Dylan Meconis

Wow! I got completely absorbed in this and read it in one sitting. It's a big, heavy book, but it didn't take long to read. It has elements of mystery, history, and feels like book one in a series (a series that I will definitely keep reading).

I've watched all 17 hours of the BBC's Monarchy documentary, so I know a thing or two about British royalty. I really enjoyed that this was similar enough to real history see the connections, but different enough to be intriguing and surprising. This is a weird comparison, but it reminded me of why I like the HBO show Succession -- it can be as outrageous as it wants to be because it's fiction, but it still feels like it's about real people.

There's a lot of great explaining in this book about convent life, island life, and political machinations. It will appeal to historical fiction readers even though "Albion" isn't a real place. There's an author's note at the end that explains how Eleanor is based on Elizabeth but the plot is entirely made up.

Though they are dissimilar in many ways, fans of [b:My Lady Jane|22840421|My Lady Jane (The Lady Janies, #1)|Cynthia Hand|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444923765l/22840421._SY75_.jpg|42397220] may also enjoy this alternate-England.… (more)