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A review by liz_ross
Filipa de Lencastre: A Rainha Que Mudou Portugal by Isabel Stilwell
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I am definitely not mourning the death of a character that had obviously to die at the end. Obviously I am not stupid enough to get emotionally destroyed by the death of the one character that even if you know nothing about Philippa's life, you knew that was going to die at the end.
Oh gosh, who am I kidding? Yes, I am mourning her death. Yes, I am emotionally destroyed. Yes, I am in ghr very beginning of the first reading slump of the year, because there's absolutely no way I will want to read anything after the beautiful ending of this book. AND I AM FINE WITH THAT. WHAT I AM NOT FINE WITH IS PHILIPPA'S DEATH.
The book is beautiful. A romance, there's no doubts about that much - I don't think I have ever seen so many arraged marriages that work out so well together in the same book. But I don't think I would have wanted it in any other way. I knew I was coming for a romanticized version of History and I don't leave disappointed. That's what I got and it was beautiful and I will be forever in love with this Stilwell's version of D. João I, Philippa of Lancaster, John of Gaunt and all the other characters.
I felt in love with the characters, just as I felt in love with the writing style and the story. Real characters mixed with fictional ones, in a story that could very much be the reality (with a little too much love, but what's life without love?!). The devotion of Philippa, the sweet gestures of D. João, the pride and greed of a John of Gaunt so deeply in love with Katherine, the bounds and relationships between friends and sisters and brothers that are to die for.
All I wish was more time. Why had time to go by so fast? Why not give a few more glimpses of these extraordinary characters in each year? Longer chaprers, more chapters. I don't care. I would have read a book twice the size of this one if I could get that. The writing style is definitely good enough for that.
And a bit more emotion, which would have definitely been possible with more time, to show how the deaths affected everyone, specially Phillipa, who loved so deeply and yet couldn't show it. I am not asking for tears, that's not who Phillipa was, but the description of pure motherly fear for Afonso that allowed her to forget protocole, the pain she felt when Blanche died, all the three Blanches. More of that, more time to see her dealing with that. That's all I wish I could have had.
And more of João and Philippa, because they were so ridiculously sweet and a part of me knows the real João and Philippa couldn't have been really like this, but I just don't care. Stilwell makes it all sound credible, makes me believe it and so I will believe it, because it makes me happy, thank you.
More things I can't forget when I write this review? The predictions, in the stars, which fits so well the book about the mother of the generation that guiding themselves by the stars built an Empire, and from the gypsy - I know deep down they were unlikely to have happened, but one can always dream and it would have been so good. Also my undying love for this absolutely gorgeous ending that couldn't have been better - but I think I had already mentioned that along with my stupidity for allowing myself to love so much the one woman I knew that couldn't be alive at the end of this book, hadn't I? Oh well, now I mentioned it again, which is fine, because, trust me, this ending? GORGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL.
Full review coming soon (yes, this is not my review, just a long description of my love for this book that feels my heart with joy)!
Oh gosh, who am I kidding? Yes, I am mourning her death. Yes, I am emotionally destroyed. Yes, I am in ghr very beginning of the first reading slump of the year, because there's absolutely no way I will want to read anything after the beautiful ending of this book. AND I AM FINE WITH THAT. WHAT I AM NOT FINE WITH IS PHILIPPA'S DEATH.
The book is beautiful. A romance, there's no doubts about that much - I don't think I have ever seen so many arraged marriages that work out so well together in the same book. But I don't think I would have wanted it in any other way. I knew I was coming for a romanticized version of History and I don't leave disappointed. That's what I got and it was beautiful and I will be forever in love with this Stilwell's version of D. João I, Philippa of Lancaster, John of Gaunt and all the other characters.
I felt in love with the characters, just as I felt in love with the writing style and the story. Real characters mixed with fictional ones, in a story that could very much be the reality (with a little too much love, but what's life without love?!). The devotion of Philippa, the sweet gestures of D. João, the pride and greed of a John of Gaunt so deeply in love with Katherine, the bounds and relationships between friends and sisters and brothers that are to die for.
All I wish was more time. Why had time to go by so fast? Why not give a few more glimpses of these extraordinary characters in each year? Longer chaprers, more chapters. I don't care. I would have read a book twice the size of this one if I could get that. The writing style is definitely good enough for that.
And a bit more emotion, which would have definitely been possible with more time, to show how the deaths affected everyone, specially Phillipa, who loved so deeply and yet couldn't show it. I am not asking for tears, that's not who Phillipa was, but the description of pure motherly fear for Afonso that allowed her to forget protocole, the pain she felt when Blanche died, all the three Blanches. More of that, more time to see her dealing with that. That's all I wish I could have had.
And more of João and Philippa, because they were so ridiculously sweet and a part of me knows the real João and Philippa couldn't have been really like this, but I just don't care. Stilwell makes it all sound credible, makes me believe it and so I will believe it, because it makes me happy, thank you.
More things I can't forget when I write this review? The predictions, in the stars, which fits so well the book about the mother of the generation that guiding themselves by the stars built an Empire, and from the gypsy - I know deep down they were unlikely to have happened, but one can always dream and it would have been so good. Also my undying love for this absolutely gorgeous ending that couldn't have been better - but I think I had already mentioned that along with my stupidity for allowing myself to love so much the one woman I knew that couldn't be alive at the end of this book, hadn't I? Oh well, now I mentioned it again, which is fine, because, trust me, this ending? GORGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL.
Full review coming soon (yes, this is not my review, just a long description of my love for this book that feels my heart with joy)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Rape