Empress of the Last Days - first US edition
by Jane Stevenson
This strong final volume of her trilogy (The Winter Queen; The Shadow King)
frames the tumultuous past with a surprisingly passionate tale of modern
academic scholarship. Historical research shakes off all mustiness as the
investigations of Michael Foxwist, a young don at Oxford, lead him to an amazing
discovery: a secret marriage between Elizabeth of Bohemia and a former African
prince named Pelagius. This is the story told in Stevenson's previous two
volumes, and it takes a surprising turn when Michael comes to the conclusion
that the descendant of this union would be the rightful monarch of England.
Solid historical knowledge enlivened by restrained but genuine emotion render
this dense novel of ideas an unexpected page-turner.
Book has mustard yellow boards quarter bound with black cloth, spine stamped in
gold; 304 pages with dimensions (in inches) of 1.02 x 8.54 x 5.72.
Jacket is fine, price intact at $26.00.