Mistress of the King

The Making of Suzanne #1

by Rex Sumner

Susan Taylor is a little girl who wants to be a queen.  A thrilling encounter with a real queen is a fairy-tale for her - with unexpected consequences which change her life, making her unable to fit in with her peers. Forced to move to the capital several years later, the now sixteen year old catches the eye of the widowed king.  His attention could be equally disastrous, for the Church is stretching its muscles and doesn’t approve of mistresses, and the nobles would prefer their own daughters in the king’s bed, not to mention with the king’s ear. Adrift in a sea of intrigue, Susan finds unexpected strength and help at hand.  But are they really her friends?  Can she trust them when it matters?  Most important of all, can she trust her own instincts? This is the early life of one of the more engaging characters from In Search of Spice, and it opens up a window into conditions in Harrhein - and indeed into the history of Europe.   Many of the characters are reminiscent of famous people from history, and it is fun working out who they are. A romp through 16th century Europe as it might have been, offering insights into the ordinary lives of people.   Princes and Kings, intrigue, magic, affairs, military skills, early dances, the theatre.  A book that takes you at pace through history, making you wonder what really happened.

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Rex is English, but was born in Java, Indonesia and has spent many years in the Far East. He speaks Indonesian and Malay, with a smattering of other languages.
He has had an interesting life - as a youngster worked his passage on a container ship to Australia where he worked as a cowboy, gold-miner, door-to-door salesman and fruit-picker, before switching from Zoology to the Army to study at Sandhurst.
He saw active service in Northern Ireland and was Logistics Officer for Operation Drake in Indonesia. A country manager for an international tobacco trader at 25, he spent two years during the Cold War with MI6 before returning to the UK where he and his wife raised his two sons while working in marketing and publishing, with forays into NLP and personal development. Now they are adult, he and his wife have moved back to the Far East where he lives in Bali, travels, writes and researches.
He has always had a passion for writing and this was rekindled by telling stories he made up on the spot to his sons.
His hobbies are angling, orchids, reading and reptiles; he represents Bali Reptile Rescue in Ubud, removing snakes from houses free of charge.
His wide experience and knowledge are interwoven into the tapestry of his writing.

Reviews

[Pamela Gramlisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read

Here's an author I never read before. I really like his writing style and the characters have very intriguing world they live in. Just a little romance. Sex is just a smattering here and there, but nothing descriptive. I do very much want to read more of Rex Sumner and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this series. Watching the character Suzanne grow up in this book was so interesting and I can't wait to see what happens with her next.

[H. Duby · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young girl, Susan serendipitously met the King and Queen and that chance meeting grew into a relationship with the couple that forever changed Susan’s life and alienated her from her peers. As she grew into a young woman, circumstances required Susan to leave her home and move to the capital, where she caught the eye of the now-widowed King. Wow. What is there NOT to say about this book? I am a huge fan of books like George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series where there is intrigue abound and the characters have no idea who they can trust. I’m also a fan of historical fiction and historical romance. This book has it all. Set in a the fictional country of Harrhein, the world is close enough to our own that I sometimes had trouble remembering that the country was fiction because the author so skillfully wove details from our actual history into his tapestry. Playing on Church versus state, class strife, military action, intrigue, and magic, this book has something for everyone. Due to the nature of the relationship between the King and Susan, however, I would only recommend it to mature readers 16+.

Reviewed by HR Duby for Romance Authors that Rock

[Bigbear Woolliscroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantasy novel, but it would in many ways be more accurate to describe it as an alternative history (given the near complete absence of elves, fairies etc), although having said that, there is just enough pointers there that in the second volume the world is going to get a lot more colourful.

What I loved about this is the female protagonists. This is not about a boy hero, this is about three (3!) female hero (I am avoiding heroine) as it has very different connotations.

Looking forward to reading vol. 2 later this year.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story of history, magic and intrigue. Susan is a little girl who loves princesses, queens and more. When she’s 16 yrs, meets the real thing. Will she be the K8ng’s mistress. A story to be read by all.

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure; I'm friends with the author on social media through a mutual love of snakes and bunnies. I received this book as a sort of Christmas gift Rex provided to all his followers.

Oh but what a book! What a character!!! What a woman! The dialogue is a bit clunky sometimes and the story moves at a breakneck speed, discarding characters willy nilly as Susan rises. It is amazing. The complexity of how to fix a kingdom and meet corruption with common wealth by and for the people. Some people are just smart but Susan is also pure of heart.

I'm really glad the next book is out next month because I could see myself badgering Rex for it and that's just rude. The writing is modern tho the setting medieval and it works incredibly well, moving the story along , dancing and ducking and weaving until we reach a crescendo so unexpected, I didn't even realise the the book was over.

I'm going to read the rest of them now and wait impatiently for the next. Just brilliant.

[Sadate Shipkolye · Rating 5 out of 5]

great enjoyable read

Building from the first book, this book takes you deeper into the characters stories. All the characters are vivid and so real you don't want this story to end. Luckily the series has just started and long may it continue

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book was not what i was expecting . The writing style was a bit confusing at first but by the second half of the book it came together. You must read the authors notes and preface before you read the story. Because the two of the first three chapters are prefaces of people who show up later. so this being said it seemed like the story was a series of short stories concerning a central group of characters . The first chapter about the young girl and the mage were amazing and i wanted the characters to reappear. But unfortunately this has nothing to do with the remainder of the story. Which is truly unfortunate as i wanted to know more about them.
Next i had issues with the language of the book . Lots of swear words that were too modern for the setting of the book . Im not a prude or easily offended but the English language has so many ways to explain the sentiments of the writer so to me the swear words were an easy and cheap way out. I thought it showed a lack of creativity .
All in all it was an interesting story and by the end i wanted to know what happened so i will have to finish the series. This book did not make my top reading list i still gave it 3 stars because by the end you wanted to continue.
I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a Medieval "time" and peopled with modern-speaking characters, Mistress of the King is a unique read. Despite the swearing and sex, I found myself routing for Susan, the story's bold, young protagonist. The story "ends" in a cliffhanger that sends the reader into the next book. The one bit I really didn't like... the imagery on the book's cover (the version I saw was of a young girl dressed in white set against a blue background) strongly suggests YA. Mistress of the King is not a YA read. I received this book from eBook Discovery. This is my honest review which I voluntarily post, here.

[Sharon Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpected read. It is medieval mixed in with romance and intrigue along with touches of magic and slight sex. Susan is an intelligent girl that grabs your interest and your heart. Although the first chapter is captivating, it has nothing to do with the rest of this book, thus I only gave four stars instead of five. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Coco.V]

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