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A review by abookishaffair
The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner
4.0
I didn't know much about Isabel of Castile before I read this book. Here's what I knew:
She and King Ferdinand were the ones that financed Columbus' misadventure to the West Indies.
I was familiar with two out of her children. First, I knew of Joanna the Mad (also called Juana), who was considered crazy. Second, I knew of Catherine of Aragon, who went on to become King Henry the VIII of England's first wife.
I knew about the involvement with the Spanish Inquisition.
It was fascinating to get to know more about this queen. I didn't realize that before the reign of Ferdinand and Isabel that Spain was not fully unified. I knew that they came from different kingdoms but I didn't realize there was so much separation. I liked the relationship between Ferdinand and Isabel. They really love each other and because they come from separate kingdoms, their love is forbidden; however, they're able to marry and they lay the groundwork for a Spanish reunification.
There was so much going on in Spain during this time. It was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone who was at the forefront of so many of the decisions. It was very interesting to me to see how Ferdinand and Isabel's reign worked. They seemed to be very much on equal footing when it comes to making the rules.
This will be the second C.W. Gortner book. I love his writing because he does such a good job of getting into the brain of his characters and really making you, the reader, feel what the character is seeing. You begin to feel like you could be friends with the characters because you get to know them that well.
Bottom line: This is a great book with vivid descriptions. It's perfect for all you historical fiction lovers out there!
She and King Ferdinand were the ones that financed Columbus' misadventure to the West Indies.
I was familiar with two out of her children. First, I knew of Joanna the Mad (also called Juana), who was considered crazy. Second, I knew of Catherine of Aragon, who went on to become King Henry the VIII of England's first wife.
I knew about the involvement with the Spanish Inquisition.
It was fascinating to get to know more about this queen. I didn't realize that before the reign of Ferdinand and Isabel that Spain was not fully unified. I knew that they came from different kingdoms but I didn't realize there was so much separation. I liked the relationship between Ferdinand and Isabel. They really love each other and because they come from separate kingdoms, their love is forbidden; however, they're able to marry and they lay the groundwork for a Spanish reunification.
There was so much going on in Spain during this time. It was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone who was at the forefront of so many of the decisions. It was very interesting to me to see how Ferdinand and Isabel's reign worked. They seemed to be very much on equal footing when it comes to making the rules.
This will be the second C.W. Gortner book. I love his writing because he does such a good job of getting into the brain of his characters and really making you, the reader, feel what the character is seeing. You begin to feel like you could be friends with the characters because you get to know them that well.
Bottom line: This is a great book with vivid descriptions. It's perfect for all you historical fiction lovers out there!