Tag Archives: Anna Belfrage

The Cold Light Of Dawn by Anna Belfrage – Review

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Title – The Cold Light Of Dawn (The King’s Greatest Enemy #4)
Author – Anna Belfrage
Genre – Historical Fiction/Romance
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

After Henry of Lancaster’s rebellion has been crushed early in 1329, a restless peace settles over England. However, the young Edward III is no longer content with being his regents’ puppet, no matter that neither Queen Isabella nor Roger Mortimer show any inclination to give up their power. Caught in between is Adam de Guirande, torn between his loyalty to the young king and that to his former lord, Roger Mortimer.

Edward III is growing up fast. No longer a boy to be manipulated, he resents the power of his mother, Queen Isabella, and Mortimer. His regents show little inclination of handing over their power to him, the rightful king, and Edward suspects they never will unless he forces their hand.

Adam de Guirande is first and foremost Edward’s man, and he too is of the opinion that the young king is capable of ruling on his own. But for Adam siding with his king causes heartache, as he still loves Roger Mortimer, the man who shaped him into who he is.

Inevitably, Edward and his regents march towards a final confrontation. And there is nothing Adam can do but pray and hope that somehow things will work out. Unfortunately, prayers don’t always help.

Review

The Cold Light of Dawn is book four in the highly enjoyable The King’s Greatest Enemy series by Anna Belfrage.

You can read my reviews for the rest of the series by clicking the links below.

In the Shadow of the Storm

Days of Sun and Glory

Under the Approaching Dark

I had high hopes for book 4 of this series. I’m invested in Kit and Adam’s future and I just hope one day they get the peace they deserve..will they get this in book 4??? Not bloody likely ha.

King Edward is growing up fast and he’s starting to resent his mother’s control and Lord Rogers more so. Lord Roger may have become regent with the best of intentions but power has a way of changing a person and Lord Roger is no exception.

The this tale Adam is torn even more in two and both the King and Lord Roger questioning his loyalty..the trouble is he’s loyal to both but that’s not going to be acceptable by either of them..it’s time he picks a side one way or another and without giving the game away something rather personal for Adam happens that really tests loyalty to both.

The plot is strong but also balanced well with the personal aspect of Kit and Adams relationship. I’ve said it every time but I’m no fan of romance in novels but the romance in the Cold Light of Dawn builds on the story for me rather than distract from it.

We see more of Queen Phillipa in this tale and Kit has her own issues when she finds herself a pawn being controlled by two Queens.. how can she please them both while not betraying either?

The ending of the story does give the reader a little closure as the tension that has been brewing finally plays out but at the same time leaves the door open for more tales from our favourite knight.

This series is exactly what I love about historical fiction. A tale of the authors imagination written around facts. While the life of King Edward and Lord Roger have already been written in history but Kit and Adam’s story belongs to the author and her alone and what a wonderful, heart wrenching tale of love and loyalty we’ve been given.

I challenge anyone to read this series and not enjoy it..it would be impossible not to love it.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon.

Days of Sun and Glory by Anna Belfrage (@abelfrageauthor) – Review

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Title – Days of Sun and Glory (The King’s Greatest Enemy #2)
Author – Anna Belfrage
Genre – Historical Fiction
Publication – June 2016
Pages – 418
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis      

Adam de Guirande has barely survived the aftermath of Roger Mortimer’s rebellion in 1321. When Mortimer manages to escape the Tower and flee to France, anyone who has ever served Mortimer becomes a potential traitor – at least in the eyes of King Edward II and his royal chancellor, Hugh Despenser. Adam must conduct a careful balancing act to keep himself and his family alive. Fortunately, he has two formidable allies: Queen Isabella and his wife, Kit. England late in 1323 is a place afflicted by fear. Now that the king’s greatest traitor, Roger Mortimer, has managed to evade royal justice, the king and his beloved Despenser see dissidents and rebels everywhere – among Mortimer’s former men, but also in the queen, Isabella of France. Their suspicions are not unfounded. Tired of being relegated to the background by the king’s grasping favourite, Isabella has decided it is time to act – to safeguard her own position, but also that of her son, Edward of Windsor. As Adam de Guirande has pledged himself to Prince Edward he is automatically drawn into the queen’s plans – whether he likes it or not. Yet again, Kit and Adam are forced to take part in a complicated game of intrigue and politics. Yet again, they risk their lives – and that of those they hold dear – as the king and Mortimer face off. Once again, England is plunged into war – and this time it will not end until either Despenser or Mortimer is dead. Days of Sun and Glory is the second in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.

Review

After reading In the Shadow of the Storm, the first book in The King’s Greatest Enemy series I just couldn’t wait to get to grips with this one.

We are back with Adam and Kit. Adam owes Lord Roger and also the young prince his life and in this tale he’s torn between the two men he cares for.

The story follows perfectly from the first book and instantly you can recall all the events of the previous tale and the injury’s inflicted on Adam at the hands of Hugh Despenser.

Mortimer is out gaining allies before he intends to come back to England to take the throne. During this time Adam is in service to the Prince and has to deal with the constant mutterings in his direction.. you see people think Adam is a traitor.. well Despenser does. Adam’s only flaw in my eyes is that he is loyal.. Loyal to a fault.

When the young Prince is sent to France on behalf of the King, Adam must go with him… with Kit in tow. Let’s just say it’s not an easy thing for them to do.

There’s more romance in this book compared to the first and a lot of jealousy between Adam and Kit as they get attention from other parties. At times I felt it overshadowed the overall plot but it really did help you understand how strong the connection between these two characters is.

