Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
(6.71 on CAWPILE)
From having read the Coursins war series by Philippa Gregory I always wanted a book from Cecily's perspective. She was one of the ones who were vilified with no voice to retaliate in that series. Naturally therefore I was excited to have a book from her perspective. However, this book is split between her perspective and that of Cuthbert her fictional illegitimate brother. Cuthbert served to be eyes and ears for events that Cecily would not have been able to oversee given she was a woman. I found this a bit of a cop out and was also displeased to be having the page time split between the events and life of a real historical woman and a fictional man.
This story details the lead up and break out of the War of the Roses with Cecily being the main lady White Rose. I found it compelling, but not being able to differentiate fact from fiction, especially in the Cuthbert perspective defeated the object of reading a book about a real woman. For me I wanted to read this book for some insight into Cecily. though I expected there to be some fictional or at least literary licence within the text, I found that having the wholly imaginary Cuthbert play such a large role diminished my interest in the history.
The character work was arguably my favourite part of the story. Between Cuthbert being a well developed work of fiction and Cecily being a well rounded embodiment of the historical figure I found that I enjoyed reading them quite a bit.
I have no fault with the writing, it was compelling and engaging and if I had picked up this book with the notion of it being entirely fictional I probably would have had a better time with it than I did.
Pros
- Enjoyable work of fiction
- Compelling story
- Well developed characters
Cons
- Unable to discern fact from fiction
- Fictional main male perspective taking page time from historical female perspective
Overall this is a good work of fiction, but given that is not why I picked up this book I felt it was mis-sold to me or I should have done better research before going into it.
From having read the Coursins war series by Philippa Gregory I always wanted a book from Cecily's perspective. She was one of the ones who were vilified with no voice to retaliate in that series. Naturally therefore I was excited to have a book from her perspective. However, this book is split between her perspective and that of Cuthbert her fictional illegitimate brother. Cuthbert served to be eyes and ears for events that Cecily would not have been able to oversee given she was a woman. I found this a bit of a cop out and was also displeased to be having the page time split between the events and life of a real historical woman and a fictional man.
This story details the lead up and break out of the War of the Roses with Cecily being the main lady White Rose. I found it compelling, but not being able to differentiate fact from fiction, especially in the Cuthbert perspective defeated the object of reading a book about a real woman. For me I wanted to read this book for some insight into Cecily. though I expected there to be some fictional or at least literary licence within the text, I found that having the wholly imaginary Cuthbert play such a large role diminished my interest in the history.
The character work was arguably my favourite part of the story. Between Cuthbert being a well developed work of fiction and Cecily being a well rounded embodiment of the historical figure I found that I enjoyed reading them quite a bit.
I have no fault with the writing, it was compelling and engaging and if I had picked up this book with the notion of it being entirely fictional I probably would have had a better time with it than I did.
Pros
- Enjoyable work of fiction
- Compelling story
- Well developed characters
Cons
- Unable to discern fact from fiction
- Fictional main male perspective taking page time from historical female perspective
Overall this is a good work of fiction, but given that is not why I picked up this book I felt it was mis-sold to me or I should have done better research before going into it.
An interesting look at the mother of two of England's kings and the webs of family and allegiances that wound around her and her family.
Joanna Hickson brings Cecily Neville (called Cicely in the novel), the mother of Edward IV and Richard III of England, to life in this novel covering the lady's married life up to her widowhood and her eldest son's rise to the throne. A relatively interesting interpretation of the scurrilous rumor about Cecily having an extramarital affair, though this version does not imply that Edward IV may have been a bastard, like it does in other historical fiction novels.
