After reading Portrait of an Unknown Woman I couldn't wait to read Figures in Silk, and I wasn't disappointed. Vanora Bennett's masterful weaving of fact and fiction brought the era and historical characters to life, leaving the reader desperate for more. I was torn between sympathy and loathing for Richard III as his character unfolded in an attempt to unveil the man behind the traditionally assumed atrocities he committed to gain the throne but mostly I was fascinated by the lives of the silk women and the merchants in London, which showed a hive of industry and trade that I'd never thought of as an interesting part of fifteenth century England before now! Captivating - can't wait for Blood Royal!