronique : Althéa ou la colère d'un roi de Karin Hann

Si vous rêvez des fastes du Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte au temps de Nicolas Fouquet, si un pincement au coeur vous prend dès que l'on aborde le sujet de son injuste emprisonnement par Louis XIV, ou si vous recherchez un roman qui met en lumière le XVIIe siècle d'une manière intrigante et originale, le roman historique de Karin Hann vous enchantera. 

Je viens de terminer Althéa ou la colère d’un roi et je me dois de souligner la plume exquise de l'auteur qui s'adapte à merveille à l'époque, nous envoutant dès les premières pages. On est proche de Molière et de La Fontaine et le dialogue de Karin Hann sied à merveille : nuancé, brillant d'esprit et de grâce. Cela m'a donné l'envie de savourer ses autres livres, surtout Les Venins de la Cour, et de m’inspirer de ses élégantes tournures de phrases.

Nicolas Fouquet

Le roman de Karin Hann imagine un personnage féminin à travers lequel nous assistons à la puissance croissante, puis la chute de Nicolas Fouquet. Althéa de Braban-Valloris se retrouve  orpheline à sa naissance. Adoptée par la famille Fouquet, elle voue une tendresse à Nicolas, son père adoptif. Jeune encore, elle ne s'imagine pas le danger que cours Fouquet ni combien un roi peut s'avérer si peu noble et si fortement envieux. Car c'est bien un roi orgueilleux et jaloux que Karin Hann nous peint, à mon grand plaisir d'ailleurs.  

À la chute de Fouquet, Althéa est plongée dans l'infortune. Elle témoigne des événements bouleversants qui mènent à la perte de tout ce qu’elle a jadis aimé. Mais notre héroïne déterminée s'alliera avec l'homme qui lui a sauvé la vie pour tenter de parvenir à Nicolas Fouquet que Louis XIV a emprisonné à Pignerol. 

Au cours de cette aventure, Althéa découvre une sinistre conspiration mêlant Louis XIV, Fouquet, l'homme au masque de fer et l'ordre des Templiers. Il existe plusieurs hypothèses historiques quant à l'origine du masque de fer, et le complot que Karin Hann nous offre dans ce roman est si judicieusement ficelé, ses détails si bien recherchés que l'on est tout de suite séduit par l'idée. 

Ce roman est riche en histoire, en péripéties et ne manque pas d'érotisme. Althéa nous paraît comme une femme audacieuse et intelligente qui semble se nouer facilement avec divers personnages de la Cour dont, Anne d'Autriche, la reine Marie-Thérèse, ainsi que la piquante Madame de Montespan, et qui malgré elle, suscite aussi l'intérêt de Louis XIV. Mais le monde est aussi semé d’épines, et Althéa s'attire un ennemi redoutable là où elle ne s’y attendait pas. Cette sous-intrigue revisite le thème de la jalousie, et combien celle-ci peut mener un être humain à de pires excès.

Madame de Montespan

Mon personnage préféré est celui de Saint-Évrard qui incarne avec Mathieu de Mergenteuil et Althéa un triangle amoureux tragique dont j'ai apprécié la délicate et touchante exécution. 

Ce qui ne manque pas d'émouvoir tout au long du roman c'est cette déchéance physique de Nicolas Fouquet; vieil homme voûté et maladif vers la fin du livre, homme dont les années, le succès et la gloire furent volés. Mais si le destin de Fouquet nous attriste, du moins le roman de Karin Hann apporte une lueur d'espoir.  

Un très beau livre que je recommande fortement et qui devrait absolument vous accompagner lors de votre visite au Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte.

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Review: The Queen's Dressmaker by Meghan Masterson

The Queen’s Dressmaker is a well-paced story of loyalty, espionage and love set in the turmoil of the French Revolution.

Masterson’s fictitious heroine, Giselle Aubry, offers a gripping and highly plausible first person insight into what it might have been like to serve Marie-Antoinette as wardrobe mistress in the years leading to the queen of France’s imprisonment and beheading.

With meticulous research, the author brilliantly highlights the often absurd transitions of this period, and the tightly wound relationships between French dress, overt political stance, intense social pressure and death itself. I adored the attention to detail placed on clothing and its social symbols.

