Thankyou to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and the author, Derek Birks, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Blood Of Princes in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I love reading historical fiction, whichis one of the reasons I jumped at the chance to review this novel. I am so glad I did as it is wonderfully written with engaging characters. It was full of mystery and intrigue. The settings were so descriptive it was like you were in amongst all the action. I could not put it down. Would love to read more from this author.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.

‘England has a problem and I must find a way to solve it.’

England, 1483. When Edward IV dies suddenly in April 1483, his heir Edward, Prince of Wales, is only twelve years old. John Elder, ex-mercenary and now head of the Elder family, is appointed to Edward’s service and charged with his safety. John Elder’s first task is to escort Edward to London for his coronation. Unfortunately, John Elder’s task is complicated by both factional battles for control over the boy king and disquiet about having such young king. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was appointed Lord Protector during Edward’s minority and quickly seized control. One consequence is that John Elder is outlawed, and other family members become caught up in a battle to protect Edward and his brother Richard, Duke of York.

The stakes are high, and the battles are fierce. John Elder has an extended family, many of whom become involved in his struggle to protect the princes. And some of them, brave souls, have battles of their own to fight.

Initially I wanted to read this novel because of the history and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the princes in the Tower of London. But I quickly became caught up in the adventures of the Elder family and was delighted to discover that Mr Birks has penned other novels featuring the Elder family. I should admit that I am a partisan Ricardian, so some aspects of this novel don’t accord with my own preferred view. In the end, though, I didn’t care. Mr Birks has written a fast-moving, totally engrossing novel featuring plenty of intrigue and adventure. I’ve added his other novels to my reading list.

Recommended for those who enjoy well-written historical fiction set in 15th century England.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

In April 1483, with the death of King Edward IV, his son Edward a 12 year old boy becomes the king. The young king comes under the protection of his uncle the Duke of Gloucester but will this bring stability to the kingdom or a bitter civil war. John Elder is determined to uphold his oath to the boy King and see him crowned.
Although it is not necessary to read Book One, as I did not, I found it at first diffiult to get ito the story as I faced a host of characters without any context.
But overall a well-written historical fiction story, which continues.

Initially I wanted to read this novel because of the history and the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the princes in the Tower of London. But I quickly became caught up in the adventures of the Elder family and was delighted to discover that Mr Birks has penned other novels featuring the Elder family.

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and Derek Birks for this digital copy of The Blood of Princes.

"A savage tale of love, treason and betrayal.
A bloody struggle for power at the heart of the royal court."

I thoroughly enjoy a good historical fiction, and the blood of princes (book 2 of 'The Craft of Kings' but more on this in a moment) ticks all the boxes. Action from page 1, intrigue, double crossing and a motely cast of lovable, characters.
As I mentioned, this is the 2nd in a series, something I was not aware of, and it's a credit to the author that I was able to read this without feeling like I was missing something.

The only thing I really struggled with (and I like to research rather than assume) was the language. The best way I can dedcribe it is as being 'out of time'. That being said it didnt detract from my enjoyment of the story, a definite recommendation for anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.

Edward IV dies and leaves the throne to the hands of his young son. John Elder, a restless lord is in charge of bringing the boy king to London for his coronation, but somewhere in the journey he was ambushed and marked as an outlaw.

It was a rather riveting but chatty adventure, delivering a gory yet accurate picture of 15th century England. It's definitely action-packed with a host of pivoting skirmishes and word-fights; a lot of scheming and spying. It's not the romantic castles and damsels in distress of fairy tales -- The Blood of Princes is a definite gut-wrenching, emotional tale of, not only of John Elder, but also the monarchy of England, both in the heart of London and its outskirts. Highly recommended if you want an accurate setting of 15th century England and the rough business of being a royal.

I am a big fan of historical fiction, and Derek Birks does not disappoint in this book. Late 1400's Britain finds Richard III taking his nephews to the Tower of London in order to appoint himself king. John Elder, a staunch supporter of King Edward IV, fights to keep Edward's young son as king. Honourable and loyal, Elder is a well-drawn character who is doing his best to uphold his oath to the young king's father. I will be looking for the first book in this authentic series, and waiting for the next one.

I received a ARC of this book from NetGalley. Being a history buff, I enjoy all things that will take me back to the times of hidden letters, plots, princes and The Blood Of Princes. This book was very quick paced, very detail oriented and very action packed. I rooted for a different ending even though history had foretold how all things ended. I would recommend this book to any history lover. Once I got started it was hard to put down.

