Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
 One Size Fits All History August 30, 2010
V. Pope (England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It must be difficult to write an engaging story about a female who was, frankly, not a very endearing woman in the first place. Margaret Beaufort is often described as one of the 'shadowy' figures in English medieval history and this novel never really manages to make her attractive or interesting. In fact I found her pretty loathsome and also utterly hypocritical. Hours on her knees trying to justify perfidious plotting in God's name (helped by Joan of Arc and the Virgin Mary) to put her absentee son on the English throne may be historical fact, but not the stuff of reading for pleasure. If I had to find an all-purpose adjective to describe this book I would choose 'thin'. Thin on atmosphere, thin on detail, thin on style. If you want substance, then read Sharon Penman's 'Sonne in Splendour', which grabs you and doesn't let up till the blood is spilled at Bosworth and poor old Richard III finally loses the Wars of the Roses. Then English History goes into the doldrums till Henry VIII does his naughty stuff, at which time you should rush out and buy Margaret George's 'Autobiography of Henry VIII'.
Better still, read 'The Other Boleyn Girl', by Ms Gregory and see what she can do with the Tudors when she's not writing to meet editorial deadlines. I can't really recommend this one and I'll hesitate to buy the last in the series till I've had a good look at it on the shelf to see if it's managed to climb back from the mediocrity of the first two books in this trilogy..
 didn't like this one. August 28, 2010
PamC (UK)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I usually enjoy Phillipa Gregory's novels but felt that she had rushed this through on orders from her publisher. Not as descriptive as her other books , no depth in the characters. Just a quick gallop through the history books. A big disappoinment!
 Very entertaining, but we've been here before.. August 27, 2010
John M (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I enjoyed the subject matter and story telling in 'The White Queen' Volume 1 of this trilogy, and so looked forward to 'The Red Queen' with some anticipation. The history and events surrounding the War of the Roses is narrated this time by Margaret Beaufort, mother of the future Henry VII and leading woman in the House of Lancaster. The book starts with a young Margaret, a mere 12 year old girl, married off to Edmund Tudor the half brother of the then king Henry VI. Margaret is portrayed as an innocent child bride with a strong belief in god and her own sense of right and destiny, comparing herself to Joan of Arc, awaiting the voice of God upon bended knee. Margaret as a woman of the time seems to be powerless and a little more than a piece of property owned by first Edmund, and then following his death, by Henry Stafford and then Lord Stanley. Throughout her life and marriages she is portrayed as annoyingly pious, self-righteous, and single-minded in her belief that her son Henry is destined to be king. Whereas Elizabeth Woodville 'The White Queen' is portrayed as being complex, mysterious and a little ellusive, Margaret by contrast is a rather unsubtle, unlikeable and seemingly rather 2-dimensional character.
Although this is Volume 2, it actually takes the first third of the book to get to the point in time where Volume 1 begins. In fact they could easily be swapped or read in a different order with little problem. Both books finish at the same point in time after Bosworth, although I understand Margaret actually outlived her son and became for a short time regent to the young Henry VIII (who probably inherited some of his grandmother's personality!)
An enjoyable book, I think it is probably best read a little time after reading 'The White Queen', due to the obvious, and perhaps unsurprising, similarity of the two books resulting in a strong sense of deja vu.
I will certainly read the third installment, but hope for some different and fresher material!
 :) August 25, 2010
Ms. E. J. Freeman (Glos)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was so excited about reading this book, I even put it in my diary - it was like waiting for Harry Potter all over again!
I was fascinated by the story of Margaret Beaufort and her single intention being to get her son Henry Tudor to the throne. I did feel sad that she never really knew true love... even the relationship with her brother in law seemed to be more about their ambition than genuine affection. She didn't even have a solid relationship with her son.
I did not warm to her as much as I had hoped... sometimes I found her irritating quite frankly, and although the princes in the tower will always remain a mystery, I can't help but wonder, if as suggested by Gregory, if she had a role in their downfall - even if she was not the one who led those poor little boys to their deaths.
Another cracker by Phillippa Gregory.
Brilliant August 25, 2010
Dot (UK)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Red Queen is the second in The Cousin's War series by Philippa Gregory. I loved The White Queen and have really looked forward to reading the next installment. The White Queen dealt with Elizabeth Woodville on the York side of the War of the Roses whereas The Red Queen focuses on Margaret Beaufort who is Lancaster through and through. Both books deal with exactly the same period of history and it is fascinating to see both sides of the same story. However we also have to remember that this isn't just a story, the events are actually true and Margaret Beaufort greatly influenced England's history by getting her son Henry on the throne who then went on to produce the infamous Henry VIII.
Margaret Beaufort believes that she is England's answer to Joan of Arc, her sole aim in life is to see her son wear the royal crown as she believes that it is his divine right to rule. The whole book sees her devising plot after plot to secure the throne; each time she puts herself, her son and her allies in danger of death as if they are discovered then they would surely be tried for treason and if found guilty would pay with their lives. I still cannot decide what I think of this woman, I understand that she believed her son should rule but she gives up and risks so much. You begin to wonder just how selfish she was, was she really fighting for her son or was it her own ambitions?
Philippa Gregory paints a wonderful picture again of this time in our history. It really must have been a very unsettling environment to live in, people were hatching plots all over the place. Margaret Beaufort has to rely on her great faith on many occasions, at one point she doesn't know if her own husband will fight on the Lancaster side or whether he will support the York King.
I've really enjoyed reading The Red Queen and it has made me want to read more books set in this tumultuous time. I can't recommend this book enough, especially if you have read The White Queen. These are my favourite so far of Philippa Gregory's books and I hope there are many more to come.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
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