Release Date: 17/01/13
SYNOPSIS:
Perkin Warbeck is an ordinary young man in fifteenth-century Tournai. The son of a port official, he loves nothing more than swimming, singing and fishing with his father. But Perkin has a secret. His real name is Richard, and he is the rightful Prince of England. Thought to have been murdered with his brother, Edward, in the Tower of London, he was covertly taken to the continent and placed with an adoptive family under an assumed identity. But when his enemies seek him out he must flee, and embarks on a new life of derring-do, sailing the high seas with the era's greatest adventurers. But Richard cannot avoid his fate forever. He knows he must return to England, to assume the throne that is his birthright. But what for Richard is a homecoming, for the new king, Henry Tudor, is nothing less than an invasion, and 'Perkin' slowly comes to learn that the price of his goal is the blood of innocent men. Based on painstaking research, and peopled by some of the most extraordinary characters of an extraordinary period, Perkin's tale is a vivid, authentic, and hugely entertaining historical adventure.
REVIEW:
I love a story where an author interweaves a story that takes on a life of its own through an authors answering of the infamvous “What if” question. Here within the second book by Terrence that I’ve read, is a story that not only grabs you from the opening page but one that really does keep you guessing throughout as well as wondering what the outcome will be. It’s cleverly woven, has a real feel for the time period and when added to solid prose and great pace really makes it a book that for me was hard to put down.
Throw into the mix a wonderful lead protagonist (who featured as part of the cast in Master of Bruges) and all round I was more than satisfied with this book. A great read all round and I’ll definitely look forward to Terence’s next outing.
BOOK BLURB:
In fifteenth century Bruges, master painter Hans Memling is about to find himself at the heart of a political storm that stretches from his home city to Plantagenet England. When Hans agrees to play host to two exiles on the run from their enemies in London, he has no idea that they are not the modest traders they appear to be. Meanwhile, he has come into contact with the powerful Duke of Burgundy. Over the coming years he will grow increasingly close to the duke’s beautiful daughter, the princess Marie, painting her portrait obsessively.
In 1482, Hans takes up an invitation to visit his English friends, who have returned to London following their exile. There he not only find himself caught up in the dramatic final stages of the Wars of the Roses, but also plays a crucial role in the fate of the ‘Princes in the Tower’. Returning home to Bruges, Memling is racked with guilt, for reasons that will only truly become clear as his story draws to a shocking end.
Full of exquisite descriptions of Memling’s art and times, The Master of Bruges is a gripping debut from a bracing new voice in historical fiction.
REVIEW:
Having a brother who is an Art Teacher and Art Aficionado is sometimes quite handy. As when I mentioned this novel to him, he became quite interested as he loves the work of Hans Memling. So to get a historical fiction based on the artist’s life was a bit of a triumph for him. Whilst many recognise the artists of the Italian Renaissance (of the same time period), Botticelli, Da Vinci, and Michelangelo, Memling was more notable to Northern Europe due to his connections with the royal houses.
What perhaps makes this novel something special is the fact that the author does not over flounce the novel and makes it feel more like a diary of the artist rather than a straight tale of one particular period. It is fascinating, it is a wonder but above all, it is a tale that really goes to highlight the talent of the author through its wonderful portrayal of the 15th Century. A definite author to watch.
