Book Review: I Am The Chosen King by Helen Hollick

In this beautifully crafted tale, Harold Godwinesson, the last Saxon King of England, is a respected, quick witted man both vulnerable and strong, honorable and loving -- and yet, in the end, only human. After the political turmoil and battles leading up to 1066, we all know William the Conquerer takes England. But Helen Hollick will have readers at the edge of their seats, hoping that just this once, for Harold, the story will have a different ending.

Synopsis courtesy of chapters.indigo.ca

My Review

5 Stars

Helen Hollick's sublime novel I Am The Chosen King brings England in the years immediately leading up to the Norman Conquest vividly to life.  It commences where Hollick's earlier pre-Conquest  novel, The Forever Queen, left off.  Harold Godwinesson, the English monarch best known for his defeat by William the Conqueror during the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is the primary subject of I Am The Chosen King.  The novel also features William, Duke of Normandy, and England's King Edward, who is better known today as Edward the Confessor. 

I Am the Chosen King contains all of the necessary elements which, to me, make a great work of historical fiction.  The author has done a masterful job of creating a strong sense of time and place, bringing the era alive for the reader and making them feel part of the action.  The historical detail is impressive and is evidence of the significant amount of research that went into crafting this novel.   While too much detail can serve to bog a novel down and detract from a story, in I Am The Chosen King the level of detail is just right.  As a result, the historical detail enhances the story and the reader's ability to connect with it.   Hollick paints a sympathetic portrait of Harold Godwinesson, a man not raised to the throne from birth, but who must accept it after the death of King Edward to ensure the peace and stability of England.   Hollick's William the Conqueror is a vain man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which includes a throne he has no right to claim, while King Edward is shown to be a man ill suited to wear a crown.   

When facts are known, accuracy in historical fiction is important to me as a reader.   While Hollick does take some liberties in I Am the Chosen King, they are relatively minor and undertaken for the sake of the story.   Historical accuracy, however, does not trump my desire for a well told and interesting story.  I need both to be satisfied with a historical novel and this book delivers.   I was drawn into Harold's world right from the opening pages, never once becoming bored or wishing the story would end.   While the ultimate outcome of the battle between Harold and William of Normandy's is well-known, I couldn't help but hope that, this time around, things had turned out a little differently.  

I Am The Chosen King is recommended to readers of historical fiction who enjoy epic historical novels.   This book reminded me of Sharon Kay Penman's great historical novels, so fans of Penman should definitely check this one out.  

Note: The novel comes from my own personal collection.

Book Review: Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman

From the New York Times-bestselling novelist, a stunning story of a great medieval warrior-king, the accomplished and controversial son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: Richard, Coeur de Lion.

They were called 'The Devil's Brood,' though never to their faces. They were the four surviving sons of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. With two such extraordinary parents, much was expected of them.

But the eldest-charming yet mercurial-would turn on his father and, like his brother Geoffrey, meet an early death. When Henry died, Richard would take the throne and, almost immediately, set off for the Holy Land. This was the Third Crusade, and it would be characterized by internecine warfare among the Christians and extraordinary campaigns against the Saracens. And, back in England, by the conniving of Richard's youngest brother, John, to steal his crown.

In Lionheart, Sharon Kay Penman displays her remarkable mastery of historical detail and her acute understanding of human foibles. The result is a powerful story of intrigue, war, and- surprisingly-effective diplomacy, played out against the roiling conflicts of love and loyalty, passion and treachery, all set against the rich textures of the Holy Land.

Synopsis courtesy of Chapters.indigo.ca

My Review

4 Stars

When I learned earlier this year that Sharon Kay Penman's latest effort, Lionheart, was to be released in October, it became one of my most anticipated reads of the year.   While I've never been a fan of the title character, Richard I, the fact that the story picks up where Penman's wonderful Devil's Brood left off meant that it was a novel not to be missed.   

Having had such high hopes for this novel -- Penman's books have never let me down -- I was surprised to find my early impressions of it weren't overly positive.   While Penman's writing and historical detail are, as usual, top notch, I was more than a little bored by the start of the story.   I even set the book aside for a short while in the hopes my indifference to it was a result of my reading mood, but when I picked it back up again I still didn't connect with either the story or the characters.   Nevertheless, I stuck with the book in the hopes my initial impressions would change.   It wasn't until the 200 page mark, when the setting started to shift away from Europe and towards the Holy Land, that I became interested in the novel.  By the time Richard and his entourage were settled in the Holy Land I was hooked, and from that point forward did not want to put the book down.   

