Dark Queen Rising

Great new series and I enjoyed this first book. The writing is good and it is fast paced. There are a few historical inaccuracies that bothered me but overall it is a good series.
Many thanks to Black Thorn and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I requested this book thinking it was the second in the series but already read it :( I add the review for the first time I read It.
I’m a longstanding fan of Paul Doherty and was happy to read this book.
It's more historical fiction than mystery, the pace is quite slow and there are so many characters.
It takes a bit but if you keep on reading you will be involved in the book and appreciate both the plot and the cast of characters.
I don't know the historical timeframe well and was happy to learn something new.
I hope that there will be more mystery in the next instalment.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

Although I have no previous knowledge of the historical events that took place in Dark Queen Rising, Paul Doherty wrote such an interesting novel that my curiosity lead me to learning more about the characters involved and the events that took place. Though the novel itself did not seem like a mystery, there is no saying the rest of the series might not be. Paul Doherty did a great job with character and world building, and his style of writing kept me interested in the story until the end. I look forward to the next book in this series!

Thanks to netgalley and Black Thorn for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Based on real life incidents in history. You will be gripped from the first by the plot and characters that lead you through the story. Set at the time of the War of the Roses you can enjoy this storyline even if you are not quite sure of these events in history. It has the ability to enthral you as you follow Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry Tudor of the house of Lancaster and a member of her household Christopher Urswicke who has worked for both sides. You will see where final loyalties lie when the smoke clears.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun book about the Tudors era in England, I thoroughly enjoyed reading something that I really didn't know too much about.

A Literary Chimera of a Mystery/Thriller Wrapped In a Historical Setting

The novel opens in the maelstrom that was the Battle of Tewkesbury where the forces of the House of Lancaster forces totally defeated the forces of the House of York and the bloody aftermath where every Lancastrian that could be found was killed mercilessly. Out of this chaos three historical figures arise. They are Margaret of Beaufort, with her Steward, Reginald Bray, and henchman, Christopher Urswicke, arise. The novel is told essentially from Urswicke’s perspective. His actions always support Margaret who has her feet in both camps. She wants to help her son, Henry Tutor, to flee England. She needs to solidify her own safety with the new York king but also to sow the seeds of destruction of the House of York. The main storyline is how Urswicke helps Margaret in proceeding methodically to achieving her goals.

The B-storyline primarily centers on Urswicke who also has very strong and filial ties to the supporters of the new king. Not only into seeing Urswicke’s personality, his thoughts and actions in integral to the main story line.

My major criterion for a high star rating is how well and quickly the story grabs and holds my attention and compels me to continue reading at every chance. Unfortunately, the first third of the novel did not do this. It is at this point that the flow of the novel coalesces into a subset of characters that I could follow easily. At this point, it captured my attention. One aspect that contributed to this was the author incorporating murder in a locked room conundrum. The unravelling of this mystery added an enjoyable aspect in this novel. I call this a thriller set in a historical setting because one of the major characters is not the same as the historical figure, but this is a novel. Some liberties were necessary to facilitate the flow of the novel. Lastly, this novel is the first novel in a series. How the novel ends ties up the major threads of this novel and was not awkward for me. There is much introduced near the end that sets the stage for the next novel.

For those readers who are sensitive to sex and vulgar language, there are not any of this in this novel. There is graphic violence with much of it described in the first person, that is, as it happens. There are executions murders, and what happens to the bodies after death. The level of violence was a fact of life in that period, but reader beware.

I found reading this novel as an e-book because the author makes extensive use of the terms and language of that time. Half the time, the embedded dictionary had the definitions. The easy access to the Internet facilitated finding the meaning of the remaining half.

I have read several of this author’s Brother Athelstan series of novels. This novel isn’t up to that level. With that said, this novel was in the end, a satisfactory read for me. For me, this novel was between three and four stars. For me, it was closer to four stars than three, so I rate this novel with four stars. If you are interested in this period, you may enjoy reading this novel.

I have received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Black Thorn with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Black Thorn for the opportunity to read this novel early.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dark Queen Rising is a mystery series by Paul Doherty about, however, is the political machinations between the Houses of Lancaster and York.

The story goes back and forth between Margaret and her trusted henchman, Ulswicke.

I enjoyed reading this book, even though I did find myself skipping a few pages to get the the mystery.

I love Paul Doherty's books … particularly the Hugh Corbett and Brother Athelstan's mysteries .

However this book whilst extremely enjoyable is not a mystery in the same vein - it is however
a particularly good view of the Court Politics of the time and how a strong woman is able to navigate
her way whilst keeping not just herself but her son and servants alive .

After the battle between the Houses of Lancaster and York , Margaret Beaumont , mother to Henry Tudor , finds herself navigating the delicate balance of showing no fear whilst trying to maintain her powerbase that reflects the Court politics of the time . Her son must be secreted out of the Country before he is found and executed …….he has a real claim to the throne that cannot be tolerated by the victors . Using her servants as spies and decoys she uses her status to deflect suspicion from the new King and his brothers as to her real motives .

The Author is a master at bring the sights and sounds , the politics of whatever time he sets his novels in to life . We become engaged in the characters lives , investing time and effort into the story's outcome and their survival .

