Anne Easter Smith's War of the Roses series

Author Anne Easter Smith brings us six celebrated novels set during the War of the Roses:

In A Rose for the Crown, we meet one of history's alleged villains through the eyes of a captivating new heroine -- the woman who was the mother of his illegitimate children, a woman who loved him for who he really was, no matter what the cost to herself.
As Kate Haute moves from her peasant roots to the luxurious palaces of England, her path is inextricably intertwined with that of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later King Richard III. Although they could never marry, their young passion grows into a love that sustains them through war, personal tragedy, and the dangerous heights of political triumph.
Anne Easter Smith's impeccable research provides the backbone of an engrossing and vibrant debut from a major new historical novelist.

It is 1461: Edward, son of Richard of York, ascends to the throne, and his willful sister, Margaret, immediately becomes a pawn in European politics as Edward negotiates her marriage. The young Margaret falls deeply in love with Anthony Woodville, the married brother of Edward's queen, Elizabeth. But Edward has arranged for his sister to wed Charles, son of the Duke of Burgundy, and soon Margaret is setting sail for her new life. Her official escort: Anthony Woodville. Margaret of York eventually commanded the respect and admiration of much of Europe, but it appears to history that she had no emotional intimate. Anne Easter Smith's rare gift for storytelling and her extensive research reveal the love that burned at the center of Margaret's life, adding a new dimension to the story of one of the fifteenth century's most powerful women.

History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

All that history knows of Grace Plantagenet is that she was an illegitimate daughter of Edward IV and one of two attendants aboard the funeral barge of his widowed queen. Thus, she was half sister of the famous young princes, who -- when this story begins in 1485 -- had been housed in the Tower by their uncle, Richard III, and are presumed dead.
But in the 1490s, a young man appears at the courts of Europe claiming to be Richard, duke of York, the younger of the boys, and seeking to claim his rightful throne from England's first Tudor king, Henry VII. But is this man who he says he is? Or is he Perkin Warbeck, a puppet of Margaret of York, duchess of Burgundy, who is determined to regain the crown for her York family? Grace Plantagenet finds herself in the midst of one of English history's greatest mysteries. If she can discover the fate of the princes and the true identity of Perkin Warbeck, perhaps she will find her own place in her family.

Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.

Edward IV has everything: power, majestic bearing, superior military leadership, a sensual nature, and charisma. And with Jane as his mistress, he also finds true happiness. But when his hedonistic tendencies get in the way of being the strong leader England needs, his life, as well as those of Jane and Will Hastings, hangs in the balance. Jane must rely on her talents to survive as the new monarch, Richard III, bent on reforming his brother’s licentious court, ascends the throne.

This dramatic tale has been an inspiration to poets and playwrights for five hundred years, and, as told through the unique perspective of a woman plucked from obscurity and thrust into a life of notoriety, Royal Mistress is sure to enthrall today’s historical fiction lovers as well.

Richard III. A man. A king. A legend.
He ruled England for only two years, but the legacy of Richard III remains both fascinating and
divisive.

From his childhood in the intensely loyal and close-knit York family to his rise as a thoughtful but troubled ruler, This Son of York is a passionate and deeply personal account of the life of Richard III. A man who loved his family and his country. A king who struggled to overcome the challenges not only of a turbulent time but his own human frailties. A legend whose true life is only now coming to light.

Inspired by the discovery of Richard III's grave and its revelations, award-winning author Anne Easter Smith brings together her decades of intense research, five celebrated novels on the Wars of the Roses, and her sustained passion for Richard III in this culminating book on the last Plantagenet king.

Susanna Horenbout trilogy

This trilogy by Michelle Diner is set in the court of Henry 8:

Henry VIII’s most lethal courtier and his newly appointed artist become the only thing keeping him on the throne—and if they survive, neither will ever be the same.

John Parker is one of Henry VIII most useful courtiers—utterly merciless and completely loyal. But one small favor for his king will pull Parker into a deadly plot against the throne, one that will test his courage, his resolve, and most especially, his heart.

A commission from Henry VIII should have been the crowning achievement of Susanna Horenbout’s career, but before the beautiful and talented artist even sets foot in England, she finds herself in possession of a secret that could change its history.

With Parker as her only protection against killers who will stop at nothing to silence her, Susanna has to trust the dangerous, enigmatic courtier.

She’s used to fighting in a man’s world, but she never expected to be fighting for her life.

