Wars of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn
IgguldenReviewed by W. Keith McCoy, Somerset County Library System
The
start of another historical series for Iggulden features not a famous person,
but the array of kings and power-brokers who afflicted England in the 15th
Century. Henry VI is weak minded and willed, and is manipulated into
trading the English territories of Maine and Anjou for a French bride. The
landowners there resist, as back home Richard of York maneuvers to be the power
behind the throne. Protecting the unsuspicious king are his new wife, a
few other lords of the realm, and Derihew Brewer, the king’s spymaster.
On top of this, a peasant revolt gushes out of Kent towards London, threatening
the monarchy itself. Several of the characters stand out to carry the
narrative, especially the dashing, totally fictional Brewer. The action
swings back and forth between political intrigue and the brutal clashes of
armies and mobs. And this is just the beginning, fortunately for the
reader. Verdict: Iggulden’s
simplified version of the start of this fifty year political melee will keep
followers of the old English royals completely engrossed.
