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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Philippa Gregory, queen of historical fiction novels, is back with another novel showcasing her extensive knowledge of British history. The Red Queen is the second in the “Cousin’s War Series” that details a time in British history known now as The War of the Roses. The first novel in the series was called The White Queen and takes place roughly around the same time as The Red Queen, just from a different perspective.
As the series title explains, The War of the Roses were wars between cousins, specifically the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Each house was vying for control of the throne of England. The Red Queen follows the plight of Lady Margaret Beaufort and her quest to put her son Henry Tudor onto the throne of England. As a child Margaret claims that she has visions from God and that she knows it is her destiny to be like Joan of Arc. She tells her mother that she wants to be a nun, to which her mother tells her that she is a girl and has no choice in her life path. At the age of 12 she is married off to her first husband, 27 year-old Edmund Tudor. Since Margaret and Edmund are both of royal descent, any child of theirs would have a direct link to the throne. She soon becomes pregnant and gives birth (just barely) to the future King of England: Henry Tudor. After her husband passes away from the plague, his brother Jasper is put in place as Henry’s guardian and father figure. It will be up to Jasper to raise him to be the next King of England.
After a year of mourning, now 14 year-old Margaret is told that she will marry 33 year-old Sir Henry Stafford. It is during this time that Margaret comes to grow up and mature. The years following are trying times; wars begin between the House of York and the current King (King Henry VI) and it is during this time that Margaret begins to become an ambitious woman. She begins setting a plan in motion to have her son ready to take over the throne once King Henry VI is dead. When Henry VI is overthrown, she tries to convince her husband to back the Queen and help rally troops to support the King and take down his usurper. Over the next few chapters we see wars, death, multiple kings taking and losing the throne, and much deceit. Margaret continues her struggle to put her son on the throne but begins wondering when God will look down on his favorite subject and make her visions become reality. Will Margaret ever get to see her son Henry take the throne? Will her faith keep her alive while she serves the villanous royals of the House of York?
There is no way to describe how gripping Gregory’s historical fiction novels are. They read like suspenseful Dan Brown novels. She has an absolute gift at being able to make history intriguing! She weaves her stories masterfully with just the right amount of fact and fiction. She is able to get into the minds of her characters so well that I often find myself wondering if she knew them in another life. She creates rich landscapes of detail, so that while reading you can close your eyes and feel like you’re actually there seeing what she is writing about.
The one annoyance I had with the book was that Margaret repeats herself a lot. She speaks often about a repetitive stream of subjects: getting on her knees for hours and praying, her second husband and her feelings about his unwillingness to fight, and being able to sign her name as the King’s mother, among a few other things. I got used to this dialogue after a while, but it did hinder my appreciation for the novel slightly.
My friends will tell you that I constantly recommend Philippa Gregory novels to them all the time. She is one of my absolute favorite writers because of how gripping her novels are. If 15th century British royals are not your thing, she has covered many other subjects as well. She has written other novels that range from the 15th century Tudor dynasty to the flappers of the 20th century. I heartily encourage that you give her novels a try, they are truly beautiful works of art.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://lifeand100books.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/11-a-review-of-the-red-queen-by-philippa-gregory/
As the series title explains, The War of the Roses were wars between cousins, specifically the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Each house was vying for control of the throne of England. The Red Queen follows the plight of Lady Margaret Beaufort and her quest to put her son Henry Tudor onto the throne of England. As a child Margaret claims that she has visions from God and that she knows it is her destiny to be like Joan of Arc. She tells her mother that she wants to be a nun, to which her mother tells her that she is a girl and has no choice in her life path. At the age of 12 she is married off to her first husband, 27 year-old Edmund Tudor. Since Margaret and Edmund are both of royal descent, any child of theirs would have a direct link to the throne. She soon becomes pregnant and gives birth (just barely) to the future King of England: Henry Tudor. After her husband passes away from the plague, his brother Jasper is put in place as Henry’s guardian and father figure. It will be up to Jasper to raise him to be the next King of England.
