REVIEW: The Kingmaker's Daughter (Philippa Gregory)
Author: Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4/5
Premise: Anne Neville and her sister Isabel are daughters of the most powerful magnate in 15th century England, the Earl of Warwick, the 'Kingmaker', born with royal blood in their veins. Widowed at fourteen, fatherless, stripped of her inheritance and with her mother locked in sanctuary and Isabel a vengeful enemy, Anne faces the world alone. But fortune's wheel is always turning. Danger follows her and she must protect herself from the treacherous royal court, her deadly royal rival, and even from the driving ambition of her husband, Richard III.
I didn't know much about Anne Neville or even Richard III. The White Queen and Red Queen painted them both as ruthless and ambitious, making me reluctant to read a book where Anne and Richard play central roles. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised. In Anne, I found a strong woman who has been played in royal power games her whole life and just wants some stability in her position. It was really nice to see this naive girl with no voice, who shouldn't have amounted to much, grow into a strong woman, who makes her own decisions and works hard for her power and status. After losing her first husband, we start to see her standing up for her independence - something very few women had in those days. I felt incredibly sorry for Anne in the end. Such a short life, with lots of struggles and being used by her family and friends to gain power. An interesting story, providing a different side to a pair of monarchs often villainized.
I didn't know much about Anne Neville or even Richard III. The White Queen and Red Queen painted them both as ruthless and ambitious, making me reluctant to read a book where Anne and Richard play central roles. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised. In Anne, I found a strong woman who has been played in royal power games her whole life and just wants some stability in her position. It was really nice to see this naive girl with no voice, who shouldn't have amounted to much, grow into a strong woman, who makes her own decisions and works hard for her power and status. After losing her first husband, we start to see her standing up for her independence - something very few women had in those days. I felt incredibly sorry for Anne in the end. Such a short life, with lots of struggles and being used by her family and friends to gain power. An interesting story, providing a different side to a pair of monarchs often villainized.