"High in action and breath-taking plot"
The Tudor Conspiracy
By: C.W. Gortner
Genres: Historical
Posted: August 4, 2013
Brendan Prescott has once again been summoned to court to be a spy. Now, he must balance his loyalty to Princess Elizabeth Tudor while also not betraying another of his blood, Queen Mary Tudor. But as always with the Tudors and their followers, one can never be certain who to trust...
The second installment of The Spymaster Chronicles, THE TUDOR CONSPIRACY begins with Brendan happy with his love, Kate, when Kate's father once again demands he go to court for Princess Elizabeth. From that moment on, the story is action packed and flies by. Brendan does his best to play his part, but there are plans and betrayals within plans and betrayals, and no one is positive on who knows what. With Kate not being with him in order to keep his disguise up, he is alone at court with his squire and faces temptation with a lady serving the Queen. I suspected her at first of foul play, but even I couldn't have predicted what her true motives were. That was one of the parts I loved most about this novel; no matter how sure you were of someone's loyalty or even true identity, you never really knew until the end. The mystery has readers constantly guessing and trying to figure out the grand scheme behind it all.
Brendan was a good choice for a protagonist, because his character is honest. He is not a hero, though he tries to do the right thing. And he is not invincible to corruption, though he tries to fight it. He knows he has troubles he needs to face and sort through, even if his actions don't always support what is best for him to do so. However, unlike many, he truly does not wish to wholly side against Mary or Elizabeth. He wants Elizabeth on the throne, but he does not want the destruction of Mary. He knows that Mary is not evil; she has just been consistently misguided and misinformed for so long, she cannot always separate the trustworthy from the untrustworthy. His view of them both was unique and refreshing.
Kate wasn't present for the majority of the novel, but I'm hoping there will be more of her in the next book. I enjoyed seeing the priority geared towards Brendan, but it would be nice to give her some more spotlight as well. If you're a reader of historical fiction filled with action and plot, pick up THE TUDOR CONSPIRACY.
Streaming vf
Book Summary
England, 1553: Harsh winter encroaches upon the realm. Mary Tudor has become queen to popular acclaim and her enemies are imprisoned in the Tower. But when she’s betrothed to Philip, Catholic prince of Spain, putting her Protestant subjects in peril, rumors of a plot to depose her swirl around the one person whom many consider to be England’s heir and only hope—the queen’s half-sister, Princess Elizabeth.
Haunted by his past, Brendan Prescott lives far from the intrigues of court. But his time of refuge comes to an end when his foe and mentor, the spymaster Cecil, brings him disquieting news that sends him on a dangerous mission. Elizabeth is held captive at court, the target of the Spanish ambassador, who seeks her demise. Obliged to return to the palace where he almost lost his life, Brendan finds himself working as a double-agent for Queen Mary herself, who orders Brendan to secure proof that will be his cherished Elizabeth’s undoing.
Plunged into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a mysterious opponent who hides a terrifying secret, Brendan races against time to retrieve a cache of the princess’s private letters, even as he begins to realize that in this dark world of betrayal and deceit, where power is supreme and sister can turn against sister, nothing—and no one—is what it seems.
Read an Excerpt
by: C.W. Gortner
St. Martin's Press
July 1, 2013
On Sale: July 16, 2013
Featuring: Brendan Prescott; Mary Tudor; Princess Elizabeth
352 pages
ISBN: 1250042771
EAN: 9781250042774
Kindle: B00AW75UG0
Hardcover / e-Book