Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Simon & Schuster UK (2012), Edition: 1st Edition, 464 pages
Description
"Kingmaker" Richard, Earl of Warwick, uses his daughters as political pawns before their strategic marriages place them on opposing sides in a royal war that will cost them everyone they love.
User reviews
LibraryThing member blodeuedd
The War of Roses, what a mess, what a bunch of power hungry backstabbing maniacs. What a time (I would sure not have liked to live then), and a time that is fascinating to read about.
This book is about Anne Neville, daughter of the Warwick the Kingmaker. Anne who was married to the not so
I did like her at first, she has a brain, she thought about things, but the later part of the book started to change that. She was paranoid, she never used her head, she believed everything told to her, she never questioned things, she was always scared, she was a grey little mouse, a sour cow, and the b word too. I kind of lost respect for her there at the end. Always with the constant we hate the Rivers. She was cold. At least she felt like this to me. And she was naive too. But hey, then I always hated the Nevilles. Do not ask me why. But even if I disliked her at the end it sure did not take away the pleasure of reading a good novel.
Richard I liked, he was portrayed as honorable (for the most part). Sure he had his hidden agendas but hey who has not.
I can read a lot of books about the same time it seems, I never get tired. Because every time it is through the eyes of someone new, a new perspective. And here, oh it just shows what backstabbers everyone was, Warvick, the York boys. It was never enough for any of them, always more more more. Some issues for sure.
A turbulent time viewed by a woman, not always at the center of things, but always behind the men who were.
A great tale from Gregory and I look forward to her next book which will be about Princess Elizabeth of York.
This book is about Anne Neville, daughter of the Warwick the Kingmaker. Anne who was married to the not so
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successful Lancaster Prince Edward and later to Richard of York. Always a pawn in the hands of men.I did like her at first, she has a brain, she thought about things, but the later part of the book started to change that. She was paranoid, she never used her head, she believed everything told to her, she never questioned things, she was always scared, she was a grey little mouse, a sour cow, and the b word too. I kind of lost respect for her there at the end. Always with the constant we hate the Rivers. She was cold. At least she felt like this to me. And she was naive too. But hey, then I always hated the Nevilles. Do not ask me why. But even if I disliked her at the end it sure did not take away the pleasure of reading a good novel.
Richard I liked, he was portrayed as honorable (for the most part). Sure he had his hidden agendas but hey who has not.
I can read a lot of books about the same time it seems, I never get tired. Because every time it is through the eyes of someone new, a new perspective. And here, oh it just shows what backstabbers everyone was, Warvick, the York boys. It was never enough for any of them, always more more more. Some issues for sure.
A turbulent time viewed by a woman, not always at the center of things, but always behind the men who were.
A great tale from Gregory and I look forward to her next book which will be about Princess Elizabeth of York.
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LibraryThing member BookAddictDiary
Philippa Gregory has long been associated with the highest quality in historical fiction. After reinventing the genre with her highly popular The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory has consistently turned out quality period novels, taking on Henry VIII's other and somewhat lesser known wives, Queen
It may seem simple on the surface, but there is much more to Anne's story. After Edward's highly unpopular marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, the subject of The White Queen, Anne's father felt betrayed and in order to secure his own connections to the throne, he marries Anne's older sister Isabel to Edward' brother George. When a series of failed revolts forces the Nevilles out of England, Anne is married to the exiled Edward of Lancaster in one last desperate attempt to put a Neville on the throne. But when the last Lancaster push for the throne fails, Anne is left adrift with an uncertain future.
Dare I say that Kingmaker's Daughter is one of the best books in the Cousins' War so far? While I enjoyed the others, especially The White Queen, Kingmaker's Daughter followed an incredibly fascinating young woman and her struggle as a political pawn during one of the most turbulent periods in British history. Through Anne starts off as a somewhat meek and weak young woman, she draws strength from her life experiences and grows into a stronger, more intelligent and motivated woman. On virtually every page, I fell more in love with Anne, cheering for her and wanting her to succeed and find happiness in a world that views her as little more than an annoying pawn.
Kingmaker's Daughter is considered Gregory's first "sister" story since Other Boleyn girl. Though the entire novel takes place through the eyes of Anne, there is ample time given to the complex relationship that Anne and her sister Isabel share (and, admittedly, I enjoyed Isabel more than Anne at first). Through all of the drama, the political ambition that seems to have rubbed off on the girls from their father, the greed and their relationship with their mother, Isabel and Anne are still sisters caught up in war and politics in a world where women do not have the power that men do.
I was honestly a tad bit disappointed with how Gregory handled the "sisters" aspect of the novel. Though Isabel and Anne's rivals and dramas were given some page time, the majority of the novel focused on the many other issues of the war and the sisters' relationship, I felt, wasn't given as much time as I would have liked. Also, for a while it seemed liked the working title for this book was "The Kingmaker's Daughters," which implied that it was about Anne AND Isabel. Though Anne's story may be more interesting, I would have liked to have seem some narration by Isabel to help the reader get a peek into her life and get her side of the story.
Aside from the that, the only other small thing that bothered me was the repetition. Since Gregory has already written three novels about this period, it can be a little difficult to discuss fully new events in each book. Though Kingmaker focused on different characters and angles, it still covered the same period and the same conflicts, so at times I felt like I was reading too much of the same things that happened in the previous books.
