HF Virtual Book Tours: The Queen's Exiles by Barbara Kyle

Title: The Queen's Exiles
Author: Barbara Kyle
Format: ARC
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: May 27, 2014
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "1572. Europe is in turmoil. In the Netherlands the streets are red with the blood of those who dare to oppose the brutal Spanish occupation. A vengeful faction of exiled English Catholics is plotting to overthrow Queen Elizabeth and install her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. But amid the unrest, one resourceful young woman has made a lucrative enterprise ...

Scottish-born Fenella Doorn rules like a queen over a privateer's haven on the Isle of Sark. Her success at salvaging crippled vessels affords her gold and security, and it is on one of these ships that she meets wealthy Baron—and privateer—Adam Thornleigh. Secretly drawn to him, Fenella can’t refuse when Adam enlists her to join him in war-torn Brussels to help find his traitorous wife, Frances—and the children she’s taken from him.

But Fenella’s own bold actions have put a price on her head. Now Adam and Fenella’s lives are in peril as they race across Europe in an attempt to rescue his young ones, defend the crown, and restore the peace that few can remember."

My Two Cents: 

"The Queen's Exiles is the sixth book in Kyle's Thornleigh series. The books take place during Elizabethan times. Each book can be read as a standalone story. "The Queen's Exiles" has a really fascinating setting and takes place in Spanish occupied Netherlands. I actually did not realize how thoroughly entrenched Spain was in that area and those details made this book really interesting to me!

The book centers on Fenella Doorn. Born in Scotland originally, she has made a good life for herself salvaging ships on Sark, one of the Channel Islands. I really enjoyed reading about her. Kyle does note that Fenella is a wholly fictional character but you really do get a good sense of how people were living as exiles during that time period. We get to see just how chaotic things were during that time period.

I've said it before and I will say it again, but one of the things that I most love about historical fiction is how you can learn something new from it. This book was very much in that vein for me. I really did not know much of anything about what was happening in the Netherlands during this time period. Kyle included a lot of good detail. I wish that we would have gotten to see a lot of the action more first hand as it was usually told through recounts and remembrances.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. The detail makes it a treat for my fellow historical fiction fans.  

Follow the Rest of the Tour:


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Friday, July 11
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Thursday, July 17
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Friday, July 18
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Wednesday, July 23
Guest Post & Giveaway at Always with a Book
Thursday, July 24
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Friday, July 25
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Wednesday, July 30
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Thursday, July 31
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