Review Detail

It is a well documented fact that England, during the 1500s, faced many foes. The Pope and the Spanish empire were both displeased with the newly appointed Queen Elizabeth. But who would have thought that Queen Elizabeth’s greatest foe would be Mordred, the treacherous son responsible for killing his father—King Arthur—nearly one thousand years before her birth? The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer manages to entwine a well-loved myth, a small amount of history, and vampires in to a very interesting story.

The story begins shortly after Elizabeth’s coronation ceremony. She has had little time to adjust to the new role she would play, before her two most trusted advisors—Dee and Cecil—insist she visit her mother’s tomb late one evening. With great hesitation, Elizabeth agrees to go with the two men. Once she nears her mother’s tomb, however, she finds herself surrounding by a strange mist and possessing great powers. Little does she know that she has been thrust into the role of vampire slayer. Apparently, she is the direct descendant of Morgaine, the first great Slayer.

Shortly after her transformation, Elizabeth is met my Mordred, the vampire King. Mordred was King Arthur’s son and ultimately his greatest enemy. Before King Arthur died in his last battle, Mordred sold his soul to gain enough power to defeat his father; thus, becoming a vampire. Or so the story was told… Now Elizabeth is faced with the responsibility of eliminating the vampire threat to her country.

Elizabeth spends the majority of the novel contemplating God, her faith, and the true definition of evil. She is faced with the daunting task of holding a fragile England together after the reign of her sister Mary ends. To further complicate things, Mordred comes offering eternal life and power, but most importantly peace and protection for the country she loves. If only she could trust him! The story is filled with lies, deceit, and plenty of double-crossing from both parties involved.

With an incredible eye for detail, Lucy Weston stages her novel in the form of Queen Elizabeth’s private diary. The descriptions and dialogue are vivid and accurate for the time period. Although, at times the details seem dense and overwhelming, which tend to take away from the effect of the novel. The story does, however, offer some thought provoking insight into what might have actually occurred in Queen Elizabeth’s private affairs. Additionally, the constant references to humanity (and lack of) and a person’s faith seem to center around several theological discussions of our time. The characters’ insights and actions could certainly bring questions to the reader’s mind.

Overall, the novel was a “fun”—if not laborious at times—read. If you like love stories with vampires, sabotage, and somewhat graphic love scenes, you should enjoy Elizabeth’s “secret history.”