Under These Restless Skies

Lissa Bryan — 2014

Journey back in time to Tudor England with a tale of romance, intrigue, and the Celtic legends of the selkies. Will Somers has spent his life alone, thinking himself unlovable. Emma is a selkie; a creature of myth and magic, one of the immortal fae-folk of the sea. When Will finds her sleeping on a beach, he recalls the tales his grandmother told him of selkie maidens taken for wives. He seizes this unexpected chance to have a wife and family of his own and steals her pelt, binding her to him. Only when it is willingly returned will she be free. Emma has never experienced life on land and can barely contain her excitement and curiosity. She has to learn to adapt quickly to human customs, for Will is headed to the glittering, dangerous court of Henry VIII to serve as the king's fool. It's a world where careless words can lead to the scaffold and the smallest gesture is loaded with political implications. Anne Boleyn is charmed by Emma's naivete and soothing selkie magic and wants Emma for her own fool. Anne is soon to become a wife herself, and the Queen of England. But wearing the crown does not ensure her own safety, and at Anne's side, Emma becomes entangled in the dark intrigues of the court, trying to stay afloat in the turbulent seas swept by the storms of the mercurial king. Can Will protect the woman he loves from the dangers that lurk in every shadow? Emma uses her selkie magic to soothe the king's temper, and Will uses his humor, but Henry's moods become increasingly erratic. Theirs is a vocation that provides them some protection, but in Henry VIII's court, no one is safe. Circa regna tonat: Around the throne, the thunder rolls.

Reviews

Patricia Santos@patriciasjs

Aug 31, 2021

http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt... When I first heard about Under These Restless Skies I knew that I had to read it. Selkies and Tudors? That sounds too amazing! So, I did not resist it and I read it but it was not what I was expecting. I think I had too many expectations and, unfortunately, it was not the remarkable reading I was expecting. Lyssa has a very beautiful and delicate writing and expresses very well the feelings and emotions, the intrigues and politics of the court. However, it was hard to get into and there where parts that were boring despite the good aspects of the book because the author was lost in descriptions and relating the facts too much. What was a pity because she was very careful with the historical details like the court's routine, the clothing or the relationships between characters and made a very good job on mixing legend with history. Also, the way she describes Henry VIII and Anne's relationship was very interesting and I like the way she wrote Anne, specially. The only thing that really bothered me was the fact that Will Somers was a real person, he was in reality the king’s fool, and the way the story was written doesn’t transmit that, it seems he is a fictional character, and that didn’t work very well for me. But Will and Emma’s love story, I admit it, it was too cute and sweet to be able to resist it. Although it was not what I expected, Under These Restless Skies was an original story that gave me an unexpected view about Anne Boleyn’s short reign. **I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**