Gowns as seen in Sofia Coppola's Marie-Antoinette

Conciergerie exhibition, Dec 2019

The plot, deftly entwined with Marie-Antoinette’s tragic fate from 1789 to 1793, follows the romantic relationship between a dressmaker working in Versailles Palace and a republican watchmaker, Léon Gauvain. Giselle’s inner conflict and her torn loyalties are well-executed, lending a cerebral quality to her romance which rather than being thwarted by emotions or jealousy, is imperilled by opposing values.

Encouraged to spy on the queen by her uncle, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (author of Le Mariage de Figaro), it was interesting to witness Giselle’s stint into espionage evolve from a source of pride – in her own worth, knowledge and intelligence — to a source of shame. An activity begun as voyeurism, and which mirrors the curiosity we modern readers feel for Marie-Antoinette’s life, it, and all other espionage takes on a dangerous quality as the Revolution unfolds.

Portrait of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais 

Jean-Marc Nattier, 1755

From the point of view of character development, I also appreciated how a pure initial fervour into the French republican cause, as held by Léon, could later be tempered once France entered the Terror.

I loved this book. Having studied the French Revolution created added suspense due to my anticipation of upcoming historical events. I worried in advance for the character and was curious to live precariously though her. Those unfamiliar with the French Revolution and with Marie-Antoinette’s fate, would still be highly captivated by this novel as it artfully explains the events and brings them to life in a unique, intimate manner.

Marie-Antoinette (1783) by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun

Versailles Palace

The novel’s cast of real life characters, including the heart-warming Madame Campan, General Lafayette, Maximilien Robespierre and journalist, Camille Desmoulins, further grounds this historical novel into the world of the French Revolution. There was a cute cameo from Talleyrand which I appreciated.

Highly recommended for lovers of France, Marie-Antoinette, clothing, and historical fiction.

Versailles Palace, door details

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC.

Chronique : Abyssinia par Alexandre Page

Grâce au prodigieux travail d'Alexandre Page, j'ai eu l'immense plaisir au cours de l'hiver de me transporter à la fin du 19e siècle et de suivre les aventures d'une mission diplomatique russe en Abyssinie. 

Nous sommes en 1897 et l'empereur Ménélik II règne sur des terres abyssines, progressivement conquises. 

En novembre 1896, apparaissait cette photo dans Le Petit Parisien. Elle y figure les italiens signant la traite d'Addis-Abeba le 26 octobre 1896, devant Ménélik, après leur importante défaite face à l'armée éthiopienne.  

C'est peu de temps suivant ces événements que commence le formidable récit d'Alexandre Page, ABYSSINIA...

"Ménélik descendait du roi Salomon, de la reine de Saba, et ces noms seuls suffisaient à nourrir infiniment des esprits imaginatifs."  - Alexandre Page, Abyssinia : Volume I

Docteur Alexandre Page nous livre une œuvre titanesque qui ne lésine en rien à chaque page.

Ce livre, c'est un trésor historique, un long voyage. C'est une fresque géographique et culturelle vertigineuse. C'est le récit d'une expédition russe en Abyssinie, à la fin du 19e siècle. Nous sommes intimes avec cette expédition. Nous vivons ses épreuves (ah oui, ce n'est pas si facile de se procurer des chameaux et je ne dis rien sur les fourmis géantes...), nous nous émouvons de ses découvertes, ses rencontres et ses échanges, dont certains sont teintés d'humour. La lecture demande du temps, tellement les pages sont riches, mais ce rythme est parfait, car il nous place aisément dans la peau des personnages pour lesquels cette aventure est une véritable épopée, longue de plusieurs mois.

On ne peut qu'admirer la patience et la maîtrise dont fait preuve l'auteur : recherches historiques approfondies sur un sujet difficile (car moins connu), descriptions évocatrices de personnages et de paysages, un style posé qui sied parfaitement à l'époque, et toujours cette retenue pour exposer les faits sans tenter de pencher le lecteur ou la lectrice vers une certaine opinion politique. On y découvre une Abyssinie indépendante (la plupart des pays d'Afrique à cette époque sont sous une emprise coloniale occidentale), puissante, riche, souvent guerrière, une terre peuplée de diverses ethnies — certaines d'elles, conquises — mais toutes aussi différentes, voire fascinantes, les unes que les autres.

