#Review - An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker #YALit #Historical

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Romance / Historical

Philippa Gregory meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this witty and thrilling action-adventure novel of star-crossed assassins in Elizabethan England. Perfect for fans of My Lady Jane and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.

When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further--kill the queen herself.

Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play. It's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.

The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.

 

An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason, by author Virginia Boecker, is a historical fiction/romance novel set in the early 17th century. This is a story that features real-life historical figures and events such as William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I, the Lord Chamberlain's men, and the Protestant-Catholic conflict, but with a bold and adventurous twist. The story itself alternatives between two very different characters; Toby Ellis and Katherine Arundell. 

19-year old Toby works for Queen Elizabeth as a watcher, cryptographer, and a spy. But, he is also a poet and a writer who was linked for a time to Christopher Marlow who apparently influenced William Shakespeare. His job is to hunt down so called heretics, Catholics, who are illegally practicing their religion. The author has labeled them as Recusants (a Roman Catholic in England who refused to attend services of the Church of England or swear allegiance to the Queen). Toby's plan is that he will lure in the assassins by writing a play called Twelfth Night.

17-year old Katherine's father, Sir Richard Arundell, is a Recusant, a liar, a heretic, and a traitor. After the Sheriff of Cornwall shows up at her home, and her father is killed in the process, Katherine runs away with a priest in training and heads for London. In London, she becomes Kit Alban. Kit, as a boy, finds herself aligned with other Catholics who want revenge against the Queen for killing people because they refuse to kneel to her, and because they are Catholics. Kit's desire for revenge brings her to the attention of one William Shakespeare who is putting together a play called Twelfth Night.  

Not unlike the character she will play in the story, Viola (Cessaro), Kit finds herself pretending to be a boy, pretending to be a girl in order to gain a part in the play in order to get close to the Queen who will be attending the play. If you know anything about this era in history, you will also know that men played the female roles in pretty much every single play that was put together. Meanwhile, Toby, aka Duke Orsino, has to uncover the plot against the Queen and find the assassins before they are successful. 

As the play progresses, Kit and Toby find themselves drawn towards each other which means forbidden feelings crop up as well. Again, in this era, if you are a man caught with another man, you can be executed without a trial. Fun times these folks lived in, yeah? When you think about Toby's character, it's pretty apparent that he is in a whole lot of trouble if his secrets were to be found out by the Queen, or those who work for her. So, in a way, both Kit, and Toby are breaking the law, breaking the law...oh wait, sorry, got carried away!

Overall, I found the story to be entertaining while also humble since the hatred between the religions was real, and ended up with a whole lot of people being hurt, or killed. I could never live in this time period for fear I would be the next one to be hung by the neck.

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#Wednesday Review - The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker (Young Adult, Fantasy) @virgboecker @littlebrown

Series: The Witch Hunter # 2
Format: E-Galley, 368 pages
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Publisher: Little, Brown (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

"I think, in time, you'll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory."

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He's readying for a war against those who would resist his rule--namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth's strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she'll go to save those she loves.

The King Slayer is the second and final installment in Virginia Boecker's The Witch Hunter duology. Things have definitely changed for former Witch Hunter Elizabeth Grey, one of the best hunters in all of Anglia. Accused of being a witch, she was then charged with treason, and sentenced to death by her own mentor Blackwell, who she trained with and worked with for three years. Thanks to the assistance of Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful wizard in Anglia, Elizabeth found herself living in Harrow with the very same people who she once hunted, and yes, killed. In fact, she's had to make more than a few adjustments to go from the hunter, to an ally.

But, without her stigma which gave her strength and quick healing abilities, Elizabeth is basically just a human looking to stay alive. After months of waiting for Elizabeth to fully heal from her injuries, she must face a council inquiry into whether or not she will be allowed to stay in Harrow or be forced to leave. Elizabeth has even made some new friends along the way who have tried to help her against Blackwell and his new army of Revenants, Witches, and Wizards. They include John Raleigh, a healer, and the person now holding Elizabeth's stigma. (If you want to learn more about John, there is a novella called The Healer). The others are Peter, Fife, George, and Schuyler who have come to trust the once Witch Hunter. 

This series is set in alternative history 16th Century England, 1558 to be exact. There are hints that Anglia is actually England, while Gaul, is France. With this being a duology, things move rather quickly from start to finish. Elizabeth has to make choices. She has to decide whether to kill Blackwell on her own, or rely on her new alliances to help defeat his machinations, which include Blackwell's attempt at kidnapping and bringing Elizabeth back to his castle where he now claims to be King of Anglia. Elizabeth is not an overly complex character that we need to tear down and build back up. She was trained for a purpose. She survived deadly trials, and became the best at what being a witch hunter. Yes, she was even the former King Malcolm's mistress.

But, now, without her stigma, she can't hide the fact that she is mortal any longer. She has to train harder than most, and take chances so that she can thwart Blackwell's plans for her. She has to take a chance that her new allies won't stab her in the back at the most inopportune times. She also has to take risks that may be thought of as being reckless, and extremely dangerous to one's health. She also has to forgive herself for her past actions. Had Elizabeth just walked away from the entire thing, I dare say she would have regretted it for the rest of her life. But, above all, she has to make sure that John doesn't succumb to the new power he has in his body. New power that is making him reckless. 

I am pleased at how this story and series ended. I loved that the author brings along even more interesting characters like Keagan Hearn from the Order of the Rose along for the ride. Keagan is a fascinating character who belongs to a resistance group that does hit and run protests against Blackwell and who takes a chance on Elizabeth's determination to go after Blackwell. Keagan and the rest of the Order of the Rose have some pretty brilliant abilities as well. I was surprised, yet not shocked by the Caleb situation. You can never go wrong by tossing in a few heart racing surprises to keep the reader happy. You can also not go wrong by tossing in a mystery that will be shocking to most. If you are waiting for me to speak about the romance, all I can say is that it is pretty apparent in what direction this story was fated. Yes, there are difficult challenges. Yes, one of them is hard headed and needed to be slapped silly. Yet, there's not doubt Elizabeth and John are adorable together.

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