Historical fiction has always been one of my all time favourite genres and have read a few books on John Elder and this period in history. 'The Blood of Princes' was a very enjoyable read and one that i didn't want to end. Very well written and deserving of it's 5 stars. It is the first time i have read a book by this author and cannot wait to read more. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley, the Publishers and Derek Birks for my copy. This is my honest review, which i have freely given.

The Blood of Princes by Derek Birks was on my TBR list for quite a while, but it wasn’t until the author contacted me that I picked it up. I was very excited to read it, since I’m a big fan of English historical fiction, especially when it is set in the late Middle Ages. All the power struggles and betrayals are often so interesting that they almost seem made up. The one thing that worried me was the fact that it was the second book in a series and I’d neglected to read the first. Fortunately, that seemed to be no problem at all as the author made it so that you could read this sequel without feeling that you had missed anything at all.

This novel focuses on King Edward V who became King at age of twelve upon his father’s death. He was never officially crowned, since his uncle and Lord Protector, the Duke of Gloucester, deposed him in order to take the crown for himself. John Elder, a new Lord who is sworn to protect King Edward, comes to his aid and tries to save the King from captivity. All the while there is also a lot of drama going on in the Elder family. I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of the story. Many big historical events can be followed, as well as a variety of smaller troubles that have been invented by the writer. And even though there is a lot going on at any given part in the story, it is always clear what is happening and who is being followed at that time. Pretty admirable if you ask me!

There were a few things that bothered me as well though. Not so much that they spoiled the book for me, but I feel that I have to mention them anyway. Firstly, the language seemed off sometimes. It felt too modern for the time that the story was set in. I even Googled some of the phrases to see if the even existed at the time. Secondly, the entire novel focuses on saving King Edward V and his younger brother, and they are eventually killed off in a single sentence. I had to go back and reread the sentence several times to be sure that they were actually dead. Very anticlimactic. Luckily, there were some bits of the story that ended well and made up for this disappointment.

The ending of the book was open and promising, so hopefully I’ll get to enjoy another one of Derek Birks’ historical novels about John Elder. Possibly even one that explores his romance with Alice/Isabel a bit further, since that storyline has left me curious.

A 12 year old king is not good. I've heard the story of the princes in the tower. The Blood of Princes delivers a story I'm less familiar with. It's a well written and researched piece of historical fiction. It's fast paced, intriguing and full of malicious behavior, as fits the time period. It's a good informative and engaging read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

'The Blood of Princes' was a very enjoyable read and one that i didn't want to end. Very well written and deserving of it's 5 stars. It is the first time i have read a book by this author and cannot wait to read more. Highly recommended.

The Blood of Princes is a historical fiction novel told during the time of the boy king, the twelve year old son of Edward IV, and the princes in the tower. Unlike other stories told during this time that focuses on the princes as a main character, the author takes a unique approach to craft a tale of how the events of this period were influencing supporting characters that have very little to no direct ties to the monarchy. The boy king was treated more as a supporting character, which provided an opportunity to get insights into all the turmoil going on around the royal. The author did a good job of capturing this period of history through nefarious plotting, backstabbing, and manipulating. This is the second book in a series and I did not read the first book and did find myself a bit lost in the beginning with all the characters and no real context. I felt like I was dropped in the middle of a story without a sufficient amount of backstory. Regardless, I recommend this book to any fans of historical fiction that take place during this period.

The Blood of Princes plunges us directly into the awkward and dangerous conflict between Richard of Gloucester, brother of the late King Edward IV and Lord Rivers, who is attempting to bring young Prince Edward to London for a quick coronation. We hit the ground running and don’t stop. The prince, who is a pawn in the game of dynastic struggles, is championed by John Elder, from the same family as “Feud” from the Rebels and Brothers series. I read “The Blood of Princes” out of sequence; enough time had passed between readings that I forgot the main character’s first name. I admit that I misidentified the John from this book as Ned from the other book. Although well developed as a character, John shared so many of Ned’s characteristics (his dogged loyalty and especially his expert swordsmanship) it was an easy mistake for a careless reader. Nonetheless, my error did not keep me from enjoying the book! It was a real page turner.