Les aspects du livre que j'ai trouvé particulièrement enrichissants sont ses portraits de personnages russes et de leur comportement dans plusieurs situations sociales complexes, ainsi que les descriptions des us et coutumes de chaque ethnie locale.

Sans doute ma citation préférée dans ce très beau livre

J'ai retenu plusieurs passages grâce à ce texte. Je me suis délectée de la manière dont l'auteur crée l'ambiance d'un repas dans différentes contrées. Je garde un souvenir inoubliable des descriptions des villes et des marchés, des femmes, de cette rencontre entre les Russes et des esclaves, et surtout de ces dialogues nuancés qui dépeignent le climat politique de l'époque.

Je vous laisse avec quelques aperçus sur les Français de la part de personnages russes. :)

Review: All the Murmuring Bones by Angela Slatter

When I learned that multi-award-winning author, Angela Slatter, had penned a mermaid fantasy novel, I knew it would be a gripping read. Even with its cover and title, All the Murmuring Bones evoked the gothic and spawned dark visions of an ocean underworld.  I was also curious about the secret pact between the O'Malley family and the merfolk: safety for their merchant ships in return for a child of each generation. A plot that promised danger, magic, sacrifice and likely, evil deeds.  All the Murmuring Bones delivered all this and more. I've not read a story that so artfully depicts sea-folk as ghoulish sinister forces. As it turned out, this young adult novel comes with more than one mystery to unearth and it's a well-paced fantasy adventure along the way to answers.

Miren, the descendant of a long line of O'Malleys whose fortune has fallen into ruin despite a prosperous past, was abandoned as a child by her mother and raised by her grandparents. Upon her grandfather's death, she inherits the decrepit castle at Hob's Hallow. We get a sense quite early that Miren is curious, feisty and thinks for herself. That latter trait will come in handy when her destitute grandmother has in mind that Miren will wed her wealthy cousin, Aidan Fitzpatrick. Grandmother thinks there's much profit to be made from this scheme. Not so innocent Miren watches herself get pampered and gifted with numerous frocks, along with a magical quilt that will have disastrous effects. This passage of the novel is effective at giving us Miren's point of view as a conflicted young woman who sees her world collapsing and is confronted with choices. I personally enjoyed all those dress descriptions even if they came with a dangerous deal. For Miren can't shake the fact that there's a strong sense of menace in marrying the devious Aidan Fitzpatrick. That, along with her burning desire to find her mysterious mother, Isolde, will see her flee from the family home and set off on an adventure.

Along the way, merfolk, witches, rusalki, corpsewights— this novel has its share of bone-chilling encounters. After all, this is a world where witches are not burnt and where the Queen of Thieves, a cunning business woman, rules them all. I thoroughly enjoyed the horror aspects of this novel. Earlier, the creepy scene at the port's Weeping Gate where Miren is attacked underwater by mermaids and learns that she is cursed with her family's debt, sets the pace for what is to come. Then as Miren journeys to find her mother, one memorable tense scene sees her strike a bargain with three revenants. The courageous Miren must solve their riddle or else suffer what may.

                             

But horror has no need of fantasy to inject fear, and one of the darkest sections in this deliciously gothic story borrows from traditional themes— secret identity, crime, hidden rooms and family lies. Once Miren arrives in the mining village of Blackwater, there's more than one eerie passage, and Angela Slatter is adept at creating an atmosphere of the uncanny while building up the tension. Miren will discover the stunning truth about her mother but before that, she'll need to apply her clever wits to untangle the mysteries at Blackwater.

 

One of the strengths of this novel is Angela Slatter's masterfully crafted lyrical voice. It really is beautiful. Right from the first chapter, the spellbinding prose creates a sense of place that transports. Throughout the book, as Miren reflects on her family's secret history, the author artfully weaves in short fantasy fables where witches and merfolks come alive through her skilled narration. There's never a feeling, though, that the plot is scattered, and these short tales serve as hints to solving the main mystery. 

