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Tudor Saga #1
To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York
In the aftermath of the bloody Wars of the Roses, Henry Tudor has seized the English crown, finally uniting the warring Houses of York and Lancaster through his marriage to Elizabeth of York.
But whilst Henry VII rules wisely and justly, he is haunted by Elizabeth's missing brother; the infamous two Princes, their fate in the Tower forever a shrouded secret. Then tragedy strikes at the heart of Henry's family, and it is against his own son that the widowed King must fight for a bride and his throne ...
But whilst Henry VII rules wisely and justly, he is haunted by Elizabeth's missing brother; the infamous two Princes, their fate in the Tower forever a shrouded secret. Then tragedy strikes at the heart of Henry's family, and it is against his own son that the widowed King must fight for a bride and his throne ...
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1982
333 people are currently reading
11.2k people want to read
About the author
Jean Plaidy
150 books1,548 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
-Wikipedia
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August 2, 2021just like i have an obsession with the romanov dynasty, i'm also obsessed with the tudors, yup
December 23, 2019
After the killing of Richard III at Bosworth Field, King Henry VII takes the throne of England. But can he keep it? Traitors. Schemers. Pretenders. Henry VII believes many are lurking in the shadows with designs on his throne. He hastily plans an alliance with Spain, by planning a marriage between his heir Arthur and the young Spanish Infanta, Katherine of Aragon. But plans will go awry when Arthur dies and his younger brother Henry becomes Prince of Wales in his place. What will happen to Katherine? Will King Henry marry again? Who will the new heir be wed to? So much political intrigue! An aging king desperate to keep hold of his throne. Heirs dying. Alliances, planned marriages, scheming. Henry VII finds himself in a power struggle of sorts with his own son, the soon to be Henry VIII.
The Tudor era in English history is one of my favorite time periods to study. So much change, upheaval, and intrigue! The Plaidy books stick relatively close to historical fact, diverging a bit here and there to take advantage of historical guesswork and conspiracy theories (like the fate of the two princes in the tower). Plaidy's books are fictionalized history.....the basic bones of the story are factual with some heaving bosoms, passionate speeches and drama thrown in for entertainment purposes.
Jean Plaidy is a pen name for author Eleanor Hibbert, who also used multiple other pseudonyms such as Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr. Each genre she wrote in used a different name. I have been collecting Plaidy novels for about 10 years, trying to get them all (or at least one or two complete series). I have three shelves of her novels -- it's time to start actually reading them! I decided to start with the Tudor Saga. There are 11 books in the Tudor series. Uneasy Lies the Head (also published as To Hold the Crown) is the first book in reading order, but actually the last published.
Very interesting read! I'm already reading the second book in this series, Katharine, the Virgin Widow. It repeats a bit of the story told in this first book, starting with the Katharine's arrival in England.
Just an aside....Plaidy's writing is NOT historical romance, but historical fiction. She focuses on the history, and splashes in a bit of drama and passion to round out the story. Readers who want a story that is lighter on history and more about romance, sex, courtly melodrama, heaving bosoms, etc might be happier with a historical romance author. There are many of them to choose from! Plaidy gives details on politics, social issues, and historical figures....and molds fiction around the actual history. Readers looking for detailed sex scenes with the king/queen, tales of sexual exploits, melodrama and more excitement......I recommend choosing another author. That sort of thing just isn't in her books. Those who like a fictionalized fleshing out of historical events -- you are in the right place. Just had to say this after reading a few reviews saying Plaidy's books have "too much history'' in them. lol. For a naked, horny Henry VIII, you will have to look elsewhere. He's out there strutting his kingly stuff....just not in Plaidy's novels. :)
The Tudor era in English history is one of my favorite time periods to study. So much change, upheaval, and intrigue! The Plaidy books stick relatively close to historical fact, diverging a bit here and there to take advantage of historical guesswork and conspiracy theories (like the fate of the two princes in the tower). Plaidy's books are fictionalized history.....the basic bones of the story are factual with some heaving bosoms, passionate speeches and drama thrown in for entertainment purposes.
Jean Plaidy is a pen name for author Eleanor Hibbert, who also used multiple other pseudonyms such as Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr. Each genre she wrote in used a different name. I have been collecting Plaidy novels for about 10 years, trying to get them all (or at least one or two complete series). I have three shelves of her novels -- it's time to start actually reading them! I decided to start with the Tudor Saga. There are 11 books in the Tudor series. Uneasy Lies the Head (also published as To Hold the Crown) is the first book in reading order, but actually the last published.
Very interesting read! I'm already reading the second book in this series, Katharine, the Virgin Widow. It repeats a bit of the story told in this first book, starting with the Katharine's arrival in England.
Just an aside....Plaidy's writing is NOT historical romance, but historical fiction. She focuses on the history, and splashes in a bit of drama and passion to round out the story. Readers who want a story that is lighter on history and more about romance, sex, courtly melodrama, heaving bosoms, etc might be happier with a historical romance author. There are many of them to choose from! Plaidy gives details on politics, social issues, and historical figures....and molds fiction around the actual history. Readers looking for detailed sex scenes with the king/queen, tales of sexual exploits, melodrama and more excitement......I recommend choosing another author. That sort of thing just isn't in her books. Those who like a fictionalized fleshing out of historical events -- you are in the right place. Just had to say this after reading a few reviews saying Plaidy's books have "too much history'' in them. lol. For a naked, horny Henry VIII, you will have to look elsewhere. He's out there strutting his kingly stuff....just not in Plaidy's novels. :)
May 25, 2010
It is quite clear that the person who wrote the synopsis of the story found on the back cover of this book never actually read it. It reads: "As Henry’s claim to the throne was tenuous, his marriage to Elizabeth of York, daughter and direct heir of King Edward IV, not only served to unify the warring houses, it also helped Henry secure the throne for himself and for generations to come. And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story that led to seven children and twenty happy years together." I am not sure where they hid the wonderful love story, but it wasn't in this book. I am not sure it qualifies as a wonderful love story if one of the participants doesn't even realize how good he had it until after she dies. It seemed from this narrative that Henry was happy as long as Elizabeth didn't ever challenge any of his thinking, didn't get in his way or didn't take up any of his time. They scarcely spend any time together in this book and none of those fleeting moments would qualify as part of a love story.
The book does an adequate job of conveying historical accuaracies and providing alternative motivations for events for which we do not have specific information. I almost stopped reading during the first chapters: the beginning of the story plods along. In introducing all the main characters (with all the POV movement) we understand only one thing: that Henry Tudor's claim to the throne is tenuous at best. Every single character says or thinks it multiple times. All they do when they meet each other is talk about it. Unfortunately, they all use almost the same, exact language every time. After the first four or five characters I was ready to be done with the whole story. After the first half of the book (when every blessed living thing has exhausted the thought of King Henry's legitimacy) the narrative tightens and the rest of the story unfolds.
The book does an adequate job of conveying historical accuaracies and providing alternative motivations for events for which we do not have specific information. I almost stopped reading during the first chapters: the beginning of the story plods along. In introducing all the main characters (with all the POV movement) we understand only one thing: that Henry Tudor's claim to the throne is tenuous at best. Every single character says or thinks it multiple times. All they do when they meet each other is talk about it. Unfortunately, they all use almost the same, exact language every time. After the first four or five characters I was ready to be done with the whole story. After the first half of the book (when every blessed living thing has exhausted the thought of King Henry's legitimacy) the narrative tightens and the rest of the story unfolds.
May 7, 2017
Evil Henry Tudor. He only thinks of what would be best for Henry Tudor, and hence pardons Lambert Simnel. Henry Tudor is very self centred, and hence errr ... pardons most of the Cornish rebels. Henry Tudor concentrates solely on what is good for Henry Tudor and ummm ... was against war. Oh yes, Henry Tudor knew what was good for Henry Tudor, never mind that it benefited the masses. It’s not as if he was even interested in them!
I am sick and tired of pro-Ricardian crap and while I would never judge a historical fiction book based on historical accuracy, the characters aren’t even human. I am frankly surprised that Jean Plaidy wrote this. Most characters are one dimensional and have no depth. They exist for one single purpose alone, and that purpose whatever it is, is continuously hammered into the readers’ heads. Henry Tudor does only what is good for Henry Tudor. Cecily wants to marry John. Elizabeth Woodville is arrogant. Henry (VIII) wants to be King. If you’ve read this once, you’ve read this a hundred times. We are not stupid, Plaidy!
Considering that the title of the book is ‘To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York', there is precious little of Elizabeth. She is mostly just smiling and nodding and then disappears from the scene. Or she is breeding. Perhaps the book should have been titled ‘The Story of Henry VII Whom Nobody Liked Even Though He Was a Good King’ or even ‘Henry VII Wanted Only What Was Good For Henry VII’. The phrase has been used so often in the book, it could actually be used as a title. There is plenty of material to write a romance, but Plaidy chose to ignore it and write crap instead.