Artist Susanna Horenbout is commissioned by King Henry VIII to paint a picture of the ceremony in St. Paul’s Cathedral to commemorate the capture of the French king Francis I in battle. While working on a sketch before the ceremony begins, Susanna overhears a bitter nobleman hinting at violence to the King, and she realizes she might be the only one who can stop an attack on Henry. As the King makes his way to the cathedral though the cheering crowds, Susanna desperately tries to find a way to save his life—while saving the nobleman from the certain death his anger will bring down upon him. (This is a short story)

A priceless jewel. A royal court rife with intrigue. A secret deal, where the price of truth could come too high...

The personal artist to King Henry Tudor, Susanna Horenbout is sought by the queen and ladies of the court for her skilled portraits. But a chance meeting of someone from her past pulls her into a duplicitous game, where the consequence of failure is war. Soon, Susanna and her betrothed, the king’s most dangerous courtier, are unraveling a plot that could shatter Europe. And at the heart of it is a magnificent missing diamond...

With John Parker at her side, Susanna searches for the diamond and those responsible for its theft, their every step dogged by a lethal assassin. Finding the truth means plunging into the heart of the court’s most bitter infighting, surviving the harrowing labyrinth of Fleet Prison—and then coming face-to-face with the most dangerous enemy of all.

An artist never betrays her patron...especially one of the world’s most powerful kings.

Susanna Horenbout has learned this lesson from the cradle. But when she receives a letter from her father telling her to do just that, she faces a dilemma. Betray Henry VIII, or carry out the request of her father’s employer, Margaret of Austria, and pass secret information to Henry’s queen, Katherine of Aragon.

Caught between the machinations of her husband and her nephew, the Emperor Charles, Queen Katherine needs all the allies she can get. But what can Susanna really do to help her, and even if she does, will it be enough?

Susanna and her betrothed, Parker—one of Henry’s most trusted courtiers—balance on the knife’s edge of treason as they try to make sense of both international and domestic conspiracies.

Sometimes, it’s better the enemy you know...

Jean Plaidy's Norman trilogy

This trilogy covers the reigns of William the Conquer through what's called The Anarchy:

A raw and robust historical novel of Henry and the two brothers he fought for the throne of England - hte second in the captivating Norman trilogy which began with The Bastard King.

Henry I of England is without an heir, and his daughter Matilda--married to the German emperor--and his nephew Stephen vie to gain unrestricted control of the throne.

The Blood Countess

As we are now heading into, if not already fully into, the Halloween season, I bring to you a few books on the infamous Elizabeth Bathory (or Erzsébet as She was known), who, in 1610, was sentenced to life long imprisonment in a room in a tower in her castle, charged with the death of 650 young women, supposedly using their blood to help "keep her young". Though the number is thought to be much lower, and some historians suspect there's a possiblity she may have been the victim of a conspiracy among certain factions of her family in order to gain her land, the legend of the notorious "blood countess" lives on...

Accused of having murdered hundreds of her servants, Countess Elizabeth Báthory was walled alive in her castle until she died. Years later, desperate to know the truth behind his infamous mother's crimes, young Count Paul seeks out the only man still alive who can tell her story: Countess Báthory's court master and confidante, Benedict Deseö. However, revealing the truth could destroy the old man's sanity and, very possibly, ruin the family reputation which the count so desperately wishes to preserve. Using real names and places, this historic novella tells the behind-the-scenes story of what happened to Countess Báthory, including her own personal torture, the rage and fear that drove her to murder her servant girls, and a gothic tale of undying love.

In 1611, Countess Erzsébet Báthory, a powerful Hungarian noblewoman, stood helpless as masons walled her inside her castle tower, dooming her to spend her final years in solitary confinement. Her crime: the gruesome murders of dozens of female servants, mostly young girls tortured to death for displeasing their ruthless mistress. Her opponents painted her as a bloodthirsty škrata—a witch—a portrayal that would expand to grotesque proportions through the centuries.

In this riveting dramatization of Erzsébet Báthory’s life, the countess tells her story in her own words, writing to her only son—a final reckoning from his mother in an attempt to reveal the truth behind her downfall. Countess Báthory describes her upbringing in one of the most powerful noble houses in Hungary, recounting in loving detail her devotion to her parents and siblings as well as the heartbreak of losing her father at a young age. She soon discovers the price of being a woman in sixteenth-century Hungary as her mother arranges her marriage to Ferenc Nádasdy, a union made with the cold calculation of a financial transaction. Young Erzsébet knows she has no choice but to accept this marriage even as she laments its loveless nature and ultimately turns to the illicit affections of another man.

