Helpful Score: 3
This historical novel tells the story of Perkin Warbeck, who in the reign of Henry VII claimed to be one of the "Princes in the Tower," the lost sons of Edward IV who vanished when their uncle, Richard III, took the throne.
I enjoyed reading this book because it is a sequel to the author's previous book, "We Speak No Treason." I love Rosemary Hawley Jarman's writing style. It's lyrical, but not sappy. The main theme is the story of Perkin Warbeck, who might or might not be one of the Prince in the Tower. Many of the characters in We Speak No Treason reappear in the Courts of Illusion. Or if not them, then their spouses or children. The one thing I didn't like were the unlikely coincidences that occur to the protagonist(not Perkin Warbeck),who is telling the story. The reader ends up finding out that every single character, or so it appears, has something to do with another character. Almost up to the very end, there is a new and more unlikely revelation. However, the Perkin Warbeck mystery itself is very reasonably presented. One feels that yes, it certainly could have happened that way.
Historical Fisction ...set during the chaotic years just following the untimely death of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485
Historical - the Perkin Warbeck plot
