A truly gripping and compelling novel exploring the fascinating life of Joan of Kent, as she grew from a wilful child to a shrewd and capable woman, through to the time her son became Richard II. Joan tells her own story, creating a delicious intimacy, we meet her in 1340, when she secretly marries at the age of 12, an inconceivable age, yet this is a woman who proves again and again that she knows her own mind. The awareness of the lines between fact and fiction blurred as I read, and I found myself escaping into and just thoroughly enjoying this novel. By the end I was so enamoured with Joan, I was left with a hunger for more information about her life beyond the end of the book. Anne O’Brien chooses some extraordinary and intriguing women from history to place within her tales and ‘The Shadow Queen’ more than lives up to expectations, what a splendid read this is.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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