Joan, to give her the anglicised version of her Italian name, is a minor member of the royal household at the beginning of Tudor times. I loved the setting which was really well done, and the intrigue between characters which gave the story depth. It took me a while to engage with the book and it seemed to stop, rather than end, so I imagine there will be more to come. I love the mythology associated with ravens, and the legend that if they desert the Tower of London, where some of the book is set, the kingdom will fall.
There’s a real feeling of danger in that Henry VII was uniting the Yorkists and Lancastrians into a new dynasty, the Tudors, and the country felt great tension with pretenders popping up here and there. The falling numbers of ravens worried Joan and she was determined to do something about it. I very much enjoyed reading the interweaving lives of people I knew only as individual historical characters. A very good read.

Despite being a fan of historical fiction, this fell a bit flat for me. There seemed to be too much clunky exposition where characters announce their historical circumstances in a way that felt contrived; imagine me saying ‘I walked to the bus stop pondering Brexit and reflecting on how only three years ago the referendum had set everything in motion’...
It was a new viewpoint on a familiar tale though and if you know the period, it’s as fascinating as always to read about it.

A very entertaining book with lots of historical detail. It tells the life story of Joan Vaux, who was a highly active member of Henry VII royal household. Although the book is written as a novel, the characters are historically accurate. The only disappointment was the abrupt ending, but hopefully there will be a sequel.

I absolutely devoured this book. It's not fast paced yet it captured me completely and I loved being excorted back to London in the mod 1400's.

Joan, the main protagonist, is endearing and I found her story captivating. I'm not usually a big fan of historic fiction but The Lady of the Ravens had me hooked from the start and I raced through it.

I love historic stories that both entertain and are well researched so I can learn about the culture and facts. This does all in bucket loads and the entertainment is great value, the characters some are taken from real life if that's the correct way to put it, King Henry and his Queen who was Queen Elizabeth not the one living now the one from the 15th century obviously. These are the first of the Tudors as King Henry the Lancastrian married Elizabeth from The House of York and hence the start of a new era for our Great Country. It is a wonderful work of fiction but has to include genuine characters which gives even more sense of believability.
Our heroine Joan Vaux her English name a step down from the rather grander one of Giovanna but you can't have everything I guess.. Marriage scares her not so much the marriage but the fear of giving birth, marriage in this age and at this level is rarely a romance but a treaty of families or Nations. Many of the Royals were married at 13 or 14 years of age but you want to know about the story.
So the Lady of the Ravens gets to make friends with the birds that are hate by most of the army and leaders which forms the back drop of Joan's tale and the struggle with some Knights. There is also her friendship with the Queen that was entrenched before her marriage to the King and her Crowning as the Queen of England.. This affords her privileges not available to most in the Kingdom but also the risks that on the spin of a emotion everything could change. Joan and her Mum who is indeed a Lady watched as the courtiers grow and gather titles over a period of time, it's not the take of a year but many and each with colour and risks but fun and intrigued to.
This all makes for a entertaining and at times a tense experience but mainly a wonderful historical read that you will not want to put down. Plus you need to know where a Simm comes from they were more modern then you realise, sort of!!!

A decent book. While still covering the ever popular Tudor period, it covered the less well trodden reign of Henry VII. The story was well written, though the villain wasn’t particularly three dimensional. An enjoyable enough light read for those who enjoy historical fiction.

Thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining glimpse into the late 15th Century. Having always been fascinated by the belief that while there are ravens in the Tower, our country will be safe - it was fascinating to have this as a large part of the story. Other real life historical characters contributed to bringing this fictional tale to life and the author very cleverly marries the two together. She shows us how, even though life then must have been treacherous, with the fear of death by disease, childbirth or even execution - there was also happiness, love, joy and friendship. A great all round story.

The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson. This is just the kind of historical fiction I love. Joanna gives a great insight into Joan and Queen Elizabeth. I love the unveiling of the political drivers and how the women of the day managed to educate themselves and mentor others. The development of the fictional lives allows for great insight into the challenges of the era too. Those poor child brides and how lucky was Sim to have Joan and Richard’s protection. The only disappointment was the abrupt ending when I expected more- I’d forgotten this was Book 1! Can’t wait to see what happens next. A great read.

I have read a number of novels about the beginning of the Tudors after a turbulent period in English history. I really enjoyed reading about Joan Vaux and her lifestyle at the court of Henry the seventh. . It is the first time I have read of Margaret Beaufort being a sympathetic character as she is usually depicted as being a hard, driven lady, who was suspected of being the instigator of the murder of the princes in the tower. It was great to have a book I did not want to put down and read it over a couple of days.

I enjoyed this read so much! The story of Joan and her family during Tudor times is just compelling. The story begins when Joan is very young and in service to Princess Elizabeth, who became the wife of Henry VII and progresses through her life to adulthood. Her arranged marriage to Richard Guildford, also in royal service is a great success despite her reservations. She becomes step mother to his 6 children before becoming a mother. The story tells of her fascination with the ravens at the Tower of London and her determination to protect them as legend says that if the ravens were to leave the tower the kingdom will fall. I enjoy learning about history and in particular the Tudor era. Reading a novel with historical facts makes it easy to learn. My first read of this author and I look forward to reading more of her books. Thank you netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review.

Oh such bliss to get so involved in a book that you do not want to put it down and arrive at the last word with a sigh of pleasure. This is such a book. Full of real people, living real lives in the landscape of history with nuggets of information about life in the 15th Century; which I love.

Thank you for such a splendid book and please write another one soon!

I do love a Tudor mystery but haven't read any for a while as I think I've overdosed on them. Well, this was one that caught my eye with the dramatic cover and the mention of having the eyes and ears of the ravens to survive Tudor Times. If you've ever been to the Tower of London where this book is set, you see them everywhere, looking, watching....they're quite evil looking birds and there's a legend which says that if they all fly away from the tower, bad things will happen. Well they've clipped their wings apparently so they can't fly, but just think of the belief which led this to happen!

The novel stands out for that very reason - the symbolism and the fear and gothic nature of the entire story. We think we all know what it must have been like to have lived in Tudor times as a woman, but this novel really gives new insight and a showcases the fear, the ravens and the combined imagery packs quite a powerful punch.

I enjoyed getting to know Joan Vaux and hearing her voice come across the centuries to tell her story. It's a very powerful read and one which sucks you in early on and totally immerses you in time and place. Although thankfully you can close the book when it gets too much whereas for the poor women of the time , there was no escape.

Tudor fans and those yet to discover the gentre will really like this!