I was so excited when this book arrived in my mailbox a couple of days ago. This is the first book for review I have received, so thank you so much to the people at Simon & Schuster. I have read most of Philippa Gregory's books and have enjoyed them all. The second book in the Cousins War series, The Red Queen tells the story of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII. By the age of 14, she has been married twice and given birth to a son. Through all of her trials, she keeps her faith that God has a plan for her and her son.
I really enjoyed The Red Queen. However, I think I liked it's predecessor The White Queen a little better, if only because of the main characters. Margaret Beaufort is so sure that God has a plan for her and her son, and that is all that she thinks about. She is a very unlikable character. She is so full of ambition and does a tremendous amount of scheming to get her son on the throne. At first I felt sorry for her for being pushed into marriage so young, but as the book went on, I felt she deserved what she got. The story is well told and well imagined. As usual, I liked the meticulous research and detail that went into the book. The Red Queen is a typical Philippa Gregory book, but that is not a bad thing. I like that she is getting away from the Tudor era that she previously wrote about. I also like that we are "getting to know" these lesser known figures in history. I have enjoyed her books so much, that by know I will read just about anything she writes as soon as it comes out.
**FTC: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I really really really want this book .. I have SO many in my TBR pile, but I know that if this one were just to magically show up in my mailbox for review, I'd have to put it in front of the line! LOL! Anyway, great review!
ReplyDeleteJulie @ Knitting and Sundries
I've only read one book by Gregory, Boleyn Inheritance, before and I've to say that her style of writing really intrigue me. I have the White Queen on my shelf at the moment and I'm thoroughly glad to hear that you enjoyed that book as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. I haven't read anything by Gregory yet, but this series is sure tempting me!
ReplyDeleteI just finished this book today and am in the process of writing my review for it. I haven't read The White Queen yet but I plan to. These historical novels are really interesting!
ReplyDeleteI hope it's okay if I post a link to your review when I post mine? If not, let me know. Thanks!
Myckyee- Go ahead, no problem. You should definitely read The White Queen. Send me your link when you write your review. I like reading what other people think about the books I've read.
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