Set in England during 1464-87, this account of the Wars of the Roses is seen from a friend of Richard III’s viewpoint, namely Sir Francis Lovell.

The brief opening chapter is narrated by Francis in 1487, two years after King Richard’s death at Bosworth, when Lovell is in hiding after a last attempt to wrest the crown from Henry VII and reclaim the throne for the Yorkist heir, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln. The remainder of the book is narrated in third person, focusing on events as seen from Francis’s perspective.

In interesting slant to the tale is Francis having serious feelings for Anne Neville, who eventually becomes Queen of England after marring Richard III, yet friendship and loyalty prevents Lovell from ever admitting his love.

Whilst in his teens Francis is forced into a marriage with a beautiful yet despicable woman called Anna, though in medieval times this wasn’t too big a deal, as it was common for married couples to have affairs with people more to their tastes.

The author is pro-Richard and endeavours to show him in a good light. She does a good enough job of this, however, *her* Richard refusing to show his nephews to the populace to prove that he hasn’t murdered them “because he was too stubborn” strikes me as very lame. The actual fate of the princes is pretty much brushed aside, being altogether unconvincing, which is a poor effort in an otherwise strong storyline.

Apart from the above plus the odd minor error – such as Edward V being described as a 13-year old when Richard escorted him to the Tower after Edward IV’s death, when in fact he was 12 – this is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in this period of English history. ( )