Tag: William Morrow

Book Review: “Royal Witch” by Philippa Gregory

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One woman’s ambitions for power, love, and a child will cost her everything. England is in a golden age with King Henry V and Queen Catherine of Valois on the throne. Jacqueline of Hainault has come to England to ask for help to take back her birthright. A young woman named Eleanor Cobham joins Jacqueline’s court, but Eleanor desires more. She wants power, the man she loves to love her, and a child. But when all else fails, Eleanor turns to a darker path to secure the throne. How did things go so horribly wrong, and why did Eleanor go to such extreme measures? Philippa Gregory tells the tale of Eleanor Cobham and the charges that made her infamous in her latest novel, “Royal Witch.”

I want to thank William Morrow and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. In recent years, I have come to appreciate Gregory’s newer books, so when I heard that she was writing a novel about Eleanor Cobham, it caught my attention. I have heard of Eleanor Cobham as a side character in books about King Henry VI, but I didn’t know much about her life, so I wanted to see how Gregory would tell her tale.

We begin the day that Eleanor Cobham’s life changed when her mother died, and Eleanor was no longer destined to live in a monastery. Now, she could chart her own path, which happened to land her in the court of Henry V. There, she meets the woman whom she will serve, Jacqueline of Hainault. Jacqueline is a woman on a mission to get her counties of Hainault, Holland, and Zeeland back from her husband, John of Brabant, whom she wants a divorce from, and Philip, Duke of Brittany. The only way she can do that is by seeking the help of King Henry V. Henry V’s brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, comes to Jacqueline’s aid as he seeks to become her husband and Count of Hainault. While navigating the complex nature of Jacqueline’s situation, Eleanor falls in love with a young Welshman, Owen ap Maredudd.

Nothing can stay the same forever, as the powerful King Henry V dies, leaving the throne to his infant son, King Henry VI. Eleanor does eventually marry, but not truly for love, but for power, as she finds out that Owen made a scandalous match of his own and married Dowager Queen Catherine of Valois. Eleanor and her husband, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, try everything to get ahead, but in the end, Eleanor resorts to consulting Margery Jourdemayne and others to help in a darker matter. The cost will be insurmountable for Eleanor Cobham.

This was an engrossing novel about a lesser-known figure in Plantagenet history. Eleanor is one of those figures you want to stop and let her be satisfied with the life she had, but you know they are digging themselves further into a hole that they cannot escape from. I am excited to see who Gregory will write about next. If you want a delightfully dark and dangerous novel about one woman’s unlimited ambitions and her fall from grace, I highly recommend you read “Royal Witch” by Philippa Gregory.

Book Review: “Boy” by Nicole Galland

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Have you ever had a dream for your life that seemed so impossible that you would do anything to make sure it happened? Whether the matter of age or gender or even circumstances of one’s birth, there is always that one dream that keeps you going even during the most difficult times. Sander Cooke and his best friend Joan Buckler have dreams that seem impossible, especially living in Elizabethan England. Sander wants to stay young so he can continue to act in female roles in plays whereas Joan wants to be a natural philosopher even though she is a woman. Can they achieve their dreams or will they be doomed to fall to greater powers? The story of Sander and Joan is told in Nicole Galland’s latest novel, “Boy.”

I want to thank William Morrow and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. The cover caught my eye first, and I was impressed by its simplicity. Then, I read the description, and I knew it was right up my alley. I don’t read a lot of novels about Elizabethan theater life or natural philosophy, so I was excited to see how she could incorporate these ideas into one cohesive novel.

We begin with Alexander ‘Sander” Cooke who is one of the best boy players in the Chamberlain’s Men. He can get any female part that he wants that is written by William Shakespeare. Sander is renowned for his beauty and his acting skills, but he knows that his youth will not last forever so he is working feverishly to create connections at court. Meanwhile, Sander’s friend Joan just wants an opportunity to show that she can study just like a man can. She has no formal education, but she wants to study in the halls of the Barber-Surgeons and with natural philosophers.

It seems that both Sander and Joan’s problems are solved when Sander is introduced to Sir Francis Bacon, a natural philosopher. Sander comes up with a scheme for Joan to converse with Bacon, but Joan must dress as a male servant. While Joan has to deal with masquerading as a man, Sander has his issues as he is close to Robert Devereux Earl of Essex, and his sister Lady Penelope Rich. While there are areas of love, danger, and intrigue, what grabbed my attention was how revolutionary some of the scientific and philosophical experiments made me think about their discussions in depth. It was refreshing and innovative in its approach with the historical figures we all know from this period of the past taking more of a back seat.

This was an evocative novel that gave even more depth to an already rich period of the past. It shows the lives of the common people striving for better lives and how to better the world around them through the arts or scientific discoveries. I did not know what to expect when I first selected this book, but I am so glad I read it. If you want a novel with a fresh take on Elizabethan England, I highly suggest you read “Boy” by Nicole Galland.

Book Review: “Marvelous” by Molly Greeley

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MarvelousThe tale is as old as time, of beauty and the beast. We know the story from either Disney or retellings. A peasant girl finds herself locked in a castle with a prince who is transformed into a hideous beast. He can only change back into a human if he can learn to love another person. Like many fairy tales, we often ask ourselves whether this story can be based on historical facts. Molly Greeley believes that Beauty and the Beast’s origins could be found in the true story of Pedro and Catherine Gonzales, who lived in the court of Catherine de Medici. She has chosen to tell their love story in her latest novel, “Marvelous.”

I want to thank William Morrow and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite fairy tales growing up, so when I heard this was a historical fiction retelling, I jumped at the opportunity to read it. I had only read a brief mention of Pedro’s daughter Tognina (Antoinette) Gonslavus earlier this year, so I was curious about her father’s tale.

Pedro’s story begins on the small island of Tenerife as an orphan boy who the village fears for his outward appearance. Pedro’s entire body is covered in hair, and he is considered a devil or a monster. One day, Pedro is kidnapped by pirates and sold to the highest bidder as an oddity; the highest bidder is the King of France, Henri II. King Henri II sees potential in Pedro, so he gives him the name of Petrus Gonslavus and an education worthy of a royal.

As a reward for his services to the king, Catherine de Medici grants Pedro a place in her court and a wife, Catherine Raffelin, the daughter of a merchant, who was down on his luck. It would be an understatement to say their marriage was off to a rough start, but Pedro shows her a world full of glamorous splendor and prejudice toward people who were considered “oddities.” With the birth of their children, Antoinette, Madeline, and Henri, we also see how France changes after the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and the fall of the House of Valois. We also get to see how different countries during the 16th century and early 17th century handled people who were considered different.

My favorite historical fiction novels are when famous figures like kings, queens, and princesses take a back seat to lesser-known figures from the past. It breathes new life into historical events and provides a fresh lens into the past. Greeley gives her readers a love story on the level of beauty and beast by following the mysterious Gonzales family.

Greeley does a masterful job of telling Pedro and Catherine’s tales from their perspectives. It was a joy to read this novel, and I hope others will fall in love with the Gonzales family through this book. Suppose you want a stunning historical fiction novel full of love and a protagonist unlike any you have read before set in the reign of Catherine de Medici. In that case, I highly recommend you read “Marvelous” by Molly Greeley.