Call number
FIC GRE
Collection
Genres
Publication
Touchstone (2010), Edition: 1, 400 pages
Description
Determined to see her son Henry on the throne of England, pious Margaret Beaufort arranges politically advantageous marriages, sends her son out of the country for his safety, and lays secret plans for a battle between the houses of York and Lancaster.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Sensory
The more I read about Tudor England, the more fascinating I discover it to be. I’ve read historical books about royalty before and enjoyed them – Reay Tannahill’s Fatal Majesty (about Mary, Queen of Scots) and The Seventh Son are just two, (I enjoyed the former more than the latter) but this
The first in this historical series is called The White Queen (which I have not read yet) and is the story of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England and wife to King Edward IV. The Red Queen is Margaret Beaufort. She is born into the house of Lancaster and from an early age is raised to believe that she has one purpose – to bear a son who will one day rule England as the one true king. Her life is therefore dedicated to achieving this goal for her son, Henry Tudor, born when Margaret is just fourteen. She is blocked by the Yorks who want the kingdom for their line and so battles rage back and forth over the years. Never does she waver from her belief that her son is the only rightful heir to the crown.
I enjoyed this book tremendously for several reasons. It fed my growing addiction to historical novels about the royals and it was well-written and not overly romanticized. I found the writing to-the- point in that there was little description of gowns, styles, cloth, not to mention the various activities such as hunting and hawking that people spent time doing in that century. Depiction of life in the 1400’s was shown rather than described.
My favourite character in The Red Queen was Margaret Beaufort’s second husband, Henry Stafford. I found him very sympathetic and he was the only one I could relate to. Margaret thought him weak and a coward but the way he was written showed he had character and didn’t buckle under prevailing opinions. During stressful events, he showed maturity while she displayed anger. And that brings me to Mary. I would say that the author did not write this character to be liked at all. Her one-track mind – getting her son on the throne – was unpleasant. Granted, her mother taught Mary that her only raison d’etre was to bear a son, and so I can see where she would have learned this righteous attitude. Still, the added distraction of this character using her piety and belief that God had ordained her son to be the one true king, just made her unlikeable. And now I’m curious – was her arch enemy, the white queen, equally unlikeable? Or was she a more sympathetic woman? Either way, the facts are known – I just have to read them!
The Red Queen is a must read for anyone who loves historical novels and it’s a stand-alone book - you don’t need to read The White Queen first to enjoy it. And for anyone who hasn’t tried this genre yet – I’d say go for it!
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book is different. Maybe because I recently started watching The Tudors and I'd just read The King’s Mistress by Emma Campion (you can read my review of The King's Mistress here). They both piqued my interest and I wanted more. Then along came The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory and now I can’t get enough!The first in this historical series is called The White Queen (which I have not read yet) and is the story of Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England and wife to King Edward IV. The Red Queen is Margaret Beaufort. She is born into the house of Lancaster and from an early age is raised to believe that she has one purpose – to bear a son who will one day rule England as the one true king. Her life is therefore dedicated to achieving this goal for her son, Henry Tudor, born when Margaret is just fourteen. She is blocked by the Yorks who want the kingdom for their line and so battles rage back and forth over the years. Never does she waver from her belief that her son is the only rightful heir to the crown.
I enjoyed this book tremendously for several reasons. It fed my growing addiction to historical novels about the royals and it was well-written and not overly romanticized. I found the writing to-the- point in that there was little description of gowns, styles, cloth, not to mention the various activities such as hunting and hawking that people spent time doing in that century. Depiction of life in the 1400’s was shown rather than described.
My favourite character in The Red Queen was Margaret Beaufort’s second husband, Henry Stafford. I found him very sympathetic and he was the only one I could relate to. Margaret thought him weak and a coward but the way he was written showed he had character and didn’t buckle under prevailing opinions. During stressful events, he showed maturity while she displayed anger. And that brings me to Mary. I would say that the author did not write this character to be liked at all. Her one-track mind – getting her son on the throne – was unpleasant. Granted, her mother taught Mary that her only raison d’etre was to bear a son, and so I can see where she would have learned this righteous attitude. Still, the added distraction of this character using her piety and belief that God had ordained her son to be the one true king, just made her unlikeable. And now I’m curious – was her arch enemy, the white queen, equally unlikeable? Or was she a more sympathetic woman? Either way, the facts are known – I just have to read them!
The Red Queen is a must read for anyone who loves historical novels and it’s a stand-alone book - you don’t need to read The White Queen first to enjoy it. And for anyone who hasn’t tried this genre yet – I’d say go for it!
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
Having just finished The White Queen, the first in Ms. Gregory's Plantagenet series, the history behind The Red Queen was very familiar. However, that does not mean that my overall enjoyment of The Red Queen was diminished in any way. Rather, it provided a fascinating contrast and lesson on the
The portrayal of each woman is shockingly different. Whereas Elizabeth, according to Ms. Gregory, is beautiful and beloved, politically savvy and well-informed, Ms. Gregory portrays Margaret as cold and calculating and rather clueless about the politics involved to wrest power from the reigning family. She is surprisingly unsympathetic as she masks her grab for power as piety and rather scary in her unwavering belief that she alone is correct in her opinions and beliefs and everyone else is wrong. Also, the mystical elements that appear in the novel - Margaret's holy visions - are harsher, less visually lovely than Elizabeth's conjuring of water goddesses. Even the colors, white versus red, invoke a good vs. bad mentality between the two women. Overall, one walks away with the impression that Ms. Gregory was Team Elizabeth all the way.
Yet, from a historical story-telling perspective, Ms. Gregory is still on top of her game. I could feel the pain in my knees as I sat with Margaret for hours on end in prayer. I could smell the unwashed bodies of the poor and the soldiers, feel the anxiety at having to wait days and even weeks for news. The story itself is easy to understand, which in itself is a huge accomplishment because of the complexity and confusion of the era itself. As a counterpoint to The White Queen, The Red Queen accomplishes what it sets out to do. More importantly, The Red Queen is more effective at setting the stage for the third book and ends in such a way that waiting until The White Princess release date will be difficult.
Margaret herself is intriguing without the historical backdrop. Her extreme piety started at a young age, while subsequent tragedies all but forced her to become even more devout or lose faith in humanity completely. Married at age twelve, a mother by age thirteen after facing a prolonged and almost fatal delivery, her mother abandoned her to her fate after each of her marriages, all of which were for political reasons rather than for love. Most people would by crying foul if even one of these occurred to a young teenager today. Put together, they helped Margaret form into a formidable and power-hungry, if rather naive, woman.
It is a testament to Ms. Gregory's writing ability that I read the book in an entire weekend even though I personally did not like Margaret. Not only is it engaging and utterly thrilling, it is surprisingly suspenseful. With all the political maneuvering, it feels like the entire set-up is one big chess match, where the winner takes all and the loser faces the ultimate punishment. In a way, it really was a chess match to the real-life Elizabeth and Margaret, as one false move could have found them guilty of treason and hanged or worse. This constant threat is was very real, and Ms. Gregory does an outstanding job of making that threat a very prominent presence. The end result is a novel that propels the reader forward, eventually arriving breathlessly at the stunning ending anxious for the story to continue. The Red Queen is a treat for any historical fiction fan, let alone any Philippa Gregory fan.
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importance of context. As I was reading, I could not help but think how truly interesting it would be to do a side-by-side comparison of the events, as told from each point of view. If anything, the two novels drive home the point that history changes drastically depending on the point of view telling it.The portrayal of each woman is shockingly different. Whereas Elizabeth, according to Ms. Gregory, is beautiful and beloved, politically savvy and well-informed, Ms. Gregory portrays Margaret as cold and calculating and rather clueless about the politics involved to wrest power from the reigning family. She is surprisingly unsympathetic as she masks her grab for power as piety and rather scary in her unwavering belief that she alone is correct in her opinions and beliefs and everyone else is wrong. Also, the mystical elements that appear in the novel - Margaret's holy visions - are harsher, less visually lovely than Elizabeth's conjuring of water goddesses. Even the colors, white versus red, invoke a good vs. bad mentality between the two women. Overall, one walks away with the impression that Ms. Gregory was Team Elizabeth all the way.
Yet, from a historical story-telling perspective, Ms. Gregory is still on top of her game. I could feel the pain in my knees as I sat with Margaret for hours on end in prayer. I could smell the unwashed bodies of the poor and the soldiers, feel the anxiety at having to wait days and even weeks for news. The story itself is easy to understand, which in itself is a huge accomplishment because of the complexity and confusion of the era itself. As a counterpoint to The White Queen, The Red Queen accomplishes what it sets out to do. More importantly, The Red Queen is more effective at setting the stage for the third book and ends in such a way that waiting until The White Princess release date will be difficult.
Margaret herself is intriguing without the historical backdrop. Her extreme piety started at a young age, while subsequent tragedies all but forced her to become even more devout or lose faith in humanity completely. Married at age twelve, a mother by age thirteen after facing a prolonged and almost fatal delivery, her mother abandoned her to her fate after each of her marriages, all of which were for political reasons rather than for love. Most people would by crying foul if even one of these occurred to a young teenager today. Put together, they helped Margaret form into a formidable and power-hungry, if rather naive, woman.
It is a testament to Ms. Gregory's writing ability that I read the book in an entire weekend even though I personally did not like Margaret. Not only is it engaging and utterly thrilling, it is surprisingly suspenseful. With all the political maneuvering, it feels like the entire set-up is one big chess match, where the winner takes all and the loser faces the ultimate punishment. In a way, it really was a chess match to the real-life Elizabeth and Margaret, as one false move could have found them guilty of treason and hanged or worse. This constant threat is was very real, and Ms. Gregory does an outstanding job of making that threat a very prominent presence. The end result is a novel that propels the reader forward, eventually arriving breathlessly at the stunning ending anxious for the story to continue. The Red Queen is a treat for any historical fiction fan, let alone any Philippa Gregory fan.
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LibraryThing member soliloquies
Have yet to work out what I didn't like about this book. Margaret Beaufort isn't the most sympathetic of characters being best known for her piety and severity of nature. However much Gregory attempted to make her likeable, Beaufort just wasn't. Her characterisation had no appeal, even her love for
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her son seemed obsessive. It was extremely difficult for women to gain power during this period and Beaufort did manage to have considerable influence over events, but in the book it just all seemed so contrived. Not Gregory at her finest, probably would have worked better as a novella. Show Less
LibraryThing member cyderry
The War of the Roses depicted the Yorkist viewpoint in the White Queen and in this book, the second installment of the trilogy, we see the Lancaster side of the events that led to the end of the cousin's war and founding of the Tudor dynasty. Margaret Beaufort, the Lancastrian heiress was married
Margaret Beaufort believed that her destiny was to be the mother of the King of England and she worked tirelessly throughout her life to achieve that goal.
Reading the books back-to-back showed the reader how the same events can be interpreted differently and also how lives are interwoven in different ways.
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at the age of 13 to Edmund Tudor, a Welsh prince, and her son, Henry, was born shortly after her husband's death. Henry was raised by his uncle, Jasper, while Margaret remarried twice. Margaret Beaufort believed that her destiny was to be the mother of the King of England and she worked tirelessly throughout her life to achieve that goal.
Reading the books back-to-back showed the reader how the same events can be interpreted differently and also how lives are interwoven in different ways.
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LibraryThing member ajlletourneau
Margaret was not a likable character, but she was determined. In the end, she accomplished what she wanted to do, put her son on the throne of England. All that praying was a bit tedious.
LibraryThing member kazimiera
i have been waiting to read this book since i have read the white queen just as good a real must read book for lovers of historical fiction icant wait for the naxt series
LibraryThing member blodeuedd
First, I seriously disliked this woman, That Beaufort woman as I called her in my head. Secondly, this was another great story by Gregory. She sure has an easy way of writing.
Margaret is pious, and as a child she is thrilled to have Saint's knees from kneeling so much. She wants to be like Joan of
Even though I liked the book this was my problem. Her faith, she saw it that God wanted a Lancaster on the throne, she saw fault in all the Yorks cos of this. She saw fault in her own husband when he didn't want to fight for Lancaster and she called him a coward. Even though her beloved Jasper Tudor fled the country like a coward and left her and his nephew behind. But he was never a coward. She was cold, and I finished this book by a disliking her..a lot!
That being said, this was a good novel. The pages just flew by cos Gregory has this easy way of writing. Things move along (most of the time), and no concern for any dry facts. It's light fiction, and after reading The White Queen is was interesting to see the war of the roses from the Lancaster side.
And now to make my point clear, I may be over 500 years too late, but I do believe I find myself to be a Yorkist, lol. And to my horror, I doesn't dislike Richard III any more, he was barely in this book and still, yes I am a Yorkist. I even made my mind up as to who killed the princes in the tower.
This book had some good side characters, I liked Henry Stafford, her 2nd husband, but felt so sorry for him for being hazzled by her. Jasper Tudor, I want to read a book about him, and last Lord Stanley who she met her match in. He followed his path, and that was the winning path.
Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Quite the different from the white queen and this suits her.
Final thoughts: I guess I am looking forward to Elizabeth of York's story
Margaret is pious, and as a child she is thrilled to have Saint's knees from kneeling so much. She wants to be like Joan of
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Arc, and lead her country to victory, she wants to be a nun and go to a convent. And she believes god put her on this earth to be queen. If anyone is hungry for power it is her. She longs to sign her name as Margaret R, for Regina, that is queen. How this goes together for her dream of becoming a nun I do not know. She is a power hungry woman who will kill children if they stand in her way. Even though I liked the book this was my problem. Her faith, she saw it that God wanted a Lancaster on the throne, she saw fault in all the Yorks cos of this. She saw fault in her own husband when he didn't want to fight for Lancaster and she called him a coward. Even though her beloved Jasper Tudor fled the country like a coward and left her and his nephew behind. But he was never a coward. She was cold, and I finished this book by a disliking her..a lot!
That being said, this was a good novel. The pages just flew by cos Gregory has this easy way of writing. Things move along (most of the time), and no concern for any dry facts. It's light fiction, and after reading The White Queen is was interesting to see the war of the roses from the Lancaster side.
And now to make my point clear, I may be over 500 years too late, but I do believe I find myself to be a Yorkist, lol. And to my horror, I doesn't dislike Richard III any more, he was barely in this book and still, yes I am a Yorkist. I even made my mind up as to who killed the princes in the tower.
This book had some good side characters, I liked Henry Stafford, her 2nd husband, but felt so sorry for him for being hazzled by her. Jasper Tudor, I want to read a book about him, and last Lord Stanley who she met her match in. He followed his path, and that was the winning path.
Blodeuedd's Cover Corner: Quite the different from the white queen and this suits her.
Final thoughts: I guess I am looking forward to Elizabeth of York's story
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LibraryThing member keywestnan
This is interesting for anyone curious about the founding of the Tudor dynasty -- the red queen of the title is Margaret Beaufort, a member of the Lancaster line of England's royal family and mother to Henry Tudor (and thus his claim to the throne). But it didn't really grab me the way some of
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Gregory's other historical novels have done -- I liked the White Queen better, perhaps because Elizabeth Woodville, wife to Edward IV, is just a more attractive compelling character. Beaufort, as portrayed in this novel, is pious, cold and self-justifying -- which she probably had to be and which was not that unusual for her time and station. But it doesn't make her someone you necessarily want to spend hours with. It is interesting to see Gregory's take on the fate of the Princes in the Tower -- she appears to be leaning toward the theory that 1) Richard III didn't kill them and 2) young Prince Richard was replaced with an imposter and really was the pretender later known as Perkin Warbeck. Show Less
LibraryThing member lechatnoirxvii
The Red Queen was a decent novel. I know the history, so there wasn't anything to surprise me, however, the way the character was portrayed was defiantly interesting. She didn't come off as nearly as much as a ruthless person as I was expecting. There was nice character development. I enjoyed
Overall it wasn't Phillipa Gregory's best book, but it wasn't bad either. I would recommend it to someone who enjoyed her other books or enjoys the Cousins' War era.
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seeing her develop into the women she became.Overall it wasn't Phillipa Gregory's best book, but it wasn't bad either. I would recommend it to someone who enjoyed her other books or enjoys the Cousins' War era.
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LibraryThing member BaileysAndBooks
For as much as I enjoyed The White Queen, I found this story very hard to get through. It seemed to have much less action, to the point of nearly being boring for me until the last quarter of the book. to me, Margaret's story just didn't seem to be as interesting as Elizabeth's.
LibraryThing member RapidCityPubLib
As other reviewers have said, you really don't need to read Philippa Gregory's The White Queen in order to read The Red Queen. Based on the life of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII of England and grandmother of Henry VIII, this book takes place during the Wars of the Roses, during which rival
I liked this book a lot more than some of Gregory's recent work, especially The Other Queen, which I could barely get through. If you have read Gregory's other historical novels, I recommend this book. If you are just starting to read her, I suggest first trying more entertaining fare such as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, or, my favorite, The Queen's Fool.
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branches of the Plantagenet family vied for the throne of England.I liked this book a lot more than some of Gregory's recent work, especially The Other Queen, which I could barely get through. If you have read Gregory's other historical novels, I recommend this book. If you are just starting to read her, I suggest first trying more entertaining fare such as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, or, my favorite, The Queen's Fool.
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LibraryThing member AngelaCinVA
Margaret Beaufort, the Red Queen of the title, was a driven and ambitious woman. From a young age she chafed at the restrictions her time placed on women, convinced that she was chosen by God to be the English equivalent of Joan of Arc. Her dream is to see her son, Henry, restored as the rightful
Sadly, the portrayal of this Red Queen is one-dimensional and Margaret comes across as almost a caricature, rather than a real person. Margaret was not a sympathetic person to start with, but Gregory reduces her to a woman completely blinded by her ambition. The few moments of humanity are so brief as to only emphasize the image of a cold-hearted monster.
I am a fan of historical fiction and had high hopes for this book when I saw the care Gregory took to be historically accurate. But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to care at all about Margaret or any of the other characters. I almost quit reading two-thirds of the way through because I knew what would happen and really wasn't interested in what else Margaret went through to achieve her ends.
For diehard fans of all things Tudor, this book is a must read. But those seeking a more subtle approach with well-rounded characterizations will likely be disappointed.
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King of England and eventually having everyone recognize that she is as great as she believes herself to be.Sadly, the portrayal of this Red Queen is one-dimensional and Margaret comes across as almost a caricature, rather than a real person. Margaret was not a sympathetic person to start with, but Gregory reduces her to a woman completely blinded by her ambition. The few moments of humanity are so brief as to only emphasize the image of a cold-hearted monster.
I am a fan of historical fiction and had high hopes for this book when I saw the care Gregory took to be historically accurate. But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to care at all about Margaret or any of the other characters. I almost quit reading two-thirds of the way through because I knew what would happen and really wasn't interested in what else Margaret went through to achieve her ends.
For diehard fans of all things Tudor, this book is a must read. But those seeking a more subtle approach with well-rounded characterizations will likely be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member Tangle99
After being disappointed by the last two Phillipa Gregory offerings (The Other Queen and The White Queen) I began this more out of duty than pleasure. How wrong I was! I really feel Gregory is back on top form, with good dashes of humour which I have not found in her books before. Lady Margaret
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Beaufort is a complex and often unlikeable character with absolutely no self-awareness whatsoever, but she really keeps you reading. Gregory has done a wonderful job of telling the forgotten story of the original Tudor queen, and the extensive bibliography is a welcome sight in an historical fiction novel. I was also impressed with the battle scenes, which rush along in a blur of gore and blood, especially Towton. The book ends with the death of Richard III at Bosworth field, and I am excited to see where Gregory goes next. Show Less
LibraryThing member JSTupitza
I have read 3 or 4 "history" books about the War of the Roses. From these I knew what happened. From this book, I felt what happened. This is a history book my wife would love.
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
In Philippa Gregory's The White Queen, we are introduced to Elizabeth Woodville - and as I read the book I grew hugely sympathetic to her. While I didn't find the story as easy of a read as some of Gregory's other novels, my interest was still captured by this seemingly "common" woman who became
Enter now The Red Queen and Margaret Beaufort. Everything Elizabeth was, Margaret was not. Kind, compassionate, loving - none of these things, but who could blame her, honestly? She was married away for the first time at age 12 despite expressing a desire to join the church. She was forced to bear a child at the tender age of 13 and lived through a horrific birth to do so. Then..married away again after the death of her first husband, she was forced to leave her son behind. This was the life of a woman in these days and it's no wonder that Margaret turned to a female as her inspiration - specifically Joan of Arc.
Throughout this book I tried to sympathize with her, and I think I did so when she was younger. But as she aged, as she matured, she became this horrible, bitter person and all I felt was a growing disgust at what I was reading. Just when I'd go to put the book down, feeling the urge to wash my hands or.. something cleansing, I'd ask myself: What would I have done?
After all, this is a woman who's son was denied his birthright, who lived through husband after husband, was denied what she desired most and spent her entire life in a world of intrigue, betrayal and pain.
Like The White Queen, this book isn't as easy to read as Gregory's other novels, but it's stuffed full of information on battles, on betrayals and on the politics between the two battling families, the Yorks and the Lancasters.
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queen, bore child after child and lived through so much tragedy.Enter now The Red Queen and Margaret Beaufort. Everything Elizabeth was, Margaret was not. Kind, compassionate, loving - none of these things, but who could blame her, honestly? She was married away for the first time at age 12 despite expressing a desire to join the church. She was forced to bear a child at the tender age of 13 and lived through a horrific birth to do so. Then..married away again after the death of her first husband, she was forced to leave her son behind. This was the life of a woman in these days and it's no wonder that Margaret turned to a female as her inspiration - specifically Joan of Arc.
Throughout this book I tried to sympathize with her, and I think I did so when she was younger. But as she aged, as she matured, she became this horrible, bitter person and all I felt was a growing disgust at what I was reading. Just when I'd go to put the book down, feeling the urge to wash my hands or.. something cleansing, I'd ask myself: What would I have done?
After all, this is a woman who's son was denied his birthright, who lived through husband after husband, was denied what she desired most and spent her entire life in a world of intrigue, betrayal and pain.
Like The White Queen, this book isn't as easy to read as Gregory's other novels, but it's stuffed full of information on battles, on betrayals and on the politics between the two battling families, the Yorks and the Lancasters.
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LibraryThing member Sararush
I listened to the AUDIO version of Philippa Gregory’s latest, The Red Queen, and I can’t remember the last time I brought discs from the car into the house, so that I didn’t have to tear myself away from a story. Young Margaret Beaufort knows that she has been born for a great destiny, and
Gregory makes no excuses for Margaret. She doesn’t try to explain her motivations, and she actually writes her unsympathetic to the point of villainy. And it not only works, but makes Margaret fascinating. Her rivalry with Elizabeth Woodville is a delight. “This damned woman, this witch, has been in my light ever since I was a girl, and now, at this very moment when I am using her, using her own adoring family and loyal supporters to wrench the throne from her, to destroy her sons, she may yet win, she may have done something to spoil everything for me. How does she always do it?” Further Gregory allows the dialogue between her martial and political allies speak for reason, especially when her second husband calls the entire Lancastrian branch “insane” before riding out to fight for York. Any historical fiction devotee will devour these passages.
The Red Queen is easily the most political novel I’ve read of Gregory’s, and I am surprised to how her novels continue to captivate despite the limited subjects and time periods she works within. For me, she keeps getting better. This novel is Part 2 of the Cousin War Series (apparently Gregory has planned six), and is a good companion novel to The White Queen providing surprising depth to Gregory’s version of the time. The characters in that novel manage to tell a new story through Margaret’s perspective. I will definitely grab the next one, and in no small part hoping for some more glimpses of Margaret.
Bianca Amato reads with the necessary fervor to compliment the text.
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she believes she has the ear of God following in the tradition of Joan of Ark. Later when confronted with the limitations of women of the time, she realizes her destiny is to have a son, the next King of England. With unwavering conviction, she pursues this ambition beyond conscience and reason. Gregory makes no excuses for Margaret. She doesn’t try to explain her motivations, and she actually writes her unsympathetic to the point of villainy. And it not only works, but makes Margaret fascinating. Her rivalry with Elizabeth Woodville is a delight. “This damned woman, this witch, has been in my light ever since I was a girl, and now, at this very moment when I am using her, using her own adoring family and loyal supporters to wrench the throne from her, to destroy her sons, she may yet win, she may have done something to spoil everything for me. How does she always do it?” Further Gregory allows the dialogue between her martial and political allies speak for reason, especially when her second husband calls the entire Lancastrian branch “insane” before riding out to fight for York. Any historical fiction devotee will devour these passages.
The Red Queen is easily the most political novel I’ve read of Gregory’s, and I am surprised to how her novels continue to captivate despite the limited subjects and time periods she works within. For me, she keeps getting better. This novel is Part 2 of the Cousin War Series (apparently Gregory has planned six), and is a good companion novel to The White Queen providing surprising depth to Gregory’s version of the time. The characters in that novel manage to tell a new story through Margaret’s perspective. I will definitely grab the next one, and in no small part hoping for some more glimpses of Margaret.
Bianca Amato reads with the necessary fervor to compliment the text.
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LibraryThing member janiereader
I loved Philippa Gregory's The White Queen, the story of Elizabeth Woodville, and couldn't wait to read this title which tells the story from the point of view of the Lancaster side of the family. Since I enjoyed the audio version of the last book, I decided to listen to this one as well.
LibraryThing member amerlandson
If you like suspenseful historical fiction, full of bloody battles and political intrigue, then you will enjoy The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. This book is set in 15th century England during the War of the Roses, when two related families, the Yorks and the Lancasters, fought for control of the
The narrator of the story is Margaret Beaufort, heir to the house of Lancaster. Because she is a woman, she cannot take the throne, but her son would have a claim to be king. Margaret is a very pious woman. As a child, she has visions of Joan of Arc and believes that she has been chosen by God for greatness. Through three arranged, politically motivated marriages, she becomes convinced that it is her destiny to be the mother of the King of England.
Unfortunately for Margaret and the other Lancasters, the house of York is in power throughout most of the book. As King Edward and his brothers George and Richard fight each other for the throne, Margaret works behind the scenes, plotting to place her son Henry as the King of England. The religious Margaret also nurses a deep hatred for the beautiful York queen, Elizabeth, whom she believes to be a witch.
Philippa Gregory does an outstanding job of creating suspense through vivid battle scenes and shifting political intrigues. Whose son will be king: York or Lancaster? Read this very entertaining book to find out!
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English throne.The narrator of the story is Margaret Beaufort, heir to the house of Lancaster. Because she is a woman, she cannot take the throne, but her son would have a claim to be king. Margaret is a very pious woman. As a child, she has visions of Joan of Arc and believes that she has been chosen by God for greatness. Through three arranged, politically motivated marriages, she becomes convinced that it is her destiny to be the mother of the King of England.
Unfortunately for Margaret and the other Lancasters, the house of York is in power throughout most of the book. As King Edward and his brothers George and Richard fight each other for the throne, Margaret works behind the scenes, plotting to place her son Henry as the King of England. The religious Margaret also nurses a deep hatred for the beautiful York queen, Elizabeth, whom she believes to be a witch.
Philippa Gregory does an outstanding job of creating suspense through vivid battle scenes and shifting political intrigues. Whose son will be king: York or Lancaster? Read this very entertaining book to find out!
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LibraryThing member jcwlib
I enjoyed this book of Philippa's latest series better than The White Queen. Both books cover the same time period, but tell the story from different perspective. I didn't relate to Elizabeth Woodville at all. I wasn't sympathetic towards Margaret Beaufort, but I could relate. I was surprised that
I was able to read this book faster than the first book in the series as well. I'm not sure if it was because I "knew" the basics of the story already and didn't have to follow closely the relationships of the characters. I am curious what the next perspective that Philippa might write about.
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this book also lacked the court drama and intrigue and really focused on the battles and relationships made outside of the court.I was able to read this book faster than the first book in the series as well. I'm not sure if it was because I "knew" the basics of the story already and didn't have to follow closely the relationships of the characters. I am curious what the next perspective that Philippa might write about.
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LibraryThing member pak6th
Gregory continues her “Cousins War,” otherwise known as the War of the Roses, series with a profile of the life and times of Margaret Beaufort who married Edmund Tudor and gave birth at the age of 13 to a child named Henry who was 3rd in line for the English throne. Margaret spent her life on
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her knees in prayer that her son would be king and she would be Margaret Regina. But she was also not above giving the Lord some help with political marriages and some shady dealings. Some interesting facts about new forms of warfare, and new scholarship on who wanted the Princes in the Tower dead. Must read the companion White Queen for the other side of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member aimelire
The first book that I've read that I actually am not cheering for the main character. What a bad person. How often do we read book where the main character does not learn anything and is just as selfish as at the beginning? I enjoyed the change!
LibraryThing member abbie_g
I felt that the battle descriptions were really good in this book, but I don't feel that the author captured the true sense of what Margaret Beaufort was like. She was a very formidable character, and I did not get that impression in reading this book. I came away with the sense that this was
I would have had a difficult time relating to this individual regardless due to her relentless piety, but I think I could have come away from this book with a little admiration for someone who was obviously very strong and intelligent if the novel had not given me the feeling that this person was petty, uptight, and silly.
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nothing more than a silly girl when in fact she founded several schools, was very learned, and knew her way around a rebellion or two...not to mention she was very responsible for the start of the Tudor succession.I would have had a difficult time relating to this individual regardless due to her relentless piety, but I think I could have come away from this book with a little admiration for someone who was obviously very strong and intelligent if the novel had not given me the feeling that this person was petty, uptight, and silly.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
Philippa Gregory tackles the figure of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII of England, in this novel chronicling the Wars of the Roses. While it is interesting to learn about Margaret, who married at an extremely young age and endured a difficult childbirth, she was far from a likable
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character. Margaret displays a self-righteous belief in the Lancaster cause and particularly that her son Henry is destined to be King of England. The ends justify the means to Margaret and she even orders the children of the rival York family murdered at one point to further her son's claim to the throne. I simply could not find much that was sympathetic about Margaret and I found myself hoping her enemies would put this woman in her place, simply because she was so unlikeable. Show Less
LibraryThing member beth1980
An excellent follow up to The White Queen, in Gregory's Cousins War series. Although I think I still prefer her Tudor works, this is a fascinating account of a very formidable woman, Margaret Beaufort, Henry VIII's grandmother, and the woman responsible for getting the Tudors on the throne.
LibraryThing member SingDaisy18
I enjoyed the book. I have never read anything about Margaret Beaufort. I will say that it dragged slightly, however you can't take away from the interesting history.
Awards
British Book Award (Shortlist — 2011)
Pages
400
ISBN
1416563725 / 9781416563723