What people have said about THE KING'S MAN
The following reviews for THE KING'S MAN are not to be found on Goodreads or Amazon.
Historical Novel Society - 3 November 2015
This novel by Alison Stuart concerns the later part of the Parliamentary era of the English Civil War. It is based on events that have been recorded by history, but seen through the eyes of a storyteller. Thamsine Granville is in London escaping from a man, but we don’t know at first who or why, and she makes a decision that will change the course of her life. Nearby is a veteran of the war, a Royalist, who appears to come to her rescue.
This story, in the hands of another writer, would end about half way through. That would be a concise, contained story, but Ms Stuart doesn’t leave her characters dangling and she continues to weave the story through London and further afield until all the loose ends are collected and neatened. There is one exception, and that will, I hope, be where the next story comes from. It promises to be exciting!
This was a pleasure to read, an entertaining novel that does actually keep you guessing and wanting to know what could conceivably happen next. The villain is possibly a little two-dimensional, but who doesn’t love a baddie? Our heroine is feisty enough to avoid being insipid, she is not perfectly beautiful and she has faults; our hero is multifaceted and not quite what you expect. We even get to meet Charles Stuart the younger.
A thoroughly good read, Ms Stuart’s novel will suit you if you are looking for adventure, romance and a dose of English Civil War history. No pitched battles, but the war continues.
This story, in the hands of another writer, would end about half way through. That would be a concise, contained story, but Ms Stuart doesn’t leave her characters dangling and she continues to weave the story through London and further afield until all the loose ends are collected and neatened. There is one exception, and that will, I hope, be where the next story comes from. It promises to be exciting!
This was a pleasure to read, an entertaining novel that does actually keep you guessing and wanting to know what could conceivably happen next. The villain is possibly a little two-dimensional, but who doesn’t love a baddie? Our heroine is feisty enough to avoid being insipid, she is not perfectly beautiful and she has faults; our hero is multifaceted and not quite what you expect. We even get to meet Charles Stuart the younger.
A thoroughly good read, Ms Stuart’s novel will suit you if you are looking for adventure, romance and a dose of English Civil War history. No pitched battles, but the war continues.
Dear Author - 4 September 2015
Dear Ms. Stuart,
Like the first book, “By the Sword,” the time frame is after the death of Charles I. The action starts not in the Civil War nor during the various attempts of Charles to regain his throne but during the (for Royalists) bleak days of the Protectorate rule of Cromwell. Kit initially appears to be but one more former fighter who has accepted the (seeming) inevitable and cried pax in order to return to England. As such, he’s welcome in the plotting circles of those still trying to instigate a royal return even if the plots are fantastical and doomed before they begin. But is he?
Kit is also not exactly hero material. He’s got a mistress, shamelessly sponges off of her and turns his hand to milking those with whom he plays cards in order to support himself. His actions save Thamsine yet he’s no savior as he just as quickly dumps her in a tavern job and leaves her to her own devices. He’s been too chicken shit to visit his only surviving relatives in England because he just can’t face them after some things that happened and he almost waits too long to save Thamsine even after he knows what kind of danger she’s in. World weary and tired, he’s not exactly a White Knight.
Thamsine is a gentlewoman who has lost everything – her home, her family and her status in life. Now alone on the streets of London during winter, she’s sold everything there is except herself. At this point, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of her. She certainly doesn’t come off as a tower of strength or cunning, instead relying on Kit to continually come to her rescue while slumping over crying. Not that she doesn’t have a lot to cry about but I wanted to see more than this impersonation of a squashed cabbage.
Spymaster John Thurloe is a delightfully fun character to read about and even if I’d never want to owe him a debt, I’d want him working on my side. He’s the kind of guy readers love to hate but he does have some kind of code by which he abides and comes through, barely in the nick of time, in the end.
The conflicts here are realistic and not of the easily solved variety. Kit has been in Thurloe’s power for years, selling his soul bit by bit. Now he’s got more guilt on his conscience. Thamsine’s attempt to escape her vicious betrothed has landed her in Thurloe’s clutches – also with no way out. A further betrayal lands her in the fire after she’s thrown out of the frying pan of spying.
Thamsine’s past catches up with her sooner than I expected though it still takes all parties involved a while to put the pieces together and call out the hounds. Now what will happen? Well, a trip to a place where no one wants to go and which would have broken her had Kit not raced to the rescue. Meanwhile Kit has a narrow escape from exposure as a spy while still needing to set another doomed restoration scheme in motion.
Thamsine finally grows a pair of ovaries when she bucks up and decides to use her money and influence to help Kit endure the Tower. She comes through for her sister and nieces as well as her arch enemy’s helpless sister. She does have a kind heart, I’ll say that for her. Kit has a deplorable habit of sinking into the drunken doldrums and avoiding people he doesn’t feel up to facing when he thinks he’s past redemption. I hope he works on that or Thamsine lights a fire under him when needed.
The plotting, scheming and kidnapping were getting so involved and convoluted that I was having trouble keeping it all straight. I’m not sure how Kit managed for so long. There are two evil, despicable characters who wreck havoc wherever they go and who frankly got off too easily though Kit’s mercy towards them helped me think better of him for stopping to rub down the lathered horses before facing Morton. Normally I’m all “but what about the animals?” however they could have waited a bit longer and been fine while Kit went to save lives.
The last part of the story seemed almost tacked on and I found it hard to believe that Kit and Thamsine would travel as far as they did and endure what they did only to leave with the mystery still unsolved. I have a feeling about how this issue will be resolved. I guess the third book will tell.
Kit is a lovable rogue and I appreciate that he isn’t all shining knight Uber-Hero but I did want to shake him a few times. Thamsine isn’t a kick-ass, “don’t mess with me” heroine but she does stand up to wrong and see that justice is done. I did enjoy lots of the secondary characters and as violent as some scenes got, they were probably close to the truth or what might have happened. Like the first book in the series, this one is darker in tone even with a relationship HEA. I’ll be waiting for book three. B-
~Jayne
To read the full review click HERE
Like the first book, “By the Sword,” the time frame is after the death of Charles I. The action starts not in the Civil War nor during the various attempts of Charles to regain his throne but during the (for Royalists) bleak days of the Protectorate rule of Cromwell. Kit initially appears to be but one more former fighter who has accepted the (seeming) inevitable and cried pax in order to return to England. As such, he’s welcome in the plotting circles of those still trying to instigate a royal return even if the plots are fantastical and doomed before they begin. But is he?
Kit is also not exactly hero material. He’s got a mistress, shamelessly sponges off of her and turns his hand to milking those with whom he plays cards in order to support himself. His actions save Thamsine yet he’s no savior as he just as quickly dumps her in a tavern job and leaves her to her own devices. He’s been too chicken shit to visit his only surviving relatives in England because he just can’t face them after some things that happened and he almost waits too long to save Thamsine even after he knows what kind of danger she’s in. World weary and tired, he’s not exactly a White Knight.
Thamsine is a gentlewoman who has lost everything – her home, her family and her status in life. Now alone on the streets of London during winter, she’s sold everything there is except herself. At this point, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of her. She certainly doesn’t come off as a tower of strength or cunning, instead relying on Kit to continually come to her rescue while slumping over crying. Not that she doesn’t have a lot to cry about but I wanted to see more than this impersonation of a squashed cabbage.
Spymaster John Thurloe is a delightfully fun character to read about and even if I’d never want to owe him a debt, I’d want him working on my side. He’s the kind of guy readers love to hate but he does have some kind of code by which he abides and comes through, barely in the nick of time, in the end.
The conflicts here are realistic and not of the easily solved variety. Kit has been in Thurloe’s power for years, selling his soul bit by bit. Now he’s got more guilt on his conscience. Thamsine’s attempt to escape her vicious betrothed has landed her in Thurloe’s clutches – also with no way out. A further betrayal lands her in the fire after she’s thrown out of the frying pan of spying.
Thamsine’s past catches up with her sooner than I expected though it still takes all parties involved a while to put the pieces together and call out the hounds. Now what will happen? Well, a trip to a place where no one wants to go and which would have broken her had Kit not raced to the rescue. Meanwhile Kit has a narrow escape from exposure as a spy while still needing to set another doomed restoration scheme in motion.
Thamsine finally grows a pair of ovaries when she bucks up and decides to use her money and influence to help Kit endure the Tower. She comes through for her sister and nieces as well as her arch enemy’s helpless sister. She does have a kind heart, I’ll say that for her. Kit has a deplorable habit of sinking into the drunken doldrums and avoiding people he doesn’t feel up to facing when he thinks he’s past redemption. I hope he works on that or Thamsine lights a fire under him when needed.