Despite its slow start, Lionheart provides yet another example of why Penman is considered a master within the historical fiction genre.   Penman's attention to historical detail and her commitment to sticking as close to known fact as possible -- her author's note indicates she only took a few minor liberties in Lionheart -- continues to amaze me.  This novel is not only entertaining, it is also highly informative.   The Third Crusade is not a period in history I'm overly familiar with, but Penman brings it to life for me in Lionheart.   The politics of the Third Crusade are at the forefront of this novel.   I hadn't realized the depth of enmity between Richard I and Philip II of France, and how their antagonistic relationship had such a profound effect on the Crusade.    

While regarded as one of history's greatest battle commanders, I've never much cared for Richard I since he is always characterized as having little interest in the welfare of England.  Penman's characterization of the monarch not only humanizes him, but also brings to light some of his possible motivations for remaining in the Holy Land whilst England was in crisis.   Although still not one of my favourite historical figures, Penman's view of Richard I has left me with a better understanding of him.  He is a figure I'd now like to learn more about.

Overall a great novel, Lionheart is sure to appeal to Penman's fan base, as well as readers of historical fiction interested in the Crusades.  

Richard I's story will continue in A King's Ransom, which will hopefully be released in 2012. 

Book Review: Three Maids For A Crown by Ella March Chase

In the second novel from Ella March Chase, we meet sixteen-year-old Jane Grey, a quiet and obedient young lady destined to become the shortest reigning English monarch. Her beautiful middle sister Katherine Grey charms all the right people--until loyalties shift. And finally Lady Mary Grey, a dwarf with a twisted spine whose goal is simply to protect people she loves--but at a terrible cost.

In an age in which begetting sons was all that mattered and queens rose and fell on the sex of their child, these three girls with royal Tudor blood lived under the dangerous whims of parents with a passion for gambling. The stakes they would wager: their daughters' lives against rampant ambition.

Synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca

My Review

4 Stars

Ella March Chase's Three Maids for a Crown focuses on the lives of England's Grey sisters - Jane, Katherine and Mary - whose descent from Henry VII and Elizabeth of York put them in direct line for the English throne.  When it is apparent young Edward VI is suffering from an illness from which he will not recover, Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk, William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, and John Dudley, the powerful Duke of Northumberland and Lord Protector of England, plot to have Suffolk's daughter Jane named heir to the throne in place of Edward's sisters Mary and Elizabeth.   This plotting sets into motion a series of events that will have profound implications for each of the Grey sisters, the most significant of which is Edward VI's naming of Jane as his heir.  Upon the young King's death, Jane becomes England's Queen, a title she holds for only nine-days and results in her execution for treason early in the reign of her successor, Mary Tudor.   It also impacts the life of Katherine, who, upon Jane's death, is seen as a possible contender to first Mary's, and then Elizabeth's, throne.  While I'm somewhat Tudored out at the moment, I gave this novel a try because the primary characters - the Grey sisters - are rarely featured prominently in Tudor fiction and, while I was already familiar with the story of Lady Jane Grey, I knew very little about her sisters and their lives after Jane's death.   

Alternating between the voices of Jane, Katherine and Mary, March Chase successfully brings each of these women to life, vividly describing their hopes and dreams, and their struggles and hardships.  Multiple narration is not an easy technique to get right, but March Chase skillfully moves between  narrative voices without interrupting the flow of the story.  The author also seamlessly weaves the important political/historical context of the times into this novel.  As a result, the book is both entertaining and educational.   Being unfamiliar with the fates of Katherine and Mary before reading this novel, I was especially surprised by the awful treatment of Katherine by Elizabeth I.  While some historical liberties have been taken, these are addressed in the Author's Note, and do not detract in any way from the educational aspect of this novel.  

I highly recommend this novel to historical fiction fans, especially those interested in the Tudor period.

Note: The novel comes from my own personal collection.  

Book Review: The Crown in the Heather by N. Gemini Sasson

In 1290, Scotland is without a king. Two families-the Bruce's and the Balliol's-vie for the throne.

Robert the Bruce is in love with Elizabeth de Burgh, the daughter of an adherent of the ruthless Longshanks, King of England. In order to marry her and not give up his chances of someday becoming King of Scots, Robert must abandon his rebel ways and bide his time as Longshanks' vassal.

But Edward, Longshanks' heir, doesn't trust the opportunistic Scotsman and vows to one day destroy him. While quietly plotting his rebellion, Robert is betrayed by one of his own and must flee Longshanks' vengeance.

Aided by the unlikely brilliance of the soft-spoken young nobleman, James Douglas, Robert battles for his throne. Victory, though, is never certain and Robert soon learns that keeping his crown may mean giving up that which he loves most-his beloved Elizabeth. 

Synopsis courtesy of amazon.com

My Review

3.5 Stars

The Crown in the Heather is the first novel in N. Gemini Sasson's Bruce trilogy, a series of novels chronicling Robert the Bruce's rise to the Scottish throne and Scotland's fight for independence.  Told from the perspectives of Robert the Bruce, James Douglas (a young Scottish nobleman) and Prince Edward of Caernavon, son and heir of King Edward I of England, the novel brings to life a period and place not commonly subjects of historical fiction. 

This novel is well-written and the overall story engaging.  In addition, the descriptive prose helps to create a solid sense of time and place.  Nevertheless, the novel does have a few weaknesses, the most significant of which are Gemini Sasson's use of multiple narrators and her characterization of Robert the Bruce.  Although I don't generally have an issue with multiple narrators, the shifts in narration were jarring rather than smooth, interrupting the flow of the story.  As for the characterization of Robert the Bruce, the main protagonist of the novel, the reader doesn't get a strong sense of what drove him to become a rebel and seek Scotland's throne. 

My final issue with the novel, which I don't consider a weakness as it is a matter of personal preference, relates to the book's lack of historical complexity.   While I felt the history presented in the novel to be interesting, it was a little too simple for my tastes -- Scottish politics during this period were quite complex, but this novel makes it seem as if this wasn't so.   In her author's note, Gemini Sasson does acknowledge that things were more complex than she has presented.   

Despite my misgivings, I enjoyed the novel and look forward to reading the remainder of the trilogy.   This novel should appeal to fans of historical fiction.

Note: This novel comes from my own personal collection.

Book Review: Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham

Forced to marry Hugh le Despenser, the son and grandson of disgraced traitors, Bess de Montacute, just 13 years old, is appalled at his less-than-desirable past. Meanwhile, Hugh must give up the woman he really loves in order to marry the reluctant Bess. Far apart in age and haunted by the past, can Hugh and Bess somehow make their marriage work?

Just as walls break down and love begins to grow, the merciless plague endangers all whom the couple holds dear, threatening the life and love they have built.

Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham's impeccable research will delight avid historical fiction readers, and her enchanting characters will surely capture every reader's heart. Fans of her first novel, The Traitor's Wife, will be thrilled to find that this story follows the next generation of the Despenser family.

Synopsis courtesy of Chapters.indigo.ca

My Review

4 Stars

Susan Higginbotham's Hugh and Bess is, at its heart, a love story.   Forced to marry a man several years her elder, one who also happens to be the son of a traitor to the Crown, Bess de Montecute is less than pleased by her match with Hugh le Despenser.   While willing to give his new bride a chance, Hugh's heart is already attached to another.   Despite a less than promising beginning, Hugh and Bess gradually grow closer and realize their match was, in fact, a good one. 

The strengths of Susan Higginbotham's novels rest with her attention to historical detail and solid character development.   Hugh and Bess is no exception.   While the primary focus of this novel is on the relationship between the title characters, key political, economic and social events of the period are skillfully woven into the story to provide context.   The character development is also well done, especially that of Bess, who, over the course of the novel, grows from a sullen, spoiled child into a mature, compassionate and strong young woman.

Well-written and engaging, Hugh and Bess is sure to please fans of historical fiction, especially those interested in the medieval period.   Although not necessary, I do recommend that anyone interested in this novel read The Traitor's Wife first, as it tells the story of Hugh's parents.    

Note: This book comes from my own personal collection.

Book Review: Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick

Synopsis courtesy of Chapters.indigo.ca

Based on fascinating history, a never-before-told story from critically acclaimed Elizabeth Chadwick.  Royal wives and royal widows, Queen Adeliza and her stepdaughter Empress Matilda are the only two women to be titled "Lady of the English," a title that does not come cheap. Adeliza, widowed queen and peacemaker, is married to a warrior who supports Stephen, grandson of the Conqueror. Matilda, daughter of the last king and a fierce fighter, is determined to win her inheritance against all odds and despite all men, including Stephen. Both are women who, in their different ways, will stand and fight for what they know is right. But for Matilda, pride comes before a fall. And for Adeliza, even the deepest love is no proof against fate. 

 My Review

4 Stars  

In Lady of the English, author Elizabeth Chadwick transports readers to one of the most tumultuous periods in English history, the mid-twelfth century.   This is the story of Empress Matilda, named as heir to her father, England's King Henry I, yet who is denied her throne when her cousin Stephen seizes it upon Henry's death.  This action sparks a bitter and long-lasting civil war as Matilda fights to oust Stephen from the throne that by rights should be hers.   The novel is also the story of Queen Adeliza, widow of Henry I, who struggles to find her place after her husband's death and is ultimately rewarded by finding love and having a family of her own.   Her happiness, however, is tempered by her desire to show loyalty to her husband, a staunch ally of the King, while seeking to retain her relationship with her stepdaughter Matilda, who is battling the King for the throne.   Despite these challenges, Adeliza maintains the diplomacy and grace that made her such a well-liked queen.  

A strength of Chadwick's writing is her vivid descriptions that are rich in historical detail.  In Lady of the English Chadwick has once again crafted a novel with a strong sense of time and place.  While the historical detail is impressive, the greatest strength of this novel rests with Chadwick's characterizations, especially that of Empress Matilda.  Chadwick's Matilda is a strong and determined woman who isn't afraid of fighting for what is rightfully hers.   Nevertheless, Matilda is not a woman without faults and her failings made her, at times, her own worst enemy and are one of the reasons she never did win the throne from Stephen.   Chadwick's depiction of Empress Matilda is one of the best I've read.

Despite being over 500 pages in length, I did feel the novel could have been longer without bogging the story down.   While not necessary to the progression of the story, I would have liked to have read more from the perspective of Matilda's enemies in order to better understand why they denied her claim to the throne and supported a man who was clearly an ineffective monarch.   I also would have liked to have seen more of Robert of Gloucester, Matilda's illegitimate half-brother and one of her staunchest supporters.   However, even without with this additional detail the novel is still an entertaining and informative read. 

Overall, Lady of the English is another great novel from Elizabeth Chadwick, one fans of historical are sure to enjoy.  


Note: This novel comes from my own personal collection.

Book Review: Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar

Synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca

While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater's proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart-and he hers-but even the most powerful love isn't enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen's diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine.

My Review

4 Stars

Exit the Actress, Priya Parmar's debut novel, is a delightful story of Nell Gywn,  an orange girl turned actress turned royal mistress.   Told through the lens of Nell's diary entries, gossip broadsheets, Privy Council memos and private letters between members of England's royal family - particularly those between King Charles II and his sister, Henriette-Anne 'Minette' - Parmar has painted a vibrant portrait of life in Restoration England.     

The greatest strength of this novel is the wonderful cast of characters the author has brought to life, whether they be figures central to the story or supporting ones.   Parmar's Nell Gwyn is a woman with whom readers would wish to be friends,  making it easy to see how Nell came to be loved by both her audiences and her monarch.   While Charles II is perhaps best remembered by history for his many mistresses and illegitimate children, Parmar has characterized him as a monarch who also cared deeply about his country and subjects.   In addition to Nell and Charles, the novel is supported by a strong cast of secondary characters from the theatre and the royal court, characters who add both humour and drama to the story.   

Although I love English history, the Restoration has never been a period of particular interest to me.   Parmar's novel has changed this.   This novel was smart, funny and above all entertaining.   I look forward to hearing more from Priya Parmar.   

Exit the Actress is definitely worth a read. 

Book Review: The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick

Synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca

What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more?

Saxon England, 1002. Not only is Æthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom-and her crown-are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England's shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.

Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.

