By James Forrester
Sourcebooks Landmark, $14.99, 459 pages
Using actual historical documents, Dr. Ian James Forrester Mortimer, writing as James Forrester, has created a well paced tale of historical intrigue. Only two of the characters are invented.
This story takes place during the early reign of Elizabeth the First and is mainly concerned with the religious tensions during that time. The main characters are Catholics who want to bring back the “old” religion. These Catholics are treated as saintly creatures who only want to kill Elizabeth. The Protestants are treated as brutal thugs who are trying to thwart them in this endeavor.
The story moves along as rapidly as it could be when considering it is all done on horseback during terrible winter weather. The horses probably didn’t like this part. In spite of this logistical slowness there are some surprising twists of fate that send the story in a different direction.
We know that Elizabeth lived out her reign but from the start of the plot to the finish, you will have see for yourself what happened.
Reviewed by Hazel Westly
[amazon asin=1402272669&text=Buy On Amazon][amazon asin=1402272669&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]