fiction – History… the interesting bits!

Book Corner: Queen of Shadows by Anna Belfrage

30/06/2026Sharon Bennett Connolly1 Comment

She should have stayed in the shadows—but Leonor de Guzmán yearned for the sun

Castile in the 1330s is a place of constant turmoil. King Alfonso must contend with the incursions from the Muslim Marinids eager to reclaim Al-Andalus while struggling with repeated rebellions against his firm rule.

When Alfonso needs respite, he finds it in the arms of his Leonor—the most beautiful woman in the realm. But while he may love Leonor over all others, his lawful wife, Maria of Portugal, is tired of being constantly displaced by the fair Leonor.
Leonor loves her man. She gives him healthy sons, a place to be himself. But she is only a mistress, even if Alfonso treats her like a queen. Leonor’s enemies watch and hate.

Flying too close to the sun comes at a high price. How much will Leonor’s love cost her?

Based on the true story of Alfonso XI and his complicated relationships to wife and life-long mistress.

Anna Belfrage does it again! She does have a knack of making history come to life!

Queen of Shadows tells the story of Leonor de Guzman through the eyes of the fictional character, Alma. Leonor de Guzmán y Ponce de León was the long-term mistress of Alfonso XI, King of Castile. She and Alfonso had 10 children together, the eldest surviving son, Enrique of Trastamara, being a year older than his legitimate half-brother Pedro the Cruel (or the Just), King of Castile.

King Alfonso was married to Maria of Portugal, but in love with Leonor. I always find it heartbreaking how women blame ‘the other woman’ rather than the man, who is betraying and hurting both his wife and his lover. Queen of Shadows does not shy away from portraying that betrayal and hurt – or the rivalry of the two women, one with a nursery full of illegitimate children and the other with one precious son who is the legitimate heir.

This fabulous novel explores the story of Castile at a crucial time, when the Reconquista is gathering pace and the Castilian king is fighting to recover lands lost to the Muslim invaders. Alfonso’s relationship with his own barons is tested by objections to his personal life. His alliance with Portugal is, likewise, put under immense strain.

All the ingredients for an intense drama, a story of love, hate and conflict. And the fate of kingdoms.

Doña Leonor took to her bed. Over the coming days, the house was sunk in gloom. Doña Leonor refusing to see anyone but Teresa.

“So sad,” Blanca said to Alma.

“Si.” Sad for all three of them. While Alma had never met Queen Maria, her mother had, saying she was a fine lady, soft-spoken and kind.

“Ah, well. The heart wants what the heart wants.” Blanca gave Alma a patronising smile. “You don’t understand yet, but one day you will.” She went back to her sewing. “She was devastated when he wed her.” Blanca spat out the pronoun. “But back then, theirs was nothing but a game of stolen kissed and caresses. It was worse when he felt pressured to lay with his wife, our lady recently delivered of their first son, little Pedro.”

Blanca stabbed the needle through the material. “Doña Leonor was utterly distraught, so pale, so silent. It was as if all life had drained out of her, and she walked these passages like a veritable ghost.” Blanca crossed herself. “Not that I believe in such.”

Alma did.

“And then, from somewhere came this anger, this strength, and she told her servants to never let the king over the threshold. She did not want to see him ever again.”

Alma gaped. “She did?”

“oh yes.” Blanca chuckled. She was so angry, screeching that he should stay with his wife and reconcile himself to a loveless marriage.”

“Is it truly loveless?”

“Rumour has it they disliked each other on sight.”

“Ah.”

“The king, however, wasn’t having it. When our lady, just to taunt him, made it known she would consider proposals of marriage, he alighted from the marital bed and stormed over.” Blanca shook her head. “Like an avenging angel he was, threatening the guards with death unless they let him – their king – through. And then he slammed open the door to the solar. ‘What is this?’ he yelled. ‘Are you considering wedding someone else?’ ‘Why not?’ she replied. ‘You have.’ ‘I had no choice,’ he roared.” Blanca shuddered. “He truly did roar. And then…” She waggled her brows.

“Yes?”

“They reconciled. And the next morning, it was as if all those heavy clouds hanging over our lady’s head had dispersed, and she was back to being happy and in love. It was so beautiful.” Blanca set a hand to her heart. “Verily like one of those romances, where the gallant knight wins the heart of his damsel.”

Except this gallant knight was wed elsewhere, and that, Alma knew, was a grievous, grievous sin.

Anna Belfrage tells the story through Alma, a midwife by training who becomes one of Leonor’s most trusted confidants. Through her service and marriage to Rodrigo – one of King Alfonso’s trusted knights – Alma gains money and influence. And sometimes the wrong kind of attention. Alma is the ruse through which the author shows you the Castilian court in all its glory – and all its backstabbing, machinations and treasonous intrigues.

Though fiction, Queen of Shadows fills some gaps in my own historical knowledge – and has sent me down more than one rabbit hole while I have been reading it. Some of it seems too fantastical to be true – but it is. Anna Belfrage has merely turned the facts into a story and filled in the gaps with the human interactions that we lack in history books.

The book sets the scene for the momentous struggle that engulfs Castile in the next generation, when legitimate son, Pedro and illegitimate son, Enrique of Trastamara, fight to the death for the crown. Enrique will emerge victorious as Enrique (Henry) II, King of Castile, killing his half-brother with his own hands. His grandson will marry Catherine of Lancaster, the legitimate daughter of John of Gaunt and Constance of Castile – and the granddaughter of Pedro the Cruel, thus uniting the two warring houses.

Queen of Shadows shows us how one generation can destroy the next with their actions and prejudices; the rivalry of Pedro and Enrique is firmly rooted in the rivalry of their mothers. And their father’s inability to appreciate the disaster he is causing by loving one woman when married to – and humiliating – another. The king gets what he wants but no one is happy with the situation – not even him!

The human story at the heart of Queen of Shadows is heartwarming but tragic. And shows how little control women have had over their lives in years past, even queens. It also provides a sharp contrast between duty and passion in the lives of the two women involved, Leonor de Guzman and Queen Maria. Leonor was loved but had to stay out of the limelight, whereas Queen Maria’s marriage was loveless, but she was the one on public display, with the son who would be king. What a situation!

Beautifully told and full of drama. Anna Belfrage has woven a story that is impossible to put down, that will raw you into this tale of love, betrayal and regret. I will leave it to you, the reader, to discover whether there will be a happy ending.

All I will say is: read it! You won’t regret it.

Buy Queen of Shadows

About the Author:

Had Anna Belfrage been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. No luck there, so instead she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests; history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours. Plus she always finds the time to try out new recipes, chase down obscure rose bushes and initiate a home renovation scheme or two.

Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga , set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy.

Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. Her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty and love set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales in the late 13th century.

Her most recent release, The Whirlpools of Time, is a time travel romance set against the backdrop of brewing rebellion in the Scottish highlands.

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of several Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

My Books

New releases in 2026:

New Hardbacks

Out now: Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest

‘My daughter wanted me to treat her more like a princess. So, I married her to a stranger to strengthen the alliance with Poland!’

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest and Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets tell the stories of England’s royal daughters from 1066 to the rise of the Tudors, from the last Anglo-Saxon princesses to the fall of the House of York.

Were they really pampered pawns sent off to marriages on the Continent, out of sight and out of mind?

Perhaps, there was different story, where a foreign marriage does not mean eternal exile, but a purpose in life, where a princess is a diplomat, an ambassador for England in her new country.

Where she is the bond between allies – most of the time.

Tony Riches: “I challenge anyone with an interest in medieval Britain to not find something they will learn from this book.”

