Book Review: The Secret Lion.
Tears came to my eyes when Elizabeth appeared early in the story leading a hound she called Urian. Those of us knowing the history of her mother, Anne Boleyn, know she too had a dog by this name. In Secret Lion, this scene conveys so vividly the depth and kind of emotion Elizabeth still feels toward the mother, a mother taken from her before the age of three.
Elizabeth isn't the only Tudor character I enjoyed meeting in "The Secret Lion." Gortner's Mary Tudor is spot on - the good woman whose life's tragedy was to be born Tudor. Barnaby, childhood friend of both Elizabeth and her brother Edward, also comes vividly to life in this story, as too did Lady Jane Grey and her terrible, selfish mother.
The first in a series, Secret Lion is a superb introduction to a new and gifted Tudor writer so clearly passionate about this period and its people. I simply can't wait for the next one, when I can catch up again with Elizabeth and friends!
About C.W.Gortner: Christopher (C.W.) Gortner holds a MA in History and a MFA in Writing, with an emphasis on Renaissance History. A life-long historian, he has taught seminars on the 16th century at various educational institutions, including the New College of California. He resides in San Francisco, California. To learn more about him and his books, please visit Leonibus - Discover the Renaissance.
Published September, 2004, THE SECRET LION> will be officially released on October 1-3, 2004, at the annual Northern California Independent Bookseller's Association tradeshow. Look for C.W. on October 15, at 7:00 at Valencia Street Books in San Francisco (569 Valencia Street). He will speak to the California Writer's Club in April, 2005. Please, check his website for details and event updates.
And go
here for my interview
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