Dark Queen Rising by Paul Doherty
Stacey • August 6, 2019
England during the 14th and 15th Century was a bloody mess of wars and a pretty serious game with the throne. The 100 years war really took its toll on England and all its people. The war of the roses, the infamous battle between the Lancastrians and the Yorks was the pivotal turning point for England as a whole.
Fast forward to the tail end of the war and we find Margaret Beaufort. Ruthless, intelligent and the matriarch of the Tudor dynasty, knows she could never take the throne in her own birth right so pins all her dreams on her malleable son Henry.
During this time being a Lancaster may as well be wearing a bright neon sign saying traitor to the throne right here. This still did not stop Lady Margaret.
I adore historical fiction. It’s been my go to genre for quite some time. I am well versed in the Tudor dynasty and have a vast knowledge base starting with the war of the roses, all the way to the death of Elizabeth I. I half wondered if this would be a blessing or a curse and it turned out to be a curse for the author. There are some pretty acute inaccuracies in the historical parts of the book. They did grate on me a bit, I have to be honest but for for the most part, the writing is good enough for me to overlook the inconsistencies. The beginning of the book didn’t flow well for me, way too much talking and no story building. I hated that. Building into the story would have been better. I rather felt that the first chapter was picking up from somewhere else. It felt like I was starting a book from the middle of the story rather than the beginning.
Margaret Beaufort comes across a little less of a tyrant in this rendition. The author gives her a certain motherly humanity that made her a little easier to swallow. I couldn’t imagine having my only son so far away from me and not knowing if he was going to stay safe or if he was even alive. It must have taken its toll on Margaret being in fear constantly. I really can’t help wondering if the hardening of her heart started as young girl with no stabilty, rather than from all the upheaval with the realm.
When I read the synopsis for the book I was excited! A Tudor murder mystery!! How creative. I felt very let down with the whole story. The whole mystery surrounding the murders were not the star of the book as I was lead to believe. For me, if the part about the murders were removed from the summary, I would have gone in with a different mind set and I think you would have seen a very different review from me.
Instead this book is about a highly ambiguous woman with an ambition to rival any man. You never fully understand if it’s her love for her son that drives her or whether she loves the glory her son can give her by claiming the throne and ultimately, giving her the control of the realm.
‘She was determined to weave the web she wanted..’ That doesn’t sound like a woman who is just trying to navigate her way through a dark time in history. She is actively going against the grain and is putting her life and her sons in mortal danger in the process.
This book switches between the points of view of Margaret and Christopher Ulswicke. Ulswicke was one of only two people Margaret trusted in the world. I actually enjoyed his story more so than Margarets. He's funny, determined and could feel his need to do his very best. He was much more genuine a character than Margaret. He did what he did for the good of his mistress and for someone who kills people, was a much more believable human than Margaret comes across as. Other than the gruesome and overly descriptive deaths being described, there wasn’t much that stood out.
The pace of the book wanes a lot and other times you get far too much information thrown at you. I can still see the potential this book has but for a seasoned reader like me, it didn’t hold the water it should have. There were no twists and turns, nothing to drive you forward to continue to read. I did finish it. It was mediocre at best and a real let down for me. I did a happy dance when I first started to read it. I was excited. By the end I was just glad it was over.
I have never read any other of his work and in all honesty, I probably won’t be seeking his work out again. It’s a real shame that I didn’t have something better to say about this book. I really wanted to love it.
I would give it 2.5 stars out of 5. I even had to go and read parts again because my mind wandered and that never happens to me.
Sincerely, The Lioness
Book review - Fiction - Audiobook - thriller - Mystery - romance Call Me Anytime by Max Monroe Hannah May needs a job immediately. She is taking care of her mother and a telemarketing job interview is something at least… Except it's not telemarketing… It’s a sex chatline and she is so desperate she can’t even turn it down.. Trouble is she is a virgin so she has no idea how to do this. What she doesn’t expect is her first call to be from a cop looking for a killer and doesn’t realize he isn’t looking to get off… Detective Dominic Dunn finds her oddly charming and there is definitely a connection but he needs to find a murderer and the sex chat phone number seems to be the key to finding out who is killing these phone workers… and Hannah could be next… I am not going to lie, I found the book quite comical! It gave it all to me… Intrigue, laughs… twists… danger… It was one of the best audio thrillers I have ever done. I liked Hannah… Her attempts to dirty talk at first just had me laughing my ass off!! Her mother has Alzheimer's and she thinks she is really in NCIS and I love the show too so I loved these moments as well. I liked the plot line with who is killing the chat workers. It was really clever and I really enjoyed it. I was charmed by Dominic and Hannah’s connection. Normally I don’t like the romance parts in books like this but this worked really well for me. I can’t find any cons in this book. Not one…. I already ordered my hard cover trophy and I highly recommend grabbing this one. 5 stars Thank you @netgalley for my gifted copy and @brillianceaudio #bookpodcast #bookishpodcast #bookpod #bookblog #bookalorian #goodreads #booklover #bookcommunity
Book review - Fiction - paperback ARC - YA Young Adult - Fantasy - Romance - Romantasy I just finished The Sun and the Star Maker by Rachel Griffin and here are my musings. Aurora lives for the tales of the Starmakers magic… She never expected in her wildest dreams to one day meet him… He can sense some power within her and entices her to come study with him… He is cold and he keeps her at a distance but that doesn’t stop Aurora from feeling the pull.. With the deadly frost approaching, can she shake loose the secrets in order to save them from an endless winter? I was super stoked to get a copy of this book. Look at it. It’s got a beautiful cover.. Amazing storyline… It has a beautiful and sweet romance with that grumpy sunshine trope we all adore. Those were only some of the amazing things this book has to offer. I really loved Aurora. She was so sweet and kind… I could feel a connection to her as a character. I was utterly charmed by her. Caspian really took time to warm up… See what I did there. HEHE. It was a nice dynamic. I liked how they were together. It was lovely. I massively enjoyed the writing style. It was well paced, and had a nice flow too. They painted such a beautiful picture and I was so enthralled. I did miss some of the magical system things… It was great but it wasn’t as indepth as I would have liked. I loved the enchanted castle.. SIGHHHH + Such a solid read. 4.5 stars Thank you to @sourcebooksfire for my gifted copy. Out feb 17th 2026 #bookinfluencer #bookreview #bookblog #bookishblog #bookreader #reader #readbooks #lionessofliteracy #litdulterous #bookpodcast https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A - The Litdulterous Whore
I just finished Howling Women By Shelby Hinte and here are my thoughts. Sabine has spent her life running. She is currently running from a perfectly nice husband and her boyfriend… She ends up in New Mexico and meets a woman who calls herself the Howling woman. Unable to escape her abusive past, she is haunted in her present. After she shoots a man from her past with the howling woman, she now has to explain the events that lead her to that one violent act. I was mostly drawn to the cover because the synopsis was wild…. I was sucked right in. We start off with Sabine and she’s already been arrested and then it jumps back in time to just after she ran and what happened in her childhood. It’s a solid plot but the magic is in the characters. They are unique and robust.. The howling woman is the epitome of a secondary pivotal character and how they can be used to make a story really strong. It was a powerful story of abuse and the devastation of the aftermath of not dealing with it. I felt connected and enthralled by how Sabine found and connected with different people. It was good, some really solid writing here. The pacing was a tad slow but it worked really well here. 4 stars Thank you @blackstonepublishing and @netgalley for my gifted copy. Make sure you check out my store Bookaloriandesigns.com Bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com Unique bookish merch for the book dragon connoisseur. You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A Youtube.com/@litdulterous #thehowlingwomen #bookish #bookreview #bookalorian #litdulterous #literature #literaryinfluencer #bookpodcast #bookinfluencer #bookreel #bookreview #bookblog