Anna Belfrage: “I just love how [Sharon] presents this huge cast of real life people in a casual, chatty tone that has me expecting the various female protagonists to suddenly pop their head up and add their own commentary.“

Out now: Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest

Pre-order: Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets

New in Paperback:

OUT NOW! The momentous events of 1066, the story of invasion, battle and conquest, are well known. But what of the women? Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play during the Norman Conquest – wives, lovers, sisters, mothers, leaders. These are lives full of drama, pathos and sometimes mystery: Edith and Gytha searching the battlefield of Hastings for the body of Harold, his lover and mother united in their grief for the fallen king. Who was Ælfgyva, the lady of the Bayeux Tapestry, portrayed with a naked man at her feet?

Janina Ramirez said it’s ‘Excellent’!

COMING 15 July 2026: Heroines of the Tudor World focuses on the women who lived through the Renaissance and Reformation, examining the threats and challenges they faced and how they overcame them. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. These are the women who made a difference, who influenced countries, kings and the Reformation.

Derek Birks: ‘An excellent account of the changing roles of women in Tudor society.’

Annie Whitehead: ‘What a treat this book was to read. Bennett Connolly has an easy, conversation style of writing which welcomes you from the opening pages and draws you into her story.‘

Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:

Heroines of the Medieval World; Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest; Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England; Defenders of the Norman Crown: Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey; King John’s Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye; Women of the Anarchy; Heroines of the Tudor World; Scotland’s Medieval Queens: From St Margaret to Margaret of Denmark; Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest (March 2026); Princesses of the Later Middle Ages; Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets (August 2026)

Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.

All my books on Amazon and Bookshop.org . You can also order direct from my publishers, Pen and Sword Books and Amberley Publishing.

Podcast:

Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Ian Mortimer, Bernard Cornwell, Elizabeth Chadwick and Scott Mariani, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.

Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget!

Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.

You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.

Publication Day! Princesses of the Early Middle Ages is out!

30/03/202631/03/2026Sharon Bennett Connolly6 Comments

Just a quick post to let you all know that my latest book, Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is released today in the UK.

Unfortunately, Amazon don’t have their copies yet and so have changed the publication date, but they should get their books in the next couple of days. In the meantime, if you have ordered direct from my publisher, Pen and Sword, your books should be on their way shortly.

About the book:

Daughters of kings were often used to seal treaty alliances and forge peace with England’s enemies. Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest explores the lives of these young women, how they followed the stereotype, and how they sometimes managed to escape it. It will look at the world they lived in, and how their lives and marriages were affected by political necessity and the events of the time.

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages will also examine how these girls, who were often political pawns, were able to control their own lives and fates. Whilst they were expected to obey their parents in their marriage choices, several princesses were able to exert their own influence on these choices, with some outright refusing the husbands offered to them.

Their stories are touching, inspiring and, at times, heartbreaking.

Huge thanks to Historical Writers Association, Moniek Bloks, Matthew Harffy and Tony Riches for spreading the news today – your support means everything to me!

You can read about Princesses of the Early Middle Ages at:

History of Royal Women; The Writing Desk; the Pen & Sword blog and Historia Magazine

Or listen at:

Rock, Paper, Swords and A Slice of Medieval

And if you are across the pond, don’t worry, there’s not long to wait. The US release is just 2 months away, on 30 May 2026.

Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest is now available from Pen & Sword and Amazon.

Coming 30 August: Princesses of the Later Middle Ages

‘My daughter wanted me to treat her more like a princess. So, I married her to a stranger to strengthen the alliance with Poland!’

The medieval princess has often been portrayed as a pawn in the political machinations of her father or brother, married off to distant lands for the sake of peace, or land, or both. Never to be seen or thought of again.

But was that really her fate?

Princesses of the Later Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Plantagenets examines the lives and experiences of England’s princesses, from the treasured daughters of Henry III to the children of Edward IV, whose lives were turned upside down when they were declared illegitimate.

What we see is a very different story, where a foreign marriage does not mean eternal exile, but a purpose in life, where a princess is a diplomat, an ambassador for England in her new country. She is the bond between allies – most of the time.

