Title: The Red Queen
Author: Philippa Gregory
Series: The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #3
Genres: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Touchstone
Release: August 3rd, 2010
Source: Paperback
Pages: 400
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BLURB: The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England. Through collaboration with the dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret agrees to a betrothal between Henry and Elizabeth's daughter, thereby uniting the families and resolving the Cousins War once and for all by founding of the Tudor dynasty.
EXPECTATIONS: I am very into the Tudor dynasty and the way England looked in that period, so understanding there did the entire dynasty begin was also very very interesting to me.
THE WORLD: The plot is set in the 15th century and circles around the royalty of England. There has been peace in the country for sometime as Edward VI was king. The book circles around a young girl named Margaret Beaufort, who was a distance cousin to the present king. He married her off to his half-brother, making her the future mother of Henry Tudor and Henry VIII.
CHARACTERS: As stated the main character is Margaret Beaufort. When she is married off, she is only 12 years old. Yes! 12 years old!!! I mean even for 15th century that's messes up! Anyway, she marries a much much older guy Edmund, and becomes a member of the royal family through marriage. Margaret is very religious, she believes that God has sent her all these heartaches and difficult tasks because she has been chosen to become the mother of King of England. I don't know if I liked Margaret. I felt so sorry for her, that her childhood was taken away, that she had to become a mother at the age of 13, and almost died while giving birth, I was so sorry that she had to go through all these horrible things still being a child. Yet, I have to say she was the devil in sheep clothing. I wanted to punch the wall because I just couldn't take the 'I am being so mean and cruel to other people, because God made me do it, he wants this'. I mean, it's one thing to be very religious and then just be a kind person who lives according to the dogma's and then there is the level of horribleness when you use religion for cruelty. She milked the whole 'I'm chosen' thing the entire book. She was very cruel to other characters, especially the women.
Other characters were alright, I did like Jasper Tudor, but I didn't really understood if he loved her or he used her. Edmund, her husband, in not much in the book, as is her son Henry, but we get to see this battle between women who do everything to protect their children, to protect their families and homes.
Other characters were alright, I did like Jasper Tudor, but I didn't really understood if he loved her or he used her. Edmund, her husband, in not much in the book, as is her son Henry, but we get to see this battle between women who do everything to protect their children, to protect their families and homes.
ROMANCE: This book really does not focus on love, however we understand that Margaret and Jasper do have some feelings.
GOOD: I liked that men really didn't do anything in this book. They were the fighting power, who lifted swords, but all the political games, all the power and the future of the country was held in the hands and decided by two women.
BAD: It was too long, for me and I would have loved to have the characters more human, not so 'I was sent by God'.
OVERALL: It was a good edition to the series, and to understand how the Tudor dynasty become a part of our history.
What do you think about THE RED QUEEN?
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