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About the book:

A bitter dose of one’s own medicine was never more callously concocted.

The King’s Heart is a tale of treachery and shifting alliances much like Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth that only the Anarchic period of English history could produce. A steward’s single act of vengeance delivers his domineering, cruel mistress into the ruthless hands of Worthington, an imperious, power-hungry young lord. Unwittingly, the servant’s betrayal of his lady sets in motion a battle of wills, which forever entangles the fates of the noble Houses of Tuttleberry and Worthington.

Given free rein by her husband, the selfish and spiteful Lady of Tuttleberry grows wild and unpredictable in her treatment of their people and knows no bit of restraint—for no one has ever dared to bridle her tongue or stay her hand. She rules through fear of the whip until she wakes one day with the tables turned. Suddenly, it is she who is at the mercy of a master, a harsh, unforgiving trainer who has it in mind to tame her, to bring her to his will—a will as stubborn as her own. However, what Charles does not intend is to grow fond of his new pet, so he hides her away just as she is broken, finally yielding to him, a spirit wounded. It seems she has learned to obey her master too late. Fate intervenes once again, and it is in this solitude that Cornella is reborn a wiser, stronger version of her former self and with her, a secret emerges that will bind the two of them together for the rest of their lives.

A story of remorse, gut-wrenching introspection, and poetic justice, the breathtaking twists and turns of The King’s Heart will keep the reader guessing until the bitter end.

My review:

I have a variety of thoughts and impressions about this book. For one, the plot was intriguing and held my interest. I read a lot of books set during this time period and they are not all this engaging. I did get a bit confused on occasion regarding whose point of view I was in, though, and I couldn't tell if it was an attempt at omniscient point of view or merely head hopping. That aside, it was a pretty intense story and I liked the realism of it. The characters were distinct and believable, for one. It made me think about the story of the rich man who was forgiven a large debt, then left to collect a small debt from a servant and beat him over it. Often authors spare their characters pain. This author had no qualms about messing up their lives, which makes for an interesting story. So while the technique is a bit rough around the edges, the story itself was intense and emotionally evocative. I enjoyed it.

You can get The King's Heart: A Novel on kindle or in paperback format on Amazon.