Tag: Richard III

Book Review: “Queens at War: England’s Medieval Queens” by Alison Weir

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The fifteenth century in England was a time of war. Between a usurper king, fighting with France, and fighting amongst themselves, an English king must be prepared to go into battle at any moment, and his queen must be ready to support him in any way. During this period, there were five kings and queens, and while the kings get a lot of attention, it is the queens who should get their flowers for what they did in times of distress. Alison Weir explores the lives of the final five Plantagenet queens in her final book in the England’s Medieval Queens series, entitled “Queens at War.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I am a big fan of Weir’s books, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her England’s Medieval Queens series. I wanted to see which queens Weir would focus on in this book and how she would approach their lives.

The years covered in this last book are 1399-1485, covering the reigns of Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III. The queens featured in this book are Joan of Navarre, Katherine of Valois, Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville (spelled Widville in this book), and Anne Neville. While I am familiar with the stories of Katherine, Margaret, Elizabeth, and Anne, Joan is a less well-known figure to me. Weir gives her readers a bit of background information about how Joan of Navarre was Henry IV’s second wife after his first wife, Mary de Bohun, died. Joan was married previously as well, to John IV de Montfort, Duke of Brittany. While she did have children with John, she never had royal children with Henry IV. Weir shows how Joan was treated as the stepmother to King Henry V after he married Katherine of Valois.

Weir explores Katherine of Valois’ relationships with both Henry V, the warrior king, and Owen Tudor, the man she fell in love with after the death of Henry V. We get to see how Katherine’s son, Henry VI, and his wife, Margaret of Anjou, dealt with the rising Yorkist faction. With her husband taking ill, it was Margaret of Anjou who was the figurehead for the Lancastrian cause in a conflict that would be known as the Wars of the Roses. Eventually, a young man named Edward IV would become King of England, and he shook the English court by marrying an English woman, Elizabeth Widville (Woodville). Finally, Weir explores the downfall of the Plantagenet dynasty and the end of the young Yorkist regime with Richard III and his wife Anne Neville.

Overall, I found this an informative and easy-to-follow book. It was a bit of a review for me as I am familiar with this period, but I found myself learning new information in this book, which was exciting. I think if you want to learn about 15th-century queens or if you are a fan of England’s Medieval Queens series, I recommend you read “Queens at War” by Alison Weir.

Guest Post: “Researching ‘The Traitor’s Son’” by Wendy Johnson

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I am pleased to welcome Wendy Johnson to my blog today to share information about her research for her novel, “The Traitor’s Son.” I would like to thank Wendy Johnson and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.

I’ve been fascinated by the period known retrospectively as the Wars of the Roses since childhood, so when I came to write ‘The Traitor’s Son’ I already had a grounding in the history. Over the years, I’ve amassed a number of secondary sources: biographies of the principal figures, battlefield histories, political commentaries, and so on, and these have proved invaluable in forming the backbone of the novel. These days, a great deal of primary sources are digitally transcribed, and can be a valuable means of verifying details which would be more difficult to access. 

My intention was always to underpin my fiction with fact. I didn’t want to invent things for the sake of the story—for me, the events of the fifteenth century are in themselves dramatic and exciting enough without the need for fabrication. But of course, the duty of a historical novelist is to add flesh to the bones, to bring the past to life, and this is essential as the reader has to be able to empathise with the characters and understand their motivation. So, how did I go about researching the lives of Edward IV, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick— and of course, my protagonist, young Richard Plantagenet, the future Richard III? 

I do feel as though I’ve grown up with these figures—the first castle I ever visited as a child was Raby Castle, in County Durham, home to the dynamic Neville family, and a fascination for this remarkable dynasty was formed. My lifelong interest in Richard III himself was kindled during a visit to Middleham Castle, Yorkshire, at the age of eight and has remained with me ever since. I’ve always had a sense of what I feel my characters were really like, but of course, that wasn’t enough: to write a believable novel, I needed to fully research their lives and the events which formed them, before I could consider recreating them on paper. Biographies proved extremely helpful, most providing a clear background to the lives of each individual and helping to form a realistic picture of that particular person, what their personalities may have been, and, in particular, who and what may have influenced them. This was significantly important when it came to Richard himself. 

