SYNOPSISIn the troubled year of 1605, Papist plots are rife in the gaudy streets of Shakespeare's London as the fifth of November approaches ! Francis Quoynt, Firemaster, is recently returned from Flanders and dreaming of making fireworks rather than war. Instead, Quoynt is recruited by Robert Cecil, First Minister, to spy on Guido Fawkes and his fellow conspirators. Meanwhile, Sir Francis Bacon is scheming for high position and spying on Quoynt. Kate Peach, a glove maker, was Quoynt's lover before war took him away. Now living in Southwark, she is brought into grave danger. She is a secret Catholic. A fugitive Jesuit is concealed in her rooms. While Francis hopes to prevent the death of King James I and everyone in his parliament, Kate will have to save herself !
MY VIEW
Based on the famous Gunpowder Plot to try and blow up James I and his parliament, the two main characters being Francis & Kate, Kate Peach is a glove maker and Francis Quoynt is hired to prevent the Gunpowder Plot from happening.
But, of course the story is more than that and it is so brilliantly weaved, if I am totally honest I didn't think this book would be that great and in fact I only bought it because it was on a 3 for 2 in Waterstones and was frantically searching for the third when I saw the cover and Philippa Gregory quoting her thoughts on the book and thought it had to be a winner, I never even read the blurb on the back before buying it!
This book for those who like me only know the basics of the details of the Gunpowder Plot is really interesting to see the details more in depth and the background of how the Gunpowder Plot came about and what happened before and after.
I loved this book from beginning to end and was so engrossed a really brilliant historical fiction novel!
4 comments:
I really enjoyed this book when I read it a couple of years ago. I wasn't quite so enamoured of the sequel though. Are you going to read The Principessa?
I have got it to read but, have heard its not so good, shame this one was really brilliant!
Hi there! I liked your review. I thought the books was just "okay" in the beginning, but then I became drawn in by the characters, the action and the whole back drop of the book!
I didn't know much about the Gunpowder Plot so this book was enlightening -- and enjoyable -- though, I, too, wondered if I would like it when I first started reading. I'm reading THE PRINCIPESSA now and I actually like this one even more than THE FIREMASTER'S MISTRESS.
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