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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Perfectly pleasant mystery story. Liked it as much as any Reilly book - solidly entertaining.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A departure from Reilly's normal stuff, and also a departure for me. Reilly is one of my favorite authors and this book is just one of only 2 I haven't read yet by him, so I wanted to get to it. It kept my interest. The religion crap bored the tar outta me, but all the rest and the murder mystery was engaging. Very neat fiction about very real people! Detailed review to come.
I have often seen Matthew Reilly's books in the library and dismissed them as all action and no substance but this was FANTASTIC. A wonderful mix of fact and fiction, so you are unsure whether what you are reading really happened or is fiction.
I would be very interested in a spin-off series surrounding Roger Ascham.
Best book I've read in 2014 so far; a mix of history and fiction, slow paced chess with fast paced action, murders and religious controversy. Amazing! 5*
I would be very interested in a spin-off series surrounding Roger Ascham.
Best book I've read in 2014 so far; a mix of history and fiction, slow paced chess with fast paced action, murders and religious controversy. Amazing! 5*
‘There has been a murder in my palace.’
This novel is set in the autumn of 1546, and is told in 1603 by Queen Elizabeth I as she approaches the end of her life, to one of her female attendants. The story, she tells her attendant Gwinny, has shaped her character as queen.
‘What better lesson for a potential future queen: to peer through a window into the hearts of men’s souls.’
In 1546, Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, issued an invitation to every king in Europe, inviting each to send his best chess player to Constantinople to ‘compete in a tournament to determine the champion of the known world’. The English delegation is led by the scholar Roger Ascham, who is accompanied by England’s best chess player, Gilbert Giles and the thirteen year old Princess Elizabeth (‘Bess’). Bess is the second daughter of Henry VIII, and Roger Ascham’s favourite pupil.
After four weeks of overland travel, the group reaches Constantinople. There are sixteen competitors in the tournament, and a magnificent banquet is held in their honour. But immediately after the banquet, a powerful cardinal visiting from Rome is found to have been murdered. Roger Ascham is tasked by the Sultan with finding the killer.
‘An angry mind does not play good chess.’
So, as the tournament unfolds, and various intrigues within the Sultan’s court come to light, Ascham and Bess investigate the murder. Then, as other murders occur, Ascham and Bess need to move carefully in order to gather evidence and make sense of it.
There are a number of historic figures in this novel, including Michelangelo, St Ignatius de Loyola, Suleiman’s wife Roxelana and Ivan IV. And a cleverly worked in quote from Martin Luther:
‘Girls begin to talk and to stand on their feet sooner than boys because weeds always grow up more quickly than good crops.’
Which would have made some impression on Bess.
The story moves quickly, with the chess tournament enhancing the tension as the games are played and players are eliminated. And through all of it, Roger Ascham teaches Bess lessons for her possible future as Queen identifying and reflecting on issues, many of which still resonate today.
‘The answers are the answers, however unpleasant they may be. I am merely the one who brought them to light.’
I found this an entertaining novel, and while I can’t visualise Elizabeth in Constantinople, it was fun suspending what is known about her life and speculating about what might have happened if such a chess tournament had occurred in this time and place.
There is an author note which some potential readers should be aware of:
‘This novel also contains subject matter of an adult nature. The author recommends that it be read by mature readers.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This novel is set in the autumn of 1546, and is told in 1603 by Queen Elizabeth I as she approaches the end of her life, to one of her female attendants. The story, she tells her attendant Gwinny, has shaped her character as queen.
‘What better lesson for a potential future queen: to peer through a window into the hearts of men’s souls.’
In 1546, Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, issued an invitation to every king in Europe, inviting each to send his best chess player to Constantinople to ‘compete in a tournament to determine the champion of the known world’. The English delegation is led by the scholar Roger Ascham, who is accompanied by England’s best chess player, Gilbert Giles and the thirteen year old Princess Elizabeth (‘Bess’). Bess is the second daughter of Henry VIII, and Roger Ascham’s favourite pupil.
After four weeks of overland travel, the group reaches Constantinople. There are sixteen competitors in the tournament, and a magnificent banquet is held in their honour. But immediately after the banquet, a powerful cardinal visiting from Rome is found to have been murdered. Roger Ascham is tasked by the Sultan with finding the killer.
‘An angry mind does not play good chess.’
So, as the tournament unfolds, and various intrigues within the Sultan’s court come to light, Ascham and Bess investigate the murder. Then, as other murders occur, Ascham and Bess need to move carefully in order to gather evidence and make sense of it.
There are a number of historic figures in this novel, including Michelangelo, St Ignatius de Loyola, Suleiman’s wife Roxelana and Ivan IV. And a cleverly worked in quote from Martin Luther:
‘Girls begin to talk and to stand on their feet sooner than boys because weeds always grow up more quickly than good crops.’
Which would have made some impression on Bess.
The story moves quickly, with the chess tournament enhancing the tension as the games are played and players are eliminated. And through all of it, Roger Ascham teaches Bess lessons for her possible future as Queen identifying and reflecting on issues, many of which still resonate today.
‘The answers are the answers, however unpleasant they may be. I am merely the one who brought them to light.’
I found this an entertaining novel, and while I can’t visualise Elizabeth in Constantinople, it was fun suspending what is known about her life and speculating about what might have happened if such a chess tournament had occurred in this time and place.
There is an author note which some potential readers should be aware of:
‘This novel also contains subject matter of an adult nature. The author recommends that it be read by mature readers.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
matthew reilly leaving behind cia propaganda to explore the world of anti-religion propaganda!
an interesting change of direction. in true reilly fashion, though, did have me on the edge of my seat. but interesting how he tried to explain some facets of queen elizabeth's life by chalking them up to a wild adventure in constantinople.
i found some parts strange. i think any grown man writing about the sex life of young women is unnerving. slightly misogynistic in how he portrayed elsie especially :/
an interesting change of direction. in true reilly fashion, though, did have me on the edge of my seat. but interesting how he tried to explain some facets of queen elizabeth's life by chalking them up to a wild adventure in constantinople.
i found some parts strange. i think any grown man writing about the sex life of young women is unnerving. slightly misogynistic in how he portrayed elsie especially :/
A departure for Matthew Reilly but a really good departure, really easy read. Fun and enjoyable.
My first Matthew Reilly and perhaps not a good place to start - it was too simple and in my present frame of mind, the depiction of Elsie really spoiled it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Not the most historically accurate of novels but it was a quick, fun book, exactly what I expect from this author, although this is a bit different to his usual subject matter.