AUTHOR: Philippa Gregory
STARTED: September 8, 2009
FINISHED: September 23, 2009
PAGES: 442
GENRE: Romance
FIRST SENTENCE: All the bells in Norfolk were ringing for Elizabeth, pounding the peal into Amy's head, first the treble bell screaming out like a mad woman, and then the whole agonizing, jangling sob till the great bell boomed a warning that the whole discordant carillon was about to shriek out again.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] As a new queen, Elizabeth faces two great dangers: the French invasion of Scotland, which threatens to put Mary Queen of Scots on her throne, and her passion for the convicted traitor Robert Dudley.
But Dudley is already married, and his devoted wife Amy will never give him up, least of all to an upstart Protestant Princess. She refuses to set her beloved husband free to marry the queen; but she cannot prevent him from becoming the favorite and the focus of the feverishly plotting, pleasure seeking court.
Others too oppose the marriage, but for very different reasons. William Cecil, the queen's wisest counselor, knows she must marry for policy; her uncle hates Dudley and swears he will be murder him first. Behind the triangle of lovers, the factions take up their places: the Protestants, the priests, the assassins, the diplomats and the moneymakers. The very coin of England is shaved and clipped to nothing as Elizabeth uncertainly leads her bankrupt country into a war that no-one thinks can be won.
Then someone acts in secret, and for Elizabeth, Dudley and the emerging kingdom, nothing will be as planned.
Blending historical fact with contemporary rumor, Philippa Gregory has created a dark and tense novel of Tudor times, which casts Elizabeth I in a light no one has suggested before. Passionate, fearful, emotionally needy, this is a queen who will stop at nothing.
THOUGHTS: I did not like any of the characters in this book because they were all plain whiny. Dudley is selfish, arrogant, and pouts when he does not get his way. Elizabeth is an idiot, lacks a backbone, and as no regard for her actions. Dudley's wife just broods and pouts. It was all very annoying.
This period in English history is full of interesting characters and drama - Gregory turned all of that into a melodramatic soap opera. The only reason I'm rating this book a 3 is because I enjoyed the writing. There were some prettily described scenes and I do so love description.
RATING: 3/10 [Poor, Lost Interest]
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