The theme of family stood out for me. All the Murmuring Bones suggests that family is not always kind, and often family members cannot be trusted or at least they require us to keep a sceptical eye. It is a refreshing and daring message. It also carries lessons about how we choose to treat one another despite our past. While in the story, a supernatural curse is passed on within the family over many generations, in the real world, there are curses of another nature that families tend to pass to one another...betrayal, hurt, or even abandonment. With this in mind, I held on to Miren’s insight:

"Some folk make a point of not visiting pain on others when it's done to them; most people though, think it's their due to inflict a little of their own agony."

Miren does learn from this lesson in the way she comes to treat others. Meanwhile there's also plenty we can learn from her non-materialistic decisions at the end of the story.

I highly recommend All the Murmuring Bones for its deep levels and its gripping, entertaining story. I believe it is likely to please adults as well. 

A huge thank you to Titan Books for sending me a review copy of this novel.

 

All the Murmuring Bones by Angela Slatter is out on 9 March, 2021. 

Review: Midnight Fire by P.K. Adams

Having read and enjoyed Silent Water, I felt fortunate to obtain an advanced review copy of P.K. Adams' Midnight Fire, the second book in her Jagiellon mystery trilogy. Out next week, this is one novel you don't want to miss if you are a fan of cosy mysteries and long to time travel to the Polish Golden Age. 

P.K. Adams is a talented writer who breathes atmosphere and colour to a period that few historical novelists have dared to tread. Employing artful descriptions and an engrossing prose, she effortlessly merges an absorbing plot with her cultural and historical knowledge of 16th century Poland. Once again the astute and introspective Caterina Konarska who almost lost her life in Silent Water, is thrown into the intrigues of the fascinating Jagiellonian court to become our key detective; a treat.

More king than her husband, it is Bona Sforza who in this year of 1545 remains the iron-fisted ruler of both Poland and Lithuania. Officially, her son, Zygmunt August, rules as second king and has setup his court in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many years have passed since Bona first arrived in Poland for her marriage, and now, much like Catherine de Medici — an Italian queen in a foreign land – Bona’s origins have begun to paint her in negative light.  It is no secret that she is strongly opposed to her son’s desire to marry his scandalous Lithuanian lover, Barbara Radziwiłł, and there are those, like the estranged Zygmunt himself, who believe she is ruthless enough to kill to prevent this marriage. Much maligned, Bona’s political instinct is to see that her son marries a Habsburg, forging a powerful alliance with that empire. In a court where her supporters have dwindled to a few, who can she trust to impose her will and prevent Zygmunt from marrying Barbara?  

Newly arrived in Kraków after a long journey from Bari in Italy, Caterina who remembers the prestigious and progressive Polish court, is seeking to consult one of Queen Bona’s physicians in the hope that he can cure her son, Giulio’s mysterious recurring fevers. Bona advises her to travel to the Vilnius court to see one of her Italian physicians.  Much like the readers who have encountered Caterina’s sleuthing and her sharp mind in the first book, Bona recognises a capable woman in Caterina and doesn’t miss the opportunity to entrust her with a delicate mission of dissuasion targeting Zygmunt – the nature of which she hopes will save her son from a disastrous marriage. 

History tells us that Caterina will not succeed. Today we can gaze at the delightful 19th century Jan Matejko painting depicting Zygmunt August as he cradles Barbara Radziwiłł in Vilnius, the two enraptured in a loving embrace. We know that the couple eventually wed, albeit in secret. Then again there is Józef Simmler’s haunting The Death of Barbara Radziwiłł that captures a heart-wrenching scene. Here, an ashen Barbara lies in bed, her lifeless arm dangling to the floor, while a powerless and broken-hearted Zygmunt looks on, knowing he has lost her forever. The painting is a stark reminder that only five months after her coronation, Barbara will find death at only 30 years of age.  

Doomed, the lovers certainly were.  While this book, with its string of ghastly murders linked to Barbara Radziwiłł, and its showcasing of Caterina’s solid detective work, remained a well-paced and engaging mystery, it was the impending tragedy looming over the young couple which captivated my attention - the unsaid narrative. All its elements are present as though fate conspired to tear the lovers apart:  the rampant scorn and gossip of the court; the attack on Barbara’s life; and the forbidding attitude towards August and Barbara’s relationship from various political parties, not least from the Habsburgs and Queen Bona herself.  As it turned out, when the undercurrents of politics could not part the lovers, it was a fateful illness which administered the last blow.  

