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niori_1709Given how often I review a book about them, I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I had the opinion that the Tudors were the most interesting historical family out there. While I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that, I would like to point out there are many others, especially in British history. One of those was the Plantagenets, which is directly before and led to the Tudor line. Of course, when I saw it was my favourite historical fiction author who was writing a series about them, I was all over that.
In order to understand The White Queen, you need to at least catch up on the basics of the War of the Roses. Two royal families -Lancaster and York- were fighting over the English throne. There's a lot to go into, but what's most important to this book is Elizabeth of Lancaster, for she's the main character. It begins with one of her defining moments- recently widowed, knowing her side is going to lose, she sets up a 'chance' meeting with the York king, Edward IV to ask for leniency for her family. Edward is impressed with her bravery, and it goes further than that. Edward falls in love and they marry in secret. Surprising no one, that comes back to haunt them. When the Yorks win, Elizabeth becomes Queen, a title she needs to keep fighting for when people from all sides questions its legitimacy. By the end, with Edward dead and her basically trapped under sanctuary in a church, we see her suffer through what has become one of the major mysteries of English history- what happened to her sons, the princes in the tower?
As always, Gregory delivers on an amazing look at the politics that shaped the day. She gives us a character that is trapped in those politics, and yet is doing everything to not only survive, but come out on top. Elizabeth, for all her success and failures, is still able to play the game beautifully. The politicking, surrounded by the drama and romance, makes this a great story. The Tudors are great, but the Plantagenets are just as dramatic and intriguing. They created just as much of an uproar and shaped just as many powerful players. I highly suggest looking into them, and The White Queen is a great, entertaining starting point.
In order to understand The White Queen, you need to at least catch up on the basics of the War of the Roses. Two royal families -Lancaster and York- were fighting over the English throne. There's a lot to go into, but what's most important to this book is Elizabeth of Lancaster, for she's the main character. It begins with one of her defining moments- recently widowed, knowing her side is going to lose, she sets up a 'chance' meeting with the York king, Edward IV to ask for leniency for her family. Edward is impressed with her bravery, and it goes further than that. Edward falls in love and they marry in secret. Surprising no one, that comes back to haunt them. When the Yorks win, Elizabeth becomes Queen, a title she needs to keep fighting for when people from all sides questions its legitimacy. By the end, with Edward dead and her basically trapped under sanctuary in a church, we see her suffer through what has become one of the major mysteries of English history- what happened to her sons, the princes in the tower?
As always, Gregory delivers on an amazing look at the politics that shaped the day. She gives us a character that is trapped in those politics, and yet is doing everything to not only survive, but come out on top. Elizabeth, for all her success and failures, is still able to play the game beautifully. The politicking, surrounded by the drama and romance, makes this a great story. The Tudors are great, but the Plantagenets are just as dramatic and intriguing. They created just as much of an uproar and shaped just as many powerful players. I highly suggest looking into them, and The White Queen is a great, entertaining starting point.