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Book review - fiction - audiobook - paranormal romance Undead and Unwed by Sam Tschida Imagine being undead and a hot mess… Tiffenie is single with a dead end job at the blood bank. When she finds out her stolen identity has inherited an old house in Vermont… She has nothing holding her back.. After accidentally unaliving her neighbour, the two of them head off. Things are looking up except when her ex Vlad finds her and he has things to say about the way she is living her undead life. I bloody loved this book!! What a clever and unique story!! I loved Tiffenie! She wasn’t the kind of vampire that makes things go bump in the night! She is just like you and me… A mess… Trying to get through the day (or night)! I really loved the lore of the vampires and how they are supposed to live and her grating against it. I liked Vlad too! I think he loves her in a way that he would be willing to make endless night for her. SIGHHH I liked the writing, I loved the narration and I am so glad I got this one! 4 stars Than you to @netgalley for my gifted copy #bookcommunity #bookalorian #bookinfluencer #bookish #bookdragon
Book review - Fiction - ALC Audiobook - Romance - Fantasy - Romantasy Tempest Awakening by Emma Moon Tess never expected to become a part of the world she loved to read about in her books but that is what happens. Landing a job in a magical library has her pinching herself at her luck… Then something she never expects… To bond to one of the most powerful dragons… A mere human and it has the magical world in a tizz. Can she make it through the training? Or will she be everything her mother says she is? I actually found this audiobook to be pretty dang good! Yes it's pretty generic… A touch cringey but I kinda adored it. This is book one and I think the author did a good job of introducing us to Tess (Tempest) and the three men gravitating to her… The gargoyle is my favorite! They were friends as kids and he left her life when she was 9 so that was such a sweet reunion for me. It did a decent enough of world building without leaning too heavy on character vs plot so that was a pleasant surprise Some of the things you can expect… She loves books Slow burn Reverse harem Dragons Fae Shifters And a ton of cute banter. I liked it. I know a lot of people had rather negative things to say but I think it was a great start to a series I’m intrigued by. 4 stars #supernaturalromance #bookishblog #readersofig #bookinfluencer #magicallibrary
Book review - Fiction - Ebook - ARÇ - Dark Academia - New Adult - Dark Romance ★ Dark academia meets Southern Gothic in this emotionally intense, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, morally gray, twisted college romance filled with secrets, violence, and impossible love I just finished Pretty Vicious. A Southern Gothic Dark Academia Romance by Lexi Davis and here are my musings. Laurel was just delivering pizza when she ends up witnessing a murder and ends up a prisoner of The Order, a dangerous society that rules with violence and Carrson Ashford doesn’t plan on letting her go.. He has marked her as his but she’s not willing to to be claimed without a fight… DANGGGGGG I am still not over this book. That cliffhanger… GAHHHHHHH… It's been on my mind for days….and days…… It literally started out with a massive crescendo and I was hooked… One of the things I don’t like in books normally… dual POVs but I didn’t know I needed to see Carrson’s POV until I got it and it really rounded this story out. It was a slow burn… I didn’t mind that as we got each character development in a really clever way and you can actually see how and why they connect the way they do. I loved the way the story unfolded and you are in for some of the best triggers! I enjoyed the writing and the build up! I really enjoyed this book! I devoured it in one sitting! Cannot wait to see where the story goes. 4.5 stars Thank you to @netgalley for my gifted copy #bookreview #enemiestolovers #booklover #bookblog #readersofig #bookblogger #reader #bookalorian
