The queen's lady by Eve Edwards

Razorbill, 2011. ISBN: 9780141327334.
The Queen's lady is the second in the Lacey chronicles by Eve Edwards. This superb novel is set in 1584 and has been thoroughly researched for historical accuracy. A beautifully crafted romance, it follows the trials and persecutions of Lady Jane as she struggles to gain and maintain her independence in life. As I have not yet read the first in the chronicles I look forward to discovering the beginning of Jane's story with The other countess and then the end with The rouge princess.
After Jonas's passing the dowager marchioness is admitted into Queen Elizabeth's service as one of the Queen's ladies - the complementing flowers of the court bouquet. As the newest addition Lady Jane wants to keep herself as a quiet member of the household but that wish is challenged by the insistence of her stepsons and their want for her dowry and inheritance. As if that weren't bad enough, family matters become more frequent with the Earl of Wetherby and his son making an appearance at court with a Frenchman, Montfleury, who is after the Lady's hand. How can she wriggle out of this engagement when her lover has rejected her and left on an expedition to America?
This story is quite complex, full of twists and turns in the plot turning the lives of the characters upside down. I would recommend this book for young adults with advanced reading skills as the captivating plot is likely to confuse most and the historical period is long before our time. This is a brilliant novel which would fascinate any lover of historical fiction.
(Kayla Gaskell, 15)