Lady of the Ravens - Joanna Hickson (Blog Tour)

Date of Reading: 12/01/2020

Author: Joanna Hickson

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: January 9, 2020

Rating: 4.5/5

(This review is part of the blog tour organised by Random Things Tours)

About the book:

My baptismal name may be Giovanna but here in my mother’s adopted country I have become plain Joan; I am not pink-cheeked and golden-haired like the beauties they admire. I have olive skin and dark features – black brows over ebony eyes and hair the colour of a raven’s wing…

When Joan Vaux is sent to live in the shadow of the Tower of London, she must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of this new England under the Tudors. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, if Henry and his new dynasty are to prosper and thrive. 

Review:

      Why do we read historical fiction? For me, the major attraction lies with the power of knowledge. At least here we know what is going to happen to our favourite heroes and vile villains. A bit like sharing the experience of being a divine perhaps. And Tudor England? Oh, that is the best of times; intrigue, executions and glory abound, making it a gold mine for writers and readers alike.

    'Lady of the Ravens' is another wonderful addition to this growing pile and we get to see the beginning of Tudor reign through the eyes of Joan, Lady in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth. Bold and compassionate, her role establishes a bridge between the royalty and the common man and we get to see both worlds, thanks to her perceptiveness. Intimate details of the royal household, pleasures of the countryside, danger lurking behind London alleys and the ravens of the Tower . . . there is not a single dull moment in this large narrative.

    More than the Tudor household, I was interested in knowing more about Joan. She seems to have a wisdom that is well beyond her time period. The openness in her narration revealing her concerns on marriage and childbirth will further endear her to us. I am practically jumping with joy to see that the author is going to continue this story. 

       Another character that intrigued me is Sir Henry Wyatt, the major fiend we get to know. How such a vile creature can produce a poet son is beyond me. Nature works in strange ways indeed!

     On the whole, this book was a delightful journey to Tudor England, a country struggling hard to find the stability it so craved after the wars of the Roses. Future years are going to witness the culmination of Henry VII's efforts and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Highly recommended!!!

Meet the author:

Joanna Hickson became fascinated with history when she studied Shakespeare's history plays at school. However, having taken a degree in Politics and English she took up a career in broadcast journalism with the BBC, presenting and producing news, current affairs and arts programmes on both television and radio. Now she writes full time and has a contract with Harper Collins for three historical novels. The Agincourt Bride is the first. She lives in Scotland in a 200-year-old farmhouse and is married with a large extended family and a wayward Irish terrier.

Joanna likes people to join her on Twitter (@joannahickson) or Facebook (Joanna Hickson) and says if you can't find her she'll be in the fifteenth century!