The King's Furies Blog Tour

Today, I have the great honor of participating in Stephanie Churchill's blog tour to celebrate the release of her latest novel, The King's Furies! Having been lucky enough to be an early reader of this fantastic book, I'm glad to finally share my thoughts on it. If you are not familiar with Churchill's writing, let me introduce you. The King's Furies is the conclusion to the Crowns of Destiny trilogy, which is set in a fantasy world reminiscent of late medieval Europe. Anyone who loves reading about the Wars of the Roses will perceive the fictional parallels in the world Churchill has so expertly created. It is fantasy without wizards and dragons, making it feel more like historical fiction of a country we didn't realize existed. I can highly recommend the entire series, beginning with The Scribe's Daughter, a novel that took me entirely by surprise with its depth and complexity. For today, we will focus on The King's Furies.

Book Review of The King's Furies

Let me begin by saying that I love reading classic novels. Two of my favorites are Villette by Charlotte Bronte and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. What does this have to do with Stephanie Churchill? Her writing creates the feeling that I am reading classic literature. It is intelligent and sophisticated in a way that much modern fiction is not. The settings are so magically described, one would swear that the author has actually visited the fictional lands. The characters are deep, realistic, and surrounded by intrigue. No facet of good storytelling is neglected.

The previous books in this trilogy have focused on sisters Kassia and Irisa, but in The King's Furies we see Casmir's perspective. He just may be my favorite. Casmir is no stereotypical storybook hero. He is confident but deeply troubled by the darker side of his character and born to rule but uncertain how to establish himself as a better king than his father. Casmir is a man with the kingdom at his feet but without the power to protect his own family. We see him helpless and angry, sometimes even arrogant and cruel, but always as human and a man striving to do his best. He is flawed, as we all are, but not unforgivably or irredeemably.

Irisa is the perfect wife to balance Casmir's fiery impetuousness. I appreciate their relationship even more knowing it is partially based upon the marriage of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York. Like the first Tudor couple, Casmir and Irisa struggle with unifying their families and bringing peace to their kingdom. It's not always as simple as we think it should be. Of course slavery should be abolished, but what should be done with those displaced and bankrupted by this change? This is just one of many difficulties that Casmir and Irisa face together - and it's nowhere near their biggest problem! Through it all, Irisa has her own quieter thoughts, disappointments, and achievements. I almost accidentally called her Elizabeth.

I don't know if this book is better than the first two - because they are great! - or if I just like seeing everything satisfactorily concluded, because this was my favorite of the trilogy. Don't misunderstand me and think this is a 'happily ever after' story. It's not. It is suspenseful, action-packed, and sometimes I wanted to give Casmir a firm slap! (Or at least advise Irisa to administer one.) That's the great thing about this novel. The reader feels connected to the characters, experiences their pain and rejoices in their victories. In a world filled with fictional fluff, these characters will stay with you long after you've finished their story.

Long live, King Casmir!

All three books in the Crowns of Destiny trilogy are available on Kindle or in paperback.

The Scribe's Daughter
The King's Daughter
The King's Furies

Connect with Stephanie Churchill on her blog, Twitter, or Facebook.

Enjoy more stops on The King's Furies blog tour!

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Especially make sure to stop by the blog of author extraordinaire Sharon Kay Penman, where you have the chance to win BOTH of the first two books in the Crowns of Destiny trilogy!

Digging for the Historical King Arthur

Historical fiction author Mary Anne Yarde is celebrating the release of book two of her Du Lac Chronicles. I asked her how she decided to write about the aftermath of the legendary, but a little bit difficult to pin down, King Arthur. Welcome, Mary!

~ Samantha

Digging for the Historical King Arthur 

Glastonbury

I have been fascinated with the life and times of King Arthur and his Knights of The Round Table since I was a child — I guess growing up a stone's throw from Glastonbury (The Ancient Isle of Avalon) may have had something to do with that. My book series, The Du Lac Chronicles, tells the story of what happened after the death of Arthur, and continues the story of his Knights and their sons. But in order to write about the end of Arthur’s reign, I needed to know about the beginning. A not so easy task, it turned out.

The history of a historical Arthur is not written in stone but is, instead, engraved in folklore. Firstly, where did he come from? Well, that is an easy question to answer…

King Arthur was English. No, hang on, he was Welsh. I think you have made a mistake, Arthur was Scottish. He was from Brittany, didn’t you know?

