Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 118
 Great historical fiction! April 15, 2010
DaisyChainBookReviews (Ireland)
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
I loved Gregory's `The Other Boleyn Girl' and have always been pretty interested in the Tudor period in English history, but I have no great knowledge of the preceding Plantagenet age in which this book is set. I know a little of The Wars of the Roses and of the Missing Princes in the Tower, but that's it. Before reading this book on Elizabeth Woodville, I knew nothing of her at all. However, Gregory really brought these characters to life for me. she has chosen a fascinating female protagonist, and the era in which this is set is just as exciting and interesting as the Tudor era.
My lack of knowledge on this period in history made this book a very exciting read for me. I usually find lengthy battle scenes in historical novels pretty boring, but here I found them to be tense and exciting since I didn`t know the outcome of most of them. If there was one main difference between Gregory's Tudor books and this one, then it was the suspense factor for me. The Tudor books didn't hold much surprise for me as through study, books and even TV, I have a good background in Tudor chronology. Here, I feared for the characters at every turn. I didn't know what hand fate would deal them next, and I loved it.
While my lack of background knowledge on the time period added to my enjoyment of the book, it brought it's problems too. With so many battles, so many changed allegiances and so much plotting going on, it is sometimes easy to get confused. That's before I even mention the names. There are so many Edwards and Richards in this book, that things can get a little muddled. I did a little background reading and looked up a chronology of English Kings and Queens online, and this helped.
Elizabeth herself is an interesting character to read about. As powerful and resourceful as she is ambitious and ruthless, I liked her for the most part, although her relentless ambition was a little grating in the end. I loved the added supernatural element to Elizabeth's story, in which Gregory weaves the tale of Melusina, the water goddess alongside the story of Elizabeth for she and the female members of her family are descended from this otherworldly being. I loved the additions of magic and witchcraft to the story - it was something I hadn't expected, but it really worked for me. Gregory also has an interesting viewpoint on the missing princes in the tower. It is a mystery that has never been solved, and I very much enjoyed reading her take on it.
Overall I think this is a great read for fans of historical fiction. It is a wonderful prequel to her Tudor series, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, The Red Queen, due for release in August 2010.
The White Queen July 27, 2009
Mr. Brent Stanton (yorkshire)
116 out of 137 found this review helpful
Before I begin I do want to say the book I read was an uncorrected proof so the story I read may be subject to change. Saying that though, if it is changed by anyone they must be mad!
There is no way I'm giving any of this books plot or story away! It is brilliant full stop. It's written by Philippa Gregory. Who wrote some others I've read in the past and wasn't too sure about like, The Favoured Child and The Other Boleyn girl. BUT this one was brilliant. The fact that it rained for a couple of days which forced me inside to read, did me no harm either,
This book follows the Princes in the tower and is a fantastic murder mystery and one that has genuinely gone unsolved for hundreds of years.
As I said I will not give even the slightest allusion as to the story line or what happens. All I will say is don't literally judge this book by the cover. I wouldn't have thought a murder mystery set the thick end of 600 years ago would have been my kinda thing, I couldn't have been more wrong.
I wouldn't recommend sitting down and reading it in 2 or 3 sittings as much as you may want to, make it last, think of it like a fine wine or 30 year old single malt treat yourself, some books I read are the literary equivalent of big dumb action movies, others are more like dramedy, drama/comedy. This is like the 3hr BBC costume drama that everyone watches only to be later surprised that they like it.
The White Queen September 14, 2009
Mrs. Angela J. Seager (UK)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
The White Queen was one of Phillipa Gregory's great books - I could not put it down.....
Not knowing very much about this period of history and having more interest in the Tudors - until now.
Cant wait for the next book !
Captivating & intriguing - the perfect indulgent read! August 19, 2009
Mandy Boat (UK)
27 out of 32 found this review helpful
Having already read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory I had pretty high standards but am thrilled to say that The White Queen was even better!
Set in a period of history that I don't know a huge amount, The White Queen brings it all to life and it doesn't matter at all whether you know who's who or not. Its love, lust, battles, scheming, plotting, mystery, back stabbing - the perfect indulgent read that you can fully immerse yourself in and kick back and relax.
A riveting royal read! July 28, 2010
Denise Janes (Pontypridd, Wales, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A lot of us know about the Tudors from school days - but what about the royal family before them? We might have heard of Warwick the Kingmaker and the Princes in the Tower, but this story entwines them skillfilly in the story of Elizabeth Woodville, who married into the English royal family. The story book is set among the Wars of the Roses, and is full of the tumult and turmoil of those times. It is about a fight for survival of a royal house and the conflict within the different branches of Plantagenet family. Phillipa Gregory uses her historical knowledge and skills, along with an excellent imaginative writing style to bring us a tale that is gripping, full of suspense and very difficult to put down! This is the first of a new series which promises to be just as exciting as her Tudor Court novels.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 118
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