Edward II (Write-On Literature, #54) (New Mermaid Anthology)
by Christopher Marlowe
Unlike Marlowe's earlier dramas, "Edward II" is a play without a starring role. Instead of the splendid rhetoric of "Tamburlaine" and "The Jew of Malta" comes realistic dialogue and a complex plot telling of the fall of Edward II and the rise and demise of his rival, Mortimer. As the action unfolds, the audience's allegiances switch from character to character. Edward's infatuation with his favourites, neglect of his kingdom and his queen are delicately offset against his genuine love for Gavest...
The Betrothed (Waverley Women Series, #14) (Great Novel's)
by Alessandro Manzoni
Set in Lombardy during the wars, famine and plague of 1628-30, The Betrothed tells the story of two young lovers. Following them through exile, plague and inner suffering, it shows great richness of characterization and a profound interest in the workings of history. Renzo and Lucia's story is also a compelling political analysis of their times; published in 1827, The Betrothed is the first modern Italian novel.
The Kindness of Witches (The Doctor William Gilbert Mysteries, #2)
by Leonard Tourney
In sixteenth century England, fear of witchcraft abounds. But witches are not the only source of evil, as Dr William Gilbert will discover ... When Dr William Gilbert is caught in an Essex snowstorm, his life is saved by a strange, wolf-like dog. Taken in by the family that owns the animal, he is nursed back to health in an eerie, isolated building with a terrible history, where the cries of a child echo through the corridors at night. Having recovered, William is pleased to leave the Old Pr...
May 1665. With winter passed, Mercia Blakewood is at last headed back to England from America, hoping to leave behind the shadow cast by death and heartache. She expects a welcome from the king considering her earlier mission on his behalf, but the reception she receives after her long voyage home could hardly be called warm. With the country now at war with the Dutch, the Crown has decided that Mercia is an asset to be used once again. More manipulation lies ahead as Mercia must accept a clande...
September, 1666 - The mortal civil war is over. But the war among the fae is still raging, and London is its battleground. There are forces that despise the Onyx Court, and will do anything to destroy it. But now a greater threat has come, one that could destroy everything. In the house of a sleeping baker, a spark leaps free of the oven - and ignites a blaze that will burn London to the ground. For three harrowing days, the mortals and fae of the city will fight to save their home. While the hu...
New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir explores the turbulent life of Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth, the first queen of the Tudor dynasty, in this “superbly readable and engaging” (Historical Novels Society) novel. Elizabeth of York is the oldest daughter of King Edward IV. Flame-haired, beautiful, and sweet-natured, she is adored by her family; yet her life is suddenly disrupted when her beloved father dies in the prime of life. Her uncle, the notorious Richard III, takes advantage of...
'In Succession Livi Michael engages meticulously with the diverse historical accounts of the Wars of the Roses, but she also invests intimate and poignant humanity into the personal tragedies of an era wrought with conflict and terror.' Elizabeth Fremantle, author of Queen's Gambit Behind the bloody battle scenes of the Wars of the Roses lie the sinewy political skills of a remarkable pair of women. Margaret of Anjou, French, beautiful, unpopular; her marriage in 1444 to a young Henry VI caus...
Lincolnshire, 1537. Amid England’s religious turmoil, fifteen-year-old Anne Askew is forced to take her dead sister’s place in an arranged marriage. The witty, well-educated gentleman’s daughter is determined to free herself from her abusive husband, harsh in-laws, and the cruel strictures of her married life. But this is the England of Henry VIII, where religion and politics are dangerously entangled. A young woman of Anne’s fierce independence, Reformist faith, uncanny command of plainspoken s...
AN UNFORGETTABLE HEROINE, A KING MISUNDERSTOOD BY HISTORY, A LOVE STORY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD In A Rose for the Crown, we meet one of history's alleged villains through the eyes of a captivating new heroine -- the woman who was the mother of his illegitimate children, a woman who loved him for who he really was, no matter what the cost to herself. As Kate Haute moves from her peasant roots to the luxurious palaces of England, her path is inextricably intertwined with that of Richar...
In an era of superstition and fear, it’s dangerous to be a woman—and even more so to be a healer . . .Morgana Innocenti was born on the cusp of the 1600s, on the cursed ground inside the Grove. Deaf since the age of eight from a childhood illness, and able to see shadows where no shadow should be, she has learned to face any difficulty with strength and determination.But a three-hundred-year-old vow of revenge, and a terrible secret revealed on her grandmother’s deathbed, throw Morgana’s life in...