Tagged: philippa gregory
The Kingmaker’s Daughter by Philippa Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Spies, poison, and curses surround her…
Is there anyone she can trust?
The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the “Kingmaker,” Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters, Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women.
At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker’s daughter will achieve her father’s greatest ambition.
Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick during the time of Elizabeth Woodville was queen has never been one of my favourite figures throughout history. He seemed to go wherever the winds blew, betraying this cause and that to make sure his own blood got on the throne of England. I’ve never liked historical figures like him, but I always pitied his daughters Anne and Isabel, who were nothing more than pawns in his schemes. Married off to men much older than they, told to think and act certain ways depending on their family’s current alliance and such.
I was also reluctant to pick up The Kingmaker’s Daughter because the last Philippa Gregory book I just read was The Other Boleyn Girl, which I hate with a passion right now. Still, I couldn’t resist the Cousins’ War series, not after loving The White Queen that featured Elizabeth Woodville.
What was interesting to me was seeing Elizabeth Woodville as the villain of the piece. In this story, everyone sees her as an evil witch who curses anyone who gets in her way. Why, she even kills her own brother-in-law. Anne Neville, our novel’s main character, is predisposed to see Elizabeth as the enemy and a witch because in reality she probably did. Gregory doesn’t make her out to be some sort of super-heroine that manipulates everyone around her either; she stays relatively true to historical fact and at the same time, tells a story of a woman who seized her own destiny only to realize its true cost.
Anne Neville is a three-dimensional character and not only that, she’s interesting. She’s brought to court at a young age and has to stay in that viper’s nest for a little while. It certainly makes an impression on her, but her naivete wins out when her father orchestrates a match that would make her sister Isabel Queen of England as well as later when her father does the same thing for her. As she grows, though, losing her father and her first husband, Anne really realizes the cost of all these ambitions both morally, personally and politically. Eventually she does get her dream, but it is a Pyrrhic victory.
I wouldn’t say that the plot of The Kingmaker’s Daughter is fast-paced by most standards, but it was interesting enough to keep me wanting to find out what happened to Anne. Although I’ve never been fond of her as an historical figure, I like how Philippa Gregory went above and beyond in terms of effort so that she would shine as a person, not just as a political pawn. Anne had a hard life, made only worse by the tragedies that occurred later on, so you can’t help but feel sorry for her and feel a vested interest in what happens to her next.
All in all, The Kingmaker’s Daughter was a pretty solid book. The character of Elizabeth of York really shone through in the end as her star was rising so I honestly can’t wait to read her take on things in The White Princess.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of Barnes & Noble.)
When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family’s ambitious plots as the king’s interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.
A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart.
First off, I don’t like the portrayals of pretty much any of the characters in this novel. Mary Boleyn was sweet and innocent to the point of being nauseating when in fact she very likely was the mistress of the French king before coming to court in England. As for Anne Boleyn herself (and don’t kid yourself, this book is really about her) she’s awful. Truly awful. Yes, we have accounts of her temper with Henry in later years, but was it truly to the extent Philippa Gregory tries to portray in this novel? Probably not because she was a very educated, well-spoken and by all accounts, charming young woman. As for George Boleyn and the homosexual ring around him those claims weren’t even really believed at the time and are laughed at by most historians these days.
As a lot of people mention in their reviews, this book plays with the facts constantly. Even if I ignored all of the historical inaccuracies (which is hard to do as they’re always present), the story itself collapses. Mary is just a spineless wimp all the way through the book, even at the end when she finally marries for love. Her relationship with Henry was pretty unrealistic and I hated the whole Machiavellian schemes her family went through to maneuver her into the position of king’s mistress. It was just unrealistic and more than a little ridiculous, even when I pretended I was just reading another fantasy book based loosely on history and not historical fiction.
The plot was unbearably slow, even for me. What could have been around a 300 page book was stretched out over 600 pages. I mean, really? I don’t need to know every single detail of Mary Boleyn’s life, especially the boring times when she was nowhere near court. Honestly, the 1000+ page books of Colleen McCullough have far more action in them than The Other Boleyn Girl. It’s not even guilty pleasure because finishing this was a chore. There were so many better ways to approach this, but throwing out the history and making Mary Boleyn ridiculously innocent was not the way to go.
In the end, The Other Boleyn Girl is for people who think soap operas are serious, not guilty pleasure. If you enjoy descriptions of multiple debaucheries, back-stabbing and playing fast and loose with historical fact, you might like this novel. If you can get past the navel-gazing introspection, that is.
