Book Review: Pleasing Mr. Pepys by Deborah Swift

Pleasing Mr. Pepys by Deborah Swift
e-Book, 407 pages
Accent Press
September 28, 2017
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received for review for tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

From acclaimed historical novelist Deborah Swift, Pleasing Mr Pepys is the story of Deb Willet, Samuel Pepys’s servant, told from a fresh perspective.  Well-educated but, due to circumstances beyond her control, not quite respectable, Deb Willet is desperate to escape her domineering aunt and takes a position as companion to Elisabeth Pepys, Samuel’s wife. Deb believes it will give her the respectability it craves – but it proves far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. London during the 1660s is a time of turmoil. Although Charles II has been restored to the throne, there is the prospect of war with the Dutch – the world’s great power of the era. In the midst of this tumult strides Samuel Pepys – diarist and man of note. Pepys’ influence in Restoration London means that the Dutch are keen to get their hands on his secrets – even if that means murder, espionage and blackmail to get them… Deb is soon caught up in the middle of a dangerous game – while at the same time trying to counter Mr Pepys’s lust for her…

There are so many different elements to talk about with Pleasing Mr. Pepys that I’m not totally sure which to begin with…so I will just begin at the…beginning!

I really had no idea what I was getting into when I started Pleasing Mr. Pepys. I knew that I had enjoyed Deborah Swift’s prior novels, so regardless the subject, I knew I would probably enjoy the writing, so I dove right in with not a preconceived notion in sight! The first chapter will suck you right in immediately; there is drama and intensity…before you even know who these characters are! I was hooked!

Swift’s narrative is told from several different perspectives that put you into the different aspects that surround Samuel Pepys: from the servant, to his wife, to a disgraced mistress of a colleague, to a local cleric. I liked that each had their own perspective of the man complete with his flaws. I wasn’t his biggest fan to be honest, he seemed to like to play the victim a lot and I never warmed to him. Deb Willet is a sympathetic heroine, but I didn’t find her to necessarily be my favorite character; she took awhile to get her feet under her but she found who she really is by the end and I did come around to liking her.  However, I found Abigail to be much more complex and fascinating. 

Most exciting, and this shouldn’t be unexpected because I have commented on this in all my other reviews of her works, was how London was a living world. This novel is set relatively recently after the fire of London, so there is a lot of devastation, poverty, displaced persons, and a general dreariness that engulfs the city. For me this is one of few novels that I have read set in this time period that don’t take place solely within Charles’ court, which is an entirely different world to visit. Swift also engulfs the reader into the political drama of the time that existed between the English and the Dutch as well as the problems socially being faced by the people who are struggling to just get by in the ravaged city and the sailors who are awaiting to be paid. I creates a very complex world that Deb has to move her way through.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The 17^th Century Lady
• Readers Favorite

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters

Also by Deborah Swift:

The Lady’s Slipper

The Gilded Lily
[My Review]

A Divided Inheritance
[My Review]

Shadow on the Highway (Highway Trilogy #1)
[My Review]

Spirit of the Highway (Highway Trilogy #2)
[My Review]

Lady of the Highway (Highway Trilogy #3)

Find Deborah Swift: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog |

Tour Wide Giveaway

During the blog tour there is a giveaway open tour wide and entries can be made at any participating blog. Up for grabs is a signed copy of Pleasing Mr. Pepys to one lucky winner! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Any questions should be directed at the tour coordinator.  Good luck!

Giveaway Rules –

• Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on October 20th.
• 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.

 Pleasing Mr. Pepys

Follow the Tour!

At HFVBT Website

On Twitter: #PleasingMrPepysBlogTour #DeborahSwift

Thursday, September 28
Review at The Maiden’s Court
Guest Post at Books of All Kinds

Friday, September 29
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Monday, October 2
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, October 3
Review at The Lit Bitch
Feature at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Wednesday, October 4
Feature at A Holland Reads

Thursday, October 5
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, October 6
Feature at Passages to the Past

Monday, October 9
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, October 10
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books

Wednesday, October 11
Review at Book Nerd

Friday, October 13
Review at Poppy Coburn

Monday, October 16
Review at Just One More Chapter
Review at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Tuesday, October 17
Review at Laura’s Interests
Interview at Suzy Approved Books

Wednesday, October 18
Review at Jo’s Book Blog

Thursday, October 19
Feature at T’s Stuff

Friday, October 20
Review at A Literary Vacation
Guest Post at The Writing Desk

Two Sides to Every Story: The Wicked Lady is Innocent & Giveaway

Today I have the wonderful opportunity to welcome Deborah Swift, author of the upcoming Lady of the Highway, book 3 of her Highway Series, to The Maiden's Court with an awesome contribution to the Two Sides to Every Story series.  Swift treats us to the story behind the highwaywoman legend of Katherine Fanshawe.  I hope you will enjoy it!

The Wicked Lady is Innocent

The Legend of The Wicked Lady, Lady Katherine Fanshawe vs. The Real Life of Lady Katherine Fanshawe.

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas…’

Alfred Noyes, The Highwayman

As far as I know, there has only ever been one female highwayman, and she was known as The Wicked Lady.  She has long been a legend in Hertfordshire, England, but was made a sensation by the 1945 film The Wicked Lady. The film starred Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who secretly becomes a highwayman to relieve her life of boredom. The mystery of why she would take such an extreme action was the talk of its day –and the film had one of the biggest audiences ever for a film of its period, $18.4 million – a staggering number. I can remember my mother talking about it as one of her favorite films.

The Wicked Lady - 1945

It was such a hit that the film was re-made in 1983 and starred Faye Dunaway in the lead role, but that version was a disaster and earned Faye Dunaway an award for the Worst Actress. The film itself was based on a book by Magdalen King Hall, The Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton, but the novel was only loosely based on the real Katherine’s life. I have a copy and it is exciting reading, though rather long-winded in the telling by today’s standards.

The Popular Legend of the Wicked Lady

A beautiful lady of the manor, Lady Katherine Fanshawe, is bored with her humdrum life, and begins riding out secretly, dressed in men’s attire, as a highwaywoman. Her husband, meanwhile, is completely unaware of her perilous night-time exploits, because she creeps out from Markyate Cell (the Manor house) through a secret passageway. Katherine eventually meets another dashing gentleman of the road, a handsome farmer called Ralph Chaplin, and falls in love, but their affair must remain hidden. The pair perform a series of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ type robberies, until eventually Ralph is caught during a failed hold-up, and subsequently hanged on Finchley Common. Mad with grief at his death, the ‘wicked lady’ terrorizes the villagers in the area, burning down houses, and shooting the local constable on his doorstep.

The ‘wicked’ Lady Katherine is eventually caught when a trap is set for her, and a wagon that she holds up on the highway contains a group of armed men. She is shot, and fatally wounded. She rides back to Markyate Cell, but dies of her injuries before reaching the front door.

Many ghostly sightings have added to the legend. Her ghost has been seen riding her horse at full gallop on dark nights, and in 1840 when part of the manor was destroyed by fire, the blaze was blamed on Lady Katherine.  Whilst helping to put out the fire several locals said that they felt an eerie presence and feared they were being spied on by her unquiet ghost.

Lady Katherine Fanshawe is Innocent – The Research

Despite the romance of the legend, there is actually nothing of substance to link the real Lady Katherine Fanshawe with any sort of highway robbery, although it is likely that there was robbery and plunder on the roads at this period because it was a period of civil unrest. Many Royalists had been uprooted from their estates by the English Civil Wars, and in order to survive, took to the road and committed crimes that could have been attributed to her. The events of the English Civil War caused confusion and massive social unrest, and formed a plausible background for disenfranchised aristocrats.

Lady Katherine Fanshawe

Investigation of Anne Fanshawe’s diary, written at the time, has little of note to say on Katherine, her relation by marriage, and certainly nothing pertaining to robbery on the highway.

And nowhere in the real historical records is Katherine’s lover, Ralph Chaplin, traceable, although he always features in the retelling of the legend as the person who persuaded her to robbery in the first place.

Markyate Cell certainly existed though. It was called a ‘cell’ because the original site was a hermitage, which housed the nun Christina of Markyate, and eventually became a priory. The priory did not fare well during the Dissolution and was demolished in 1537, and the much more elaborate Markyate Manor was built on its footprint, although it is still sometimes known as Markyate Cell - the cell being the original hermitage. George Ferrers retained the name ‘Cell’ when he bought the land in 1548. The Ferrers family controlled this land when Markyate Manor was supposedly the home of Katherine Ferrers, the Wicked Lady.

Markyate Manor - Photo Credit

Born 4th May 1634, Katherine was the daughter of Knighton Ferrers of Bayfordbury, and his wife Katherine Walter. After the death of her husband, George Ferrers, Katherine’s mother re-married Sir Simon Fanshawe, a neighboring landowner. When her mother died, Markyate Manor was soon in the iron control of Katherine’s step-father. Worse, at only twelve years old, Katherine was forced into an arranged marriage with his nephew, Thomas Fanshawe, so that The Fanshawes could retain control of the estate, thus Katherine Ferrers became Katherine Fanshawe.

However – although the house belonged to her husband, it has never been proved that Katherine Fanshawe actually lived at Markyate Manor during the time she was supposed to have been a highwaywoman, and evidence shows the manor was sold well before her death. After Cromwell came to power, Markyate Manor was sold by her husband to ‘three Londoners’ in 1655.

Nomansland Common, where she was thought to hold up the highway, is a long way from Markyate Manor – half a day’s ride, surely impractical for hit and run robberies?

Records show that Katherine Fanshawe died aged 26, and was not recorded as having any children, which was highly unusual for a married woman her age in those times, although can be explained by the war. Her husband and stepfather actually spent much of the war exiled in France or Ireland.

Katherine was buried not in the Fanshawe family vault, as might be expected, but at St Mary’s Church, Ware, so perhaps the real Lady Katherine Fanshawe was residing close to there when she died. So with Katherine’s probably undramatic death, the Ferrers line died out.

John Barber, on his excellent website on Lady Katherine, poses the idea that her life may have been confused with the story of ‘Maude of Allinghame’ (1833), a Victorian ballad that tells the story of a noblewoman who robs the Mayor of Redbourne. She too has an illicit affair, and she too dies on the steps of her manor house, Allingham Hall. Coincidentally Katherine’s mother was related to a family called Allinghame.

This seems to be the most likely explanation, although parts of Katherine’s legend are undoubtedly true. She was forced to marry tragically early; her stepfather did squander her fortune; the real Markyate Manor does have a secret passage, because in the 1820’s builders discovered a secret passageway at Markyate Manor.  It ran from the kitchen to a chamber above, and was most likely a priest hole – as both the Ferrers and the Fanshawes were closet Catholics.  Also possible as a source of the legend is Wicked Lord Ferrers, who was hanged at Tyburn in 1760 for the murder of his servant. His name and his story could easily have been grafted on to Katherine’s history.

So, was Katherine a wicked lady? Probably not. But the legend is still irresistible, and my three books for young adults have made full use of the known history, along with selected elements of the legend.

 
Deborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martin’s Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!) Shadow on the Highway and Spirit of the Highway are available now.  The third novel in the Highway Trilogy, Lady of the Highway is out soon. Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists.

She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District – a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. 

You can find Deborah on the following social media sites: WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | GOOGLE+ |PINTEREST

Buy the Books: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Book Blurb:

England 1652

Seventeen-year-old Lady Katherine Fanshawe (Kate) has lost everything in the civil war that has torn England apart. Determined to build a community of friends, she invites Owen Whistler and the radical Diggers sect to make their home in her manor house.

When her stepfather unexpectedly returns, he evicts the Diggers with no pay, despite their months of labour on his land. Wilful, and determined to regain Owen’s trust, Kate has to repay her friends the only way she can – by turning to secret highway robbery.

But Kate is not the only one riding the highway at night, and her rival for the road is intent on bloodshed and murder. When he unleashes a reign of terror, Kate gets the blame. Will she be able to clear her name, and save the one person she loves from his lust for revenge?

Giveaway!!

I have an excellent giveaway that is open internationally. It is for a signed Paperback Copy of Shadow on the Highway and an Ebook Copy of Spirit on the Highway, both books so far published in Swift's Highway series. Entries thru Rafflecopter below. Open thru May 31st!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 
 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review & Tour Giveaway: Spirit of the Highway by Deborah Swift

Spirit of the Highway by Deborah Swift
Book 2 in The Highway trilogy
ARC, e-book, 181 pages
Endeavor Press
September 24, 2015
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction, YA
Source: Received for review with HFVBT
 

England 1651
England has been engaged in a bitter Civil War for nearly ten years. Ralph Chaplin, a farmer’s son, has fallen for beautiful copper-haired Kate. There is only one problem – he is a Roundhead soldier and she is a Royalist lady.
Tired of bloodshed, Ralph volunteers to fight, sensing that the Battle at Worcester will be a chance to finish the fighting for good. He longs for peace, so he can forge a secure future and find a different, more equal way of life for himself and Kate.
But War is not what he imagined, and soon he has made a deadly enemy; one who will pursue Ralph and those he loves, and wreak vengeance. What’s more, Ralph finds he has as many enemies at home, as on the battlefield.
Told by Ralph’s ghost, Spirit of the Highway is the stand-alone second part of the Highway Trilogy based on the real life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, Highwaywoman

The first thing I have to say about this book was how refreshing it was to have a male protagonist/narrator. Not only is it a little more rare to have a male protagonist in historical fiction, but it is even more refreshing that it is in a young adult directed novel. I think this needs to happen more often. Only a small portion of the novel is set in a warfare setting, which is another rarity in male led novels. I feel that the author handled very well a balance between political, military, and relationship elements in the story that would appeal to both men and women.

Spirit of the Highway is the second book in The Highway trilogy and I feel that it is certainly beneficial to read these books in order, despite it being mentioned in a couple places that it could be a stand-alone novel. Whereas the first book, Shadow on the Highway, is focused on the story from the perspective of Abigail Chaplin, Spirit of the Highway tells the story from the perspective of her brother, Ralph Chaplin. There is an expectation of some knowledge of the characters here, and the reader would not have as deep of an understanding of the choices the characters make without the experience of book 1. You would not be able to understand the love between Lady Katherine and Ralph without having experienced their time with The Diggers in book 1. You would not have the background of how Abigail fits into her position with the Fanshawes. I think another area where the reader would benefit from the experience of the first book is regarding the politics of the time – the English Civil War and who The Diggers were. It is only addressed in a passing in book 2, but very well established in book 1. You could certainly appreciate the story, but I think it is a much deeper understanding with book 1 under your belt.
The story opens with the ghost of Ralph telling the reader what is going on – which was a little of a shock to me. It set me in the mindset that my protagonist was going to die at some point in the book. I also wasn’t really sure how this element would be carried out – overall, I think it worked. It wasn’t long before I forgot about the fact it was the ghost telling the story and it was still surprising when “the event” happened.
I found book 1 to be a little more adventurous and exciting while book 2 to be a little more low key, however the two books work well together.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The Seventeenth Century Lady

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Also by Deborah Swift:

The Lady’s Slipper

The Gilded Lily[My Review]

A Divided Inheritance[My Review]

Shadow on the Highway (Book 1, Highway Trilogy)
[My Review]

Find Deborah Swift: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Pinterest | Goodreads | G+

Follow the Tour!

On Twitter with Hashtags: #SpiritoftheHighwayBlogTour  #HistoricalFiction  #YA  #England

On HFVBT Tour Page

Tour-Wide Giveaway

There is a tour-wide giveaway up for grabs - I am not the coordinator of this giveaway, if you have any questions, please contact the tour coordinator at the HFVBT page.
To win a signed paperback of Spirit of the Highway please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Three copies up for grabs!
Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 6th. 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.

Spirit of the Highway

Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift

Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift
Book 1 in The Highway Trilogy
PDF, ARC, 192 pages
Endeavor Press
July 15, 2014
★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical fiction, YA

Source: Received from publisher for HFVBT tour

“May 1651.  England has been in the midst of a civil war for nearly ten years. The country has been torn in two, and the King is getting ready to make his last stand against Cromwell’s New Model Army.
Abigail Chaplin, a young deaf girl, has lost her father to the parliamentarian cause.  But with her family now in reduced circumstances, she is forced to work as a servant at a royalist household - the estate of Lady Katherine Fanshawe.

Abi is soon caught up in a web of sinister secrets which surround the Fanshawe estate. The most curious of which is the disappearance of Lady Katherine late at night.  Why are her husband’s clothes worn and muddy even though he hasn’t been home for weeks?  How is she stealing out of the house late at night when her room is being guarded?  And what is her involvement with the robberies being committed by the mysterious Silent Highwayman?

‘Shadow On The Highway’ is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as ‘The Wicked Lady’. It is the first book in ‘The Highway Trilogy’.”

I have been a fan of Deborah Swift’s books and have read all but The Lady’s Slipper so far. Her book tend to be lengthy, full of atmospheric detail, and full of wonderfully developed characters and plots. Seeing that this book is only 192 pages, I wondered if it would be possible to have that same level of writing in these few pages. I assure you, my concerns turned out to be unfounded and Shadow on the Highway is a wonderful short novel and beginning to a trilogy that I look forward to reading more of.

I was amazed by the depth of character that was able to be forged within these few pages. Even the more periphery characters were fleshed out. The character’s motivations were present and compelling. I felt for Abi, as well as Lady Katherine Fanshawe (you may not at the beginning, but she will grow on you!). There is a little sense of mystery that compels you forward through the pages to learn what happens next.

I was surprised to learn that this book is somewhat directed at younger readers, but would also be appropriate for adults too. I guess that this would be because the main character is a young girl, but I never once felt like I was reading anything directed particularly at a younger audience. It felt simply like a shorter version of Swifts other novels. Actually, it didn’t really feel shorter at all – which is amazing considering it is at least 50% shorter than her other novels, but that just attests to how well written this book is, that it can evoke the same feel as reading a full length novel.

Here is a little something that the author had to say about this book and the trilogy: “This is a shorter, more lightweight novel than my other books, which sometimes run to more than 400 pages. The story itself naturally fell into three parts and so it made sense to divide the narrative into three books of about 200 pages each, and form a trilogy. Each book is a stand-alone story with a different main character, but each book features Abi, Katherine and Ralph. I hope the subject matter will appeal to younger readers of historical fiction - but that is not to say adults won't enjoy it too!”

Author Deborah Swift also has written: The Lady’s Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance. You can visit Deborah’s website or blog for additional information about the book.

My reviews of other books by this author:

• The Gilded Lily
• A Divided Inheritance

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• WTF Are You Reading?
• Flashlight Commentary

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

You can follow along with the rest of the tour by visiting the HFVBT site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #ShadowontheHighwayBlogTour

There is also a tour wide giveaway opportunity - it is not being run by The Maiden's Court.

To win a Paperback or eBook of Shadow on the Highway please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Five copies of each are up for grabs. Giveaway is open internationally.

• Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on September 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
• Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on September 16th and notified via email.
• Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2014 by The Maiden’s Court

This content is owned and copyrighted 2009-2014 by The Maiden’s Court.

Book Review: A Divided Inheritance by Deborah Swift

A Divided Inheritance by Deborah Swift
Paperback, 544 pages
Pan
October 24, 2013 (UK Release)
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from review from publisher

“London 1609…

Elspet Leviston’s greatest ambition is to continue the success of her father Nathaniel’s lace business. But her dreams are thrown into turmoil with the arrival of her mysterious cousin Zachary Deane – who has his own designs on Leviston’s Lace.