Yet, despite these few stumbling blocks, Gregory still delivers an incredibly exquisite, well-constructed world of high historical detail and compelling characters. Kingmaker's Daughter is one of the standout novels of the Cousins' War, with a lot of action, politics and great character conflict that's exactly what Gregory fans have come to crave.
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Elizabeth I and the many ladies of the War of the Roses. In her latest entry into her Cousins' War series, Gregory tells the story of Anne Neville, the daughter of the famous kingmaker, Richard Neville, who put Edward of York on the throne.It may seem simple on the surface, but there is much more to Anne's story. After Edward's highly unpopular marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, the subject of The White Queen, Anne's father felt betrayed and in order to secure his own connections to the throne, he marries Anne's older sister Isabel to Edward' brother George. When a series of failed revolts forces the Nevilles out of England, Anne is married to the exiled Edward of Lancaster in one last desperate attempt to put a Neville on the throne. But when the last Lancaster push for the throne fails, Anne is left adrift with an uncertain future.
Dare I say that Kingmaker's Daughter is one of the best books in the Cousins' War so far? While I enjoyed the others, especially The White Queen, Kingmaker's Daughter followed an incredibly fascinating young woman and her struggle as a political pawn during one of the most turbulent periods in British history. Through Anne starts off as a somewhat meek and weak young woman, she draws strength from her life experiences and grows into a stronger, more intelligent and motivated woman. On virtually every page, I fell more in love with Anne, cheering for her and wanting her to succeed and find happiness in a world that views her as little more than an annoying pawn.
Kingmaker's Daughter is considered Gregory's first "sister" story since Other Boleyn girl. Though the entire novel takes place through the eyes of Anne, there is ample time given to the complex relationship that Anne and her sister Isabel share (and, admittedly, I enjoyed Isabel more than Anne at first). Through all of the drama, the political ambition that seems to have rubbed off on the girls from their father, the greed and their relationship with their mother, Isabel and Anne are still sisters caught up in war and politics in a world where women do not have the power that men do.
I was honestly a tad bit disappointed with how Gregory handled the "sisters" aspect of the novel. Though Isabel and Anne's rivals and dramas were given some page time, the majority of the novel focused on the many other issues of the war and the sisters' relationship, I felt, wasn't given as much time as I would have liked. Also, for a while it seemed liked the working title for this book was "The Kingmaker's Daughters," which implied that it was about Anne AND Isabel. Though Anne's story may be more interesting, I would have liked to have seem some narration by Isabel to help the reader get a peek into her life and get her side of the story.
Aside from the that, the only other small thing that bothered me was the repetition. Since Gregory has already written three novels about this period, it can be a little difficult to discuss fully new events in each book. Though Kingmaker focused on different characters and angles, it still covered the same period and the same conflicts, so at times I felt like I was reading too much of the same things that happened in the previous books.
Yet, despite these few stumbling blocks, Gregory still delivers an incredibly exquisite, well-constructed world of high historical detail and compelling characters. Kingmaker's Daughter is one of the standout novels of the Cousins' War, with a lot of action, politics and great character conflict that's exactly what Gregory fans have come to crave.
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LibraryThing member BooksCooksLooks
This is Ms. Gregory's next installment in her Cousin's War series after Lady of the Rivers. In this novel she takes on the time period after Edward IV is on the throne with his wife, Elizabeth Woodville (Lady Rivers). The Earl of Warwick (Richard Neville) is the man who put him on that throne and
Need I say that there is no period in history more confusing than this?
What follows is a fascinating look into the minds of the two daughters of Richard Neville - Isabel the older and Anne the younger. Anne would have a slightly heavier cast in history as she ended up as Queen whereas Isabel was only a duchess. Either way their father used them for his own ends until he was killed in battle and that is where Ms. Gregory sets the lives of the girls into their own hands with this novel. She takes what she could find in the historical record and spins a tale of two sisters growing up in fear of one woman - Elizabeth, Queen consort of England. She was rumored to be a witch and as this tale goes forward both girls are deathly afraid of that rumor. Anything that goes wrong in their lives they attribute to the power of the queen.
This leads to a really good read. If it had not been canning season I would have read it in one sitting but the vegetables took precedence. The back half was slightly better than the beginning as Richard of Gloucester played more of a role. Ms. Gregory did not have him as Shakespeare did and he is a fine romantic hero in this book - to a point. The historical details take to into the time period and keep you captivated in the tale. My only complaint is that the book is written from Anne's point of view and it starts when she is about 8 years old and the voice remains young throughout. She does not seem to age until the very end when her son dies. I don't think I'm giving any spoilers here, history is history.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book as it was like a bird's eye view into the period with characters often left on the sidelines of history. Oh, and the cover is STUNNING.
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is therefore known to history as "The Kingmaker." But it is the Queen's family that is seeing all the benefit from Edward's elevation; Edward had married her in secret, without the Earl's advice and now Neville is feeling quite put out. He plots to dethrone Edward and put his brother, George, Duke of Clarence on the throne. So Neville marries his daughter Isabel to George and finds himself at war with Edward.Need I say that there is no period in history more confusing than this?
What follows is a fascinating look into the minds of the two daughters of Richard Neville - Isabel the older and Anne the younger. Anne would have a slightly heavier cast in history as she ended up as Queen whereas Isabel was only a duchess. Either way their father used them for his own ends until he was killed in battle and that is where Ms. Gregory sets the lives of the girls into their own hands with this novel. She takes what she could find in the historical record and spins a tale of two sisters growing up in fear of one woman - Elizabeth, Queen consort of England. She was rumored to be a witch and as this tale goes forward both girls are deathly afraid of that rumor. Anything that goes wrong in their lives they attribute to the power of the queen.
This leads to a really good read. If it had not been canning season I would have read it in one sitting but the vegetables took precedence. The back half was slightly better than the beginning as Richard of Gloucester played more of a role. Ms. Gregory did not have him as Shakespeare did and he is a fine romantic hero in this book - to a point. The historical details take to into the time period and keep you captivated in the tale. My only complaint is that the book is written from Anne's point of view and it starts when she is about 8 years old and the voice remains young throughout. She does not seem to age until the very end when her son dies. I don't think I'm giving any spoilers here, history is history.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book as it was like a bird's eye view into the period with characters often left on the sidelines of history. Oh, and the cover is STUNNING.
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LibraryThing member jo-jo
I have to admit that I was hesitant to listen to this historical fiction novel after the last one totally missed the mark with me. Not so with The Kingmaker's Daughter by Gregory! I absolutely loved this novel and the narrator, Bianca Amato, gave me a vivid picture of our heroine Anne, by embracing
The story opens with Anne and Isabel as young girls, clueless as to what their father has planned for their futures. Their father, Richard Neville, is a politically powerful man, who decides the fate of the individual that will sit on the throne. Not only has he put men on the throne, but he has been responsible for removing kings from the throne as well.
As the girls get older they have the opportunity to visit the court of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth. Anne is fascinated by the beauty of the Queen, admitting that she has never set eyes on anyone more beautiful. When Anne and Isabel decline the Queen's offer to join her court as maids in waiting, the Queen develops an anger for these two girls that will continue for the the rest of their lives.
When Isabel marries King Edward's brother, George, the Queen dislikes the girls even more, knowing that if anything were to happen to Edward, Isabel and George could take over the throne. Isabel develops a fear towards the Queen when she convinces herself that both the Queen and the Queen's mother know how to practice witchcraft and they probably put a curse on both herself and Anne. Anne tries to discount Isabel's claims, but eventually these thoughts will consume her also.
After all the political struggles between several countries, Anne finds herself married to the King's younger brother, Richard, who she hoped to marry years before but the Queen would not allow it. I cheered when Anne was finally going to have a bit of happiness in her life. It doesn't take long after their marriage, for the Queen to self-destruct and lose her position on the throne, leaving Anne and Richard as the King and Queen of England.
I didn't realize that this is the fourth novel in the series until after I had started it. I did not feel lost in the novel because of this, but it does make me want to read the other books that precede this one. This novel contains so much more than what I have listed above. Anne and Isabel's sisterly relationship is compromised at one point, and it is a hard journey for them to find their way back to one another. With themes of sisters, love, power, and loyalty this was an amazing novel to listen to and I highly recommend it!
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her character in every way.The story opens with Anne and Isabel as young girls, clueless as to what their father has planned for their futures. Their father, Richard Neville, is a politically powerful man, who decides the fate of the individual that will sit on the throne. Not only has he put men on the throne, but he has been responsible for removing kings from the throne as well.
As the girls get older they have the opportunity to visit the court of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth. Anne is fascinated by the beauty of the Queen, admitting that she has never set eyes on anyone more beautiful. When Anne and Isabel decline the Queen's offer to join her court as maids in waiting, the Queen develops an anger for these two girls that will continue for the the rest of their lives.
When Isabel marries King Edward's brother, George, the Queen dislikes the girls even more, knowing that if anything were to happen to Edward, Isabel and George could take over the throne. Isabel develops a fear towards the Queen when she convinces herself that both the Queen and the Queen's mother know how to practice witchcraft and they probably put a curse on both herself and Anne. Anne tries to discount Isabel's claims, but eventually these thoughts will consume her also.
After all the political struggles between several countries, Anne finds herself married to the King's younger brother, Richard, who she hoped to marry years before but the Queen would not allow it. I cheered when Anne was finally going to have a bit of happiness in her life. It doesn't take long after their marriage, for the Queen to self-destruct and lose her position on the throne, leaving Anne and Richard as the King and Queen of England.
I didn't realize that this is the fourth novel in the series until after I had started it. I did not feel lost in the novel because of this, but it does make me want to read the other books that precede this one. This novel contains so much more than what I have listed above. Anne and Isabel's sisterly relationship is compromised at one point, and it is a hard journey for them to find their way back to one another. With themes of sisters, love, power, and loyalty this was an amazing novel to listen to and I highly recommend it!
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LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
In this fourth book of The Cousin's War by Philippa Gregory, we're introduced to the Neville sisters, Isabel and Anne. In The Lady of the River, Gregory gives us a taste of what it was like to live with, and love, the Woodville family - but sides are switched and now we're on the opposite side,
The Kingmaker's Daughter follows the story of Anne Neville and her tumultuous life as the daughter of the man who set aside the "sleeping king," Henry VI, and put Edward IV on the throne instead. Edward, married to Jacquetta's daughter, Lady Elizabeth Grey, was once influenced by Anne's father, Richard Neville, but now has been drawn into the arms of the abundant Woodville family.
This is a story of struggle - struggle between kings and would-be kings, between two insanely strong Queens (both of whom share a common bond through Jacquetta), and a story of how difficult a life Anne Neville had, beginning at such a young age. It's about blood feuds and witchcraft, murders and sickness, and life and death in the most base of forms. I really think the books contained in Gregory's Cousin's War series have been building up to this book - because this is where things really got interesting, it's where history became so turbulent that there was never once a sense of ease within the court of England. And honestly, Henry VIII, no matter how fascinating he is with his ability to set aside wives like they are delicacies he has lost his taste for, is not nearly as interesting to me as this period of time is. Margaret of Anjou and Queen Elizabeth (Formerly Elizabeth Grey) were strong, independent women who knew exactly how to muster the men of their families to their aid and pitted against each other... that was some formidable stuff.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Kingmaker's Daughter and look forward to seeing what Gregory has up her sleeve next.
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looking at that dratted large family with something very close to hatred.The Kingmaker's Daughter follows the story of Anne Neville and her tumultuous life as the daughter of the man who set aside the "sleeping king," Henry VI, and put Edward IV on the throne instead. Edward, married to Jacquetta's daughter, Lady Elizabeth Grey, was once influenced by Anne's father, Richard Neville, but now has been drawn into the arms of the abundant Woodville family.
This is a story of struggle - struggle between kings and would-be kings, between two insanely strong Queens (both of whom share a common bond through Jacquetta), and a story of how difficult a life Anne Neville had, beginning at such a young age. It's about blood feuds and witchcraft, murders and sickness, and life and death in the most base of forms. I really think the books contained in Gregory's Cousin's War series have been building up to this book - because this is where things really got interesting, it's where history became so turbulent that there was never once a sense of ease within the court of England. And honestly, Henry VIII, no matter how fascinating he is with his ability to set aside wives like they are delicacies he has lost his taste for, is not nearly as interesting to me as this period of time is. Margaret of Anjou and Queen Elizabeth (Formerly Elizabeth Grey) were strong, independent women who knew exactly how to muster the men of their families to their aid and pitted against each other... that was some formidable stuff.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Kingmaker's Daughter and look forward to seeing what Gregory has up her sleeve next.
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LibraryThing member Imprinted
This novel stands out among the several dozen books on 15th-century English history that I've read. Firstly because it's written from the point of view of the tragic Anne Neville, of whom we know little except that she was used as a pawn by the men in her life and then -- to add insult to injury --
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misrepresented by Shakespeare in his play Richard III. I also recommend this book because it really helps the reader appreciate that the Wars of the Roses, although a dynastic struggle between two rival branches of the Plantagenet family, also became a fight to the death among the members of the House of York. Philippa Gregory describes with deep emotional power how this "Cousins' War" brings about the deaths of all the people Anne loved. We see how the Yorkist rebellion against the legal king, though grounded in a rightful claim, moves its participants inexorably down a shameful and murderous path. And we understand that none of these individuals remained wholly innocent. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
This was my first Gregory and I loved it; now I understand what the fuss is all about. Based on research, this novel is first and foremost great entertainment and recreates a slice of history à la soap opera: intrigues, allegiances and betrayals. It was sometimes difficult to figure out who was
I had to remind myself that all this was but an interpretation of history, which in my mind, is a testimony of Gregory's story-telling talents. She conjures the fears, hopes and ambitions of the times while spinning a great yarn. It may not be History but I've learned more about that period than in any "serious" book.
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true to whom which made the story all the more gripping.I had to remind myself that all this was but an interpretation of history, which in my mind, is a testimony of Gregory's story-telling talents. She conjures the fears, hopes and ambitions of the times while spinning a great yarn. It may not be History but I've learned more about that period than in any "serious" book.
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LibraryThing member janiereader
Another good read by Gregory! She's taken the same historic events as her other books about the War of the Roses, (The White Queen, The Red Queen, and The Other Queen) but this time from another point of view. This time the main character is Anne Neville, the daughter of the influential, Richard
Great read, better if the Internet is available to help you distinguish between the myriad of Edwards, Richards, George's and Elizabeth's in the story!
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Earl of Warwick. She was married to Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou's son, Edward of Westminster and after a early widowhood ends up married to Richard III, the youngest brother of the Yorks. The same story is told as the other books, Edward the King who is bewitched by Elizabeth Woodville, George the next brother who is married to Anne's sister, Isabella, who fights for the right to be King. Richard in this story is seen as a more sympathetic character who is just trying to protect the Prince of Wales after his father's death to keep the River's (Elizabeth Woodville's family) from the throne. But alas greed and power, as always get in the way. Great read, better if the Internet is available to help you distinguish between the myriad of Edwards, Richards, George's and Elizabeth's in the story!
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LibraryThing member readingwithtea
“Well, it makes no odds. A girl’s no good. A girl can’t take the throne.”
The fourth in Gregory’s highly successful series of The Cousins’ War (as the War of the Roses, as we now know it, was known at the time), The Kingmaker’s Daughter tells the story of Anne Neville, daughter of
Anne’s life is portrayed in the other books as a sorry one – sickly, often overlooked for advantageous marriages, having to cater to her sister’s every whim. However, this book was considerably more positive than I had expected – Gregory imbues her with a resilience and loyalty which is not expected, given the other books I had read in the series. She deals with her father’s repeated changing of sides, her sister’s superiority and paranoia, the trouble caused by her over-ambitious brother-in-law; none of it causes her much distress. What is interesting is her introspection towards the end – she knows she has become hardened and deadened to political movements and changes that would have once scandalised her.
