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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
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:
No
Quite an in depth view of the early life and ascension of Isabel of Castile. A fascinating portrait of a controversial and contradictory woman.
I'm not sure what genre this is, though I've read several in it. This is the novelized (and moderately modified) story of the life of Queen Isabella of Castile (Spain). I was only truly familiar with her as the Queen who patron to Christopher Columbus (Christopher Colón in the book) and from the film The Fountain. I am also not super familiar with the 15th century outside of the base lessons from American High School, which let's face it is focused on England and maybe France.
The author admits several of the names, specific ordering of the events, and dates were modified to tell a more concise & compelling story, and I will say that I was drawn in by the story. [a:C.W. Gortner|169656|C.W. Gortner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1223356684p2/169656.jpg] does a good job in making Isabella (and her husband Fernado and their court) come alive as real, flawed people. Being the heroine of her own story, Isabella is certainly portrayed as usually trying to do the right thing by her morals, being a kind and giving mother, a dutiful daughter and a loving sexy wife. At the same time a modern reader can find offense at her zealous religious nature which in spite of her 'kind heart' propels her to wage war on the Moors and stage multi-year campaigns which kills thousands, let alone start the Spanish Inquistion.
The court of Spain and the overall Catholic nature of 15th century Europe is portrayed through the lens that a modern reader can relate. The author displays knowledge (and I'm not aware enough to know if he is incorrect or not) of how castles were maintained, armies were supplied, taxes were obtained, clothing was worn and dishes that were eaten. The pressures and sacrifices demanded of royalty at the time, especially in what was an impoverish fuedal country to bring Spain to the power we know today (barring their Euro currency troubles) can be traced back to many of the efforts of Isabella. Portugal also plays a key role and it left me interested in learning more about the overall European landscape rather than concentrating so fiercely on England and British rule.
For anyone who is a fan of historical romance and would like to visit a different region with a higher caliber of historical information would likely enjoy this book.
The author admits several of the names, specific ordering of the events, and dates were modified to tell a more concise & compelling story, and I will say that I was drawn in by the story. [a:C.W. Gortner|169656|C.W. Gortner|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1223356684p2/169656.jpg] does a good job in making Isabella (and her husband Fernado and their court) come alive as real, flawed people. Being the heroine of her own story, Isabella is certainly portrayed as usually trying to do the right thing by her morals, being a kind and giving mother, a dutiful daughter and a loving sexy wife. At the same time a modern reader can find offense at her zealous religious nature which in spite of her 'kind heart' propels her to wage war on the Moors and stage multi-year campaigns which kills thousands, let alone start the Spanish Inquistion.
The court of Spain and the overall Catholic nature of 15th century Europe is portrayed through the lens that a modern reader can relate. The author displays knowledge (and I'm not aware enough to know if he is incorrect or not) of how castles were maintained, armies were supplied, taxes were obtained, clothing was worn and dishes that were eaten. The pressures and sacrifices demanded of royalty at the time, especially in what was an impoverish fuedal country to bring Spain to the power we know today (barring their Euro currency troubles) can be traced back to many of the efforts of Isabella. Portugal also plays a key role and it left me interested in learning more about the overall European landscape rather than concentrating so fiercely on England and British rule.
For anyone who is a fan of historical romance and would like to visit a different region with a higher caliber of historical information would likely enjoy this book.
A biographical narrative of the early years of the (in)famous Catholic monarchs, more specifically Isabella. A controversal figure even today, Gortner lends a deft hand to the early years of her life and reign, from her earliest childhood to the launching of Columbus toward the New World.
I also enjoyed the character of Beatriz, Isabella's friend and lady-in-waiting. Her more outgoing and sunny attitude was an excellent counterpoint for Isabella's more melancholic disposition, and she made me laugh more than once. Of course, once the rumblings of the Inquisition began, I spent much of the book worrying that Torquemada might target her and her husband, since they were both conversos, people who descended from people who had converted from Judaism to Christianity. Fortunately, her status as Isabella's closest friend seemed to have protected her.
While the book lacked the spark of excitement and danger that The Tudor Secret had, it was still quite riveting. I could hardly put it down.
Spoiler
I enjoyed this rendition of the life of Isabella. Gortner did an excellent job of trying to get into her head, to build some kind of structure and reason for the decisions of Isabella's life, most especially her decision to expell her Jewish subjects from Castile, one of the acts that darkens her reputation even today.I also enjoyed the character of Beatriz, Isabella's friend and lady-in-waiting. Her more outgoing and sunny attitude was an excellent counterpoint for Isabella's more melancholic disposition, and she made me laugh more than once. Of course, once the rumblings of the Inquisition began, I spent much of the book worrying that Torquemada might target her and her husband, since they were both conversos, people who descended from people who had converted from Judaism to Christianity. Fortunately, her status as Isabella's closest friend seemed to have protected her.
While the book lacked the spark of excitement and danger that The Tudor Secret had, it was still quite riveting. I could hardly put it down.
adventurous
emotional
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
***Won book in goodreads giveaway***
The Queen's Vow is narrated by Isabella de Castilla from her childhood through her marriage, children, wars, Columbus and everything along the way. She is a strong woman who will fight endlessly for her family, country and faith.
I enjoyed the book and never felt I was reading a man's words. It is rare than a man can speak from the perspective of a strong but realistic woman which Gortner achieves. Despite disagreeing with many of her choices I was left with an understanding of why she chose the paths she did.
The Queen's Vow is narrated by Isabella de Castilla from her childhood through her marriage, children, wars, Columbus and everything along the way. She is a strong woman who will fight endlessly for her family, country and faith.
I enjoyed the book and never felt I was reading a man's words. It is rare than a man can speak from the perspective of a strong but realistic woman which Gortner achieves. Despite disagreeing with many of her choices I was left with an understanding of why she chose the paths she did.
An interesting novel about Queen Isabella of Castile. Found the first third of the book very interesting and engaging 4 stars, but the later I found to be repetitive therefore 3 stars.
http://www.burtonbookreview.com/2012/07/TheQueensVow.html, which shows original links that were inserted.
Gortner enjoys writing of female monarchs who may have been vilified or misunderstood, and his newest novel is no different. Queen Isabella is most remembered for her role in the Spanish Inquisition and for funding Cristobal Colon's voyage. Was she a money hungry, blood thirsty monarch, with ethnic cleansing views similar to Hitler? That would be open to interpretation, and Gortner uses his research to try and portray Isabella in a more positive light. The story takes us through four parts, which were all discussed during the HF-Connection Read-along so I feel like I may be repeating myself here.
Using a first person perspective the author attempts to humanize Isabella as she deals with both political and marital conflict. I felt that with the many names coming and going, Carillo, Villena, Chacon, it may have been easier to get a full-figured view of the time period if we were able to see it through someone else's eyes and feel more of a sense of the political upheaval as well. Instead, using first person view of Isabella we are limited to her actions, thoughts and fears, which sometimes made me feel like I was trying peer through the haze to gather what was really happening elsewhere in the opposing factions/realms.
However, the author was not writing a historical novel regarding the period of Isabella, he was writing a novel on the character of Isabella. He does a great job of offering a glimpse of what could have been going through her head at various times, and we witness Isabella's transformation from young adult to wife and ruler. My favorite parts were the beginning, where Isabella is developing her relationships with her brother Alfonso, and half-brother Enrique. Those relationships helped humanize Isabella in my eyes, as I could see Isabella loved Alfonso very much and was willing to wait for Enrique's reign to be over before she reached for the throne of Castile. Another relationship (but ended up being a bit anti-climactic) was the fate of Juana la Beltraneja, the issue of Enrique's wife who was considered illegitimate. The political turmoil between the family and their advisers was well portrayed and I was eager to read how it would play out.
An underlying theme is Fernando and Isabella's marriage, going through the motions of the begetting of heirs for their realm in hopes of solidifying future political alliances. The other theme is the aspect of religion and how Isabella's beliefs helped shape her life and therefore how she governed. However, Gortner shows that Isabella did not make the important decisions on her own, as she had several people close to her that she listened to. He attempts to show Isabella as very reluctant to be the Inquisitor, and suggests that perhaps it is Fernando who had more religious zeal. The aspect of religion and the ultimate belief that all things are done for God and in His name is another important topic to consider when learning of Isabella's actions. The horrors inflicted on her people can be seen as a casualty of war, as she was on a mission to save her soul as well as her people. And to be fair, Isabella was one woman, and a product of her times. Her decisions were not her own.
This is a satisfying read for those who are interested in seeing a characterization of Isabella that possibly offers clues to why she made the epic decisions that she did, especially in regards to the persecution of her people. I am a reader who has to like a main character in order to fully enjoy a book, and I am predisposed to disliking Isabella. I wanted to be able to love this passionate Isabella, but I still wasn't able to in the end. There were many battles and struggles going on around Isabella which became a major thrust of the novel, and this helps portray the image of Isabella as a Warrior Queen, even though it was Fernando who was doing most of the battle organizing. The politics of the era are another major theme to the novel, and I found the Spanish maneuverings and battles for control of cities slightly confusing as there was a lot of this carried out throughout the novel.
However, Isabella exhibited tenacity, passion for her causes, and love for her family and Gortner does a thorough job of portraying these characteristics throughout the novel. My favorite scenes were those that focused around her children, and how she interacted with her children. I wish there were more towards the end of the book that focused on the marriage, but that too was overshadowed with the political upheaval and the conquests. I also loved Isabella's maid, Beatriz, who came in and out of the story.
