1497. Daring to defy a Tudor king is pure folly. She’s the daughter of a lord in rebellious Cornwall. He’s the son of a disgraced earl recently released from the Tower of London. Hoping to make the Howard family great again. Will their secret love survive against all odds?
And so the story begins… Thomas is the Earl of Surrey. Soldier. Statesman. Courtier. Head of one of the most powerful families in England. A keeper of secrets hidden behind castle walls. Heady places of ambition, intrigue and lovers’ trysts.
Be dazzled by the dancing, drama and display in Tudor England, Stewart Scotland, Valois France, and The Habsburg Empire.
Where plans are equally likely to be drawn up for a bloody war, as for an extraordinary event such as the fabled 1520 Field of Cloth of Gold.
Thomas is a phoenix rising from the ashes at the magnificent court of Henry VIII.
“If I have anything to do with it, we Howards will live forever.”
After a calamitous period of disgrace, his family is once more riding high at court due to his intelligence and perseverance, and the part played by his middle son, Edward, a royal favourite known for his good looks, swagger and charm.
Thomas’s travels take him down to Cornwall, up to Scotland, and across the Narrow Sea separating England from France. Mystery swirls around the lives of Tristan, Cecily, Valentine, and Nicolas.
But there are no secrets that time does not reveal….
“Nicolas laid his lute to one side, hardly bothering to stifle a yawn of boredom. Nevertheless, he couldn’t escape the fact that he’d agreed to take on a new wife.”
Amazon 5* review: ‘I’ve been reading Tudor fiction for 34 years, and
this book is quite unique to anything I have read before.’
Goodreads 5*: ‘Vivienne Brereton has become one of my new favourite
authors.’
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Excellent and well written book. This paperback book kept you guessing what would happen next. Can’t wait to read the other books in the series.
Loved this book. I highly recommend it.
Does contain some sex scenes. Parents you might want to read this book before they read it if they’re youngsters to pre-teen.
Happy reading.
There are a lot of novels out there set in the Tudor era. Many are very, very samey. Not so this one, which features Thomas Duke of Norfolk and a cast of intriguing characters. It has a sly, subtle humour which raises it far above the more ‘angsty’ Tudor novels and makes the characters more engrossing. Recommended.
Rare is the historical novel that is the full package: delivering impeccable research, deeply human characters, and masterful writing. Vivienne Brereton’s House of the Red Duke is one such book.
This novel is a feast for the senses, even providing authentic Tudor-era recipes. Told in alternating points of view and with settings that take the reader from the windswept coast of Cornwall to the chateaux of France to the moors of Scotland, it is a true delight to read.
Brereton brings the worlds of Henry Tudor, Thomas Howard, King James IV of Scotland, and various powerful noble houses of the time to glorious life.
Her skillful weaving of history and fiction, her clear love of storytelling, and her delightful sense of humor leap off the page. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, completely immersed in the lives of these characters from long ago, exulting in their triumphs, mourning their losses, shaking my head at their treacheries and betrayals.
I highly recommend this novel and look forward to its sequel.
One of the most powerful families in Tudor England are the Howards. After dealing with a period of disgrace, they are once again atop King Henry VIII’s court. Thomas Howard vows to make sure the House of Howard will live forever. But there are many who wish to topple the Howards. Who is friend and who is foe? Deception and treachery surround Thomas Howard. He has dealt with all that Dame Fortune has thrown his way and he’ll slit his own throat before he gives up the power and prestige of the House of Howard. As his enemies encircle him like vultures hovering over a dead man, will he fulfill his vow and rise above like a phoenix rising or will he be eaten alive?
Wow, A Phoenix Rising is one of the most intricate historical fiction books I’ve ever read. Vivienne Brereton takes a tumultuous time in European history and breaths new life into it. Her research is impeccable as is her description narration. The suspense kept me riveted as I whipped through the pages. I was amazed this is her debut novel, for it reads like a bestseller.
It is told from multiple points of view and with a full cast of characters. For some readers, it will be a lot to take in but not for me. I relished the various viewpoints for it allowed me to get inside the minds of several historical figures, many of them I’ve read a great deal about. As a historical fiction fan, it was like eating at a huge buffet. Enthralling. Captivating. Fulfilling.
Fans of Game of Thrones will love the political jockeying, power struggle and treachery throughout the book. Fans of Jean Plaidy will love this book as well. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
A Phoenix Rising by Vivienne Brereton is a fascinating and well-written debut novel. Vivienne Brereton’s research made this novel shine and feel realistic. I was captivated by the details and felt transported back in time a medieval era.
The book did take me a few chapters to get into. The chapters alternated viewpoints from the English, Scottish, French and Hadsburg. It is a book that’s divided into six parts and there is a lot of information to take in. Once I was able to grasp what I was reading, this novel was really great.
Vivienne Bereton cleverly mixes real life accounts and fictional aspects to make an exciting historical fiction. With themes of power, betrayal and love, I really enjoyed it in the end. The characters were fascinating and the plot line was intensely detailed and exquisitely written.
If you’re a historical fiction lover, A Phoenix Rising is for you. I am looking forward to book two! Recommended for sure!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of a blog tour with Historical Fiction Blog Tours. All opinions are my own.*
Find this review and more on my blog: https://www.jessicabelmont.wordpress.com
A Phoenix Rising follows the ascending fortunes of the influential House of Howard with Thomas Howard, the 2nd Duke of Norfolk, at its centre. The action plays out not only in England but in France and Scotland with a number of the great names of the age taking their part.
The story is told through a number of points of view drawn from the large cast of characters, both historical and fictional. All are all plausibly imagined, the fictional characters fitting easily into the spaces in the historical record. The interactions particularly of the younger characters are engaging and while they, not fully understanding the rigid rules of their world, look toward a hopeful future, their elders are more pragmatic, many hiding secrets that could have devastating consequences.
The novel is an immersive recreation of early 16th century life and includes contemporary recipes, tried and tested by the author. The at times gripping story is carried by unobtrusive prose, lightly spiced with 16th century terms understandable in their context.
As this is the first novel of a series, the story is not fully resolved but ends on a cliff-hanger, leaving the reader keen for the next book.