Princesses of the Later Middle Ages shines a light on the lives and experiences of these remarkable women.

Princesses of the Later Middle Ages is now available for pre-order.

My Books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop. or by contacting me.

You can also find all my books on Amazon, Bookshop.org .

You can also order direct from my publishers, Pen and Sword Books and Amberley Publishing.

Podcast:

Every episode is also now available on YouTube.

Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.

For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.

You can be the first to read new articles by clicking the ‘Follow’ button, liking our Facebook page or joining me on Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram.

Book Corner: Return of the Wolf by Steven A. McKay

07/11/202507/11/2025Sharon Bennett ConnollyLeave a comment

England’s greatest ever hero is back, but for how long?

AD 1331 – Wakefield, England
It’s been five long years since Robin Hood’s heart-breaking funeral. Since then, his friends have moved on with their lives, having adventures of their own, and becoming respected figures in the local community. But, as Christmas bells rang out last December, to everyone’s shock, Robin returned home to Wakefield, alive and well.

He believes all his old enemies are dead and gone, and is looking forward to living a peaceful life with his wife and young children. Things rarely work out as we plan them though, and it’s not long before a deadly new threat raises its head.

The Coterel gang are notorious throughout England, committing all kinds of heinous crimes including extortion, prostitution, kidnapping, and even murder. They appear untouchable, with noblemen and even Members of Parliament amongst their members. When Robin and his friends attack a cruel extortionist in nearby Notton they find themselves on the wrong side of the Coterels, and it seems Robin will be forced to live either as an outlaw again, or be viciously hunted down like an animal.

Although his choices are limited, one – seemingly mad – option presents itself and, before long Robin takes sail for the first time ever, on the trail of the legendary lost treasure of King John.
With John Little, Will Scaflock, Friar Tuck, and two loyal Hospitallers in tow, Robin travels across Europe to Flanders, Aachen, and finally the mythical, legend-haunted mountain known as the Untersberg. Will he find England’s lost crown jewels there, or will he find only danger and death?

I do love a good legend!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a soft spot for the legendary hero, Robin Hood. Living just a half hour drive from Sherwood Forest, how could I not? When my son was about 6, I once almost told one of his school friends that Santa didn’t exist – because she had had the audacity to tell Lewis that Robin Hood wasn’t real!

I am having a very Robin Hood-y day!

Only this morning, I was at the Sherwood Forest Moot – the first one in over 100 years, to start planning the new, annual Sherwood Forest day. The first one will be 20 February 2026. Exciting!

Anyway, back to Robin Hood!

So, when Steven A. McKay said he was writing another Robin Hood story, I was sooooo excited! Last year, after five years of ‘playing dead’, Robin Hood reappeared at the end of the short story, The Heretic of Haltemprice Priory.

But Robin has a big problem; he is still, technically, an outlaw – a Wolf’s Head.

And I started Return of the Wolf on the 809th anniversary of the events in the prologue, on 12 October 1216. This was the day King John’s baggage train got caught by a high tide in the Wash, as they were crossing from Norfolk to Lincolnshire, and the royal treasure was lost, never to be seen again.

One hundred years later, in Return of the Wolf, Robin Hood and his loyal friends, Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlet, embark on a treasure hunt, in search of some remnants of John’s baggage train that may have survived. It leads to a fascinating adventure that takes Robin and his friends on a journey beyond England’s shores, through Belgium and into Germany.

In search of a great treasure.

And maybe, just maybe, a pardon for Robin.

“Christs’ bones, it stinks in here!” John had led the way into the tannery but he pulled up, almost gagging as the fumes accosted them.

“Pull up your tunic,” Robin advised. “Come on.” He drew his sword for it was clear the tanner had no intentions of co-operating without a fight, and moved past the bailiff, eyes scanning the gloomy interior of the room.

