#robyn young

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Series: Brethren Triology

Writer: Robyn Young

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Titel: Broderskabet

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Titel: Korstog

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Titel: Rekvim

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Jean Brodie - still in her prime.

Jean Brodie – still in her prime.

So, to the Edinburgh Book Festival in earnest – and the sun is shining! On Sunday I heard S J Parris (aka Stephanie Merritt) and Robyn Young talking about their historical fiction series. It was particularly intriguing to hear their different approaches to research – something it’s very easy to get so involved in that you almost forget to actually write the book… Today I spent some time in the…

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HENRY VII: FATHER OF THE TUDORS

Robyn Young introduces us to the incredible figure of Henry VII, father of the Tudors:

Out in the Channel the boat lurched over another wave and plunged down, salt spray lashing the men fighting grimly to stay on course. The September sky was dark with storm. Strong winds had whipped the seas wild, raging around the beleaguered vessel, forcing it further and further west. 

Among the boat’s small crew, was Jasper Tudor, former Earl of Pembroke and a son of Catherine of Valois, widowed queen of Henry V, and her lover, Welsh gentleman, Owen Tudor. Half-brother of King Henry VI, Jasper had been brought up in England, well educated and cared for. He had grown to manhood during the dynastic struggles that would become known as the Wars of the Roses, where two rival houses of the Plantagenet dynasty, York and Lancaster, would bloody English soil for more than thirty years as each sought to place their sons upon the throne. 

Rebel soldier and proud man of the House of Lancaster, Jasper had celebrated the triumphant return of his half-brother to the throne the year before, after their Yorkist enemy, King Edward IV, was vanquished in battle and sent into exile. But over the past five months – with Edward’s return and Lancastrian defeats at the disastrous battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury – Jasper had seen his house, his hope, crumble. Hunted by agents of the newly-restored Edward, he fled into Wales. Surrounded, he sent desperate messages across the Channel asking the French court for aid, before slipping from Britain’s shores, bound, he prayed, for safe haven. But the wind and waves cared nothing for Jasper’s plans and the little boat was driven instead to the shores of the Duchy of Brittany, where Duke Francis II – enemy of France and ally of England – could not believe his luck. 

These English exiles, Francis knew, might prove useful indeed in his ongoing struggle to keep his duchy protected from the expansionist aims of French king, Louis XI – known as the Universal Spider for the webs of political intrigue he wove. Jasper was a fine prize, yes, but even more valuable was the young man who had crossed the sea with him. His nephew. Henry Tudor. 

Born in the bitterness of a Welsh winter in 1457, Henry had never met his father, Edmund – Jasper’s brother and Earl of Richmond – who died of plague in a Yorkist prison before he was born. Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, was only thirteen when she delivered him and, despite two further marriages, would bear no more children. In 1461, the brutal Battle of Towton had changed the fortunes of the Lancastrians and heralded the rising of Edward of York. At four years old, Henry was taken from his mother and placed in the household of a prominent Yorkist, trained, educated and groomed for marriage. It was not a bad life, but despite the comfort he lived in he remained a captive, his destiny controlled by enemies of his family. Two years ago, when his master was slain in battle, Henry was returned to his kin in the care of his uncle, Jasper, but this brief taste of freedom was to be his first – and last – for a long time. 

When Henry Tudor was brought, exhausted and disheartened, before Francis of Brittany, the duke saw not a fourteen-year-old boy, but a young man of royal blood who, with the recent death – some said murder – of King Henry VI, had become the last heir of the House of Lancaster. A young man with a claim to the English throne. For the next twelve years, Henry and Jasper lived as noble prisoners; birds in a gilded cage. At times together, at times separated, they were kept in well-appointed, even luxurious surroundings, but ever under the control of their keeper, who used them as pawns in the games of power between Brittany, England and France. Moved from castle to castle, they were never safe, Edward IV keen to take custody of Henry, “the only imp now left of Henry VI’s blood.” [Vergil]. Henry must have learned patience, as well as mistrust and suspicion, never knowing what might happen next. In 1475, a peace signed between England and France left Henry – and Brittany – exposed. Edward negotiated with Duke Francis for the young man’s extradition, but at the eleventh hour the deal fell through. Then, at long last, Edward changed tack. In 1482, he agreed a deal with Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, and her third husband, the enigmatic Lord Stanley – that Henry would be allowed to return to England a free man with a generous inheritance, if he came into the king’s peace. But the following year, Edward IV was dead, the deal was off, and England was in chaos. 