It is a little frustrating to read the same material again (admittedly through different eyes and different imagined private events), but Gregory does an admirable job of introducing enough new material to keep us interested and a different perspective on familiar events. My main objection to the prior books has been the sheer number of battles to wade through; this book misses some of the first ones out by starting only once Edward IV is on the throne, and ending before the Battle of Bosworth field which would ultimately conclude the Cousins’ War.
I found it interesting that Richard III is ultimately portrayed as sympathetic, loyal, in fact fatally loyal to the York cause, and not the evil hunchback that Shakespeare would have us remember. In this, Gregory builds on the not unsympathetic picture conjured in The White Queen.
If you’ve read the other three, you’ll read this one too. If you haven’t read the others, I wouldn’t worry about this one – start with The Lady of the Rivers (first chronologically) or The White Queen (best written) and see how you get on with the series.
The fourth in Gregory’s highly successful series of The Cousins’ War (as the War of the Roses, as we now know it, was known at the time), The Kingmaker’s Daughter tells the story of Anne Neville, daughter of
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Richard Earl of Warwick. Warwick had put Edward IV on the throne, but Edward had proved to be not quite as malleable a puppet as Warwick had expected, by marrying Elizabeth Woodville (The White Queen, daughter of The Lady of the Rivers) in secret. Disappointed by his protege, Warwick turned to Edward’s other brothers in an effort to control the throne, and married his daughters off to meet his needs.Anne’s life is portrayed in the other books as a sorry one – sickly, often overlooked for advantageous marriages, having to cater to her sister’s every whim. However, this book was considerably more positive than I had expected – Gregory imbues her with a resilience and loyalty which is not expected, given the other books I had read in the series. She deals with her father’s repeated changing of sides, her sister’s superiority and paranoia, the trouble caused by her over-ambitious brother-in-law; none of it causes her much distress. What is interesting is her introspection towards the end – she knows she has become hardened and deadened to political movements and changes that would have once scandalised her.
It is a little frustrating to read the same material again (admittedly through different eyes and different imagined private events), but Gregory does an admirable job of introducing enough new material to keep us interested and a different perspective on familiar events. My main objection to the prior books has been the sheer number of battles to wade through; this book misses some of the first ones out by starting only once Edward IV is on the throne, and ending before the Battle of Bosworth field which would ultimately conclude the Cousins’ War.
I found it interesting that Richard III is ultimately portrayed as sympathetic, loyal, in fact fatally loyal to the York cause, and not the evil hunchback that Shakespeare would have us remember. In this, Gregory builds on the not unsympathetic picture conjured in The White Queen.
If you’ve read the other three, you’ll read this one too. If you haven’t read the others, I wouldn’t worry about this one – start with The Lady of the Rivers (first chronologically) or The White Queen (best written) and see how you get on with the series.
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LibraryThing member herbcat
Phillipa Gregory always goes for the gossip. She writes history "through a chick's eyes." Lots of great detail, but most characters come out like cardboard.
LibraryThing member JaneSteen
Where I got the book: purchased through Waterstones. UK edition, signed.
Despite my eternal resolutions not to read any more of this Cousins' War series I couldn't resist getting a signed copy at the Historical Novel Society conference, so here I am reviewing yet another of these books and noting
This one covers the story of Anne Neville, wife of Richard of Gloucester aka Richard III. Her father is the political mover and shaker Warwick, whose intention is that whatever side of the York/Lancaster divide rules England, he should be standing behind it.
And...I'm already too bored to continue. Let's recap:
- maaaaagic. Mercifully Anne herself declares she doesn't believe in witchcraft, but that doesn't stop her from believing that the bad things that happen to her family could have witchy origins. Storms? Witch. Sickly child? Witch. Sudden death? Witch. Someone else being way more successful than you? WITCHWITCHWITCH OK you get the idea. Yawn.
- PG's characters relentlessly explain to each other who they're talking about. "Your mother-in-law, the Duchess Cecily"..."your husband George Duke of Clarence"..."Margaret Beaufort...the wife of my friend, the trusted Lord Thomas Stanley, whom I made Lord Chamberlin"... Ya know, at some point you've just got to trust the reader to be able to follow the plot.
- PG is writing about women in a world where men did all the doing and the women stayed at home and made babies (or not). Consequently, practically all of the action in TKMD happens offstage. The only really vivid scene (which was very well done) WAS ABOUT HAVING A BABY. *headdesk* There were some great--GREAT--scenes that only happened in the retelling and I longed to actually SEE them.
- hard-to-like characters. Nope, can't think of a single one I actually liked, including Anne. And they all sound the same, have you noticed?
And yet PG's a good writer and I'm going to say it yet again: please, PLEASE get shot of this series and go back to making stuff up, PG (I wrote that with a completely straight face. Honest.)
One thing I DID like about the book and that was the quality of the UK binding. From Croydon, that was. Saaarf London quality, innit?
Despite my eternal resolutions not to read any more of this Cousins' War series I couldn't resist getting a signed copy at the Historical Novel Society conference, so here I am reviewing yet another of these books and noting
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pretty much exactly the same things that annoy me with all the others.This one covers the story of Anne Neville, wife of Richard of Gloucester aka Richard III. Her father is the political mover and shaker Warwick, whose intention is that whatever side of the York/Lancaster divide rules England, he should be standing behind it.
And...I'm already too bored to continue. Let's recap:
- maaaaagic. Mercifully Anne herself declares she doesn't believe in witchcraft, but that doesn't stop her from believing that the bad things that happen to her family could have witchy origins. Storms? Witch. Sickly child? Witch. Sudden death? Witch. Someone else being way more successful than you? WITCHWITCHWITCH OK you get the idea. Yawn.
