Book Review: The King's Damsel by Kate Emerson

Title: The King's Damsel: Secrets of the Tudor Court, No. 5
Author: Kate Emerson
Paperback, August 7, 2012; Gallery Books
Genre: historical fiction

I'm giving this a 4.5 rating, not just for this new book but for the entire series - five books! Great storytelling and weaving of romance into 16th century English history - the Tudor Court and its customs, intrigue, and of course, it's ladies.

The series has as its main characters minor ladies at court who served the Tudor queens in some capacity, mostly as ladies in waiting. Their observations and experiences as well as their personal stories give us an inside look at the complex life of the Tudors, in particular Henry VIII, his forbears, relatives, and the men and women who serve and surround him.

In The King's Damsel, Kate Emerson has given a name to an unknown woman referred to in historical letters as "the handsome young lady of the court" and the "damsel" that was a beloved of Henry VIII. This woman was also a faithful friend of Princess Mary, the king's daughter by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Emerson named her  character Thomasine (Tamsin) Lodge and filled in her story as a wealthy heiress sent to the royal court by her guardian to serve first Princess Mary and later, Anne Boleyn, who became Queen Anne, the second wife of Henry VIII.

At court, Tamsin spies for Princess Mary while serving as a lady in waiting for Queen Anne, sending secret messages about the goings on at court that could affect the Princess's claim as rightful heir to the throne. Tamsin also becomes the king's mistress, supposedly to try to influence him to favor his first daughter, whom Anne Boleyn wants to see disinherited in favor of her own child, Elizabeth.

So many tangled connections in the plot, but they are intriguing and the main characters do stand out. It also helps if you remember your English history.

I recommend this series to all lovers of historical fiction and Tudor history. This is the first series I've read set in this period and I must say it was worth reading all the books. I still have the fourth to finish, At the King's Pleasure, but enjoyed The Pleasure Palace, Between Two Queens, By Royal Decree, and this latest, The King's Damsel.  Happily, the novels don't have to be read in consecutive order.

Thanks to the publisher for complimentary copies of the books for my objective review.  

By Royal Decree by Kate Emerson: Book Teaser

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB; choose sentences at random from your current read. Identify the author and title for readers.

Title: Secrets of the Tudor Court: By Royal Decree
Author: Kate Emerson
Published December 4, 2010; Gallery paperback

"Stubborn fools, you and Will both, to live in hope of a royal decree." (ch. 18)

The last wife of Henry VIII of England, Katherine Parr, gives harsh advice to one of her ladies of the court, Elizabeth Brooks, who is in love with Queen Katherine's brother, Will Parr, the new Earl of Essex. Will is divorced by Parliamentary decree from his unfaithful wife but has to remain single as long as his former wife lives, unless otherwise decided by the king, that is, overruled by royal decree.

I'm on chapter 20 of this third book in the Secrets of the Tudor Court historical series, having finished the The Pleasure Palace, and Between Two Queens. There are two more books in the series, At the King's Pleasure and the most recent, The King's Damsel. Based on life at the Tudor court of Henry VIII, the novels feature the lives of several noblewomen who are called to court at different times to serve the queen of the moment - there are six queens in all during Henry's tumultuous reign. Descriptions of the life of the 16th century court, its manners, dress, customs, and intrigue are deftly folded into the plots.

Thanks to the publisher for sending all five books for possible review.

About the author: 
Kate Emerson was born in Liberty, New York and received an A.B. from Bates College and an MA from Old Dominion University. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She lives in Maine.

Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace by Kate Emerson

And now for something completely different (for me, that is). I've started the first of five historical novels in the Secrets of the Tudor Court series by Kate Emerson.

The latest in the series has recently been published, but I'm starting with the first book. Half way through The Pleasure Palace, I'm learning a lot about the courts of France, Spain, and England in the early 1500s. The novel seem well crafted, with interesting characters, plot, and the history of the Tudor period. And romance. Did I forget to include romance? In other words, I'm enjoying it so far, but I probably won't read the books all at once. Maybe I'll finish them by the end of the year!!

Title: The Pleasure Palace by Kate Emerson
Published Feb. 3, 2009; Pocket
Source: publisher

Sunday Salon: The Importance of Being.....

Welcome to the Sunday Salon!

 Would you believe I'm reading for the first time, The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde. This after looking at some short comedy skits a friend had written, produced, and taped. He could decide to do a Jamaican-style version of Earnest, so I'm sending this to him!

I've been jumping around from book to book, and have settled on a humorous mystery novel set in India: The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarquin Hall. I needed a comedy break after (trying to) read The Orphan Master's Son, a novel that takes itself way too seriously. (But then I've never been to North Korea.)


I also had requested Ha Jin's Nanjing Requiem from Amazon Vine and have been sitting on it, another serious novel. But I think I'll get to it soon.

A Scandinavian-style crime novel I plan to read is Pierced by Thomas Enger, featuring Norwegian crime reporter Henning Juul, second in the series. I've been finding recent Scandinavian crime books very, very noir or dark, but we'll see about this one.

Also on the list is The King's Damsel by Kate Emerson, the fifth in the historical romance and intrigue series.

Now I've exhausted the different genres I plan on reading.

What are you reading this week?