Publication Date: July 4, 2016
MatadoreBook & Paperback;
418 Pages Series:
The King's Greatest Enemy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Adam de Guirande has barely survived the aftermath of Roger Mortimer’s rebellion in 1321. When Mortimer manages to escape the Tower and flee to France, anyone who has ever served Mortimer becomes a potential traitor – at least in the eyes of King Edward II and his royal chancellor, Hugh Despenser. Adam must conduct a careful balancing act to keep himself and his family alive. Fortunately, he has two formidable allies: Queen Isabella and his wife, Kit. England late in 1323 is a place afflicted by fear. Now that the king’s greatest traitor, Roger Mortimer, has managed to evade royal justice, the king and his beloved Despenser see dissidents and rebels everywhere – among Mortimer’s former men, but also in the queen, Isabella of France. Their suspicions are not unfounded. Tired of being relegated to the background by the king’s grasping favourite, Isabella has decided it is time to act – to safeguard her own position, but also that of her son, Edward of Windsor. As Adam de Guirande has pledged himself to Prince Edward he is automatically drawn into the queen’s plans – whether he likes it or not. Yet again, Kit and Adam are forced to take part in a complicated game of intrigue and politics. Yet again, they risk their lives – and that of those they hold dear – as the king and Mortimer face off. Once again, England is plunged into war – and this time it will not end until either Despenser or Mortimer is dead. Days of Sun and Glory is the second in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.
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About the Author
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. As such a profession does as yet not exists, she settled for second best and became a financial professional with two absorbing interests, namely history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours.
When Anna fell in love with her future husband, she got Scotland as an extra, not because her husband is Scottish or has a predilection for kilts, but because his family fled Scotland due to religious persecution in the 17th century – and were related to the Stuarts.For a history buff like Anna, these little details made Future Husband all the more desirable, and sparked a permanent interest in the Scottish Covenanters, which is how Matthew Graham, protagonist of the acclaimed The Graham Saga, began to take shape. Set in 17th century Scotland and Virginia/Maryland, the series tells the story of Matthew and Alex, two people who should never have met – not when she was born three hundred years after him. With this heady blend of romance, adventure, high drama and historical accuracy, Anna hopes to entertain and captivate, and is more than thrilled when readers tell her just how much they love her books and her characters. Presently, Anna is hard at work with her next project, a series set in the 1320s featuring Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power.
The King’s Greatest Enemy is a series where passion and drama play out against a complex political situation, where today’s traitor may be tomorrow’s hero, and the Wheel of Life never stops rolling. The first installment in the Adam and Kit story, In the Shadow of the Storm, was published in 2015. The second book, Days of Sun and Glory, will be published in July 2016.
Other than on her website, www.annabelfrage.com, Anna can mostly be found on her blog, http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel. You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
The Review
Days of Sun and Glory is the continuing story of Adam de Guirande and his wife Kit. Because of Adam's support of Roger Mortimer, he is on the edge of being considered a traitor and is the sworn enemy of Hugh Despenser. King Edward is pretty much at the command of Despenser and because of this not a fan of his people.
Edward II also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327 by Roger Mortimer.
Hugh le Despenser, 1st Lord Despenser also referred to as "the younger Despenser",He was a royal chamberlain and a favourite of Edward II of England.
Roger de Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer, 1st Earl of March was an English nobleman and powerful Marcher lord married to the wealthy heiress Joan de Geneville. Roger Mortimer was imprisoned in the Tower after an unsuccessful revolt against the king but did escape to France and was joined by Queen Isabella.
Queen Isabella, anxious to escape from her husband, obtained his consent to her going to France to use her influence with her brother, King Charles IV, in favour of peace. At the French court the queen found Roger Mortimer, who became her lover soon afterwards. At his instigation, she refused to return to England so long as the Despensers retained power as the king's favourites. She kept her son Prince Edward of Windsor with her in France, even arranging a marriage for him.
Adam and Kit are constantly hounded and threatened by Dispenser and since Adam has pledged his loyalty to Price Edward, where the prince goes he goes. Adam and Kit suffer at the hands of the cruel Despenser, having their two children taken away by Despenser to ensure his loyalty to the king. Because of the life they have to lead, Kit has a child that died shortly after birth so their mutual hatred of Despenser grows. They face separation, threats against those they love and loyalties to the king. Will all the political intrigues and treachery tear them apart? Well with their love for each other on their side, I hope not.
Anna's writing is amazing, she has such an attention to detail and her research is impeccable. When an author can have me immersed in the story and when I don't want to put the book down, to me that is what a great storyteller is. I eagerly await the continued story of Adam and Kit in the next book Under the Approaching Dark.
I received a copy of this book for review purposes.
Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, August 29
Kick Off at Passages to the Past
Spotlight at What Is That Book About
Tuesday, August 30
Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Wednesday, August 31
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Spotlight at Queen of All She Reads
Thursday, September 1
Review at Lampshade Reader
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Friday, September 2
Review at Book Nerd
Monday, September 5
Review at Just One More Chapter
Tuesday, September 6
Guest Post at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Wednesday, September 7
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Guest Post at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, September 8
Interview at Books and Benches
Character Interview at Flashlight Commentary
Friday, September 9
Review at A Holland Reads
Monday, September 12
Review at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, September 13
Review at Let Them Read Books
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Wednesday, September 14
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Thursday, September 15
Review at Seize the Words: Books in Review
Monday, September 19
Review at A Book Drunkard
Tuesday, September 20
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Wednesday, September 21
Review at It's a Mad Mad World
Friday, September 23
Review at The True Book Addict
Spotlight at The Reading Queen
Monday, September 26
Review at Diana's Book Reviews
Tuesday, September 27
Guest Post at Passages to the Past
Thursday, September 29
Review at Bookramblings
Giveaway
To win a copy of Days of Sun & Glory by Anna Belfrage, please enter via the Gleam form below.Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on September 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. – Only one entry per household. –
All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion –
Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
Days of Sun and Glory
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