Edward’s eldest son was set to take his father’s crown, but instead, his uncle, Richard of Gloucester, took control, sending his nephews to the Tower and ascending to the throne as Richard III. But the new king’s reign was not destined to be smooth and within a few short months of his coronation, the fires of rebellion had set flame to the kingdom. Receiving secret word that Buckingham, Richard’s own cousin, had turned against him, Henry once again had cause to hope. What was more, his tenacious mother had made an agreement with Elizabeth Woodville, Edward IV’s queen and mother of the princes in the Tower – since rumoured to have perished at their uncle’s hand – an agreement that Henry would marry her eldest daughter, Elizabeth of York. Such a match would greatly strengthen Henry’s position. His veins might flow with royal blood, but his was a line tainted by illegitimacy – a line which, despite their pedigree, had been prohibited from claiming the throne. Now, after all these years, might the fallen House of Lancaster rebuild its dreams? In autumn 1483, the stage was set for the Tudors to return, aided by their long-term gaoler, Duke Francis. Francis, it seemed, had grown close to Henry, coming to see him more as a useful ally than a prisoner. The Bretons had a long association with, and love of, the legends of King Arthur, Merlin thought to be entombed in a forest there. Henry may have used this to his advantage, playing up his Welsh ancestry and his family’s claim to be descended from Cadwaladr – the last king of the Britons – who prophesied the return of one of his line. Cadwaladr was said to have been aided in his attempt at a British invasion by the ruler of Brittany. History, Henry and Francis now determined, would repeat itself. Taking as his symbol the red dragon of Wales, Henry set sail at the head of a fleet of ships, supplied by the duke. He was going home to join Buckingham and the rebels, and defeat Richard III. He was going home to marry Elizabeth of York and take the throne of England. But those seas, those treacherous seas, once more betrayed him. A storm blew half his ships back to Brittany and when Henry’s vessel finally struggled to the Dorset coast, he found royalist troops waiting for him. He was forced to turn around, never having set foot on English soil. 

Now, the cloak was off the wolf. King Richard could no longer rest, knowing a man who hungered for his crown was out there, waiting, with the will to return. The following year, he was plotting Henry’s capture with Francis’s chief minister, Pierre Landais. By this time, Henry and Jasper had a small army of men with them in the Breton court. Most had joined them from England, many of them Yorkist gentlemen from the southern counties, deeply resentful of Richard III – who had supplanted them with men of his northern faction – and enraged by the rumour he had murdered his own nephews. 

Forewarned of the plot against him, Henry disguised himself as a groom and fled Brittany with a small band of men, crossing the border into France where he found a new ally in the boy king, Charles VIII, who was concerned by this resumption of the old Anglo-Breton alliance that might impact on France. Duke Francis, old and unwell, must indeed have become fond of his prisoner, for not only did he hang Landais for his treachery, he also granted Henry’s forces safe passage into France. There, over the winter of 1484, with the aid of the French king, Henry built himself an army. 

The following year, in July, his fleet set sail once more, his forces bolstered by French soldiers and prisoners released from the gaols of Normandy. At last, Henry Tudor, the so-called “son of prophecy” landed on the sands of Milford Haven, not far from his place of birth, on 7 August 1485. Raising the red dragon, he marched north, drawing crowds of Welshmen to his banner, to where King Richard was waiting for him, under the standard of the white boar. 

