BookBrowse Reviews The Queen's Lover by Vanora Bennett

BookBrowse:

The story of a great queen, a woman of enormous courage, a true survivor, who made her own rules

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BookBrowse Members Say

All 17 BookBrowse members who reviewed The Queen's Lover rated it 4 or 5 out of 5 stars!

Here's what they have to say:

The Queen's Lover tells the story of Catherine of Valois and the Welshman who became her clerk of the wardrobe - and ultimately her husband, Owain (Owen) Tudor. This improbable union led to the establishment of the Tudor dynasty through their grandson, Henry, Duke of Richmond, who took the crown as Henry VII after defeating the Yorkist king, Richard III, at Bosworth Field in 1485. The dynasty eventually produced, arguably, the two most recognizable names in the history of the British monarchy: Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth I. Bennett serves up everything you might expect, and desire, from a meaty work of historical fiction set in 15th century Europe: dysfunctional royals, court intrigue, war (civil and international), romance, conniving clergy, and the occasional offspring of 'questionable origin' (Darra W).

I loved this book! Set in one of my favorite periods in English history and about two characters that I had only read about peripherally in other books (Joanne V). I was a little taken aback at the length (over 500 pages), but was soon captivated by the wonderful characters and story (Julia H), although the story started slowly with a bit too much romance for me (Judith M); and the writing could have been a bit tighter (Carol C).

I especially enjoyed the very learned Christine de Pizan's role in the young royals' lives - and was delighted to find basis in real life for this character (Julia H). Great historical fiction gives the reader deeper understanding of the times and people depicted; Vanora Bennett allows me to finally comprehend the deep differences between the French and English explored in both Shakespeare's Henry V and the tragic tale of Saint Joan. The anticipation that builds in this true love story is reminiscent of Austen or the Bronte sisters and is also an excellent read for a history buff (Lesley F).

Final Word

What a masterfully written novel. Ms. Bennett pens a wondrous tale of young love, and its maturation. Filled with memorable characters, vivid descriptions, and attention to detail we are served a fictitious novel based on historical facts. If you love romance The Queen’s Lover will not disappoint. The plots and subplots sweep you into a whirlwind tale filled with heroes, villains, war, greed, manipulation, deceit, betrayal, fear, laughter, separation, and hope - just to name a few of its many elements (Russell Prince). Book groups will find many topics for discussion (Judith M). Thank you Ms. Bennett. I'd forgotten how truly fascinating this period of history could be (Peggy K).

This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in May 2010, and has been updated for the March 2011 edition. Click here to go to this issue.