This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favorite
Birth Right: Secrets of Silent Shadows by Christophe Medler is a historical novel set in the time of Henry VIII of England. Mixing real historical people living in Tudor times with fictional characters, he weaves an exciting story of a murder and the discovery of a secret. Juan Zaragoza never knew his parents, but he was sent from Spain to England to serve the church. When his mentor and father figure is killed, he sets out to find the murderer and discover the reason for the assassination. His search takes him from England to Scotland, and then across the sea to Spain. He discovers connections with the Knights Templar and ties to the Vatican, both keeping long-held secrets which could upset the balance of powers and the destiny of England.
There is animosity between Roman Catholics and the new Protestant faith. This is the world of eighteen-year-old orphan Juan Zaragoza living in London, which Christophe Medler describes with such clarity in Birth Right. The reader is transported back almost six hundred years in time to the capital city of England, to experience everyday life, the sights, smells, food, and habits. You become immersed in an earlier time, such is the power of his writing. We visit a brothel, markets, ports and shipping, sea voyages, royal courts, and trek over mountains in Spain. The characters of Juan, Jamie, and other characters, both non-fictional and fictional, are brought vividly to life. I bonded with all of them and cared about them. I loved this book, and I liked the map of the city of London and the cast list at the end. The story is clever, the reader is kept guessing, and if you enjoy historical novels, then this is a book I hope you will enjoy as much as I did.
