There’s no such thing as real loyalty it’s every man, and every woman, out for him/herself. There’s a huge cast of characters, and it’s full of backbiting, revenge, disinheriting, and infighting, as well as intricate plotting and planning and twisting. It’s not a pretty book - they don’t call this the Cousins War for nothing - or a simple one. They eventually marry, in secret, and when Edward finally fights his way to the kingship, she becomes queen. The White Queen is the story of Elizabeth Woodville, a widow whose husband fought against Edward of York, and who fell in love with Edward after meeting him to appeal the loss of her lands to her former mother-in-law. Since I knew absolutely nothing about that family, historically speaking, I was starting from scratch, both in terms of expectations as well as information. Philippa Gregory takes leave of the Tudors, and turns her more than capable gaze to the family that preceded them: the Plantagenets. The book delivered two of the four, plus lots of fighting, scheming and plotting, so in the end, I’m not disappointed. I have to admit, first off, that I picked up this book looking for something sweeping, something grand, something intricate, and yes, something slightly skanky.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |