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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I usually have a hard time with fiction based on historical figures, as they always make painful mistakes. This novel did a great job at balancing Isabella's less-then-wonderful decisions with understandable motivations of a dedicated queen.
While this is a good book, purposefully changing historical facts to suit the story is irresponsible for a writer of historical fiction. As the author admits at the end of the book, he did change certain things and some of the language was historically inaccurate. It was, however, an excellent book, very well written. I just wish the author didn't take such liberties with history.
I used to think I liked this book, but after however many reads this was (fourth? fifth?), it just doesn't have the pizzazz anymore.
It did, however, make me think of this (which I posted to Facebook):
It did, however, make me think of this (which I posted to Facebook):
Jesus was a Jew, but the Christians killed the Jews for executing him.
That's like spraying weed killer around a beautiful flower and not being able to figure out why you can't get any more flowers out of that patch.
Fascinating Queen, So-So Book
In the author’s afterward, C. W. Gortner explains that she wanted this book to help readers better understand the contradictions that are so intrinsic to Isabella of Castile (Spain). But I think she did so with only marginal success.
Isabella (one half of the Ferdinand and Isabella duo you probably learned about in elementary school) was certainly one of the most notable rulers in western history. And her accomplishments clearly speak to a visionary monarch who, on the one hand, possesses a deep regard for knowledge and progress, but, on the other, is capable of the most brutal persecution of her own people.
Just consider:
* Isabella inherited the kingdom of Castile in her own right — unusual for a woman in the 1400s.
* She managed to outmaneuver powerful advisors and multiple political efforts to keep her from the throne.
* She chose her own husband, Ferdinand of Aragon— virtually unheard on for any woman at this time, let alone a princess.
* She inherited and then transformed a fractured kingdom dominated by powerful nobles into one of the great world powers of the time.
* With her marriage to Ferdinand, she unified the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile into what we now know as Spain.
* She mandated learning for women, opened many new centers for education, and used the new printing press to extend access to books to her citizens.
* She formulated battle strategies that eventually led the once-powerful Moors to leave her country.
* A devoutly religious woman, Isabella resurrected the Spanish Inquisition to weed out non-Christians in her realm, earning special recognition from the Pope.
* Despite a long history of borrowing from Jewish moneylenders to finance wars and even an elaborate trousseau for her daughter, she issued an edict in 1492 to expel the Jews from Spain.
* She funded Christopher Columbus’s journey to the New World.
Quite a fascinating woman! But while Gortner lays out the contradictions that form Isabella’s legacy, for me, she never presents a satisfactory psychological explanation for them. Too much of the book was devoted to tedious battle detail and not enough about what was happening in the mind of Isabella. I take away a strong female monarch who exercised power in a male-dominated world. I see a wife who deeply loved her husband, despite his philandering. And I see a woman who was, in many ways, ahead of her time. But at the end of the book, I don’t feel I understand Isabella much better
In the author’s afterward, C. W. Gortner explains that she wanted this book to help readers better understand the contradictions that are so intrinsic to Isabella of Castile (Spain). But I think she did so with only marginal success.
Isabella (one half of the Ferdinand and Isabella duo you probably learned about in elementary school) was certainly one of the most notable rulers in western history. And her accomplishments clearly speak to a visionary monarch who, on the one hand, possesses a deep regard for knowledge and progress, but, on the other, is capable of the most brutal persecution of her own people.
Just consider:
* Isabella inherited the kingdom of Castile in her own right — unusual for a woman in the 1400s.
* She managed to outmaneuver powerful advisors and multiple political efforts to keep her from the throne.
* She chose her own husband, Ferdinand of Aragon— virtually unheard on for any woman at this time, let alone a princess.
* She inherited and then transformed a fractured kingdom dominated by powerful nobles into one of the great world powers of the time.
* With her marriage to Ferdinand, she unified the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile into what we now know as Spain.
* She mandated learning for women, opened many new centers for education, and used the new printing press to extend access to books to her citizens.
* She formulated battle strategies that eventually led the once-powerful Moors to leave her country.
* A devoutly religious woman, Isabella resurrected the Spanish Inquisition to weed out non-Christians in her realm, earning special recognition from the Pope.
* Despite a long history of borrowing from Jewish moneylenders to finance wars and even an elaborate trousseau for her daughter, she issued an edict in 1492 to expel the Jews from Spain.
* She funded Christopher Columbus’s journey to the New World.
Quite a fascinating woman! But while Gortner lays out the contradictions that form Isabella’s legacy, for me, she never presents a satisfactory psychological explanation for them. Too much of the book was devoted to tedious battle detail and not enough about what was happening in the mind of Isabella. I take away a strong female monarch who exercised power in a male-dominated world. I see a wife who deeply loved her husband, despite his philandering. And I see a woman who was, in many ways, ahead of her time. But at the end of the book, I don’t feel I understand Isabella much better
3.5 stars. Review of the audio book, read by Rosalyn Landor.
