Joan Vaux, Lady Guildford, is a close servant and friend to Queen Elizabeth Of York. But when the heir to the throne Arthur suddenly dies soon after his marriage to the Spanish princess Catherine Of Aragon, Elizabeth is determined to give the king another son. When she dies in childbirth, king Henry VII is so devastated and becomes another man. Joan’s husband Richard Guildford loses the king’s confidence and is imprisoned. Can Joan find a way to free him? The queen’s lady is the second book about Joan Vaux so it’s recommended that you read ‘Lady of the ravens‘ first. The story covers the last ..read more

Seven Stones to stand or fall collects seven short novellas from the Outlander universe. So this will be a short review as I can’t give a summary, neither can I tell a lot about all these stories as they might contain spoilers for the big books. There are three short stories about Lord John Grey, that add to the John Grey series and of which ‘Lord John and the zombies’ is my favourite, especially as he meets Mrs. Abernaty in it. ‘Virgins’ is a story about a young Jamie Fraser that I’ve read before and then the other three novels are about side characters from the series (Hal and Minnie, Roger ..read more

Medea was born a princess of Colchis with a gift from the goddess Hecate: magic – just like her aunt Circe. But her father abhors magic, until he begins to see that it’s also a powerful weapon. When Colchis obtains the Golden Fleece that makes its owner invincible, all heroes of Greece and beyond flock to Colchis to earn it. Among them are Jason and his argonauts. An encounter that will change Medea’s life forever. I must honestly admit that when I started this book I feared it might not be for me. I love Greek myths, but the story of Jason has never really been quite my thing. But, as it tur ..read more

Isabella of France is betrothed to the English heir to the throne – the later Edward II. As queen, she soon notices that Edward is under the influence of his favourite Piers Gaveston. It’s even whispered that the two are intimate. Isabella doesn’t believe any of this and also finds it exaggerated when her uncle Thomas Van Lancaster wants to banish Piers from England. But years later, when Hugh Despenser becomes Edward’s new favourite and tries to undermine Isabella, she begins to doubt her husband. The stone rose is the third book about a she wolf queen by Carol McGrath (after The silken rose ..read more

In the 17th century, Rose Gwyn ends up in jail when she tried to steal the crown jewels with her husband. She has to plead with her sister Nell, the king’s famous mistress, for her freedom. In the 21st century, Jess moves to Fortune Hall where her famous sister Tavy is running a TV show, after a break-up with her fraudulent boyfriend. There is a rumour that once Nell Gwyn would have walked in these corridors. Nicola Cornick has already written several stories with so-called dual timelines. In ‘The other Gwyn girl’, she chooses Rose Gwyn, the unknown sister of Nell Gwyn as a main character. An ..read more

Louise Reydon-Joubert travels to Paris with her grandparents Minou and Piet to collect her father’s inheritance who died together with Louise’s mother Martha. But when the king is assassinated, it’s no longer safe for Huguenots in the city. Louise does now have enough money to support her own household in La Rochelle, a protestant stronghold, and she also buys her own ship. When she saves young Gilles from his mother and her abusive husband, the two form a deep bond. One that will lead them to the Barbary Coast and a life of piracy and danger. And the stakes are high, as both Louise and Gille ..read more

William De La Pole and Derry Brewer seek a way to obtain peace in the Hundred-Years War between England and France – at the request of king Henry VI who is nothing like his warlike father Henry V. A marriage between Henry and the French princess Margaret Of Anjou is thus in the making. But returning Maine and Anjou to the French is a thorn in the side of the English people living there and of Richard Of York, commander of Calais who sees himself as heir to the throne. I am a huge fan of Iggulden’s series about Caesar, even if not all of it was historically accurate, and I also enjoyed his ser ..read more

Osla Kendall is a Canadian debutante in London who meets Prince Philip of Greece just before the start of WWII. However, Osla wants to be more than a silly society girl and so is called up to work at Bletchley Park. On the train, she meets Mab who has also received a note to work at Bletchley. Once there, they are lodged at the Finch family home, where they get to know Beth, the shy daughter of the house. The three women become inseparable during their time as code breakers at Bletchley Park, until a quarrel drives them apart. Several years after the war, Osla and Mab receive a secret note fr ..read more

Livia Drusilla’s father and her brand-new husband Claudius Tiberius Nero side with Brutus and the republic after Caesar’s assassination. When Mark Antony and Caesar’s young heir Octavian join forces against the assassins, Livia must flee the city with her husband and infant son Tiberius. In their flight, they escape death several times and on her return to Rome she meets Octavian whom she immediately likes – even if she’s supposed to loathe him. ‘I am Livia‘ describes the first half of the life of Livia Drusilla – wife of emperor Augustus and mother of emperor Tiberius. Livia was a formidable ..read more

In a small Georgian town, a chocolatier is famous for his hot chocolate recipe. His four daughters help him with the business, but meanwhile calls for Georgian independence clash with the revolution launched by Lenin and his Bolsheviks in Russia. Two of the daughters, Stasia and Christine will both find love and much grief in the conflict that marks the beginning of the Soviet Union. When they meet Sopio Eristavi, a woman who openly criticizes the regime, the two families will remain connected for a long time to come. In 2006, Nitsa Jasji, who lives in Berlin, writes down the story of her fam ..read more