Court of Lions
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By Jane Johnson
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1 review
Kate Fordham fled to Spain to start a new life. Amid the sunlit streets of Granada and the earthly paradise of the Alhambra’s gardens, towers and courtyards, she’s left her past far behind. But fate is about to bring her face-to-face with her greatest fear.
Five centuries ago, a message was hidden in the Alhambra’s walls. There it has lain, undisturbed by the tides of history – the fall of Granada, the expulsion of its last Sultan – until Kate discovers it.
Born of love in a time of desperation and danger, Kate’s discovery will be the catalyst that changes her life.
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St Just Thursday Evening Reading Group 5th February 2026.
Court of Lions. Jane Johnson.
Jane Johnson is a popular local author, and many of the group have enjoyed her books set in Cornwall, especially The Sea Gate, The White Hare, and Crossed Bones. This one, we thought, was very descriptive, entertaining and colourful, giving a beautiful picture of the Alhambra which inspired both those readers who had visited it and those who would like to.
We noted the present popularity of time-slip books, this one combining the struggle between the last sultan of Granada and the Catholic power of Spain in the fifteenth century, with the modern story of a woman disposed to side with the Arab point of view in modern Granada and trying to evade her fanatically Catholic ex-husband. We discussed the extent to which we thought these stories successfully coalesced; some readers liked it, whilst others thought it slightly contrived.
Several people said they got slightly bogged down in the politics of the later stages of the fifteenth century sections, and did not want to read about all the fighting. Also we were all slightly exasperated with Kate for being taken in by her ex-husband.
An interesting book from which we learned quite a lot, though perhaps not our favourite amongst Jane Johnson’s titles.
