‘A fascinating portrait of the women who helped make a dynasty’ The Times ‘Bewitching’ Woman & Home ‘Evocative’ Woman’s Weekly Two women, two very different destinies, drawn together in the shadow of the Tower of London: Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII. Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against … Henry the VII.
Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, as conspiracy whispers through the dark corridors of the Tower.
Through Joan’s eyes, The Lady of the Ravens inhabits the squalid streets of Tudor London, the imposing walls of its most fearsome fortress and the glamorous court of a kingdom in crisis.
more
This book looks at the very start of the Tudor dynasty – fascinating! It drew me in like a fish on a hook.
I’m so bored of all Tudor history looking at Henry VIII or Elizabeth I. How the royal house started is intriguing yet neglected. Enter Henry VII.
The Lady of the Ravens is clearly very well researched, and I praise that. Lady Vaux was indeed a real person in the queen’s household. And she did marry Lord Guildford.
But herein lies my issue – it then reads more like a historical account rather than a novel.
I got a very good sense of events, clothing and place, but never really felt like I was there. And I didn’t feel acquainted with the characters as much I’d like to be. There was a lack of dialogue and emotion.
Now, for me, that’s an issue, but it may not be for others; I appreciate that.
The enmity with Henry Wyatt was well set up, but it never really seemed to go anywhere. There were a couple of things, but it never really reached a satisfying conclusion. But perhaps that was truly the way it was?
I enjoyed the ‘imposter’ parts very much. We will never truly know what happened to those poor Princes in The Tower, but it’s always interesting to ponder over.
The start was brilliant, and Joan’s interactions with the weavers was wonderful – a glimpse into how court gossip was spread. I could see and smell old London (pooey!) in that part of the story, which was fab.
And the link to the stability with the kingdom was reflected well in the comings and goings of the ravens. Although, sadly, it’s thought that Charles II (much later) was the first king to proclaim the beautiful birds protected.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable look into courtly life as the Tudors struggled to get a foothold.
This was a detailed and engaging portrayal of an intriguing woman, you could tell how much research had gone into it. I didn’t know anything about the Vaux family so found it really interesting and I was quickly engrossed in the storyline .
You see all the court intrigues through the eyes of the main female protagonist, Joan Vaux. , we follow her through marriage, child bearing and see how she manages to navigate court life without resorting to the scheming of the other courtiers. As she marries Sir Guildford she becomes the Queens lady in waiting and we see the relationships between the royal house hold through her eyes. I liked her character so Much, she was Elizabeth’s confidante and helped her through some harrowing experiences. This was definitely an interesting period with politictal turmoil rife. Joanna Hickson has managed to write an engaging and thoroughly thought provoking narrative. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes Phillipa Gregory or Alison weir
I received this copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and all thoughts are freely given and unbiased