Seemingly resigned to a marriage of convenience and a life of surreptitious pleasure, the countess surprises even herself as she ignites a marital spark with Ferenc through the most unromantic of acts: the violent punishment of an insolent female servant. The event shows Ferenc that his wife is no trophy but a strong, determined woman more than capable of managing their vast estates during Ferenc’s extensive military campaigns against the Turks. Her naked assertion of power accomplishes what her famed beauty could not: capturing the love of her husband.

The countess embraces this new role of loving wife and mother, doing everything she can to expand her husband’s power and secure her family’s future. But a darker side surfaces as Countess Báthory’s demand for virtue, obedience, and, above all, respect from her servants takes a sinister turn. What emerges is not only a disturbing, unflinching portrait of the deeds that gave Báthory the moniker “Blood Countess,” but an intimate look at the woman who became a monster.

Drawn from the true story of a seventeenth-century countess who bathed herself in human blood to preserve her looks forever, this chilling novel, combining gothic horror and romance, follows beautiful Erzebet, as she tells the story of her life while waiting to be sentenced for murder.

Born under the omen of a falling star, Erzebet Bizecka is a child of prophecy. The only heir of a powerful Hungarian count, she was predicted to die young or to live forever. Determined to survive despite the grim prophecy, Erzebet becomes obsessed with preserving her youth and beauty. Not even her closest friend, Marianna, can understand her crippling fear of growing older. Only the beautiful stranger, Sinestra, understands Erzebet's mania. He assures her that there are ways to determine her own destiny, pulling her into a dark world of blood rituals and promising eternal youth in return. Luring her victims to her tower room, Erzebet is determined to thwart God's plan for her life and create her own. How far will she be willing to go to protect herself?

In sixteenth-century Hungary, Anna Darvulia has just begun working as a scullery maid for the young and glamorous Countess Elizabeth Báthory. When Elizabeth takes a liking to Anna, she’s vaulted to the dream role of chambermaid, a far cry from the filthy servants’ quarters below. She receives wages generous enough to provide for her family, and the Countess begins to groom Anna as her friend, confident and lover. It’s not long before Anna falls completely under the Countess’s spell—and the Countess takes full advantage. Isolated from her former friends, family, and fiancé, Anna realizes she’s not a friend but a prisoner of the increasingly cruel Elizabeth. Then come the murders, and Anna knows it’s only a matter of time before the Blood Countess turns on her, too.

Turmoil reigns in post-Soviet Hungary when journalist Drake Bathory-Kereshtur returns from America to grapple with his family history. He’s haunted by the legacy of his ancestor, the notorious sixteenth-century Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who is said to have murdered more than 650 young virgins and bathed in their blood to preserve her youth. Interweaving past and present, The Blood Countess tells the stories of Elizabeth’s debauched and murderous reign and Drake’s fascination with the eternal clashes of faith and power, violence and beauty. Codrescu traces the captivating origins of the countess’s obsessions in tandem with the emerging political fervor of the reporter, building the narratives into an unforgettable, bloody crescendo.

Taut and intense, The Blood Countess is a riveting novel that deftly straddles the genres of historical fiction, thriller, horror, and family drama.

In the early 1600s, Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Blood Countess, ruled Čachtice Castle in the hinterlands of Slovakia. During bizarre nightly rites, she tortured and killed the young women she had taken on as servants. A devil, a demon, the terror of Royal Hungary—she bathed in their blood to preserve her own youth.

400 years later, echoes of the Countess’s legendary brutality reach Aspen, Colorado. Betsy Path, a psychoanalyst of uncommon intuition, has a breakthrough with sullen teenager Daisy Hart. Together, they are haunted by the past, as they struggle to understand its imprint upon the present. Betsy and her troubled but perceptive patient learn the truth: the curse of the House of Bathory lives still and has the power to do evil even now.

The story, brimming with palace intrigue, memorable characters intimately realized, and a wealth of evocative detail, travels back and forth between the familiar, modern world and a seventeenth-century Eastern Europe brought startlingly to life.

Inspired by the actual crimes of Elizabeth Báthory, The House of Bathory is another thrilling historical fiction from Linda Lafferty (The Bloodletter’s Daughter and The Drowning Guard). The novel carries readers along with suspense and the sweep of historical events both repellent and fascinating.

Royal Blood podcast, episode 60

Nonfiction:

This biography explores the life of the 16th-century "Blood Countess" of Hungary, Erzsébet Báthory. Reputed to be both a vampire and the world's worst female serial killer, she allegedly bathed in the blood of her 650 victims. Based on newly-found source material, translated into English for the first time, this book explores the actual life and trial of Countess Báthory, through letters, documents, and trial transcripts.

