Kingmaker: Broken Faith takes place a year and a half after the Battle of Towton and the end of Kingmaker: Winter Pilgrims, and knowledge of the characters and prior events is essential to be able to follow the continuation of the story. While I didn't find the sequel quite as engrossing as the first volume in the quartet, this is still a cut above most other historical fiction, with the reader being taken on a journey to the tumultuous events in the fifteenth century that are known as the Wars of the Roses. The pace is noticeably slower than before, but in return the reader gets to know Thomas and Katherine, and a number of other characters, even better. Toby Clements clearly has done his research, because not only does he give a detailed accounts of the events of the spring of 1464 involving the nobility and even royalty, but he also manages to evoke life for the ordinary Englishman in those times. Highly recommended. ( )

In the aftermath of the battle of Towton, life in 15th century England has changed. King Henry is a fugitive and King Edward is on the throne. Various nobles have changed sides, pledging their loyalty to the ascending forces in the hope of retaining their lands and benefits. Kathryn is at Cornford Castle, impersonating Margaret Cornford and married to a blind husband. Thomas Everingham has lost his memory after the battle and is living on his brother's farm. Fate, however, has other plans and, as Thomas regains his strength and memory, Kathryn is forced to become a fugitive again as her skills as a surgeon lead to the death of a woman. Brought together they seek revenge on the Rivens and to plot a pathway through a landscape torn by feuding, war and betrayal.

I haven't read the first in the series and it took me a while to get into this book. This was mainly due to the fact that the story is not about the famous historical characters but focuses on 'ordinary' people, therefore the backstories were not familiar, even if the places and events were. After getting into the story I was completely engrossed. The years between Towton and Edgecote Moor are relatively quiet historically and this book incorporates the battles of Hexham and Hedgeley Moor which were little more than skirmishes but which encompass the game of 'cat and mouse' between Lancaster and York which took place over the North between 1460 and 1464. However the complexities of the revolt in the north and the fluidity of loyalties are clearly shown via their impact on the ordinary people and the fighting men. For this alone Clements' book is worthy but the quality of the writing and the thrill of the plot make it outstanding ( )

Broken Faith continues in much the same vein as the first book in this trilogy, Winter Pilgrims.
We are back in the midst of the disquiet that surrounds the War of the Roses and our protagonists, Katherine and Thomas are just as thickly immersed in the controversy which surrounds the quest to put the deposed Henry VI, back on the throne. Using as its starting point, Katherine's deception as Marjory Cornford, the wife of Richard Fakenham and Thomas’s amnesiac return to the brotherhood, the story takes an interesting - albeit somewhat contrived - twist in order to bring these two people back together.
As with Winter Pilgrims, the author has used his considerable knowledge and historical expertise to bring to life the story of the Wars of the Roses in the years following the King Henry VI’s catastrophic defeat at the battle of Towton in 1461, and the ascendency of the York brothers, as Edward IV takes the crown. But nothing is ever straightforward and even asThomas and Katherine find themselves once more at the heart of the campaign to reinstate the rightful king, their colourful and often dangerous journey sees them brought up against old enemies. Charged with the burden of carrying a secret and vitally important document, Thomas and Katherine, journey north to the fortress of Bamburgh, where they discover an enfeebled King and a country in turmoil.
There is no doubt that the author writes with great conviction about this turbulent time in our history. The lives of ordinary people are brought to life and what is revealed in detail is often, shocking and viciously cruel, but which ultimately, we hope, will end, in some sort of restitution for both Thomas and Katherine. ( )

For a review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2016/07/17/broken-faith-toby-clements/ ( )