At The Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinnard Barnhill Review and Giveaway

At The Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Paperback, 464pages

Review Copy/HFV Book Tours

About the Book
SYNOPSIS:  A sweeping tale of sexual seduction and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII, At the Mercy of the Queen is a rich and dramatic debut historical about Madge Shelton, cousin and lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

At the innocent age of fifteen, Lady Margaret Shelton arrives at the court of Henry VIII and quickly becomes the confidante of her cousin, Queen Anne Boleyn. But she soon finds herself drawn into the perilous web of Anne’s ambition.

Desperate to hold onto the king’s waning affection, Anne schemes to have him take her guileless young cousin as mistress, ensuring her husband’s new paramour will owe her loyalty to the queen. But Margaret has fallen deeply in love with a handsome young courtier. She is faced with a terrible dilemma: give herself to the king and betray the love of her life or refuse to become his mistress and jeopardize the life of the her cousin, Queen Anne. 

About the Author
Anne Clinard Barnhill has published short stories, poetry, a memoir and hundreds of articles and book reviews over the last twenty years. This is her first novel. Barnhill has taught writing in a variety of venues and been keynote speaker for numerous events. She lives in North Carolina.

My Thoughts:

I love the Tudor era and I especially love to read about the characters who were not always front and center. We all know what happened to Anne Boleyn but this telling of the story with Lady Margaret Shelton as a close confidant and friend of Anne's is a delightful addition to the story. I, like others who read this genre, feel that Anne got a raw deal from Henry VIII. Yes she was manipulative and cunning but I feel she didn't deserve what she got. Lady Margaret, to me, was the perfect companion to Queen Anne as not only was she a cousin, she also loved Anne not only as queen but another woman and friend. This is a bittersweet tale of love lost and love found, but at what cost? Will Lady Margaret be able to be with the man she loves or will she become another plaything of Henry VIII? Ms.Barnhill's telling of this well known era in English history is told with compassion and a love for the characters. Court intrique and machinations abound to the point where life can be a dangerous thing especially for a woman. Ms. Barnhill tells a wonderful story, maybe because she is related to Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. 

I received a copy of At The Mercy Of The Queen from 

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review purposes only and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Tour Schedule:  http://hfvirtualbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/12/anne-clinard-barnhill-on-tour-for-at.html

Link to Anne Barnhill's Website:  http://www.anneclinardbarnhill.com/
Anne Barnhill on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/acbarnhill
Anne Barnhill on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/acbarnhill

Twitter Event Hashtag: #MercyOfTheQueenVIrtualTours

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