Spirit's Princess by Esther Friesner. Young Adult. US release Arpil 24, 2012.
Pampered princess. Chieftain's daughter. Secret shaman. Warrior.
Himiko the beloved daughter of a chieftain in third century Japan has always been special. The day she was born there was a devastating earthquake, and the tribe's shamaness had an amazing vision revealing the young girl's futureone day this privledged child will be the spiritual and tribal leader over all of the tribes. Book One revolves around the events of Himiko's early teen yearsher shaman lessons, friendships, contact with other tribes, and journey to save her family after a series of tragic events. Once again, Esther Friesner masterfully weaves together history, myth, and mysticism in a tale of a princess whose path is far from traditional.
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Forthcoming Books: 2012 edition
The Maid and the Queen by Nancy Goldstone. UK release December 29, 2011; US release March 20, 2012. (reposted here with US cover)
Politically astute, ambitious, and beautiful, Yolande of Aragon, queen of Sicily, was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande championed the dauphin’s cause against the forces of England and Burgundy, drawing on her savvy, her statecraft, and her intimate network of spies. But the enemy seemed invincible. Just as French hopes dimmed, an astonishingly courageous young woman named Joan of Arc arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom, claiming she carried a divine message— a message that would change the course of history and ultimately lead to the coronation of Charles VII and the triumph of France.
Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc – or was it also Yolande of Aragon.
Politically astute, ambitious, and beautiful, Yolande of Aragon, queen of Sicily, was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande championed the dauphin’s cause against the forces of England and Burgundy, drawing on her savvy, her statecraft, and her intimate network of spies. But the enemy seemed invincible. Just as French hopes dimmed, an astonishingly courageous young woman named Joan of Arc arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom, claiming she carried a divine message— a message that would change the course of history and ultimately lead to the coronation of Charles VII and the triumph of France.
Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc – or was it also Yolande of Aragon.
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The Turning of Anne Merrick by Christine Blevins. US release February 7, 2012; UK release February 12, 2012.
Anne Merrick first met Jack Hampton when, celebrating the repeal of the Stamp Act, he abruptly swept her into his arms. Now, a decade later, with war raging in the colonies, Anne and Jack are united in the fight for their countrys independence.
The fight for liberty takes them from the raging battlefields in Saratoga to the bitterly cold encampment at Valley Forge. But it is in Philadelphia that Anne and Jack will come up against their greatest challenge. As Anne works her way into the Philadelphia elite, she comes across an old enemy: a British officer she had left for dead in New York City a year beforeand hell stop at nothing to get his revenge...
Anne Merrick first met Jack Hampton when, celebrating the repeal of the Stamp Act, he abruptly swept her into his arms. Now, a decade later, with war raging in the colonies, Anne and Jack are united in the fight for their countrys independence.
The fight for liberty takes them from the raging battlefields in Saratoga to the bitterly cold encampment at Valley Forge. But it is in Philadelphia that Anne and Jack will come up against their greatest challenge. As Anne works her way into the Philadelphia elite, she comes across an old enemy: a British officer she had left for dead in New York City a year beforeand hell stop at nothing to get his revenge...
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Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison. US and UK release March 6, 2012.
Saint Petersburg 1917. As the new year dawns a diver pulls the murdered body of Rasputin, the Mad Monk, from the icy waters of the Neva River. Hours later, Rasputin's daughters are taken to the tsar's palace as wards of the Romanovs where the tsarina makes a shocking request: would Masha, 18, take the place of her father at the sickbed of the tsaravitch Alyosha? Shaken, Masha agrees to do what she can for the imperious young prince. Two months later, the Bolsheviks force the tsar to abdicate, placing the royal family under house arrest.
Trapped together in increasingly harsh conditions, Masha and Alyosha take solace in each other's company. The two teenagers, with radically difference experiences of Russia, Rasputian and Alyosha's parents unlucky reign, create a private realm of magic and love as Masha introduces the tsaravitch to a wild and beautiful land he will never live to rule.
Saint Petersburg 1917. As the new year dawns a diver pulls the murdered body of Rasputin, the Mad Monk, from the icy waters of the Neva River. Hours later, Rasputin's daughters are taken to the tsar's palace as wards of the Romanovs where the tsarina makes a shocking request: would Masha, 18, take the place of her father at the sickbed of the tsaravitch Alyosha? Shaken, Masha agrees to do what she can for the imperious young prince. Two months later, the Bolsheviks force the tsar to abdicate, placing the royal family under house arrest.