Another excellent book by the author BUT not quite a mystery on a par with the likes of Hugh Corbett etc .

I was given an arc of this book y the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. I find the War of the Roses to be particularly gruesome and to make things harder, everyone is either an Edward, Margaret or Richard! This book deals with the latter days of the conflict between the Lancasterians and the Yorkists in Tewkesbury.
I went on holiday to Tewkesbury eight years ago, and attended Sunday service at the Abbey. The service was a bit ' clap- happy' for me, so I took the opportunity to look around and tried to visualise the absolute horror of the events that unfolded there, when the wounded soldiers were massacred whilst under the protection of sanctuary . Tewkesbury is a fascinating place, every shop, business and private house proudly displays a banner, heraldic shield or flag relating to the noblemen and their houses, that fought and died there. There is also a trail leading across the water meadows of the Severn river, that is so evocatively described in this book. This would make a marvellous guide and history book combination, it vividly shows the filth and poverty of this time period , the political machinations and the numerous, yet convenient accidents that befell Royal family members that had outlived their usefulness !!
I found the strongest and most believable person to be Christopher Urswicke, a man who had conflicting loyalties to both Father and Crown. He could spy, cause trouble, and apparently , had a foot in both camps. He was loyal to Margaret Beaufort, yet played liege man to George, Duke of Clarence, rather well.
I wasn't a fan of the ending, unless there is another book in this series to come. There were murders , betrayals and rather convoluted plots that came to fruition very neatly. Throw in a secret marriage, that threatens the Royal succession , and this book has everything!! Marvellous if you like this period of history, a handy tease and come and get me, if you want to know more. It would make a marvellous, intelligent addition to the local Tourist Information Board. These are my own views, freely given. Thank you for the chance to read another book from Paul Doherty, he has this history malarkey sorted! .

I am conflicted on how I feel about this book, Dark Queen Rising. I chose to read this book because it was about Margaret Beaufort and I love to read about anything to do with the Plantagenet's (my guilty pleasure). I think the problem I had with the book was that I prefer books with lots of dialogue and their was more descriptive than I like and it seemed to slow the book down. Near the end of the book though it just took off and I couldn't put it down.

The author, in my opinion, thoroughly captured what we believe to be the personalities of Richard III, Margaret and George, Duke of Clarence. Overall, I would continue to read the rest of the books in the series and it is intriguing if you stick with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book. This in no way influenced my review.

I have long been a fan of Paul Doherty, but this book is truly wonderful. So much more than a murder mystery, Dark Queen Rising tells about the last days of the war between the Roses. The french queen has been driven from the throne, her saintly but sometimes crazy husband the king is in the hands of the Lancastrians, and the prince is in hiding with his mother. Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, widow of Jasper Tudor and mother of Henry Tudor, potential heir to the throne, walks a delicate line to protect her son, and her life, from the depredations of the Yorkists as they take revenge on those they have defeated. Particularly horrendous is Clarence, brother to Edward, now King of England (or will be, once he's gotten the old king permanently out of the way). Clarence is wily, untrustworthy and truly vicious and will stop at nothing to get what he wants...which may include Margaret's life and that of her son, as well as a throne! Yet Margaret, along with her son and her faithful retainers, may yet survive Clarence's murderous machinations.

Dark Queen Rising is fast paced and exciting, as well as historically accurate. The introduction to the time period that Doherty provides at the very beginning takes you immediately into that troubled and terrible time. Margaret is truly wonderful figure - intelligent, creative, faithful to family and values - and you so want her to win. Blessed with her two faithful retainers, she is wily enough to successfully negotiate with those enemies who want the best for England, and escape the fate designed for her by those who are only in it for themselves. Dark Queen Rising is a must read for any devotee of historical fiction!

Genre: Historical fiction

The War of the Roses continues....

Edward of York is King and those who support the Lancastrian cause are being hunted and killed.

Hope remains for the House of Lancaster in the form of Margaret Beaufort. As mother of Henry Tudor she is well aware her son is in danger.  Christopher Urswicke is her hope and together they aim to turn the sons of York against each other. for protection. But will Urswicke remain loyal?

Great insight in to the history we all know about York and Lancaster. The characters are well formed and you can almost imagine them and the surroundings.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to those with an interest in the war of the roses.

Dark Queen Rising by Paul Doherty is a difficult book to get into. There's a huge amount of information in the first third of the book to process, even for those who might think they know enough about the Wars of the Roses - and it takes some time to work out who everyone is, and what's going on, and why.
However, it is well worth persevering with. Once the action moves from Tewkesbury to London, and into the stable hands of Christopher Urswicke, this reads very much more like a Paul Doherty book and is very enjoyable. Not to say that Margaret Beaufort is not an interesting character, she is, and she also has her moments in London, but I believe it's Urswicke who carries much of the story.
Doherty is, as ever, in his prime, when ensuring we understand just how yucky the London of the 1470's was, and the attention to detail is to be lauded - not just place names, but street names as well.
I look forward to the next book, which no doubt, will contain some quite explosive fallout from the end events in Dark Queen Rising.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy