Name: The White Queen
Rating: 3.735099337748344 (151 reviews)
ISBN: 9781416563693

Philippa Gregory

A Novel (Cousins' War)

The White Queen

The inspiration for the critically acclaimed Starz miniseries The White Queen, #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings to life the extraordinary story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman who rises from obscurity to become Queen of England, and changes the course of history forever. Elizabeth Woodville is a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition. Her mother is Jacquetta, also known as the mystical lady of the rivers, and she is even more determined to bring power and wealth to the family line. While riding in the woods one day, Elizabeth captures the attentions of the newly crowned King Edward IV and, despite her common upbringing, marries him in secret. When she is raised up to be his queen, the English court is outraged, but Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for her family’s dominance. Yet despite her best efforts, and even with the help of her mother’s powers, her two sons become pawns in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London. In this dazzling account of the deadly Wars of the Roses, brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize: the throne of England.

A Novel

Cara Stegemann

** need to add quotes to Notebook. ** <br /><br />(Please note that my reviews are intended to be notes to myself - my memory is failing, and I need reminders about books I want to reread and books I didn’t finish. My reviews are not intended to be particularly useful for other readers.)

Mary Queen of Scots struggles to rejoin her young son and regain her kingdom despite being unjustly imprisoned in northern England.

The Other Queen

I do enjoy a good Philippa Gregory novel! And I like that even though most of her books are part of a series, they can be read in any order; each works perfectly as a standalone. The Other Queen tells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, detailing the first few years of her imprisonment by Queen Elizabeth I, her bitter rival, fellow monarch and cousin, and Mary's fight to regain her throne in Scotland. 

I really could not remember that much of Mary's story going into this book, so my lack of recollection made this all the more entertaining and enthralling. That said, no one should be reading a Philippa Gregory novel for its historical accuracy. Her books are wildly entertaining and based on fact, but fiction takes over when it's more convenient for the story. 

It's clear the author had a lot of fun writing this one. We don't only follow the Queen of Scots' story; we follow George and Bess Talbot, Mary's "jailers." George is hopelessly besotted with the queen they are expected to house, yet he is constantly concerned with his honor, while his wife Bess is obsessed with the fortune she's spent a lifetime building and is afraid it will all be used for the purposes of caring for this exiled queen. Mary is focused entirely on her freedom, thinking of nothing else. 

Each character has their own quirks, which often come across as over the top or exaggerated. If I didn't know better, I'd say Gregory is going for a campy vibe with this book. And it works! It's still serious, full of plotting, secrecy and lies, yet there's a lightness to it, too. Again, one word that came to mind was camp, especially during Bess' POV chapters. Her love of money almost came across as ridiculous. In the end, though, she got her happy ending. 

Some of my earlier complaints of the author seem to be corrected here: there is so much better world building than in her other novels, as well as actions within scenes; characters aren't just statically speaking back and forth. Each of her books, as they deal with English royals, have a variety of settings, mostly different royal palaces and castles. Before, Gregory hardly bothered to differentiate between them, making it difficult for me as a reader to imagine them all in my mind without them becoming one jumbled setting. In The Other Queen, they travel to a few different locations, and each was well described. I had no trouble picturing them while reading, and I appreciated this.

I like where she chose to end the story; we don't actually get to see what becomes of Mary's fate directly. That would have made me really emotional because I grew to really enjoy Mary's character and felt for her, wishing as much for her freedom as she did. 

This book tended to be a tad bit repetitive, again with each character's obsessions addressed nearly every chapter. I did like that the three main characters took turns with their POVs, and many chapters were short, making this relatively large book go by faster. Other reviews complain about this book being too repetitive, but it makes sense: we're in the inside of these characters' minds and hearing their anxious and obsessive thoughts. 

Overall, this felt a little different than some of her other novels, and I liked those differences. While it slowed in some parts, those short chapters helped a lot. I'm glad I read this! I love Gregory's approach to history and historical fiction, and most of her books that I've read have been a real treat. This was no exception. 

Amanda

I do enjoy a good Philippa Gregory novel! And I like that even though most of her books are part of a series, they can be read in any order; each works perfectly as a standalone. The Other Queen tells the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, detailing the first few years of her imprisonment by Queen Elizabeth I, her bitter rival, fellow monarch and cousin, and Mary's fight to regain her throne in Scotland. 

I really could not remember that much of Mary's story going into this book, so my lack of recollection made this all the more entertaining and enthralling. That said, no one should be reading a Philippa Gregory novel for its historical accuracy. Her books are wildly entertaining and based on fact, but fiction takes over when it's more convenient for the story. 

It's clear the author had a lot of fun writing this one. We don't only follow the Queen of Scots' story; we follow George and Bess Talbot, Mary's "jailers." George is hopelessly besotted with the queen they are expected to house, yet he is constantly concerned with his honor, while his wife Bess is obsessed with the fortune she's spent a lifetime building and is afraid it will all be used for the purposes of caring for this exiled queen. Mary is focused entirely on her freedom, thinking of nothing else. 

Each character has their own quirks, which often come across as over the top or exaggerated. If I didn't know better, I'd say Gregory is going for a campy vibe with this book. And it works! It's still serious, full of plotting, secrecy and lies, yet there's a lightness to it, too. Again, one word that came to mind was camp, especially during Bess' POV chapters. Her love of money almost came across as ridiculous. In the end, though, she got her happy ending. 

Some of my earlier complaints of the author seem to be corrected here: there is so much better world building than in her other novels, as well as actions within scenes; characters aren't just statically speaking back and forth. Each of her books, as they deal with English royals, have a variety of settings, mostly different royal palaces and castles. Before, Gregory hardly bothered to differentiate between them, making it difficult for me as a reader to imagine them all in my mind without them becoming one jumbled setting. In The Other Queen, they travel to a few different locations, and each was well described. I had no trouble picturing them while reading, and I appreciated this.

I like where she chose to end the story; we don't actually get to see what becomes of Mary's fate directly. That would have made me really emotional because I grew to really enjoy Mary's character and felt for her, wishing as much for her freedom as she did. 

This book tended to be a tad bit repetitive, again with each character's obsessions addressed nearly every chapter. I did like that the three main characters took turns with their POVs, and many chapters were short, making this relatively large book go by faster. Other reviews complain about this book being too repetitive, but it makes sense: we're in the inside of these characters' minds and hearing their anxious and obsessive thoughts. 

Overall, this felt a little different than some of her other novels, and I liked those differences. While it slowed in some parts, those short chapters helped a lot. I'm glad I read this! I love Gregory's approach to history and historical fiction, and most of her books that I've read have been a real treat. This was no exception. 

Kellie Davis

I really enjoyed this story. I'm not a huge history buff, in fact I hate history for the most part, but this story was amazing. The author takes facts and intertwines them with fiction to the point the reader isn't sure which is which. I recommend for history lovers and none history lovers the same. Great if you love that time period.

Melissa Palmer

The inspiration for the critically acclaimed Starz miniseries The White Queen, #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings to life Margaret Beaufort, heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, who charts her way through treacherous alliances to take control of the English throne. Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her Lancaster house is the true ruler of England, and that she has a great destiny before her. Married to a man twice her age, quickly widowed, and a mother at only fourteen, Margaret is determined to turn her lonely life into a triumph. She sets her heart on putting her son on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to the little boy. Disregarding rival heirs and the overwhelming power of the York dynasty, she names him Henry, like the king; sends him into exile; and pledges him in marriage to her enemy Elizabeth of York’s daughter. As the political tides constantly move and shift, Margaret masterminds one of the greatest rebellions of all time—all the while knowing that her son has grown to manhood, recruited an army, and awaits his opportunity to win the greatest prize in all of England. The Red Queen is a novel of conspiracy, passion, and coldhearted ambition, the story of a proud and determined woman who believes that she alone is destined, by her piety and lineage, to shape the course of history.

The Red Queen

I know most people have did not like this book, but Id like to remind all of you that we shouldn't judge a book by its protagonist. 

Yes, Margaret Beaufort is probably one of the worst protagonists ever. She's cold, calculating, bitchy, self-absorbed, shallow, insecure, obsessive and most likely insane. First, she likens herself to Joan of Arc, and she truly believes she can hear God and uses Him as an excuse for her evil doings. I guess her hard childhood, which includes a horrible and uncaring mother, being married and impregnated at twelve, fatal childbirth and a loveless life is the reason for her behavior. Also, her world back then was ruthless and cold so her single minded cruelty wasnt out of place. her determination was astounding, especially the way she was willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve her goals. I dont approve of her actions, but I totally get what drove her to do them. 

But let's not ignore how Gregory kept the plot thrilling and suspenseful. Even through all the historical references, and the long conversations, I wasnt bored. Its not an easy task to tell this tale from first person. Although at the last part of the book where Margaret was in prison for a long span of time, the author switched back and forth between Henry & Margarets POV's to be able to catch up on the happenings outside, which was very awkward. We can see, though, that she truly has done her research (although some people pointed out a few historical errors). Its nice to know that the characters you've gotten attached to (yes I was attached to her, and I love her bittersweet love story with Jasper)actually were real. The delicious deceptions were mean but very clever, and most of the time I was surprised at her insecurity towards Elizabeth Woodville. That was a really huge driving force on Margaret. 

So anyway, I liked the book. Im not very partial to historical fiction, but this has me in a grip. I really want to read more about the Wars of he Roses and the Tudor Court.

I've gotten very accustomed to reading The Tudor Court series not in order, and this is my third book so far. Plus I think her narration style has changed quite a lot, and I don't mean that as a good thing. She's switched from her usual gossipy tendencies to a slower, much more serious tone. She's become more historically accurate, but she also lost the sense of thrill she usually delivers.

So far, this was the least that I liked among the three that I've read. She shifts from three point of views, but she writes them really short and quick. They're mostly the thoughts of Bess, George and Mary. It lacks dialogue for me because that's where the best parts of a story comes out, and I feel unsatisfied. Without the usual dialogues, the novel lacks thrill and adventure. The pacing was too slow for me. 

Bess of Hardwick was a great character. She's the usual heroine, strong and capable, good but not generally perfect. She's practical and straight minded, almost to the point where she cares more about her riches and lands than her husband. She's had her fair share of misfortunes, but I'm glad she got what she deserved in the end.

Mary, Queen of Scots was such a colorful character. She's deluded and because of her self righteousness, she's lost her sense of right and wrong. She's beautiful and she's full aware of how she can use it to manipulate things to her side. Her selfishness has led to many lives lost and many lives, futures and marriages ruined, for which she obviously doesn't care much for. I find her majestic and wonderful but cold and heartless. She's strong willed and refuses to give up, which eventually led to her demise.

I don't even want to talk about Bothwell. A good guy, but an idiot as well.

Also, it was lacking in a sense that she really didn't delve deeper into Bothwell and Mary's strange affair.  I was very interested in that, and because of the lack of detail, it let me confused over their relationship. I don't quite know how to feel about it. Is it romantic? strange? treacherous? Im not very sure. 

Different from usual, but still interesting and thought provoking.

I've gotten very accustomed to reading The Tudor Court series not in order, and this is my third book so far. Plus I think her narration style has changed quite a lot, and I don't mean that as a good thing. She's switched from her usual gossipy tendencies to a slower, much more serious tone. She's become more historically accurate, but she also lost the sense of thrill she usually delivers.

So far, this was the least that I liked among the three that I've read. She shifts from three point of views, but she writes them really short and quick. They're mostly the thoughts of Bess, George and Mary. It lacks dialogue for me because that's where the best parts of a story comes out, and I feel unsatisfied. Without the usual dialogues, the novel lacks thrill and adventure. The pacing was too slow for me. 