One of the children that Tudor fans should recognize would be her daughter Catalina/Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII of England. Another daughter is Juana de Loca/Juana the Mad, who was a subject of Gortner's novel The Last Queen, which I enjoyed and recommend. I recently conducted an interview with the author regarding his research on Isabella and writing this book, which can be found here.
Along the same theme, I have to recommend Mitchell James Kaplan's novel By Fire, By Water, which was a favorite of mine. It features Luis de Santangel, a character who was also mentioned in The Queen's Vow as he becomes entrenched on both sides of the Spanish Inquisition. For those who have read The Queen's Vow and would like to comment on many of the topics related to the book, feel free to comment on any of the discussion posts of the read along.
Gortner enjoys writing of female monarchs who may have been vilified or misunderstood, and his newest novel is no different. Queen Isabella is most remembered for her role in the Spanish Inquisition and for funding Cristobal Colon's voyage. Was she a money hungry, blood thirsty monarch, with ethnic cleansing views similar to Hitler? That would be open to interpretation, and Gortner uses his research to try and portray Isabella in a more positive light. The story takes us through four parts, which were all discussed during the HF-Connection Read-along so I feel like I may be repeating myself here.
Using a first person perspective the author attempts to humanize Isabella as she deals with both political and marital conflict. I felt that with the many names coming and going, Carillo, Villena, Chacon, it may have been easier to get a full-figured view of the time period if we were able to see it through someone else's eyes and feel more of a sense of the political upheaval as well. Instead, using first person view of Isabella we are limited to her actions, thoughts and fears, which sometimes made me feel like I was trying peer through the haze to gather what was really happening elsewhere in the opposing factions/realms.
However, the author was not writing a historical novel regarding the period of Isabella, he was writing a novel on the character of Isabella. He does a great job of offering a glimpse of what could have been going through her head at various times, and we witness Isabella's transformation from young adult to wife and ruler. My favorite parts were the beginning, where Isabella is developing her relationships with her brother Alfonso, and half-brother Enrique. Those relationships helped humanize Isabella in my eyes, as I could see Isabella loved Alfonso very much and was willing to wait for Enrique's reign to be over before she reached for the throne of Castile. Another relationship (but ended up being a bit anti-climactic) was the fate of Juana la Beltraneja, the issue of Enrique's wife who was considered illegitimate. The political turmoil between the family and their advisers was well portrayed and I was eager to read how it would play out.
An underlying theme is Fernando and Isabella's marriage, going through the motions of the begetting of heirs for their realm in hopes of solidifying future political alliances. The other theme is the aspect of religion and how Isabella's beliefs helped shape her life and therefore how she governed. However, Gortner shows that Isabella did not make the important decisions on her own, as she had several people close to her that she listened to. He attempts to show Isabella as very reluctant to be the Inquisitor, and suggests that perhaps it is Fernando who had more religious zeal. The aspect of religion and the ultimate belief that all things are done for God and in His name is another important topic to consider when learning of Isabella's actions. The horrors inflicted on her people can be seen as a casualty of war, as she was on a mission to save her soul as well as her people. And to be fair, Isabella was one woman, and a product of her times. Her decisions were not her own.
This is a satisfying read for those who are interested in seeing a characterization of Isabella that possibly offers clues to why she made the epic decisions that she did, especially in regards to the persecution of her people. I am a reader who has to like a main character in order to fully enjoy a book, and I am predisposed to disliking Isabella. I wanted to be able to love this passionate Isabella, but I still wasn't able to in the end. There were many battles and struggles going on around Isabella which became a major thrust of the novel, and this helps portray the image of Isabella as a Warrior Queen, even though it was Fernando who was doing most of the battle organizing. The politics of the era are another major theme to the novel, and I found the Spanish maneuverings and battles for control of cities slightly confusing as there was a lot of this carried out throughout the novel.
However, Isabella exhibited tenacity, passion for her causes, and love for her family and Gortner does a thorough job of portraying these characteristics throughout the novel. My favorite scenes were those that focused around her children, and how she interacted with her children. I wish there were more towards the end of the book that focused on the marriage, but that too was overshadowed with the political upheaval and the conquests. I also loved Isabella's maid, Beatriz, who came in and out of the story.
One of the children that Tudor fans should recognize would be her daughter Catalina/Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII of England. Another daughter is Juana de Loca/Juana the Mad, who was a subject of Gortner's novel The Last Queen, which I enjoyed and recommend. I recently conducted an interview with the author regarding his research on Isabella and writing this book, which can be found here.
Along the same theme, I have to recommend Mitchell James Kaplan's novel By Fire, By Water, which was a favorite of mine. It features Luis de Santangel, a character who was also mentioned in The Queen's Vow as he becomes entrenched on both sides of the Spanish Inquisition. For those who have read The Queen's Vow and would like to comment on many of the topics related to the book, feel free to comment on any of the discussion posts of the read along.
The story of Queen Isabel of Castile. Show she unlikely rise to queen, the unification of Castile and Aragon, and the wars to expunge the Moors.