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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
This one was so much better than The White Queen. The main character can be a bit annoying, but the other characters call her out and make it a bit more bearable. Also includes some interesting moral dilemmas and much tighter writing than the first book.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've now read this story from three different POVs, and it's helped to understand the politics and dynamics of the York and Lancaster battle. There's quite a bit here about Margaret in her youth, that is somewhat tangential to the War of the Roses directly, but necessary to set up her life-long drive to achieve the throne for her son. Her idolization of Joan of Arc is almost comical.
In my review of [b:The Queen's Fool|252499|The Queen's Fool|Philippa Gregory|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298544847s/252499.jpg|1024199] I criticized the author for a contrived recount of a battle the title character did not encounter. That dilemma is avoided here by stepping away from the first person POV for a few battles and throwing in a third person narration. In the audio version, this is wonderfully narrated by a different voice, too, which worked really well.
Best read soon after [b:The White Queen|5971165|The White Queen (The Cousins' War, #1)|Philippa Gregory|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255579285s/5971165.jpg|13560666]! (or after you've seen [b:Richard III|42058|Richard III|William Shakespeare|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41H6EXWQMGL._SL75_.jpg|2913597] by Shakespeare on stage)
In my review of [b:The Queen's Fool|252499|The Queen's Fool|Philippa Gregory|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1298544847s/252499.jpg|1024199] I criticized the author for a contrived recount of a battle the title character did not encounter. That dilemma is avoided here by stepping away from the first person POV for a few battles and throwing in a third person narration. In the audio version, this is wonderfully narrated by a different voice, too, which worked really well.
Best read soon after [b:The White Queen|5971165|The White Queen (The Cousins' War, #1)|Philippa Gregory|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255579285s/5971165.jpg|13560666]! (or after you've seen [b:Richard III|42058|Richard III|William Shakespeare|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41H6EXWQMGL._SL75_.jpg|2913597] by Shakespeare on stage)
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oh, the addiction that is Philippa Gregory books. I love them so. Some people have their Danielle Steele or their James Patterson, I have my Philippa Gregory.
This is the second book in the Wars of the Roses trilogy. The first one focused on Elizabeth Woodville, maternal grandmother of the lovely gentleman known as Henry VIII. This book focuses on Margaret Beaufort, his paternal grandmother. Like the previous book, and pretty much all her books, there is a lot of scheming and betrayal. One of the things I didn't like about The White Queen was Elizabeth Woodville's constant scheming, and this book is a lot more of the same.
I'm sure the third book in the trilogy, The White Princess, will be more of the same, but of course, I will be reading it as soon as it comes out.
This is the second book in the Wars of the Roses trilogy. The first one focused on Elizabeth Woodville, maternal grandmother of the lovely gentleman known as Henry VIII. This book focuses on Margaret Beaufort, his paternal grandmother. Like the previous book, and pretty much all her books, there is a lot of scheming and betrayal. One of the things I didn't like about The White Queen was Elizabeth Woodville's constant scheming, and this book is a lot more of the same.
I'm sure the third book in the trilogy, The White Princess, will be more of the same, but of course, I will be reading it as soon as it comes out.
If you are looking for historical accuracy, you probably already know Philippa Gregory is not right for you. However, I can certainly say that she does make English history accessible and enjoyable to read. Based partly on fact, conjecture, and pure imagination, this is the third book in the Cousin’s War series and is a solid follow up to The White Queen.
In a first for me, although I absolutely despised Margaret, I could not help being pulled into her quest for power and prestige. For someone who wanted to be a nun, she sure has the knack for political espionage and lies like a rug to get what she wants.
A good solid 3 stars for me as the storyline pacing was a bit jarring, starting off very slowly then jumping decades within pages and then slowing down without any real rhyme or reason. The magical realism, which belonged in The White Queen, seemed forced in this one with everyone having prophetic dreams. Overall, this one is just embellished political history with zero romantic heat.
In a first for me, although I absolutely despised Margaret, I could not help being pulled into her quest for power and prestige. For someone who wanted to be a nun, she sure has the knack for political espionage and lies like a rug to get what she wants.
A good solid 3 stars for me as the storyline pacing was a bit jarring, starting off very slowly then jumping decades within pages and then slowing down without any real rhyme or reason. The magical realism, which belonged in The White Queen, seemed forced in this one with everyone having prophetic dreams. Overall, this one is just embellished political history with zero romantic heat.
Actually better than I expected. Margaret Beaufort is not a likable character at all, but it was an interesting story. It wasn't fantastic, but it did keep me reading.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
fast-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