The Princeling

The Princeling is the third book in the Morland Dynasty. In this book, the story moves away from Morland Place for a while, as John Morland moves north to marry Mary Percy, and his sister Lettice marries a Scottish lord, Robert Hamilton. The sins of the previous generation come back to haunt the younger, as Jan Chapham learns secrets about his past. Sence the novel covers fifty years of history, all of them eventful, Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has a lot of ground to cover. At times it seems as though it's too much; the story jumps from event to event, sometimes skimming over the family's story in favor of touching on the major historical events of the period. But the story of the Morland family is still addictive, as ever, and it was interesting to me to see how the family interacted

In this third chapter of the family saga of the Morlands, Elizabeth the 1st is on the throne, but still being dogged by plots, mostly by the followers and adherents of Mary, Queen of Scots, who has fled to England, under the protection of Elizabeth, following an uprising by the Scottish Protestants who do not wish to be forced to follow Catholicism. John Morland, son and heir of the Morland estates, has gone to Scotland to seek the hand of Mary Percy, daughter of a powerful Lord and cattle Baron, and, after the marriage, decides that he would prefer to remain in Scotland as heir to the huge Border estates. Other members of the family marry into powerful families, including beautiful Lettice who marries the enigmatic and unpredictable Lord Robert Hamilton who was a member of the Court of Mary, Queen of Scots, and who seems to be embroiled in the secret inner workings of her Court, and whom she sees only about once a year. This large family is sending out shoots in all directions with some members marrying into their own kind and others wandering far and away and embracing many different ways of life. It's an engrossing story and one which will be enjoyed by any lovers of historical fiction.

Following "The Founding" and "The Dark Rose", this is the third book in the MORLAND DYNASTY series. A few years have passed and Nanette, having suffered a tragic personal loss, once again returns to court where she witnesses the turbulent years of Elizabeth I.'s reign as the young Queen's confidante and lady-in-waiting. Meanwhile, in order to increase the Morland family's wealth and influence through an advantageous marriage, John, heir to Morland Place, is sent by his domineering father to the wild Northern Border. In order to prove himself among the savage Northerners and to win the love of the woman he desires, John has to live through hardship and bloody battle. At the same time, John's gentle sister Lettice is sent to the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. When she is ravished by and marries a ruthless Scottish nobleman, Lettice soon becomes embroiled in court intrigues. Having heard rumours about the mysterious deaths of her husband's first two wives and being unable to give her husband the desired heir, fear becomes her daily fare. I found this powerful and beautifully written novel thoroughly enjoyable. The characters are believable and it becomes obvious that the author did much research on the subject. Currently, I am reading the sixth book in the series and I have not yet tired of the Morlands.