For cultural immersion, there is much to enjoy about this novel.  I loved following Caterina into Vilnius, and delighted in her vivid observations of the court subjects – both their striking character and attire. During Caterina’s visit to a Turkish bath in Vilnius or when she enters the Radziwiłł palace, the evocative writing was highly effective for transporting the reader into the world of 16th century Lithuania.

P.K. Adams can also be praised for crafting mood, one that is pregnant with danger and gloom. The insidious shadow of death permeates, even beyond the murders that Caterina is called upon to solve in Vilnius. There is first, the memory of the young murderess, Helena Lipińska, who met an unjust fate in the first novel. While her tragic end plagues Caterina with guilt, it is Bona Sforza’s lady-in-waiting, Lucrezia, who seems more affected by it, and whose spiritual decay seems to progress throughout the story.  Emerging through Caterina’s investigation, is the foreshadowing of Queen Bona’s future murder and her betrayal by a court subject twelve years later.  

Jan Matejko's Poisoning of Queen Bona

The novel seems to remind the reader of impending and inevitable death, whether spiritual or physical. In this, the author employs a haunting metaphor – Queen Bona had received five desert camels as a gift but kept them in a tight pen in a cold environment where such animals do not thrive. At the beginning of the novel, we learn that two of the camels have perished, leaving only three who appear desperately ill already. After seeing the animals, Caterina makes an allusion to Queen Bona’s unbending will and her denial of the forces of nature: “there is no cheating nature, no taming its laws. In the end, nature always prevails.”  Proving her right, at the end of the novel, only two camels remain.  Meanwhile Lucrezia is herself more sickly looking than ever, a hint that like the camels, it is only just a matter of time until her soul finally breaks. And last, Queen Bona, as history would have it, could not escape her own murder. 

A highly recommended, satisfying mystery, Midnight Fire is out on 6 October 2020. 

Review: Silent Water by P.K. Adams

Set in the depths of winter, during the Polish Golden Age at the time of the Jagiellonian dynasty, Silent Water is a deeply satisfying and engrossing historical mystery.

Often stellar plots are those that are simple, but richly executed, with penetrating human insights and unforgettable sets. Silent Water falls in this category. The narration is in first person with a tone that often borders on the melancholic, hinting to the tragedies that will soon be revealed.

Newly arrived in Poland, Contessa Caterina Sanseverino is part of Queen Bona Sforza's entourage.  Bringing with her the fashions and social mores of her native Italy, Queen Bona has married King Zygmont I, ruler of Poland and Lithuania.

Wawel Royal Palace, Kraków

Through Caterina's eyes and voice, we are transported to 16th century Kraków in the Wawel Royal Castle.  As Lady of the Queen's Chamber, to her falls the overwhelming responsibility of safeguarding the honour and righteousness of the other ladies of the court - ladies of both Italian and Polish origin. Not an easy task when Lucrezia Alifio is an inveterate flirt, Magdalena Górka is no better, and who knows what the flamed-head Helena Lipińska is up to.

Through Caterina, we learn of the fascinating political climate of the period, and meet wonderfully described characters including the womanising diplomat, Jan Dantyszek. The intrigues at court make for great entertainment and the author has deftly incorporated her knowledge of the culture into the narrative.  One highlight for me was the grand sleigh rides or sanna, on the day before New Year's Eve.

Sanna by Wasilewski Czesław

But over the course of feasting and the traditional celebrations that unravel during Christmas, New Year and the Epiphany, one by one, a series of grizzly murders will rock the royal palace.  Suspicions fly, political conspiracies are on the rise, gossip is ever rampant, a suspect is arrested, and more and more, Caterina is convinced that the imprisoned suspect is innocent. She has her own ideas.

A natural sleuth, Caterina finds herself the primary detective in this series of murders that soon reaches its chilling climax with a suspenseful, Gothic sequence.  For many readers who may guess the 'who' along the way, the conclusion offers satisfaction around the 'how' and the 'why', while posing new and haunting moral questions. 

The female gaze dominates this novel. It is a gaze imbued with the morality and social concerns of the period. Caterina is an observant woman who misses nothing of her charges' flirtations and social games. At least, she believes she has missed nothing. And that is her tragedy.

