About the Book: Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, has been for centuries an enigmatic figure shrouded in lurid myth. Was she the bereft widow of legend who was driven mad by her loss, or has history misjudged a woman who was ahead of her time? In his stunning new novel, C. W. Gortner challenges the myths about Queen Juana, unraveling the mystery surrounding her to reveal a brave, determined woman we can only now begin to fully understand.

The third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, Juana is born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify their kingdom, bearing witness to the fall of Granada and Columbus’s discoveries. At the age of sixteen, she is sent to wed Philip, the archduke of Flanders, as part of her parents’ strategy to strengthen Spain, just as her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, is sent to England to become the first wife of Henry VIII.

Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her handsome young husband, the sole heir to the Habsburg Empire. At first she is content with her children and her life in Flanders. But when tragedy strikes and she inherits the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, her intelligence and pride used as weapons against her, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it could cost her everything.

My Review: Until I read The Other Boleyn Girl earlier this year, the subject of the queens and kings of long ago was not very interesting to me. In fact, I probably never would have picked to read a book like this. But when this book came on offer for virtual tour, I jumped at the chance having so greatly enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl.

I am so glad I did, because I absolutely loved this book. This has been an extraordinarily busy week for me, and I just did not want to put this book down. I brought it everywhere with me, hoping to sneak in a page here and there.

I knew nothing about this legendary queen, but what a fascinating history! Gortner portrays Juana’s stubborness, her strength and self-doubt, her courage, and love of country so deeply that you feel you are right there with her. I felt so much of what she felt as she faced a life I can’t even imagine. From the various manipulations of her birth family to her husband, whether or not she was at all insane, I think she was mostly a smart woman with incredible courage and force of will.

Gortner spent six years researching this book and it shows. The details are present without being overwhelming and the characters are sharply drawn and feel so authentic. The plot moves at a perfect pace…trust me when you start this book you won’t want to put it down. Highly Recommended.

About the Book:In a time of discovery and decadence, when the gold that poured endlessly into the port of Sevilla devalued money, marriage, and love itself, young Juan Tenorio was abandoned and raised by nuns. He grew up loving and worshipping all women, but a clandestine affair with one of the sisters forces him to leave the Church—and his plans for the priesthood—forever. Juan becomes a spy, as well as the world’s greatest libertine. But far from the heartless seducer that legend recounts, he seeks liberation and redemption as much as personal pleasure and gratification. He begins to keep a diary of his greatest adventures and the arts of passion he has mastered. The most dangerous adventure of all—the irresistible fall into the madness of love with the only woman who could ever make him forget all others—finally compels him to confess everything.

My Review: I hadn’t spent much time thinking about Don Juan, so I thought this book would be an interesting way to learn more about him and his time period. And it was! The stakes were high during the life of Don Juan..the Inquisition was in full force. And his job was to please women! I found the way he believed in pleasing women for their own benefit to be a believable way to look at this famous lover from history.

This book is very sensual…in that the description is so rich you feel you are actually experiencing Spain in the 1500′s. In the beginning, the book weaves back and forth between Don Juan’s past and his present so that we can understand the present situation with more clarity. There’s a lot of swordfighting and adventure, but also little nuggets of wisdom and truth revealed through dialogue and some last minute revelations that will surprise you.

Recommended if you have an interest in Don Juan or this time period in history.

Check it out on Amazon!

About the book:  It is 1917, when revolution threatens to destroy the Romanov dynasty.  Anton Klassen, a Mennonite from Russia’s southern steppelands, is given a sacred trust and a royal command by none other than Imperial Tsar Nikolai himself.  Yet, fighting a past of insecurity and cowardice, Anton has much to prove. . . to the fatherland, to himself, and to the woman he loves – a rescued chambermaid from the Royal House of Romanov.  When Anton learns the dangerous secret Oksana harbors, will he find the courage to fulfill his mission, or will he abdicate his reponsibility and destroy Oksana’s future?  Only faith in the promises of God can save the Heirs of Anton.

My review:  Susan K. Downs and Susan May Warren co-authored this book set in the year of 1917 in Russia.  The Bolshevik revolution and the Romanov dynasty are perhaps pieces of history not well-known to many of us.  I think I only took one or two years of world history in high school.  I do remember covering this material, but is was really fascinating to revisit this time period in the form of story.  Bits of Russian culture and language are sprinkled throughout the story.  The main characters in this book go through many struggles that test their faith and force them to make difficult decisions.  However, these struggles only serve to bring them closer together, and closer to God.  In the end, they know only God can sustain them and without Him they are alone.  It is a love story,  between man and woman, between friends, and among family.  The plot is action-filled and compels you to keep reading.   Those who enjoy historical fiction (and romance!) will enjoy this book. 

I believe this is the 4th book in the Heirs of Anton series and unfortunately, I read it first!  I don’t know if that will affect my reading of the other books in the series, but I’ll read them anyway.  And I’ll let you know if the others are as good as this one!

Oksana by Susan K. Downs and Susan May Warren is available from Barbour Publishers.  Also, this book has been republished under the title The Sovereign’s Daughter.