Vorab-Rezensenten

Stormbird: the last birds in the air before a great storm. Country folk would see them flying alone on the wind and know a tempest was on its way. In 1422, the Lancaster King Henry V - the great Lion of England – dies suddenly after his final, successful campaign against the French. Along with him, goes the peaceful transfer of power in England. Now it’s 1437. His son and heir, Henry VI the Lamb, is coming of age, putting an end the regency of the past decade. He is young, famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father’s famous battle-field exploits. Already he depends heavily on his closest men, the Spymaster Derry Brewer and William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to run his kingdom. But with Britain’s territories in France under threat, and rumors of revolt at home, fears grow that Henry and his advisers will see the country slide into ruin. When a secret deal struck for Henry to marry a young French noblewoman, Margaret of Anjou, those fears become all too real. Murmurs begin to descend on the royal court. Of a new king, a stronger king, a stronger and more royal house. Lancaster is not the only line descended from the Plantagenet house. Their rival line, the House of York, is waiting in the wings for a reason to end the line of Lancaster. When Henry’s bouts of insanity increase in intensity and frequency, Margaret is forced to step up and rule the kingdom in his stead. But in doing so she unwittingly ignites the spark of dissent that will lead to a devastating civil war. The members of the House of York see not only opportunity in the mentally unstable monarch but their patriotic duty in ousting Henry VI from his throne. As storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. Who or what can save the kingdom before it is too late?