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Under the Approaching Dark: The King's Greatest Enemy #3 Kindle Edition

by Anna Belfrage (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 365 ratings
Adam de Guirande has cause to believe the turbulent times are behind him: Hugh Despenser is dead and Edward II is forced to abdicate in favour of his young son. It is time to look forward, to a bright new world in which the young king, guided by his council, heals his kingdom and restores its greatness. But the turmoil is far from over. England in the early months of 1327 is a country in need of stability, and many turn with hope towards the new young king, Edward III. But Edward is too young to rule, so instead it is his mother, Queen Isabella, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, who do the actual governing, much to the dislike of barons such as Henry of Lancaster. When it is announced that Edward II has died in September of 1327, what has so far been a grumble grows into voluble protests against Mortimer. Yet again, the spectre of rebellion haunts the land, and things are further complicated by the reappearance of one of Adam’s personal enemies. Soon enough, he and his beloved wife Kit are fighting for their survival – even more so when Adam is given a task that puts them both in the gravest of dangers. Under the Approaching Dark is the third in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.
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  1. Book 3 of 4
    The King's Greatest Enemy
  2. Print length
    499 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 10, 2017
  5. File size
    786 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The writing is impeccable. The story has everything. Under the Approaching Dark is just perfect in every sense" - Sharon Bennett Connolly, History The Interesting Bits
"The writing is impeccable and it reflects the setting and English society of the time, so readers are left in no doubt that the author does her research and unearths powerful elements with which to embellish her story. Under the Approaching Dark is a not-so-easy-to-put-down novel, the work of a master. It is entertaining and delightful at the same time and readers will easily relate to the characters." - Rufina Oserio, Readers' Favorites

About the Author

Had Anna Belfrage been allowed to choose, she'd have become a professional time traveler. As this was impossible, she instead authored the acclaimed Graham Saga, a time-travelling series set in the seventeenth century. Her latest series is set in the 1320s and features Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures during Roger Mortimer's rise to power.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XVMYFVM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Timelight Press (April 10, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 10, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 786 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 499 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 365 ratings

About the author

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Anna Belfrage

Anna Belfrage

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Had Anna been allowed to choose, she'd have become a professional time-traveller. No luck there, so instead she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests; history and writing. These days, Anna combines an exciting day-job with a large family and her writing endeavours. Plus she always finds the time to try out new recipes, chase down obscure rose bushes and initiate a home renovation scheme or two.

Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga , set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy.

Anna has also published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. Her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty and love set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales in the late 13th century.

Her most recent release, The Whirlpools of Time , is a time travel romance set against the backdrop of brewing rebellion in the Scottish highlands.

All of Anna’s books have been awarded the IndieBRAG Medallion, she has several Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choices, and one of her books won the HNS Indie Award in 2015. She is also the proud recipient of several Reader’s Favorite medals as well as having won various Gold, Silver and Bronze Coffee Pot Book Club awards.

If you want to know more about Anna, why not visit her website, https://www.annabelfrage.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
365 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging with an intriguing plot and history. The characters are well-developed and the writing style is fast-paced and vivid. Readers praise the author's storytelling ability and look forward to her next series.

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Story lengthCharacter developmentReadability
7 customers mention "Story length"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story's length. They find the plot fascinating and the history intriguing. The story engages readers from the first chapter with its fast-paced, action-packed narrative that entertains and informs them.

"...As always, Ms Belfrage delivers her fast-paced story in a driven prose...." Read more

"...This author has made the story much more understandable as the country is torn this way and that and its people are the recipients of one war after..." Read more

"...As always, the story engages the reader in the first chapter and doesn't let go...." Read more

"...quite as sizzling as the first two in the series, but still had lots of action and interactions to entertain and inform the reader." Read more

6 customers mention "Character development"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters.

