Category: Historical Fiction
The Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of Carolyn Meyer’s website.)
History paints her as a shallow party girl, a spoiled fashionista, a callous ruler. Perhaps no other royal has been so maligned—or so misunderstood—as Marie-Antoinette.
From the moment she was betrothed to the dauphin of France at age fourteen, perfection was demanded of Marie-Antoinette. She tried to please everyone—courtiers, her young husband, the king, the French people—but often fell short of their expectations. Desperate for affection and subjected to constant scrutiny, this spirited young woman can’t help but want to let loose with elaborate parties, scandalous fashions and unimaginable luxuries. Meanwhile, the peasants of France are suffering from increasing poverty and becoming outraged. They want to make the queen pay for her reckless extravagance—with her life.
The Bad Queen hasn’t made me like Marie Antoinette any more, but it has helped me understand her. Which was, of course, Carolyn Meyer’s goal when she wrote this book. Most readers will probably like the character of Marie, but I did not simply because our personalities are far too different. From her early childhood, she is a spoiled princess, a dreamer who is not interested in academics at all. I’m the exact opposite, so you can probably tell why I did not like her, but could at least empathize with her.
We follow her journey from when she is betrothed to Louis, all the way past her execution. Since this is written in journal form, we get to learn about the aftermath of her execution through the writings of her daughter. Readers will see the part of the French Revolution that people rarely see—its aftermath, including what happens to the children of the doomed couple.
The Bad Queen is not exactly fast-paced, but neither is it unbelievably slow, so it is quite an interesting read. Personally, I learned an enormous amount of French history in an enjoyable fashion because I know next to nothing of French history. The customs of the French monarchy were absolutely ridiculous, so I can see why Marie eventually rebelled against them. Truthfully, learning of the sheer excesses of the court at Versailles makes me wonder why the French peasants didn’t rebel sooner.
I would recommend this for ages 13+ because of some brief sexual content, but it really depends on the maturity of the reader.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars.
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of Devon County Council.)
Katherine of Aragon is betrothed at the age of three to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England. She is raised to be Princess of Wales, and knows it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land.
Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly, she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur’s wife grows ever more bearable. Unexpectedly in this arranged marriage, a tender and passionate love develops.
But when the studious young man dies, she is left too make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found and dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur’s young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry.
Yesterday I reviewed Patience, Princess Catherine, which is aimed at tweens and young teens. This book is the adult version of Carolyn Meyer’s novel and it also gives a new perspective to the tale of Katherine (usually spelled ‘Catherine’) of Aragon.
In Philippa Gregory’s version of events, Katherine is a highly ambitious woman raised by her warrior-queen mother, the indomitable Isabel, to be Queen of England. So when she is married to Arthur, she readily accepts the arranged marriage, knowing it is her duty. Yet something happens that neither she nor Arthur expected: they fall in love. But shortly after that, Arthur dies and tells Katherine on his deathbed to marry Henry and achieve her dream. She, of course, keeps her promise to him and waits seven years to marry Henry and become Queen of England.
The Constant Princess is not a fast-paced novel by any means, but it is one of my favourite books by Philippa Gregory, simply because the characters are so well developed. Most of them are three dimensional and Katherine is a wonderful narrator that can command your attention easily. It also has one thing I prize in historical fiction: historical accuracy. So if you’re looking for a historically accurate tale of love, ambition and heartbreak, you will love The Constant Princess.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of iNetGiant.)
Catherine of Aragon grew up expecting she would one day become the queen of England—not a dejected teenage widow. But that is exactly what happens when fragile Prince Arthur, to whom she has been betrothed since the age of three, dies only months after their wedding. Her power now obsolete, Catherine is exiled to a dank castle in a remote part of the country. She is stranded there for years with little money and no control over her fate.
There is one ray of light in Catherine’s lonely life—her friendship with handsome Prince Henry, her deceased husband’s younger brother. A marriage to Henry could elevate Catherine from her precarious position and give her the crown that she was once promised. But will Henry take the risk of making the destitute princess his queen? Only time will tell…
Catherine of Aragon is an oft-overlooked woman, having been outshone by her successor, Anne Boleyn. But after reading this novel, I found that there is a much to admire about her. I actually learned a lot from Patience, Princess Catherine because I knew Catherine had waited to marry Henry, but I never knew just how long she waited. She spent seven years in England upon Arthur’s death and her determination paid off: Catherine of Aragon became Queen of England. Believe me, she had far more patience than I would have had her place.
