saralynnburnett 's review for:

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory

2.0

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I normally really enjoy Philippa Gregory books - they are brain candy for me - light summer beach reads, something to easily get into after a long day at work, but this one was not as good as her other novels. It follows the story of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, from the time she is a child up until the time that Henry takes the throne. This is the second of the 'Cousins War' novels (I haven't read the others) and focuses on the house rivalries between York and Tudor. The story is told from Margaret's point of view, which I think is one of its downfalls because you really start to hate this character and you start to hate her pretty early on in the book. She's too religious, too devious, self-rightous, and not at all personable. I really wish I had liked this more because it is one of the most interesting times of British history, but it was just ok. I will, however, still be reading the other two in the trilogy as I hear they are much better!