In spite this, any lack of this knowledge does not detract in any way from enjoyment of the series and might make for a little gasp of surprise when, many years later while studying European history in high school or college, the reader realizes that Aiken made it all up! Because of this, it is important to point out to any young reader embarking on this series that Aiken has written a work of fiction in which the timeline of history is similar to the one we know but not real. Political intrigue and missing princes are always part of the plot in this series, so a tiny bit of historical knowledge goes a long way to making sense of the characters and their actions. The Hanoverians and Burgundians are both plotting to overthrow Good King James III and put an end to his reign. In Aiken's world, it is approximately 1830 when The Wolves of Willoughby Chase begins and the House of Stuart is still in possession of the monarchy. The House of Hanover ended in 1901 with the death of Queen Victoria and is, thus far, the longest ruling house in England. The monarchy then passed into the hands of the House of Hanover, a Germanic royal dynasty.

The line ended with the death of Queen Anne in 1707 who, as they say, died without issue. At their height, they ruled over Scotland, England, Ireland and laid claim to the Kingdom of France. The House of Stuart was founded by Robert II of Scotland and in the late 14th century. A scarce first British edition.Before I being my review, a brief history lesson for those of us not familiar with the lineage of the British Monarchy is necessary to understand the alternative history that The Wolves Chronicles. Dust wrapper and in text drawings by Pat Marriott.

Two girls, Bonnie and Sylvia must take on the wicked governess of Willoughby Chase, Miss Slighcarp. Set in 1832 in a fictional England, where James III is on the throne, and the country is being ravaged by wolves. The first novel in the Wolves Chronicles by British children's author Joan Aiken. Reverse side of the jacket has soil and stains. Also some staining to the front panel and the spine, which is also darkened. The dust wrapper has edge wear, heaviest at the corners, spine ends, and flap folds. Otherwise, the inside pages are clean and unmarked. There is a small pull mark to the paper of the front free endpaper. The text block edges are tanned, with some light soil to the top edge of the text block.

The upper board has a couple of small circular stains, which match the stains on the wrapper. There are some tiny dings to the edges, the largest on the bottom edge of the lower board. Sound and square binding in dark-brown, cloth-covered boards. Illustrated by Pat Marriott (illustrator).

The wolf of willoughby chase