The Lady of the Ravens, Joanna Hickson



Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews



Genre: historical


I loved this, it was a book I savoured over several sittings, not devoured in one go. I find for me that works better with historical reads, gives me time to mull over events, to think about the characters and actions, with them being so far from how we live now.


I really enjoyed the day to day bits, what they wore, what they ate, Joan chatting to her friend in the sewing trade, what each person did in the duty of the royal household. I loved it when we finally got the Raven connection, that seemed to take time and I found the story a little slow at first.


Henry 7th isn't someone I've read a great deal about, I know him from the periphery of stories about his son, and of course the whole York/Lancaster issues. Turbulent times to live in when one could be royal one day, deposed and in the tower the next. Of course that stood for followers too, one day landed gentry, the next everything goes to the crown and they were out, let live if lucky, tower or death if not.
Hard decisions, yet as Joan sees, however one sympathised if a potential heir was living the followers would always be a danger, even if there was no intention on the potential heir's part to rule.

I enjoyed reading about his royal household, the children, though was sad at how fragile life was even for royal families. Disease and death was very prevalent then, and even royals succumbed far too often.

Reading too about how children were sent away from families at such a young age, for politics, for family power, for alliances and of course for their personal futures was hard. Seemed really sad to me, that close family contact was rare in wealthy households, that parents had children they rarely saw, and who could be sent hundreds of miles away, to other countries even when still only very young. They grew up quickly then, as we see from their speech and education while still little more than toddlers.


I loved reading about Sim and the Ravens, about Joan's championing of them and the issues she faced. Its a fictional snippet of history with roots in reality, and certainly the Raven/Tower legend is still strong. I believe the Ravens actually have their own guardians officially now.


Joanna is an author new to me, I'd be happy to read more from her when in the mood to get lost back in history for a few hours. She writes in a way that had me totally immersed in what was happening, feeling it was real, and that's always the best stories for me.



Stars: Five. I thought at first it was a little slow, but that's really scene setting as I discovered when I read further, and its a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

Arc via publishers and Netgalley

I telly tried to like this book, the subject matter piqued my interest, but the writing was clunky, the narrative didn’t flow and I very quickly became annoyed with it and gave up reading. Not for me, I’m afraid.

I love historical fiction but I found this book to be a little slow for me. It's well written and well researched but just didn't hit the spot.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

What an amazingly researched book. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of Joan, friend of Henry VII's incumbent and then Queen, Elizabeth. The ravens myth and the struggle to get them accepted adds a nice touch to the story which is full of historic details and a lot of characters, some of whom I last heard about in history lessons at school fifty years ago. I enjoyed the set pieces in court and family homes, whilst the details of the clothes and journeys and the countryside which really helped to set the story in its time and place. Highly recommended to lovers of that period spanning England's move from medieval into Tudor history. With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC (which I hope is an unproofed copy as there are several bloopers).

I really enjoyed this historical novel set at the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty. The central character is Giovanna Vaux, who is known as Joan. Her mother enjoys the patronage of Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII and Joan becomes part of Elizabeth of York’s household, so we get a ringside seat of events! The story takes us from the start of Henry’s reign to the marriage of Prince Arthur to Katherine of Aragon, a marriage that in the future will be highly problematic! Joan is the Lady of the Ravens, she loves them and admired them and does all she can to protect them from those who do not. Legend has it that the presence of ravens at the Tower of London is essential to royal security.

I really like the characters in the story especially Joan and Richard Guildford who she marries. He seems taciturn but underneath the bluster is a kind and loving man who is also very loyal to his family and King. Joan is clever, honest, amusing and self deprecating. I like how the royal couple are portrayed and the difficulties of establishing the dynasty are well explained. The author captures the colour, lawlessness, harshness and dangers that are ever present. There are some lovely descriptions especially of the more spectacular events such as the coronation of Henry and his marriage to Elizabeth. Later in the book Joan’s son Hal is placed with Prince Harry who is to become so important later on. He is portrayed as lively, clever and talented and there are some lovely scenes where Prince Arthur meets and later marries Katherine of Aragon.

Throughout the book there are stories about the ravens and although I got a little bit tired of this at some points there are some wonderful images associated with them. I particularly like the section where the King meets them which most certainly gives the royal seal of approval!

This is a well written, enjoyable book which is firmly embedded in the history of the times. The dangers of living then are clearly shown, whether that is the ever present danger of disease, rebellion or being born on the losing side. There are some really good characters and some lovely and lively scenes which are easy to picture.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC.

Having finished The Lady of the Ravens I prepared to write my review but the more I thought about the book I had just read, the more I wondered about the accuracy of the characters and this burgeoning early Tudor period. Over the next two days I became more and more fascinated as I delved into the actual historical facts on which Joanna Hickson based her novel and realised just how much research she has done and the way she has breathed life into these characters, adding to the mix the charming ancient myth surrounding the Ravens of the Tower. A very satisfying read and the abrupt ending does, I hope, mean that Joanna Hickson is prepared to take us further down this particular path of history. The fact that Joan (Giovanna) Vaux, Mother Guildford, lived to the remarkable age of 75, retaining her influence within the Tudor court, promises that there is plenty of room for more.

I thoroughly recommend this book.

A really good interesting and insightful read. This book has obviously been well researched. I have read a number of books on this period in history and always find them fascinating.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Well, this is a difficult one to review without appearing too critical.
I almost gave up reading the book at 20% but continued, and now I kind of wish I hadn't.
The beginning of the book is slow and tedious to get underway. There is a great deal of just moving around, and slight conspiracy, and a vague reference to ravens and I confess, I thought the book was just going to be about the main character, Joan's, interaction with Elizabeth Tudor. Having recently read a book about Elizabeth Tudor, and a number of books on Margaret Beaufort, I thought it was just replaying what I'd read and was confused by the title.
Only then Joan gets married and the story becomes less about her service to the queen and more about Joan herself. That said, there are still huge chunks where the author 'tells' the story instead of 'shows' it (I know it's historical fiction and that sometimes it's the only way to tell the reader everything they need to know - but I found it added little to the story).
This section then, is where the novel is strongest, and the ravens gain some prominence, but there are a number of characters who get discarded along the way - indeed, we hear little about Joan's step-children, even the oldest daughter who at one point, is very prominent. And this is a missed opportunity by the author, or the editor, or whoever wrote her out. After all, she is important to the story of the ravens, if nothing else.
When the story returns to the queen's court, I imagined I knew where the story would end - and I think those who know the story of Elizabeth Tudor will think the same - but for some reason, the story just ends, incredibly abruptly, and at a 'weird' point. It's almost as though the editor just decided that the word count had been reached and that was that.
While there is evidently meant to be an antagonist, the character is so poorly formed, the reader can be forgiven for forgetting about them, and his 'comeuppance' (if that's what it's supposed to be) is weak in the extreme.
With that said, I would never deny the research that has gone into this book - it is evident in every scene and spoken word - but the storyline is too flimsy to fully satisfy the reader. (And why are there no historical notes at the end?)
I was left wondering why I bothered reading the book, and that is never a great feeling when you've invested time in characters who ultimately, have little to reward a reader with!

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!