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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I loved the subject matter and the characters chosen for this first in a new series on the Plantagenets. The War of the Roses is fascinating to me, a period of history I am drawn to but don't know the finer points of. It was fascinating to learn about it and Elizabeth Woodville herself. My chief disappointment comes from the writing- I found it dry and not all that exciting. I cared about the characters as far as finding out what happens to them (I try to stay off Wikipedia!) but I wasn't invested in them. I've read some amazing historical fiction lately and while the story was top notch, I didn't care for the execution of the writing.
Won't be able to finish this one before having to return it to the library (I got halfway through it). This book was extremely fast-paced, but felt too chaotic for me to enjoy. Instead of working up to a major climax, there were battles every few pages. They all started to feel the same after awhile. I think it lacked character development- I didn't feel very invested in the outcome of the protagonists. Not giving this a star rating since I'm leaving it unfinished for now. I do have great respect for the author as a historian, and I appreciate how her books make this historical period much more accessible to the non-scholar. Interesting, just not my favorite kind of book.
not a time period I've read much about before, so this was very interesting!
This is now one of my favorite Phillipa Gregory novels. I couldn't put it down.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this book and watched episodes of the show based on the book as I read (while reading the book chapters before each episode). I enjoyed doing it that way.
The story is based on available facts, some theories, and some of Gregory's imagination.
She tells the story of the Cousin's war from the viewpoint of Elizabeth Rivers who marries the King Edward after becoming a widow when her husband dies in a battle against King.
Throughout the story, Gregory weaves the myth of the Water Goddess who the Rivers women turn to when things are dire.
This is a book about love, war, and family. I had a hard time putting it down.
The story is based on available facts, some theories, and some of Gregory's imagination.
She tells the story of the Cousin's war from the viewpoint of Elizabeth Rivers who marries the King Edward after becoming a widow when her husband dies in a battle against King.
Throughout the story, Gregory weaves the myth of the Water Goddess who the Rivers women turn to when things are dire.
This is a book about love, war, and family. I had a hard time putting it down.
I decided to read this book after watching most of the tv miniseries on Starz. While there's a lot of fictional elements thrown in, I enjoyed the tv series. The costumes and the hairstyles alone are worth watching the series for. Overall, I was not as entranced by the book. The writing is dull and boring. The characters all feel cold and distant, and not very likable. I usually have a hard time putting a book down once I get sucked in, but this book had no grip on me whatsoever. I just kind of felt like I had to plug along and finish it.
One of the most disappointing aspects is that the book is obviously set in 1450's England and there's virtually no description of what daily life was like in that period. I think that's part of the reason it's hard to loose yourself in the narrative. It reads like a dry history book, only with a lot of fiction thrown in. The author should have used her license as a writer of historical fiction to add some humanizing scenes to make her audience care about the characters. The tv series is more successful at this just in little in-between scenes where you can see the affection between characters or the lack there of.
I'm kind of confused about the two novels that follow this one. My understanding is that the tv series incorporated The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker's Daughter, but the end of this book coincides with the end of the series. Are the other two books just re-tellings of the exact same span of years from other perspectives? I can't imagine the other two books being any more interesting after slogging through this one.
One of the most disappointing aspects is that the book is obviously set in 1450's England and there's virtually no description of what daily life was like in that period. I think that's part of the reason it's hard to loose yourself in the narrative. It reads like a dry history book, only with a lot of fiction thrown in. The author should have used her license as a writer of historical fiction to add some humanizing scenes to make her audience care about the characters. The tv series is more successful at this just in little in-between scenes where you can see the affection between characters or the lack there of.
I'm kind of confused about the two novels that follow this one. My understanding is that the tv series incorporated The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Kingmaker's Daughter, but the end of this book coincides with the end of the series. Are the other two books just re-tellings of the exact same span of years from other perspectives? I can't imagine the other two books being any more interesting after slogging through this one.
Great story about a queen that I hadn't read up on much. Gregory (as always) gives this historical figure emotions and does so beautifully. Though, I can't say that this was better than The Other Boleyn Girl, it was still a pleasure to read.
Enjoyed this book. Starz series made me want to read this series. I have always been interested in the Plantagenet and Tudors and while this is fiction it is just so fun to read.