Rosalyn Landor is a good narrator but I think her voice was too old for the majority of this book. It wasn’t until the last…10%, maybe even 5% that her voice seemed to fit Isabella’s character in my mind.
Beyond that, this was probably my least favorite of Gortner’s books that I’ve read. I’m not really sure why but the only time I was truly interested was when Columbus came into the plot. And that was not much at all.
Isabella is truly a fascinating historical character and I did like this take on her. But yeah, it just didn’t grab me.
Rosalyn Landor is a good narrator but I think her voice was too old for the majority of this book. It wasn’t until the last…10%, maybe even 5% that her voice seemed to fit Isabella’s character in my mind.
Beyond that, this was probably my least favorite of Gortner’s books that I’ve read. I’m not really sure why but the only time I was truly interested was when Columbus came into the plot. And that was not much at all.
Isabella is truly a fascinating historical character and I did like this take on her. But yeah, it just didn’t grab me.
I had planned on finishing this ages ago, as I normally read fast and have the time to do so. Unfortunately, so far this school year, I have not had any time to read - like at all. Between schoolwork, NHS applications, dance, and then my migraines and sickness this past week, I had not the energy to pick up The Queen's Vow for more than a page of reading.
Anyway, contrary to belief, it did not take me long to finish this novel because I did not like it; in fact, I loved it. Though I am not a big fan of Spanish history, and possibly even less interested in her monarchs, I was semi-excited to get my hands on C.W. Gortner's new historical fiction novel. I am a huge fan of his writings and, after reading The Confessions of Catherine de Medici (which is probably a favourite of mine), wanted to read this just as much.
I loved it. Gortner's portrayal of Isabel of Castille was brilliant, along with the other historical aspects - her husband Fernendo, the crusade against the Moors in Spain, the Inquisition, her fight for her throne against her half-brother, etc. And, I have to say, Isabel was every bit of the warrior-queen she was called back in her reign. She was an amazing woman and queen, and fought to do what was best for her country no matter what. Isabel was a great queen of Spain, despite some people's aversions to her actions/ methods.
C.W. Gortner's novel was amazing and rich - full of history and a wonderful, inspiring woman, whom I admire and look forward to reading and learning more about.
Anyway, contrary to belief, it did not take me long to finish this novel because I did not like it; in fact, I loved it. Though I am not a big fan of Spanish history, and possibly even less interested in her monarchs, I was semi-excited to get my hands on C.W. Gortner's new historical fiction novel. I am a huge fan of his writings and, after reading The Confessions of Catherine de Medici (which is probably a favourite of mine), wanted to read this just as much.
I loved it. Gortner's portrayal of Isabel of Castille was brilliant, along with the other historical aspects - her husband Fernendo, the crusade against the Moors in Spain, the Inquisition, her fight for her throne against her half-brother, etc. And, I have to say, Isabel was every bit of the warrior-queen she was called back in her reign. She was an amazing woman and queen, and fought to do what was best for her country no matter what. Isabel was a great queen of Spain, despite some people's aversions to her actions/ methods.
C.W. Gortner's novel was amazing and rich - full of history and a wonderful, inspiring woman, whom I admire and look forward to reading and learning more about.
I'm debating the three stars for this one and might change it later.
As a purely fun historical fiction romp, "The Queen's Vow" is partially successful. It has some nice little drama going on in the court of Castile, the tumultuous marriage of Fernando and Isabella (which was not nearly dramatic, I suspect, in reality). C.W. Gortner does a good job of layering on that constant worry over an heir, the travails of la Beltraneja and the threat she stood (though he tended towards some awful misogyny when it came to la Beltraneja's mother, Queen Juana--but then in my opinion Juana may have made a better subject than Isabella so...).
Here's the thing: Isabella, or Isabel of Castile is a really difficult subject to tackle. She's kind of like a Catherine de Medici (another topic of Gortner's) but with better publicity. At one point in time the Vatican was considering canonizing her, though I'm not sure if that's still A Thing. We in America always hear about Isabella generously funding Columbus's voyage; we even had a postage stamp commemorating this Spanish queen.
I would never say that Isabella wasn't a remarkable woman. So was Catherine de Medici. Neither of these women, however, were what we would call "good people" by today's standards. Fernando and Isabella committed what can amount to something of a genocide, exiling and converting Spanish Jews and Muslims. Isabella was a religious fanatic. (This zeal would be passed down to her daughter, devout Catholic Catherine of Aragon.) Somehow, Gortner manages to completely gloss over Isabella's fanaticism in what I can only assume was an attempt to make her more relatable. She was fierce; she had fangs. And here he goes declawing her!