As far as Henry, Duke of York is concerned, Plaidy has used the crystal ball technique. A fairy godmother appears to him in a dream and told him that he was going to be king. I can really think of no other reason why at the age of three he is already planning on becoming king. Because of course, everyone knows that Arthur is going to die. He is constantly going on about what he would do ‘if he were a king’ and ‘when he would be king’. It’s most annoying because he is NOT going to be king at this stage. No one knows about it yet. He keeps demanding that he should be Prince of Wales. WTF!?
At the age of THREE! Henry is overjoyed when his brother dies. At this rate, I wonder why the author did not have little Henry murdering his father and brother and just become king himself.
And good grief, his tutor talking about sex to him! John Skelton is ridiculous. Not only does he talk sex constantly to his three year old charge, he keeps telling him how things would be nicer if Henry were king! Was he planning to murder Arthur? Or did he use his crystal ball? Tea leaves, perhaps. It’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Henry and Skelton discuss such matters as whether or not Arthur would be able to have children. I can’t believe I went through the trauma of reading this!
The research is terrible, and somehow Plaidy has twisted everything to make it seem that H7 had ordered the Yorkist Princes murdered. The only interesting parts were the Lambert Simnel drama and later some parts featuring Katherine of Aragon and her sister's visit. But most of the book was just entire swathes of utter unbelievable crap.
I am sick and tired of pro-Ricardian crap and while I would never judge a historical fiction book based on historical accuracy, the characters aren’t even human. I am frankly surprised that Jean Plaidy wrote this. Most characters are one dimensional and have no depth. They exist for one single purpose alone, and that purpose whatever it is, is continuously hammered into the readers’ heads. Henry Tudor does only what is good for Henry Tudor. Cecily wants to marry John. Elizabeth Woodville is arrogant. Henry (VIII) wants to be King. If you’ve read this once, you’ve read this a hundred times. We are not stupid, Plaidy!
Considering that the title of the book is ‘To Hold the Crown: The Story of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York', there is precious little of Elizabeth. She is mostly just smiling and nodding and then disappears from the scene. Or she is breeding. Perhaps the book should have been titled ‘The Story of Henry VII Whom Nobody Liked Even Though He Was a Good King’ or even ‘Henry VII Wanted Only What Was Good For Henry VII’. The phrase has been used so often in the book, it could actually be used as a title. There is plenty of material to write a romance, but Plaidy chose to ignore it and write crap instead.
As far as Henry, Duke of York is concerned, Plaidy has used the crystal ball technique. A fairy godmother appears to him in a dream and told him that he was going to be king. I can really think of no other reason why at the age of three he is already planning on becoming king. Because of course, everyone knows that Arthur is going to die. He is constantly going on about what he would do ‘if he were a king’ and ‘when he would be king’. It’s most annoying because he is NOT going to be king at this stage. No one knows about it yet. He keeps demanding that he should be Prince of Wales. WTF!?
At the age of THREE! Henry is overjoyed when his brother dies. At this rate, I wonder why the author did not have little Henry murdering his father and brother and just become king himself.
And good grief, his tutor talking about sex to him! John Skelton is ridiculous. Not only does he talk sex constantly to his three year old charge, he keeps telling him how things would be nicer if Henry were king! Was he planning to murder Arthur? Or did he use his crystal ball? Tea leaves, perhaps. It’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Henry and Skelton discuss such matters as whether or not Arthur would be able to have children. I can’t believe I went through the trauma of reading this!
The research is terrible, and somehow Plaidy has twisted everything to make it seem that H7 had ordered the Yorkist Princes murdered. The only interesting parts were the Lambert Simnel drama and later some parts featuring Katherine of Aragon and her sister's visit. But most of the book was just entire swathes of utter unbelievable crap.
November 4, 2008
From the back cover “And though their union was born from political necessity, it became a wonderful love story…” Huh? You have to wonder sometimes what is going through the publisher’s heads – the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York was not a love match by any means – why they would try to label it as such??
Originally published as Uneasy Lies the Head, this book covers the reign of Henry VII following the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. With a very tenuous claim on the throne of England Henry marries Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV, in an effort to strengthen his claim. Despite keeping peace in the country and restoring the empty coffers, Henry is always fearful of conspiracies to challenge his reign with pretenders to the throne claiming to be one of the lost princes in the tower.
So much of this book is known history, we’ve all read enough of the Tudors I don’t need to rehash it all again. The book takes the reader from the beginning of Henry’s reign until the end and at his death and the assumption to the throne of his son Henry VIII. Although I did enjoy this book very much, it was a bit dry at times, especially at the beginning, and those not familiar with the Wars of The Roses might have a difficult time picking up the story.
