— I Am Livia, by Phyllis T. Smith I admit that I had only heard of Livia Drusilla. I knew that she was powerful and extremely intelligent. It was a shame she was born in a time when women were thought of as simply the bearer of sons and hostesses at home. Her father indulged her and spoke to her of politics and inspired her to think for herself. It was a blessing and a curse. She was a woman who rose above it all and is looked upon for her strength, wisdom and for the advances she made. And we begin, actually, the day before Caesar's assassination and when Livia finishes, Octavius is Emperor. Without giving too many details away-actually, I'm giving none away, (so hah!) it's not an easy ride for Livia. Not in anyway. Yet, she managed it with a measure of grace I don't think I could have. People were always plotting murder, asking her favors (when she married Octavius), dealing with the many wars (successes and failures), suicides and so forth. It's fun how the author crafted how they met and I enjoyed reading the ups and downs of their relationship. I also felt badly for her first husband, Tiberius Nero, when he was summoned to see Octavius who told him he would divorce Livia so that he himself could marry her. (Okay, I gave you a spoiler, sorry!) What I liked was that I felt that I was there in the thick of it. When the action was going, I was there in Rome. I was seeing the proscriptions posted and I felt Livia's fear for her husband and for her life. When her father died, I felt sympathy for her. Likewise when her mother passed. Her sister Secunda irritated me for the most part and similarly irritated Livia. There are a lot of names thrown about that are familiar and some are not. But you walk away feeling a bit more knowledgeable about Ancient Rome and, of course, Livia. Though, it's a fictional take, I like to think that she felt the same emotions, had some of those thoughts. It gives a human side to her that I sometimes forget to give people of the past. What I didn't like was that we didn't get to see the infamous Livia. The one who allegedly had people poisoned and eventually (possibly!!) her own husband in the advancement of her son, Tiberius. I also didn't like the biased view of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. I understand that they clearly hated him but I would have liked a less biased view. 3.5 out of 5! |
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Wow.
That is the first word that comes to mind when I think of this book. Emma Campion is an extremely talented storyteller. While I had heard of Joan of Kent, I didn't know the fascinating history she had. Granted, much of it must be assumed seeing as medieval women are somewhat of an enigma due to there not being a great deal written about them. The basics of the book are this; Joan of Kent is the cousin to and ward of King Edward III and his wife, Queen Philippa. Her father was labeled a traitor when she was a young girl and was executed for his crimes. Since then, her mother, brother and herself have been in the hands of the King and his Queen. Joan is destined for a politically advantageous marriage to help the King of England take France. That is the start of all of Joan's troubles. You do feel for her because she is given no say and often she is used as a pawn in the game of royal matches. The King and Queen agree to at least two different matches for Joan--both of them bad (the first is a child molester and all around creep and the second is insanely jealous of Joan's relationship with the crown prince. He really shouldn't be since 'Ned' is a bit maddening in his obsession with Joan. He even killed her dog! Way to show the chick you love her.). In order to get away from the first suitor, Joan marries a knight who she loves and who loves her for herself. They keep it a secret at first and unfortunately, she is married off to the second suitor. The knight tries to get the King and the Pope to recognize their marriage to no avail at first. Meanwhile, the crown prince is still obsessed (perhaps moreso than ever) with Joan and seeks to have both of Joan's husbands killed. Does he succeed? Well, that is precisely why you need to read the book. There's so much in there and while the narrative can be a little inconsistant at times, if you stick with it, you'll be glad you did. I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. :)
The regency period is over and William Tudor, now King Henry IX, sits alone on the throne. But England must still contend with those who doubt his legitimacy, both in faraway lands and within his own family. To diffuse tensions and appease the Catholics, William is betrothed to a young princess from France, but still he has eyes for only his childhood friend Minuette, and court tongues are wagging.
Even more scandalous—and dangerous, if discovered—is that Minuette’s heart and soul belong to Dominic, William’s best friend and trusted advisor. Minuette must walk a delicate balance between her two suitors, unable to confide in anyone, not even her friend Elizabeth, William’s sister, who must contend with her own cleaved heart. In this irresistible tale, the secrets that everyone keeps are enough to change the course of an empire. You know what is depressing? When you've read one book in a series and it was amazing and then you read the follow up and it's kind of blah. Sadly, I feel that 'The Boleyn Deceit' has hit the 'sophomore slump' as they call it. I had such high hopes for this book but it just fell short for me. I really wanted to love it. It begins right as it left off and you're right in the thick of everything. I think perhaps it fell short because William [Henry IX], the son of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, is turning into his father. If I wanted to read about Henry VIII, I'd pick up a book about him. It is hard for me to differentiate William from Henry as I feel they're simply morphed together. He is ruled by his passions, not by common sense. I'm struck by how he treats everyone in his determination to get his way. I know that he is aiming to prove himself to Christendom and is dealing with plots from Catholics and Protestants. While it isn't easy to be Henry, he doesn't always make it any easier on himself. I have recently acquired the third book in this series; I hope it is as good as the first one. This is no slight to Ms. Andersen, I just did not enjoy this offering as much as I did the first. It happens and saying that I'd like to read the next book in the series says a great deal. I was so excited to have won this book...but then to see that Marci had personally signed it for me--and included a bookmark that matched the cover, was absolutely wonderful! I loved the book and she's just a doll. I can't wait for her next one!
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