K. J. Whittaker

In a moment of "for want of a nail..." the war was lost and Lord Larmorna (Crow) was the linchpin on which the war was lost. He failed to get some intel to Wellington in time and hence England lost in Waterloo and now England is under France's thumb. Wellington is imprisoned and the French Army are running riot over England. Crow is half-french so has some advantages but still he is not above suspicion. Hester Harewood begins the story dealing with her father's death at the hands of the French and having to escape. When the two of them get together they have to deal with a lot of different issues, including the fact that Hester is mixed-race and this is sometimes an issue with other aristocrats but she perseveres.
It was an interesting story with two interesting and complex characters.… (mere)

I always love getting recommendations. Honestly, it brightens up my day every time. When RT enthused to me about this book, I realised it was already in my TBR pile and promptly moved it to the top of the list. And I’ve devoured it at high speed. It opens in 1817, two years since Napoleon scraped a narrow victory at Waterloo and placed his brother Jérôme on the English throne. Now English curfews are enforced by French troops and English patriots executed by French guillotines, and discontent is rising. We follow three characters into the heart of this powder-keg: Kitto Helford, an aristocratic fourteen-year-old with patriotic ambitions; his older brother Crow, the laconic Earl of Lamorna, whose withering arrogance hides a soul traumatised by war; and Hester Harewood, the resourceful daughter of a dashing (black) naval officer...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2018/11/11/false-lights-k-j-whittaker/… (mere)