One thing that I found really intriguing about this story was the Neville-Neville feud, that is, the feud between the two families that Ralph Neville, the 1st Earl of Westmoreland, that he sired on his two wives. In much of the historical fiction that one reads about this period, one hears the name Neville and immediately thinks of them as the close allies of the House of York (until later on, of course), and that they were all united in the Yorkist cause. However, as it is shown, that was hardly the case. The Nevilles (both sides of the feud) were once arch-Lancastrians, and it was only under the misrule and mismanagement that happened under the reign of Henry VI that Cicely's branch of the Nevilles began to stand with her husband, Richard, Duke of York. But that still left the other branch of the family. Hickson does an admirable job weaving the Neville family feud into the story and how, over and over, it came back to haunt Cicely and those she loved.
Matters were not helped by the fact that the story builds him up later on as a potential ally for the Yorkist cause and really providing no real reason for him not to be, which makes both of his betrayals of the Yorks (and Cicely) all the more jarring. All it ends up doing by the end, when Jon's turncoat-ing essentially makes him an accessory to the death of both Cicely's husband and second son, is that it destroys their 'love'. It is stated at the end of the story that John turned on the Yorks so his son could 'inherit a couple of castles and a strip of England', but the whole situation lacks any real punch. Yes, Cicely hates him for his part in her husband and son's deaths, but given that we have never seen John's own perspective, much of the emotional depth this story could have had is sorely lacking.
So in the end, besides getting an interesting interpretation of the Neville-Neville feud, I found the story to be rather too stiff and boring, leaping from one time period of conflict to the next with little real emotional investment in any of it. Pretty much all of it was just going through the motions.
Joanna Hickson brings Cecily Neville (called Cicely in the novel), the mother of Edward IV and Richard III of England, to life in this novel covering the lady's married life up to her widowhood and her eldest son's rise to the throne. A relatively interesting interpretation of the scurrilous rumor about Cecily having an extramarital affair, though this version does not imply that Edward IV may have been a bastard, like it does in other historical fiction novels.
One thing that I found really intriguing about this story was the Neville-Neville feud, that is, the feud between the two families that Ralph Neville, the 1st Earl of Westmoreland, that he sired on his two wives. In much of the historical fiction that one reads about this period, one hears the name Neville and immediately thinks of them as the close allies of the House of York (until later on, of course), and that they were all united in the Yorkist cause. However, as it is shown, that was hardly the case. The Nevilles (both sides of the feud) were once arch-Lancastrians, and it was only under the misrule and mismanagement that happened under the reign of Henry VI that Cicely's branch of the Nevilles began to stand with her husband, Richard, Duke of York. But that still left the other branch of the family. Hickson does an admirable job weaving the Neville family feud into the story and how, over and over, it came back to haunt Cicely and those she loved.
Spoiler
The cornerstone of the story, however, is that of Cicely's long-standing obsession and love affair with John, Baron Neville, the son of one of her older half-brothers on the opposite side of the family feud and her own half-nephew. It didn't really stir me much, nor did I find the whole 'love at first sight' all that believable. He dances in and out of the story, just to give Cicely a romantic alternative to her husband, who is rather full of himself and his own self-importance and whose bitterness toward the regime he serves drives a wedge between them.Matters were not helped by the fact that the story builds him up later on as a potential ally for the Yorkist cause and really providing no real reason for him not to be, which makes both of his betrayals of the Yorks (and Cicely) all the more jarring. All it ends up doing by the end, when Jon's turncoat-ing essentially makes him an accessory to the death of both Cicely's husband and second son, is that it destroys their 'love'. It is stated at the end of the story that John turned on the Yorks so his son could 'inherit a couple of castles and a strip of England', but the whole situation lacks any real punch. Yes, Cicely hates him for his part in her husband and son's deaths, but given that we have never seen John's own perspective, much of the emotional depth this story could have had is sorely lacking.
So in the end, besides getting an interesting interpretation of the Neville-Neville feud, I found the story to be rather too stiff and boring, leaping from one time period of conflict to the next with little real emotional investment in any of it. Pretty much all of it was just going through the motions.
I did not read this book but listen to it as an audiobook. Which I enjoyed greatly.
I have not read any Joanne Hickson novels, so a new author to me. The story was narrated in a Yorkshire accent, which added greatly to the authenticity of hearing the story.