I just finished The Hanging Dolls by Ruhi Choudhary and here are my musings. Zoe Storm is called in when Lily Baker’s, a little girl who went missing, body was found in the woods. A tree nearby has 3 nooses hanging from the branches. What does it mean? When another girl goes missing from her bed, Zoe knows she is racing against the clock to find her alive. I think I just found my next series. I love Zoe Storm. She is dedicated and with her background, she has a unique perspective in her role as an FBI agent. She is fearless and flawed and I need that in my life. I did an audiobook version which was AMAZING!! I thought the plot and tone of the book were on point and I was thoroughly engaged throughout the whole book. I liked the pace and everything was done with perfection. I did get a tad confused on who was who a couple of times but that was probably just me. It was a great thriller and I highly recommend it. 4 stars thank you @bookouture for my gifted copy Make sure you check out my store Bookaloriandesigns.com Bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com Unique bookish merch for the book dragon connoisseur. You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A Youtube.com/@litdulterous #thehangingdolls #ruhichoudhary #thriller #thrilleraudio #audiobook #booktube #bookalorian #bookish #litdulterous #netgalley #audiobookgirlie #thrillerbooks
Book review - Fiction - Paperback and ALC - YA Thriller - Young adult - dark academia I just finished Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone and here are my musings. Eva wants one thing and one thing only…. To study at Oxford… She is over the moon when she is invited to interview-week with her bestie George… Welcome to the competitive and ambitious elitist students in the world of academia. What Eva doesn’t expect is to find her best friend dead.. Murdered and everyone is looking right at her. Can she clear her name and win her spot? OK so again, I am a greedy little book gremlin and I received a paperback and the ALC of this one… So glad I did. The audio was fine, It didn’t blow me away and I found myself reading more than listening. I did do a bit of the immersive reading and that was fun but the voice for Eva.. BLEAHHHHHH. It was a hard thing to listen to. I adored the read though. It felt better to hear it in my internal monologue so I highly recommend the book. I did find Eva annoying regardless. She had a whininess I didn’t like… Like she didn’t get why people thought she did it. COME ON! Haha. I found that I enjoyed the storyline a lot more than I was expecting. It was eerie and clever. It was a tad slow in spots but it drove up the intensity of what was going on so it actually worked for me. I actually liked her dad a lot. I also did not love the female cop. She irritated me a lot. There is the perfect amount of suspense and has some really solid twists! All in all it was well written and a solid YA novel. I was pumped to see there's more books to come so I will look forward to seeing what comes next. 4 stars… the audio is slightly less with 3.75 stars but I would have rounded that anyway haha. Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @macmillanaudio for my gifted copies. OUT NOWWWWWW #bookreview #bookishblog #readerblog #lionessofliteracy #reading #bookalorian #bookinfluencer
I just finished A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard and here are my thoughts. When you have the kind of job Capri does.. Giving walking tours about serial killers, you know you are doing to see and hear some weird things… When one of the people on her tour apparently sees someone being attacked… The police go and check it.. Knowing she can’t forgive herself if the cops are wrong, she decides to check it out herself. Why would a witness lie? The things Capri uncovers, starts to put her in danger… Again. I loved the first book in this series so I was whooping with joy when I got the audio and the ebook of this bad boy! I did read and listen… The audiobook was magic and I did most of the audiobook, purely because the narration was on point!! I adore Capri. She is a badass FMC and she’s older, has an adult kid and that makes me feel so seen! She built her business up, she’s living life on her terms and she is exactly the kind of representation I love! The story was phenomenal. Intrigue… Hunting for treasure… Dead bodies and a hunk cop to flirt with. It checked all the boxes for me. I was fully invested in Capri becoming an investigative journalist on top of her tours. I am a big fan girl of women getting their dues and this book gave me the girl power in SPADES!! Still hate her ex husband. That just cemented my hatred for the tool haha. It was well paced and exciting! I cannot wait to see where the story goes next! 4.5 stars Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my ARC copy and @macmillan.audio for my gifted ALC! You can find all my book reviews at thelionessofliteracy.com And my podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/5kKN96RNPNh4uNDZzpIE1A You can find all my book merch at Bookaloriandesigns.com and bookaloriandesigns.etsy.com #bookalorian #atourtodiefor #michellechouinard #mysterybook #mysteryreader #bookreview #lionessofliteracy #bookishpodcast #bookpodcast #bookrecs #tbr #bookinfluencer #literaryinfluencer #SMPearlyreader
