From the Publisher
Praise for Bloodline
“One of our finest historical novelists has produced another impressively researched, cleverly plotted and gripping take on the Wars of the Roses.”—Daily Express
“Sure-footed, pacy, gore-splattered . . . rings absolutely true.” —Daily Mail
Praise for the Wars of the Roses series
"[A] mighty unbuckling of a great big series.... You're flung straight into the saga... Pacey and juicy."—Sunday Times
"Compulsively readable and historically reliable...With a cast of characters...and a convoluted plot ripped straight from the pages of history, this retelling of a legendary dynastic struggle will appeal to the legions of historical fiction fans that have contributed to the popularity and fictional longevity of the Yorks and the Lancasters."—Booklist
"The politicking and conniving are worthy of a Washington potboiler. The battle scenes turn on the flick of a decision, adding to the excitement of this twisting chapter in English history. Royal watchers, history buffs, and those who love their war tales will be marching alongside the author as he illuminates the ups and downs of royal control in that uncertain era." —Library Journal
Library Journal
06/01/2016
By the brutal winter of 1461, the medieval world is about to change, thanks to power struggles, lineage disputes, rights of ownership, vengeance, and sheer greed. Iggulden concludes his trilogy (Stormbird; Margaret of Anjou) about England's devastating Wars of the Roses with the same clear and often awe-inspiring regard for the people and the conditions prevalent at the time. Richard III is dead, and the victorious Margaret of Anjou claims the throne for the House of Lancaster. But Richard's heir and the new Duke of York, Edward, has other plans. Although Iggulden is ever attentive to authentic period detail (readers can almost smell the era), his narrative is never bogged down in the descriptions, delivering a well-paced, rich, and entertaining read. VERDICT Historical fiction buffs will love this trilogy, and historians will enjoy the many scholarly extras including maps, family trees, and list of characters. [See Prepub Alert, 2/1/16.]—Russell Miller, Prescott P.L., AZ
Kirkus Reviews
2016-05-04
Margaret of Anjou spiked the rebel heads of the Duke of York and the Earl of Salisbury on York's city gate, but her husband, Henry VI, "who'd lost his wits" and turned more cloistered monk than king, remains rebel prisoner in the third volume of Iggulden's (Margaret of Anjou, 2015, etc.) Wars of the Roses series.Now the next generation seeks revenge and power: Edward, successor Duke of York, an 18-year-old goliath, and his tutor-turned-ally, Richard, Earl of Warwick, Salisbury's son. Margaret's army marches from York to confront Warwick's forces at St. Albans. Margaret prevails. Henry is freed. Then London bars entry to the loyalists. Returning north, Margaret's army is pursued by Warwick and York. In the frozen winter of 1461, there's a great bloodletting on Towton's killing field, masterfully described by Iggulden. Margaret and Henry flee to France. Iggulden often shows his writerly chops, here describing the English Channel as a "sleeve of tears." There's medieval blood and gore, yes, but also insights into food and drink, landscape and weather, plus a riveting portrayal of the singular London winter night, all torches, candles, and cheering nobles, as young Edward declares himself king. Warwick, Margaret, and the queen's hard-bitten and deadly devious spymaster, Derry Brewer, arrive in nuanced depictions while boisterous young York evolves into a Machiavellian ruler, yet one enthralled by his wife, smoldering Elizabeth Gray. In this craftily plotted novel, Iggulden turns legends into real people, all passion, intrigue, and duplicity, so palpably realistic the sound of sword against armor rings from the page.
