The White Queen

Phillipa Gregory

Philippa Gregory, "the queen of royal fiction" (USA Today) Presents the first of a new series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses.
Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.
The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London...

My Take:

One word to describe Philippa Gregory's work--thorough.  If any of you have ever tried to read anything having to do with the War of the Roses, you know what a tangled web of side-switching intermarrying cousins at war it is.  It can be very confusing, but Philippa Gregory lays it all out very well, and is somehow able to make sure you keep all the Edward's, George's, and Richard's straight.  She does this partially by giving each character such a vivid representation.  Each person is so different and so clear, it isn't a chore trying to keep them all straight, you just do it automatically.  The storyline was very interesting, as Elizabeth Woodville was a very interesting queen, in the book you sort of go back and forth as far as liking the queen goes.  She is portrayed as a real person, she sometimes makes some iffy decisions, but is mostly trying to do right by her family.  She was the mother of the Princes in the Tower, and Gregory gives a very interesting interpretation of those events, things go as you might not expect.  While the book was very interesting, I think that I was looking for a little more romantic scandal, but found more political scandal instead.  Again, it was still interesting, just not exactly what I was expecting.  Thankfully, the battle scene gore was kept to a minimum.  One of my favorite authors is James Patterson, he is incredible, but sometimes his fight scenes are so gross, you feel like you're going to be sick.  Gregory was quite mild while still pulling off the brutality of war.  Overall I really enjoyed this book, I'd have to give it a 2, Borders with a Coupon.

Do you agree with my review or do you think I am totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

Looking for more Philippa Gregory?  Check out The Other Boleyn Girl, and The Boleyn Inheritance

Love the Historical Fiction?  Check out the Historical Fiction Section of The Book Buff, and don't miss the Romance section either!

Here are some of my favorites you might enjoy: The Perfect Royal Mistress and The Jester (by James
 Patterson)

If this book were a movie it would likely be rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence.