The Tudor court has never been a safe place to be. Artist
Susanna and her fiancé Parker are constantly surrounded by
politics and betrayal. Avoidance of it has become inevitable
and so often, they find themselves doing whatever they can
to remain in the royals' good graces. Were someone to set
them up and accuse them of treason, it might mean their
lives...
IN DEFENSE OF THE QUEEN is the third installment in this
series revolving around the artist employed by the Tudors
named Susanna. I hadn't read the first two going into this,
but the author had subtle hints throughout that provided
plenty of background for readers to known the basic story.
Unlike many main characters in Tudor novels, Susanna is not
royal or a lady's maid. Instead, she is a painter who loves
what she does, though the risk of being in such a court has
and does put her life at risk. With her as a center
character, you get to see what might life might have been
like for people who weren't royal, but were still at court.
I loved how Susanna's love of art shown throughout the
entire novel. It gave her character a strong personality,
and I immediately felt drawn to her world. Her fiancé,
Parker, is a strong man trying to protect her and unravel
the many plots of court. He was often bold and intelligent,
and I loved how he treated Susanna as an equal. Their
romance was far from the center of the plot, but it played a
large part in the heart of the novel. At the end of the day,
these were two people who fiercely loved each other enough
to do whatever was needed to protect the other and to fight
to spend a lifetime together without being murdered for
treason in the process.
The political intrigue was wonderfully done. There are a few
different antagonists, one of which is Susanna's own
brother, but the plot never became overwhelming or too
confusing as can be the case where there is heavy political
action. The true corruption of the court was shown through
the lack of trust anyone had for others, and yet still, they
often found themselves betrayed whether they expected it or
not.
I half wish there had been more of King Henry VIII and Queen
Katherine, but I'm half glad there wasn't. It made the story
focus on who it was truly about, Susanna, rather than make
it about them. Even so, it would have been nice to see more
of the King and Queen, since they are such a big part of the
story. Overall, I loved DEFENSE OF THE QUEEN, and if you
enjoy historical
novels, I would highly recommend you give this series a try.
An artist never betrays her patron . . . especially one
of the world's most powerful kings.
Susanna Horenbout has learned this lesson from the cradle.
But when she receives a letter from her father telling her
to do just that, she faces a dilemma. Betray Henry VIII, or
carry out the request of her father's employer, Margaret of
Austria, and pass secret information to Henry's queen,
Katherine of Aragon.
Caught between the machinations of her husband and her
nephew, the Emperor Charles, Queen Katherine needs all the
allies she can get. But what can Susanna really do to help
her, and even if she does, will it be enough?
Susanna and her betrothed, Parker——one of
Henry's most trusted courtiers——balance on the
knife's edge of treason as they try to make sense of both
international and domestic conspiracies. Sometimes, it's
better the enemy you know . . .
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy