February 2014 eBook of the Month.
The game in question is chess, the board Constantinople and the prize, a broader education for Elizabeth I! This imagines Princess Elizabeth, aged 13 (1546) being accompanied by her tutor, a chess master and an oversexed lady-in-waiting to a chess congress organised by the Sultan. There are all sorts of Christian/Muslim tension, spying and murder, sex and skulduggery in an easy, fast read of escapist fun.
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for The Tournament a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - ' An exciting historical whodunnit with a charismatic, resourceful main character. The descriptions of 16th century Constantinople are marvellous.' Sarah Musk.
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| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
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The Black Death stalks the land and with it deadly conspiracies against her. She is not currently in line for the throne, but she remains a threat to her older sister and brother. In the midst of this fevered atmosphere comes an unprecedented invitation from the Sultan in Constantinople. He seeks to assemble the finest players of chess from the whole civilised world and pit them against each other. The prize? Fabulous wealth but also the honour of Christendom. Roger Ascham, Elizabeth's teacher and mentor, is determined to keep her out of harm's way and also continue her education in the art of power and politics. Ascham resolves to take Elizabeth with him when he accompanies the English chess champion to the Ottoman capital. But once there, the two find more danger than they left behind. There's a grotesque killer on the loose and a Catholic cardinal has already been found mutilated in the grounds of the palace. Ascham is asked by the Sultan to use his razor-sharp mind to investigate the crime. But as he and Elizabeth delve deeper into the murky world of the court and the glittering chess tournament, they find dark secrets, horrible crimes and unheard-of depravity. Things that mark the young princess for life and define the queen that she will become...
The Tournament features in the following genres: Thriller and Suspense, Books with reviews by our Reader Review Panel, eBooks of the Month, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations
The Tournament is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Tournament was written by Matthew Reilly and published by Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) an imprint of Orion Publishing Co
The Tournament has 401 pages
£9.89