On a marshy plain near the small town of Market Bosworth, the dragon and the boar met. The king’s vast array of troops was far in excess of his enemy’s, among them Henry’s own stepfather, Lord Stanley. King Richard was confident. He was a son of the House of Plantagenet, a proud man of York. He had commanded armies since he was seventeen. This young upstart before him – with his tainted blood – was untested in battle. At dawn on 22 August, they clashed. 

We know the outcome. Henry, bloodied and battle-burned, took the crown that morning, when Richard III lay dead, betrayed at the eleventh hour by the treacherous Lord Stanley. He was the last English king to die in battle, the last king of York, the last Plantagenet. Claiming the throne not by right of his blood, but by conquest, Henry married Elizabeth, uniting the rival houses of York and Lancaster, and greatly strengthening his royal claim. His symbol became the Tudor rose – the red and white roses of each house combined. 

Thus, the Tudor dynasty was born, a dynasty that would rule England for the next one hundred and eighteen years, and Henry VII – prince in exile, son of prophecy, conqueror – its father. 

[For more information on Henry VII, I highly recommend Thomas Penn’s brilliant biography Winter King, and The Hollow Crown, Dan Jones].

Pre-order your copy of Sons of the Blood now.

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(About book series : I really dislike them. On one hand if it's a good series you have 3-X amount of awesomeness to read. On the other more dominant hand it means that you actively have to hunt down/wait for/suffer to read them all. I swear 90% of the time when you go to a library or book store only a 3rd of the series is available for same day check out. If you are a patient person this won't bother you, but if you're like me this will feel like being denied a voice. When I went to the library today- regrettably for the first time in this year - I turned down at least a dozen books for this reason. Always the second book or the third never one, two, and three etc. It became a sorrowful experience. The worst was when I found the Templar knight trilogy by Robin Young missing the second book - the book I had wanted to read for nearly a year. But this time I said to hell with it. I really wanted to read her story, so I picked up the third book expecting to be completely lost or missing so many vital points to the story, and to be somewhat disappointed. *slams hands down on desk* NOOOPPEE! This is freaking awesome!!! Not knowing what happened to the main character during his time in the Levant is like both receiving an old warrior and returning from war at the same time! THERE ARE NO REGRETS! Medieval historical fiction for the winnnnnn whhooooooo!)

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Robyn Young interview on KINGDOM and writing historical fiction

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Bestselling author ROBYN YOUNG on tour for RENEGADE!

The thrilling second instalment in the bestselling Insurrection series, RENEGADE is out in paperback now, and author Robyn Young is taking part in a number of events across the UK over the next month.

King Edward of England marches on Scotland, bent on conquest.

Only one man stands in his way.

Robert Bruce is determined to claim the throne of Scotland himself. But there are other families who hunger for the crown, old rivals gathered against him.

Robert was always prepared to die on the battlefield, but in this deadly game of power, conspiracy and divided loyalties, what else must he sacrifice to keep his hopes alive?

To find out more about Robyn Young's exciting new novel, or to meet one of the best writers of historical fiction and discover more of the life and times of Robert the Bruce why not come to one of the following events:

THURSDAY 26th SEPTEMBER, 6.30pm: History in the Court, Goldsboro Books, Cecil Court, London Wc2N 4EZ

Robyn will be attending the annual History in the Court evening, hosted by Goldsboro Books in conjunction with the Historical Writers' Association, giving readers the opportunity to meet some of the best and most exciting writers of historical fiction and non-fiction today.

To find out more visit www.goldsborobooks.com

To book tickets visit www.historyinthecourt.com

SUNDAY 28th SEPTEMBER, 2pm: Book signing at Waterstones, 27 Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster DN1 1LJ

Click here for more details.

SUNDAY 29th SEPTEMBER, 3pm: Wigtown Book Festival, McNeillie Tent, Wigtown, Wigtownshire, Scotland, DG8 9JH

For tickets and more information click here.