The frustrating thing about the study of the fifteenth century is that, although some primary sources do survive, they are fewer in number than those of the following century, and those that do survive are mostly official documents. It would be wonderful if we could consult, for example, a greater number of personal letters from those concerned. We do have some, but once again, these tend to be letters composed in an official capacity. Those which remain, however, can help cast small rays of light on the people as individuals, for example, the letter sent by a youthful Edward IV, and his brother Edmund, to the Duke of York, thanking him for the gowns he has sent them and requesting him to deal with ‘the odious rule’ of Richard Croft and his brother, fellow trainee knights, who appear to have been bullying them. Although my novel does not cover this earlier period, the letter is illustrative of the comfortable relationship the sons of York had with their father. Likewise, Richard’s letter to his mother, written as king and signed ‘your most humble son’, requesting her ‘daly blessing to my synguler comfort’ offers a small insight into the affection and respect he bore for her. Although such correspondence is rare, many documents having been destroyed in the following century, letters like these do provide a glimpse of both Edward and Richard’s closeness to their parents. 

The relationships of the York family, one to another, are the focus of ‘The Traitor’s Son’. Rather than a sweeping saga, I very much wanted to keep the action close, concentrating on Richard and his brothers, Edward IV and George, duke of Clarence, their sister, Margaret, mother, Cecily—and the man, whom I believe played a huge part in young Richard’s upbringing, his cousin and mentor, Richard Neville, earl of Warwick. Research into the life of Richard III indicates a deep reverence for the memory of his father, the Duke of York. York’s death in battle, when Richard was only eight years old, and the danger in which the family was placed thereafter, must have had a devastating effect on the boy. According to the Centre for Male Psychology…research shows the father-child relationship is an important one. In fact, it can be more influential than the mother-child relationship. This is especially true for the 8-12 year old child as they try to make sense of the outside world…’ i This observation helped confirm my theory that following the death of the Duke of York, it would have been natural for Richard to have searched for a father figure in his life, and that this figure could well have been his cousin, Warwick. 

Regarding locations, I found I could call on personal experience for some, but had to research others. Having grown up close to Middleham, I know the castle inside and out, so it was very easy to imagine the scenes set within its walls. The city of York, which was very familiar to Richard, remains in part unchanged, and again, it was an easy matter to reimagine his time there. Warwick Castle is another fortress I’ve visited in person, although naturally there have been additions since the days of Richard Neville. London needed to be researched carefully, as very little remains from the medieval period. I found an amazing resource on the Internet entitled the Agas Map of Early Modern London, which uses the Civitas Londinium, a detailed woodcut created in 1561. This incredible, interactive tool allows the user to search for particular streets, churches, parishes, gates, and so on. Highlighting these on the map, it becomes possible to visualise the city at a time not too distant from the period in which my novel is set. For Richard’s exile in the Low Countries, both at the age of eight and again at eighteen, I had to rely on published histories and on images and information I found online. A visual recreation of the Bishop’s Palace at Utrecht (where Richard and his brother, George, resided following their father’s defeat) was extremely useful, as was a delightful video I found of the adjacent tower, the Dom Toren, which actually featured the sound of its bells—so different in their melody from the chimes which would have been a constant accompaniment to life in London. 

My favourite element of the writing process will always be the creative part—seeing the characters in my mind’s eye, imagining their emotions and bringing them to life—but my greatest desire with the novel was to create an authentic narrative, and that meant remaining true to the facts and to the people who populate its pages. These were, after all, real people, and I felt I had a duty to portray them with respect and in the most accurate way I could. Therefore, research and facts remain twin components of ‘The Traitor’s Son’. 

Blurb:   

Caught between a king and a kingmaker, young Richard Plantagenet knows he’ll have to choose… 

1461: Richard, Duke of York, King by Right, has been branded a traitor and slain by his Lancastrian foes. For his eight-year-old son—Richard Plantagenet—England has become a dangerous place. 

As the boy grapples with grief and uncertainty, his elder brother, Edward, defeats the enemy and claims the throne. Dazzled by his glorious sibling, young Richard soon discovers that imperfections lurk beneath his brother’s majestic façade. Enter Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick—cousin, tutor, luminary—whose life has given him everything but that which he truly craves: a son. A filial bond forms between man and boy as they fill the void in each other’s lives. Yet, when treachery tears their world asunder, Richard faces an agonizing dilemma: pledge allegiance to Edward—his blood brother and anointed king—or to Warwick, the father figure who has shaped his life and affections. 

