Gloriana's Torch (Paperback)

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Review
"One of the most extraordinary novels that I've read this year. [Finney] keeps her plot driving forward, combining terrific suspense with a kind of wild history safari... The muscular poetry of her writing lights up with the sheer glee of invention and gives readers a rare feeling of living other lives in other times." Mat Coward, MORNING STAR, 22/12/04 'an action-packed historical thriller...' WOMAN'S OWN 15/9/03 'A substantial and historically-satisfying book' tangledweb.co.uk, September 2003 'Finney takes us into the 16th century with conviction, giving us a vivid account of the sights, sounds and smells of London, Lisbon and life aboard the Spanish galleasses, while building up to a soaring denouement as the Spanish fleet makes its way towards the English Channel. A superb piece of historical writing.' GOOD BOOK GUIDE, 1 October 03 '[Finney writes] wonderfully atmospheric Elizabethan thrillers... Finney explores how very differnt England would be had the Spanish invasion succeeded' GLASGOW EVENING TIMES, 4 October 03 '... the books' language is a triumph... [Finney] is good at villains with complex motives. Her unpreparedness to compromise with her prose is yet another of her passionate intensities.' THE INDEPENDENT, lead review by Roz Kaveney, 26 November 03

Product Description
1587 and the Spanish are preparing to launch the Armada, their Holy Enterprise of England, to rescue the English from heresy and Elizabeth, their Witch-Queen. Ex-soldier David Becket, now responsible for the Queen's Ordnance but struggling to deal with his tortured past in the Tower of London and on the battlefields of Europe, discovers that large quantities of gunpowder are going astray. Can someone in the heart of the English government be selling it to the Spanish? Unaccountably he is plagued by vivid dreams of England invaded, an alternative story where the Armada is victorious. Simon Ames, Becket's old friend, has been captured by the Inquisition in Lisbon as he attempts to elicit vital information for the Queen. His wife, Rebecca; a black slave, Merula, and Becket are permitted to rescue him on one condition. They must also infiltrate the Spanish fleet and unravel the riddle of the Miracle of Beauty. But Simon has been sentenced to work as a galley slave on the Armada and, chained to an oarbench, is now bound for England. Patricia Finney's brilliant reworking of the Armada legend is an imaginative tour de force and illustrates how different England's history could have been had the Spanish landed. Thrilling, intricate and inspiring, this is a tale of gods, of courage, of love, and, ultimately, of redemption.

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5 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:  (1)           Average Customer Review 3.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, beautiful, sad, marvellous, 14 Dec 2004 By A Customer Finney's Elizabethan series goes from strength to strength. This book carries forward characters introduced in "Firedrake's eye" and "Unicorn's blood" in a fascinating and terrifying adventure set in the midst of the Armada's attack in 1588. Finney combines the ability to make the sixteenth century and historical characters like Elizabeth I feel (and smell) completely real with a magical-realist approach that increases readers' ability not only to empathize with the characters but also to apply the issues (lively ones, such as the brutality of power and religious persecution) to our own day. The switch of viewpoint forces readers to see all the characters as people, neither angels nor devils. Read the series in sequence or just get this book; you may have to put more effort into reading than usual, but the rewards are more than worth it. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A work-out for the mind, 18 Oct 2007 By  Didier (Ghent, Belgium) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    This review is from: Gloriana's Torch (Paperback) This is another intricate but masterly detective novel set in Elizabethan times (Gloriana was the name given by Edmund Spenser to Elizabeth in his poem The Faerie Queen) by Patricia Finney, the third in the series featuring Simon Ames and David Becket, parts one and two being "Firedrake's Eye" and "Unicorn's Blood". Contrary to those two this one isn't entirely set in England but also in Lisbon, where Simon Ames has been captured by the Inquisition. Those weren't the friendliest of people as I'm sure you know, so David Becket sets out to rescue his friend while the Spanish Armada is preparing to invade England... Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars unrelieved unpleasantness, 25 Jan 2008 By  J "jan" (Derbyshire, England) - See all my reviews This review is from: Gloriana's Torch (Hardcover) I know Patricia Finney believes in portraying Tudor times "Warts and all" but this book is nothing but the "warts" - by the time I got to the lengthy and graphic description of breaking in new galley slaves I had to give up. Her other books at least have some humour and lighter moments, this is an endurance test! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 5 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars Well Written, Oddly Structured Ruth Rendell, according to the quote featured prominently on the dustjacket, called Patricia Finney `the le Carre of the sixteenth century' - after reading this, I think I'd've... Read more Published 3 months ago by wolf 1.0 out of 5 stars Strange Narrative I have read many books based around Elizabeth I and tudor times in general and I was looking forward to this. However I found it almost impossible to follow. Read more Published on 20 May 2004 by Booklover Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 5 customer reviews...

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