There’s a lot of pain and anguish for Kit, I won’t spoil it but she has a lot to deal with once again as she’s pulled from pillar to post. Adam and Kit really need each other to get through this one.

For me the best bits of this book involved Despenser.. he must be such a wonderful character to write.. He’s evil and twisted and has the favour of the King… basically he can do what he wants but he knows without the King’s protection he would be a dead man.

Despenser is blinded by hatred for Adam. He wants to finish what he started and all he needs is one mistake to get Adam hauled up in chains. He’s a vile man but this ever present danger keeps you hooked.

It’s his love for Despenser that has put King Edwards’s position in jeopardy and as the tale is told it becomes clear Adam doesn’t see a way for the King to make it out alive.

The end of this book had a lot of twists. While my opinions on characters didn’t change fully I found myself seeing things from a different perspective.. Will Mortimer be any better than Despenser?

One of the other things i really enjoyed in this tales was the constant threats.. you never quite know who to trust..spies could be anywhere and some are forced into their actions..it just adds to the tension building up.

This is a very character driven tale with a solid plot behind it. A bit heavy in the romance for my tastes but nothing that takes anything away from the story. It just makes the emotional scenes between Adam and Kit’s become more real, it’s their tale.. the rest are just along for the ride.

It’s not a heavy read either.. it flows nicely at a steady pace and builds up the excitement for you as it goes along.

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon

My thanks go to the author for the chance to read/review her work. I’ll certainly be reading more of Anna’s work in the future!

In the Shadow of the Storm by Anna Belfrage – Review

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Title – In the Shadow of the Storm (The King’s Greatest Enemy #1)
Author – Anna Belfrage
Genre –  Historical Fiction
Length –   396 Pages
Publication – Nov 2015
My Rating – 4/5 Stars

Synopsis

Adam de Guirande owes his lord, Sir Roger Mortimer, much more than loyalty. He owes Sir Roger for his life and all his worldly goods, he owes him for his beautiful wife – even if Kit is not quite the woman Sir Roger thinks she is. So when Sir Roger rises in rebellion against the king, Adam has no choice but to ride with him – no matter what the ultimate cost may be. England in 1321 is a confusing place. Edward II has been forced by his barons to exile his favourite, Hugh Despenser. The barons, led by the powerful Thomas of Lancaster, Roger Mortimer and Humphrey de Bohun, have reasons to believe they have finally tamed the king. But Edward is not about to take things lying down, and fate is a fickle mistress, favouring first one, then the other. Adam fears his lord has over-reached, but at present Adam has other matters to concern him, first and foremost his new wife, Katherine de Monmouth. His bride comes surrounded by rumours concerning her and the baron, and he hates it when his brother snickers and whispers of used goods. Kit de Courcy has the misfortune of being a perfect double of Katherine de Monmouth – which is why she finds herself coerced into wedding a man under a false name. What will Adam do when he finds out he has been duped? Domestic matters become irrelevant when the king sets out to punish his rebellious barons. The Welsh Marches explode into war, and soon Sir Roger and his men are fighting for their very lives. When hope splutters and dies, when death seems inevitable, it falls to Kit to save her man – if she can. ‘In the Shadow of the Storm’ is the first in Anna Belfrage’s new series,The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his baron, his king, and his wife.

Review

I’m going to be 100% honest from the start of this review.. I’m not a romance fan.. it’s not my genre but I do enjoy a good historical fiction book when the romance is done right and this is what Anna Belfrage has done perfectly. Sometimes I think authors put in a sex scene just for the sake of it but when Anna has done this it brings something to the story.. makes the connection between the two main characters believable

The tale starts with the abduction of Kit..she has been sheltered her whole life but now her mother is gone no one is there to protect her and she is thrust into the life of Katherine.. unbeknown to Kit at the time that they share the same father. Kit is brought in to help when Katherine runs off from an arranged marriage..they need some to take her place

This is where we met Adam, loved his character. Loyal and brave to fault.

Mix in with this wedding a tale of politics, blackmail, deception and murder and you have one hell of a tale.

The romance the book is just the underlying story that plays out, the true story for me was about loyalty which I loved. Adam de Guirande is split in two wanting to fight for his lord whom he owes so much or to stay with Kit who has given him another purpose in life. Kit’s tale is also focuses around loyalty..the love that grows for Adam overtime bringing her to risk everything for the man she loves

For me the way these two interacted throughout the book worked well, at times both were stubborn and annoying but it made the relationship feel real rather than forced. I really enjoyed that the tale was shown from both sides and highlighted a woman’s worth back  in that age when they were viewed more as property but at the same time it was great to see that love could still spark

The only thing I would have liked to see was at the beginning when Kit replaces Katherine would be more of a struggle for her. She seemed to take to the role quickly and didn’t have too many problems fooling people who Katherine met beforehand..one in a intimate way.

I won’t spoil the plot any more but seriously I really loved the tale. With rebellion afoot you know not everyone will make it out alive and there are some very interesting and manipulative characters to meet along the way. Two of the best characters are Adam’s brothers.. i’ll say no more than that 🙂

While Adam and Kit are completely fictional characters the rebellion itself is fact and  this led to the perfect setting where the author could let their wonderful imagination go. The book relies more heavily on the plot than some books which focus a lot on historical detail like descriptiveness of locations and events but that helped the book flow better and the plot definitely had me hooked.. I didn’t even care where the characters were.. I just wanted to know what would happen next

This is the perfect historical fiction book if you are looking for a little less battlefield action..this tale works well without the extra bloodshed.

Loved it

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com