My Review

4 Stars

In The Forever Queen, novelist Helen Hollick brings to life a period in history not often explored by  novelists -- pre-Conquest England.   Starting in the early 11th century, this novel spans approximately forty years and covers the reign of four English kings - Ethelred (the Unready), Edmund Ironside, Cnut and Harthacnut - and one queen - Emma, whose reign lasts almost the entirety of the book and gives it its title.

Although I have rated this novel four out of five stars, I did so with some misgivings.   One of the strengths of the novel was Hollick's ability to create a strong sense of time and place.   She accomplished this through use of descriptive prose, prose that leaves the reader feeling as if they are experiencing the story first hand rather than through the pages of a book.  Nevertheless, on several occasions I felt the descriptions were overdone, detracting from the story and bogging the book down. I also thought the flow of the novel, especially in the early chapters, was jarring at times and, as a result, I occasionally needed to revisit sentences or even entire paragraphs to ensure I was following the story accurately.    Lastly, while I'm a fan of big, epic works of historical fiction, at over 600 pages I thought The Forever Queen was too long, as there were many scenes which provided little or no value to the progression of the story.    

You may ask why, when I seem to have several issues with this novel,  did I rate it so highly?  Simple really.   Whatever my issues with the writing style, the history conveyed in this novel was absolutely fascinating and kept me reading.   This was the first historical novel I'd read set in England on the eve of the Conquest and it is evident that Hollick did her historical homework.  This novel taught me a lot about a period in history I previously knew little about and managed to do so in an entertaining manner.     In the case of my overall rating of The Forever Queen, the historical detail of this novel was simply so vivid that it overshadowed my issues with writing style and length. 

The story started in The Forever Queen continues in its sequel, I Am the Chosen King.

Recommended for anyone interesting in learning about English history right before the Norman Conquest. 

Book Review: Elizabeth I by Margaret George

Synopsis from Chapters.Indigo.ca:

One of today's premier historical novelists, Margaret George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma-the Virgin Queen who had many suitors, the victor of the Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel- bedecked woman who pinched pennies. England's greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. But what was she really like? 

In this novel, her flame-haired, lookalike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth's rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth's throne, Lettice had been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country, and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family and each vying to convince the reader of her own private vision of the truth about Elizabeth's character. Their gripping drama is acted out at the height of the flowering of the Elizabethan age. Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake-all of them swirl through these pages as they swirled through the court and on the high seas. 

My Review

4.5 Stars

Elizabeth I, the latest release from historical novelist Margaret George, is an example of historical fiction at its finest.   Weighty and packed with historical detail, Elizabeth I is a novel to savour.  

While many novels featuring Elizabeth I focus on the early and middle years of her life and reign, with particular emphasis on Elizabeth's love life, Margaret George chose a different track.   Her focus instead is on the later years of Elizabeth's reign, starting in 1588, at the time of the Spanish Armada.  I found this choice refreshing, as the novel's focus is on the people and events that defined the later years of Elizabeth's reign, events such as the Spanish Armada, the Essex Rebellion and the defeats and victories in Ireland, rather than concentrating on Elizabeth's love life.  

The novel alternates between the voices of Elizabeth herself, and her cousin Lettice Knollys, who was banished from court for marrying Robert Dudley.   The chapters featuring Lettice serve to provide the reader with a different perspective on the actions and motivations of the monarch.    In addition to the two principal characters, Elizabeth and Lettice, the novel is filled with characters right from the pages of history, including the Earl of Essex, William and Robert Cecil, Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare.

Although many authors of historical fiction have attempted to bring England's Virgin Queen to life, few have managed to clearly convey why Elizabeth is considered to be England's greatest monarch.   George, however, has accomplished this and more.   Not only has she successfully conveyed the keen intellect and political astuteness of Elizabeth, but she has also captured the Queen's compassion and love for her subjects. 

My qualm, albeit a small one, is that the alternating narrations between Elizabeth and Lettice is, at times, unnecessarily repetitive.   While this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the novel, its frequency made it noticeable. 

I highly recommend this novel to all fans of historical fiction.

Book Review: Virgin Widow by Anne O'Brien

Synopsis from Chapters.Indigo.ca:

A dazzling historical novel set during England's War of the Roses- the story of the courageous Anne Neville, future wife of Richard III, who comes of age in a time of chaos...

Anne Neville, daughter of the powerful Earl of Warwick, grows up during the War of the Roses, a time when kings and queens are made and destroyed in an on-going battle for the ultimate prize: the throne of England. As a child Anne falls in love with the ambitious, proud Richard of Gloucester, third son of the House of York. But when her father is branded a traitor, her family must flee to exile in France. As Anne matures into a beautiful, poised woman, skillfully navigating the treacherous royal court of Margaret of Anjou, she secretly longs for Richard, who has become a great man under his brother's rule. But as their families scheme for power, Anne must protect her heart from betrayals on both sides-and from the man she has always loved, and cannot bring herself to trust.

My Review:

3.5 Stars
  
Anne O'Brien's Virgin Widow tells the story of Anne Neville from her early years as the daughter of the powerful Earl of Warwick until the birth of her son with Richard, Duke of Gloucester. 

Although little is known about Anne Neville's life, using the tumultuous years of the Wars of the Roses as a backdrop, O'Brien is able to bring this little known figure to life.  She is portrayed as a strong and likeable young woman, one who has to endure an unhappy marriage to the Prince of Wales, son of Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI, as well as the disintegration and division of her family in the struggle between the Yorks and the Lancasters for the throne of England, before eventually finding happiness and contentment with Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
  
As a love story this novel is entirely satisfying.  Anne Neville and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, are well drawn and engaging.   In addition, their love story is developed in such a way as to be entirely plausible.   Unfortunately, I was not expecting a love story to be the principal focus of this novel when I picked it up.   The synopsis I read (different from the one included above) led me to believe this book would focus more on the political aspects of the era in which Anne Neville lived rather than the romantic (I believe the synopsis I've included as part of this review is a more accurate reflection of the novel).  The political is definitely discussed - it would be difficult to write a novel about the Neville's of this era without it - but it rarely takes centre stage and, as a result, this aspect of the novel didn't fulfil my expectations.   The author states in her author's note that the book is meant as a romance, but the note was placed at the end of the book so I didn't read it until I'd already finished the novel.   I wish I'd known this going into reading the novel, as I would have adjusted my expectations accordingly.
  
Despite the novel not being entirely what I expected it would be, I still enjoyed it overall.  I thought the story flowed well and moved quickly and, while I felt certain secondary characters were poorly fleshed out or too black and white, the main characters were quite well-developed.   With respect to events and peoples of the Wars of the Roses period, O'Brien stuck closely to known historical fact.  My only criticism of the novel relates to certain speculation taken by the author with respect to the nature of the relationship between Margaret of Anjou and her son, Prince Edward.   I felt the nature of the relationship postulated by the author was far too sensational - it has no basis in historical fact and detracted from the storyline rather than enhancing it.  In fact, this one bit of sensationalism is the reason this novel became a 3.5-star read for me rather than a 4-star one. 

I recommend this novel to readers interested in getting a general overview of the Wars of the Roses period or to those looking for a nice historical love story. 

Note: This novel comes from my own personal collection. 

**************
If Virgin Widow or the Wars of the Roses is of interest to you, you might also like:

The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman (synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca): 

A glorious novel of the controversial Richard III---a monarch betrayed in life by his allies and betrayed in death by history.

In this beautifully rendered modern classic, Sharon Kay Penman redeems Richard III---vilified as the bitter, twisted, scheming hunchback who murdered his nephews, the princes in the Tower---from his maligned place in history with a dazzling combination of research and storytelling.

Born into the treacherous courts of fifteenth-century England, in the midst of what history has called The War of the Roses, Richard was raised in the shadow of his charismatic brother, King Edward IV. Loyal to his friends and passionately in love with the one woman who was denied him, Richard emerges as a gifted man far more sinned against than sinning.

This magnificent retelling of his life is fllled with all of the sights and sounds of battle, the customs and lore of the fifteenth century, the rigors of court politics, and the passions and prejudices of royalty.

The Queen of Last Hopes by Susan Higginbotham (synopsis from Chapters.indigo.ca):

A man other than my husband sits on England's throne today.  What would happen if this king suddenly went mad?  What would his queen do?  Would she make the same mistakes I did, or would she learn from mine?  

