Author: D.L. Bogdan
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: January 29, 2013
Source: HF Virtual Book Tours
Why Are You Reading This Book:
- You're a historical fiction fan
- You love the Tudors!
From Goodreads.com: "From her earliest days, Margaret Tudor knows she will not have the luxury of choosing a husband. Her duty is to gain alliances for England. Barely out of girlhood, Margaret is married by proxy to James IV and travels to Edinburgh to become Queen of Scotland.
Despite her doubts, Margaret falls under the spell of her adopted home. But while Jamie is an affectionate husband, he is not a faithful one. And nothing can guarantee Margaret’s safety when Jamie leads an army against her own brother, Henry VIII. In the wake of loss she falls prey to an ambitious earl and brings Scotland to the brink of anarchy. Beset by betrayal and secret alliances, Margaret has one aim—to preserve the crown of Scotland for her son, no matter what the cost…"
My Two Cents:
Henry VIII is an imposing figure in history as well as being popular fodder for historical fiction books. Sure, many of us have read about Henry's brother, Arthur, as he was married to Katherine of Aragon before Henry married her. I don't think I've ever read a book about one of Henry's sisters though. This book is told from the perspective of Margaret Tudor, Henry's sister who goes to Scotland and becomes queen. Her life is not without drama though and I loved reading about her! I love the Tudors and I loved that I finally got a chance to see a new-to-me member of the Tudor family in this great book.
I really did like Margaret. She's likeable even when she is making really bad decisions, which she does quite a bit. Even though she goes to Scotland at a very young age, she still wants to keep the Tudor part of her alive, which I totally understand but she never realizes that in order to thrive in her new country, she has to forge a new personality and a new life for herself in Scotland. I found myself rooting for her to make different decisions regarding herself and her family.
Also, in this book, we get a glimpse of a younger Henry VIII, who still seems like sort of a miserable human being. He's a nasty child whose modus operandi when he doesn't get his way seemed to be to stomp his feet. He's a nasty brother when his sister comes to seek shelter in England after things go badly for her in Scotland. Because the book is written from Margaret's perspective, we get the intimate picture of Henry VIII from someone who knew him well, a sibling!
I did find myself wishing that there had been a clearer delineation of time throughout the book. At least in the ARC that I read, there wasn't a firm delineation of time, which made it sort of difficult to follow along with how much time had passed!
I really loved the writing of this book. This will have been the second Bogdan book that I have read and I continued to be thrilled with the great historical detail and Bogdan's way with words. You can tell that the author has a really good ear for conversations which translates perfectly to the page.
Don't Forget to Follow the Rest of the Tour:
Monday, January 21
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Tuesday, January 22
Review at Peppermint, Ph.D.
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair
Wednesday, January 23
Review at My Reading Room
Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Thursday, January 24
Review at Unabridged Chick
Author Interview & Giveaway at My Reading Room
Friday, January 25
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Libraria
Monday, January 28
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Review & Giveaway at The Broke and the Bookish
Tuesday, January 29
Review & Giveaway at Always with a Book
Review at Review From Here
Wednesday, January 30
Review & Giveaway at Ageless Pages Reviews
Author Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Thursday, January 31
Review at The True Book Addict
Friday, February 1
Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court
Author Interview & Giveaway at The True Book Addict
Giveaway:
One lucky winner will win a copy of The Forgotten Queen (open internationally).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I like the bit about the younger Henry VIII and the way he was. Didn't know this at all.
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds very good. If it weren't t for HF I'd know nothing about the Tudors!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds quite good, and you are right I cannot remember reading about one of Henry's sisters before. Awesome review!
ReplyDeleteA fascinating novel. thanks for this feature and great review. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteIt's always fun to read about famous figures from a different point of view. Thanks for an interesting review.
ReplyDeleteReviews have aroused my curiosity about this Queen. Look forward to a portrayal of Henry in his youth, too. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteOh, I think I would really like this one. Great review. I love the Tudors and I'm interested in Mary.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to get a slightly different perspective on the Tudors, that of Margaret, and the depiction of Henry VIII as a child sounds fun too. Thanks for the review and the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteMy life just wouldn't be the same without historical fiction. It feels as if my brain is this huge sponge that can't soak up enough. Thank you for the chance in the giveaway.
ReplyDeletei so need to read The Forgotten Queen!! already added to my Wish List!!!
ReplyDeletethank you for the giveaway!!
So excited for this one! I was starting to wonder when someone would write about the "lesser know" Tudors! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review. I enjoy reading your blog- I always get so many book ideas from you. Thank you for the giveaway as well
ReplyDeleteMy interest is piqued. I would love to read this! Thanks for the review and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI love that Henry VIII is in it. He's always so fascinating because of how mercurial he is.
ReplyDeletemestith@gmail.com
I was impressed by your saying that you liked Margaret even when she made mistakes. That to me spells a very enjoyable read. I would love to read about Henry VIII's sister!!!
ReplyDeleteCarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com