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A review by cakt1991
The Eyes of the Queen by Oliver Clements
3.0
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Eyes of the Queen intrigued me, as a fan of the Tudors, and I was particularly interested in how Sir Francis Walsingham’s spy ring, which I knew a little bit about, served as a predecessor to the modern MI6 in the UK today.
On the positive side, it’s absolutely gritty and atmospheric, capturing the dark and treacherous nature of the later Elizabethan age, with Elizabeth fearing attack from Spain and Mary, the former Queen of Scots being imprisoned, yet being still a threat as the most likely heir to the throne and one who the Catholics already view as the rightful Queen, with Elizabeth being the usurper. It was fascinating to see the trust Elizabeth put in Walsingham and John Dee in these times to take on these conflicts covertly.
Other aspects, however, was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I did more or less enjoy how some of the major characters were written, especially the charismatic John Dee. However, I object to the sexualized nature of Queen Mary’s portrayal, with nymphomania and sex toys and whatnot, as it just seems like a pathetic way to blacken the name of woman who was considered “the enemy,” when her mere blood connection and documented rash actions should have been enough.
It also felt more thrilling because the period itself had a lot of darkness and danger to it, not because the plot itself was particularly suspenseful. And when a lot of the historical record makes a lot of it a foregone conclusion, that doesn’t help. I did enjoy seeing the founding of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, however.
This series is a good idea, but I don’t know if it reached its full potential as a truly gripping spy thriller. I did love most of the historical bits, and I think fellow Tudor/Elizabethan aficionados will also enjoy this.
The Eyes of the Queen intrigued me, as a fan of the Tudors, and I was particularly interested in how Sir Francis Walsingham’s spy ring, which I knew a little bit about, served as a predecessor to the modern MI6 in the UK today.
On the positive side, it’s absolutely gritty and atmospheric, capturing the dark and treacherous nature of the later Elizabethan age, with Elizabeth fearing attack from Spain and Mary, the former Queen of Scots being imprisoned, yet being still a threat as the most likely heir to the throne and one who the Catholics already view as the rightful Queen, with Elizabeth being the usurper. It was fascinating to see the trust Elizabeth put in Walsingham and John Dee in these times to take on these conflicts covertly.
Other aspects, however, was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I did more or less enjoy how some of the major characters were written, especially the charismatic John Dee. However, I object to the sexualized nature of Queen Mary’s portrayal, with nymphomania and sex toys and whatnot, as it just seems like a pathetic way to blacken the name of woman who was considered “the enemy,” when her mere blood connection and documented rash actions should have been enough.
It also felt more thrilling because the period itself had a lot of darkness and danger to it, not because the plot itself was particularly suspenseful. And when a lot of the historical record makes a lot of it a foregone conclusion, that doesn’t help. I did enjoy seeing the founding of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, however.
This series is a good idea, but I don’t know if it reached its full potential as a truly gripping spy thriller. I did love most of the historical bits, and I think fellow Tudor/Elizabethan aficionados will also enjoy this.