Book Review: The Queen's Fool

Author:Phillipa Gregory
Title: The Queen's Fool
Publisher: Touchstone
Publish Date: February 3, 2004
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.

It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.

Teeming with vibrant period detail and peopled by characters seamlessly woven into the sweeping tapestry of history, The Queen's Fool is another rich and emotionally resonant gem from this wonderful storyteller.

Review: Phillipa Gregory is one of my go to's when it comes to historical fiction. I'm slowly working my way through the Tudor saga, albeit out of order. The Queen's Fool spans two monarchies, the reign of King Edward and the reign of Queen Mary, aka Bloody Mary.

The main players in this saga are a young Jewish girl, Hannah, who has to keep her faith hidden, Queen Mary and Robert Dudley. (You know, Dudley...the next Queen's favorite). I had a very hard time warming up to Hannah. There was something about her I just couldn't like. I'm not sure if it was the casual way she left her father and her betrothed, or her crush on Robert Dudley.

She became the King's fool when Dudley came into her father's shop and she saw an angel walking behind him. That moment sets the scene for the next several years of her life, which are spent as a Holy Fool for King  and then to the Catholic Queen Mary.

There's a lot I loved about this book and a lot that I didn't.

Loves:

1. It was nice to see Queen Mary portrayed in a sympathetic fashion. I liked that there was a reasoning for her actions as her reign went on.

2. I liked getting a glimpse of the lives of some other major players in the Tudor era, like Dudley and John Dee.

3. I also liked that it was told from a different religious perspective. You had the Spanish Inquisition which Hannah and her family were fleeing to the issues of Catholicism and The Church Of England.

Things I didn't like so much:

1. The portrayal of the young Princess Elizabeth. I think Gregory doesn't like Queen Bess. She pretty much portrayed her as a scheming slut from the moment the book starts.

2. Hannah's relationship with Daniel. Does she or doesn't she want to be his wife. Their whole love just seems so off, like it had to be written so that she wouldn't change the course of history too much.

3. You never really figure out which Queen she favors. You get the impression she really loves Queen Mary, but at some times she leans toward Princess Elizabeth, and the way the characters are written, I think it would be terribly hard to serve them both.

Rating: 4 flowers

Crazy Book Tours Book Review: The Lady Of The Rivers

Author: Philippa Gregory
Title: The Lady of the Rivers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: September 15, 2011
Source: Crazy Book Tours
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Descended from Melusina, the river goddess, Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death at the hands of the English rulers of France. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream.
Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.

The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of royal rivals. Not even their courage and loyalty can keep the House of Lancaster on the throne. Henry the king slides into a mysterious sleep; Margaret the queen turns to untrustworthy favorites for help; and Richard, Duke of York, threatens to overturn the whole kingdom for his rival dynasty.

Jacquetta fights for her king, her queen, and for her daughter Elizabeth for whom Jacquetta can sense an extraordinary and unexpected future: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York.

A sweeping, powerful story rich in passion and legend and drawing on years of research, The Lady of the Rivers tells the story of the real-life mother of the white queen.


Review: I haven't read a Phillipa Gregory book in ages, even though every book she's written is either on my TBR pile or on my Nook. The Lady of the River might not be the best book to pick up if you haven't read any of her other novels before. The beginning drags a bit and if you aren't used to this kind of historical fiction, you may be tempted to put the book down.

Don't do that. You'll miss out.

Gregory focuses on witchcraft which is something that figures into Jacquetta's life. This book ties in with The White Queen and The Red Queen, which you'll want to read after this one.

The thing that I like the most about any book by Phillipa Gregory, is her ability to take you back in time with her characters. You are there with Jacquetta. Her writing pulls you in to the story, and though this book isn't as good as any in the Boleyn series, it is still worth reading if you have a love for historical fiction. Gregory is a master at her genre, much like Jean Plaidy.

When you put down this book, you'll have not only read a good story, but you'll have learned something too.

Rating: 4 flowers