The Tudor Trilogy by Tony Riches Blog Tour with my Personal Reviews and Giveaway :)
Owen (The Tudor Trilogy #1) by Tony Riches
Publication Date: July 26, 2015
Preseli Press
eBook & Paperback; 318 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, OWEN is the epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience as he changes the course of English history.
England 1422: Owen Tudor, a Welsh servant, waits in Windsor Castle to meet his new mistress, the beautiful and lonely Queen Catherine of Valois, widow of the warrior king, Henry V. Her infant son is crowned King of England and France, and while the country simmers on the brink of civil war, Owen becomes her protector.
They fall in love, risking Owen’s life and Queen Catherine’s reputation—but how do they found the dynasty which changes British history – the Tudors?
This is the first historical novel to fully explore the amazing life of Owen Tudor, grandfather of King Henry VII and the great-grandfather of King Henry VIII. Set against a background of the conflict between the Houses of Lancaster and York, which develops into what have become known as the Wars of the Roses, Owen’s story deserves to be told.
Owen - Book One of the Tudor Trilogy is a new addition to story of the Tudors in the historical fiction tradition of C J Sansom, Conn Iggulden, Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel.
***My Personal Review Of OWEN***
First off I am a HUGE Historical Fiction fan, and also a True Tudor buff! So these books had been on my to read list for a while and I was thrilled to get to be on this tour and review them :) I was not aware of Owen Tudor when I started this book - which is great for me because I love to discover new people from the Tudor era and learn about their stories. The book starts as Henry VI is a young infant and his mother Catherine of Valois is alone after Henry V has passed away. Owen is sent to help her with the household and from the very beginning it was clear to me that he had sentiments for the Queen which went further than just being her servant. But of course as with everything in the Tudor era, there is intrigue and there was ALWAYS someone who wanted to rule themselves. I found the characters to be believable and likable, especially Owen because we see him go through a lot of different feelings. He develops a great relationship with a servant woman named Juliette and it's clear he has strong feelings for her, but it's also clear that there is still some part of him that is thinking of the Queen. Things begin to change when Harry starts to grow up and Sir Richard Beaufort who has been "helping" the Queen while spying on her decides to take the heir under his wing and teach him to be a King. The young King is also heir to the throne of France as well as England, and Sir Richard wants him to be crowned legitimately in both countries. As with most, Harry is separated from his mother for a long time and she becomes more and more attached to Owen Tudor. It's amazing because the characters are so complex and we see more of Owen of course, but it's like we can also see the Queen's emotions as we see her become closer and more reliant on Owen. And then they marry and she bears Owen 2 Tudor sons, one of which is Jasper Tudor, the uncle of Henry VII. But can Owen keep his wife safe after they marry in secret and go against the rules of royalty? Especially given the unstable atmosphere in England at the time and the War of the Roses? Well you have to read it to find that out!
I won't spoil everything for you but all in all I was amazed with this book and couldn't stop reading it, I was spellbound by the story of this new character who basically became the procreator of the Tudor dynasty - I mean he is the reason we had Henry VIII and his six wives, the reason we had Elizabeth I, 2 of the greatest monarchs in history and my 2 favorites :) I highly recommend this book if you are a Tudor fan, it really gives a great insight into the life of a man that is not well-known in Tudor history but should be. The characters were complex and well-written so that you can feel their sorrows and share their joys. Truly a great read for any history lover as well as those who are just starting to learn! 5 Stars!
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Jasper (The Tudor Trilogy #2) by Tony Riches
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Preseli Press
eBook & Paperback; 360 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Following the best-selling historical fiction novel OWEN – Book One of The Tudor Trilogy, this is the story, based on actual events, of Owen’s son Jasper Tudor, who changes the history of England forever.
England 1461: The young King Edward of York has taken the country by force from King Henry VI of Lancaster. Sir Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, flees the massacre of his Welsh army at the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross and plans a rebellion to return his half-brother King Henry to the throne.
When King Henry is imprisoned by Edward in the Tower of London and murdered, Jasper escapes to Brittany with his young nephew, Henry Tudor. Then after the sudden death of King Edward and the mysterious disappearance of his sons, a new king, Edward’s brother Richard III takes the English Throne. With nothing but his wits and charm, Jasper sees his chance to make young Henry Tudor king with a daring and reckless invasion of England.
Set in the often brutal world of fifteenth century England, Wales, Scotland, France, Burgundy and Brittany, during the Wars of the Roses, this fast-paced story is one of courage and adventure, love and belief in the destiny of the Tudors.
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***My Personal Review Of JASPER***
This is definitely a great book to follow OWEN because Jasper is another character from Tudor history that is not well-known, or at least his whole story is not well-known. The most I knew of Jasper Tudor is that he was the keeper of his nephew Henry VII from the time he was very young until he became King of England. It is also believed that he was in love with Henry's mother Margaret Beaufort and that she returned that love after Jasper's brother (her husband) passed away. There had to be something there in order for Jasper to take on the task of keeping his nephew safe during the War of the Roses and while the York King Edward IV was on the throne. To keep that faith alive for so many years, to teach his nephew and bring him up to be the future King based on the beliefs of Margaret who was very religious and believed her son would eventually be crowned ... well that is pretty amazing. He never gave up on his family and it paid off. He became the great-uncle of Henry VIII and his nephew united the houses of Lancaster and York after so many years of war and hatred by marrying Edward's daughter Elizabeth of York. Would this have happened had it not been for Jasper Tudor and his faith in both his nephew and Margaret? Probably not.
So I was prepared for a love story between Margaret Beaufort and Jasper Tudor, however that is not what happened. It seems that while he held a high level of respect for Margaret, his love lied elsewhere - with her sister ... . The story revolves around the times during the War of the Roses, after Jasper's step-brother Henry is abducted and dethroned in favor of Edward of York, who is under the spell of the Earl of Warwick. Jasper is determined to get the Tudors back on the throne and end the war. Along his journey he meets Gabriel, whom he saves after a battle and whom accompanies him. And also begins an affair with a woman named Mairead, who seems to love him, although I do not remember this woman from history. This book really made me realize what a huge role Jasper Tudor played in the War of the Roses and the succession of his nephew Henry to the throne of England. And it also shows another side of him, he wasn't just a warrior, he was also a young man who loved women and had fun. He meets Queen Margaret and realizes that her life has not been easy with King Henry, as he has some mental issues. But it also makes him work that much harder to ensure a place for his nephew. It was easy to overthrow King Henry because of his illness and he was not well. Jasper sees him and promises Queen Margaret that he will not give up no matter what until the Tudors are restored to the throne. He even travels to France to attempt to recruit help from King Louis, which is declined - however he does manage to secure a promise to unite their countries once King Henry is restored to the throne. As anyone who knows history is aware - this never happens. King Henry dies whilst in the care of King Edward and his brothers in the Tower of London and no one knows exactly what happened. While others such as Edward Beaufort are pledging their faithfulness to the York King, Jasper seems to be one of the very few holdouts - he is determined to never give up and to protect and bring up his nephew Henry to be King one day, especially after it becomes clear that his stepbrother Henry is not going to be able to fulfill the role any longer. Young Henry is the only choice.
I truly enjoyed reading this story, but I think what I loved the most was reading about the relationship that Jasper develops with his young nephew. I have watched most of the War of the Roses movies and read a lot of books, but never really saw the deep and meaningful bond they shared. Jasper was the one person Margaret Beaufort trusted her son with, and she was not mistaken. He never waivered and never gave up. To find out the rest you will have to read the book, but trust me it is an awesome read and I definitely give it 5 stars! It is great to learn more as well as get a fantastic story on the side :)
So I was prepared for a love story between Margaret Beaufort and Jasper Tudor, however that is not what happened. It seems that while he held a high level of respect for Margaret, his love lied elsewhere - with her sister ... . The story revolves around the times during the War of the Roses, after Jasper's step-brother Henry is abducted and dethroned in favor of Edward of York, who is under the spell of the Earl of Warwick. Jasper is determined to get the Tudors back on the throne and end the war. Along his journey he meets Gabriel, whom he saves after a battle and whom accompanies him. And also begins an affair with a woman named Mairead, who seems to love him, although I do not remember this woman from history. This book really made me realize what a huge role Jasper Tudor played in the War of the Roses and the succession of his nephew Henry to the throne of England. And it also shows another side of him, he wasn't just a warrior, he was also a young man who loved women and had fun. He meets Queen Margaret and realizes that her life has not been easy with King Henry, as he has some mental issues. But it also makes him work that much harder to ensure a place for his nephew. It was easy to overthrow King Henry because of his illness and he was not well. Jasper sees him and promises Queen Margaret that he will not give up no matter what until the Tudors are restored to the throne. He even travels to France to attempt to recruit help from King Louis, which is declined - however he does manage to secure a promise to unite their countries once King Henry is restored to the throne. As anyone who knows history is aware - this never happens. King Henry dies whilst in the care of King Edward and his brothers in the Tower of London and no one knows exactly what happened. While others such as Edward Beaufort are pledging their faithfulness to the York King, Jasper seems to be one of the very few holdouts - he is determined to never give up and to protect and bring up his nephew Henry to be King one day, especially after it becomes clear that his stepbrother Henry is not going to be able to fulfill the role any longer. Young Henry is the only choice.
I truly enjoyed reading this story, but I think what I loved the most was reading about the relationship that Jasper develops with his young nephew. I have watched most of the War of the Roses movies and read a lot of books, but never really saw the deep and meaningful bond they shared. Jasper was the one person Margaret Beaufort trusted her son with, and she was not mistaken. He never waivered and never gave up. To find out the rest you will have to read the book, but trust me it is an awesome read and I definitely give it 5 stars! It is great to learn more as well as get a fantastic story on the side :)
Henry (The Tudor Trilogy #3) by Tony Riches
Publication Date: May 17, 2017
Preseli Press
eBook & Paperback; 320 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Finalist for the Amazon Storyteller Award 2017
Bosworth 1485: After victory against King Richard III, Henry Tudor becomes King of England. Rebels and pretenders plot to seize his throne. The barons resent his plans to curb their power and he wonders who he can trust. He hopes to unite Lancaster and York through marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth of York.
With help from his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, he learns to keep a fragile peace. He chooses a Spanish Princess, Catherine of Aragon, as a wife for his son Prince Arthur. His daughters will marry the King of Scotland and the son of the Emperor of Rome. It seems his prayers are answered, then disaster strikes and Henry must ensure the future of the Tudors.
"A fine end to a superbly researched and well-written trilogy, one I would recommend to anyone with an interest in this period of history." Best-selling author Terry Tyler
"Henry was a hazy, cold impression in my mind, but Tony Riches fills him out, gives him intelligence, compassion, human frailty, and a consuming love of country, and I ended the book with great admiration for this man." Author Noelle Granger
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***My Personal Review Of HENRY***
This was my favorite of the three books, but only because I LOVE the story of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV and their daughter Elizabeth of York marrying Henry Tudor, uniting the houses of Lancaster and York and creating a dynasty that would not last forever as far as the throne went, but DID create 2 of the most famous monarchs ever to grace the throne of England. And of course gave us the first and second Queens of England, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Henry VII was born to be King and he was raised to be King as well by his uncle Jasper. He didn't have much contact with his mother Margaret Beaufort while he was young, but when he became King of England, she was at his side for everything - to advise him, and she even had adjoining rooms in the palace. Margaret Beaufort is usually painted as a hateful and unhappy woman and of course jealous of her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, however I believe that Margaret was a strong-willed, independent and religious woman who never wavered in her belief that someday she would see her son on the throne of England. She never lost faith and she is one woman that I admire greatly.
Everything I have ever read or seen about Henry VII told me that he was a very intrepid King who bowed down to everything his mother wanted, and the story does start off that way - as Henry tells us in his own words that he didn't want to be King. He did not expect it. However he does share his mother's faith that it was God's will that put him on the throne. And his mother brokered the deal to marry him to Elizabeth of York in order to unite the 2 houses and finally bring peace to England. Little did she or anyone else know that her son and daughter in law would become legends - but not because of what THEY did - but because of what their children did. King Henry VIII is one of the most well known monarchs ever, and his daughter Elizabeth I is by far the most well known female monarch and the mother of Protestant England. One thing I noticed about Henry in this book was that in most things I have read he is not a really nice guy, he pretty much does whatever his mother wants and is ruthless. However this book paints him in a totally different light - one of vulnerability and deep feelings, of being humane and yet strong through all of this. Many sources state that his relationship with Elizabeth was tempestuous and lonely - but here we see Henry as a man in love with the woman he is married to and in awe of her beauty and charisma. She was after all a York Princess, her father was King and by all accounts she had been in love with her Uncle Richard, who was dethroned and killed by Henry's army. But she seems just as in love with Henry as he is with her. All the while I had to wonder if she was pretending to love him in order to get her mother's status and money back, but it seems as if she really did love him. After all, they had Arthur, Henry, Mary and Margaret for heirs and immediately began planning for Arthur's succession and marriage. This book takes us up through the marriages of Mary and Margaret, as well as the marriage of Arthur and his untimely death and how Princess Katheryn of Aragon was treated after his death. Henry does seem much more heartfelt towards Katheryn than history leads us to believe, much kinder.
