Brian Wainwright has written a superb romp – a wonderful mixture of modern and medieval along with some serious research. Brian certainly knows his history and his explanations for various events, including the disappearance of the Princes, are extremely plausible. The style is light, delightfully irreverent and fast in pace and he has a wonderful turn of phrase which made me laugh out loud on occasions. Ladies pose, men follow the all important Knightly Code – and look out for the reference to an orange and a passing Woodville.
Brian’s characterisations of the principal people are largely predictable but very colourful. However, Brian’s description of Richard is not what the average Ricardian would expect but for me it was perfect and I was so pleased that Anne Neville was not painted as a timid character but was given all the backbone a daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker should have.
This is a must for all Ricardians. If you enjoy your history, you will love this book. I urge you to buy it!
Jane Trump, Ricardian Bulletin, Summer 2006
Reviews of The Adventures of Alianore Audley
A wonderful romp set in 15th-century England. The machinations of the Wars of the Roses and life at the court of Richard III are seen through the eyes of royal spy Alianore Audley. Told with zest, a deep love and knowledge of the period, not to say a wicked sense of humour and plenty of tongue in cheek, Brian Wainwright deserves far greater recognition than he currently gets.
Elizabeth Chadwick’s Top 10 Historical Novels, The Guardian
…Wainwright’s Alianore Audley holds a place in my heart. What an endearing heroine, if ever there was one. Alianore, by pure mischance (or perhaps great good fortune), leaves her quiet, boring existence in the convent that her brothers have summarily dumped her in. (Where else can a girl in 15th century England go?) Clearly, Alianore is not meant for the contemplative life. The alternative is natural: she becomes a spy for her cousin, Edward IV. Natural? It does seem that way as events unfold. Despite the fact that Alianore is initially sent to the North to gather intelligence for Edward so that she is prevented from getting into mischief, she becomes an invaluable asset to the Yorkist cause.
Alianore’s riotously funny insights into the obnoxious and abusive Warwicks, tongue-in-cheek barbs at Margaret Beaufort and Lord Stanley, disrespectful comments about everyone from “Cousin Edward” to the “Tudor Slimebag” (Henry VII), and loving remembrances of Richard and Anne liberally pepper this all-too-brief book. Wainwright has a feel for the period and presents it in a unique and enjoyable fashion.
How to give you who read this review a flavor of the times as seen through Alianore’s wickedly funny but loving perspective is tantamount to impossible. You’ve just got to be there. Read it.
Review by Ilysa Magnus, The Historical Novels Review, August 2003.
Have you ever read an historical novel and wondered how you would handle the situations the central characters find themselves in? Have you ever wished for a more ‘modern’ medieval hero or heroine? Well, we’ve had the hero for some time now. Cadfael approaches all his cases with razor sharp intuition and knowledge just falling short of DNA. Now welcome the heroine – Alianore Audley.
You don’t mess with Alianore – she’s a cross between Vikki Pollard and Margaret Thatcher – but you can’t help loving her. She storms through the haphazard life of a medieval noblewoman with panache and ease. Pragmatic and feisty, those around her either appreciate her merits (in the case of Edward IV and Roger Beauchamp) or come to regret not appreciating them, as with the Earl of Warwick.
Alianore begins life in Shropshire.She us the daughter of Lord Audley, Chamberlain to Henry VI for South Wales. She has several siblings, some Yorkist and some Lancastrian in sympathy and many periodically changing sides, which proves confusing and useful to her at the same time. As with many leading characters in an historical novel, Alianore manages to find herself at all the interesting events – if you can call the birth of the ‘The Obnoxious Tudor Slimebag’ (as Alianore refers to Henry VII) an interesting event. When Edward IV comes to the throne, having had his amorous advances spurned by Alianore (she has far more sense than to succumb to her royal cousin’s charms – although she does have her regrets), he senses he talent for espionage and sends her up north to spy on her brother, Richard – yes, the loyal Richard.
Thus Alianore becomes an important member of the medieval MI5 and gets involved in most of the major events during the later Wars of the Roses and Richard’s reign, culminating in Bosworth and the initial aftermath. It is her chronicle, written in her dotage (if Alianore can ever be said to have a dotage) that Brian Wainwright has discovered and retells in his book.