Zachary is a dedicated swordsman with a secret past that seems to invite trouble. So Nathaniel sends him on a Grand Tour, away from the distractions of Jacobean London. Elspet believes herself to be free of her hot-headed relative but when Nathaniel dies her fortunes change dramatically. She is forced to leave her beloved home and go in search of Zachary – determined to claim back from him the inheritance that is rightfully hers.
Under the searing Spanish sun, Elspet and Zachary become locked in a battle of wills. But these are dangerous times and they are soon embroiled in the roar and sweep of something far more threatening, sending them both on an unexpected journey of discovery which finally unlocks the true meaning of family . . .”

This book took me a little longer to finish than I might have liked – It look me a lot time to get into the story. I really wasn’t into it until about two-thirds of the way through. I think what just didn’t work for me were the characters - I didn’t really like any of the characters through most of the novel. I think Elspet is supposed to be the sympathetic protagonist, but for the most part I found her wilting and boring. Zachary was more interesting – probably because he actually did something, his true nature was hidden for quite some time, and he had an intriguing personality. In the end they all evolved a little bit and I ended up liking both of them more than through most of the book. 

The setting is well done – I could feel the heat of the Spanish sun and the blacksmith shop. By comparison, England was dreary and sad. I think that maybe this mirrors the attitudes of events that occurred in the two places?

The plot was sort of a plodding pace for most of the book. Again, once the two-thirds point came around the various plotlines began coming together and it was a more cohesive story and the pages just moved by. The ending was satisfying, although not what I would have ultimately wanted.

I liked the book, but wouldn’t say that I loved it. I enjoyed The Gilded Lily MUCH more.

Author Deborah Swift has written these additional books: The Lady’s Slipper and The Gilded Lily. You can also visit Deborah Swift’s website or one of her blogs for additional information about the books.

My reviews of other books by this author:

• The Gilded Lily

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Reading the Past
• The Lit Bitch

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon UK.

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #DividedInheritanceTour.

This is a re-post of the giveaway I originally posted on the In-Process Review.  The giveaway is for one paperback copy of A Divided Inheritance and it is open INTERNATIONALLY!  Make your entries through the Rafflecopter below.  Last day to enter is November 24th.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

In-Progress Book Review: A Divided Inheritance by Deborah Swift & Giveaway

A Divided Inheritance by Deborah Swift
Paperback, 544 pages
Pan
October 24, 2013 (UK Release)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Received from review from publisher

“London 1609…

Elspet Leviston’s greatest ambition is to continue the success of her father Nathaniel’s lace business. But her dreams are thrown into turmoil with the arrival of her mysterious cousin Zachary Deane – who has his own designs on Leviston’s Lace.

Zachary is a dedicated swordsman with a secret past that seems to invite trouble. So Nathaniel sends him on a Grand Tour, away from the distractions of Jacobean London. Elspet believes herself to be free of her hot-headed relative but when Nathaniel dies her fortunes change dramatically. She is forced to leave her beloved home and go in search of Zachary – determined to claim back from him the inheritance that is rightfully hers.
Under the searing Spanish sun, Elspet and Zachary become locked in a battle of wills. But these are dangerous times and they are soon embroiled in the roar and sweep of something far more threatening, sending them both on an unexpected journey of discovery which finally unlocks the true meaning of family . . .”

I need to first start out by saying this is an incomplete review (my first!) – I had so many things come up in the last couple weeks that I have not been able to finish the book yet. I’m a little over halfway, so this is a sort-of “in progress book review”. I will post a completed review when I’m finished reading – which will inevitably include elements from this one.

So far, this isn’t my favorite book by this author. I loved reading The Gilded Lily; the characters were great, it was fast paced, and the drama was all there pretty much from the beginning. So far, I don’t really like any of the characters. I think Elspet is supposed to be the sympathetic protagonist, but I just sort of find her wilting and boring. Zachary is more interesting – I can feel there is more to him that I don’t know yet, but I still don’t really like him as a good or bad character. I think the characters are the aspect that I don’t like the most. The setting is well done – I can feel the heat of the Spanish sun and the blacksmith shop. The plot is sort of a plodding pace at the moment but I have the feeling it will pick up as several storylines seem to be coming to a head.

