Publisher: Touchstone
Release Date: March 5, 2013
ISBN-10: 1476708657
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
In the midst of England’s Reformation, a young novice will risk everything to defy the most powerful men of her era.
In 1538, England’s bloody power struggle between crown and cross threatens to tear the country apart. Novice Joanna Stafford has tasted the wrath of the royal court, discovered what lies within the king’s torture rooms, and escaped death at the hands of those desperate to possess the power of an ancient relic.
Even with all she has experienced, the quiet life is not for Joanna. Despite the possibilities of arrest and imprisonment, she becomes caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting Henry VIII himself. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna realizes her role is more critical than she’d ever imagined. She must choose between those she loves most and assuming her part in a prophecy foretold by three seers. Repelled by violence, Joanna seizes a future with a man who loves her. But no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape the spreading darkness of her destiny.
To learn the final, sinister piece of the prophecy, she flees across Europe with a corrupt spy sent by Spain. As she completes the puzzle in the dungeon of a twelfth-century Belgian fortress, Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lies at the center of these deadly prophecies. . . .
My Thoughts:
With her follow up novel to The Crown, Nancy Bilyeau has once again created a story of suspense, intrigue, and the perseverance of the human spirit amid the atrocities occurring throughout England under the rule of King Henry VIII. Ex-Novice, Joanna Stafford, has seen so much loss and destruction, and in this novel we truly see the toll this has taken on her, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and yet, she is now plagued by a prophecy that places her ever deeper into turmoil and despair. The most fascinating aspect of Bilyeau's writing is not only her painstaking attention to historical detail, but also her ability to create such a strong and determined female character who also exhibits the ongoing struggles of human emotion and desires of the heart. She's a remarkable young woman: intelligent, cunning, independent, and very determined, but she's also very realistic and believable as she struggles with her faith as well as her romantic desires. This has certainly become one of my favorite Historical Fiction series and one that I highly recommend! Five stars!
Please CLICK HERE for my review of Bilyeau's first novel in this series, The Crown.
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