JANE STEVENSON

The sequel to Astraea, The Pretender is the second part of Jane Stevenson's trilogy. Balthasar van Overmeer is the son of the secret marriage between Eliabeth of Bohemia, daughter of James I, and an exiled African prince. We see him first as a young medical student in Holland, then as a doctor in Middleburg, where he becomes involved with Aphra Behn, an English intelligence agent and later a playwright, in Restoration London and in the developing colonial society of Barbados. As he matures he is forced to come to terms with his peculiar upbringing and to explore his strange and powerful heritage, both black and white.

The Empress of the Last Days is the final volume of the remarkable trilogy that began with Astraea and The Pretender. A group of friends, Corinne, Theodoor and Michael, bring together their talents and knowledge to uncover the hidden story of Pelagius's royal marriage. As a result of their investigations, Michael finds himself journeying to Barbados, to meet the last descendant of the marriage of Pelagius and Elizabeth of Bohemia - a young black scientist who, unknown to herself, has a serious claim to be considered the rightful queen of England. This meeting changes both their lives, forcing them to re-examine their assumptions and the terms on which they live.