Trapped together in increasingly harsh conditions, Masha and Alyosha take solace in each other's company. The two teenagers, with radically difference experiences of Russia, Rasputian and Alyosha's parents unlucky reign, create a private realm of magic and love as Masha introduces the tsaravitch to a wild and beautiful land he will never live to rule.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
[quote=""Tanzanite""]The Sister Queens by Sophe Perinot. US and UK release March 6, 2012.
Raised together at the 13th Century court of their father, Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, Marguerite and Eleanor are separated by royal marriagesbut never truly parted.
Patient, perfect, reticent, and used to being first, Marguerite becomes Queen of France. Her husband, Louis IX, is considered the greatest monarch of his age. But he is also a religious zealot who denies himself all pleasureincluding the love and companionship his wife so desperately craves. Can Marguerite find enough of her sisters boldness to grasp her chance for happiness in the guise of forbidden love?
Passionate, strong-willed, and stubborn, Eleanor becomes Queen of England. Her husband, Henry III, is neither as young nor as dashing as Marguerites. But she quickly discovers he is a very good man and a very bad king. His failures are bitter disappointments for Eleanor, who has worked to best her elder sister since childhood. Can Eleanor stop competing with her sister and value what she has, or will she let it slip away?[/quote]
cover attached
Raised together at the 13th Century court of their father, Raymond Berenger, Count of Provence, Marguerite and Eleanor are separated by royal marriagesbut never truly parted.
Patient, perfect, reticent, and used to being first, Marguerite becomes Queen of France. Her husband, Louis IX, is considered the greatest monarch of his age. But he is also a religious zealot who denies himself all pleasureincluding the love and companionship his wife so desperately craves. Can Marguerite find enough of her sisters boldness to grasp her chance for happiness in the guise of forbidden love?
Passionate, strong-willed, and stubborn, Eleanor becomes Queen of England. Her husband, Henry III, is neither as young nor as dashing as Marguerites. But she quickly discovers he is a very good man and a very bad king. His failures are bitter disappointments for Eleanor, who has worked to best her elder sister since childhood. Can Eleanor stop competing with her sister and value what she has, or will she let it slip away?[/quote]
cover attached
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[quote=""Tanzanite""]The Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas. US and UK release April 3, 2012.
In the sweeping new novel from the author of The Second Duchess, dangerous secrets lead a passionate young woman into a maze of murder and conspiracy as Mary, Queen of Scots, comes home to reign in a treacherously divided Scotland .
With her dying breath, Mary of Guise entrusts a silver casket to Rinette Leslie of Granmuir, who possesses the ancient gift of floromancy. Inside the casket, and meant only for the young Mary, Queen of Scots, are papers the old queen has painstakingly collectedthe darkest secrets of every Scottish lord and explosive private prophecies prepared by Nostradamus. Rinette risks her life to keep the casket safe, but she makes a fatal mistake: she shows it to her beloved young husband. On the very day the young queen comes home, Rinettes husband is brutally assassinated.
Devastated, Rinette demands justice from the queen before she will surrender the casket. Amid glittering masques and opulent weddings, courtly intrigues and Highland rebellions, the queens agents and Rinette herself search for the shadowy assassin. They are surrounded by ruthless men from all over Europe who will do anything to force Rinette to give up the casketthreatening her life, stripping her of her beloved castle by the sea, forcing her to marry a man she hates, and driving her from the man she has reluctantly grown to love. In the end, the flowers are all she can trustand only the flowers will lead her safely home to Granmuir.[/quote]
cover attached
In the sweeping new novel from the author of The Second Duchess, dangerous secrets lead a passionate young woman into a maze of murder and conspiracy as Mary, Queen of Scots, comes home to reign in a treacherously divided Scotland .
With her dying breath, Mary of Guise entrusts a silver casket to Rinette Leslie of Granmuir, who possesses the ancient gift of floromancy. Inside the casket, and meant only for the young Mary, Queen of Scots, are papers the old queen has painstakingly collectedthe darkest secrets of every Scottish lord and explosive private prophecies prepared by Nostradamus. Rinette risks her life to keep the casket safe, but she makes a fatal mistake: she shows it to her beloved young husband. On the very day the young queen comes home, Rinettes husband is brutally assassinated.
