Ok, I know I skipped a book but I was reading The Black Queen on Smashwords (www.smashwords.com) and just had to rave about it. I am now on page 37 and I cannot get enough of this story!
First of all, I love historical novels – from any time in history – and this…well this…is VERY well written. I was so intrigued by the blurb about it that I wiki’d it just to make sure there was such a rumour and then I dug right into it. So basically, it’s about the grandmother of Queen Victoria of England who allegedly had ‘mulatto’ features. Many painters are ‘alleged’ to have painted her with Caucasian features because to do otherwise would bring you certain death but the rumour persists that she had some negroid genes running through her royal self! Charlotte is the princess of Meklenburg-Strelitz and her brother Duke Frederick, hot-tempered and not very rich is desperate to marry off this sister who has frizzy hair. Mr. Shackleton, the painter to the British Aristocracy has been sent to paint some German princesses (seemed every British King had to have a German princess for a wife…good genes apparently!) and he is distraught to find that Charlotte Meklenberg is …well…not quite white. Duke Frederick knowing the conundrum the poor painter is in (for he sees his sister every day!), bids him drink…tankard after tankard of German beer (pray, does anyone know what this tastes like?) until the poor man is so drunk that he paints Charlotte as a gorgeous Aryan beauty! Suffice it to say that when the portraits of the German Beauties are revealed, Charlotte is the favorite of all four decision makers: Prince George (Heir apparent and he of the “The Madness of King George” fame), Princess Augusta (his bossy mother who is very powerful), Lord Bute (powerful Lord of the realm and rumored to be Princess Augusta’s bedfellow) and King George 2nd, grandfather of the heir apparent and very very concerned old man!
Now I shall say no more. I am only on page 37 anyway and besides, this should have whetted your appetite! Go get it on Smashwords and let me know what you think!
UPDATE 1
I am still loving this novel! The dialogue is very good and appropriately written in the language of the time period. It’s also caused me to go and search historical documents e.g. what was the relationship between Samuel Johnson (the first writer of the dictionary) and his manservant/assistant Barber? I love it when stories do this to me – cause me to research! Ok, back to the story!
UPDATE 2
I think the part about the childhood of Ganibal, presumed father of Charlotte should have been a prologue of sorts. It gave insight and yet because it was set in Africa and sandwiched between English aristocratic skedaddles and Ukrainian battlefieds (by the way, this part was a bit of a dud), it lost some of its potency. Yah…the war in Ukraine with the Berserkers..woof! Totally lost me so I skipped those pages only to find that Ganibal had something to do with using Trig to solve a problem to win the war! I was beginning to wonder why I needed to know how a ‘bayonet slices through a man’s body to produce a sound that the Greeks need to invent a word for’!
Update 3
I’m done reading it and the verdict is in. Gary Lloyd is a talented writer. It is suspenseful e.g. when Charlotte first met King George, when Stricker got paid back with his own medicine, when the whole story of Charlotte’s conception was revealed…brilliantly done. Some things that made me laugh:
1. ‘…man root for consummation…’ I know what that is but it shows the skill of the writer that he had done so much research to know that this was an appropriate way to call it!
2. How awful to have others watch you on your wedding night? [And Charlotte saying 'thank you sir' in ecstasy was hilarious and hearing it in German would leave me in stitches!]
This story gets an 8/10 from me and if you know my rating system – you know that this is serious stuff. I would have even dared an 8.5 – 9.0 had the following not been in the way:
* Lots of typo’s, name switches, grammar mistakes. It needs some fine editing to take away these insidious things that rob such a piece of its beauty. Can’t list all the typos (there were many) but for name switches, Frau Schwellenberg became Frau Shackleton towards the end of the story in at least two places.
* How did the Dowager see again after we’d been given the impression that she’d been blinded by the feces and urine of the prisoners in the tower? She was helping Charlotte with her wedding gown issues and could see…
* Mention is made of Bora-Bora…is that destination not a modern paradise? Was it discovered during that era that Mr. Lloyd writes about? Just wondering…
I would definitely want to read more of Gary’s works…Bravo!
Ha, ha…
Loved the review.
If you could two things:
1. Purchase it on Amazon.com for $2.99
2. Include your review there.
Note this: I’ve since changed the name to Mulatto Queen: Grandmother of all Europe and this is the title you should purchase (not The Black Queen).
Not also, since I only submitted Mulatto Queen today, it may be a day or two before they have it up.
I’ll keep you posted.
Gary Lloyd
Much appreciated Gary. I went to Amazon and there’s one up already with the title you mentioned for $4.99…is that the one? It is well worth it so if its the one, I will go ahead and get it so I can finish reading it. I wonder – do you know of the Amazon/Penguin Breakthrough Novel Award? Your book, I think would be well received. I entered this year and made it through to the quarterfinals.
No.
My book’s title is being changed to “Mulatto Queen: Grandmother of All Europe.”
There are several other “The Black Queens” which is another reason why I changed it.
It will be priced at $2.99 until it starts selling.
Be sure to post your review on the review page when it goes up Tomorrow or Tuesday.
Also, would love you opinion of “The Last Missing Link” which is also on Smash.
Gary
Cool – will do.