Dawnlands

Dawnlands (The Fairmile #3)

Philippa Gregory

Publication Date: November 8, 2022 by Atria Books

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 🍷🍷🍷🍷

Summary: It is 1685, England is on the brink of a renewed civil war against the Stuart kings and many families are bitterly divided. Ned Ferryman cannot persuade his sister, Alinor, that he is right to return from America with his Pokanoket servant, Rowan, to join the rebel army. Instead, Alinor has been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save the queen from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant.

Alinor’s son, Rob, is determined to stay clear of the war, but when he and his nephew set out to free Ned from execution for treason and Rowan from a convict deportation to Barbados, they find themselves enmeshed in the creation of an imposter Prince of Wales—a surrogate baby to the queen.

From the last battle in the desolate Somerset Levels to the hidden caves on the slave island of Barbados, this third volume of an epic story follows a family from one end of the empire to another, to find a new dawn in a world which is opening up before them with greater rewards and dangers than ever before.

My Thoughts: One of the most interesting things about this series is that Gregory chose not to focus on the royals as she did in many of her other popular books. She instead chose to infuse these books with the historical events she wanted her characters to experience in the course of their lives. Even though the main characters are not royals I found the books be very character driven. Their goals, desires, and relationships all invite the reader to take the journey with them. 

It was enjoyable to go back to the lives of Alinor, Ned, Alys and Rob. The treacherous Livia gave readers all the manipulation and backstabbing one could ask for. Gregory doesn't just provide insight into the English monarchy and the civil war that ensued. Due to the travels of her characters she was able to expound upon the plight of the Native Americans in America and the slaves on the sugar plantations in Barbados. 

While I did enjoy this latest addition to the series I felt some of it was a stretch. However, good writing always prevails. I am a huge Philippa Gregory fan and will continue to read whatever she writes. 😊

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.