Devastated, Rinette demands justice from the queen before she will surrender the casket. Amid glittering masques and opulent weddings, courtly intrigues and Highland rebellions, the queens agents and Rinette herself search for the shadowy assassin. They are surrounded by ruthless men from all over Europe who will do anything to force Rinette to give up the casketthreatening her life, stripping her of her beloved castle by the sea, forcing her to marry a man she hates, and driving her from the man she has reluctantly grown to love. In the end, the flowers are all she can trustand only the flowers will lead her safely home to Granmuir.[/quote]
cover attached
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I'd been wondering what happened to The Forest Laird, which was first listed quite some time ago. One Canadian review i read absolutely trashed it, but it seemed to have possibly been another case of a reader unable to cope with Scottish dialect - we'll have to wait and see, I guess!
I recently read another new biography of the Duchess of Windsor which takes the stance that she was a tragic, hard-done-by figure. Interesting premise, but unfortunately the book comes across as more tedious than tragic. Hugo Vickers, Behind Closed Doors: the Tragic Untold Story of the Duchess of Windsor
I recently read another new biography of the Duchess of Windsor which takes the stance that she was a tragic, hard-done-by figure. Interesting premise, but unfortunately the book comes across as more tedious than tragic. Hugo Vickers, Behind Closed Doors: the Tragic Untold Story of the Duchess of Windsor
[quote=""Tanzanite""]Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison. US and UK release March 6, 2012.
Saint Petersburg 1917. As the new year dawns a diver pulls the murdered body of Rasputin, the Mad Monk, from the icy waters of the Neva River. Hours later, Rasputin's daughters are taken to the tsar's palace as wards of the Romanovs where the tsarina makes a shocking request: would Masha, 18, take the place of her father at the sickbed of the tsaravitch Alyosha? Shaken, Masha agrees to do what she can for the imperious young prince. Two months later, the Bolsheviks force the tsar to abdicate, placing the royal family under house arrest.
Trapped together in increasingly harsh conditions, Masha and Alyosha take solace in each other's company. The two teenagers, with radically difference experiences of Russia, Rasputian and Alyosha's parents unlucky reign, create a private realm of magic and love as Masha introduces the tsaravitch to a wild and beautiful land he will never live to rule.[/quote]
hhmmmm. Interesting.
[quote=""Tanzanite""]The Maid and the Queen by Nancy Goldstone. UK release December 29, 2011; US release March 20, 2012. (reposted here with US cover)
Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc or was it also Yolande of Aragon.[/quote]
Ah. I knew it. No reason to read this book because all the focus will be on Yolande and how she was the one who did everything.
Saint Petersburg 1917. As the new year dawns a diver pulls the murdered body of Rasputin, the Mad Monk, from the icy waters of the Neva River. Hours later, Rasputin's daughters are taken to the tsar's palace as wards of the Romanovs where the tsarina makes a shocking request: would Masha, 18, take the place of her father at the sickbed of the tsaravitch Alyosha? Shaken, Masha agrees to do what she can for the imperious young prince. Two months later, the Bolsheviks force the tsar to abdicate, placing the royal family under house arrest.
Trapped together in increasingly harsh conditions, Masha and Alyosha take solace in each other's company. The two teenagers, with radically difference experiences of Russia, Rasputian and Alyosha's parents unlucky reign, create a private realm of magic and love as Masha introduces the tsaravitch to a wild and beautiful land he will never live to rule.[/quote]
hhmmmm. Interesting.
[quote=""Tanzanite""]The Maid and the Queen by Nancy Goldstone. UK release December 29, 2011; US release March 20, 2012. (reposted here with US cover)
Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc or was it also Yolande of Aragon.[/quote]
Ah. I knew it. No reason to read this book because all the focus will be on Yolande and how she was the one who did everything.
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[quote=""Tanzanite""]The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott. US release February 21, 2012.
Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young seamstress who survives the disaster only to find herself deeply torn between two men and embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a rugged but sensitive sailor and the other a mysterious Chicago millionaire. All survive the sinking, but Lady Duff Gordon's actions during the disaster make her the subject of media scorn and later the hearings on the Titanic. Torn between admiration for the designer and dismay at her behavior, and between two very different suitors, Tess must navigate the complex waters of life and love. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour as well as all the thrilling excitement of young love.[/quote]
I look forward to this one. Is this a debut author? I've not heard of her before.
Just in time for the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic comes a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young seamstress who survives the disaster only to find herself deeply torn between two men and embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a rugged but sensitive sailor and the other a mysterious Chicago millionaire. All survive the sinking, but Lady Duff Gordon's actions during the disaster make her the subject of media scorn and later the hearings on the Titanic. Torn between admiration for the designer and dismay at her behavior, and between two very different suitors, Tess must navigate the complex waters of life and love. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour as well as all the thrilling excitement of young love.[/quote]
I look forward to this one. Is this a debut author? I've not heard of her before.