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The Alnwick trilogy by Carol Wensby-Scott
The Alnwick trilogy by Carol Wensby-Scott
I've just started book #1, and it seems Annis, Tanzanite and BB all own them so I'll start a thread anytime they get around to reading them. These are about the Percys of Norumberland, pre-Henry Tudor.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
It might be a while before I make a start on these, Misfit. I've got a few library books to get through before their lending period is up, but hopefully will join this thread eventually 
The blurb for my p/b edition of Lion of Alnwick is short & sweet:
"Against a rich backdrop of chivalry, romance, treachery and plague in Medieval England is set the magnificent saga of the Percy family who planted the seeds which grew into the Wars of the Roses.
This is the story of Harry Percy - descendant of kings, confidant of kings and eventual maker and destroyer of kings, and his defiant love for the fair Margaret Neville.
From the war-torn Scottish border to the glitter and intrigue of London the first Earl of Northumberland is drawn inextricably towards a violent destiny".
This p/b ed. pub. by Futura Publications, a Division of Macdonald & Co (Publishers) Ltd: London & Sydney: 1983
ISBN 0 7088 2339 4
The blurb for my p/b edition of Lion of Alnwick is short & sweet:
"Against a rich backdrop of chivalry, romance, treachery and plague in Medieval England is set the magnificent saga of the Percy family who planted the seeds which grew into the Wars of the Roses.
This is the story of Harry Percy - descendant of kings, confidant of kings and eventual maker and destroyer of kings, and his defiant love for the fair Margaret Neville.
From the war-torn Scottish border to the glitter and intrigue of London the first Earl of Northumberland is drawn inextricably towards a violent destiny".
This p/b ed. pub. by Futura Publications, a Division of Macdonald & Co (Publishers) Ltd: London & Sydney: 1983
ISBN 0 7088 2339 4
Last edited by annis on Sat June 4th, 2011, 4:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Thanks for the blurb Annis. So far so good. Too early to call it yet, but I think these are going to be winners.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
Sorry, Misfit - I just noticed it was Book 2's blurb you needed.
Here it is:
"Medieval England – a rich tapestry of chivalry and romance, of treachery and brutality, splendidly embellished by the exploits of a cast of characters as colourful and flamboyant as their backcloth.
For generations, the Percys had dominated the northern marches of England. But following the disgrace of Harry Percy and the death of his son Hotspur, they were stripped of their power, which fell to the Nevilles, deadly rivals and mortal enemies of the whole Percy clan. When a dynastic marriage – to a Neville – brought Hal Percy back from exile, the whole brutal saraband was to start again: Percy at the throat of Neville whether campaigning with Henry V, or skirmishing round the throne held so tenuously by Henry VI. In an age when calculated brutality and a talent for intrigue were the basic building blocks of survival, the savagery of the Percy/Neville contest was a by-word.
LION DORMANT – the second volume in the blood-stained saga of one of the families that made England great."
This p/b ed. pub. by Futura Publications, a Division of Macdonald & Co (Publishers) Ltd: London & Sydney: 1983
ISBN 07088 2382 3
Here it is:
"Medieval England – a rich tapestry of chivalry and romance, of treachery and brutality, splendidly embellished by the exploits of a cast of characters as colourful and flamboyant as their backcloth.
For generations, the Percys had dominated the northern marches of England. But following the disgrace of Harry Percy and the death of his son Hotspur, they were stripped of their power, which fell to the Nevilles, deadly rivals and mortal enemies of the whole Percy clan. When a dynastic marriage – to a Neville – brought Hal Percy back from exile, the whole brutal saraband was to start again: Percy at the throat of Neville whether campaigning with Henry V, or skirmishing round the throne held so tenuously by Henry VI. In an age when calculated brutality and a talent for intrigue were the basic building blocks of survival, the savagery of the Percy/Neville contest was a by-word.
LION DORMANT – the second volume in the blood-stained saga of one of the families that made England great."
This p/b ed. pub. by Futura Publications, a Division of Macdonald & Co (Publishers) Ltd: London & Sydney: 1983
ISBN 07088 2382 3
Thanks Annis. I'm about halfway through and enjoying it a great deal. We're just now getting a look at a very young (and bitter) Harry Hotspur.
Love the writing, and quoting like crazy on my GR updates.
Love the writing, and quoting like crazy on my GR updates.
One day there will not be a corner of England where a Neville does not hold some high office, no place where their power is not felt. Tell him, sweet sister, tell him of my dream and let it be his nightmare.
John of Gaunt would fear a man like that, who could not be bought or bribed and knew no master but his own stubborn will.
If there were ever an English king of Scotland then there would be no Scotland. And remember, my fledgling lord, if there is no Scotland then mayhap there'll be no Percys.
Last edited by Misfit on Sun June 5th, 2011, 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
I'm almost done with book one. Excellent.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
[quote=""annis""]Just started Book 1 today- can't put it down! Where has this series been all my life? [/quote]
Finished last night. I used my reading updates at GR to store so many favorite quotes that I felt like a spammer
I adored Hal and Margaret, but wait until later when Maude comes in the picture. Interesting look at the *other* side of John of Gaunt and his volatile relationship with Hal.
[/quote]Finished last night. I used my reading updates at GR to store so many favorite quotes that I felt like a spammer
I adored Hal and Margaret, but wait until later when Maude comes in the picture. Interesting look at the *other* side of John of Gaunt and his volatile relationship with Hal.
At home with a good book and the cat...
...is the only place I want to be
...is the only place I want to be
I was sad to lose Margaret, though there always seemed something rather fey about her, like someone not meant for this world.
The phrase "brings vividly to life" gets bandied about quite a bit in historical fiction reviews, but Wensby-Scott absolutely does do it in this book- you really do feel as if you are there with her characters. My only complaint - cursed small print
Interestingly, I recently discovered another forgotten oldie but goodie from the 1980s set round the same historical period, The Heron's Catch by Susan Curran. It's the story of William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who married Chaucer's daughter, Alice.
The phrase "brings vividly to life" gets bandied about quite a bit in historical fiction reviews, but Wensby-Scott absolutely does do it in this book- you really do feel as if you are there with her characters. My only complaint - cursed small print
Interestingly, I recently discovered another forgotten oldie but goodie from the 1980s set round the same historical period, The Heron's Catch by Susan Curran. It's the story of William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, who married Chaucer's daughter, Alice.