Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read The other Boleyn Girl by the same author and really enjoyed it so was looking forward to reading this book. However, I really struggled to get into the book. I did not engage with the characters and I found it quite boring.
I like all of these books a lot but as a lot of other reviews say, Margaret is just pretty unlikeable. There are times when she becomes self aware about that, but I sort of wanted more because the awareness is fleeting and comes to nothing. It’s an interesting perspective but it did get a bit repetitive to read about. I liked the side characters a lot more, honestly.
This was not my favorite in the Cousins' War series but that was mainly because of content and had little to do with Gregory's writing which I enjoy very much. I found Margaret Beaufort whiny and unlikable even in my research of her. She was haughty and at times annoying. I finished the book mostly so I could move on to the next one.
It wasn't the book I didn't like, it was the Queen. I wanted to yell at her the entire book.
Brief review follows:
3.5 stars
Worked much better than I expected - perhaps it was the audio or perhaps it was the first half - but this book made me more sympathetic to Margaret (our MC). After [b:The White Queen|18068574|The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2)|Philippa Gregory|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1370974337l/18068574._SY75_.jpg|13560666], I did not expect to find Margaret so compelling.
We start the book with Margaret's childhood, which helped I think in explaining what she had gone through and the strength of her conviction. The latter half - which covers the same events we saw in The White Queen - was less successful. Mostly because it was a retread and Margaret got excessively rude. It made her more cliché than the opening would have suggested.
Thankfully, the side characters carried that second half so overall I had a really good time with the book. Worth the read IMO
3.5 stars
Worked much better than I expected - perhaps it was the audio or perhaps it was the first half - but this book made me more sympathetic to Margaret (our MC). After [b:The White Queen|18068574|The White Queen (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #2)|Philippa Gregory|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1370974337l/18068574._SY75_.jpg|13560666], I did not expect to find Margaret so compelling.
We start the book with Margaret's childhood, which helped I think in explaining what she had gone through and the strength of her conviction. The latter half - which covers the same events we saw in The White Queen - was less successful. Mostly because it was a retread and Margaret got excessively rude. It made her more cliché than the opening would have suggested.
Thankfully, the side characters carried that second half so overall I had a really good time with the book. Worth the read IMO
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It is a historical fiction not facts and it reads as such. The main character is hard to like but that is the point of the book. Overall I found it to be a super easy read to help me out of my reading slump. If you like historical fiction, I recommend
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This was such a disappointment after the previous books in the series.
As others have said, Margaret is such an unlikeable main point of view that it's hard to root for her. That said, the book can't really be blamed for that, however I did find issue with the writing in this one.
I've read many books by Gregory (as I've read most of the books out of chronological order) so I'm used to the way she writes and tells her stories, but in this one I found the time jumps jarring and disconnected, and the general plot very cold and detached.
I really do enjoy this series but this one will not be one I return to.
As others have said, Margaret is such an unlikeable main point of view that it's hard to root for her. That said, the book can't really be blamed for that, however I did find issue with the writing in this one.
I've read many books by Gregory (as I've read most of the books out of chronological order) so I'm used to the way she writes and tells her stories, but in this one I found the time jumps jarring and disconnected, and the general plot very cold and detached.
I really do enjoy this series but this one will not be one I return to.
Solid historical fiction, but ugh, the character of Margaret Beaufort isn't exactly a pleasant one to have narrating events.