Painfully trapped between duty and devotion, Richard faces a grim reality: whatever he decides will mean a fight to the death.  

In “The Traitor’s Son”, Wendy Johnson weaves a tapestry of loyalty, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of England’s turbulent history. Through the eyes of a young Richard III, readers are transported into a world where every choice is fraught with peril, and the bonds of kinship are tested to their limits.   

Perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel, Annie Garthwaite, and Sharon K. Penman.

Praise for The Traitor’s Son: 

“Exquisitely written. An evocative and thoughtful retelling of the early life of Richard III.” 

~ Philippa Langley, MBE 

 

“Sometimes the perfect use of the written word takes my breath away. Not very often, but this book is it. A wonderful story written so beautifully that I shall not forget it for a long time. Everything to my mind is perfect. The language, the story, the pacing. Just wonderful.” 

~ Kindle Customer, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“Wonderfully woven story of a young Richard III. Woven with a sure knowledge of the history and a realistic telling of a story about a young boy finding his way through tragedy and triumph, uncertainty, and a legacy he cannot escape.
Brilliant debut which promises more and more.” 

~ Cris, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“I loved this novel, it was beautifully written, extremely atmospheric, the characters’ personalities came through perfectly, can’t wait for the next instalment.” 

~ Linda Hayward, 5* Amazon Review 

 

“Really enjoyed this book. Holds the reader enthralled from the first paragraph to the last. The next volume can’t be released soon enough.” 

~ J.M. Henderson, 5* Amazon Review 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link:    https://books2read.com/u/mdJqL5  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

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Author Bio:    

Wendy Johnson has a lifelong passion for medieval history, its people, and for bringing their incredible stories to life. Her specific areas of interest are the fifteenth century, the Wars of the Roses, and Richard III in particular. She enjoys narratives that immerse the reader in the past and tries faithfully to recreate the later Middle Ages within her own writing. She has contributed to a number of historical anthologies and was a runner-up in the Woman and Home Short Story Competition 2008. 

Wendy is also a founder member of Philippa Langley’s Looking for Richard Project, which located the king’s lost grave in 2012. She co-authored Finding Richard III: the Official Account of Research by the Retrieval and Reburial Project in 2014, and in 2019 received the Richard III Society’s Robert Hamblin Award.   

THE TRAITOR’S SON, volume one in a Richard III trilogy, is Wendy’s debut novel, and she is currently working on the sequel. 

Author Links: 

Author’s Page on Publisher’s Website: https://madeglobal.com/authors/wendy-johnson/  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/p/Wendy-Johnson-Author-61558759768505/ 

Book Bub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/wendy-johnson-cf3f97f7-3a8e-46d9-8394-c5a08caa594d  

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B0D14SQJP3  

Goodreads:               https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208871994-the-traitor-s-son 

 

Book Review: “Edward IV & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance” by Amy Licence

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When we think of a fairy tale romance, we think about stories like Cinderella. A girl of lower status captures the heart of the handsome prince. They overcome the odds and live happily ever after. But that kind of romance only exists in books. The closest story we have to that in medieval English history might be the story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. A widow who begged the handsome and younger King of England for help, but ended up becoming his wife. It’s a story that any romance-loving history lover will swoon over, but how accurate is that story? What is the real story of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville? Amy Licence explores the nature of their relationship in her book, “Edward IV & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance.”

I have been reading books by Amy Licence for a few years now, so when I saw this title, I knew I wanted to read it. The Wars of the Roses is one of my favorite areas of history to study, but I have not read a joint biography of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. When I saw this title, I knew that this was a must-read for me.

We begin in 1431 in Rouen, France, where the Maid of Orleans, who we know as Joan of Arc, is about to die on the pyre. In the same town, eleven years later, the future King Edward IV would be born to Cecily Neville and Richard, Duke of York. Edward’s future bride, Elizabeth Woodville, was born around six years after the death of Joan of Arc. Her mother, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, had married below her station after the death of her first husband, John Duke of Bedford passed away; Jacquetta would marry a knight, Sir Richard Woodville, Elizabeth’s father. Jacquetta was close to King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, the Lancastrian rulers of England, and Edward IV’s father, Richard, Duke of York, would fight against the Lancastrians for the right to rule England during the conflict that we know today as the Wars of the Roses. To top it all off, Elizabeth was married to Sir John Grey of Groby Old Hall, a man who fought and died for King Henry VI.

