Review - The Queen's Exiles (Thornleigh #6) by Barbara Kyle

Title: The Queen's Exiles

Author: Barbara Kyle

Series: 6th (1-4, Blood Between Queens)

Pages: 352

Published: May 27th 2014 by Kensington

ISBN: 9780758273246

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: 1572. Europe is in turmoil. In the Netherlands the streets are red with the blood of those who dare to oppose the brutal Spanish occupation. A vengeful faction of exiled English Catholics is plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. But amid the unrest, one resourceful young woman has made a lucrative enterprise ... Scottish-born Fenella Doorn rules like a queen over a privateer's haven on the Isle of Sark. Her success at salvaging crippled vessels affords her gold and security, and it is on one of these ships that she meets wealthy Baron—and privateer—Adam Thornleigh. Secretly drawn to him, Fenella can’t refuse when Adam enlists her to join him in war-torn Brussels to help find his traitorous wife, Frances—and the children she’s taken from him.  But Fenella’s own bold actions have put a price on her head. Now Adam and Fenella’s lives are in peril as they race across Europe in an attempt to rescue his young ones, defend the crown, and restore the peace that few can remember. 

I Give This ...

I decided to continue this series after reading the 5th book.  I was hoping that the fact that I haven't read the previous 4 books wouldn't hinder my enjoyment.  There was a couple small instances that I felt I might have better understood certain connections, but overall I like the events and character.

One thing I've noticed through out literature is the complete devotion that people showed to Queen Elizabeth.  Those who were on her side, were willing to do anything for her.  They risked it all, even their own lives to make sure her place on the throne was secure.  Such is the case with Adam Thornleigh.  He's willing to lose his family and spend his life pirating on the seas for the Queen.  Granted his wife made her choice as well.  I sometimes wonder if these people truly believed in the cause, or if it was all political (or how often it was both).  

I enjoyed Fenella.  It's always refreshing to have a female character who is holding her own without a man in her life.  Especially when inhabiting a world dominated by men.  Fenella is doing just that.  But, the minute Adam lands on her doorstep she wrapped in a world she should have stayed far away from.  But, Adam has that kind of draw for.  I loved her wits and how she handled all the situations thrown at her.  

I liked how the story was still based in Tudor history, but had more to do with what was going on in world beyond England.  I confess to not knowing much about that.  It was intriguing to learn about how dangerous of a game Elizabeth was playing when it came to pacifying her constant stream of suitors.  And how hard it must have been to have the rest of the world take her seriously when there were always those trying to bring her down.

I'm sure I will continue this series and eventually plan on going back and reading the first books in the series. 

 

Virtual Book Tour - Blood Between Queens (Thornleigh #5) by Barbara Kyle

Title: Blood Between Queen's

Author: Barbara Kyle

Series: 5th (The Queen's Lady, The King's Daughter, The Queen's Captive, The Queen's Gamble)

Pages: 448
Published: April 30th 2013 by Kensington 

ISBN: 9780758273222

Source: Arranged Tour

Description: Following her perilous fall from a throne she’d scarcely owned to begin with, Mary, Queen of Scots, has fled to England, hoping her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, will grant her asylum. But now Mary has her sights on the English crown, and Elizabeth enlists her most trusted subjects to protect it. Justine Thornleigh is delighting in the thrill of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to her family’s estate when the festivities are cut short by Mary’s arrival. To Justine’s surprise, the Thornleighs appoint her to serve as a spy in Mary’s court. But bearing the guise of a lady-in-waiting is not Justine’s only secret. The weight of her task is doubled by fears of revealing to her fiancé that she is in truth the daughter of his family’s greatest rival. Duty-bound, Justine must sacrifice love as she navigates a deadly labyrinth of betrayal that could lead to the end of Elizabeth’s fledgling reign…
I Give This ...

I've had a habit lately of agreeing to historical fiction that is part of a series.  Series that I haven't read any of the previous books.  In this case it was a positive experience.  Not once did I feel lost because I hadn't read the previous books.  And now, I would like to go back and read them.

I think Justine might be my favorite character in this book.  She's just the right mixture of naive, loving, and adventurous to spark my curiosity.  She blindly believes the good in people almost to a fault.  Odd considering she's the daughter of a known traitor.  I really expected her to be much more cautious.  But, she's a young girl in love and I think that skews her judgement a little bit.  Everybody around her manages to manipulate her to justify their own means.

I really enjoyed the chains of events.  There's a lot of fact woven in with fiction to the point that the entire story seems plausible.  Plus, the interactions between Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary greatly intrigue me.   It's amazing to me that its seems Queen Mary never stopped at conspiring to overthrow and even kill her cousin.  Yet, Queen Elizabeth was so hesitant to harm her in any way.   Queen Mary was very good in this book at casting blame anywhere else but herself.

There are a few instance that I really wanted to say "yeah right,"  but the story would not have worked without those events.  So, I let them go at face value.  Overall I really just enjoyed the story.  I would like to go back and read the previous books in this series.