Bess of Hardwick was a great character. She's the usual heroine, strong and capable, good but not generally perfect. She's practical and straight minded, almost to the point where she cares more about her riches and lands than her husband. She's had her fair share of misfortunes, but I'm glad she got what she deserved in the end.

Mary, Queen of Scots was such a colorful character. She's deluded and because of her self righteousness, she's lost her sense of right and wrong. She's beautiful and she's full aware of how she can use it to manipulate things to her side. Her selfishness has led to many lives lost and many lives, futures and marriages ruined, for which she obviously doesn't care much for. I find her majestic and wonderful but cold and heartless. She's strong willed and refuses to give up, which eventually led to her demise.

I don't even want to talk about Bothwell. A good guy, but an idiot as well.

Also, it was lacking in a sense that she really didn't delve deeper into Bothwell and Mary's strange affair. I was very interested in that, and because of the lack of detail, it let me confused over their relationship. I don't quite know how to feel about it. Is it romantic? strange? treacherous? Im not very sure. 

Different from usual, but still interesting and thought provoking.

Internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the tumult and intrigue of The Wars of the Roses to vivid life through the women of the House of Lancaster and the House of York, beginning with the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen. A woman who won the love of a king and ascended to royalty by virtue of her beauty, Elizabeth fought tenaciously for the success of her family -- her daughter who would one day unite the warring dynasties, and her two sons whose eventual fate has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes in the Tower. An active player in the power struggles that surrounded her, she made hard and courageous choices, always trying to protect those whom she loved. Informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills, Philippa Gregory gives an unforgettable voice to an extraordinary woman at the heart of a devastating conflict.

Sarah Escorsa

I usually love Philippa Gregory's novels but this book was difficult to get into. The beginning of the book felt like a badly-written romance novel but I kept on reading because I wanted to know more about this period of English history, which I know little about. I really struggled with Gregory's writing in this novel and I found the first person/present tense combination particularly annoying. There are one or two chapters that are not told using the first person but they just seem out of place. I also found it strange that the name Plantagenet only appeared towards the end of the book, with no explanation whatsoever as to who they were (a good thing I knew about them before reading the book!). As for Elizabeth Woodville, I can't say she was quite a likable character: too ambitious, too vengeful, quite heartless except when it came to her husband. I wonder how much is fact and how much is fiction?

This turned out to be quite a disappointing read coming from Philippa Gregory and definitely my least favourite book of hers. I do plan to read 'The Red Queen' and hope it will be as good as Gregory's previous novels:)

The irresistible stars of I Must Have Bobo! return in another everyday adventure in domestic disharmony, complete with an audio recording! Willy wants to write a storybook starring Bobo—and act out revenge fantasies on Earl—but Earl keeps wrecking the story (hence the desire to act out revenge fantasies!). Quit it, Earl…and stop stealing Bobo! But sometimes it only takes a small thing to realize that even sworn enemies have something in common. For instance: Bobo and Earl both have very snakey tails! Is that a truce? Don’t count on it.

What a tedious read. I didn't dislike it as much as I did 'The White Queen' (the first instalment in 'The Cousins War' series) but I struggled to finish it. I just don't like Gregory's writing in this series and I find the first person/present tense combination particularly annoying. As far as Margaret Beaufort is concerned, her character is as unlikeable as Elizabeth Woodville's in 'The White Queen' and yes, we get it, she is obsessed with Joan of Arc and religion. Gregory develops this theme in the very first pages of the novel and then rehashes it over and over again... As the story unfolds Margaret Beaufort's character becomes increasingly annoying and, to quote the words of another reviewer, "she's chaste, she's dull, and she's mean as a wet hornet."

I had planned to read 'The Lady of the Rivers' (the third instalment in the series) but after such disappointing reads I can't say I'm anxious to do so!

