“An engaging, fast-paced read for fans of Philippa Gregory and of dual-timeline historical fiction.” —Library Journal
I was granted eARC access to The Last Daughter of York by Nicola Cornick by HarperCollins Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
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About the Book
The Last Daughter of York
by Nicola Cornick
Published 16 November 2021
Graydon House
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 368
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In the winter of 1483, Francis Lovell is Richard III’s Lord Chamberlain and confidant, but the threat of Henry Tudor’s rebels has the king entrusting to Francis and his wife, Anne, his most crucial mission: protecting the young Richard of York, his brother’s surviving son and a threat to Henry’s claims to the throne.
Two years later, Richard III is dead, and Anne hides the young prince of York while Francis is hunted by agents of the new king, Henry VII. Running out of options to keep her husband and the boy safe, Anne uses the power of an ancient family relic to send them away, knowing that in doing so she will never see Francis again.
In the present day, Serena Warren has been haunted by her past ever since her twin sister, Caitlin, disappeared. But when Caitlin’s bones are discovered interred in a church vault that hasn’t been opened since the eighteenth century, the police are baffled. Piecing together local folklore that speaks of a magical relic with her own hazy memories of the day Caitlin vanished, Serena begins to uncover an impossible secret that her grandfather has kept hidden, one that connects her to Anne, Francis and the young Duke of York.
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Inspired by the enduring mystery of the Princes in the Tower, Nicola Cornick cleverly interprets the events into a dazzling novel set between a present-day mystery and a country on the brink of Tudor rule.
My Review
My Rating: 4 Stars
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Serena’s sister went missing 11 years ago and now her body has turned up in a centuries-old grave. What on Earth happened here? Read to find out! The Last Daughter of York is a dual timeline story split between the 1480s and present day as Serena, her aunt, and the reader try to figure out how the ancient family relic and mysterious burial from Anne’s time tie together with Serena’s missing sister 6 centuries later.
I knew this was a spit timeline story when I requested the eARC but by the time I got around to reading it, I forgot. That first timeline switch confused me! I then spent a few chapters trying to piece together how this past timeline story would fit in with Serena’s, but as soon as the mystery of the ancient tomb with the modern occupant came up I was reminded of my favourite Crichton novel, Timeline, and I was all-in.
Both timelines were interesting stories and well-written and interesting in their own right, but I felt like it took far too long to get from one connecting tidbit to the next. Part of me wonders if it might have been more effective to tell one timeline story then the other in sequence, rather than swapping back and forth and trying so hard to remind the reader that there’s a connection. I enjoyed Anne’s storyline far more than Serena’s and I found myself wishing Serena’s chapters would pass by faster so I could get back to Anne.
Overall this is a good book and fans of historical fiction should find something to love here.
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Great review!