In the Shadow of the Storm (The King's Greatest Enemy, Book One)
by Anna Belfrage
Publication Date: November 1, 2015
Silverwood Books
eBook & Print; 398 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Adam de Guirande owes his lord, Sir Roger Mortimer, much more than loyalty. He owes Sir Roger for his life and all his worldly good, he owes him for his beautiful wife – even if Kit is not quite the woman Sir Roger thinks she is. So when Sir Roger rises in rebellion against the king, Adam has no choice but to ride with him – no matter what the ultimate cost may be.
England in 1321 is a confusing place. Edward II has been forced by his barons to exile his favourite, Hugh Despenser. The barons, led by the powerful Thomas of Lancaster, Roger Mortimer and Humphrey de Bohun, have reasons to believe they have finally tamed the king. But Edward is not about to take things lying down, and fate is a fickle mistress, favouring first one, then the other.
Adam fears his lord has over-reached, but at present Adam has other matters to concern him, first and foremost his new wife, Katherine de Monmouth. His bride comes surrounded by rumours concerning her and the baron, and he hates it when his brother snickers and whispers of used goods.
Kit de Courcy has the misfortune of being a perfect double of Katherine de Monmouth – which is why she finds herself coerced into wedding a man under a false name. What will Adam do when he finds out he has been duped?
Domestic matters become irrelevant when the king sets out to punish his rebellious barons. The Welsh Marches explode into war, and soon Sir Roger and his men are fighting for their very lives. When hope splutters and dies, when death seems inevitable, it falls to Kit to save her man – if she can.
In the Shadow of the Storm is the first in Anna Belfrage’s new series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his baron, his king, and his wife.
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY
Review: I've read Anna's Graham Saga, so I was very interested to see what this new series would be like.Wow!
Anna once again shows you how wonderful her writing is. This story is totally engaging. I found it impossible to put this one down.
I've actually been reading more books from this time period in the last year or so. I've always been a huge fan of European history and I love the amount of detail Anna pays when writing her books.
She was a contributor to Castles, Customs and Kings a book of essays written by historical fiction authors about things they uncovered in their research. I think that speaks volumes for the author. That's also a book I highly recommend you picking up if you love historical fiction.
But back to In The Shadow of the Storm, this book deals with Edward II and Roger Mortimer. These were very turbulent times and I guarantee once you will love Kit and Adam. Some of the other characters you might not like so much. (One of Adam's brother's is particularly evil)
Kit is is the love child of Thomas Monmouth and she's being forced into marriage to Adam de Guirande. This two have an instant attraction even though their match was one based on deception. Through the beginnings of the Despenser War the two of them forge a love that is very strong.
Both characters are strong, but none so much as Kit. The things she does for her husband are admirable.
Kit and Adam are fictional characters but the events in the book are real. I love reading about Edward II and Isabella. Isabella is a fascinating Queen and though she wasn't a huge part of this novel, I look forward to seeing the part she plays in the next novels.
Rating: 5 flowers
About the Author
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. As such a profession does as yet not exists, she settled for second best and became a financial professional with two absorbing interests, namely history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours.
When Anna fell in love with her future husband, she got Scotland as an extra, not because her husband is Scottish or has a predilection for kilts, but because his family fled Scotland due to religious persecution in the 17th century – and were related to the Stuarts. For a history buff like Anna, these little details made Future Husband all the more desirable, and sparked a permanent interest in the Scottish Covenanters, which is how Matthew Graham, protagonist of the acclaimed The Graham Saga, began to take shape.
Set in 17th century Scotland and Virginia/Maryland, the series tells the story of Matthew and Alex, two people who should never have met – not when she was born three hundred years after him. With this heady blend of romance, adventure, high drama and historical accuracy, Anna hopes to entertain and captivate, and is more than thrilled when readers tell her just how much they love her books and her characters.
Presently, Anna is hard at work with her next project, a series set in the 1320s featuring Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power. The King’s Greatest Enemy is a series where passion and drama play out against a complex political situation, where today’s traitor may be tomorrow’s hero, and the Wheel of Life never stops rolling.
The first installment in the Adam and Kit story, In the Shadow of the Storm, will be published in the autumn of 2015.
Other than on her website, www.annabelfrage.com, Anna can mostly be found on her blog, http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, December 1
Review at I'm Shelfish
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Spotlight at Passages to the Past
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Review at Beth's Book Book
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Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
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Review at Singing Librarian Books
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Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
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Review at Book Nerd
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Review at Bookramblings
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1 comments:
Thank you for a beautiful review! Five flowers - made my day :)
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