The Shadow Queen: The Sunday Times bestselling book – a must read for Summer 2018

The Shadow Queen: The Sunday Times bestselling book – a must read for Summer 2018
Anne O'Brien

**Queen of the North, Anne O’Brien’s enthralling new novel, is available to pre-order now**The Sunday Times Bestseller ‘O’Brien is now approaching Philippa Gregory status’ – Reader’s Digest‘A dangerous word, perhaps, for a woman. Power.’From her first clandestine marriage, Joan of Kent’s reputation is one of beauty, rumour and scandal.Her royal blood makes her a desirable bride. Her ambition and passion make her a threat.Joan knows what she must do to protect her reputation…the games to play, the men to marry. She will do anything to get what she wants: The Crown of England.A tale of ambition, treachery and desire, The Shadow Queen tells of a woman’s ascent through the court to command royal power alongside her young son, King Richard II.

Praise for Anne O’Brien (#u68580d29-5a82-536a-90f9-17b2eb18e581)

‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale’

The Times

‘[A] fast-paced historical novel’

Good Housekeeping

‘Anne O’Brien has unearthed a gem of a subject’

Daily Telegraph

‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue’

Woman & Home

‘There are historical novels and then there are the works of Anne O’Brien – and this is another hit’

The Sun

‘The characters are larger than life…and the author a compulsive storyteller’

Sunday Express

‘This book has everything – royalty, scandal, fascinating historical politics’

Cosmopolitan

‘A gripping historical drama’

Bella

‘Historical fiction at its best’

Candis

Also by ANNE O’BRIEN (#u68580d29-5a82-536a-90f9-17b2eb18e581)

THE SHADOW QUEEN (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781474050739/the-shadow-queen/)

THE QUEEN’S CHOICE (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781474032537/the-queens-choice/)

THE KING’S SISTER (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781474007481/the-kings-sister/)

THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781472010391/the-scandalous-duchess/)

THE FORBIDDEN QUEEN (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781472010230/the-forbidden-queen/)

THE KING’S CONCUBINE (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781408969816/the-kings-concubine/)

DEVIL’S CONSORT (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781408935835/devils-consort/)

VIRGIN WIDOW (https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9781408927953/virgin-widow/)

Copyright (#ulink_e337e9db-252e-5650-935f-67286b07ddcf)

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2017

Copyright © Anne O’Brien 2017

Anne O’Brien asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © May 2017 ISBN: 9781474050739

Version: 2018-03-15

For George, as ever, my love and my thanks for his cheerful tolerance of all things medieval. His appreciation of Joan of Kent’s wayward lifestyle was often more balanced than mine. The Fair Maid owes him a debt of gratitude too.

‘…the most beautiful lady in the whole realm of England, and by far the most amorous.’

Jean Froissart

‘…concerning whose birth (Richard II) many unsavoury things were commonly said (of her), namely that he was not born to a father of the royal line, but of a mother given to slippery ways – to say nothing of many other things I have heard.’

The Chronicle of Adam Usk 1377-1421

‘The gentle prince married… a lady of great renown, who kindled love in him, in that she was beauteous, charming and discreet.’

Chandos Herald

‘Prudence teaches the princess or great lady how above all things in this base world she ought to love honour and good reputation.’