In other words, Edward and Elizabeth were on different sides of the Wars of the Roses, but somehow these two found each other after Edward IV became king. The obvious choice for Edward’s bride should have been a foreign princess to create an alliance, but there was something about Elizabeth that convinced Edward to forgo the wisdom of Warwick and marry her. Their court was based on the Burgundian court. They had a large family, but the fight for the crown with the Lancastrian cause and Edward’s own family continued. Just when the throne is secure, Edward passes away. Elizabeth had to fight for her children, fight against her brother-in-law, and join forces with her enemy Margaret Beaufort to help usher in the Tudor dynasty.

Licence was able to present the information not only about this period, but also about Edward and Elizabeth in such a comprehensive way that both novices and experts can understand. She can present theories that she either agrees with or disagrees with respectfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this joint biography as it gave me a better appreciation for the reign of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. If you want to learn more about the Wars of the Roses, the first Yorkist king, and his wife, I highly recommend you read “Edward & Elizabeth Woodville: A True Romance” by Amy Licence.

Book Review: “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey

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Have you ever read about a historical mystery that captivated you so much that you spent your available free time trying to solve the case? Who was the man in the iron mask? Were the casket letters real? Who built Stonehenge and why? And yet, one of the greatest mysteries in all of history revolves around two missing princes who were last seen in the Tower of London. Nearly five hundred years later, an inspector from Scotland Yard named Alan Grant decides to take on the case. Can the inspector solve the ultimate cold case? Josephine Tey tells the tale of the detective and the mystery of the Princes in the Tower in her most famous novel, “The Daughter of Time.”

I have heard of this novel since I started my blog, but I never read it until now. I decided that it was time after it was announced that there was going to be a play adaptation of this novel. All I knew about this book was that it had something to do with the Princes in the Tower and Richard III, but I did not know the extent.

Tey begins with a bored Inspector Alan Grant staring at the ceiling as he lies immobilized in a hospital recovering from a broken leg. He has a stack of books to read, given to him by the nurses nicknamed the Midget and the Amazon, but none of them have caught his interest. One day, his actress friend Marta Hallard comes for a visit and convinces Grant to investigate a historical mystery. She brings copies of historical portraits, and Grant’s attention immediately goes to the one of Richard III. This portrait will propel Grant to investigate the mystery of the Princes in the Tower and prove Richard III’s innocence.

While I do see why this book is so beloved by Ricardians, it took me a while to get used to the dialogue in this novel, as I don’t read books from the 1950s. It was interesting to see the logic of Grant’s arguments for Richard III to be proved innocent, as someone who has no connection to history, but as an inspector. Personally, my favorite character in this novel is Brent Carradine, an American history student who helps Grant with his investigation.

Overall, it was a decent novel that investigates the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower from the perspective of someone who is not a history nerd. It is a well-researched novel for the information that was available at the time, which will appeal to novices and experts alike. If you want a novel with a different approach to the Princes in the Tower, I recommend you read “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey.

Book Review: “The Pretender” by Jo Harkin

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The Wars of the Roses are ending, and with it comes uncertainty about who will lead the country. On one side is King Richard III, who many believe killed his nephews to become King of England; on the other is Breton Henry, Henry Tudor, who believes he is the rightful king due to his bloodline. However, there is a third player in this entire debacle. A young farm boy named John Collan may spend his days daydreaming and studying to his heart’s content, but he is destined for more. A path that will lead him to hobnob with nobility and become the enemy of a king who just sat on his throne. Just who is John Collan, and how did this boy go from the farm to a life of infamy? Jo Harkin tells the story of how John Collan became Lambert Simnel in her novel, “The Pretender.”

I would like to thank Knopf and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. As someone who reads a lot about the Wars of the Roses, I tend to gravitate towards the main players and the nobility. However, there was something about a novel all about one of the pretenders, Lambert Simnel, that piqued my curiosity. Plus, the fact that this was the author’s first foray into historical fiction was a nice touch. I wanted to see how well Harkin would do with an obscure figure and her first historical fiction novel.