After a year of mourning, now 14 year-old Margaret is told that she will marry 33 year-old Sir Henry Stafford. It is during this time that Margaret comes to grow up and mature. The years following are trying times; wars begin between the House of York and the current King (King Henry VI) and it is during this time that Margaret begins to become an ambitious woman. She begins setting a plan in motion to have her son ready to take over the throne once King Henry VI is dead. When Henry VI is overthrown, she tries to convince her husband to back the Queen and help rally troops to support the King and take down his usurper. Over the next few chapters we see wars, death, multiple kings taking and losing the throne, and much deceit. Margaret continues her struggle to put her son on the throne but begins wondering when God will look down on his favorite subject and make her visions become reality. Will Margaret ever get to see her son Henry take the throne? Will her faith keep her alive while she serves the villanous royals of the House of York?
There is no way to describe how gripping Gregory’s historical fiction novels are. They read like suspenseful Dan Brown novels. She has an absolute gift at being able to make history intriguing! She weaves her stories masterfully with just the right amount of fact and fiction. She is able to get into the minds of her characters so well that I often find myself wondering if she knew them in another life. She creates rich landscapes of detail, so that while reading you can close your eyes and feel like you’re actually there seeing what she is writing about.
The one annoyance I had with the book was that Margaret repeats herself a lot. She speaks often about a repetitive stream of subjects: getting on her knees for hours and praying, her second husband and her feelings about his unwillingness to fight, and being able to sign her name as the King’s mother, among a few other things. I got used to this dialogue after a while, but it did hinder my appreciation for the novel slightly.
My friends will tell you that I constantly recommend Philippa Gregory novels to them all the time. She is one of my absolute favorite writers because of how gripping her novels are. If 15th century British royals are not your thing, she has covered many other subjects as well. She has written other novels that range from the 15th century Tudor dynasty to the flappers of the 20th century. I heartily encourage that you give her novels a try, they are truly beautiful works of art.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://lifeand100books.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/11-a-review-of-the-red-queen-by-philippa-gregory/
I haven't read this author in awhile. Same genre. Interesting but not great.
I’m a sucker for historical royalty fiction, so I’m trying to explore more of Philippa Gregory’s works. I’ve read The White Queen by the same author (see my review for it here!), and that book, along with this one, The Red Queen, tell the story of the War of the Roses from both sides of the battle. The White Queen was about Elizabeth Woodville, who married into the York family. The Red Queen stars Margaret Beaufort who is from the Lancaster family.
In the beginning of this story, the Lancaster family is in control of England, with King Henry VI on the throne. Margaret Beaufort is the king’s cousin. Either the king or Margaret needs to produce a son to continue the Lancaster line. The king and his wife do manage to give birth to a son, as well as Margaret, who names her baby boy Henry after the current king. Margaret is a very devout and religious person and strongly believes that she is going to be guided by God to continue the Lancaster line. From a very young age, Margaret is convinced that her hero, Joan of Arc, speaks to her and will help her son Henry to the throne. However, when the York family overthrows Henry VI and takes over, Margaret finds her faith tested. She decides she will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the rightful family — the Lancasters — take back the throne, with her son as the king.
Even though I already know everything that’s going to happen, for the most part, since this is kind of the same general plot as The White Queen, just from the perspective of the other side of the war, I really thoroughly enjoyed it. It was really interesting reading about the War of the Roses from the Lancaster side after being so emotionally invested into the York side. If you’ve already read The White Queen, then perhaps you, too, will also have thoughts such as, “Oh, how can I possibly like the Lancaster side after reading about how horrible they are from Elizabeth Woodville’s perspective?”
Well, to be honest, The Red Queen didn’t actually make me more sympathetic to the Lancaster cause. I still found myself quite sympathetic with the York side. This is because I found Margaret Beaufort’s portrayal in this novel quite negative. She was mean and arrogant! This doesn’t mean I think she’s a bad character or anything. She’s wonderfully written to elicit feelings of shock and disgust from me. With all that said, being wonderfully written doesn’t make her a likeable character, haha. I still liked Elizabeth Woodville a lot in this book, even though Margaret tries to vilify her. The funny thing is, I know that usually, Elizabeth is portrayed as a seductive, amibitious temptress and Margaret as a pious, loyal woman!
