The Castilian Pomegranate
(The Castilian Saga, Book 2)
By Anna Belfrage
An enraged and grieving queen commands them to retrieve her exquisite jewel and abandon their foundling brat overseas—or never return.
Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Noor, have been temporarily exiled. Officially, they are to travel to the courts of Aragon and Castile as emissaries of Queen Eleanor of England. Unofficially, the queen demands two things: that they abandon Lionel, their foster son, in foreign lands and that they bring back a precious jewel – the Castilian Pomegranate.
Noor would rather chop off a foot than leave Lionel in a foreign land—especially as he’s been entrusted to her by his dead father, the last true prince of Wales. And as to the jewel, stealing it would mean immediate execution. . .
Spain in 1285 is a complicated place. France has launched a crusade against Aragon and soon enough Robert is embroiled in the conflict, standing side by side with their Aragonese hosts.
Once in Castile, it is the fearsome Moors that must be fought, with Robert facing weeks separated from his young wife, a wife who is enthralled by the Castilian court—and a particular Castilian gallant.
Jealousy, betrayal and a thirst for revenge plunge Noor and Robert into life-threatening danger.
Will they emerge unscathed or will savage but beautiful Castile leave them permanently scarred and damaged?
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual content, violence
Exiled from England with almost no hope of returning, Robert and Noor must come to terms with their new reality. Spain is a country torn apart by conflict. Family feuds and changing sides make this war a very personal war for the principal players, but as in all wars, it is the innocent who suffers. If Robert and Noor would ever like to see their estate again then they must find the Castilian Pommegrante that Queen Eleanor so desperately wants, but they must also abandon Lionel, their foster child, for despite his age his very existence could threaten King Edward's tight-fisted hold on Wales.
Who knew Spain was such a volatile place in the 13th Century. I have to admit, I am completely ignorant about this era in history. I know next to nothing about this period in European history which is why, initially, I found this novel a little confusing. There are a lot of names to keep up with, and an awful lot happens in a very short space of time. I also think it would have been better if I had read book one first because although the author explains what has occurred, there are again a lot of historical names that I did not recognise. I did put this book down and spend some time with my friend Google, familiarising myself with some of the names mentioned. There are extensive historical notes at the end of this novel, but I only discovered this once I had read this book. Going in blind is not something I would recommend for this novel, you need to know a little about the history and the people first.
Once I had figured out who the historical characters were I found it much easier to connect with the story and the characters. Robert, I liked!! He is a very courageous, and very intelligent man who does not suffer fools gladly. He spends most of this novel desperately trying to keep his family safe, although this he would not have achieved without Rhys, a Welsh bowman who will lay down his life to protect Lionel. Robert does not really like having to rely on Rhys, but he does not have a choice. Robert is a very honourable man, but sometimes he can be really pigheaded. But I enjoyed reading about him immensely.
Noor, Robert's wife is a bit of a paradox. She is sweet, innocent but at the same time, she will fight her corner if need be. She does suffer a terrible assault in this novel, but it does not seem to phase her one bit and she continues as if being assaulted was an everyday occurrence which I thought was a little unrealistic, and also later in the novel she does not see when she is being used. I was in two minds as to whether I liked her or not because at times she comes across as a bit of a doormat and then at other times she holds her own in a fight.
Overall, I thought this novel was good, and the story was engaging. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction from a different viewpoint - ie not English or Scottish history!
The Castilian
Pomegranate is
is avaliable on #KindleUnlimited
Anna Belfrage
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.
Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. Her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk, has her returning to medieval times. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love. Her most recent release, The Whirlpools of Time, is a time travel romance set against the backdrop of brewing rebellion in the Scottish highlands.
All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of various Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.
Social Media Links:
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Great review!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read and review my book! As to Noor, I think it is important to keep in mind she is only nineteen, which is probably why she can be so naive and resilient at times :) And I rather like Robert too :)
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