FRIDAY 25th OCTOBER, 2pm: Dundee Literary Festival, 6th Floor, Tower Building, Perth Road, Dundee DD1 4HN

Robyn will be speaking on a panel with Imogen Robertson, Iain Gale and Fiona Watson, (chaired by Anne McMillan). The title of their debate is: How accurate are historical events when they are reproduced in fiction? Here is your chance to find out just how close to the truth historical fiction really is.

For more information and to book tickets click here 

SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER, 3pm: Harrogate History Festival, The Old Swan Hotel, Swan Road, Harrogate, HG1 2SR

Robyn will be speaking on a panel with A. L. Berridge, Robert Low and Tim Willocks, entitled To battle! Conflict in fiction.

Battles and warfare are the meat and bones of history. Four renowned authors will discuss the whys and hows of writing gripping and enthralling battle scenes.

For more information click here. 

To book tickets click here.

For more information on Robyn Young and her historical novels, visit her website or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Extra content, including videos and first chapter downloads, can be found on the Hodder & Stoughton website.

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History in the Court, Goldsboro Books 26th September 2013

Next week sees the return of History in the Court at the fabulous independent bookshop Goldsboro Books in the heart of London. Held in conjunction with the Historical Writers' Association, History in the Court is an evening dedicated to celebrating the very best of historical writing. 

If you've never been before, don't miss this wonderful opportunity to meet some of your favourite historical writers (our very own Robyn Young and Anthony Riches will be there), buy some first edition books, have your books signed, or just enjoy talking to other readers over a glass of wine.

Also during the evening Goldsboro Books will present the 2013 HWA/Goldsboro Crown Award to a debut writer of historical fiction.

For more information, and to buy tickets, visit the History in the Court website here.

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As we approach the last long weekend of the year, we thought we’d do a little digging into the history of the bank holiday, and here’s what we discovered . . .

  It was the Liberal politician and banker Sir John Lubbock who introduced the Bank Holidays Act in 1871. The four designated days were: Easter Monday, Whit Monday (the first Monday in May), the first Monday in August and Boxing Day. Apparently the English people were so grateful that the days were known as St Lubbock’s Days for a time.

  It wasn’t until 1965 that the last Monday in August became a Bank Holiday, and even then it was only on an experimental basis – the actual date was announced in Parliament on an ad hoc basis, and sometimes the Monday in question actually fell in September!

  In 1971 the Banking and Financial Dealings Act superseded the earlier act, and the summer bank holiday was officially moved from the first Monday in August to the last.

  Right, now that the history is out of the way, we can get onto more important things, namely our recommended reads for the final long weekend of the year.

  For a novel of legend, destiny, power and kingship, don’t miss RENEGADE, the in which one of our best young historical writers, Robyn Young, explores the struggles of Robert the Bruce and Scotland’s fight for independence against a brutal English king.

  If you’re looking for a literary tour-de-force, then don’t miss THE DAUGHTERS OF MARS, the latest novel by Booker Prize winner Thomas Keneally. The Times described this novel of two Australian sisters who joined the war effort as nurses in 1915 as ‘unmissable’ and ‘unforgettable’.

  If you love action-packed historical tales, filled with drama, passion and bloodshed, then why not travel back to Roman Britain with Anthony Riches in his bestselling Empire series. The sixth instalment, THE EAGLE’S VENGEANCE is out in hardcover, eBook and audio download tomorrow.  

  If, like us, you’re crazy about the Tudors, and love a bit of crime mixed in with your history, then why not try Rory Clements’s John Shakespeare series, in which Shakespeare’s brother John must investigate murder and intrigue at the court of Elizabeth I.

  Finally, if you want to escape to a distant land, then look no further than Adam Williams’s sweeping epic set amid the brothels of China in the early 20th Century, THE PALACE OF HEAVENLY PLEASURES.

  Happy reading!