We begin with John Collan, a son of a farmer who dreams of being a scholar and running away from a rather vicious goat. John’s father, Will Collan, is a pretty wealthy man, but he is also connected to a man named Maister Richard Simons, who agrees to tutor John at Oxford. Such a remarkable turn of luck for a farm boy, but why choose him over others? Maister Simons explains that Will Collan is not John’s father. His name is not even John. He is to be known as Lambert Simnel, and his true father is none other than George, Duke of Clarence, which makes him Edward, Earl of Warwick. It’s a lot to take in, but then John/Lambert is taken to both Burgundy and Ireland so that he can gain powerful allies such as Margaret, Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, John de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln, and the Earl of Kildare.

John/Lambert continues to study, falls in love with a girl named Joan, is crowned king, and even goes to war against the Tudor king. But the boy will soon learn the bitter taste of betrayal and the heartache of losing those he loves the most to try and wrest the crown from Henry VII. While the dialogue was at times borderline vulgar, I did enjoy most of the story until the aftermath of the Battle of Stoke Field. It was when John/Lambert was held captive that it fell flat, and it was a bit difficult to follow along for me. I also wish Harkin had included some sort of author’s note or explanation of her research to help those who are new to Lambert Simnel’s story understand why she wrote the novel in the way she did.

Overall, I think this was a decent novel. It is ambitious to tackle an obscure figure like a pretender as a protagonist of a historical novel, but I think Harkin does a good job. It makes you wonder what must have been going on when this young man decided that he was going to take on a crowned king. Such a small footnote in history makes one compelling tale. If you want a novel about someone who does not get enough attention, I recommend you read “The Pretender” by Jo Harkin.

Book Review: “Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses” by Beverley Adams

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Throughout English history, some of the most famous queens have been associated with the Tudor dynasty. We have the six wives of Henry VIII (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr), Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I. However, one Tudor queen is often overlooked for her daughters-in-law and granddaughters, the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York. So who was Elizabeth of York and what role did she play in the transition between the Plantagenet dynasty and the Tudor dynasty? Beverley Adams hopes to enlighten readers about this remarkable queen in her latest book, “Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. While I know quite a bit about Elizabeth of York, the Wars of the Roses, and the origins of the Tudor dynasty, I wanted to see how Adams would portray these topics for beginners. 

To begin with, Adams lays out the origins of the conflict that we know today as the Wars of the Roses with Edward III and his sons, John of Gaunt 1st Duke of Lancaster, and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. This led to a clash between King Henry VI and Richard Duke of York. Elizabeth of York’s father, the future King Edward IV, was the son of Richard Duke of York and he had to fight for his throne. Adams explores Elizabeth’s childhood as the eldest child of Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville during this tumultuous period of English history, which would form the foundation of what kind of queen she would be in the future.

Everything changed when Edward IV died suddenly, which meant that Elizabeth’s younger brother became Edward V and left Richard Duke of Gloucester as Lord Protector. For some reason, Richard Duke of Gloucester decided to take matters into his own hands, took control of the country, declared the children of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville illegitimate (including Elizabeth of York), and was crowned King Richard III in a matter of months. Some resisted the new king including the son of Margaret Beaufort and Edmund Tudor, Henry Tudor. Margaret Beaufort and Elizabeth Woodville arranged a marriage between Henry and Elizabeth that would occur if Henry was able to defeat Richard III and become King of England, which he did at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The rest of this book is dedicated to showing how Elizabeth of York was as a wife, queen, and mother as she dealt with death, treachery from Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, and triumphs as she was able to see the start of the Tudor dynasty.

I think Adams does a decent job with a book that is an introduction to Elizabeth of York, the Wars of the Roses, and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty. There are some myths that she repeats to debunk, but I feel like, in some places, Elizabeth of York was not the main focus, which was a bit disappointing. Overall, if you want a solid introductory book to the life and times of the first Tudor queen, I would recommend you read, “Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty: Uniting the Roses” by Beverley Adams.

Book Review: “Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses” by Sarah Gristwood

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Blood SistersWhen it comes to studying wars from the past, we often focus on the men who fought during the battles the strategies that were implemented to win and the plans that backfired spectacularly. So frequently in the study of wars, we forget about the women left behind, but in fact, they had bigger roles to play than sitting on the sidelines. For example, the royal women who lived in England during the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses played an essential role in how the wars concluded. These women are slowly coming into the spotlight in biographies and historical fiction novels, but it is rare to read a book about the Wars of the Roses where the central figures are the women, until now. Sarah Gristwood has taken seven women from this age and weaved their stories into her book, “Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses.”

