Book review: Last Child

Terry TylerTudor lovers will love this sequel to the popular Kings and Queens saga by Terry Tyler about construction magnate Harry Lanchester [Henry VIII] and his six wives. Now, Harry is dead. The King is dead, long live the king. In this case, his only son.

This book follows the tale of the three orphans and, like their Tudor namesakes – Isabella/Mary, Jaz/Edward and Erin/Elizabeth – they make a history of the 21st century kind. Adultery, boardroom betrayal, sibling arguments, sexual chemistry, this book is full of it. Business here takes the place of royalty, creating quite apt parallels as the themes transfer across the centuries: truth, compromise, pragmatism and bravery.

It helps to have read Kings and Queens before you start this, but not essential. The first narrator is Hannah, who was nanny in the first book to the three young Lanchester children, and is now back on the scene to pick up the pieces. Jaz, Harry’s heir, is 13, his father’s friends surround him as he prepares to take the helm of the family construction when he is 16. But Jaz, like his father, is a rebel and things do not go to plan. If you know your Tudor history, you can guess what happens next. And this is where Terry Tyler is so clever, she sticks to the broad historical brushstrokes but is inventive in the modern-day scenarios she creates for Harry’s three children.

I loved this pair of books, particularly the very last section ‘Ten Minutes Before’. So Tudor!

For Terry Tyler’s blog, click here.
To read my review of Kings and Queens, click here.
If you like ‘Last Child’, try:-
‘The Little House’ by Philippa Gregory
‘Elizabeth is Missing’ by Emma Healey
‘The Betrayal’ by Laura Elliot

‘Last Child’ by Terry Tyler [UK: Terry Tyler] Buy now

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Tudor lovers will love this: LAST CHILD by @TerryTyler4 #bookreview via @SandraDanby http://wp.me/p5gEM4-1Hd

4 thoughts on “Book review: Last Child

  1. Terry Tyler

    Thank you so, so much for this, just nipped onto Twitter quickly and saw it! I’m delighted that you liked K&Q enough to read the sequel, and loved your mention of the last little section of all…!

    Like

    Reply

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