I give this book 1/5 stars.
Books to look Forward to
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
I’m having mixed feelings about this one, mostly because I haven’t read City of Lost Souls yet. Cassandra Clare’s writing has improved with time, but it will be interesting to see how she can end a series. The tentative release date for this, according to the official site is September 2014, so I’ll have plenty of time to catch up.
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
This is one of the few Cassandra Clare series I’m actually caught up in and I can’t wait for the last book, Clockwork Princess. After the tragic discovery at the end of Clockwork Prince, it will be interesting to see who Tess chooses and where Cassandra Clare decides to end the series. This one releases March 19, 2013.
The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare
Is this woman human? Well, obviously not at the rate she writes. Although it’s very tentative, The Dark Artifices is another series set in the modern day about Shadowhunters. This time it’s in Los Angeles, but Cassandra Clare dropped hints in a very spoilery interview that City of Heavenly Fire will change the world of Shadowhunting forever. So far all we know about The Dark Artifices series is that it follows Emma Carstairs, the most skilled Shadowhunter since Jace Wayland, and her partner Julian Blackthorn. Of course the two will have conflicted feelings, but it will be interesting to see how Cassandra Clare handles a protagonist who is very strong from the start. Clary herself went through a huge character arc to become a strong protagonist, but it sounds like Emma is already strong. Interesting, no?
Shattered Secrets by Krystal Wade
Abigail Nichols must decide if she trusts the boy she loves, a book that knows more about her than she does, or her instincts, because if she doesn’t, her world just might shatter.
After such a great finish to her Darkness Falls trilogy, I can’t wait for the latest Krystal Wade book. Unfortunately, there’s not even a tentative release date, just this awesome word counter on her website. Knowing how fast she writes, I think we can look forward to another Krystal Wade book in the new year.
The White Princess by Philippa Gregory
Other than a mention on Wikipedia and a page on Goodreads, there’s not much to go on. We know it’s going to be the fifth book in The Cousin’s War series and it’s going to be about Elizabeth of York, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville. She was mother of King Henry VIII, which means she was obviously overshadowed by her son. Who was she? What were her motivations? What was her relationship with Henry VII like? I guess we’ll just have to wait!
Look What Just Arrived! (#4)
I went shopping last Saturday and not only discovered that the bookstore owner knows my first name, but also seems to know my reading tastes. This would be normal if it was in my small town, but the bookstore I shop at is in a city an hour away. Okay, obviously I buy a lot of books. So what did I buy this time? (For those of you concerned about my spending, don’t worry. These were all in the ‘Almost New’ section.)
- Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
- Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey
- Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey
- The Mummy or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice
- The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
- The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir
Yes, I’m sticking with the Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey. I love her writing style and her world-building. I am also very curious as to where the series will go right now. The Mummy is one I’ve had my sights on for years, but alas, it is mostly out of print. When I saw it in the used section I nearly caused an avalanche (the books are stacked up on the shelves so there’s more room) to get it. The last three books about the Tudors are evidence of the bookstore owner’s knowledge of my reading tastes. Of course Philippa Gregory is excellent, but after Lisa Jennings reviewed Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir, I discovered a new take on the Tudors.
So what are you reading this weekend?
The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
(Cover picture courtesy of A Reader’s Journal.)
A story rich in passion and legend, The Lady of the Rivers is the story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the Wars of the Roses.
When Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.
The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of their royal York rivals. As Jacquetta fights for her king and queen, she can see an extraordinary and unexpected future for her daughter Elizabeth: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York…
The Lady of the Rivers is, so far, my favourite book in Philippa Gregory’s The Cousins’ War series. It was even better than The White Queen, mainly because we never saw the downfall of the Yorks, which always made me a bit sad. Jacquetta was one of my favourite characters in the first book, so I was definitely glad to see that she got a book to herself. The story of her childhood, first loveless marriage and subsequent marriage for love is fascinating. And to think, all of this (the broad events of her life) actually happened.
Jacquetta is an amazing narrator. She’s strong, cunning and yet vulnerable when it comes to love. She truly believes in Melusina and her special gift of seeing and healing, which adds another layer to the plot of the story. Unlike Margaret Beaufort, I felt that I truly understood this incredible woman; Philippa Gregory brought her to life in the pages.
The plot is faster paced than you would generally expect in historical fiction, which is definitely a bonus. It’s also fascinating to see Jacquetta’s rise in the English Lancaster court while she foresees an incredible future for her daughter Elizabeth that involves England being under the house of York. This is definitely Philippa Gregory at her finest.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.