As Europe’s fate hangs in the balance, Catherine of Aragon and Sir Thomas Lovell face treason, dark conspiracies, and a Pretender’s deadly threat to England’s fragile throne. When Queen Isabella dies, her daughter Catherine of Aragon is no longer just a Spanish princess, she’s a political pawn. Torn between her father Ferdinand, her ambitious father-in-law, Henry VII, her passionate sister Juana of Castile, and the seductive danger of Philip the Handsome, Catherine must survive betrayal, treason, and the fall of those closest to her. The fate of Edmund de la Pole hangs in the balance.
My Kick-Ass Back Cover Description:
England teeters on the edge of chaos, and salvation may come at a price.
Left in political and personal limbo, Catherine of Aragon languishes in forced poverty at the court of King Henry VII, praying for deliverance. When word arrives that her sister, Juana of Spain, has been shipwrecked on English shores with her powerful husband, Philip of Burgundy, Catherine believes her prayers have been answered. Juana is en route to claim her birthright, the crown of Castile, after the death of their mother, Queen Isabella of Castile, and Catherine is certain her sister will either take her home or speak on her behalf.
But Philip has his own ambitions. As tensions rise between Spain, Burgundy, and England, Catherine becomes a pawn in a larger game, one that may decide the fate of Europe itself. At the same time, a chilling discovery rocks the Tudor court. A fresh threat from Edmund de la Pole, the exiled Duke of Suffolk, suggests that his long-rumored plot to overthrow the Tudors is finally in motion. With England’s fragile peace hanging in the balance, the king’s ruthless enforcer, Sir Thomas Lovell, is tasked with uncovering the truth. What he finds is a conspiracy steeped in treason, deception, and ambition, a plot that could shatter everything Henry VII has built and plunge the realm into civil war. As old enemies return and new alliances are tested, can Lovell stop Suffolk before history is rewritten? Or will England’s crown fall to another Pretender?
Treachery, international power struggles, and royal secrets collide in this gripping conclusion to The Tudor Throne series, perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, C.J. Sansom, and all lovers of rich Tudor-era historical fiction.
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The Story Behind the Story
Here it is, the last book in my Tudor Throne Series… unless I feel compelled to return and write more one day. (Never say never! I feel a lot of fondness for these characters!)
This is where all the stories come to a head, where I wrap up and resolve all plot lines building for six consecutive novels, and give everyone the happy ending I want for them. This book puts everyone in a good place, in a romantic and political sense, but first, there is a lot of angst and drama, and me “raging against the machine” as a female author forced to deal with a political landscape dominated by men who placed self-interests ahead of all else.
In this book, we deal with corruption in the Church and wrestle with moral problems. A storm brings Queen Juana and her husband, Philip, to England, where they do not want to be, since Philip is protecting Henry VII’s nemesis, the at-large Edmund de la Pole. It is such a coincidence that it seems divine, but it delivered a terrific series of events into my lap, as Catherine of Aragon teams up at long last with Sir Thomas Lovell to avenge Arthur’s death. She truly comes into her own in this novel, as she steps forward to seize control over her own destiny, unearths the treason in her own backyard, and chooses a side.
The stakes are high, particularly for Lovell, as his pregnant wife gets trapped inside a castle under siege. Estrella finally earns the love of Baron Willoughby, Catherine secures her future, Henry “gets his man,” and Lovell realizes at times divine providence intervenes where mortal hands cannot. It is my triumph, a labor of love, an emotional experience, but also a book that makes me proud. I did it, spent eight years of my life in this world. I finished it with a sense of relief and accomplishment, but also a deep grief as I bid farewell to my beloved characters. I knew that Sir Thomas would no longer hover over my shoulder at my desk, nudging me, arguing with me, and insisting I give him high stakes to overcome each time. But he has never really left me. He is still in the shadows, and when the time is right, he may step forth again to inspire me anew.