Carolyn Meyer’s portrayal of Catherine is very sympathetic; she is a fiery, determined young woman who believes she is destined to be Queen of England and will stop at nothing to achieve her destiny. Readers will cheer for her every step of the way through her long, hard journey to England her years of waiting to marry Henry. Unlike with Anne Boleyn in Doomed Queen Anne, her downfall is not featured nearly as prominently, but there is still a hint of sadness in the narrative as Catherine reflects on the events of her youth.
With an interesting, well-paced plot, even readers who hate history will love Patience, Princess Catherine. I would recommend it for 12+ because of brief scenes of sexuality, but it really depends on the reader’s maturity level.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer
(Cover picture courtesy of Fictional Appearances By…)
Anne Boleyn was born without great beauty, wealth, or title, but she’s blossomed into a captivating young woman—and she knows it. Determined to rise to the top, she uses her wiles to win the heart of England’s most powerful man, King Henry VIII. Not satisfied with the King’s heart, however, she persuades Henry to defy everyone—including his own wife—to make her his new queen.
This engrossing novel tells Anne’s fascinating story in her own voice—from her life as an awkward girl to the dramatic moments leading up to her beheading.
I’ve always liked the story of Anne Boleyn, the woman whose ambition propelled her up to the greatest heights. Unfortunately, the higher you rise, the farther you have to fall. And, oh, did Anne Boleyn fall to the lowest of the low.
Doomed Queen Anne is the story of her rise and fall, told in journal form on the eve of her execution as she recounts the events that lead up to it. It begins at her unhappy childhood and comes around full circle, which always adds a tinge of sadness to the narrative. Carolyn Meyer is a masterful writer of historical fiction and sticks to the facts while telling this excellent story. She shows that the women history has assigned bad reputations to weren’t really all that bad and were perfectly human, meaning they had flaws just like us.
I believe the best example of this is when she writes about Anne’s childhood as the ill-favoured daughter, overshadowed by her beautiful, dazzling older sister, Mary. She was told she was ugly, but learned how to hide her flaws while emphasizing her better traits. This well developed backstory is what makes her a memorable character that most readers will be able to sympathize with.
The plot of Doomed Queen Anne is reasonably well paced and the entire novel is historically accurate, as far as I can tell. Carolyn Meyer is a very gifted writer and uses her talent to draw readers in to the backstabbing court of the Tudors and move the plot along to its inevitable, tragic conclusion. I would recommend this book for people 12+ because there are brief scenes of sexuality, but nothing more than what you would encounter at most movies aimed at tweens.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
River God by Wilbur Smith
(Cover picture courtesy of Scroll of a Modern Scribe.)
Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed. The Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood as weak men inherit the cherished crown.
In the city of Thebes at the Festival of Osiris, loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader. But Taita, a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave, sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom’s fading glory. Beside Taita are his protégés: Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years; and Tanus, proud young army officer, who has vowed to avenge the death—at Intef’s hand—of his father, and seize Lostris as his prize. Together they share a dream—to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.
I believe accuracy in historical fiction is important, but usually I let things slide if a writer changes a few things around as long as the essential facts of the period are right. In River God, however, there are things that literally made me snort with derision; this takes the worst of Hollywood perceptions of Egypt and makes it out to be reality. To anyone familiar with Egypt, the idea that the Pharaoh’s son would be nicknamed “Memnon” (a Greek nickname bestowed upon the colossi of Amunhotep III)…well that makes you question the events described in the rest of the book.
To prevent early high blood pressure, let’s just say that the most basic elements of River God are true, mainly the Hyksos invasion, and leave it at that. Truly, that’s about all that’s mostly accurate, so don’t use this as a history textbook. If you like this book, you can use it as a starting point for learning about Egyptian history. Now, moving on…
Taita is a frustrating character because there are times he has some semblance of depth and other times when he is a complete Gary Stu. He seems to be absolutely perfect, what with the fact that he designs many of the inventions in the novel himself, navigates politics impeccably and is extremely good looking. The only thing that sort of redeems him in the end is the fact that he doesn’t get your classic happy ending. Even then, it doesn’t really save his character all that much.
The one thing that redeems River God is Wilbur Smith’s writing style. It slowly draws you in until you are hooked and have no choice but to finish it. Smith has wonderful descriptions of all the exotic settings and characters, yet he maintains a decently paced plot, something that few authors can manage. Now if only he would put in the effort to do proper research…
I give this book 2/5 stars.