Historical Fiction

A nice historical romp through the first part of the War of the Roses - very well written, mostly accurate where accuracy was possible and for the first two thirds a real page turner. Interestingly the story starts staggering when the real fighting action starts, probably due to the narrators point of view being maintained, and she didn't see a lot of the fighting. But good enought to put the second book in the series on my to read list. ( )

1435 Rouen. Jacquetta Luxembourg, left wealthy widow when husband Duke of Bedford died. The Duke's squire Richard Woodville is her only friend. They welcome lovers and marry. they return to England to Lancaster court, where she becomes with King Henry Vi's wife Margaret of Anjou.Jacquetta has 'sight', but not able to foretell from it. It is a turbulent period of war between the House of Lancaster and York. Bloody and vicious. J&R have 14 children, Elizabeth (the eldest) marries Sir John Grey of Groby and then King Edward IV (secretly). It is difficult to step too the period when witchcraft an alchemy was active and feared which makes the narrative more fokelore than totally convincing. ( )

Review Pending ( )

My first introduction to Philippa Gregory was rather lukewarm. The subject was fascinating, and the characters were intriguing. However, the narrator, Jacquetta, is rather generic. Compared to her contemporaries, Jacquetta didn't get to make a lot of interesting decisions. She witnesses the chaos unfolding around her and guides us through it, all while lamenting her husband's dangerous profession. That, and she's pregnant A LOT.

The sympathetic portrayal of Margaret of Anjou was fresh, and I wish the story had been told from her perspective rather than her friend Jacquetta, whom both good and bad things happen to seemingly by accident.

But, if you like reading about interesting events and drawing your own conclusions rather than following a complex and interesting narrator, this is the book for you. ( )