Yet I’d have to say my favourite character was Derry Brewer, the Machiavellian spymaster who tries his best to find and thwart any plots against the regime. Henry VI is a pious, weak fool of course but he’s far more sympathetic than he’s usually portrayed, particularly during his descent into madness. Margaret of Anjou, typically the scheming evil queen in most stories about the period, came off as a devoted wife who tried to do the best she could for her country. They were all different in their own ways and they all had believable motivations and character arcs that made you want to know what happened to them. With that little preamble out of the way, I have to say that I really did enjoy pretty much all of the characters in this book. So it really sets up the war and we see the beginning of it, but we haven’t really gotten into the period that’s the most famous yet. It’s all about the weak rule of Henry VI sowing the seeds for discontent with the current regime and the rise of the Yorks as the sort of official opposition to the throne. I have to say that Stormbird really takes place in the civil unrest that leads up to the official War of the Roses. Who, or what can save the kingdom before it is too late? With a secret deal struck for Henry to marry a young French noblewoman, Margaret of Anjou, those fears become all too real.Īs storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. With England’s territories in France under threat, and rumours of revolt at home, fears grow that Henry and his advisers will see the country slide into ruin. Yet there are those, such as the Plantagenet Richard, Duke of York, who believe England must be led by a strong king if she is to survive.
His poor health and frailty of mind render him a weakling king -Henry depends on his closest men, Spymaster Derry Brewer and William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to run his kingdom. In 1437, after years of regency, the pious and gentle Henry VI, the Lamb, comes of age and accedes to the English throne. King Henry V – the great Lion of England – is long dead. Wars of the Roses: the brand new historical series from Conn Iggulden – internationally best-selling author of the Emperor and Conqueror series.
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