Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau (CLOSED)

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

Touchstone

March 2013

Format: Hardcover, 512 pages

Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

First line: When preparing for martyrdom on the night of December 28, 1538, I did not think of those I love.

About the book: In the next novel from Nancy Bilyeau after her acclaimed debut The
Crown, novice Joanna Stafford plunges into an even more dangerous
conspiracy as she comes up against some of the most powerful men of her
era.

In 1538, England is in the midst of bloody power struggles between
crown and cross that threaten to tear the country apart. Joanna Stafford
has seen what lies inside the king’s torture rooms and risks
imprisonment again, when she is caught up in a shadowy international
plot targeting the King. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna
understands she may have to assume her role in a prophecy foretold by
three different seers, each more omniscient than the last.

Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of
Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice
that lays at the center of these deadly prophecies…

My thoughts: This is my first time reading Nancy Bilyeau. I haven’t had a chance yet to read her debut novel, The Crown, which is the first in the Crown series, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book. A historical fiction book filled with suspense and intrigue set during Tudor England – definitely my type of book!

The Chalice takes place at the time when King Henry VIII has basically dissolved all the monasteries and priories and the Catholic Church is no more – all so he could end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Joanna, a former novice, is struggling to adapt to secular life. She is pulled into a scandal that puts her at the center of a plot involving King Henry’s monarchy. 

From the first page, I was pulled into this story and had a hard time putting it down. I’ve read quite a few books about King Henry VIII’s reign, but never one comes from the point of view of those directly impacted by the Reformation. I admit that I know very little about the effects of this, but reading The Chalice gave me great insight. This was a dark time for English history and the detail that Nancy Bilyeau gives us is just fascinating – she clearly has done her research and crafted a well-developed tale. Even the characters – those real and made up – are all multi-dimensional. Joanna is someone that you just can’t stop thinking about – she is smart and cunning when she needs to be, while at the same time caring and kind to those around her.

As I mentioned earlier, I did not read the first book in this series, The Crown, but I never felt that I was missing anything while reading this book. There were times that events from the first book were referred to, but not in a way as to spoil what happens, I don’t think (I will have to see if this is correct after I read the first book!). If anything, after reading The Chalice, I am even more anxious to read the previous book to learn more about Joanna and hope that this is not the last time we see Joanna!

About the author: Nancy Bilyeau,
author of The Crown, is a writer and magazine editor who has worked on
the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Good
Housekeeping. Her latest position is features editor of Du Jour
magazine. A native of the Midwest, she graduated from the University of
Michigan. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

For more information, please visit Nancy Bilyeau’s website. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.  

Be sure to check out all the other stops on the blog tour and follow the tour on Twitter (hashtag: #TheChaliceVirtualTour).

Giveaway Information (CLOSED):

Thanks to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours I have one copy of The Chalice to give away to my readers. 

Rules: 

• Open to US only
• Must include email address to enter 

* Mandatory entry – Tell me why you want to read this book. 

 * Extra entry #1 – become a follower of Always With a Book – via email, twitter or bloglovin‘. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries (just leave the name you follow under and how).  

* Extra entry #2 – please help spread the word by
blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting, pinning onto Pinterest or posting this
giveaway on Facebook (each way you share gets you 1 more entry).  

 

All entries can be in one email – but you MUST include email address or no entry. 

GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 23rd

  

Good Luck!!!