This Son of York by Anne Easter Smith
Publication Date: November 10, 2019
Bellastoria Press
eBook & Paperback; 504 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
"Now is the winter of our discontent, Made glorious summer by This Son of York..." -- William Shakespeare, Richard III
Richard III was Anne's muse for her first five books, but, finally, in This Son of York he becomes her protagonist. The story of this English king is one of history's most compelling, made even more fascinating through the discovery in 2012 of his bones buried under a car park in Leicester.
This new portrait of England's most controversial king is meticulously researched and brings to vivid life the troubled, complex Richard of Gloucester, who ruled for two years over an England tired of war and civil strife. The loyal and dutiful youngest son of York, Richard lived most of his short life in the shadow of his brother, Edward IV, loyally supporting his sibling until the mantle of power was thrust unexpectedly on him.
Some of his actions and motives were misunderstood by his enemies to have been a deliberate usurpation of the throne, but throughout his life, Richard never demonstrated any loftier ambitions than to honorably discharge his duty to his family and his country.
In a gentler vein, despite the cruel onset of severe scoliosis in his teens, Richard did find love, first with a lover and then in his marriage to Anne Neville. Between these two devoted women in his life, he sired three and perhaps four children.
Bringing the Plantagenet dynasty to a violent end, Richard was the last king of England to die in battle. This Son of York is a faithful chronicle of this much maligned man.
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Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I can't tell you how good it feels to have my nose in an Anne Easter Smith book again!
I first fell in love with Smith's Richard III in her first book, A Rose for the Crown. It's one of those books that stayed with me throughout the years and I always recommend it when I get the chance. I also loved her other books and they have their own special place on my keeper shelves. So you can guess how geeked out I was to pick up This Son of York, and it was everything I was hoping for and more!
This Son of York covers the life of Richard III started when he was known as Dickon, the youngest son of the Duke of York, until his death. The prologue was a poignant one as Richard thinks back on his life and reign on the eve of the Battle of Bosworth where he will meet his sad end. He was a reluctant King and his reign was plagued with rebellion and betrayals. The War of the Roses was like a medieval soap opera!
Anne adds some great touches to the book - at the start of some of the chapters she includes a quote from Philippa Langley, author of The King's Grave, who was there when Richard's bones were discovered under a car park (which used to be the Greyfriars Friary Church in Leicester, England) in 2012 and was present throughout the research process to determine if they were actually Richard's. That was really fascinating, but sad too. I mean, even though we are well aware that he is dead it still affected me to think of his poor body being there all this time, without a proper burial. He deserved more, but thankfully he is resting well now. Anne also includes a great epilogue and Author's Note, which I always love with historicals.
Richard III is one of the most infamous and controversial Monarchs in history but Anne Easter Smith really knows how to make him human and real, faults and all. Love him or hate him, he was an intriguing and complex man.
If you want to read about Richard III or the War of the Roses you need to check out the master at work and pick up one of Anne's books. You will learn a lot and be entertained all at the same time!
About the Author
Anne is the award-winning author of The King's Grace and the best-selling A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, Queen By Right, and Royal Mistress. She is an expert on Richard III, having studied the king and his times for decades. Her sixth book, This Son of York, will be published soon. She grew up in England, Germany and Egypt, and has been a resident/citizen of the US since 1968. Anne was the Features Editor at a daily newspaper in northern New York State for ten years, and her writing has been published in several national magazines.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Blog Tour Schedule
Sunday, November 10Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Monday, November 11
Excerpt at Words and Peace
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Tuesday, November 12
Review at Passages to the Past
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Wednesday, November 13
Review at Macsbooks
Interview at The Writing Desk
Thursday, November 14
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Friday, November 15
Excerpt at The Lit Bitch
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Saturday, November 16
Review at Curling up by the Fire
Review & Excerpt at Nursebookie
Review at Red Headed Book Lady
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Sunday, November 17
Review at Bookramblings
Review at Just One More Chapter
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Review at Carole Rae's Random Ramblings
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a copy of Royal Beauty Bright by Ryan Byrnes! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
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This Son of York
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