This new and expanded second edition explores the life of the 16th-century "Blood Countess" of Hungary, Erzsébet Báthory. Reputed to be both a vampire and the world's worst female serial killer, she allegedly bathed in the blood of her 650 victims. Based on newly-found source material, translated into English for the first time, this book explores the actual life and trial of Countess Báthory, through letters, documents, and trial transcripts.

In this book, readers are given a rare glimpse into the life of Hungary's most controversial noblewoman, Countess Erzsébet (Elizabeth) Báthory. Over 40 letters and documents, many of which have been recently discovered and translated, are presented here for the first time in English. Read the private letters Lady Báthory sent in secret to fellow nobility, learn how she administered her estates, and experience life as she knew it. Historical background is provided as well as biographical material. This book is an excellent resource for the Báthory scholar and enthusiast who is looking for new and factual information on the so-called Infamous lady.

Was Elizabeth Bathory a Monster?

If so, Countess Elizabeth Bathory: The Life and Legacy of History's Most Prolific Female Serial Killer is the book for you. It explains the life and times of this powerful woman - and how she came to be accuses of so many heinous crimes. You’ll gain access to a variety of historical versions, perspectives, and accounts of her life - some of which paint her as a villain—and others as a victim!

Was Elizabeth a victim of her family’s abuse - and her husband? Can her foul acts be explained by the horrors she witnessed as a girl and experienced as a teenager?

No one can say for sure which tales are true and which were fabricated by her political opponents. Perhaps later storytellers have embellished this horrifying tale - which is still popular today! Whatever the truth of the story, Countess Elizabeth Bathory: The Life and Legacy of History's Most Prolific Female Serial Killer is an essential piece of the puzzle. Read this book and decide for yourself!

In this book, you’ll even discover a useful time line of Elizabeth’s life and fall from grace.

Happy Reading and Good Luck!

”She didn’t fear death because inside herself, she didn’t conceive it as a common destiny, although she had seen it several times, although it had upset her so many times. Death is what happens to others, to the weak ones, she might have thought in her delirious blindness. As far as the physical pains and punishments were concerned, these had been exciting her ever since she was a child.” - Javier Garcia Sanchez, Contesa Dracula Erzsébet Báthory
The legends of vampires like Dracula have generated massive interest throughout time. Indeed, the story of a man (in some versions a very handsome, dashing man), who feeds on the blood of virgins in order to survive, and who walks the earth only at night, has been revived throughout the centuries in different forms. However, one famous tale that has been lost among the legends is the story of a female Dracula, an educated woman from a well-known family of 16th century Hungary who was so afraid to lose her beauty and young looks that she engaged in dangerous practices, combining witchcraft with exsanguination.
Countess Elizabeth Báthory is this female Dracula. She is said to have drained the blood of approximately 600 young women, in order to drink it, spread it all over her body as a nurturing blend, or simply to bathe in it. Her preferences for such practices can be explained by several factors, including the practices of the time as far as torture was concerned, her genetic heritage, personal madness, and the fear of fading beauty.
Despite the general impression that Báthory was exsanguinating these girls and bathing in their blood, it appears that she did much more. Sources indicate that most of the girls had been beaten, tortured, and even forced into particular sexual activities. Regardless, her attempts to do anything to keep her beauty apparently went for naught, because upon her death, Báthory was no longer the beautiful and young woman she desired to be. In essence, it seems that all her criminal efforts had been in vain.
Based on her behavior and the reactions to it throughout time, it is virtually impossible to set Erzsébet Báthory in a character typology. On one hand, she could be considered a bored wife left alone by her husband for long periods of time, time that she used to develop passions for same-sex relations and an acute interest in inflicting pain on her victims. She might be seen as a mentally unstable person who found great joy in torturing others. Perhaps most disturbing of all, there’s a possibility that the countess was a common character within the nobility of the 16th century who was acting normally based on the customs and norms of her era.
Adding to the mystery of the story is that historical records are still mostly inaccessible because of the language barriers (most historical sources are in Hungarian). As a result, researchers interested in her life story and history usually rely on a limited number of available sources, such as biographies, articles, published letters said to have belonged to her, and scholarly articles on the topic.
Countess Elizabeth Bathory: The Life and Legacy of History’s Most Prolific Female Serial Killer details the mysterious and sordid history of one of the world’s first and worst serial killers. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Countess Bathory like never before, in no time at all.