Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Thing is, I really wanted to like this book. It has a lot of elements of books I enjoy: English royalty, fascinating historical period, lots of descriptions of clothing, outsider perspective (you don't get much more outsider than a commoner mistress), but it never really coalesced for me.
Jane Shore is the "favorite mistress" of King Edward IV, he of the Wars of the Roses. She rose from being a commoner, daughter of a merchant (portrayed here as running a fabric shop) as she gained the attention and affection of a string of very important, very noble and sometimes royal men. It's a great historical story, portrayed often because of the scandal and romance.
I expected to really enjoy this book, at the least to find it a light and fun summer read (ala Philippa Gregory), but the writing was still and awkward. I'd find myself drawn out of the story by the choppy sentences, awkward dialog, and overly stilted narration.
Perhaps a greater crime was that ancient trespass of "telling not showing". Over and over again we are told a characters motivation, back story, experiences, etc., but only rarely are we shown those elements and allowed to draw our own conclusions.
For example, early on in the story, Jane Shore is being berated/punished by her father and wonders at her mother not intervening for her. As she storms off there is a throwaway line to the effect of Jane not having seen the myriad ways in which her mother has been beaten down so far that she will not help her children. That's a good backstory and motivation; it's an important part of her family dynamic and the main character's personality. And it could have been handled better/more subtly/more fully then one throwaway line that gives an easy answer with no work for the reader to do.
Between the writing and the showing not telling I just kept wondering away from this book. After 5 weeks, I am going to admit, that I am not going to finish this book. I made it halfway through and have no desire to finish it.
This might just be me. Since I didn't finish the book, you are free to take my entire review with a grain of salt. The reviews so far on Goodreads are positive, but Amazon has more mixed reviews. Libraries with large paperback collections and/or previous books by this author should probably pick this book up, but I will pass on recommending it to my friends and patrons.
Review here: http://bornlibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-royal-mistress.html
Jane Shore is the "favorite mistress" of King Edward IV, he of the Wars of the Roses. She rose from being a commoner, daughter of a merchant (portrayed here as running a fabric shop) as she gained the attention and affection of a string of very important, very noble and sometimes royal men. It's a great historical story, portrayed often because of the scandal and romance.
I expected to really enjoy this book, at the least to find it a light and fun summer read (ala Philippa Gregory), but the writing was still and awkward. I'd find myself drawn out of the story by the choppy sentences, awkward dialog, and overly stilted narration.
Perhaps a greater crime was that ancient trespass of "telling not showing". Over and over again we are told a characters motivation, back story, experiences, etc., but only rarely are we shown those elements and allowed to draw our own conclusions.
For example, early on in the story, Jane Shore is being berated/punished by her father and wonders at her mother not intervening for her. As she storms off there is a throwaway line to the effect of Jane not having seen the myriad ways in which her mother has been beaten down so far that she will not help her children. That's a good backstory and motivation; it's an important part of her family dynamic and the main character's personality. And it could have been handled better/more subtly/more fully then one throwaway line that gives an easy answer with no work for the reader to do.
Between the writing and the showing not telling I just kept wondering away from this book. After 5 weeks, I am going to admit, that I am not going to finish this book. I made it halfway through and have no desire to finish it.
This might just be me. Since I didn't finish the book, you are free to take my entire review with a grain of salt. The reviews so far on Goodreads are positive, but Amazon has more mixed reviews. Libraries with large paperback collections and/or previous books by this author should probably pick this book up, but I will pass on recommending it to my friends and patrons.
Review here: http://bornlibrarian.blogspot.com/2013/06/review-royal-mistress.html
It has been a while since I read a book by this author. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about Mistress Jane Shore. I have read quite a few other books about Edward, Elizabeth and even other mistresses. This was great historical fiction and I really loved the character Jane. She was extremely likeable and I really felt for her. My only complaint would be the end. The author made sure the book was based on research but I wish the ending was a little different.
I feel like this book does not serve well as a stand alone. Rather the author uses it as a vehicle to provide small updates on previous characters. There is also a significant amount of time spent dealing with events in the second half of the book that have nothing to do with Jane Shore. Edward dies in the first half of the action, so our protagonist is only the Royal Mistress for maybe a quarter of the story.
I reviewed this book for www.luxuryreading.com.
