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A review by littleladyluna
The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner
4.0
Isabella was never expected to be anything more than a profitable political match for her family, but her fates changed to where she became one of the most important, and controversial, women in history. Living a life of intrigue and danger growing up in her half-brother's home, Isabella is suspected of trying to overthrow the King until she becomes heiress of Castile and one of the best matches in the country. Isabella is determined to be with the man she loves and when she and Fernando, prince of Aragon, marry, they are work to heal Spain and return her to her former glory.
As with The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, Gortner takes an infamous woman from history and brings her to life. He gives her actions justifiable reasons and makes Isabella likable and a fascinating character to read about. What I liked most about his account was that he did not gloss over her character flaws to make her sound like this pinnacle of womanly perfection, rather he took these faults and made her real. The novel was filled with historical facts and the setting was amazingly vivid. I felt as though I were there watching Isabella fear for her life, then seeing her rise to power, watching the arguments she and Fernando had but still seeing their love for each other, and watching her attempt to do what she felt was best for her kingdom. With this novel, Gortner has secured a spot on my "must read" list and I will definitely be checking out the other novels that he has written.
As with The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, Gortner takes an infamous woman from history and brings her to life. He gives her actions justifiable reasons and makes Isabella likable and a fascinating character to read about. What I liked most about his account was that he did not gloss over her character flaws to make her sound like this pinnacle of womanly perfection, rather he took these faults and made her real. The novel was filled with historical facts and the setting was amazingly vivid. I felt as though I were there watching Isabella fear for her life, then seeing her rise to power, watching the arguments she and Fernando had but still seeing their love for each other, and watching her attempt to do what she felt was best for her kingdom. With this novel, Gortner has secured a spot on my "must read" list and I will definitely be checking out the other novels that he has written.