Today I’m fortunate to be reviewing the novella The Last Plantagenet? written by Jennifer C. Wilson. Hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources I’m thrilled to be part of this three day blog blitz.
The fireplace hadn’t looked like a time-portal.
All Kate had wanted was a fun, relaxing day out, watching the knights jousting at Nottingham Castle. What she ended up with was something quite different.
Transported in a heartbeat from 2011 to 1485, how will Kate handle life at the Ricardian court? Even more importantly, how will she cope when she catches the eye of the king himself?
I have to admit, when I was given the opportunity to review this story, I had to look up the word Plantagenet. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but assumed it had something to do with plants and some sort of science-fiction gadget. Needless to say, it didn’t, but I’m not surprised I hadn’t heard it before because it turns out it’s a royal title!
For those of you who aren’t sure what it means either:
adjectiveadjective: Plantagenet
nounnoun: Plantagenet; plural noun: Plantagenets
Originfrom Latin planta genista ‘sprig of broom’, said to be worn as a crest by and given as a nickname to Geoffrey, count of Anjou, the father of Henry II.
I found it a bit bizarre that Kate wasn’t worried about her friends and family back in her own time, and there was a certain lack of depth throughout the story – but again, it’s under 100 pages and there’s only so much you can explore while still moving the story forward.
The insight into the life of a king, the conspiracies at court, the realities that nobility might have faced – they were all touched on and given a new perspective that made the story that much more intriguing.
I loved the twist! I can’t give anything away because no one likes spoilers, but the twist at the end made the story for me. The realism of the ending was; in my opinion, perfectly executed. Not only that, but there’s an element of mystery to it that makes me wonder if the author intends to build on it and create a new world featuring the characters. I certainly hope so.
Overall, The Last Plantagenet? gets four out of five feathers.
Purchase the novel from Amazon UK.
*I received a free copy of the book from Rachel’s Random Resources in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author
Jennifer is a marine biologist by training, who developed an equal passion for history whilst stalking Mary, Queen of Scots of childhood holidays (she since moved on to Richard III). She completed her BSc and MSc at the University of Hull, and has worked as a marine environmental consultant since graduating.
Enrolling on an adult education workshop on her return to the north-east reignited Jennifer’s pastime of creative writing, and she has been filling notebooks ever since. In 2014, Jennifer won the Story Tyne short story competition, and also continues to work on developing her poetic voice, reading at a number of events, and with several pieces available online. Her Kindred Spirits novels are published by Crooked Cat Books and available via Amazon.
Social Media Links
Chasing Dreams Publishing 
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