- PG's characters relentlessly explain to each other who they're talking about. "Your mother-in-law, the Duchess Cecily"..."your husband George Duke of Clarence"..."Margaret Beaufort...the wife of my friend, the trusted Lord Thomas Stanley, whom I made Lord Chamberlin"... Ya know, at some point you've just got to trust the reader to be able to follow the plot.
- PG is writing about women in a world where men did all the doing and the women stayed at home and made babies (or not). Consequently, practically all of the action in TKMD happens offstage. The only really vivid scene (which was very well done) WAS ABOUT HAVING A BABY. *headdesk* There were some great--GREAT--scenes that only happened in the retelling and I longed to actually SEE them.
- hard-to-like characters. Nope, can't think of a single one I actually liked, including Anne. And they all sound the same, have you noticed?
And yet PG's a good writer and I'm going to say it yet again: please, PLEASE get shot of this series and go back to making stuff up, PG (I wrote that with a completely straight face. Honest.)
One thing I DID like about the book and that was the quality of the UK binding. From Croydon, that was. Saaarf London quality, innit?
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LibraryThing member PennyAnne
I love this period of history and really enjoy Gregory's historically based fiction written from the perspective of the various women involved in the events. I enjoy how each book ends up with me siding with the point of view of the narrator (in this case Anne Neville, wife of Richard III) until
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the next book when I see the same story from a different perspective. Well-written, engaging and thought-provoking while at the same time being very easy to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member amandacb
I admit I have taken a break from Philippa Gregory; while nothing can top her tour de force "The Other Boleyn Girl," and nor did I expect anything to, her subsequent novels were a rather bland disappointment. I picked up "The Kingmaker's Daughter" with no real expectations aside from some healthy
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historical fiction, and thankfully that is what I received. I am glad to see Gregory back on her game! Show Less
LibraryThing member onetiredmom
As much as I like this series by Philippa Gregory, I can only give this one 3 stars. It is my least favorite of the series, not because of the writing which is wonderful as always, but because the main character, Anne of Warwick, had so little go right for her. It ends in a sad, solemn, depressing
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way which fits the tone of the entire book but I felt like it was too rushed and didn't explore the relationship between Anne and her husband enough. It was interesting to see things from Anne's point of view after reading the first three books, I just hope that the next is a little more cheery, or at least a little less melancholy which may be difficult given the subject. Show Less
LibraryThing member blondestranger
The original soap opera of deception in pursuit of self ambition.
LibraryThing member jcmontgomery
What's not to like about anything Philippa Gregory writes? Well except for her depiction of Anne Boleyn. Despite claims by the author, any historical fiction is just that: fiction. As good as it can be when interspersed with facts, it remains fiction and many authors, including Gregory make choices
When it comes to history, even when related by a first person witness, the truth is what we make it until proven otherwise. I do believe Anne Boleyn has been misjudged. Gregory apparently chose to imply otherwise. When you think about it though, it makes sense because it makes good fiction.
It is because of this that I had to stop myself and wonder if I'm actually being objective enough, because the story is so good I find it easy to forgive when she alters an aspect of history that may be in dispute, but most believe to be accurate.
With page turners like The Kingmaker's Daughter, it can be a challenge to see the forest for the trees. I am a devout historical fiction fan. I am also a history buff of sorts, and especially of English history up to the Victorian era.
Yes, there is some license taken here. However, the facts are inserted well and often.
This story is timely because of the discovery of Richard III's body. Some things about him turned out to be true, but how much of the rest is really Tudor propaganda? There is usually more going on in history than what anyone can guess. This is what makes historical fiction shine when done right. It fills in the blanks creatively and believably - meshing fact and fiction that will have you reading late into the night.
I know some won't forgive her for her characterizations of historical figures. But she isn't writing history or trying to rewrite it. She is fictionalizing people and events and doing a wonderful job of "what if" he/she/it were this way instead of that.
And I don't think you can get any more right than this. (Well, at least until her next book.)
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that fly in the face of what historians believe.When it comes to history, even when related by a first person witness, the truth is what we make it until proven otherwise. I do believe Anne Boleyn has been misjudged. Gregory apparently chose to imply otherwise. When you think about it though, it makes sense because it makes good fiction.
It is because of this that I had to stop myself and wonder if I'm actually being objective enough, because the story is so good I find it easy to forgive when she alters an aspect of history that may be in dispute, but most believe to be accurate.
With page turners like The Kingmaker's Daughter, it can be a challenge to see the forest for the trees. I am a devout historical fiction fan. I am also a history buff of sorts, and especially of English history up to the Victorian era.
Yes, there is some license taken here. However, the facts are inserted well and often.
This story is timely because of the discovery of Richard III's body. Some things about him turned out to be true, but how much of the rest is really Tudor propaganda? There is usually more going on in history than what anyone can guess. This is what makes historical fiction shine when done right. It fills in the blanks creatively and believably - meshing fact and fiction that will have you reading late into the night.
I know some won't forgive her for her characterizations of historical figures. But she isn't writing history or trying to rewrite it. She is fictionalizing people and events and doing a wonderful job of "what if" he/she/it were this way instead of that.
And I don't think you can get any more right than this. (Well, at least until her next book.)
Show Less
LibraryThing member pattysp
Slow start, but turned out to be very interesting.
