BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 22 February 2022 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – THE GIRL WHO LOST A KINGDOM by JANE ANN McLACHLAN
TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – THE GIRL WHO LOST A KINGDOM by JANE ANN McLACHLAN
THE BLURB
Queen Joanna 1 of Naples struggles to rule a kingdom devastated by war, plague, famine and rebellion. Her niece and namesake, Duchess Joanna of Durazzo, struggles to make sense of a world that has been in turmoil since she was a child. When Queen Joanna swears she will return Naples to its former peace and prosperity, the young Duchess Joanna swears she will always be loyal to her queen. But as their kingdom is increasingly beset with insurrection and war brought on by the terrible “Free Companies”—huge bands of mercenaries and criminals that roam across Europe following the wars and the black plague of the mid-14thC, murdering and plundering everywhere they go—the line between loyalty and survival thins. Will either Joanna be able to keep her oath?
During the second half of her reign Queen Joanna 1 celebrates the greatest victories of her life and endures her greatest defeats. Under her rule Naples becomes the most enlightened kingdom of medieval Europe. But as Europe becomes increasingly embroiled in wars, both political and religious, Queen Joanna is caught up in the Great Schism within the Catholic Church. Can she maintain her kingdom until the end, and will she have an heir to leave it to?
Enjoy the exciting finale to Queen Joanna’s reign!
THE FULL SERIES
THE AUTHOR
Jane Ann McLachlan was born in Toronto, Canada. She started writing stories when she was five years old, and has been reading literary fiction, science fiction and historical fiction in equal measure all her life. She received her B.A. in English Literature from York University and her M.A. in Canadian Literature from Carleton University. Before becoming a full-time writer she taught at Conestoga College.
She has three published science fiction novels under the pen name, J. A. McLachlan: Walls of Wind, and two young adult science fiction novels, The Occasional Diamond Thief (winner of the Alberta Publishers Award (APA) for Science Fiction and featured in the National US magazine, VOYA) and The Salarian Desert Game (runner up for the APA and listed in Canadian Top Books For Teens). She has four published historical fiction novels under Jane Ann McLachlan: The Sorrow Stone (winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award for Historical Fiction), The Lode Stone, The Girl Who Would Be Queen, and The Girl Who Tempted Fortune. She is also the author of a writers’ workbook titled Downriver Writing: The Five-Step Process for Outlining Your Novel; two College textbooks on Professional Ethics published by Pearson-Prentice Hall; and a memoir, IMPACT: A Memoir of PTSD.
She lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband who is also a writer, and their bilingual dog, Frenchy, a papillion breed. They have three grown children and six grandchildren.
MY REVIEW
Through the eyes of the author and the four books of this series I have grown to love Queen Joanna. Her heart and courage despite her circumstances—unimaginable to the modern mind—her unwavering faith and confidence in God.
Ms. McLachlan brings history to life with the depth of her knowledge of the era, the details that make any story real, the dialogue (without losing the reader to unfamiliar manner of speech and jargon.) I was appalled to learn, for instance, that it was accepted that husbands beat their wives! Frustrated at the control the Church had over Joanna’s every action. I ached for her that she had no surviving “issue.” The posturing and viciousness to gain a kingdom.
And still, Joanna’s manner was stately and fitting of her station, no raging outbursts or temperamental and irrational actions.
The level of research Ms. McLachlan puts into her stories is evident on every page, with every vivid and vibrant scene, urging the reader to the [SPOILER] heart wrenching end.
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
ALL | THE | FEATHERS!
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
Tara Taffera is a journalist living in Stafford, Va., with her husband of 24 years, and her three daughters. In 2020, she realized her dream of writing her first novel, Love Ordained. She has always loved to read, and anyone who knows her knows how fast she can plow through a good book. Her mother always says, how as a youngster, she was always asking to go back to the library for more books. She started writing Love Ordained more than 20 years ago, and she finally made it a priority in early 2020, and finished the book—a contemporary Christian romance. It was published on February 15, 2021. Book 2 in the series, Love Unfailing, was published in September 2021. Love Unfailing won a Silver in the romance fiction category in the Illumination Awards, a program that celebrates exemplary Christian fiction. The book was also named a semi-finalist by Indies Today.
THREE FEATHERS
Chloe S. Flanagan is an author, technical writer, blogger, and graduate of New York University. She enjoys exploring the Christian walk frankly and thoughtfully in her fiction and in her blog, The Candid Corinthian. When she’s not writing, Chloe loves music, travel, reading books in all genres, and spending time with family.
FOUR FEATHERS
Cassandre Brissot is a Brooklyn, NY native. She earned her bachelor of fine arts in television and radio production at the City University of New York Brooklyn College. Cassandre is the author of Six Years and A Quarter Way Through. When she’s not writing for her blog, she enjoys dance parties with her nieces.
robinsnest212 - stories by design 