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This month's review is another Medieval Romance, perfect for Valentine's day. :) Read on, dear patron, and enjoy.

The Harlot's Daughter
by Blythe Gifford.

The Harlot’s Daughter, a Harlequin by Blythe Gifford, is about Lady Jane (called Solay) Weston, daughter of Alys Piers (Alice Perrers), Mistress of King Edward III. Reviled by Richard II’s Court for possibly following in her mother’s footsteps, Solay stumbles upon Lord Justin Lamont, a lawyer in Richard’s employ, who though he tries to serve the king faithfully, believes in the power of the Parliament, and the Rule of Law, more than the rule of the king. Knowing of Lady Alys’ manipulation of (as he sees it) the courts, Justin suspects Solay of wishing to do the same, with regards to King Richard; meanwhile, he’d be happy to just see the king cease his manipulations of the law, and sides with Parliament against him, as well as casting a wary eye on Solay, while trying to make an honest woman out of her . . . but why won’t he share anything with her, she wonders?

But the stars, of which Solay claims to be an avid student, have other plans for them all. Solay and Justin find themselves betrothed, and each wonder if they can be brought to love each other more, or hate each other more?

You’ll have to read to see how they untangle this mess. Set in the turbulent years of Richard’s reign, 1386-1388 to be specific, Ms. Gifford’s research shines through, here, as she vividly recounts the historical events that rocked England, for a time, and set the current system into stone. Richly drawn, Richard’s court seems alive and warm on the page, the reader can imagine this may actually have occurred, if Solay and Justin’s relationship suggests an alternate history than the one left in biographies of Lady Jane Weston, as the author’s notes bears witness. Though I always have a personal problem with the inclusion of historically extant characters in fiction, still, I found The Harlot’s Daughter a gripping mix of passion, betrayal, intrigue, and history—a very enjoyable read. This was released in November 2007, but if you can still find The Harlot’s Daughter, and if you love the Medieval era, and Medieval Romance, I highly recommend Blythe Gifford’s brilliant little gem of a novel. Try not to miss it; you will be, I’m sure, pleasantly surprised.

For more on Richard II, see http://www.history.ac.uk/richardII/index.html
For more on Blythe Gifford, see http://www.blythegifford.com/