Margaret of Anjou, queen of England, cannot give up on her husband - even when he slips into insanity.  And as mother to the House of Lancaster's last hope, she cannot give up on her son - even when England turns against them. This gripping tale of a queen forced to stand strong in the face of overwhelming odds is at its heart a tender tale of love. Award-winning author Susan Higginbotham will once again ask readers to question everything they know about right and wrong, compassion and hope, duty to one's country and the desire of one's own heart.

Book Review: Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Synopsis (from Amazon.com):

The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire . . . but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life as only Michelle Moran can tell it. The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.

Smart and ambitious, Marie Tussaud has learned the secrets of wax sculpting by working alongside her uncle in their celebrated wax museum, the Salon de Cire. From her popular model of the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson, to her tableau of the royal family at dinner, Marie’s museum provides Parisians with the very latest news on fashion, gossip, and even politics. Her customers hail from every walk of life, yet her greatest dream is to attract the attention of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI; their stamp of approval on her work could catapult her and her museum to the fame and riches she desires. After months of anticipation, Marie learns that the royal family is willing to come and see their likenesses. When they finally arrive, the king’s sister is so impressed that she requests Marie’s presence at Versailles as a royal tutor in wax sculpting. It is a request Marie knows she cannot refuse—even if it means time away from her beloved Salon and her increasingly dear friend, Henri Charles.

As Marie gets to know her pupil, Princesse Élisabeth, she also becomes acquainted with the king and queen, who introduce her to the glamorous life at court. From lavish parties with more delicacies than she’s ever seen to rooms filled with candles lit only once before being discarded, Marie steps into a world entirely different from her home on the Boulevard du Temple, where people are selling their teeth in order to put food on the table.

Meanwhile, many resent the vast separation between rich and poor. In salons and cafés across Paris, people like Camille Desmoulins, Jean-Paul Marat, and Maximilien Robespierre are lashing out against the monarchy. Soon, there’s whispered talk of revolution. . . . Will Marie be able to hold on to both the love of her life and her friendship with the royal family as France approaches civil war? And more important, will she be able to fulfill the demands of powerful revolutionaries who ask that she make the death masks of beheaded aristocrats, some of whom she knows?

Spanning five years, from the budding revolution to the Reign of Terror, Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom.

My Review 

4.5 Stars

Leaving the ancient Egyptian world of her previous novels behind, author Michelle Moran takes her readers on a journey through one of the most tumultuous periods in European history - the period encompassing the final months of the reign of French King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror - through the eyes of a woman who lived through it all and survived - the famed wax sculptor, Marie Grosholtz, better known to the world as Madame Tussuad.  

When a visit by King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to the wax museum Marie Grosholtz operates with her uncle results in her being hired as tutor to the King's sister, Marie is honoured and excited by the prospects an association with the Royal Family can bring.   This excitement is short-lived, however, when the French Revolution begins to get underway and ties the nobility and the Royal Family become heavily frowned upon.   Despite the presence of revolutionaries in her midst - her uncle often plays host to men such as Robespierre and Desmoulins - Marie is able to carefully balance the world of the revolution with that of the Royal Court, and in so doing is able to develop an appreciation for both the causes of the revolution and the way it is viewed by the Royal Family.  She also comes to realize that the ideals and beliefs behind the revolutionary fervour are not all they seem, and that the revolutionaries will play fast and loose with the truth in order to advance their cause.    

While I enjoyed learning about Marie's experiences, what truly brought this novel alive for me were the secondary and peripheral characters - men such as the Marquis de Lafayette, Robespierre, Marat, Danton and Desmoulins.   Moran's characterization of each of these men, and her descriptions of their beliefs and actions, are what made the events of French Revolution and the Terror come to life.   In addition, although they weren't featured often, I thought the author did an excellent job with the characterizations of King Louis and Marie Antoinette.   She shows that, contrary to revolutionary opinion, they were not bad people out to trample the lower classes.   Instead, I felt she painted them as sympathetic figures whose greatest fault was their ignorance of the severity of the situation in Paris, an ignorance for which they cannot really be blamed given their advisors seemed to keep much from them.  

Overall I found much to like about this novel - great characterizations, wonderful historical details and a fast-moving, engaging plot.   I thought the first half of the novel moved along well, but it was the second half, when the French Revolution was well underway, that made this such a fantastic read for me, one I didn't want to put down until I finished.  

I definitely recommend this novel to any fan of the historical fiction genre.