There are also some other more minor complaints, among them Gortner's insistence on making Fernando and Isabella an instant love match, even though they met at twelve and thirteen. Even though Fernando was constantly unfaithful, a fact to which Isabella was not unaware.
It's not that this is necessarily a bad novel. It just makes a lot of points of telling rather than showing and most grievously, modernizing our heroine to make her more appealing. The woman in this book is not the worse thing I've come across in historical fiction, but Isabella of Castile she is not.
As a purely fun historical fiction romp, "The Queen's Vow" is partially successful. It has some nice little drama going on in the court of Castile, the tumultuous marriage of Fernando and Isabella (which was not nearly dramatic, I suspect, in reality). C.W. Gortner does a good job of layering on that constant worry over an heir, the travails of la Beltraneja and the threat she stood (though he tended towards some awful misogyny when it came to la Beltraneja's mother, Queen Juana--but then in my opinion Juana may have made a better subject than Isabella so...).
Here's the thing: Isabella, or Isabel of Castile is a really difficult subject to tackle. She's kind of like a Catherine de Medici (another topic of Gortner's) but with better publicity. At one point in time the Vatican was considering canonizing her, though I'm not sure if that's still A Thing. We in America always hear about Isabella generously funding Columbus's voyage; we even had a postage stamp commemorating this Spanish queen.
I would never say that Isabella wasn't a remarkable woman. So was Catherine de Medici. Neither of these women, however, were what we would call "good people" by today's standards. Fernando and Isabella committed what can amount to something of a genocide, exiling and converting Spanish Jews and Muslims. Isabella was a religious fanatic. (This zeal would be passed down to her daughter, devout Catholic Catherine of Aragon.) Somehow, Gortner manages to completely gloss over Isabella's fanaticism in what I can only assume was an attempt to make her more relatable. She was fierce; she had fangs. And here he goes declawing her!
There are also some other more minor complaints, among them Gortner's insistence on making Fernando and Isabella an instant love match, even though they met at twelve and thirteen. Even though Fernando was constantly unfaithful, a fact to which Isabella was not unaware.
It's not that this is necessarily a bad novel. It just makes a lot of points of telling rather than showing and most grievously, modernizing our heroine to make her more appealing. The woman in this book is not the worse thing I've come across in historical fiction, but Isabella of Castile she is not.
This book was such a waste of time and I wish I could get a refund. So. Boring. Jesus.
I love a good historical fiction, and I especially wanted to branch out from the English monarchs I tend to read about. So when offered the opportunity to read The Queen’s Vow, I jumped. After all, Isabella isn’t English, and she’s the Queen who sent Christopher Columbus on his way across the ocean. Of course, she’s also the Queen who authorized the Spanish Inquisition, so I’m not overly enamored of her…
Isabella is not yet four when her father dies and her half-brother Enrique ascends to the throne. Isabella and her little brother Alfonso are hurried away for their safety, and she doesn’t return to court for nine years.
When she does, though, Isabella and her brother Alfonso are separated, and both get embroiled in court politics – by chance, association, misdirection, and even with eyes wide open. She’s loyal enough to Enrique and Spain to not want to cause trouble, but sometimes it seems as though the fates conspire against her even in that.
Isabella is a fascinating character. Sometimes she’s too melodramatic, and I have to remember she’s still just a teenager. She’s smart, devout, and opinionated. I thought it was too bad that she relinquishes a lot of her opinions to Fernando upon their marriage, because some of the decisions she made were to placate him – whereas she might have done the opposite and stood firm otherwise.
The Queen’s Vow is an engrossing tale of this fascinating Spanish Queen, and a must-read for historical fiction fans who love the time and place.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!
Isabella is not yet four when her father dies and her half-brother Enrique ascends to the throne. Isabella and her little brother Alfonso are hurried away for their safety, and she doesn’t return to court for nine years.
When she does, though, Isabella and her brother Alfonso are separated, and both get embroiled in court politics – by chance, association, misdirection, and even with eyes wide open. She’s loyal enough to Enrique and Spain to not want to cause trouble, but sometimes it seems as though the fates conspire against her even in that.
Isabella is a fascinating character. Sometimes she’s too melodramatic, and I have to remember she’s still just a teenager. She’s smart, devout, and opinionated. I thought it was too bad that she relinquishes a lot of her opinions to Fernando upon their marriage, because some of the decisions she made were to placate him – whereas she might have done the opposite and stood firm otherwise.
The Queen’s Vow is an engrossing tale of this fascinating Spanish Queen, and a must-read for historical fiction fans who love the time and place.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!