Joanna Hickson Books

`A great tale... the golden thread that led to the crown of England' Conn Iggulden

'An intriguing tale, told with confidence' The Times'A great tale... the golden thread that led to the crown of England' Conn Iggulden She'll betray her king to crown her son When Edward of York takes back the English crown, the Wars of the Roses scatter the Lancastrian nobility and young Henry Tudor, with a strong claim to the throne, is forced into exile. Recently widowed and vulnerable, his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, forges an uncomfortable alliance with Edward's queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Swearing an oath of allegiance to York, Margaret agrees to marry the king's shrewdest courtier, Lord Stanley. But can she tread the precarious line between duty to her husband, loyalty to her son, and her obligation to God and the king? When tragedy befalls Edward's reign, Richard of York's ruthless actions fire the ambition of mother and son. As their destinies converge each of them will be exposed to betrayal and treachery and in their gruelling bid for the Tudor crown, both must be prepared to pay the ultimate price...

The thrilling story of the French princess who became an English queen, from the best-selling author of The Agincourt Bride. Perfect for fans of The White Queen.

'Intriguing... told with confidence' The Times 'Rich and warm' Sunday Express Can she tread a dangerous line between love and duty?

"Two women, two very different destinies, drawn together in the shadow of the Tower of London: Elizabeth of York, her life already tainted by dishonour and tragedy, now queen to the first Tudor king, Henry the VII. Joan Vaux, servant of the court, straining against marriage and motherhood and privy to the deepest and darkest secrets of her queen. Like the ravens, Joan must use her eyes and her senses, as conspiracy whispers through the dark corridors of the Tower. Through Joan's eyes, The Lady of the Ravens inhabits the squalid streets of Tudor London, the imposing walls of its most fearsome fortress and the glamorous court of a kingdom in crisis."--Publisher description

Anglia 1451 rok Jasper i Edmund Tudorowie, przyrodni bracia Henryka VI Lancastera, wychowali się z dala od pałacu i dworskich intryg. Kr�l sprowadza ich do Londynu, uznaje za prawowitych braci i obsypuje zaszczytami. Edmund żeni się z najbogatszą angielską arystokratką Małgorzatą Beaufort, a Jasper zarządza rodowymi włościami w Walii. Anglia coraz bardziej pogrąża się w chaosie. R�d York�w rości sobie pretensje do tronu i wybucha Wojna Dw�ch R�ż. Edmund, znany z bezwzględnej lojalności wobec Lancaster�w, zostaje pojmany przez Edwarda Yorka i umiera w więzieniu. Jasper przejmuje opiekę nad jedynym synem Edmunda, Henrykiem. Teraz na nim spoczywa odpowiedzialność za losy rodu Tudor�w. Trwa wojna, szala zwycięstwa przechyla się na stronę York�w. Jeden fałszywy krok może prowadzić do zguby, dawni przyjaciele zmieniają strony i okazują się śmiertelnymi wrogami. Odwaga i determinacja Jaspera sprawiają, że po kilkunastu latach jego bratanek zasiądzie na tronie jako Henryk VII, dając początek dynastii Tudor�w.

The best-selling novel about the queen who founded the Tudor dynasty. `A bewitching first novel...alive with historical detail' Good Housekeeping.

IL PRIMO LIBRO DI UNA SERIE DEDICATA ALLE REGINE DELLA TORRE Tradimenti, amori, cospirazioni nell'affascinante epoca Tudor DUE DONNE, DUE DIVERSI DESTINI, UNITI PER SEMPRE SOTTO L’OMBRA DELLA TORRE DI LONDRA. «Il suggestivo ritratto di una donna che ha contribuito a creare un'intera dinastia.» THE TIMES Finché i corvi abiteranno la Torre di Londra, il Regno d’Inghilterra sopravvivrà. Joan Vaux non è come tutte le altre dame di corte. Ha la carnagione olivastra, si veste sempre con abiti scuri e i suoi capelli sono neri come le ali dei corvi che tanto ama. Li considera suoi amici e guardiani della Corona da quando è piccola. E oggi più che mai il Regno sembra in pericolo. Elizabeth di York, la cui vita è già stata macchiata dal disonore e dalla tragedia, è ora la moglie del primo re della dinastia Tudor, Enrico VII. Joan è stata accolta tra le sue dame e in poco tempo è diventata la custode dei più oscuri segreti della regina. Come i corvi, da lei tanto amati, dovrà usare tutti i suoi sensi per carpire i sussurri e i bisbigli di cospirazioni che affollano gli oscuri corridoi della Torre e salvare la sovrana, il regno inglese e anche la sua famiglia.

Děj románu se odehrává v Anglii v letech 1451 až 1470 a jeho osu tvoří dramatický příběh Jaspera Tudora, který se narodil z utajovaného a korunou neschváleného svazku královny vdovy Kateřiny z Valois a neurozeného Walesana Owena Tudora. Když se o existenci nevlastních sourozenců doví král Jindřich VI., pozve Jaspera i jeho bratra Edmunda ke dvoru a posléze je povýší do šlechtického stavu. Staršího Edmunda, jemuž propůjčí titul hraběte z Richmondu, dokonce zasnoubí s bohatou, teprve dvanáctiletou dědičkou Margaret Beaufortovou. Jasper, nyní hrabě z Pembrokeu, tím velice trpí, protože Margaret zbožňuje. Odjíždí proto na svá panství ve Walesu a útěchu nakonec nachází v náručí vzdálené waleské sestřenice Jane Hywelové. Do jejich životů však krutě zasáhne osud. Vlády se ujímá příslušník dynastie Yorků Eduard IV., začíná krvavá válka růží a z Jaspera Tudora se rázem stává psanec. Podaří se mu uprchnout na kontinent, kde se ze všech sil snaží najít pro svého nevlastního bratra a jeho dominantní královnu Markétu z Anjou spojence a dopomoci Lancasterům k návratu na anglický trůn…