LibraryThing member MarkMeg
A typical Phillipa Gregory. A historical romance with the emphasis on romance. It does show the emnity and horror that the fight for power produces.
LibraryThing member jan.fleming
The Kingmaker's Daughter is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the "Kingmaker," Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters, Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they
At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.
Circumstances meant I read this out of sequence and I shouldn't have as although I know the history I wanted to see how the author wove the women's stories together. As always a excellent, light read and timely as well since the body of Richard III was found as I was reading this ....now I must go back and read the earlier books
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grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women. At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker's daughter will achieve her father's greatest ambition.
Circumstances meant I read this out of sequence and I shouldn't have as although I know the history I wanted to see how the author wove the women's stories together. As always a excellent, light read and timely as well since the body of Richard III was found as I was reading this ....now I must go back and read the earlier books
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LibraryThing member elleceetee
I have no read all of the Phillippa Gregory cousin's war books and the more of them I read, the more I like them. The best part about these is seeing all the different sides to the same story. Don't give up - read them all.
LibraryThing member NCDonnas
The Kingmaker's Daughter (The Cousins' War) The Kingmaker's Daughter is probably my favorite of the Cousin's War series to date. It is written from the perspective of Anne Neville and gives yet another interesting point of view from this volatile period of history. One of the things I enjoy so much
Show More
about Philippa Gregory's novels is that she somehow manages to turn what could have been tedious political maneuvering into exciting intrigue that keeps me riveted from the first moment. I am not a historian so I have no idea how historically accurate this series is, but I can say that they certainly paint a vivid picture of what living in that time period might have been like. From the court customs, to the fashions, the scandals, the betrayals, and executions, each aspect was brought to life in such a way that I almost felt myself a part of the story. Each character was shown from Anne's point of view so was colored by her own biases and was a bit different from how these same characters were presented in the previous books. The story was focused so much on Anne, and to a lesser extent Isabelle, that many of the other characters, at times, felt a bit flat. Anne's relationship with her sister Isabelle was reminiscent of the rivalry between Mary and Anne Boleyn in Gregory's popular novel, The Other Boleyn Girl. While there was always that undercurrent of love, each sister didn't hesitate to betray the other in order to further their own cause or that of their husband. I didn't find either sister to be particularly likable, and sometimes thought that their personalities were a bit contradictory. For example, Anne seems to have grown from a bright, practical, inquisitive child into a fearful woman ruled by her superstitions and unwilling to even consider any point of view than that which painted her family in a positive light. I guess that the struggles she was faced with could account for such a drastic change in character but it was still a bit odd. One of the things about this series, including The Kingmaker's Daughter that I was not a fan of was the witchery and spells and magic that were included. However, after discussing this with a friend who is also reading the series, I can see how it may have been presented this way because of how the players so wholeheartedly believed that witchcraft was responsible for many things such as storms, sicknesses, and death. Curses were taken very seriously in 1400's England and so reading from Anne's perspective, I can see why an unexpected storm would be believed to have been whistled up by the witch who hated her. I guess this was a realistic danger in this time period, that any misfortune could be laid at the feet of someone believed to be a witch. This would have been a very effective way to discredit a powerful woman, as it seems to have done in the case of Elizabeth Woodville. While The Kingmaker's Daughter can be read on it's own as a stand-alone novel, I would definitely recommend reading the entire series in order simply because it is a beautifully written thrilling story. Despite the fact that I found many of the characters to be a bit flat, the fast paced plot was such that I found the book hard to put down. I know many people, after reading Philippa Gregory's historical fiction have been inspired to find out more about this violent era and these fascinating people. I would absolutely recommend this and any and every other book written by this author to any fans of this genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member Joanne53
A fun, easy read, but rather a predictable formula.
LibraryThing member ahappybooker
The Kingmaker's Daughter (The Cousins' War) The Kingmaker's Daughter is probably my favorite of the Cousin's War series to date. It is written from the perspective of Anne Neville and gives yet another interesting point of view from this volatile period of history. One of the things I enjoy so much
Show More
about Philippa Gregory's novels is that she somehow manages to turn what could have been tedious political maneuvering into exciting intrigue that keeps me riveted from the first moment. I am not a historian so I have no idea how historically accurate this series is, but I can say that they certainly paint a vivid picture of what living in that time period might have been like. From the court customs, to the fashions, the scandals, the betrayals, and executions, each aspect was brought to life in such a way that I almost felt myself a part of the story. Each character was shown from Anne's point of view so was colored by her own biases and was a bit different from how these same characters were presented in the previous books. The story was focused so much on Anne, and to a lesser extent Isabelle, that many of the other characters, at times, felt a bit flat. Anne's relationship with her sister Isabelle was reminiscent of the rivalry between Mary and Anne Boleyn in Gregory's popular novel, The Other Boleyn Girl. While there was always that undercurrent of love, each sister didn't hesitate to betray the other in order to further their own cause or that of their husband. I didn't find either sister to be particularly likable, and sometimes thought that their personalities were a bit contradictory. For example, Anne seems to have grown from a bright, practical, inquisitive child into a fearful woman ruled by her superstitions and unwilling to even consider any point of view than that which painted her family in a positive light. I guess that the struggles she was faced with could account for such a drastic change in character but it was still a bit odd. One of the things about this series, including The Kingmaker's Daughter that I was not a fan of was the witchery and spells and magic that were included. However, after