The shouting had intensified when they first stormed into the building, but it had died away and now a sinister, forbidding silence fell across the place. Robin had instinctively taken charge, and John did not complain. As the pair moved forward, past more wooden frames and towards the back of the chamber, the years seemed to fall away and the near-telepathy they had once shared as outlaws returned.

A scream of rage suddenly split the air and a dark figure appeared from behind one of the wooden frames. Robin saw a knife, designed for scraping animal hides but just as useful as a weapon, scything through the gloom towards Little John’s back. In one fluid motion Robin’s sword flashed out, parrying the tanning knife, and then he brutally kicked the attacker in the side. There was a grunt of pain as the man slammed into a barrel with vile smelling liquid, and then Robin’s right fist hammered into his jaw and he slumped to the ground.

Little John had a second enemy to deal with, a rat-faced, slim man with a wispy beard and barely a tooth in the mouth that opened to issue a war cry as he swung at the bailiff with his tanning knife. The tool had two handles, one at either end, so – lacking a point – it was no use as a thrusting weapon, but the blade itself was sharp and heavy enough that it could likely sever a limb and John dodged away from it desperately.

The attacker stumbled forward and John brought up his staff, catching the man beneath the chin. It was a lucky strike but it smashed the enemy’s mouth shut and he reeled back, grasping his jaw, eye screwed shut in pain. They did not open again, as John’s staff came around once more, this time cracking against the thin man’s head.

“That the lot?” Robin wondered.

“Can’t be,” John said, eyeing the unconscious tanners. “Neither of these two are the one we met outside. He’s still around somewhere.”

I have to say, Steven A. McKay’s Return of the Wolf is definitely up to his usual standard. This may be his best Robin Hood book yet. He weaves a wonderful story incorporating the legend of Robin Hood, with the mysteries of lost treasure, and a road trip with friends. Of course, there are dangers along the way, pirates, duplicitous noblemen, a vicious gang of thugs, and the elements themselves.

Travelling amidst a heatwave, the thunder storms are legendary – so much louder on the continent than we are used to in England (when I was working at Disneyland, Paris, there was a thunderstorm so loud that I thought someone had blown up the park!)

Return of the Wolf takes you back to the 14th century. You are immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the era: from the loud and rowdy taverns, to the peace of a Hospitaller commandery, from the swell of the open sea, to the dark of the forests. I can even forgive Steven A. McKay for setting Robin Hood in Barnsdale Forest and Wakefield, rather than Sherwood and Nottingham (but don’t tell Steven!)

Success or failure – and Robin’s very freedom – depends on the survival skills of Robin and his friends. It is a tense, sometimes frightening, adventure. The fight scenes are frantic, failure is only one misstep away and enemies are stalking them in the dark.

What a fabulous story!

And, hopefully, the first of many more!

Buy Return of the Wolf

About the author:

Steven A. McKay was born in Scotland in 1977 and always enjoyed studying history. He decided to write his Forest Lord novels after seeing a house called “Sherwood” when he was out at work one day. Since then he’s started a new series, the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, and just completed a trilogy about Alfred the Great.

In 2021 the Xbox game HOOD: Outlaws and Legends was released, featuring Steven’s writing.

He used to be in a heavy metal band although he tends to just play guitar in his study these days. He did use those guitars to write the theme song for the podcast he co-hosted, Rock, Paper, Swords! with Matthew Harffy, though. Give it a listen, they’ve interviewed great guests like Diana Gabaldon, Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell, Dan Jones and more!

My books

Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online store.

Out now: Scotland’s Medieval Queens

Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.

‘Scotland’s Medieval Queens gives a thorough grounding in the history of the women who ruled Scotland at the side of its kings, often in the shadows, but just as interesting in their lives beyond the spotlight. It’s not a subject that has been widely covered, and Sharon is a pioneer in bringing that information into accessible history.’ Elizabeth Chadwick (New York Times bestselling author)

Available now from Amazon and Pen and Sword Books