Customer Reviews

The Secret Lion (The Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brendan Prescott, a foundling raised in the household of the duke of Northumberland, is summoned to London to serve as squire to his benefactor's son, Robert Dudley. His arrival in London coincides with the climax of one of England's greatest and most complex power struggles ever. What's more, his sense of honor demands that he become involved.

It's 1553, and, with England's teenaged King Edward VI near death, Northumberland is the country's de facto ruler. Next in line for the throne are Edward's sisters, first Mary and then Elizabeth. But Northumberland doesn't intend to relinquish his power; he determines to keep control of the throne for himself, and no expediency is beneath him.

Brendan's first assignment is to deliver a clandestine message from Robert to the princess Elizabeth. When he meets the magnetic and mysterious princess and senses the danger she faces, his expectations of dull servitude and possible advancement in the Dudley household end. Brendan offers his services to Her Grace, and soon finds himself tangled in a treacherous web of plots and counter-plots. Stunningly, it becomes evident that buried within these machinations is the secret to his own parentage.

Although mystery and intrigue take center stage, the human element is strong in this book. Brendan's drive to learn who he really is - and to understand the role he has unknowingly played in the Dudleys' plotting - is central to the story, and adds a depth and urgency that kept me turning pages well into the night. He arrives in London with little more to recommend him than a strong intellect and a keenly observant nature. But this courageous young man rises admirably to his new challenges, growing immensely in acumen and confidence in the short period of time covered by the story. Along the way, he finds much-deserved love with a beautiful woman.

C.W. Gortner's debut novel is vibrant with historical flavor and wicked with intrigue. His lustrous prose resounds with depth and subtlety, and his speculations on one of history's most fascinating episodes are utterly engrossing and entirely too plausible.

I do not normally read historical fiction, but a close friend gave this book to me and I had a great time reading it. First, and foremost, it was well-written, within the constraints of what it was trying to do, which is be a fast-paced, adventurous page-turner. Nonetheless, the prose is excellent and the author has a good command of the language -- and those are factors that I cannot ignore (no matter how good the story goes, if the writing is terrible, I can't get through it). Second, the author (who plainly is well-grounded in the historical details and context) doesn't drown the book with excessive historical aspects or attempt to be "showy" with historical facts in a way that would distract the story. Sure, the transition of the main character (without giving too much away) into the thick of things and some of the circumstances may appear to happen too quickly or seem unlikely (at least to this reader who is uneducated in the precise facts of the time period), but that's the fun of it. If you want a great fun read, that doesn't sacrifice quality or details, this would be a great one.

Once you step into the luxurious pages of The Secret Lion, you will find yourself on an excursion full of intricate plots, rich settings and historical themes. The time is sixteenth century Tudor England, during the riveting and exquisite renaissance period. Brendan Prescott is ordered as squire to pompous Lord Robert Dudley, a position he soon finds filled with peril. Trust and honor are fiercely tested when those who hold an esteemed position in the high court serve most prominently as a threat. It would seem the castle walls have eyes and ears. As a series of lies and secrets unravel, the young squire must change the course of events placed before him to ensure Princess Elizabeth's future while facing haunting elements about his past.

It is obvious from the first chapter that the author has put in a lot of care and research to his story. Unlike the monotonous retelling of age-old accounts over the past years, this book resurrects a beauty and depth that is sure to excite anyone. Each character possesses a gamut of quirks, personalities, wit, and intelligence along with accurate mannerisms and dialogue. Elizabeth, herself, is written with an underlying substance and strength. Whether it is cunning villains or memorable stable boys, the characters are vivid and unforgettable.

The Secret Lion is truly a legendary piece that will satisfy and sustain any fan of historical fiction. C.W. Gortner's impeccable writing and prose-like qualities will capture your heart and attention. This is the first book in The Spymaster Chronicles, which leaves me eagerly awaiting the second installment titled The Lioness Hunt.

The Secret Lion by C.W. Gortner is excellent and on par with the likes Steven Saylor brimming with historical and prosaic erudition. I saw the string of excellent reviews and I too had to purchase this book. A good purchase indeed this was. Though a work of fiction, the historical events take on a life of their own. In this tale, the events quickly become a roller coster ride of intrigue when our young hero is sent to be Squire for the unsavory Lord Robert. Read this book if you like good historical fiction. You'll be glad you did.

Brendan Prescott, the likable hero of The Secret Lion, is complex and good-natured; he's open and yet a mystery incarnate. He seems the embodiment of the trickiness of reality and self- identity. I wanted to linger a long while in his company, and to see the world through his fifteenth century eyes. Nevertheless, I raced through this book, curious and attracted from the cover onward, pursuing the clues to its mysteries and hidden connections. (As in The Da Vinci Code some of the secrets are truth-based and some are not.) But soon I picked up the book for a second read - it was such a pleasure to be in that fascinating, albeit dangerously cruel time and place. This is the way to be served history - like a temptingly rich desert that just happens to be good for you!

There is, in fact, much knowledge here, from Chritopher Gortner, an erudite European historian AND mesmerizing story-teller. There is knowledge of Tudor England, its ruling (and not) class, and its intrigues, the deceits that once shaped - and now, in altered modern forms, continue to shape - the world. And there is knowledge of Elizabeth I, as an intimate friend might have knowledge. Fiction though it is, The Secret Lion presents an Elizabeth who mirrors the image of Elizabeth we see in portrait paintings - come alive, but younger, in ninetten-year-old sophisticated innocence. It's all delivered in a page-turner thriller of a story. For me this is an addictive mix. Though I knew little about fifteenth century England, I'm now hooked, very much looking forward to the next book in this series, and also wanting to search out other books, and movies,too, about that barbaric civilization that is America's ancestor.