You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour by visiting the HFVBT website or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #DividedInheritanceTour.

I also have a giveaway opportunity for one paperback copy of A Divided Inheritance and it is open INTERNATIONALLY!  Make your entries through the Rafflecopter below.  Last day to enter is November 24th.  Good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Copyright © 2013 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift & GIVEAWAY

The Gilded Lily by Deborah Swift

Paperback, 480 pages

St. Martin’s Griffin

November 27, 2012

★★★★ ½☆

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Received from publisher for review as part of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour

“A spellbinding historical novel of beauty and greed and surprising redemption.

England, 1660. Ella Appleby believes she is destined for better things than slaving as a housemaid and dodging the blows of her drunken father. When her employer dies suddenly, she seizes her chance--taking his valuables and fleeing the countryside with her sister for the golden prospects of London. But London may not be the promised land she expects. Work is hard to find, until Ella takes up with a dashing and dubious gentleman with ties to the London underworld. Meanwhile, her old employer's twin brother is in hot pursuit of the sisters.

Set in a London of atmospheric coffee houses, gilded mansions, and shady pawnshops hidden from rich men's view, Deborah Swift's The Gilded Lily is a dazzling novel of historical adventure.”

Knowing that the author had previously released The Lady’s Slipper, and knowing that it was a companion piece to The Gilded Lily, I tried to find the opportunity to read it first, however due to time constraints that just did not happen. I had concerns that I would feel like I was missing something. I am happy to say that is not the case at all – however at times I made note that I would probably have had a more well-rounded reading experience had I read The Lady’s Slipper first.

Swift’s strongest skill is her ability to create a living, breathing world in which to place her characters. The pages just oozed 17th century London and the reader is instantly transported into the same dark alleys and hard-times that the characters are enduring. I especially enjoyed the fairs on the frozen Thames River. My previous reading experience with this time period has always been within and around the royal court and its entourage and the world Swift creates is almost as far as you can get in the other extreme. We experience poverty, sickness, hunger, freezing temperatures, etc among other travails the characters need to endure. We get the opportunity to peek into several professions of commoners – perruquiers (wig makers), shop attendants, maids, and pawn brokers – not necessarily common places for novel heroines to frequent.

Regarding one of the biggest did-she-or-didn’t-she moments in this novel, we are kept in the dark from about page 4 up until almost the end of the novel. While this would usually be something that frustrates me, the pace of this novel was so rapid that you didn’t even notice that you were suddenly 300 pages in and at that point almost done with the book. The book was narrated intermittently by three different characters and this was executed very well. You were never confused as to who was telling the story or what their unique perspective was.

A quick word about the cover (the US version) – for once I think that the cover artist may have actually read something of the novel because as I read the description of an outfit Ella was wearing I immediately turned over the cover – and there it was! Great job!

I can say that The Gilded Lily has been among my favorite reads this year and will likely end up within my top 10 reads. I anxiously await the time to be able to read The Lady’s Slipper.

You can read a sample of the novel here.

You can also watch a book trailer below:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Peeking Between the Pages
• History and Women

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Deborah Swift:

The Lady’s Slipper

A Divided Inheritance
[My Review]

Pleasing Mr. Pepys
[My Review]

Shadow on the Highway (Highway Trilogy #1)
[My Review]

Spirit of the Highway (Highway Trilogy #2)
[My Review]

Lady of the Highway (Highway Trilogy #3)

Find Deborah Swift: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog

 Follow the Tour!

Today was the kick-off day for the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour for The Gilded Lily. You can follow the rest of the tour either at the HFVBT site or on Twitter with the following hashtag: #GildedLilyVirtualTour.

Giveaway!

I also have the opportunity to offer 1 copy of The Gilded Lily to a lucky entrant. Giveaway is open internationally. The last day to enter the giveaway is December 1st. Complete the Rafflecopter below to be entered to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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