The plotting, scheming and kidnapping were getting so involved and convoluted that I was having trouble keeping it all straight. I’m not sure how Kit managed for so long. There are two evil, despicable characters who wreck havoc wherever they go and who frankly got off too easily though Kit’s mercy towards them helped me think better of him for stopping to rub down the lathered horses before facing Morton. Normally I’m all “but what about the animals?” however they could have waited a bit longer and been fine while Kit went to save lives.
The last part of the story seemed almost tacked on and I found it hard to believe that Kit and Thamsine would travel as far as they did and endure what they did only to leave with the mystery still unsolved. I have a feeling about how this issue will be resolved. I guess the third book will tell.
Kit is a lovable rogue and I appreciate that he isn’t all shining knight Uber-Hero but I did want to shake him a few times. Thamsine isn’t a kick-ass, “don’t mess with me” heroine but she does stand up to wrong and see that justice is done. I did enjoy lots of the secondary characters and as violent as some scenes got, they were probably close to the truth or what might have happened. Like the first book in the series, this one is darker in tone even with a relationship HEA. I’ll be waiting for book three. B-
~Jayne
To read the full review click HERE
Coffee Time Romance (2007)
Rating: 5 Cups
Thamsine Granville is on the run for her very life. She has survived the war, Cromwell’s invasion and subsequent taking over of England, but she is by no means safe. Living on the streets of London and riddled with despair, she flings a brickbat at Cromwell’s coach, nearly getting herself arrested. However, a handsome young man saves her and hides her when the king’s soldiers come looking.
Kit Lovell is something of a ladies man, and does not like himself very much. However, he does love his family dearly and will do anything for them, even going so far as to betray his friends. When he sees Thamsine fling the brickbat, he saves her from being found. But Kit is not everything he seems, and despite his attraction to Thamsine, he does not act on it, at least not at first.
When Thamsine is recognized by one of Kit’s friends, both she and Kit are arrested and taken to jail. Before Thamsine knows it she is asked to spy for the very man she does not consider to be her sovereign, in fact it is either that or the gallows. Deciding she has no choice, she goes ahead and does it all the while hoping she does not really hear anything of value. However, she is unaware that Kit is also spying for the enemy and when she discovers he is responsible for her being arrested in the first place she has very little to do with him, though it pains her. But there are dark forces at work, and Thamsine does not have all the information when it comes to Kit. If she cannot learn to trust him, it could cost her her life.
The King’s Man is a lovely story set in a period of history I knew little about prior to reading this book. The author does a splendid job of setting the scene and giving the reader a bird’s eye view into England just after Cromwell took over. It was not hard to see how difficult life must have been for those nobles who lost everything. Ms. Stuart even manages to make Kit loveable, in spite of the fact that he does some pretty reprehensible things. I admired Thamsine’s ingenuity in outsmarting those around her who wished her harm. The characters are so real they seem to leap from the pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys allowing the written word to take them away to other times and vistas!
Regina
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books
Thamsine Granville is on the run for her very life. She has survived the war, Cromwell’s invasion and subsequent taking over of England, but she is by no means safe. Living on the streets of London and riddled with despair, she flings a brickbat at Cromwell’s coach, nearly getting herself arrested. However, a handsome young man saves her and hides her when the king’s soldiers come looking.
Kit Lovell is something of a ladies man, and does not like himself very much. However, he does love his family dearly and will do anything for them, even going so far as to betray his friends. When he sees Thamsine fling the brickbat, he saves her from being found. But Kit is not everything he seems, and despite his attraction to Thamsine, he does not act on it, at least not at first.
When Thamsine is recognized by one of Kit’s friends, both she and Kit are arrested and taken to jail. Before Thamsine knows it she is asked to spy for the very man she does not consider to be her sovereign, in fact it is either that or the gallows. Deciding she has no choice, she goes ahead and does it all the while hoping she does not really hear anything of value. However, she is unaware that Kit is also spying for the enemy and when she discovers he is responsible for her being arrested in the first place she has very little to do with him, though it pains her. But there are dark forces at work, and Thamsine does not have all the information when it comes to Kit. If she cannot learn to trust him, it could cost her her life.
The King’s Man is a lovely story set in a period of history I knew little about prior to reading this book. The author does a splendid job of setting the scene and giving the reader a bird’s eye view into England just after Cromwell took over. It was not hard to see how difficult life must have been for those nobles who lost everything. Ms. Stuart even manages to make Kit loveable, in spite of the fact that he does some pretty reprehensible things. I admired Thamsine’s ingenuity in outsmarting those around her who wished her harm. The characters are so real they seem to leap from the pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys allowing the written word to take them away to other times and vistas!
Regina
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books