And so it goes on. Arthur is so famous that everyone wants to claim him and, over the years, there have been many names thrown out there as to who he really was. But...and there is always a big fat but when we are dealing with Arthur, we are digging up folklore, and that is not the same as excavating relics. We can make Arthur fit wherever we want him to, and that is where the problem lies. It is very easy to make mistakes, and I have read many books that claim to have found the real Arthur, only they haven’t, it is just a theory, sometimes a very shaky one.

What doesn't help when we come to this period in history, which is commonly referred to as The Dark Ages, is the lack of reliable primary sources. What was written down was written down for a purpose and that purpose was usually politically motivated, which in itself is fascinating, although not so helpful. Now, in these early texts when Arthur is mentioned, there is nothing about him being a king. Nennuis describes him a warrior on par with Ironman, but no mention of a crown. It isn't until the 12th Century when Geoffrey of Monmouth writes his great work that the Arthur we know is born. Monmouth's work, which was supposed to be an accurate account of British history, is in fact, one of the greatest works of fiction ever written. Monmouth is borrowing from folklore — although he did keep mentioning something about a lost manuscript that he found and then conveniently lost again when asked to share it! It is folklore that drives the legend of Arthur and his knights forward, and I think that is important and it tells a great deal about the time in which these stories are told.

Clovis

My books are not just set in Britain but Brittany and France as well, so I needed to have a good understanding of what was happening in these countries in the 5th Century in order to keep the history real in the telling. Before we look at any of these countries we need to look at the powerhouse of the world at this time, and that was the Roman Empire. However, the golden age of the Roman Empire was almost over; she was politically unstable and was withdrawing her forces from far-flung provinces such as Briton, to defend her borders. But this dawning new era brings some of the most fascinating historical figures that ever lived. These were the days of men such as Clovis. Clovis won a decisive victory against Rome, at the Battle of Soissons in AD 486. But, Clovis’s ambition didn’t stop there. Roman Gaul and parts of Western Germany fell to him as well. He forged a new empire through blood, war, and marriage. He made Paris the capital of his new kingdom, and he was the first King of a united Frank (France).

The Saxons and the Angles crossed the South Sea to take advantage of vulnerable Britain who, since the Romans had left, had split back into various smaller kingdoms. There was much infighting and unrest, it was the perfect opportunity for the Saxon’s to come over and stake their claim.

Brittany, like Britain, wasn’t one united country, but many, and they were a race of warriors. While they were busy fighting each other, they missed the real threat to the kingdom, which eventually would be their undoing and they would find themselves at the mercy of Frank.

While all this is going on, the Church is creeping into the crevices, and spreading the word of God and, what could be consider of equal value, one language — Latin. It could be argued that it was the Church that united Britain in the end.

This was a time of great unrest and change, but one thing remained constant for the general populous and that was storytelling. Arthur may well have been a general but folklore made him a Christian King and gave him a castle full of noble knights. Arthur and his Knights (most of them anyway) cared about the people they represented. Arthur was a good king, the like of which has never been seen before or after. He was the perfect tool for spreading a type of patriotic propaganda. Arthur was someone you would want to fight by your side. But he also gave ordinary people a sense of belonging and hope. He is, after all, The Once and Future King.


I have tried to show what life was like in the 5th Century in my books, but I have been heavily influenced by folklore, because when you are dealing with this period in history you cannot dismiss it. Brittany, for example, is terribly difficult to research historically, but when it comes to folklore she is rich and if that is all she is going to give us, then so be it. Folklore is its own special brand of history, and it is often over looked by historians which I think is a shame. You can tell a lot about a people by the stories they tell, and people are still fascinated by this larger than life King, which I think says it all. Arthur may well have been a general, or a knight, he may have been English, he may not, but it doesn’t matter because his story is timeless, it will never grow old.

The Du Lac Devil: Book Two in the Du Lac Chronicles

“The Du Lac Chronicles has rivalry and treasure enough for any ‘Game of Thrones’ aficionado.” Tony Riches, author of The Tudor Trilogy

The best-selling Du Lac Chronicles continues:


War is coming to Saxon Briton.


As one kingdom after another falls to the savage might of the High King, Cerdic of Wessex, only one family dares to stand up to him — The Du Lacs.


Budic and Alden Du Lac are barely speaking to each other, and Merton is a mercenary, fighting for the highest bidder. If Wessex hears of the brothers’ discord, then all is lost.


