This is book 1 of the Queens of the Tower series.
Giovanna Vaux, more commonly known as Joan, or Gigi to her mother, is a commoner and servant to the princess Elizabeth of York when she is about to become Henry VII Tudor’s wife and queen. Joan is a favourite of Elizabeth and she is married off to one of the King’s loyal followers, Richard Guildford, and thus she can rise to become one of Queen Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting. Along with Joan’s personal life, we follow the lives of King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth, which is the similar plot line to another book for the prompt.
Joan befriends the ravens at her home with Richard Guildford and later the ravens at the tower. She recognises ravens as clever creatures whereas others in her family, her husband for instance, think the birds cause pestilence and other ills.
This was the first book by Joanna Hickson I’ve read, and I don’t think it will be the last. I like her style, I liked the link to the first Tudor king and queen.
Read for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Prompt 22: A plot similar to another book.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
