booktalkwithkarla 's review for:

The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

4.5

emotional informative medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Hannah has the gift of Sight and a storied childhood - her mother was killed in the Inquisition and she and her father fled Spain to safety in England. When she is only a young teen she is called into royal service because of her gift. Hannah travels in royal circles, witnessing the deception and realities of court (and sharing them with us). 

Philippa Gregory writes compelling historical fiction and has the awards and reputation to  prove it. I knew I would like this and I did. I was fascinated by the real players in the 1500s and also by the fictional Hannah and her growth from young teen to woman. This novel has everything you would expect of a royal family story. What I did not expect was to care so deeply about Hannah and what happened to her. 

I enjoyed reading this at the beach. Great one for fans of historical fiction.