- Hardcover: 466 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (9 Jan. 2020)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0008305587
- ISBN-13: 978-0008305581
Synopsis
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 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.
Review
The Lady of the Ravens is the latest book from the wonderful historical fiction author Joanna Hickson. When she was a young girl Joan Vaux was told the story that if the Ravens leave the Tower of London then the Kingdom will fall. Little did she know how significant the Tower will be come in her life, and the ravens that guard it. Lady of the Ravens is the story of Joan Vaux and her relationship and friendship with Elizabeth of York from when she marries Henry VII in 1485 and unites the houses of York and Lancaster under the Tudor name. Two very different women, but a friendship founded in trust and loyalty that lasts through a very turbulent time in English history.
This book is set during one of my favourite periods of English and European history, a time of uncertainty in England with a new King and a new ruling house, the Tudors, when the queen Elizabeth of York was more popular than her husband and always the threat of Yorkist rebellions. Joan Vaux is a character I have come across before, but later on in her life in Henry VIII reign, so I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about her early years. Joan, brought up in the household of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother to Henry VII, and this is how she becomes companion to Elizabeth of York before her marriage and her Lady in Waiting after. Very different in their appearance, one dark one fair, and in their position in life, but Joan is intelligent, speaks four languages, is well read all of which make her an ideal companion to the queen. I loved reading about her early life, how her attitudes changed, how she progressed and rose in position to Elizabeth, found love, and her determination to care for and protect the ravens at the tower. She sees their intelligence where others see them as stupid birds, she sees the beauty in them, where others see them as ugly and understands their importance where others see them as vermin.
Whilst this is set during Henry VII reign, this book is more about the woman in that time. As well as Joan and Elizabeth, Lady Margaret Beaufort and Dowager Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth of Yorks mother, a formidal pair, both play important parts in their story; there is no doubt that Henry VII was surrounded by strong and intelligent women. I really loved the historical detail in this book, the contrast of life in the royal palaces against the life teaming on the streets of London, with its dirt, smells and crowded streets. Many people associate the Tower of London with death and imprisonment but here we see how it was used as a treasury, a place of protection for the Royal Family and as a home to Joan Vaux. I have always been intrigued by the character of Perkin Warbeck, said to be Richard Duke of York, one of the Princes allegedly killed in the Tower by Richard III, so was excited when he made an appearance; he was a real threat to Henry VII with many wanting to believe he was who he said he was, so the son of Edward IV who could take the throne from Henry and restore the house of York, a popular idea to many.
The Lady of the Ravens is a magnificent and sumptuous read, with an intriguing main character in Joan Vaux. Joanna Hickson writes with skill and detail about this period and the myriad of events that make this such a fascinating period of history to write about. In her author biography Joanna Hickson says she spends a lot of time in the fifteenth century, and I felt I was there with her. Another rich, colourful and spectacular novel from Joanna Hickson, and I’m excited that this is the first in a new series.
I would like to thank Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest review.
