Histria Books is pleased to announce the release of Leonor (Queens of Portugal Book 2) by Catherine Mathis. This novel is published by Histria Fiction, an imprint of Histria Books dedicated to outstanding original works of fiction.
Think Game of Thrones, but real, and set in fourteenth-century Portugal. In Leonor, an overlooked noblewoman stuck at the edge of the court sees her chance when King Ferdinand notices her. An annulment, a secret wedding and a seat beside the throne follow, but power does not make her safe. The nobles despise her, the merchants slander her, Castile threatens the border, and her own family circles. Leonor answers every blow with strategy, charm and a ruthlessness the men around her never expected from a queen, all to secure her daughter’s claim in a world that says only sons can inherit.
Rich in court intrigue, war and political gamesmanship, Leonor is for fans of Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel, and for anyone who has wondered who really held the power behind the throne. She was called a schemer, a mistress and a threat. Read her story and decide what she was.
Leonor is the second standalone book in Catherine Mathis’ Queens of Portugal trilogy. The trilogy’s first volume is Inês, which recently became available as an audiobook.
Praise for Leonor:
Mathis shines in making 14th-century Portugal a character in its own right. Intelligently written and immersive. — Readers’ Favorite
Catherine Mathis has once again demonstrated the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that pays great attention to detail, unexpected plot twists, and leaves her readers looking eagerly towards the third and final volume of this original compelling historical trilogy. — Midwest Book Review
Catherine Mathis is a historical novelist whose fascination with medieval Portugal began when she encountered the tombs of Pedro and Inês in the historic Abbey of Alcobaça. Born in Berlin and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, she earned a degree in history from Sewanee | The University of the South before pursuing a career in international banking that took her throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. She now lives in Atlanta, close to her son and his family, and writes full-time. A member of the Historical Novel Society, the Atlanta Writers Club, and the Authors Guild, Catherine enjoys collecting folk art, reading, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.
