Book Review: The King Maker's Daughter

The 4th book I've read this year was The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory.

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Here is the book synopsis from Amazon.com:

SPIES, POISON, AND CURSES SURROUND HER. . . . IS THERE ANYONE SHE CAN TRUST?
The Kingmaker’s Daughter—Philippa Gregory’s first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl—is the gripping tale 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 grow up to be influential players in their own right. 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.

Philippa Gregory can do no wrong in my eyes.  Every single book that I have read, I have loved.  To me, few things are as fascinating as these historical tales of England.  Her books are based on historical research, but she weaves in amazing story lines to fill in details that cannot be found.  This book is part of The Cousins' War (also known as the War of the Roses) series.  These novels focus on the time period in which the House of Lancaster and the House of York were fighting for the rights to the throne of England.  The first book in the series is The White Queen.  The Red Queen is next, followed by The Lady of the Rivers, which is actually a prequel to The White Queen because it tells about Elizabeth Woodville's mother, Jacquetta.  The Kingmaker's Daughter is fourth in the series.

I found this particularly interesting since I've read the other three books in the series.  Though it has been awhile since I've read The White Queen, I was able to recall some of the events told now through Anne Neville's eyes.

What I truly love about Philippa Gregory is that you are always rooting for the protagonist of her novels...even when you found yourself rooting against that same character in a previous novel.  In The White Queen, I desperately wanted things to work out for Elizabeth Woodville.  In The Kingmaker's Daughter, I was rooting for Anne and feeling, like her, that Elizabeth Woodville was the enemy.

Maybe I'm just fickle.

OR maybe that's the beauty of these books.  Unlike real life, you actually get a chance to experience events from another person's perspective.  It really makes you see both sides of the story.

If you like historical fiction, English history, Philippa Gregory, Kings, Queens, love, drama, triumph, etc., I say, grab this book and read it!

My Harry Potter Fix: Week 28

It's Wednesday, and that means it's time for another edition of:

1. Please remember to follow Kim, Tarole, and me.
2. Share the URL to your Harry Potter post.
3. Visit others in the link up, and let them know what you thought of their post!
4. Give us your ideas!  Use this form.

This week, Kim had a great and challenging idea! 

If you had to plan a 7 day Potter-themed vacation to anywhere in the world (maybe multiple somewheres!) where would you go? What would you do? And most importantly...who would you bring with you?

I'll answer the most important question first.  I would CERTAINLY be taking Scott with me.  (Not that he's as obsessed as I am, but we need a vacation.)  If I could, I would also bring my fellow hosts, and their significant others, too!  :)

 

I have always wanted to go to England, and so, I'd have to say that my Potter-Themed vacation would need to start there.  I mean, that IS where the stories take place, after all.  First, I would travel to Northumberland to see Alnwick Castle.  While this place is awesome enough just because of history (it's been recorded on the site for 1,000 years!!), it was also the castle used for some Hogwarts scenes in the first two Harry Potter films.

 

 

 

I also happened to catch a show on the Travel Channel once that talked about places that mostly locals know about in England.  One such place is the inspiration for Diagon Alley.  I would TOTALLY research where this was so I could visit it! 

I would be sure to visit King's Cross Station in London.  Just to see Platform 9 3/4.  :)

 

 

Then there's the obvious.  The first thing I thought of, actually.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. 

 

 

Because seeing locations where Harry Potter was filmed would be amazing.  But actually being able to experience Harry Potter in "reality"?  That's even better!

 

So where would your Potter-Themed vacation take you?

 

Next week, we discuss Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  Feel free to share anything you like about the book and/or film. 

AND don't forget to link up below!