The Queen's Gamble

The Queen's Gamble

By: Barbara Kyle

Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3

Summary: Young Queen Elizabeth I's path to the throne has been a perilous one, and already she faces a dangerous crisis. French troops have landed in Scotland to quell a rebel Protestant army, and Elizabeth fears once they are entrenched on the border, they will invade England.

Isabel Thornleigh has returned to London from the New World with her Spanish husband, Carlos Valverde, and their young son. Ever the queen's loyal servant, Isabel is recruited to smuggle money to the Scottish rebels. Yet Elizabeth's trust only goes so far—Isabel's son will be the queen's pampered hostage until she completes her mission. Matters grow worse when Isabel's husband is engaged as military advisor to the French, putting the couple on opposite sides in a deadly cold war.

Review: In the latest installment of the Thornleigh series Isabel Thornleigh has returned, now married to Carlos, and with a son, she is thrown into more dangerous situations as a spy for Queen Elizabeth, but this time her son is the price if she does not follow through with what she has promised the  English Queen.  In this book Isabel seems to have matured quite a bit, and she goes through quite a lot of soul searching in the book about her marriage, the book goes back and forth between her and Carlos, some parts about the war I did not find as interesting but overall the book holds up to the standard of the series and was a very good read. It had a different take on Queen Elizabeth which I thought was interesting and might interest other historical fiction readers as well.

The Queen's Captive by Barbara Kyle

The Queen's Captive

By: Barbara Kyle

Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Summary: England, 1554. In the wake of the failed Wyatt Rebellion, a vengeful Queen Mary has ordered all conspirators captured and executed. Among the imprisoned is her own sister, twenty-one-year-old Princess Elizabeth. Though she protests her innocence, Elizabeth’s brave stand only angers Mary more.

Elizabeth longs to gain her liberty—and her sister’s crown. In Honor and Richard Thornleigh and their son, Adam, the young princess has loyal allies. Disgusted by Queen Mary’s proclaimed intent to burn heretics, Honor visits Elizabeth in the Tower and they quickly become friends. And when Adam foils a would-be assassin, Elizabeth’s gratitude swells into a powerful—and mutual—attraction. But while Honor is willing to risk her own safety for her future queen, aiding in a new rebellion against the wrathful Mary will soon lead her to an impossible choice…

Review: Honor's journey continues as she returns to England with her husband Richard in the third book of the Thornleigh series. She is now called upon to serve the young Princess Elizabeth by acting as a confidante and advisor while still acting as a go between with her and her sister Queen Mary, as a double agent, Honor must make decisions, that will risk all for her and her family. As you read the book it is easy to feel sympathy and pain along with Honor as she must choose between her conscience and what would be safest for her family, this has been my favorite of the Thornleigh series thus far, and I would recommend it to anyone who has read the first two books in the series or who enjoys historical fiction!

The King's Daughter

The King's Daughter

By: Barbara Kyle

Summary:  Upon the death of her father, Henry VIII, Queen Mary assumes the throne after a long exile. Her first order of business is to wed the devout Prince Philip of Spain, creating a powerful alliance that will transform Mary-s fanatical dream of ridding England of Protestantism into terrifying reality. And so begins the reign of Bloody Mary...

Even as she plans for her own nuptials, Isabel Thornleigh is helping to lay the groundwork to overthrow Mary and bring Elizabeth to power. But none of the secrets Isabel has discovered compares to the truths hidden in her own family. With her beloved father imprisoned by Queen Mary, only Carlos Valverde-a Spanish soldier of fortune-can help Isabel. Now with England-s future at stake, Isabel risks all to change the course of history...

Review: This book was very past paced and an easy read. Isabel Thornleigh's world is thrown into turmoil very early in the book and the rest of the book is about her search for what she believes is the right thing to do, having to do with her country, and her family. She is in a constant struggle with the mercenary helping her Carlos Valverde, and the story is told largely from her point of view, which is that of a young woman coming of age in a very turbulent time in England's history, when the common man was at war with their ethical beliefs about what they held true about their religious views, their monarch, and their country. If you liked the first book in the Thornleigh series then I would recommend this one as well.

Rating <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle

The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle

Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Summary: London, 1527. Marry or serve: for Honor Larke, the choice is clear. Unwilling to perish of boredom as an obedient wife, she leaves the home of her ward, the brilliant Sir Thomas More, to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life at Henry VIII's court holds more than artifice for an intelligent observer, and Honor knows how to watch--and when to act...

Angered by the humiliation heaped upon her mistress as Henry cavorts with Anne Boleyn and presses Rome for a divorce, Honor volunteers to carry letters to the Queen's allies. It's a risky game, but Honor is sure she's playing it well--until she's proven wrong. Richard Thornleigh may cut a dashing figure at court, but Honor isn't taken in by his reckless charm. Only later does Honor realize that Richard has awakened something within her--and that he, too, has something to hide...

For the King's actions are merely one knot in a twisted web that stretches across Europe, ensnaring everyone from the lowliest of peasants to the most powerful of nobles. Swept away in a tide of intrigue and danger, the Queen's lady is about to learn everything: about pride, passion, greed--and the conscience of the king...

Review: The Queen's Lady is book one in Barbara Kyle's Thornleigh series. It is a fairly fast paced book in which Honor Larke from the first page is involved in dramatic plots and situations including serving Catherine of Aragon, being the ward of Sir Thomas More, and committing acts of treason to save those that are being persecuted by the church. I enjoyed the book, and if you enjoy novels of the tudor period then you will too, especially if you are looking for something that does not necessarily focus on monarchs of the time period, but also the gentry and common people, and their struggles. If you read this book however be ready to read the next three books in the series because the characters are people who you will want to follow into the next books.