Court of Lions

by Jane Johnson

Overview

Sometimes at the lowest point in your life, fate will slip you a gift. Exotic adventure and a quest for redemption collide in this stunning new novel from Jane Johnson.

Kate Fordham, escaping terrible personal trauma, has fled to the beautiful sunlit city of Granada, the ancient capital of the Moors in Spain. There she is scraping by with an unfulfilling job in a busy bar. One day, in the glorious gardens of the Alhambra—once home to Sultan Abu Abdullah Mohammed—Kate finds a scrap of paper hidden in one of the ancient walls. Upon it, in strange symbols, has been inscribed a message from another era. The message has lain undiscovered since before the Fall of Granada in 1492, when the city was surrendered to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.

Born of love, in a time of danger and desperation, the fragment will be the catalyst that changes Kate's life forever. An epic saga of romance and redemption, Court of Lions brings one of the great turning-points in human history to life, telling the dual stories of a modern woman and the last Moorish sultan of Granada, as they both move towards their cataclysmic destinies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681777139
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	03/06/2018
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	712,037
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Jane Johnson is a novelist and publisher. She is the British editor for George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, and Dean Koontz, and was for many years publisher of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Married to a Berber chef she met while researching The Tenth Gift, she divides her time between Cornwall and Morocco.

Editorial Reviews

02/15/2018
Johnson (Pillars of Light) adds to her catalog of highly immersive, well-researched historical fiction. Set in Granada, Spain, the narrative shifts 500 years between Kate in the present and Blessings in the 15th century. Kate is in hiding in Granada, working under an assumed name in a bodega owned by an anti-Muslim Catholic zealot. While wandering the Alhambra, Kate finds a scrap of paper inked with unusual symbols tucked in a wall. Intrigued and enchanted, she further explores the palace grounds, which leads to a chance encounter with the garden's conservator and a zellij (mosaic tile work) master who has also unearthed marked fragments during his restoration work. Research reveals these papers are written in an ancient desert language, but by whom and why? Desert-born Blessings lives in the Alhambra as the companion to Prince Momo, son of the sultan of Granada. Blessings's story spans nearly two decades of serving Momo only to lose everything when Momo, as Mohammed XII, surrenders to the anti-Muslim, Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. VERDICT Engaging and peppered with references to real-life people, places, and events, Johnson's novel takes readers on an emotional journey through the extremes of love, greed, loyalty, devotion, fanaticism, and sacrifice. For afficionados of dual time novels.—Laura Cifelli, Fort Myers Regional Lib., FL

Library Journal

"Wildly yet convincingly romantic. A delectable adventure of the heart."

USA Today [praise for Jane Johnson's 'The Tenth Gift']

"The past narrative of personal loss and unrequited love is balanced by Kate’s story. In a Shakespearean way, her world rights itself in time’s fullness. If you enjoy exquisitely told, superbly researched, epic dual narratives with characters that remain in your mind after the last page is turned, read Court of Lions."

Historical Novels Review (Editor's Choice)

"What a tangled web Jane Johnson weaves with the opening of a book of old embroidery patterns! Johnson stitches the threads of both stories into a lovely, enticing whole."

Karleen Koen

"An intriguing, well-written historical fiction novel!"

Fresh Fiction

"A remarkable view of Barbary pirates and their times, and an engrossing romance of clashing cultures and wonderful characters."

Diana Gabaldon

"Jane's books have everything—they hook you from the first page and sweep you along with passion, history and romance."

Katie Fforde

"Jane Johnson’s wonderfully researched book leaves the fragrance of spices and the rustle of beautiful silks lingering in the mind with images of two exceptional women and the men in their lives."

Rosalind Laker

"Told from alternating points of view, Court of Lions masterfully recreates an era of intense upheaval and change. Johnson provides a window into the events surrounding the fall of Granada, capturing the culture and divisions within it. A satisfying read for lovers of history and historical fiction."

Booklist

Told from alternating points of view, Court of Lions masterfully recreates an era of intense upheaval and change. Johnson provides a window into the events surrounding the fall of Granada, capturing the culture and divisions within it. A satisfying read for lovers of history and historical fiction.

Booklist