Kelsi Proulx

This book was wonderful. It is my second by Gregory and I definitely intend to continue with her books. She does an excellent job of striking a balance between historical accuracy and drama/romance. Her characters are always strong and well-defined. Because of how long ago this one took place, she has stated clearly in the author's note what is fiction and what is fact. There is more fiction than average in this one because of holes in the historical record, which makes sense because of the major wars going on at the time. I would recommend this for anyone that enjoys historical fiction, but also just anyone that enjoys well-written and exciting stories.

Brittney Wilson

As always Ms. Gregory does an amazing job with her historical fiction and makes you want to study history. Great and entertaining read.

Trula Rockwell

After having watched the show before reading the book and this inspiring something that I'm writing, I have to give this a 5/5 for historical fiction that keeps my attention. Unlike my experience with my multiple attempts to originally start reading Gone with the Wind until I had to read it for a school project, this raptly held my attention.

History mixed with fiction, Gregory gives life to Elizabeth Woodville to show the "personal" side of her. At the end of the book, she graciously states that this is a mix of history and fiction. We still to this day do not know what happened to Edward and Richard of York. It is possible that the events in this book took place but we unfortunately - unless the royal family in the UK decide to have the bones tested - will never know if the bones discovered belonged to the young York Princes.

All in all, if you love historical fiction, I would recommend this book of the series. I will most likely go back and read the story of Elizabeth's mother next but it might have to wait for a moment.

Kayla 

Once again Philippa Gregory has written a truly captivating novel. Elizabeth Woodville's story is probably one of the lesser known was and I loved learning about this remarkable women who lived during such a troublesome time.

Jelke Lenaerts

I really enjoyed this and will definetly continue into this series. However this book felt boring at some points and also pretty repetetive. Also the fact that a lot of the characters had the same names made it very confusing to me. Now I know that's just history but oh well.

full review: https://jelkelenaerts.blogspot.be/201...

Marissa Scudlo

Meagan Fowler

I just can’t get into this author. I am honestly trying to like these books but I just can’t.

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I read The White Queen with some reservations as I have not enjoyed the last couple of Gregory books I‚Äôve read. I really wanted to like this book but sadly, this is another one to add to that "meh" list. This book has several problems including an annoying amount of repetition, shifting points of view, a somewhat silly incorporation of witchcraft and mystical powers, and cardboard characters. But, the biggest problem with this book is that it has no soul to it. It‚Äôs all tell and no show, rendering a dull tale of a steady recitation of events without any emotional pull. 

Time after time, the main character Elizabeth Woodville, is subjected to cruel losses, starting with her first husband who is killed in a battle between Henry and Edward for the throne. From that point on, it‚Äôs a steady litany of deaths that leave her remarkably untouched. At no point did this reader feel the loss of these people or feel any grief from Elizabeth. It was all just a dry tell, tell, tell. When her two young sons are imprisoned in the Tower of London and feared dead, Elizabeth just marches on. This is a heartbreaking chapter in history, but not in this novel. Even her apparently ruthless ambition has no soul. In short, she comes across as a manipulative, scheming automaton. 

In addition to the lack of emotional resonance, the author frequently gets stuck on a phrase or a thought and repeats it to the point that I almost wanted to say out loud, ‚ÄúOK, I GET IT! Can we move on, now?‚Äù Where was her editor? The characters were cardboard, many of them so one-dimensional that they blended together, including Elizabeth‚Äôs children. The lack of characterization was not helped by the fact that everyone in this book was named Elizabeth, Henry, Edward, Richard, or George.

While the references to Elizabeth‚Äôs water goddess ancestry didn‚Äôt bother me, they came across as rather silly. At a time in history when women were accused of witchcraft for the most minor reasons, having a real witch nonchalantly casting spells and making no effort to conceal her mystical powers didn‚Äôt ring true. 

Finally, the inconsistent point of view left me scratching my head at times. The book is written in first person from Elizabeth‚Äôs point of view. Yet, there were several places where Elizabeth describes battle scenes, conversations between other people, and events as if she was there when she wasn‚Äôt. It was just another thing that pulled me out of the story and left me wondering again where her editor was.

The White Queen A Novel (Cousins' War)

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