Publication date: 24 April 2023
hb, ISBN 978-1-7392425-2-7, 416 pages, £22.00
pb, ISBN 978-1-7392425-3-4, 446 pages, £13.99
eb, ISBN 978-1-7392425-4-1, £5.00
‘The drawbridge came down and I ventured in. I was not disappointed.’ The Book Trail
1107. A kidnap and a devastating shipwreck. King Henry I reigns over England, Normandy and Wales, but his rule is far from secure. He faces treacherous assassination attempts and rebellion. Nuns and bards are tasked as spies to carry dangerous messages across the kingdom.
The Welsh noblewoman, Nest ferch Rhys, is settled in Wales with her Norman husband but her brother is gathering support to reclaim his kingdom, and another Welsh prince has not forgotten that he was once betrothed to marry Nest. While dissent grows, a secret passion is revealed and the future of Nest and her Cambro-Norman children is placed in dire peril.
Book II in the Conquest trilogy centring on Nest ferch Rhys and the reign of King Henry I.
‘This is a very well-written and researched story. Tracey Warr realistically conveys the simmering tension between Welsh rebels and their Norman overlords, as well as the continued fighting between King Henry and his French counterpart Louis over lands in Normandy. I also like the way that lesser characters such as Amelina, Nest’s maid, are conveyed and given their own storylines.’ Alison Starnes – 5 star review – Amazon
‘Beautiful and emotional at the same time, really enjoying this trilogy. I feel for lady Nest. Really glad cardigan castle was mentioned can’t wait for the next book.’ Deity World – 5 star review – Goodreads
‘Tracey Warr’s conquest trilogy spins a most excellent yarn. Although the main character is the hostaged Welsh queen Nest, this is definitely not mediaeval chick lit. The aristocrats are land-grabbing gangsters who plot, kill, maim and poison their way to the thrones. The love scenes between Nest and the notorious womaniser Henry I are suitably bodice-ripping and there is some amusing innuendo from the saucy maid Amelina. Nuns doff their habits too, albeit in the cause of stealing sensitive documents for the king. Another thing Tracey Warr is good at is rendering the repartee in contemporary slang (they were all speaking French and Welsh anyway). And, although her writing has been supported by the the Welsh Arts Council, it’s not all noble Welsh kings being terrorised by the dastardly Normans, and the Welsh don’t come off lightly in the plotting, raping and maiming stakes – although there are some pretty evil Norman bastards in Conquest, starting with William The Bastard as Tracey Warr correctly names the Conqueror. The Drowned Court references both the drowned village in Cardigan Bay, but also in the historical tragedy, the sinking of the White Ship, which decimated Henry I’s court. Read and enjoy, but don’t forget Tracey Warr’s other hopefully to be completed series about Countess Almodis, whose castle in SW France I overlook as I write. I particularly recommend the Viking Hostage, one of her best.’ Rob La Frenais – 5 star review – Barnes and Noble
The new editions of the Conquest trilogy are published this year with new covers by award-winning designer Jessica Bell. They are available in hardback, paperback and ebook.
Meanda Books 