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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
I didn’t like this book as much as some of Gregory’s others, but she handled the character of Margaret Beaufort so well. I didn’t like, but I still found myself feeling bad for her. She was clearly out of her mind. I loved this version of the unreliable narrator. Also, definitely right book at the right time.
informative
relaxing
slow-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
While I love Philippa's books, I absolutely cannot stand Margaret Beaufort and that is the only reason that this isn't a 5-star read for me. It is no reflection on the author at all, just the person who the book is about.
Just like you can't squeeze blood from a stone, it is hard to squeeze a compelling story from a largely uninteresting and incredibly flawed person.
Margaret starts one way and ends the same way throughout the entire book. Aside from giving birth, all of her personal plans and attempts to get her son Henry VII on the throne really don't amount to much, and her interference and pride only end up causing more trouble for herself. Yes, her son takes the throne in the end, but it isn't really because of anything that she herself does. Her husband at the time would have sided with Henry during the battle with Richard at the last minute because they were winning, not because of any love he had for Margaret at the end of it. Yet she still ends the book pretending that she had some large role to play in the whole plot.
She just kind of sits and stews in the fact that she is unable to do anything, and proves the men around her right at every turn that she is stupid and incompetent when she does try to do things to further the cause of her son. But she never realizes that she is, in fact, a foolish twit throughout the entire book and just wallows in her self-martyrdom and feels vindicated by her son doing all the work in the end.
Just like you can't squeeze blood from a stone, it is hard to squeeze a compelling story from a largely uninteresting and incredibly flawed person.
Margaret starts one way and ends the same way throughout the entire book. Aside from giving birth, all of her personal plans and attempts to get her son Henry VII on the throne really don't amount to much, and her interference and pride only end up causing more trouble for herself. Yes, her son takes the throne in the end, but it isn't really because of anything that she herself does. Her husband at the time would have sided with Henry during the battle with Richard at the last minute because they were winning, not because of any love he had for Margaret at the end of it. Yet she still ends the book pretending that she had some large role to play in the whole plot.
She just kind of sits and stews in the fact that she is unable to do anything, and proves the men around her right at every turn that she is stupid and incompetent when she does try to do things to further the cause of her son. But she never realizes that she is, in fact, a foolish twit throughout the entire book and just wallows in her self-martyrdom and feels vindicated by her son doing all the work in the end.
I like historical fiction. I love accurate historical fiction. But here's the thing - promise not to tell anyone! - I really like Philippa Gregory. Despite the way that she likes to play hard and loose with her facts, the woman tells a bloody good story.
While there were parts of this that seemed to drag - for example, Margaret doing nothing but sitting in her house thinking foul thoughts and praying, on the whole this moved along nicely and Gregory did a good job of turning Margaret into a reasonably likeably protagonist, when she could have been awful. In fact, readers coming to this after The White Queen will automatically be against Margaret after reading the portrayal of Elizabeth Woodville, but while this was the case for me, the feeling didn't last more than the first 10% of the book or so.
I'd have liked to have seen maybe a year of Henry's reign, and seen Margaret and Elizabeth working together especially when they became related by marriage, but I suppose that's a story for later in the series.
While there were parts of this that seemed to drag - for example, Margaret doing nothing but sitting in her house thinking foul thoughts and praying, on the whole this moved along nicely and Gregory did a good job of turning Margaret into a reasonably likeably protagonist, when she could have been awful. In fact, readers coming to this after The White Queen will automatically be against Margaret after reading the portrayal of Elizabeth Woodville, but while this was the case for me, the feeling didn't last more than the first 10% of the book or so.
I'd have liked to have seen maybe a year of Henry's reign, and seen Margaret and Elizabeth working together especially when they became related by marriage, but I suppose that's a story for later in the series.
I have read some of the other books in this series and this book did not disappoint. Lifelike historical characters bring to life a fascinating story of kings and those who would be kings.
adventurous
challenging
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another exquisite book in the series. In my opinion Margaret Beaufort is a very despicable character, but Gregory was able to show the more human side, and truly tortured existence she endured that I sympathised for her. Can't wait to read the next one!
Normally I am not too critical of books but I really can't find anything about this book that I overly liked or enjoyed. The narrator Margaret Beaufort was annoying. She had nothing relevent or new to say after the first couple of chapters. First person perspective for this book wasn't the best idea. It changed a few times during the book and I think I would've enjoyed it a bit more had it been third person all knowing. The last thirty or so pages (or the climax of the story) wasn't even in the first person and had nothing to do with Margaret Beauford. Even when she was getting her punishment it was hard to enjoy because of the first person narrative. I liked the first half of the book, before Henry VI got taken off the thrown. It was a quick read and there was action in it. But after that, it became slow and I struggled to even sit through the normal amount of pages that I could knock out. The book to me didn't even feel like a Philippa Gregory novel which was a bit sad.
I didn't finish this book so take this review accordingly.
Maybe the idea of a strictly religious child, convinced that she knows God's will for her life, is compelling for some. It was not for me. I found her to be a rather flat character, failing to react to changes around her with any lasting effect, and characters were empty and hollow. Even as a necessarily powerless character, a more well-rounded personality would not be unreasonable.
Maybe the idea of a strictly religious child, convinced that she knows God's will for her life, is compelling for some. It was not for me. I found her to be a rather flat character, failing to react to changes around her with any lasting effect, and characters were empty and hollow. Even as a necessarily powerless character, a more well-rounded personality would not be unreasonable.
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whilst this book pulled me into the rabbit hole, which is the Tudor dynasty and even watch all the TV series, based on the books, Margaret Beaufort, is an insufferable person to have to read about.