I have been interested in the Wars of the Roses and the women who lived during that period for years. I heard about this book when I started studying this period, but I have never had a chance to read it, until now.

There were so many strong women from this period, but Gristwood narrowed her choices down to seven remarkable women to focus on; Margaret of Anjou, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York, Cecily Neville, Anne Neville, and Margaret of Burgundy. By choosing these women, Gristwood is presenting a story of a conflict that spanned multiple generations, both York and Lancaster, and showing how both the English and Burgundian nobility dealt with the changes that were happening when the Tudors took control.

Gristwood begins with the marriage of Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI. Though she was French by birth, her loyalty was always going to be with her husband’s Lancasterian family. That meant she would eventually become enemies with the proud Cecily Neville, the wife of Richard Duke of York and mother of King Edward IV and King Richard III, but Margaret was allied with Margaret Beaufort, the tenacious mother of King Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor dynasty. The conflict passed onto the daughters of these women, like Anne Neville and Margaret Burgundy, as well as the daughter of Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Elizabeth Woodville. These women would continue the conflict and help seal the fate of the Lancastrians, see the rise and fall of the Yorkists, and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty through the marriage of Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Elizabeth Woodville, and Henry Tudor. This book spans decades and includes events like the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, well into the Tudor dynasty such as the pretenders, the marriage of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, the death of Prince Arthur, and the rise of Henry VIII.

This was a delightful look into the Wars of the Roses through the eyes of the women who lived through this period. They were mothers, daughters, wives, queens, fighters, and survivors. They showed that without their tenacity and determination to fight for what they believed was right and for their families. If you are a fan of the women who defined the Wars of the Roses, I highly suggest you read, “Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses” by Sarah Gristwood.

Book Review: “The Queen’s Rival” by Anne O’Brien

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the queen's rivalEngland is in the midst of chaos in a conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. The Yorkist cause is formulating a case to take the throne’s power from Henry VI and the Lancastrians and replace the king with Richard, Duke of York, whose claim to the throne is a bit stronger. Caught in the middle of the Wars of the Roses was one strong and courageous woman who would fight tooth and nail for her family and the Yorkist cause. Her name was Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, and her story is masterfully told in Anne O’Brien’s novel, “The Queen’s Rival.”

A few years ago, I hosted Anne O’Brien to discuss this book as part of a blog tour for The Coffee Pot Book Club. I will admit that this was the first time I had read a novel by Anne O’Brien, but I had heard amazing things about her writing style, so when I saw this novel at a bookstore, it was an instant buy for me.

We begin in the year 1459 and the house of York is facing a disaster. The Yorkists have lost the Battle of Ludford Bridge and must now separate and go into exile. Cecily can only watch as the Lancastrians lay siege to her home, forcing her and her young children to be imprisoned at Tonbridge Castle. This moment might have broken Cecily’s spirit, but Cecily is a proud Neville, willing to fight until the bitter end to see her family safe and secure on the throne of England. Along the way, she must endure heartache (such as the death of her husband Richard Duke of York) and moments of betrayal, such as George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Earl of Warwick. Cecily’s name and reputation are dragged through the mud on numerous occasions. However, she gets to witness moments of glory, the crowning of her sons Edward IV and Richard III, and the birth of her grandchildren, to create the House of York.

My favorite aspect of this novel is that the chapters are not written like traditional chapters. The chapters are a series of letters to and from Cecily to her family members or those she considers her enemies to convince them to give her and her family leniency. Cecily’s main correspondences are with her sisters, Anne Duchess of Buckingham, and Katherine Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. One of my favorite characters is the author of England’s Chronicle, who reminds me of a gossip columnist, ready to spill all the secrets and rumors to anyone who will hear it.

I had such a fun time reading this novel. Even though I knew the events of the Wars of the Roses and what would happen, I found it refreshing to read it as a series of letters so that you can sense how the historical figure might have felt during that moment. This may have been my first novel by Anne O’Brien, but it definitely will not be my last. If you want a thrilling novel about the Wars of the Roses from the perspective of Cecily Neville, I highly suggest you read, “The Queen’s Rival” by Anne O’Brien.

Book Review: “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd

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FoundationEngland is a nation that is rich in history and conflicts galore. Through the centuries, England has seen so much change. Many of us know the stories of the medieval and the Tudor kings and queens of England, covered in numerous books, but Peter Ackroyd has taken this concept a step forward. Ackroyd embarked on an epic quest to chronicle the history of England from its prehistoric origins to the modern age. In “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors,” Peter Ackroyd begins his epic journey into the past to explore the origins of English history.