While I have a number of Anne Easter Smith’s novels on my bookshelves, Royal Mistress is the first of her novels I have read. I am now kicking myself that I have waited this long! Her writing makes you feel like you are plopped down right in the center of late 15th century London, along for the roller coaster ride that was the end of the War of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors. While Jane’s point of view is central to the story structure, we get peaks into the minds and hearts of a number of characters – including Edward IV and his haughty Queen Elizabeth, Richard III and Will Hastings – and this allows for a thoroughly well rounded, full grasp of the events and feelings of all participants. For me, this helped humanize everyone involved and kept from dividing characters into clear good vs. bad categories.
Ms. Smith’s Jane Shore is an absolutely fascinating character and it is easy to see how she captured the hearts of not only these various high ranking men but also the very people of London she walked amongst. The author has taken what very little information history has provided us about Mistress Shore and has so fully fleshed her out that I cannot imagine her any other way. We are also given a very thorough Author’s Note section that clearly states what is known fact and what is interpretation or invention to build the story. This is incredibly important to me when reading historical fiction as I like to know what liberties the author has taken in presenting their story and what is historically accurate.
For lovers of historical fiction this is a must read. I think those readers who aren’t as interested in reading history might feel slightly lost or bogged down by the sheer volume of history discussed but even those not interested in the history will find it a fascinating story, however, and I highly recommend this to any and all readers looking for a delightful character that refuses to give up or live by other people’s standards.
While I have a number of Anne Easter Smith’s novels on my bookshelves, Royal Mistress is the first of her novels I have read. I am now kicking myself that I have waited this long! Her writing makes you feel like you are plopped down right in the center of late 15th century London, along for the roller coaster ride that was the end of the War of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors. While Jane’s point of view is central to the story structure, we get peaks into the minds and hearts of a number of characters – including Edward IV and his haughty Queen Elizabeth, Richard III and Will Hastings – and this allows for a thoroughly well rounded, full grasp of the events and feelings of all participants. For me, this helped humanize everyone involved and kept from dividing characters into clear good vs. bad categories.
Ms. Smith’s Jane Shore is an absolutely fascinating character and it is easy to see how she captured the hearts of not only these various high ranking men but also the very people of London she walked amongst. The author has taken what very little information history has provided us about Mistress Shore and has so fully fleshed her out that I cannot imagine her any other way. We are also given a very thorough Author’s Note section that clearly states what is known fact and what is interpretation or invention to build the story. This is incredibly important to me when reading historical fiction as I like to know what liberties the author has taken in presenting their story and what is historically accurate.
For lovers of historical fiction this is a must read. I think those readers who aren’t as interested in reading history might feel slightly lost or bogged down by the sheer volume of history discussed but even those not interested in the history will find it a fascinating story, however, and I highly recommend this to any and all readers looking for a delightful character that refuses to give up or live by other people’s standards.
You may have heard of my anglophilic tendencies before, I LOVE historical fiction revolving around the English royals! There are some who fascinate me more than others, namely Anne Boleyn, but part of this story also deals with one of the greatest mysteries in my opinion: what happened to the two little princes in the Tower? Elizabeth Woodville and Edward's sons.
I'd already 'met' most of the players in The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory, but I'd never heard of Jane Shore before and I must admit that she's a fascinating historical figure! It's not every day that you come across a woman who not only held the interest of England's king for 8 years as his mistress, but also went on to be the mistress to two other influential men and finally marry another!
Jane is very much a victim of her time period, because she is completely dependent on the men in her life to provide for her. I really felt for her when her first husband turned out to be impotent, because Jane was so ready to be a mother! I liked that she's bold enough to seek an annulment because of it. I liked that she never forgot where she came from and tried to help the people who used to be her neighbours when she could.
I'm kinda glad Edward is depicted as a loving scoundrel, because from everything I've learned of him, I can truly believe that's exactly what he was. He may not always have made the best decisions, particularly regarding his dealings with Eleanor Butler, but I believed he was a good man at heart and for some reason royalty always seems prone to infidelity, not that that makes it any better.
I'd seen most of the events through Anne Neville's eyes in The Kingmaker's Daughter, and seeing it through Jane's added that extra dimension to it. I love all the intrigue and was truly scared a couple of times for Jane's life. Losing your head was all too easy back then. There were a couple of surprises, but mostly I was just anxiously waiting on some stuff to happen and wondering what would happen to Jane because of said things.