Fate brings Merton du Lac back to the ancestral lands of his forefathers, and he finds his country on the brink of civil war. But there is worse to come, for his father’s old enemy has infiltrated the court of Benwick. Now, more than ever, the Du Lacs must come together to save the kingdom and themselves.


Can old rivalries and resentments be overcome in time to stop a war?

“Mary Yarde has woven a compelling story with a beautiful setting, a story that features an equally compelling conflict. The reader is introduced to the key characters in the very opening pages of the story and the conflict comes across as a great hook. The Du Lac Devil combines great writing with storytelling skills to keep the reader’s eyes riveted on the pages. The writing is clear and beautiful and the descriptions are vivid, painting a picture that readers can easily visualize as they read. The dialogues flow naturally and they help to deepen characterization and to enhance the plot. I also enjoyed the narrative voice which came through as strong, clear, and confident. Yarde creates characters that are real and memorable and a story that readers will love to share.” ~ Readers’ Favorite See full review here

“Mary Anne Yarde has once again given us a tale of Arthurian beauty and romance. Filled with danger, intrigue and love.” ~ M.T. Magge, author of The Treasure of Gwenlais — award winning, Amazon Best Seller.

The Du Lac Devil is available now on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

About Mary Anne Yarde

Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury—the fabled Isle of Avalon—was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.

At nineteen, Yarde married her childhood sweetheart and began a bachelor of arts in history at Cardiff University, only to have her studies interrupted by the arrival of her first child. She would later return to higher education, studying equine science at Warwickshire College. Horses and history remain two of her major passions.

Yarde keeps busy raising four children and helping run a successful family business. She has many skills but has never mastered cooking—so if you ever drop by, she (and her family) would appreciate some tasty treats or a meal out!

Connect with Mary Anne Yarde

author@maryanneyarde.com
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Amazon Author’s page
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Why Historical Fantasy?

We're doing something a little bit different on my blog today. For those of you who love medieval style fantasy, I have a wonderful author to introduce you to. Stephanie Churchill is a reader of historical fiction who did not want to write it, a writer of fantasy with no love of dragons or magic. So, how did she find herself writing The Scribe's Daughter?

Welcome, Stephanie!

~ Samantha

Guest Post by Stephanie Churchill

When I decided to take a stab at writing, my mentor gave me this one first, and best, piece of advice: “Write for yourself, not for the market, not for publishers or editors, and not for readers.”  The idea was that if you don’t love your writing first, why would anyone else want to read it?  If what you write doesn’t make you happy, fulfilled, energized and excited, what on earth are you doing it for?  And how will you sustain it as a career (or even as a hobby, for that matter)?  With these words ringing in my ears, I took up my pen and started drafting.  Eventually The Scribe’s Daughter was born.  It’s a book that mucks about, in and out of genres while not remaining true to any single genre.  In fact, pegging it as a specific genre nearly topped the list of Things That Were Really Difficult To Do when trying to decide how to market the book.  It feels like historical fiction, but there is no history in it.  So that makes it fantasy, right?  Except there are no fantastical creatures and no magic.  I had created something hard to define, neither one nor the other, defying the genre gods by its refusal to commit.

In light of this, I have been asked by many readers, why not just write historical fiction?  Because. Don’t tell me what to do.  Okay, okay… if you want a non-snarky answer (what fun is that?)…  My first love is historical fiction.  I have read a lot of it, including novels by novices and novels by long-timers.  Several of them are personal friends of mine.  I respect their craft, and the integrity they bring to the genre.  I also know how hard they work to create their masterpieces, the hours of dedication to historical accuracy, and the amount of research that goes into accomplishing all these things.  This is the bar they have set, but I know there is no room in my life right now for that level of perfection.

Why does research take so much time, you might ask?  Good question.  If a fabric is mentioned… say, cotton… I want to be sure that cotton was really used in the time and place of my story.  That takes research.  Multiply one fact by pages and chapters, then multiply it again for all the little details in a book, and you get the idea of how much research it takes to write truly historically accurate historical fiction.