"...through time, her dialogue is crisp and immediate and her characters are well-developed...." Read more

"...aspects of a very convoluted set of circumstances and using fictional characters she has me riveted to the storyline...." Read more

"...The secondary characters are vividly portrayed; I especially love William (Adam's brother)...." Read more

"...Adam and Kit are marvelous fictitious characters but most of the other characters lived...." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read. They appreciate the author's engaging storytelling and vivid descriptions that transport them through time. The dialogue is crisp and immediate, and the characters are well-developed.

"This is yet another great read from Ms Belfrage, featuring the honourable knight Adam de Guirande and his wife Kit as they attempt to navigate the..." Read more

"...I really love reading shout this time period and she has done a tremendous job. Well I’m off to the 4th Book!! -K- W...." Read more

"...Otherwise, this author tells a good story and I will read her next series...." Read more

"...maturity of Edward III and his marriage to Phillip with great insight into their lives...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Sofia Marlú
    5.0 out of 5 stars Let yourself be captivated - welcome to England in the early 14th century!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This is yet another great read from Ms Belfrage, featuring the honourable knight Adam de Guirande and his wife Kit as they attempt to navigate the political quicksand that is England in the 1320s. The historical setting is brought to vivid life throughout and I particularly enjoy how Ms Belfrage’s fictional characters interact with the real historical people that populate the pages of this novel. A major plus for the depiction of the young Edward III, a confused adolescent obliged to grow up very fast.

    As always, Ms Belfrage delivers her fast-paced story in a driven prose. Her descriptions transport me through time, her dialogue is crisp and immediate and her characters are well-developed.

    For those with a genuine interest in the turbulent events of the early 14th century in England, Ms Belfrage’s excellent series is a great place to start. And the love story between Adam de Guirande and his Kit is quite the icing on the cake!
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  • C Woods
    4.0 out of 5 stars So interesting!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Well this early 14th century period in England during King Edward II's abdication of the throne to his 14-year-old son Edward III is quite the drama...better than a modern day soap opera in my view. A lot of history packed into this third book of the series. The author does a great job explaining the political aspects of a very convoluted set of circumstances and using fictional characters she has me riveted to the storyline. Adam and Kit are a couple whose lives are not their own being committed subjects of the young King Edward III and his very young, new wife Queen Phillipa with a hovering dowager Queen Isabella and her illicit lover Lord Mortimer overseeing the kingdom and calling the shots.
    This author has made the story much more understandable as the country is torn this way and that and its people are the recipients of one war after the other as the rich and powerful lords of the land plot, spy and murder for greed and power and jealousy abounds.
    I truly enjoy this series and very much look forward to the next installment which is said to be published sometime early 2018......a very long time to wait after what all that has happened up to now. I highly recommend the series to readers of historical fiction....nothing boring here.
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  • Tropical_Woman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner - impossible to put down!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I finished this third installment of Anna Belfrage's delightful series a moment ago and my heart is still racing. I didn't know how much I'd missed Sir Adam de Guirande and his wife Lady Kit!

    As always, the story engages the reader in the first chapter and doesn't let go. Who needs 8 hours of sleep when there is adventure and romance to be had? Boy, do I love these characters!

    The most appealing thing about a great novelist is how their stories draw you in and make you forget these are fictional characters. Sure, Ms. Belfrage frames them in a historical context but she weaves them seamlessly into the historical tapestry of the time period in England.

    The secondary characters are vividly portrayed; I especially love William (Adam's brother).

    One caveat for those of you who abhor sexual scenes: Adam and Kit are deeply in love and the author chooses to describe some of their interludes, although not in a vulgar way.

    Those of you who are not put off by this will be rewarded with an utterly satisfying read. Too bad we must wait until 2018 for the next installment. I'd gladly devour it now!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Karen Weisman
    5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! Book #3 was just as good as the other 2!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I have to say I have never ever read a series straight through . I’m on to the next book #4. I hope the author puts our book #5 before I finish . I would definitely recommend this book to everyone but there are sex scenes & extreme violence as well. So I will recommend it to ALL adults!
    The author , Anna Belfrage is an incredible writer. I really love reading shout this time period and she has done a tremendous job.
    Well I’m off to the 4th Book!!

    -K- W.
    Dania Beach, FL.
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  • fab
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very intriguing
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The continuation of this series doesn't disappoint. Adam has to deal with his love/loyalty to 2 men and to be apart from the love of his life, Kit.
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  • Nancy in NC
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great series
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This is such an excellent series that I stumbled upon. Under the Approach8ing Dark is number three but looks like I will have to wait a long time for number 4. Adam and Kit are marvelous fictitious characters but most of the other characters lived. This offering was not quite as sizzling as the first two in the series, but still had lots of action and interactions to entertain and inform the reader.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Melissa Knight
    5.0 out of 5 stars Under the Approaching Dark
    Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Adam helping the young king and his wife nabbed and beaten. She was held for seven days before she was found. Thanks to a little boy that now has a new home with Adam and his wife,
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  • Randy
    5.0 out of 5 stars We’ll-crafted
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    As the third in the series, Under the Approaching Darkness doesn’t disappoint. While I could do with considerably less lovemaking between Adam and Kit, i find the characters well developed, the plot fascinating and the history intriguing.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Elizabeth Gayle Fellows
    5.0 out of 5 stars The King's Greatest Enemy #3
    Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The continued intrigue of Adam de Guirande is fascinating. Anna Belfrage has woven his character into 14th century England with style and belief. The reader is captivated by her fictional characters woven in with the true historical events. Well done, and very entertaining.
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  • David Baird
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice mix of action and romance
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    So we are back with Adam and Kit. I must admit I’ve missed these two. This is the third book in The King’s Greatest Enemy series.

    Immediately I was struck by the cover of this book much more so than the previous two, the image and the colours used are definitely to my taste and suit the tale which is a mix of historical fiction and romance.

    Hugh Despenser is dead..Finally Adam can relax! Nope.. not a chance.

    King Edward II has been forced from the throne and his son Edward now rules as King Edward III. This king is young but he likes to keep those he likes close to him.. Adam included.. He’s sworn to the king and will serve him until the day he dies or is released from service.

    There’s a lot of growing tension in this book. First and foremost some of the most powerful lords and businessmen don’t like the fact Mortimer and the Queen mother are acting as the king’s advisers, more so when it’s clear they are lovers even though both are still married! Add to this a brewing conflict with Scotland and a difference of opinion on how it should be handled means rebellion is on the cards.

    One issue keeps bubbling to the surface..what to do with the old king? Well this is where Adam and Kit come in, I don’t want to spoil the tale at all but I really enjoyed their involvement in this part of the tale.

    As the young king grows it’s clear to Adam that one day this king will not appreciate the input of the Queen mother and Mortimer but they have tasted power and it doesn’t look like they will give up control easily. He even starts to take his frustrations out on Adam during training but as the tale progresses I do feel the king learns Adam’s worth.

    An old foe reappears in Kit’s life..and it spells trouble. Again I won’t spoil it but this foe drives a wedge between Adam and Kit by hitting them with a very sensitive issue indeed.

    Of course Kit and Adam can get through anything..They may not make it out unscathed but as long as they have each other they will be fight and stay together. They each have their cross to bear during this tale and it can only make them stronger and more determined to be with each other and no other.

    For me the book is certainly a 5* story, I won’t lie though..the romance was a little much for my personal tastes but the reason the story still warrants a 5* is because I can understand why it’s there.. the books wouldn’t be the same without it..I feel the book needs this romance and it certainly does build on the truly loving relationship and connection Adam and Kit have which brings that something extra to the tale.

    For me this is the best installment in the series so far and it gives Adam more chance to shine. As much as I love Kit it’s Adam who leaves the lasting impressions on me during this books, I loved the writing and there’s so much going on to really get you hooked in. Well worth reading.
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  • M J Logue
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful instalment!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2017
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    The third book in a series I have come to love as much as the author's other series....