I love the way this book portrays the marriage of Henry and Elizabeth, the way they are with their children and the mutual love they share for the good of England. They of course don't know what is in store for their sons or daughters, but they work together as a team which is perfect for a King and Queen. Unfortunately their son Henry did not get that particular gene, he only believed that having a son was important. And I also love the way Henry begins to gravitate more towards his wife than his mother for advice on things. Again, totally different take on the story we have all heard. The one thing I did notice was that when the "boy" who claims to be Edward's son and heir and also Elizabeth's younger brother comes into the picture, she questions him but also stands by her man. This book also shows the ultimate sacrifice his mother made for him and her determinedness to keep him safe and keep his faith intact. The book ultimately ends with of course the death of King Henry VII. Anyone who is a fan of this history will know well what happens and there are really not spoilers in this book as it goes along with the real history very well from what I could tell. I give it another 5 stars, I think this was my favorite out of all 3 books, but I honestly cannot wait to read the other books by Tony Riches. So grab a copy of these today and read some fantastic historical fiction on the Tudor dynasty in England.
Everything I have ever read or seen about Henry VII told me that he was a very intrepid King who bowed down to everything his mother wanted, and the story does start off that way - as Henry tells us in his own words that he didn't want to be King. He did not expect it. However he does share his mother's faith that it was God's will that put him on the throne. And his mother brokered the deal to marry him to Elizabeth of York in order to unite the 2 houses and finally bring peace to England. Little did she or anyone else know that her son and daughter in law would become legends - but not because of what THEY did - but because of what their children did. King Henry VIII is one of the most well known monarchs ever, and his daughter Elizabeth I is by far the most well known female monarch and the mother of Protestant England. One thing I noticed about Henry in this book was that in most things I have read he is not a really nice guy, he pretty much does whatever his mother wants and is ruthless. However this book paints him in a totally different light - one of vulnerability and deep feelings, of being humane and yet strong through all of this. Many sources state that his relationship with Elizabeth was tempestuous and lonely - but here we see Henry as a man in love with the woman he is married to and in awe of her beauty and charisma. She was after all a York Princess, her father was King and by all accounts she had been in love with her Uncle Richard, who was dethroned and killed by Henry's army. But she seems just as in love with Henry as he is with her. All the while I had to wonder if she was pretending to love him in order to get her mother's status and money back, but it seems as if she really did love him. After all, they had Arthur, Henry, Mary and Margaret for heirs and immediately began planning for Arthur's succession and marriage. This book takes us up through the marriages of Mary and Margaret, as well as the marriage of Arthur and his untimely death and how Princess Katheryn of Aragon was treated after his death. Henry does seem much more heartfelt towards Katheryn than history leads us to believe, much kinder.
I love the way this book portrays the marriage of Henry and Elizabeth, the way they are with their children and the mutual love they share for the good of England. They of course don't know what is in store for their sons or daughters, but they work together as a team which is perfect for a King and Queen. Unfortunately their son Henry did not get that particular gene, he only believed that having a son was important. And I also love the way Henry begins to gravitate more towards his wife than his mother for advice on things. Again, totally different take on the story we have all heard. The one thing I did notice was that when the "boy" who claims to be Edward's son and heir and also Elizabeth's younger brother comes into the picture, she questions him but also stands by her man. This book also shows the ultimate sacrifice his mother made for him and her determinedness to keep him safe and keep his faith intact. The book ultimately ends with of course the death of King Henry VII. Anyone who is a fan of this history will know well what happens and there are really not spoilers in this book as it goes along with the real history very well from what I could tell. I give it another 5 stars, I think this was my favorite out of all 3 books, but I honestly cannot wait to read the other books by Tony Riches. So grab a copy of these today and read some fantastic historical fiction on the Tudor dynasty in England.
About the Author
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, May 14 Review at 100 Pages a Day (Owen) Tuesday, May 15 Review at Pursuing Stacie (Owen) Wednesday, May 16 Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail Thursday, May 17 Feature at A Bookaholic Swede Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots Friday, May 18 Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit (Jasper) Monday, May 21 Review at Just One More Chapter (Owen) Tuesday, May 22 Review at Pursuing Stacie (Jasper) Thursday, May 24 Guest Post at Short Book and Scribes Friday, May 25 Review at Donna's Book Blog (Owen) Monday, May 28 Review at A Darn Good Read (Owen) Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit (Henry) Tuesday, May 29 Review at Pursuing Stacie (Henry) Review at A Darn Good Read (Jasper) Wednesday, May 30 Review at Jaffa Reads Too (Owen) Thursday, May 31 Review at A Darn Good Read (Henry) Review at Donna's Book Blog (Jasper) Friday, June 1 Review at Hoover Book Reviews (Owen) Monday, June 4 Review at Donna's Book Blog (Henry) Tuesday, June 5 Feature at Passages to the Past Thursday, June 7 Review at Maiden of the Pages (All 3 Books)Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away an eBook & Signed Paperback of each book! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on June 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Tudor Trilogy
Wow, great reviews Erika! Thank you so much for hosting Tony's blog tour. I am thrilled that you enjoyed the series!
ReplyDeleteAmy
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