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Promise of The Rose
By Brenda Joyce
A jewel of historical romances, Promise Of The Rose, is Ms. Joyce at her best. The book has everything, political intrigue, deception, lust for power, war, love, abduction, and betrayal. From a Master’s pen a beautiful historical tapestry comes to life. Just Ms. Joyce’s talent could dig in such a rich historical time and come up with a GEM.
The characters are powerful, intriguing and unforgettable .The hero is Stephen de Warenne. Stephen is the Earl of Northumberland’s son and heir. His father, Rolfe de Warenne, is the hero of The Conqueror, another one of Ms. Joyce’s masterpieces. Rolfe de Warenne and his three sons Stephen, Geoffrey and Brand hold in their hands the greatest power in England. What Rolf conquered, the sons kept well.Malcolm III (Conmore) is the King of Scotland. All his life Malcolm tries to regain Scotland’s territories taken by Normans, even though his every attempt fails. The Scotland King’s army and Northumberland’s army are constantly at war over the territories held now by the Earl of Northumberland.Stephen de Warenne is Malcolm’s worst enemy. Stephen is powerful and ruthless. The last attempt made by Malcolm to take over Norhumberland ended in a disaster for the Scotland King. Leading his troops, Stephen defeated the Scots and Malcolm was forced to swear loyalty to the King of England, William II. That didn’t change Malcolm’s plans though. He wants Northumberland and he wants Edward, his eldest son from his second marriage, to be the King of Scotland after his death.William II has his own plans for Scotland. He wants more land from Scotland and to invade Carlisle soon. As for who should rule Scotland after Malcolm, King Williams wants Duncan (Malcolm’s son from his first marriage) to be the next King of Scotland. For twenty years now Duncan has been a hostage at the King of England’s court. Duncan is in William’s favor, as to where Malcolm is like a thorn in his side. Scotland is not the only thing in King William II’s mind. William wants Normandy and some day, he plans to take it from his eldest brother Robert. And then there is Prince Henry, William’s youngest brother, who has many plans for the throne of England. King William needs the support of mighty Northumberland.In this entire political web, Fate decides to take a hand and help. Princess Mary, one of Malcome’s daughters, is betrothed with a Scottish laird. One day, disguised as a peasant, Princess Mary leaves her father’s castle to meet her betrothed. But she was caught by Stephan de Warren and taken hostage. Mary is young, sweet, innocent, and loyal to her father and country. Sacrificing her innocence, she refuses to give up her identity. But nevertheless when her identity is discovered, the House of Northumberland wants the Scottish princess for Stephan. A marriage between Mary and Stephan will bring Northumberland to even more power. Nothing is going to stop this marriage, not even the fact that in order to marry Mary, Stephan has to break his engagement with Adele Beaufort, the Earl of Kent’s step Sister. For his own reasons, King William agreed to the union. After such display of goodwill from the King of England, Malcolm will not expect an attack on Carlisle. The marriage will give to William the perfect cover to take Malcolm by surprise. Malcolm also agrees to the union. He made a secret pact with Stephen. After his dead, Northumberland would support his son Edward’s claim to Scotland’s crown. The King of Scotland is deceitful and ruthless. His daughter marriage with Stephen would not change his plans for Northumberland. More then that, he expects his daughter to betray her husband. A marriage between Mary and Stephen would serve Malcolm’s plans well, so he gives his blessing to the union. The Princess is a pawn in a dangerous political game. The very young and innocent Mary is caught between her loyalty to her father and her growing love for her husband. Mary knows that if she betrayed Stephen, his retaliation will be swift and harsh. The Northumberland heir never shows mercy to his enemy. The Princess wants peace between her country and Northumberland.Will Mary’s and Stephan’s marriage last through the political turmoil surrounding them? Caught between the two deceitful kings and two countries at war, can Mary and Stephen find happiness? The book is A MUST READ. Rich in historical details, Promise Of The Rose is much more then just a love story. It’s a portrait of a brutal era and her people. Once I started reading it, I just couldn’t put it down. No matter how many times you read Promise of The Rose, you would want to read it again. I give five big stars to the book, as been one of the best historical romances that I’ve ever read.
~Margaret~
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