Here’s an example: “William surveyed the field, searching for the remnants of the vanguard amongst the carnage of battle.  As he walked the edge of the meadow, the boundary between an unspoiled world and the territory trampled by horses and men struggling at the height of their blood lust, his hand brushed the tops of a profusion of bright yellow black-eyed Susans.  It struck him just then, the juxtaposition between perfection and chaos on either side of him.” Nice detail – the black-eyed Susans --  right?  You could almost see where William walked.  But let’s say my book is set in 13th Century Devon.  I’d be in trouble.  Black-eyed Susans weren’t introduced into Britain from North America until the early 16th Century.  While they are common enough around my house, William wouldn’t see them for another three centuries!  Readers might not notice or care, but I would know, and I would care.  So why not just leave out mention of black-eyed Susans and refer rather generically to flowers instead?  While a reader might not consciously recognize the detail, our brains still processes the information to paint a picture in our mind’s eye as the story unfolds.  So… yes, it might be just me, but until I am able to commit to research and be true to what I think historical fiction should be, I will stay away from it in its purest form.

The next obvious question I get asked is this: since you labeled your book fantasy, why didn’t you include magic or fantastical creatures?  Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?  This one is easy.  See paragraph 2, subpoint 1.  For quicker reference, I quote: “Because.  Don’t tell me what to do.”  No, seriously.  I didn’t want to.  If I am writing first for me, myself, and I – which I was -- and I didn’t want to include dragons and wizards, why should I?  The genre gods hold no power over me, and magic or magical creatures served no purpose in my story.  “Write for yourself first,” remember?  Kassia’s story was the one on my heart, and that’s the one that came out.

Enough about what my book is not.  The inspiration for my writing is definitely history, and there is enough historical feel to my book for historical fiction lovers to feel right at home.  So much of our fiction culture is bathed in historical feeling, particularly the Middle Ages, that it’s almost commonplace.  Think Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga, Martin’s Game of Thrones, and even your local Renaissance festival.  Here are some of the ways that I borrowed from my love of history and historical cultures to write The Scribe’s Daughter.

Corium, Kassia’s home, feels Mediterranean and medieval, in look and climate -- like Viterbo, Italy for instance, but on the coast like Naples.  She moves on to the country of Elbra, a place reminiscent of Turkey.  While in Islay Bay, Kassia meets Serdar Janko Barbaros, a man with a name and title echoing Eastern European culture (a serdar is an Ottoman noble rank).  Throughout the book, Kassia dresses at various times in homespun (wool), cotton, and silk, all of which were known in medieval Europe, and were worn regularly, depending on one’s social class.  While I stay away from detailing the various wefts and weaves of each, I did some brief research on brocades, samites, and taffetas, just to make sure I didn’t misspeak when mentioning a particular outfit (remember my black-eyed Susans example?).  Kassia encounters herbs and the medicinal use for each: elderflower, feverfew, belladonna, yarrow… all of which were commonly used in the medieval period for infusions or poultices, to treat fever or other illnesses.

Outside the tangible details of food and clothing, the reader also encounters historical social norms throughout the book.  Kassia experiences life in several noble households, and much of it isn’t to her liking.

Once she reached a marriageable age, a noble woman could expect to be used as a bargaining chip to advance her family’s wealth, land holdings, and social status.  Marriage and love did not automatically coexist.  After she married, the noble lady wasn’t free to do as she pleased.  Rather than pass her days idly reading poetry and daydreaming, duties awaited: from overseeing all things domestic – food, clothing, and household management – to serving as her husband’s representative and hostess when he was away.  A noble lady lent her hand to stitching and needlework, engaged in charitable work, and oversaw aspects of her children’s domestic education.  To what degree she did these things of course depended on her social rank, but even a queen had work to do.

However, since I did not commit wholly to historical fiction, everything was optional.  If I had written historical fiction, Kassia, and everyone else in the book, would have had to live fully immersed in every historical detail.  Women would wear veils and wimples (coverings for hair, neck and chin).  A powerful church and its prelates would have dictated the hours of the day, mass would be attended, feasts and festivals scheduled.  Again, because I could indulge, I skipped these medieval conventions.  There is no way Kassia could have pulled off being as independent and snarky otherwise.  At least not in the way I wanted to write her.

And finally, I come to plot.  Oh, history definitely played a role in the storyline, but I’m afraid this little gem will have to wait until everything is revealed in the next book.  Suffice it to say that the stories of several prominent medieval families heavily influenced aspects of Kassia’s family’s story.  Hopefully I can tell all at some point in the future, once the story of Kassia and her sister Irisa is all told.  Until then…

Intrigued about The Scribe's Daughter? Purchase it on Amazon.

Connect with Stephanie on her website or Twitter.