Author: C.W. Gortner
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Ballantine
Publish Date: June 12, 2012
Source: HF Virtual Tours
Why You're Reading This Book:
- You're a historical fiction fan.
- You love interesting characters.
From Goodreads.com: "Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.
As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.
From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile."
My Two Cents:
I didn't know much about Isabel of Castile before I read this book. Here's what I knew:
- She and King Ferdinand were the ones that financed Columbus' misadventure to the West Indies.
- I was familiar with two out of her children. First, I knew of Joanna the Mad (also called Juana), who was considered crazy. Second, I knew of Catherine of Aragon, who went on to become King Henry the VIII of England's first wife.
- I knew about the involvement with the Spanish Inquisition.
There was so much going on in Spain during this time. It was interesting to see it through the eyes of someone who was at the forefront of so many of the decisions. It was very interesting to me to see how Ferdinand and Isabel's reign worked. They seemed to be very much on equal footing when it comes to making the rules.
This will be the second C.W. Gortner book. I love his writing because he does such a good job of getting into the brain of his characters and really making you, the reader, feel what the character is seeing. You begin to feel like you could be friends with the characters because you get to know them that well.
Bottom line: This is a great book with vivid descriptions. It's perfect for all you historical fiction lovers out there!
Don't Forget to Follow the Rest of the Tour:
Tuesday, June 12th
Review at The Maiden's Court
Wednesday, June 13th
Review at Savvy Verse & Wit
Thursday, June 14th
Review at Sharon's Garden of Book Reviews
Review at Drey's Library
Author Interview at From the TBR Pile
Friday, June 15th
Book Spotlight at Teresa's Reading Corner
Monday, June 18th
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Tuesday, June 19th
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Wednesday, June 20th
Review at CelticLady's Reviews
Thursday, June 21st
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Friday, June 22nd
Review at The True Book Addict
Author Interview at Confessions of an Avid Reader
Monday, June 25th
Review at Broken Teepee
Tuesday, June 26th
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at Confessions of a Book Hoarder
Review at Reflections of a Book Addict
Wednesday, June 27th
Review at Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books
Thursday, June 28th
Author Interview at The True Book Addict
Friday, June 29th
Review at Tina's Book Reviews
Author Guest Post at The Book Faery Reviews
Monday, July 2nd
Review at Bippity Boppity Book
Review at Book Drunkard
Author Interview at Reading the Past
Tuesday, July 3rd
Review & Giveaway at Royal Reviews
Review at Acting Balanced
Wednesday, July 4th
Review at The Book Garden
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, July 5th
Review at Books, Belles and Beaux
Review at Stiletto Storytime
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Friday, July 6th
Review at Raging Bibliophile
Author Interview at Acting Balanced
Monday, July 9th
Review at The Bookworm
Review, Author Interview & Giveaway at A Bookish Libraria
Tuesday, July 10th
Review at Just One More Paragraph
Review at Always with a Book
Wednesday, July 11th
Review at Jenny Loves to Read
Review at One Book at a Time
Thursday, July 12th
Review at Life in the Thumb
Review at The Literate Housewife
Author Interview & Giveaway at Always with a Book
Friday, July 13th
Review at The Broke and the Bookish
Author Interview at Just One More Paragraph
I liked this one too, I really learned a lot about Isabella.
ReplyDeleteShe was definitely an interesting historical figure!
DeleteThank you for your great review. I'm honored by your praise and delighted to be here as part of my virtual tour. I hope your readers enjoy The Queen's Vow.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that I got the opportunity to read and review your awesome book! I'm a huge fan!
DeleteI'm not a big historical fiction fan, but I would like to know more about the history of the period. I might check this out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely an interesting story!
DeleteI really enjoyed this one. I went into the book with very little knowledge, and I found it very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI love when you can glean new information from an entertaining book!
DeleteThis sounds like a book I would really enjoy. Great review!
ReplyDeleteNC
Truly Bookish
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to read the book soon!
Delete