BLOG TOUR: The lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson #TheLadyOfTheRavens @JoannaHickson @HarperFiction @AnneCater #RandomThingsTours

When the email about The Lady of Ravens first popped into my inbox I was delighted. Absolutely delighted. I love historical fiction and I barely read any last year. 2019 was the year of the thriller for me, but I’m hoping 2020 will be a little bit more varied.

Anyway. I love a good historical read and in particular I really enjoy books set around the Tudor period. The Tudor history is so rich, opulent, intriguing, interesting and a big bit murdery.

The Lady of the Ravens was set in the early years of Henry VII’s reign as seen through the eyes of Joan Vaux, who was a lady in waiting to Elizabeth of York – who then goes on to marry Henry and unite the Houses of Lancaster and York.

So, I was excited to get stuck in…

Book Blurb:

My baptismal name may be Giovanna but here in my mother’s adopted country I have become plain Joan; I am not pink-cheeked and golden-haired like the beauties they admire. I have olive skin and dark features – black brows over ebony eyes and hair the colour of a raven’s wing…

When Joan Vaux is sent to live in the shadow of the Tower of London, she must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of this new England under the Tudors. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, if Henry and his new dynasty are to prosper and thrive …

As of tonight, I haven’t finished the book. I’m not even close. I only got my copy today, so I’ve just managed to squeeze in a couple of chapters.

And so far it is good. Very good. And very readable. I will be returning to the 14th century as soon as I am done writing this blog post. And I am looking forward to it.

I get the sense from the beginning that Joanna Hickson has managed to strike the fine balance between fact and fiction. When I read historical fiction I primarily want to be entertained, but I also want to get a real sense of the time period, the historical figures and the daily lives of the characters. I want it all. And I have high hopes for the rest of The Lady of the Ravens. I will report back…

Have you read it? Am I in for a treat?

I’m off to read!

UPDATE – It was a great read, a full 5 star read! I couldn’t put it down and I flew through the pages as I followed the lives of the characters – Highly recommended.

About the author:

Joanna Hickson spent twenty-five years presenting and producing News and Arts programmes for the BBC. Her first published book was a children’s historical novel Rebellion at Orford Castle but more recently she has turned to adult fiction, concentrating on bringing fifteenth century English history and some of its fascinating principal characters to life. She is married with a large family and gets inspiration from her Wiltshire farmhouse home, which dates back to her chosen period.