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joenglish's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
fern17's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
5.0
Anne O'Brien is one of my favourite authors. Every year, I wait with high anticipation to read her newest book and to see which 'new' unknown woman of history she's brought to life for her readers.
With The Royal Game, Anne O'Brien has chosen not a powerful royal/noblewoman but instead three women who hunger to be considered as such. The majority of the story is told from the viewpoint of Margaret Paston, wife to John Paston, as property disputes amongst their landed estates escalate and are resolved only to escalate once more. This might sound a bit boring, but believe me, it's not. I was shocked, genuinely shocked, by the level of violence that could be brought to bear against rival claimants and the state of lawlessness in East Anglia at the time is flabbergasting. It acts as a perfect way of showing just what the uncertainty of the Wars of the Roses brought about for those lower 'noble' families with the ebb and flow of prestige and royal denouncement as in the background, great battles are won and lost, and rival kings fall and rise.
Margaret is a wonderfully independently minded woman, and yet constrained by her position in life, and her sex so she can only do so much when trouble strikes, but she will do it to her upmost.
Alongside Margaret, we meet her sister in law, Eliza, who struggles to find a husband and emerge from beneath her mother's less than motherly love. She manages to do just that only to find herself facing a life as beset with lawsuits as her brother and sister by marriage.
Our third Paston woman is Anne Haute, a cousin to Elizabeth Woodville. Her voice is that of a noblewoman without the dowry needed to hook herself a wonderful marriage, but who can tout her family connections to gain one.
This book is a stunning read - and more, an easy read - despite the vast number of Johns in it (I'll leave that for you to discover because wow - that's a weird thing to have done). I had to force myself to slow down and stop reading because I didn't want it to be over. Now I have to wait for next year to read the second part of the story.
I highly recommend this book. If you know about the Wars of the Roses, all the better, but if you don't, it will not lessen your enjoyment of the story of the three Paston women and their troublesome, and litigious family at a time of intense political unrest.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my review copy. I loved it:)
With The Royal Game, Anne O'Brien has chosen not a powerful royal/noblewoman but instead three women who hunger to be considered as such. The majority of the story is told from the viewpoint of Margaret Paston, wife to John Paston, as property disputes amongst their landed estates escalate and are resolved only to escalate once more. This might sound a bit boring, but believe me, it's not. I was shocked, genuinely shocked, by the level of violence that could be brought to bear against rival claimants and the state of lawlessness in East Anglia at the time is flabbergasting. It acts as a perfect way of showing just what the uncertainty of the Wars of the Roses brought about for those lower 'noble' families with the ebb and flow of prestige and royal denouncement as in the background, great battles are won and lost, and rival kings fall and rise.
Margaret is a wonderfully independently minded woman, and yet constrained by her position in life, and her sex so she can only do so much when trouble strikes, but she will do it to her upmost.
Alongside Margaret, we meet her sister in law, Eliza, who struggles to find a husband and emerge from beneath her mother's less than motherly love. She manages to do just that only to find herself facing a life as beset with lawsuits as her brother and sister by marriage.
Our third Paston woman is Anne Haute, a cousin to Elizabeth Woodville. Her voice is that of a noblewoman without the dowry needed to hook herself a wonderful marriage, but who can tout her family connections to gain one.
This book is a stunning read - and more, an easy read - despite the vast number of Johns in it (I'll leave that for you to discover because wow - that's a weird thing to have done). I had to force myself to slow down and stop reading because I didn't want it to be over. Now I have to wait for next year to read the second part of the story.
I highly recommend this book. If you know about the Wars of the Roses, all the better, but if you don't, it will not lessen your enjoyment of the story of the three Paston women and their troublesome, and litigious family at a time of intense political unrest.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my review copy. I loved it:)
lara_oe29's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bichlasagna25's review against another edition
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? No
2.5
Hella boring but written well i guess
slater49957's review against another edition
2.0
I think this paragraph take from the book sums up whether you should read it…
‘There is no reason you should unless you are interested in the ongoing and frequently bitter land disputes in Norfolk.’ Quote from page 351.
‘There is no reason you should unless you are interested in the ongoing and frequently bitter land disputes in Norfolk.’ Quote from page 351.
leandrasreads's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
rosietomyn's review against another edition
5.0
The Royal Game by Anne O'Brien is an interesting and engaging take on life in England during the Wars of the Roses (and very early Tudor era). Based in part on the Paston letters, the novel offers a truly unique take on daily life for families on the periphery of prominent royal circles during incredible political and economic upheaval.
The novel's narrators are Margaret Mautby Paston, Eliza Paston Poynings, and Anne Haute. Each protagonist offers a unique perspective on their life and time, but all are sympathetic narrators that readers can't help but root for. Even the most narcissistic of the bunch is compelling in her own way, and all offer biting critiques of the patriarchal social systems that inhibit their abilities -- and, refreshingly, those critiques are well placed and realistic for their time period.
I thoroughly enjoyed each character and the storyline of The Royal Game and definitely look forward to reading the sequel.
The novel's narrators are Margaret Mautby Paston, Eliza Paston Poynings, and Anne Haute. Each protagonist offers a unique perspective on their life and time, but all are sympathetic narrators that readers can't help but root for. Even the most narcissistic of the bunch is compelling in her own way, and all offer biting critiques of the patriarchal social systems that inhibit their abilities -- and, refreshingly, those critiques are well placed and realistic for their time period.
I thoroughly enjoyed each character and the storyline of The Royal Game and definitely look forward to reading the sequel.
halcyon666's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
melkh's review against another edition
I have a limited interest in historical fiction to begin with. Even the idea that there would be strong women rising up (which I am a big fan of), I got quickly bored with all the arguing over property. It was taking up too much of the story and with so many other great books out there, I would rather put time into reading them.