Even though I really disliked Margaret Beaufort in this book, I still had a great time reading about the War of the Roses from the Lancaster point of view. It’s also nice being introduced to her son, Henry, in a less spontaneous manner (I remember in The White Queen, I thought Henry’s entrance into the story was really abrupt. I was like, “Where did this guy come from?”) and I found I quite liked Henry a lot. I never find out too much about him since this book centers on Margaret and she spent many, many years separated from one another, but he struck me as a pretty nice guy. It’d be cool if Gregory writes a book about him! Although I think she mainly focuses on female historical figures. Still, one can dream.
If you read The White Queen and liked it, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the story from the Lancaster perspective! If you’ve never read either, it really doesn’t matter which one you read first. I highly recommend this book!
(This review originally posted at SkyInk.net).
In the beginning of this story, the Lancaster family is in control of England, with King Henry VI on the throne. Margaret Beaufort is the king’s cousin. Either the king or Margaret needs to produce a son to continue the Lancaster line. The king and his wife do manage to give birth to a son, as well as Margaret, who names her baby boy Henry after the current king. Margaret is a very devout and religious person and strongly believes that she is going to be guided by God to continue the Lancaster line. From a very young age, Margaret is convinced that her hero, Joan of Arc, speaks to her and will help her son Henry to the throne. However, when the York family overthrows Henry VI and takes over, Margaret finds her faith tested. She decides she will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the rightful family — the Lancasters — take back the throne, with her son as the king.
Even though I already know everything that’s going to happen, for the most part, since this is kind of the same general plot as The White Queen, just from the perspective of the other side of the war, I really thoroughly enjoyed it. It was really interesting reading about the War of the Roses from the Lancaster side after being so emotionally invested into the York side. If you’ve already read The White Queen, then perhaps you, too, will also have thoughts such as, “Oh, how can I possibly like the Lancaster side after reading about how horrible they are from Elizabeth Woodville’s perspective?”
Well, to be honest, The Red Queen didn’t actually make me more sympathetic to the Lancaster cause. I still found myself quite sympathetic with the York side. This is because I found Margaret Beaufort’s portrayal in this novel quite negative. She was mean and arrogant! This doesn’t mean I think she’s a bad character or anything. She’s wonderfully written to elicit feelings of shock and disgust from me. With all that said, being wonderfully written doesn’t make her a likeable character, haha. I still liked Elizabeth Woodville a lot in this book, even though Margaret tries to vilify her. The funny thing is, I know that usually, Elizabeth is portrayed as a seductive, amibitious temptress and Margaret as a pious, loyal woman!
Even though I really disliked Margaret Beaufort in this book, I still had a great time reading about the War of the Roses from the Lancaster point of view. It’s also nice being introduced to her son, Henry, in a less spontaneous manner (I remember in The White Queen, I thought Henry’s entrance into the story was really abrupt. I was like, “Where did this guy come from?”) and I found I quite liked Henry a lot. I never find out too much about him since this book centers on Margaret and she spent many, many years separated from one another, but he struck me as a pretty nice guy. It’d be cool if Gregory writes a book about him! Although I think she mainly focuses on female historical figures. Still, one can dream.
If you read The White Queen and liked it, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the story from the Lancaster perspective! If you’ve never read either, it really doesn’t matter which one you read first. I highly recommend this book!
(This review originally posted at SkyInk.net).
This book would have been better, I think, if it had been shortened. The plot drew out too long for me to really recommend it to anyone except those who really love historical fiction, but since I do love it, I still give it three stars.
This book has taken me ages to read. I started off really into it, but after a while it just dragged and I couldn't read more than a couple of pages at a time. I really liked the idea of it, and the true history behind the story, but in the end it just got too confusing for me trying to remember who everyone was.. which is probably more of a flaw with me than the book, but made it less enjoyable for me to read.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After reading some of Philippa Gregory's other novels I had thought her female characters were all the same - beautiful, clever herbalists on the edge of witchcraft - and reconciled myself to this with the argument that this would have been less unusual in centuries past.
So this book was something of a revelation. The character of Margaret Beaufort is very different to the female characters in Gregory's books that I have read previously, and develops in an interesting direction.
