Review: Her Best Yet!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 28, 2014
I've read every one of Terry Tyler's novels and each has been a lovely retreat. Her prose is effortless, lifting off the page and grabbing readers by the shirt. She never tells the same story twice, doesn't rely on formula, tries new things and yet her style and voice are unmistakable. Kings and Queens is so different, so good, I had to force myself to slow down and spend a few days with it. Tyler writes intelligent page-turners. I could have gobbled this one up, but chose to read slow and deep. The premise here is patriarchy, still alive and well in the world of Harry Lanchester, the teenaged beautiful boy who unexpectedly inherits the family business when his older brother and father die. The story spans the decades from the 1970s into the new Millennium, but never in the 40+ years do the females in the Lanchester line get a fair shake. Wives, daughters, and sisters are all considered less than by Henry, as by his father. He longs for a son, but his wives keep giving him daughters. Henry loves well and often, accruing six wives and many more lovers as he cuts a swath through society. Remind you of someone? The similarities to Henry Tudor the Eighth and his unfortunate wives are intentional and Tyler has great fun updating Harry's unscrupulous behavior. She handles the foibles and downfalls of each wife in modern believable ways with delicious twists readers won't see coming. The period bits are spot on, but my personal favorite is how Tyler makes the 80s come alive with her magic pen, from Dynasty shoulder pads to rampant cocaine use. (Remember when it was thought to be a "safe" drug? Ah, if only 'twas true, as one of Harry's wives can attest.) This is a saga in the best sense of the word, updated for the modern world. Sink your teeth into it and savor.