This book is one that I have seen every time I go to a bookstore and look at the history nonfiction section. I have heard great things about Ackroyd and this series, however, I have yet to read any of his books. It was always an intriguing book to me, but it was one that I never read until now.

Ackroyd has decided to begin his book with one of the most ancient sites in all of England, Stonehenge, explaining that before the first stone was set in Stonehenge, the origins of England were centuries old. We travel through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and into Roman Britain before we dive into the time of the Anglo-Saxons and the Viking invasions. There is a lot of history to cover in less than a hundred pages, but Ackroyd can get his point across about how much change England went through during that time and that it continued to grow throughout the following centuries.

We see the impact that the Norman Conquest and William the Conqueror’s reign. The fall of the Normans with the death of King Stephen led to the rise of the Plantagenets and the reign of King Henry II. It was the Plantagenets that Ackroyd focuses the bulk of this book on as the dynasty lasted over 300 years and witnessed much change. From the Crusades, the Hundred Years War, and the Wars of the Roses, to the Black Death, rebellions, and religious changes, the Plantagenets saw England through major highs and lows. It was not just the monarchs that Ackroyd highlights in this book, he also examines how normal life changed with each dynasty and through the centuries, which adds a bit of depth to his examination of the past. Ackroyd concludes with the fall of Richard III and the rise of Henry VII and the Tudor dynasty. I wish Ackroyd would have waited until his next book to discuss the reign of Henry VII, but it is a minor qualm in the long run.

Overall, I found this an enjoyable and informative read. This is not only a tale of warring kings but a story of the people of England and what makes England so unique. A story whose origins are centuries old, but are rich and vivid in details. I look forward to seeing how Ackroyd will chronicle the Tudors and the rest of England’s history. If you want a book that explores as much of the beginnings of England’s story through multiple dynasties and dramatic changes, I would suggest you read, “Foundation: The History of England From Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd.

Book Review: “The Godmother’s Secret” by Elizabeth St. John

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews1 Comment

62232439When one says “the Princes in the Tower,” a few images pop into our mind. Two young boys were killed in the Tower by their evil uncle, who would become King Richard III. At least, that is the image that the Tudors wanted the world to see, and for centuries, that story has often been told. However, as research has expanded into who Richard III was, the tale of these two boys and their ultimate fate has become even murkier with new suspects and the question of whether the boys were murdered. Elizabeth St. John decided to take on the mystery of the Princes of the Tower with her twist to the tale in her latest novel, “The Godmother’s Secret.”

Thank you, Elizabeth St. John, for sending me a copy of your latest novel. I have found the mystery of the Princes of the Tower fascinating, and when I heard that this novel had a different angle to their tale, I knew I wanted to read it.

We begin our journey by introducing Lady Elysabeth Scrope, the wife of John Scrope and the half-sister to Margaret Beaufort, going into the sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville. She is there to act as the godmother for Elizabeth Woodville’s first son, the future King Edward V, at the request of King Henry VI. Elysabeth is reluctant to help the Yorkist cause, as she was raised as a Lancastrian, but her husband is loyal to the Yorkists. She promises to keep Edward safe from harm, which would prove more challenging with the death of King Edward IV in 1483.

This should be a happy time for Elysabeth, John, and the new King Edward V, but a sermon and a coup caused everything to come crashing down. Edward and his brother Richard are removed to the Tower of London while their uncle becomes King Richard III. Along the way, Margaret Beaufort schemes to get her beloved son, Henry Tudor, to become the next king of England. Torn between her blood family and her family built by loyalty, Elysabeth must navigate the ever-changing political field of 1483-1485 to protect the princes, no matter the cost.

I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to Lady Elysabeth Scrope and John Scrope and seeing the events unfold while they weathered the political storm the best they could. St. John has created a believable and compelling story about what might have happened to these two boys whose disappearance has captured our imaginations for centuries. She attempts to answer some age-old questions, like what might have happened to the boys, did Richard III have them killed, and did Margaret Beaufort have something to do with the princes’ disappearance? Suppose you want an engaging novel that gives a different perspective about what might have happened to the Princes in the Tower. In that case, I highly recommend you read “The Godmother’s Secret” by Elizabeth St. John.