Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Book Review: "The Other Queen" by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Other Queen
Author: Philippa Gregory
Pages: 433
Personal Rating: 5/5
Number Read this Year:2
Total Pages read This year:815

From the Back Cover: This Dazzling novel from bestselling Philippa Gregory presents a new and unique view of one of history's most intriguing, romantic and maddening heroines. Mary, Queen of Scots, trusts Queen Elizabeth's Promise of Sanctuary when she flees from rebels in scotland and then finds herself imprisoned as the "guest" of George talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The Newly married couple welcomes the doomed queen into their home, certain that serving her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Eliabethan court. To their horro, they find that the task will bankrupt them, and as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against elizabeth, their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treachery and treason, or if the great spymaster William Cecil links them to the growing conspiracy to free Mary from her illegal imprisonment, they will all face the headsman.

Since I've read "The Othe Boleyn Girl", I have been wanting to read another book by Gregory. She makes the Elizabethan court and all that it entails so alive. I felt as though I was right there with the characters.

This book was written from first person point of view by Bess, George and Queen Mary, each chapter written by another character, so youare getting three view points of the story. The story of Bess who hold a grudge as she watches her holdings and everything she has worked for slip away while carrying to the every need of Queen Mary. You read the thoughts of George as he slowly slips into enchantment of the beautiful Queen he has been made a jailer of, all the while trying to remain faithful to his own Queen, Elizabeth. And you read the thoughts of the treasonous traitor, Mary, Queen of Scots. You start to take sides as you see the story unfold, and you feel what the characters feel.

Gregory writes with amazing character development, to the point where you make friends, or enemies of her characters.

I enjoyed this book very much, and gave it 5 out of 5 stars. I will later this year, be reading "The White Queen" by this author, and I am much looking forward to it.