discussing this with a friend who is also reading the series, I can see how it may have been presented this way because of how the players so wholeheartedly believed that witchcraft was responsible for many things such as storms, sicknesses, and death. Curses were taken very seriously in 1400's England and so reading from Anne's perspective, I can see why an unexpected storm would be believed to have been whistled up by the witch who hated her. I guess this was a realistic danger in this time period, that any misfortune could be laid at the feet of someone believed to be a witch. This would have been a very effective way to discredit a powerful woman, as it seems to have done in the case of Elizabeth Woodville. While The Kingmaker's Daughter can be read on it's own as a stand-alone novel, I would definitely recommend reading the entire series in order simply because it is a beautifully written thrilling story. Despite the fact that I found many of the characters to be a bit flat, the fast paced plot was such that I found the book hard to put down. I know many people, after reading Philippa Gregory's historical fiction have been inspired to find out more about this violent era and these fascinating people. I would absolutely recommend this and any and every other book written by this author to any fans of this genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member ahappybooker
The Kingmaker's Daughter (The Cousins' War) The Kingmaker's Daughter is probably my favorite of the Cousin's War series to date. It is written from the perspective of Anne Neville and gives yet another interesting point of view from this volatile period of history. One of the things I enjoy so much
Show More
about Philippa Gregory's novels is that she somehow manages to turn what could have been tedious political maneuvering into exciting intrigue that keeps me riveted from the first moment. I am not a historian so I have no idea how historically accurate this series is, but I can say that they certainly paint a vivid picture of what living in that time period might have been like. From the court customs, to the fashions, the scandals, the betrayals, and executions, each aspect was brought to life in such a way that I almost felt myself a part of the story. Each character was shown from Anne's point of view so was colored by her own biases and was a bit different from how these same characters were presented in the previous books. The story was focused so much on Anne, and to a lesser extent Isabelle, that many of the other characters, at times, felt a bit flat. Anne's relationship with her sister Isabelle was reminiscent of the rivalry between Mary and Anne Boleyn in Gregory's popular novel, The Other Boleyn Girl. While there was always that undercurrent of love, each sister didn't hesitate to betray the other in order to further their own cause or that of their husband. I didn't find either sister to be particularly likable, and sometimes thought that their personalities were a bit contradictory. For example, Anne seems to have grown from a bright, practical, inquisitive child into a fearful woman ruled by her superstitions and unwilling to even consider any point of view than that which painted her family in a positive light. I guess that the struggles she was faced with could account for such a drastic change in character but it was still a bit odd. One of the things about this series, including The Kingmaker's Daughter that I was not a fan of was the witchery and spells and magic that were included. However, after discussing this with a friend who is also reading the series, I can see how it may have been presented this way because of how the players so wholeheartedly believed that witchcraft was responsible for many things such as storms, sicknesses, and death. Curses were taken very seriously in 1400's England and so reading from Anne's perspective, I can see why an unexpected storm would be believed to have been whistled up by the witch who hated her. I guess this was a realistic danger in this time period, that any misfortune could be laid at the feet of someone believed to be a witch. This would have been a very effective way to discredit a powerful woman, as it seems to have done in the case of Elizabeth Woodville. While The Kingmaker's Daughter can be read on it's own as a stand-alone novel, I would definitely recommend reading the entire series in order simply because it is a beautifully written thrilling story. Despite the fact that I found many of the characters to be a bit flat, the fast paced plot was such that I found the book hard to put down. I know many people, after reading Philippa Gregory's historical fiction have been inspired to find out more about this violent era and these fascinating people. I would absolutely recommend this and any and every other book written by this author to any fans of this genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory - good
I've always liked historical fiction (in my teens I devoured Jean Plaidy books) and I like Philippa Gregory. She researches her subject in detail and then builds up a story around the facts. Of course, it is fiction, but....
I have to admit to being
Anne Neville (the Kingmaker's Daughter in question) is someone I knew very little about other than her existence. What the author achieves here (and with the other books in the series) is show us the events from differing viewpoints: York, Lancaster and Warwick: a family who tried to manipulate the succession, changing sides to suit and to advance their own fortunes.
All very interesting. I already have The Lady of the Rivers and The White Princess, I shall certainly read the latter pretty soon and will continue to debate reading the former. The beauty of it being the same story from different pov's means it really doesn't matter too much if I skip it or read it out of order.
I've always liked historical fiction (in my teens I devoured Jean Plaidy books) and I like Philippa Gregory. She researches her subject in detail and then builds up a story around the facts. Of course, it is fiction, but....
I have to admit to being
Show More
a little varied in my feelings on her Cousins' War books. Whilst I have no problem with her characters believing that someone was practising witchcraft, I don't like the idea that the characters themselves believed they could do so. This means that I didn't particularly like The White Queen, and haven't managed to start The Lady of the Rivers yet. I did, however, like The Red Queen and I especially liked this book.Anne Neville (the Kingmaker's Daughter in question) is someone I knew very little about other than her existence. What the author achieves here (and with the other books in the series) is show us the events from differing viewpoints: York, Lancaster and Warwick: a family who tried to manipulate the succession, changing sides to suit and to advance their own fortunes.
All very interesting. I already have The Lady of the Rivers and The White Princess, I shall certainly read the latter pretty soon and will continue to debate reading the former. The beauty of it being the same story from different pov's means it really doesn't matter too much if I skip it or read it out of order.
Show Less
Awards
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Historical Fiction — 2012)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-08-14
Physical description
464 p.; 6.02 inches
ISBN
0857207466 / 9780857207463