Anne Easter Smith truly made me care for this remarkable woman and I loved the bits of poetry that Jane seems to sprout of the top of her head, they were very clever. I did think that some of the 'bad guys' were a bit one-dimensional, but most of the historical figures really came to life through her writing and I love that! These were real people and it's easy to forget that and just focus on the battles and murders instead of the men and women behind it.
My rating: 3,5 stars
I'd already 'met' most of the players in The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory, but I'd never heard of Jane Shore before and I must admit that she's a fascinating historical figure! It's not every day that you come across a woman who not only held the interest of England's king for 8 years as his mistress, but also went on to be the mistress to two other influential men and finally marry another!
Jane is very much a victim of her time period, because she is completely dependent on the men in her life to provide for her. I really felt for her when her first husband turned out to be impotent, because Jane was so ready to be a mother! I liked that she's bold enough to seek an annulment because of it. I liked that she never forgot where she came from and tried to help the people who used to be her neighbours when she could.
I'm kinda glad Edward is depicted as a loving scoundrel, because from everything I've learned of him, I can truly believe that's exactly what he was. He may not always have made the best decisions, particularly regarding his dealings with Eleanor Butler, but I believed he was a good man at heart and for some reason royalty always seems prone to infidelity, not that that makes it any better.
I'd seen most of the events through Anne Neville's eyes in The Kingmaker's Daughter, and seeing it through Jane's added that extra dimension to it. I love all the intrigue and was truly scared a couple of times for Jane's life. Losing your head was all too easy back then. There were a couple of surprises, but mostly I was just anxiously waiting on some stuff to happen and wondering what would happen to Jane because of said things.
Anne Easter Smith truly made me care for this remarkable woman and I loved the bits of poetry that Jane seems to sprout of the top of her head, they were very clever. I did think that some of the 'bad guys' were a bit one-dimensional, but most of the historical figures really came to life through her writing and I love that! These were real people and it's easy to forget that and just focus on the battles and murders instead of the men and women behind it.
My rating: 3,5 stars
"Royal Mistress" is the story of Jane Lambert (aka Jane Shore) who becomes Edward IV's mistress. Sometimes I get complacent with reading about palace intrigue and royal courts but it's books like this that remind me how much I really enjoy this kind of historical fiction. I found the love affair between Jane and Edward to be really fascinating. Edward IV by himself is very interesting to me and I loved being able to see his reign through this book. The affair with Jane only adds another layer of very interest and intrigue.
I really liked Jane's character and she made this book especially interesting. She goes after what she wants. She doesn't seem to think about consequences but I still enjoyed reading about her. I thought she was a really well written character.
This is the second book that I have read by Smith (the first was Queen By Right) and in that book as well as "Royal Mistress," I really enjoyed how much research and care she put into the book. The interactions between all of the characters are very realistic. I think that this really, really helps to pull the reader into the book.
This book will definitely appeal to historical fiction lovers who are looking for a book that is packed full of details and story lines with a side of salacious drama.
I really liked Jane's character and she made this book especially interesting. She goes after what she wants. She doesn't seem to think about consequences but I still enjoyed reading about her. I thought she was a really well written character.
This is the second book that I have read by Smith (the first was Queen By Right) and in that book as well as "Royal Mistress," I really enjoyed how much research and care she put into the book. The interactions between all of the characters are very realistic. I think that this really, really helps to pull the reader into the book.
This book will definitely appeal to historical fiction lovers who are looking for a book that is packed full of details and story lines with a side of salacious drama.
I was interested in Anne Easter Smith's Royal Mistress because I loved one of her previous novels, Daughter of York I'm branching out a little bit from Tudor historical novels into War of The Roses historical novels, and I'm getting interested in Edward IV. Mostly because of The Rose of York, actually.
Royal Mistress tells the story of Jane Shore, a London merchant's wife who catches the eye of King Edward IV. Of course, he's married to Elizabeth Woodville (and possibly also Eleanor Butler) but that doesn't stop him from pursuing Jane. Or, any other attractive ladies, for that matter. I have no idea how he managed to get anything done.
Read the rest.
Royal Mistress tells the story of Jane Shore, a London merchant's wife who catches the eye of King Edward IV. Of course, he's married to Elizabeth Woodville (and possibly also Eleanor Butler) but that doesn't stop him from pursuing Jane. Or, any other attractive ladies, for that matter. I have no idea how he managed to get anything done.
Read the rest.