Gritty details and seamless writing drew me into a historical world created by Mr. Gortner, a world of shadows and light, death and danger that told me more about that period of history than any other historical novel I have read. I loved getting acquainted with the book's hero and seeing the world of Henry VIII, his children, and particularly young Elizabeth through his eyes. That world became was so real I had to look around to see where I was, so lost I was in a different time and place. The story drew me in with its clear characterization and finely drawn plot twists that I cried out in frustration when the book ended.
Thanks to Mr. Gortner, I became hungry to read as much as I could about that period, refreshing my knowledge of "true" history, which led to a series of nonfiction as well as fictional books about Henry VIII, the history of the kings and queens of England, the details about Elizabeth later in her life, as well as all the movies I could get my hands on about Elizabeth.
Mr. Gortner's talent using words to paint entire worlds of a different time and place is something to admire, and leads me to wait with some impatience for his next book.

What begins as a simple historical novel quickly becomes a fully engaging drama, one in which the reader quickly is intensely involved. Impressive historical details seem transparent as the author sets the stage with a visual immediacy that makes the reader feel present in the fascinating turns of the unfolding story. The plot was so well drawn that I found myself driven to discover what would come next. Forgetting I was reading, I felt as if I were engaged in powerful theater. I am eager to read the sequel.

This book has it all; intrigue, interesting and fully developed characters and enough action to make sure you don't even think about turning on the TV. Once you start reading Mr. Gortner's new classic you will find it very hard to stop.
The Secret Lion is the kind of book that allows the reader to enter the story and live for a few hours in a world where intrigue lingers around every corner. The Tudor court was filled with mischievous lords and ladies and like Brendan you will not know who to trust until perhaps it is too late.
The most overpowering feeling to hit you as you reach the conclusion is: bring me more!
C.W. Gortner is a talented and gifted writer and his story enchants and pleases. You will have a wonderful ride and you will definitely want another edition as soon as you finish this one.

I've just finished The Secret Lion. Splendid. Very satisfying. I was enjoying it so much that I had to ration myself to make it last longer. The author has incorporating so many minute details (well researched every one of them!)that the whole ambience and period comes to three-dimensional life, including the smells!The descriptions of medieval London and the interiors of the palaces are excellent.But all this information is woven into the exciting story so seamlessly that you aren't aware of how much factual stuff is there. Very much looking forward to the sequel.

There isn't much I enjoy more than discovering a very good series of historical mysteries. This is good -- but not very good, hampered by some unbelievable plot twists and lots of tiny errors that pile up and start to become irritating to an informed reader.

On the plus side, Gortner has created a great protagonist: Brendan Prescott, a foundling raised in the household of the Duke of Northumberland, is brought to court to serve the family's son, Robert Dudley, as Edward VI is on his deathbed. Northumberland and the Duke of Suffolk are plotting to derail the succession of Edward's sisters, Mary and Elizabeth Tudor, and instead place Lady Jane Grey -- safely married to Northumberland's youngest son -- on the throne to rule as a puppet queen. Prescott, the 20-year-old squire, helps to derail all these careful plans with the assistance of a cunning and devious William Cecil and a downright scary Walsingham.

The facts and cast of characters against which Prescott and his fellow fictional counterparts are set will be familiar to anyone who has read history or historical fiction about Tudor England. In his stand-alone book about Juana of Castile, The Last Queen: A Novel, Gortner did a better job of incorporating some of his fictional elements against the historical background. (My own key test is whether a fictional twist forces the reader to put the book down and ponder the interjection, or whether it feels natural enough to accept and go on reading. Alas, in this case, the biggest plot twist of all, revolving around Prescott's parentage, falls well short of that. It strained my credulity well past breaking point. The irony is that Prescott would have been an excellent fictional character without the benefit of that mystery.

The other reason for the absence of a fourth star here is the proliferation of a number of smaller errors. I'll accept that Elizabeth Tudor snuck away from Hatfield to her brother's court, because it's not a 'fact' of history and because this is a fictional device needed for the plot. But to note that the Duke of Suffolk's two sons by his second wife were twins isn't necessary to the plot, is wrong (and could have been easily checked.) Katherine "Astley" was named "Ashley", Elizabeth was Edward VI's elder sister, not his younger sister, and the dates just don't allow Mary Boleyn and William Carey to be the grandparents of Prescott's love interest (unless she was only 12 or so in this novel, which is equally implausible.) One such basic error is jarring enough, but a string of them is harder to swallow.

This book will appeal most to those who enjoy a quick, exciting read. It captures the flavor of the era and the conspiratorial environment of the Tudor court well. But it doesn't hold a candle to the wonderful novels of C.J. Sansom's Shardlake series, and ended by making me yearn for the next episode of that series, rather than for Prescott's next adventure. If you haven't discovered those already, start with Dissolution

(Edited Dec.18, 2009 to provide the following update)
This book will soon be reissued, after an edit, and will be followed by two more books in the series. I'll be interested to see where Gortner takes his character...