John Elder took on the impossible task to save Prince Edward once it became clear that Gloucester would become king. In the process he endangered everyone who came into contact with him, from friends to family—although it wasn’t always his fault. Many of the characters—especially the females—impetuously ignored instructions that should have kept them safe. I did have a little trouble accepting that the characters who fell in “love at first sight” were willing to put themselves at tremendous risk—foolishly so—for total strangers. Oh, the vagaries of youth! Nobody escaped unscathed; this was a violent and bloody book taking place in a violent and bloody time. I think Derek Birks did a good job of depicting the uncertainties, fears, and strained loyalties during this distressing period, where powerful, unscrupulous men ruled and the law was gleefully ignored.

Written by Derek Burks, The Blood of Princes follows John, a man thrust into the intrigues of a new, young, King and opens with betrayal. Or is it?
This is the perfect book for anyone looking for a combination of knights and court intrigue written in a style that calls back to the 1400s.
This novel was refreshing in the way it was written, and evoked an image that made me want to see this on the screen.
Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a well written novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This has very good world building. The cover on this is what drew me in but I loved the synopsis also so when I read it, I was not let down. I really enjoyed this. I have tons of great reads coming from Net Galley lately. I highly recommend this book.

Despite being an avid Ricardian, I did enjoy reading this book. For historical fiction it was not bad. While King Edward is on his way to London to be crowned after the death of his father, Richard, his uncle intercepts them. The Woodville side of the family was trying to control the king afraid to lose their power if they lost the king. But Richard struck before they realized they were in danger, removing the King from their safekeeping.
But when Edward is deposed and Richard stands to become king, things get very interesting indeed..


Great book for a quick spring break read!

I really enjoyed reading this book I found the book was very quick paced and I feel well researched and I would recommend this book to any history lover. Once I got started it was hard to put down and I can't wait for more from this author

At first, I was a bit confused with the characters since I haven't read the first book. But the book turned out great! I loved it. I am going to go back and read the first book, and I can't wait to read more!

Thank you #NetGalley for a review copy of #TheBloodOfPrinces

I'm of the opinion that if you Google the phrase "adrenaline rush", you should be directed to a page describing Derek Birks' fictional 15th century family, The Elders. Throughout the tales in both the Rebels and Brothers series, and in the Craft of Kings, the reader is treated to intense emotional upheaval, traumatizing losses, hopeless situations; and yet the Elders persevere in the face of all the changes and challenges. I may have stated in my review of one of the prior books, that Eleanor Elder is at the top of a long list of my favorite fictional characters...after reading The Blood of Princes, I now have to add Lady Margaret Elder (Meg).

It's tough enough being proclaimed an 'outlaw'. Now, John Elder faces impossible tasks,.. keeping his family intact, rescuing Tower imprisoned Princes of the Realm, and by the way, staying alive. Book 2 is a certified roller-coaster ride through the transition from Edward IV to his son; but wait, there're more contestants to the throne, more loyalties tested, more oaths sworn or forsaken, and a whole lot more danger to life and limb. The author has once again delivered the entire package, so dear reader, fasten your seat belts. The adrenaline is about to start coursing through your veins.  5 stars

It took me longer to read this book because I wanted to read Scars from the Past before I read the continuation. This book was as good as I expected it to be. The historical element was very well portrayed, using beautiful descriptions to give the reader a clear image of the settings, the storyline and the characters. Each character was tridimensional, the plot felt to be moving fast even if there are slow parts. I agree with some people who say it is not essential to read book one in this series to understand this one, but I would still recommend doing so in order to have a broader picture of the story. I do believe the two complement each other beautifully. Derek Birks is a talented author. If you are passionate about historical fiction and stories about love and betrayal, you will definitely enjoy this book!

All history buffs know the story of the two Princes in the Tower of London, Prince Edward, the heir of King Edward IV & his brother Richard, Duke of York and the mystery/theories behind their disappearance from there at the hands of their uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester who acting as young Edward's Lord Protector, seized power and crowned himself King Richard the 3rd.

The Blood of Princes follows this story through the eyes and actions of the Elder family, led by John Elder, the ex-mercenary and young head of the Elder family who being loyal to the cause of the young Prince Edward, try to do everything in their power to save the young princes. I couldn't help rooting for John Elder and his band of ex-mercenaries friends while they make their daring rescue attempt, hoping for a successful turn of events even though history tells us that the eventual fate of the two princes was a bleak and tragic one.

This book is action packed with never a dull moment......reading it makes you feel like you are right there in the midst of the action. What I liked best was how the author just got straight to the point with the story and action, never feeling the need to give any backstory explanation to the characters and events in the book.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an e-ARC of the book. I would like to mention that the author was very kind to re-send me a PDF copy of the book when something went wrong with my downloaded e-copy.