This is not a novel just full of castles, it talks about the land and it's people. Describes in detail, houses, furniture and clothing which I found really interesting. The places in the book are all so familiar, particularly for me Ludlow and the Welsh Marches. The story of Cecily Neville, is not one I knew in any depth, the author captured how strong Cecily was but how fraught and fragile her life was during the turmoil years of the War of the Roses. Even those in the same family had split loyalties.
The only thing I missed from listening to this as an audiobook, which I suspect the printed book had was a copy of Neville family tree. Following my recommendation of this book, my sister has read the first novel by Joanna Hickson and has ordered the second she has enjoyed it so much.
I have not read any Joanne Hickson novels, so a new author to me. The story was narrated in a Yorkshire accent, which added greatly to the authenticity of hearing the story.
This is not a novel just full of castles, it talks about the land and it's people. Describes in detail, houses, furniture and clothing which I found really interesting. The places in the book are all so familiar, particularly for me Ludlow and the Welsh Marches. The story of Cecily Neville, is not one I knew in any depth, the author captured how strong Cecily was but how fraught and fragile her life was during the turmoil years of the War of the Roses. Even those in the same family had split loyalties.
The only thing I missed from listening to this as an audiobook, which I suspect the printed book had was a copy of Neville family tree. Following my recommendation of this book, my sister has read the first novel by Joanna Hickson and has ordered the second she has enjoyed it so much.
3.5 stars. Another very good histfic read from Joanna Hickson. She has a very engaging and present writing style without making the subject matter anachronistic. This book felt a little long though, and I didn't enjoy it as much as I did The Agincourt Bride, but maybe that's because "Proud Cis'" character was, by nature, a bit cold. I did however really enjoy the other POV character, Cecily's illegitimate half-brother Cuthburt, and was surprised to read at the end that he was a complete fabrication.
Joanna Hickson is fast becoming an autobuy author for historical fiction (where I am notoriously hard to please); can't wait for her next.
Joanna Hickson is fast becoming an autobuy author for historical fiction (where I am notoriously hard to please); can't wait for her next.
Very interesting historically and thoughtful research done. Sadly lacked something as I struggled to gain any emotional attachment to the characters.
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had to DNF at 70%, I just couldn't bring myself to finish this. I found the Cuthbert chapters hard work and Cicely a bit cold. While it was interesting to read from Ciecly of York's pov at first, a figure normally ignored in historical fiction, it started to lose my attention for pages at a time. There's a lot of info dumping and I lost track of who was who only a few pages in.
One woman is torn between the loyalty to her birth family and the loyalty to her family by marriage. Now, this may sound like the story of Elizabeth of York, but alas, it is not. This story does take place in the fifteenth century, but it is the story of Elizabeth of York’s grandmother, “The Rose of Raby,” Cecily Neville. Born to the proud Neville family, who were proud Lancastrians, Cecily’s father, Ralph Neville, the Earl of Westmorland, arranged a marriage for his daughter to the young and ambitious Richard, Duke of York. She is now one of the most powerful women in England, but with power comes risks of ruin as Cecily has a secret that could be disastrous. War looms between the Red Roses of Lancaster and the White Roses of York, one that will transform English history forever, with Cecily caught in the middle. Her story is told in Joanna Hickson’s novel, “Red Rose, White Rose.”
Hickson begins her book by showing the interaction between Cecily and her half-brother, Cuthbert or Cuddy. Cecily is engaged to Richard Duke of York when she is kidnapped but is later rescued by John Neville, a distant cousin. In John Neville’s care, Cecily Neville’s life takes an unexpected turn, and a secret relationship is formed between the two. Although I know this was a fictitious relationship invented for this book, it still did not sit well with me. I have always thought Cecily was loyal and devoted to her husband and family (even though there were rumors of her and a knight having an affair), so this did not fit my view of Cecily Neville.
