Princess of Thorns

Book excerpt: 1483, Westminster. The bells toll for the dead King Edward IV, while his rivaling nobles grasp for power. His daughter Cecily can only watch as England is plunged into chaos, torn between her loyalties to her headstrong mother, Elizabeth Woodville, and her favourite uncle, Richard of Gloucester. When Elizabeth schemes to secure her own son on the throne that Richard lays claim to, Cecily and her siblings become pawns in a perilous game. The Yorkist dynasty that Cecily holds so dear soon faces another threat: the last Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor. Meanwhile, Cecily battles with envy towards her older sister, who is betrothed to Tudor. The White Rose of York has turned its thorns inwards, and royal blood proves fatal... Princess of Thorns is a sweeping tale of loyalty and treason, ambition and family bonds. Saga Hillbom is the author of four historical novels. Her other work include City of Bronze City of Silver, Today Dauphine Tomorrow Nothing, and A Generation of Poppies.