The Queen's Captive

Barabara Kyle

In a kingdom divided, loyalty is the greatest risk of all...

England, 1554. In the wake of the failed Wyatt Rebellion, a vengeful Queen Mary has ordered all conspirators captured and executed. Among the imprisoned is her own sister, twenty-one-year-old Princess Elizabeth. Though she protests her innocence, Elizabeth's brave stand only angers Mary more. Elizabeth longs to gain her liberty, and her sister's crown. In Honor and Richard Thornleigh and their son, Adam, the young princess has loyal allies. Disgusted by Queen Mary's proclaimed intent to burn heretics, Honor visits Elizabeth in the Tower and they quickly become friends. And when Adam foils a would-be assassin, Elizabeth's gratitude swells into a powerful-and mutual-attraction. But while Honor is willing to risk her own safety for her future queen, aiding in a new rebellion against the wrathful Mary will soon lead her to an impossible choice

My Take:

To start off this review, let me first state 2 things: 1-Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and 2-Queen Elizabeth I is my favorite historical figure of all time.  With that in mind, I am a smidge picky about the books about her.  I almost feel protective of Elizabeth, almost like I'd be personally offended if I hated her portrayal in a certain book.  This is ridiculous, I know, but all your true blue bookworms out there, you can't tell me you haven't felt the same way about a particular figure or character at some point.  Anyway, moving on to how I felt about The Queen's Captive---LOVED it!  This book is the third in a series, but it is the first one I've read and I thought it was great.  You didn't need to read the other two to understand the histories between characters because the author skillfully and quickly retold the back story on everything so that the you as the reader aren't confused.  The fun thing about this book was that it was centered around a fictional family, so the author could take more creative license but keep the real historical figures true.  Also, on that note, a feature I really loved, was after the story ended, the author went through and explained where she took some liberties to tweak the story to her own needs.  

My favorite part about the book however, were the characters.  The characters in The Queen's Captive were awesome!  The progression of Elizabeth's character from spoiled and stubborn Princess to proud and self sacrificing Queen was wonderful and real.  The story so vividly portrayed the day to day fear Elizabeth had that her half sister, Queen Mary, was going to execute her, which of course makes Elizabeth all the braver when she finally summons her courage and stands against her sister.  I loved that Elizabeth wasn't portrayed as perfect perfect perfect, as she sometimes is.  No, she was stubborn and at times haughty and proud, but ultimately an amazing leader and overall compassionate one as well.  I felt that the family the book is centered on, The Thornleigh's, were beautifully written.  They made some bad choices, but always trying to do right by their family and by the people of England, which made them feel vibrant, real and relatable.  If you are a fan of the genre, I think you'll love this book, and if you aren't, this book just may convert you!  I give this book a 1, Pay Full Price, the pacing was great, the dialogue was authentic and the characters were striking and real, what more can you ask for?  

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

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

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

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