The bulk of this novel explores how Cecily and Richard were able to navigate the complex world of 15th-century English politics while their family grew. We also see Cuthbert fall in love and have his own family while he stays by Cecily’s side during such a tumultuous time.
This novel did not spend much time on the Wars of Roses. We get to see the origins of the major battles and how Edward became king, but we don’t see Cecily trying to hold her family together. I wanted to see her interactions with her sons Edward, George, and Richard during their feuding years. I wanted to see her reactions to Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and her interactions with her daughter-in-law. In short, I wanted a longer story that focused more on the Wars of the Roses and how Cecily Neville dealt with the changes in her family dynamic due to the throne's power.
Overall, this novel was enjoyable and well-written. Some elements were included that I disagreed with their concept. The story was engaging and gave Hickson’s audience a sneak-peek into Cecily Neville, Richard Duke of York, and their children. If you want a solid novel about Cecily Neville, I recommend reading “Red Rose, White Rose” by Joanna Hickson.
Hickson begins her book by showing the interaction between Cecily and her half-brother, Cuthbert or Cuddy. Cecily is engaged to Richard Duke of York when she is kidnapped but is later rescued by John Neville, a distant cousin. In John Neville’s care, Cecily Neville’s life takes an unexpected turn, and a secret relationship is formed between the two. Although I know this was a fictitious relationship invented for this book, it still did not sit well with me. I have always thought Cecily was loyal and devoted to her husband and family (even though there were rumors of her and a knight having an affair), so this did not fit my view of Cecily Neville.
The bulk of this novel explores how Cecily and Richard were able to navigate the complex world of 15th-century English politics while their family grew. We also see Cuthbert fall in love and have his own family while he stays by Cecily’s side during such a tumultuous time.
This novel did not spend much time on the Wars of Roses. We get to see the origins of the major battles and how Edward became king, but we don’t see Cecily trying to hold her family together. I wanted to see her interactions with her sons Edward, George, and Richard during their feuding years. I wanted to see her reactions to Edward’s marriage to Elizabeth Woodville and her interactions with her daughter-in-law. In short, I wanted a longer story that focused more on the Wars of the Roses and how Cecily Neville dealt with the changes in her family dynamic due to the throne's power.
Overall, this novel was enjoyable and well-written. Some elements were included that I disagreed with their concept. The story was engaging and gave Hickson’s audience a sneak-peek into Cecily Neville, Richard Duke of York, and their children. If you want a solid novel about Cecily Neville, I recommend reading “Red Rose, White Rose” by Joanna Hickson.
FYI: this book was actually 531 pages for me, including the Epilogue and Author's Note.
This book was pretty middle of the road for me. First of all, I applaud Joanna Hickson for writing about someone as formidable and complicated as Cicely Neville. She's a woman that I've been fascinated with for some time, and I was glad of the opportunity to read about her.
Some pros were the interesting characters and plot. The historical detail added another dimension to the story and made it easier to imagine these people living their lives, as chaotic as those would've been.
The biggest con for me was the writing. There were quite a few, distracting typos, but that wasn't the biggest problem. Hickson is very expository in her writing. Part of that is because the history of the Wars of the Roses is very complex, but it felt like she tried to cram every English nobleman into her story. She would explain who so-and-so was when they only appeared for a paragraph, never to be seen again, and that was annoying. I lost track of everyone after awhile, and I completely forgot about the family trees in the front of the book. I'm sorry to say that if I hadn't read Philippa Gregory first, I would've been completely lost here.
The other annoying thing about Hickson's writing was that she over-explained every situation until the emotional punch was removed from the scene. This got a little better towards the end, but the end also suffered from a generalized overview of the events that I was bored and desperate to finish.
I'm torn on how Hickson employed a second POV in her story. Red Rose, White Rose is told from the perspective of Cicely Neville and her half-brother Cuthbert. On the one hand, I loved reading about battles while being in the thick of them and being privy to scenes where our heroine (and other women) would've been absent. That said, Cicely is a fascinating person, and she witnessed a lot of history in her life, a lot of humiliation and triumph. I would've enjoyed hearing more from her.
This is a longer book, so I wouldn't recommend it to casual fans of medieval history. You'll get lost before you even get started. If you're like me and you're fascinated by Cicely Neville, or you just want to learn more about the Wars of the Roses, then this book is for you. Just be prepared to be in it for the long haul.
This book was pretty middle of the road for me. First of all, I applaud Joanna Hickson for writing about someone as formidable and complicated as Cicely Neville. She's a woman that I've been fascinated with for some time, and I was glad of the opportunity to read about her.
Some pros were the interesting characters and plot. The historical detail added another dimension to the story and made it easier to imagine these people living their lives, as chaotic as those would've been.
The biggest con for me was the writing. There were quite a few, distracting typos, but that wasn't the biggest problem. Hickson is very expository in her writing. Part of that is because the history of the Wars of the Roses is very complex, but it felt like she tried to cram every English nobleman into her story. She would explain who so-and-so was when they only appeared for a paragraph, never to be seen again, and that was annoying. I lost track of everyone after awhile, and I completely forgot about the family trees in the front of the book. I'm sorry to say that if I hadn't read Philippa Gregory first, I would've been completely lost here.
The other annoying thing about Hickson's writing was that she over-explained every situation until the emotional punch was removed from the scene. This got a little better towards the end, but the end also suffered from a generalized overview of the events that I was bored and desperate to finish.
I'm torn on how Hickson employed a second POV in her story. Red Rose, White Rose is told from the perspective of Cicely Neville and her half-brother Cuthbert. On the one hand, I loved reading about battles while being in the thick of them and being privy to scenes where our heroine (and other women) would've been absent. That said, Cicely is a fascinating person, and she witnessed a lot of history in her life, a lot of humiliation and triumph. I would've enjoyed hearing more from her.
This is a longer book, so I wouldn't recommend it to casual fans of medieval history. You'll get lost before you even get started. If you're like me and you're fascinated by Cicely Neville, or you just want to learn more about the Wars of the Roses, then this book is for you. Just be prepared to be in it for the long haul.
Original Review: 3/4/2017 - 3 Stars
Updated Review: 5/10/2018 - 2 Stars
Updated Review
I've been on a reread binge lately and this is one of the books I decided to pick up again. I actually disliked it more than when I first read it. Hickson feels more like a YA author than an actual author. Which is fine, but her writing feels juvenile, especially with the addition of Cuthbert and his story. The ending was rather inconclusive, as well. I felt no satisfaction upon completing it, honestly. Just a slight irritation that I wasted my time.
Original Review
Seemed a bit more fiction than historical, especially the beginning and the added POV of Cecily's illegitimate brother (who may or may not exist.) Not badly written, but even though I understand why Hickson used Cuthbert, he just seemed rather unnecessary to the plot overall. I didn't think he added anything to it and to be frank I even skipped over several battle scenes in his chapters.
Verdict: easy read with an easy to understand plot but definitely more fiction than historical overall.
Updated Review: 5/10/2018 - 2 Stars
Updated Review
I've been on a reread binge lately and this is one of the books I decided to pick up again. I actually disliked it more than when I first read it. Hickson feels more like a YA author than an actual author. Which is fine, but her writing feels juvenile, especially with the addition of Cuthbert and his story. The ending was rather inconclusive, as well. I felt no satisfaction upon completing it, honestly. Just a slight irritation that I wasted my time.
Original Review
Seemed a bit more fiction than historical, especially the beginning and the added POV of Cecily's illegitimate brother (who may or may not exist.) Not badly written, but even though I understand why Hickson used Cuthbert, he just seemed rather unnecessary to the plot overall. I didn't think he added anything to it and to be frank I even skipped over several battle scenes in his chapters.
Verdict: easy read with an easy to understand plot but definitely more fiction than historical overall.