So this book was something of a revelation. The character of Margaret Beaufort is very different to the female characters in Gregory's books that I have read previously, and develops in an interesting direction.
First off, Margaret Beaufort was BAT-SHIT CRAZY!! And for her to be such "HOLY" she sure was maliciously ambitious and often green with envy. But considering she was married off at 12 years old (Gawd, she was 13 when she gave birth to King Henry VII) and had no more education . . . Maybe she didn't mature mentally . . . I don't know! But even though I am able to get a version of her story that helps me to sympathize with her . . . I still don't like her.
Props to Philippa Gregory. This was well written (of course it was) and I loved it.
Props to Philippa Gregory. This was well written (of course it was) and I loved it.
Compared to Jacquetta and Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret is dreadfully boring, obnoxiously pious, and, frankly, vicious. Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd read this first, rather than after The Lady of the Rivers and The White Queen.
slow-paced
I loved the first two books in this series. This one just confused me.
If you’ve ever read or seen Alice in Wonderland, you might be suspecting that The Red Queen is not such a promising nickname. You’d be right. In this historical novel by Philippa Gregory, the title refers to Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry Tudor who spends her life plotting to put her son on the throne of England. She is called the “Red” Queen since the House of Lancaster is typically symbolized by a red rose, while the rival House of York is symbolized by the white.
The story is told in first person and in present tense. This somewhat unusual method of narration gives the author ample scope to present Margaret’s internal dialogue. From the very beginning of the story, Margaret is portrayed as very religious and very proud of her religiosity. As a young girl, she frequently prays all through the night and hopes that everyone will notice the rough callouses of her “saints’ knees.” Her early ambition is to enter a convent and become an abbess, but since she is closely connected to the ruling Lancaster line, her mother forces her to marry to produce an heir that might one day be king.
Her first marriage to Edmund Tudor, the half-brother of King Henry VI, lasts a very short time, but she gives birth to a child, Henry Tudor. Though she is not allowed to raise her own son, Margaret redirects her thwarted ambition to join a convent into a new ambition to see him crowned king of England. She is delighted with the idea of becoming the Queen Mother and is certain that this is God’s will for her life.
Margaret’s second and third marriages (to the Earl of Stafford and to Lord Stanley) overlap the tumultuous events of the Wars of the Roses. The half-mad Lancaster king, Henry VI, is removed from power by Edward of York, providing a disappointing blow to Margaret’s hopes of dynastic succession. Convinced that her wishes are nothing other than the will of God, however, Margaret uses every weapon in her power–intrigue, alliances, deception–to further her son’s interest.
When Edward of York is succeeded by his power-hungry brother Richard III, Margaret knows that it is time to act. She works to unify the Yorkists (who would prefer the young son of the deceased Edward of York) and the Lancastrians (who would prefer her own son as king). Together those two powers can overthrow Richard III, but once that is done, Margaret must make sure that her son Henry Tudor is not passed over in favor of Edward of York’s progeny.
Richard III, in his bid for the crown, had already imprisoned his two young nephews in the Tower. One of histories mysteries (as touted on the History Channel), is what happened to the two little princes in the Tower? Did their uncle Richard kill them? Did Henry Tudor kill them after he became king? The author Philippa Gregory puts her own construction on events, ascribing the plot to Margaret and the work to Margaret’s dupe, the Duke of Buckingham. With Edward of York’s children dead, Henry Tudor had only Richard III to reckon with.
The final chapters of the story lead up to the climactic Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor comes over from France with an invasion force, but it is less than half the size of Richard’s army. Margaret must persuade her husband Lord Stanley (a notorious turncoat and temporizer) to switch sides, to leave Richard and join with her son Henry at the crucial moment when the battle begins.
As history would have it, Margaret does succeed in all her ambitions; however, the end of the novel is, in a way, peculiarly unsatisfying. Throughout the book, the author has portrayed Margaret as a very unsympathetic woman, a religious hypocrite with a lust for power. Her megalomaniacal desire to see her son on the throne makes her a less than three-dimensional character. Philippa Gregory tries to soften her by adding an unconsummated love interest with Jasper Tudor, the brother of her first husband, but this falls somewhat flat.
The style of historical fiction in The Red Queen is almost a polar opposite of the style of the last historical fiction book I read, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth. The Red Queen deals almost exclusively with documented political events of the time and creates virtually no fictional characters; The Pillars of the Earth focuses almost exclusively on fictional characters, using them as a window into the life of ordinary people and medieval civilization. The Red Queen provides a portrait of one, not very likeable, medieval noblewoman. [b:The Pillars of the Earth|5043|The Pillars of the Earth|Ken Follett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517379s/5043.jpg|3359698] provides a portrait of an entire half a century with all its wickedness, warts, worries, and wonders.
The story is told in first person and in present tense. This somewhat unusual method of narration gives the author ample scope to present Margaret’s internal dialogue. From the very beginning of the story, Margaret is portrayed as very religious and very proud of her religiosity. As a young girl, she frequently prays all through the night and hopes that everyone will notice the rough callouses of her “saints’ knees.” Her early ambition is to enter a convent and become an abbess, but since she is closely connected to the ruling Lancaster line, her mother forces her to marry to produce an heir that might one day be king.
Her first marriage to Edmund Tudor, the half-brother of King Henry VI, lasts a very short time, but she gives birth to a child, Henry Tudor. Though she is not allowed to raise her own son, Margaret redirects her thwarted ambition to join a convent into a new ambition to see him crowned king of England. She is delighted with the idea of becoming the Queen Mother and is certain that this is God’s will for her life.
Margaret’s second and third marriages (to the Earl of Stafford and to Lord Stanley) overlap the tumultuous events of the Wars of the Roses. The half-mad Lancaster king, Henry VI, is removed from power by Edward of York, providing a disappointing blow to Margaret’s hopes of dynastic succession. Convinced that her wishes are nothing other than the will of God, however, Margaret uses every weapon in her power–intrigue, alliances, deception–to further her son’s interest.
When Edward of York is succeeded by his power-hungry brother Richard III, Margaret knows that it is time to act. She works to unify the Yorkists (who would prefer the young son of the deceased Edward of York) and the Lancastrians (who would prefer her own son as king). Together those two powers can overthrow Richard III, but once that is done, Margaret must make sure that her son Henry Tudor is not passed over in favor of Edward of York’s progeny.
Richard III, in his bid for the crown, had already imprisoned his two young nephews in the Tower. One of histories mysteries (as touted on the History Channel), is what happened to the two little princes in the Tower? Did their uncle Richard kill them? Did Henry Tudor kill them after he became king? The author Philippa Gregory puts her own construction on events, ascribing the plot to Margaret and the work to Margaret’s dupe, the Duke of Buckingham. With Edward of York’s children dead, Henry Tudor had only Richard III to reckon with.
The final chapters of the story lead up to the climactic Battle of Bosworth Field. Henry Tudor comes over from France with an invasion force, but it is less than half the size of Richard’s army. Margaret must persuade her husband Lord Stanley (a notorious turncoat and temporizer) to switch sides, to leave Richard and join with her son Henry at the crucial moment when the battle begins.
As history would have it, Margaret does succeed in all her ambitions; however, the end of the novel is, in a way, peculiarly unsatisfying. Throughout the book, the author has portrayed Margaret as a very unsympathetic woman, a religious hypocrite with a lust for power. Her megalomaniacal desire to see her son on the throne makes her a less than three-dimensional character. Philippa Gregory tries to soften her by adding an unconsummated love interest with Jasper Tudor, the brother of her first husband, but this falls somewhat flat.
The style of historical fiction in The Red Queen is almost a polar opposite of the style of the last historical fiction book I read, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth. The Red Queen deals almost exclusively with documented political events of the time and creates virtually no fictional characters; The Pillars of the Earth focuses almost exclusively on fictional characters, using them as a window into the life of ordinary people and medieval civilization. The Red Queen provides a portrait of one, not very likeable, medieval noblewoman. [b:The Pillars of the Earth|5043|The Pillars of the Earth|Ken Follett|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165517379s/5043.jpg|3359698] provides a portrait of an entire half a century with all its wickedness, warts, worries, and wonders.