Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Preseli Press
Pub date: 30 April 2022

Tudor adventurer, courtier, explorer and poet, Sir Walter Raleigh has been called the last true Elizabethan.

He didn’t dance or joust, didn’t come from a noble family, or marry into one. So how did an impoverished law student become a favourite of the queen, and Captain of the Guard?

The story which began with the Tudor trilogy follows Walter Raleigh from his first days at the Elizabethan Court to the end of the Tudor dynasty.

When I found out Tony Riches was writing an Elizabethan Series based on men such as Drake and Raleigh I couldn’t have been more excited. Raleigh is the third instalment and I’ve been looking forward to reading about the man who climbed the rungs of the societal ladder to become wealthy and a favourite of Elizabeth I.

I’d not long ago read A Woman of Noble Wit by Rosemary Griggs which tells the story of Raleigh’s mother so this was perfect continuation to delve into the life of such a fascinating man.

Riches begins Raleigh’s story when he was a young man studying law and takes us on his adventures through surviving sea battles, the unknown of new land and possibly the most difficult, navigating the royal court and his enemies.

I thoroughly enjoyed how Riches weaves the relationships Raleigh had, not only with Elizabeth but with his family, wife and other prominent members of the court. Riches portrays Raleigh as an ambitious but caring and generous man who I came to admire even more from reading this. Having visited his rooms at the Tower of London I was able to imagine him sitting writing and growing his plants.

This is such a brilliant portrayal of Raleigh’s life and Riches has used his research to create a fascinating insight into the life of one of the most famous Elizabethan characters but also Court life, sea adventures and events in Ireland.

I was genuinely a little sad when I came to the end of this as I’d have been happy to continue reading about Raleigh.
Although this is the third instalment you don’t need to have read the previous two, although I would recommend reading them all anyway as they’re brilliant.

I can’t wait to see what Riches brings us next! This is certainly one of my favourite historical fiction series’.

For those interested you can also read my reviews of Drake – Tudor Corsair and Essex – Tudor Rebel

You can find more information about Tony on his website or on Twitter