    It is still a wonder and a joy to me how the author has managed to create two totally different and totally plausible worlds. I know it's not the done thing to compare two different series-es, but it's so easy for a writer to simply transplant a set of successful characters into another period, appropriately renamed. And Ms Belfrage doesn't - Adam and Kit are fully-rounded (and in Kit's case, almost perpetually fully rounded: might I suggest that Adam ties a knot in it, for the next instalment?) carefully-crafted creatures of the medieval period.

    Yes, there is action and intrigue a-plenty, and adventure to stir the blood. But although they're well done and deftly handled, my favourite parts of this novel are the little domestic touches where the author's research makes for an intimate, tender portrayal of medieval family life. The omniscient Mabel, for instance, I love.
    (I am also intrigued by Adam's brother William, who may be a man of the cloth but who, I think, has something of a most un-canonical tenderness for Kit. I wonder what will come of it...because I am pretty sure Adam won't like it if he finds out. And I cannot help but wonder if William is quite what he seems to be, or whether a very de Guirande ambition is hidden behind that virtuous exterior...)

    Without giving too much away, I am DELIGHTED to see that my doubts regarding Tom in the first book, were shared by Kit in this one. And that William's handling of that situation is what makes me wonder if he's all he seems to be.
    I love the way themes are developing in this series: the themes of family ties, dysfunctional and otherwise: of deceptions both kindly and unkindly meant; of the contrast between the "right" and the "wrong" love. Ms Belfrage creates a wonderfully shaded world in which the right choices are not always the defensible choices. There are times when I don't like Adam very much: he doesn't always put his family first, although he always puts his family's future first. (As I said. A very de Guirande ambition.) He can be arrogant, quick-tempered, high-handed. He's also an entirely typical medieval male, and much though I might want him to put Kit's needs to the fore at times, it would be anachronistic for him to do so.

    So book four soon, please - I'm watching that William....
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  • Wilma Lettings
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent episode of this series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    I've become a fan of this series and feel quite close to its heroes Kit and Adam de Guirand. I enjoy seeing the world at court through their eyes. They bring distance to the events of 1327 in some ways while being fully involved in others. It's a winning formula that allows excellent prespective to all political and historical events depicted.
    The imprisonment of Edward II and the crowning of a very young Edward III provide the setting for this story. The issue of the Scottish, of Mortimer's interference and the tensions in the entire Kingdom provide the outer framework.
    Gifted author Anna Belfrage weaves in the characters with their great personalities, paints the picture with excellent descriptive details and shows the tragedy and human element in all that happens.
    Anna Belfrage knows her subject in and out and reading her historical notes at the end is always informative.
    Having watched "Edward II", the film by Derek Jarman several times, I have a particular fondness for his story and that of his successor. Queen Isabelle and Mortimer are great characters whom you will love to hate. I'm pleased to learn that this saga will continue with yet another book. I can't wait.
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  • Alison Morton
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best yet in series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2017
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    This is Ms Belfrage’s best in the series. Heroine Kit is calmer and uses her intelligence more effectively; she thinks her actions through and is more politically aware. This is from bitter experience, but also a sign of her character maturing. But she hasn’t lost any of her warmth or sexual attractiveness as demonstrated by both her husband and the powerful earl, Thomas of Norfolk.

    Husband Adam is loyal to the young king, but Ms Belfrage skilfully weaves in his deep-seated conflicted loyalty, even love, for his former lord, Roger Mortimer. To call it a ‘bromance’ would be crass; in the14th century knights *did* bond with their overlord for various reasons; shared values and a true friendship, survival, a higher cause, political gain, to be associated with a powerful or rising man, because it was what was expected.

    Ms Belfrage draws her characters well without overburdening us with too much detail, yet she bings in the 14th century world so richly that we are there. A neat trick to pull off. Brava! We watch them all – French queen Isabella, powerful lord RogerMortimer, Edward of Caernarvon, young Edward, Lancaster, Norfolk – dancing the ronde of power.

    The personal story of Kit and Adam with its heart-wrenching tragedy, tenderness and steadfast love entrances us as much of the background of royal power, ego, and the battle for England. But Ms Belfrage also hands us one last surprise… Sorry. You’ll have to read it!

    Highly recommended
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