"strong fourteenth century historical fiction"

At twelve French Princess Isabella marries King Edward II of England. As she matures, she agrees with the assessment of Parliament that her spouse is weak and easily manipulated even by a relatively young female though his preference is male. When Parliament demands the monarch share the throne with the Earl of Winchester, Edward is ready to acquiesce, but Isabella objects. She assumes her homosexually inclined pathetic (at least in her mind) husband is willing to co-rule because he is attracted to the Earl's offspring, Hugh.

Tired of her husband's failures, Isabella through her lady- in-waiting Gwenith meets Welshman Baron Owain de Rhys who in turn introduces her to Lord Roger Mortimer held in the London Tower. With the help of Owain and Gwenith, who hates Edward for slaughtering her family, she begins seeing the prisoner for sex and intrigue until she smuggles him out of the Tower and country to France where they complete their plot to overthrow Edward and place her son on the throne by 1326.

Edith Felber provides a strong fourteenth century historical fiction tale that is filled with political intrigue but also has a somewhat biographical feel to the novel and a secondary romantic subplot (between the plotters) to anchor the fine story line. Fans of the author, if they recognize that Ms. Felber is historical romance writer Edith Layton will appreciate this well written tale of the QUEEN OF SHADOWS whose son became Edward III.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 5, 2006

Summary

In fourteenth-century England, beautiful Queen Isabella—humiliated by her weak, unfaithful husband—is emerging from the shadows to take her revenge. But her newly arrived, twenty-one-year-old Welsh handmaiden, Gwenith de Percy, also seeks vengeance—against the English invaders who crushed her beloved Wales. Isabella's once-golden marriage is now her penance. Due to his rumored relations with men, Parliament forced Edward to share his throne—a demeaning arrangement that torments Isabella.

With the help of her secret, noble lover, Roger Mortimer—an enemy of her husband, imprisoned in the Tower of London—the queen plots to take control. Thrilled by this turn of events, Gwenith realizes that a king cannot afford to be weak—especially when his formidable, discontented queen seeks his power as her due.