#BlogTour | The Earl In Black Armour by Nancy Blanton #TheEarlInBlackArmour #Review #HFVBTBlogTours @nancy_blanton @hfvbt

Hello, my lovely readers! I have the massive pleasure of being today’s stop on this amazing blog tour for; The Earl In The Black Armour by Nancy Blanton, not only am I sharing my review of this hugely impressive book but there is a chance for you to win a signed copy of The Earl in Black Armour – not to be missed. So, grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy.

The Earl in Black Armor by Nancy Blanton

Publication Date: March 17, 2019
Publisher: Ellys-Daughtrey Books
Format: eBook, Paperback, Hardcover

Genre: Historical Fiction

Ireland, 1635.

When the clan leader sends Faolán Burke to Dublin to spy on Thomas Wentworth, the ruthless Lord Deputy of Ireland, the future of his centuries-old clan rests upon his shoulders. Wentworth is plotting to acquire clan lands of Connacht for an English Protestant plantation. To stop him, Faolán must discover misdeeds that could force King Charles to recall Wentworth to England.

Leaving his young daughter Elvy in the care of his best friend Aengus, Faolán works as a porter in Dublin Castle, and aligns with the alluring Denisa, Wentworth’s personal assistant. She, too, spies on Wentworth, but for very personal reasons.

While Faolán knows he should hate Wentworth, he admires his prosecution of pirates and corrupt nobles who prey on Irish merchants. Supremely arrogant and cruel to his enemies, Wentworth shows loyalty, warmth and compassion for family, friends and a few select others.

A common mission takes Faolán and Denisa from Dublin to London and Hampton Court; to York and Scotland; and to the highest levels of court intrigue and power. But secrets, fears, war and betrayal threaten their love—and even their lives. And as Wentworth’s power grows, so grow the deadly plans of his most treacherous and driven enemies.

“If you are looking for an adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then look no further! Get ready for court intrigue, roguish behavior, and of course, that little bit of romance… Well, then you have a book that is hard to put down.” — Rebecca Hill, Net Galley Reviewer

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Review

This book is astoundingly good! Its a real marvel of historical fiction writing, reading this for me was like locking a chocoholic in Cadbury World   for the weekend and telling them to help themselves. I am always fascinated with reading historical which feature real historical characters, and even though I didn’t a lot about Thomas Wentworth, so I was interested to learn about him and this dark period of Irish history. I will admit that before this, I hadn’t read any of Nancy Blanton’s work, something which will be remedied after reading this glorious book.

Set in 1635, in Ireland, the hero of the piece; Faolan a young widower who has been sent to spy on the English King Charles’ Irish representative; Thomas Wentworth and convey any knowledge of double-dealing and scandal back to his clans chief; Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. So, Faolan must leave his tiny baby daughter with his friend, to go and infiltrate the enemy. Something which is far easier said than done, Faolan soon realises that he may not be alone in the task of gathering information, there are spies and back-stabbers at every turn. He really doesn’t want to leave his mother-less daughter, she is just a babe and Faolan who is still grieving for his lost wife, he feels guilt that he must do this job to provide for her. He is a good father and a good, man, he just wants to do right by his daughter and his clan.

Once within Wentworth court, Faolan soon meets mysterious and beautiful Denisa who is Wentworth’s assistant, she is a fascinating character, there are so many intrigues that swirl around her she hides within a cloak of mystery within the shadows, Faolan soon becomes equally fascinated by her and for good reason as she is far more then she appears to be, but they do share a goal and a mission so it is inevitable that they team up – but can he really trust her?

Faolan starts to see Wentworth as something other than what he thought him to be, he starts to see him as someone who yes is very arrogant and so sure of all he does but there is a more human aspect of him that Faolan comes to reluctantly admire. He sees that Wentworth isn’t the ogre his countrymen thought him to be, yes he does have a terrible ruthless streak but what confuses Faolan more then anything is Wentworth’s loyalty towards his family.

I love the journey that Faolan goes on through the story, not just the physical one from Dublin to London then to Scotland, but the emotional journey; he isn’t a complex man but he does indeed have some complex and contractionary thoughts as the story goes along. He is confused over his feelings for Denisa, he is confused and frustrated that Wentworth isn’t how he should be, Faolan wants to hate the man, yet he can’t and he is guilty for leaving his daughter, that above all else struck me. He is a selfless man all his thoughts in this world revolve around that tiny little girl.

I loved the immersive and exceedingly rich historical detail that so flawlessly entwines fact with fiction, Ms Blanton has an incredible talent at bringing the past alive with her vivid, atmospheric and captivating writing. The characters are brilliantly developed and engaging, the plot is incredible; it literally takes the reader on a thrilling ride of political rivalry, danger and deceit and off course there is a hint of a blossoming romance – what else could we want from an historical?

This was a complimentary copy via the author in exchange for an honest review as a part of this blog tour, Thank you, Nancy and Amy.

About the Author

Nancy Blanton writes award-winning novels based in 17th century Irish history. Her latest, The Earl in Black Armor, tells a relentless story of loyalty, honor and betrayal in the Stuart era prior to the great Irish Rebellion of 1641. The Prince of Glencurragh, her second novel, occurs in 1634 during the English Plantation of Ireland. Her first novel, Sharavogue, is set in Ireland and the West Indies during the time of Oliver Cromwell. In non-fiction, Brand Yourself Royally in 8 Simple Steps is also a medalist, providing a valuable personal branding guide for authors, artists, and business consultants. Her blog, My Lady’s Closet, focuses on writing, books, historical fiction, research and travel. Ms. Blanton is a member of the Historical Novel Society and is proud to be an occasional guest author on the award-winning UK blog, Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots. She has worked as a journalist, magazine editor, corporate communications leader and brand manager. Her books celebrate her love of history and her Irish and English heritage. She lives in Florida.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Do check out the other blog’s which are participating in this wonderful blog tour.

Monday, July 1
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books

Tuesday, July 2
Excerpt at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Friday, July 5
Review at Jonathan & Heather

Saturday, July 6
Review at Passages to the Past

Monday, July 8
Guest Post at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Tuesday, July 9
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Wednesday, July 10
Review at The Writing Desk

Thursday, July 11
Feature at Let Them Read Books

Friday, July 12
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, July 16
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, July 17
Feature at What Is That Book About

Friday, July 19
Interview at Jonathan & Heather

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, one winner will receive a signed hardcover copy of The Earl in Black Armor! To enter, please use the Gleam form here – Earl in Black Armor

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on July 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to the US & UK only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by the blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner is chosen.