The author vividly paints the Kraków courtiers together with their costumes and clubs; there is mention of Italian artists invited by the Queen,  Polish writers and academics, including the now famous physicist, Nicolaus Copernicus. It was fascinating to learn just how much influence Italian art and architecture had on Poland at the time of Bona Sforza.

Bona Sforza

The book's portrait of a determined queen was faithful to history. I enjoyed learning about her proposed agricultural reforms and was astounded by her willpower in taking on the remnant Teutonic Order.

The Jagiellonian dynasty is not as well known as the English Tudors or the French Bourbons. Its first ruler, Władysław II Jagiełło - Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland by marriage - defeated the German Teutonic Knights in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald. It is a pity that there are not many authors with the courage to create stories in this unexplored landscape. We are thankful to P.K. Adams.

Battle of Grunwald by Jan Matejko  (1878)

What is worth noting is that Poland is not just underrepresented in historical fiction; its recent economic growth (it is now the 7th largest economy in the EU) has gone unreported despite it being touted by the World Bank as a new "Golden Age".  Personally upon reading Silent Water, I was eager to visit Poland if only to step back in time to that first Golden Age.

I will be looking forward to that, and to the other two books in this series.

Review: Sultana - The Pomegranate Tree by Lisa J. Yarde

For those with an interest in Spain’s history and who have visited the magnificent Moorish city of Granada, Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree is a must read. It is a compelling and meticulously researched novel that deserves attention.

This is the story of the last queen of Granada, Aisha al-Hurra, the very woman whose son surrendered to the Christian alliance led by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile; the Moorish ruler, who you may have heard, told her son, “Do not weep like a woman for what you could not defend like a man.”

The Alhambra, 1999 visit

When I read this quote many years ago, while exploring the wonders of the Granada palace, I longed to learn more about the plight of the kingdom in its last days. Who was this powerful Aisha who spoke so reproachfully to her son? What was her story? I wished that more had been written about this strong woman in the same way the life of her political nemesis, Queen Isabella, had been covered with great detail. This novel answered my wishes and much more.

Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree traces the journey of a wilful and ambitious Sultana, a descendant of the Nasrid dynasty, and her ascent to power as Queen of the Kingdom of Garnatah – or Granada, through marital alliances. From a young age, Aisha demonstrates an innate mastery of political intrigue, an unflinching sense of duty and a profound love of the kingdom. Watching her evolve through the key historical events leading to the fall of Granada is fascinating, and provides a rare glimpse into the lives of Granada’s rulers in that period. The novel is a well-executed biography.

The Slaying of the Abencerrajes

Painting by Mariano Fortuny, 1870

                                    

Without revealing too much of the plot, Aisha will face dramatic upheavals in her life, and extricate herself from numerous dangers within the palace and beyond. As a character she was well-rounded and likable, allowing the reader to feel each moment. One particular scene had me gutted, and its aftermath, which dealt with the combined feelings of loss, mourning and revenge, were well-treated. The intrigue around Aisha’s twin sister, Fatimah, the tragic story of Aisha’s mother and the engaging romance with Aisha’s first husband were all fascinating.

The banquet scene, which saw the nobles of the Abencerraje family massacred by Muley Hacén, unravelled with great suspense, and would make a fantastic film sequence.

The treatment around Aisha’s real life rival, Isabel de Solis was complex, with a highly satisfying twist. Due to the aura of mystery around de Solis, she became my favorite character. Second place would go to Aisha’s second husband and ruler of Granada, Muley Hacén, who is entirely believable in his romantic and historical behavior.

So much to admire about this beautifully crafted novel. Attention to historical detail is outstanding. The prose and dialogue are evocative and cinematic. Anyone who reads historical fiction for the pleasure of being swept away into others worlds will not be disappointed – the novel paints Moorish Spain with a creative flair that is both enchanting and historically informative.

Sultana: The Pomegranate Tree is a penultimate novel in a mind blowing series of six. Its plot concludes in the year 1482, the year before Aisha engineers her son’s ascent to the throne, leaving no doubt that the final book deals with this and more, culminating in the climatic surrender of Granada.

The Sultana series no doubt crown this trailblazing author as an unsurpassed master for this unique period of history. Thank you, Lisa J. Yarde.



Want more from this author? You can find a past interview with Lisa J. Yarde here.