Henry was nicely portrayed as a parsimonious penny pincher always worried about threats to his crown, the younger Henry a bit too full of himself and his “knightly” responsibilities, Katharine of Aragon suitably pious and obedient – my only complaint was the how Elizabeth of York was portrayed. A virtually non-existent character, the few times she was in the storyline she was quite vapid and very forgettable. She was pretty much there for the procreation of children. All in all a pleasant read, not the best but not the worst either. 3.5/5 stars.
Originally published as Uneasy Lies the Head, this book covers the reign of Henry VII following the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. With a very tenuous claim on the throne of England Henry marries Elizabeth of York, eldest daughter of Edward IV, in an effort to strengthen his claim. Despite keeping peace in the country and restoring the empty coffers, Henry is always fearful of conspiracies to challenge his reign with pretenders to the throne claiming to be one of the lost princes in the tower.
So much of this book is known history, we’ve all read enough of the Tudors I don’t need to rehash it all again. The book takes the reader from the beginning of Henry’s reign until the end and at his death and the assumption to the throne of his son Henry VIII. Although I did enjoy this book very much, it was a bit dry at times, especially at the beginning, and those not familiar with the Wars of The Roses might have a difficult time picking up the story.
Henry was nicely portrayed as a parsimonious penny pincher always worried about threats to his crown, the younger Henry a bit too full of himself and his “knightly” responsibilities, Katharine of Aragon suitably pious and obedient – my only complaint was the how Elizabeth of York was portrayed. A virtually non-existent character, the few times she was in the storyline she was quite vapid and very forgettable. She was pretty much there for the procreation of children. All in all a pleasant read, not the best but not the worst either. 3.5/5 stars.
July 23, 2010
Read for Tudor History Lovers Group Read ~ July/August 2010
I liked this book but I didn't love it.
I enjoyed reading about Henry VII but, while I was really looking forward to reading about Elizabeth of York, I feel like I still know nothing about who she was. I realize that there's not a whole bunch of information available about her, but come on... it's supposed to be a book about the love story between her and Henry and she's barely in it. Oh, and there's no love story. Was Elizabeth of York really a meek and mild wallflower who submitted graciously to her all of her husband's actions, desires, demands? I can't base a opinion on this book because I just can't believe that she would be as weak as she was portrayed here.
The writing style wasn't wonderful but it wasn't horrible either. I felt that each character thought and spoke in much the same way as all the others ~ they had no voices or personalities of their own. And we know that they each had very definitive personalities. Regardless, I did like that the narration switched back and forth between all the major players rather than being told by one person's point of view.
As a starting novel for the Tudor series by Plaidy, I really liked it. I thought it was a good introduction and I learned things I hadn't known about. I am excited to continue that learning. It's obvious to me that Plaidy puts a lot of research into her novels and has a good grasp of the period. Unless I have even less of a grasp than I thought and just don't know enough to spot inaccuracies. Overall, it was a quick and easy read and one I'd recommend but not with too much enthusiasm.
This is my second novel by the author (the first being William's Wife) and I will definitely be reading more of her work.
I liked this book but I didn't love it.
I enjoyed reading about Henry VII but, while I was really looking forward to reading about Elizabeth of York, I feel like I still know nothing about who she was. I realize that there's not a whole bunch of information available about her, but come on... it's supposed to be a book about the love story between her and Henry and she's barely in it. Oh, and there's no love story. Was Elizabeth of York really a meek and mild wallflower who submitted graciously to her all of her husband's actions, desires, demands? I can't base a opinion on this book because I just can't believe that she would be as weak as she was portrayed here.
The writing style wasn't wonderful but it wasn't horrible either. I felt that each character thought and spoke in much the same way as all the others ~ they had no voices or personalities of their own. And we know that they each had very definitive personalities. Regardless, I did like that the narration switched back and forth between all the major players rather than being told by one person's point of view.
As a starting novel for the Tudor series by Plaidy, I really liked it. I thought it was a good introduction and I learned things I hadn't known about. I am excited to continue that learning. It's obvious to me that Plaidy puts a lot of research into her novels and has a good grasp of the period. Unless I have even less of a grasp than I thought and just don't know enough to spot inaccuracies. Overall, it was a quick and easy read and one I'd recommend but not with too much enthusiasm.
This is my second novel by the author (the first being William's Wife) and I will definitely be reading more of her work.
February 21, 2011
Although I didn't think much of Mary, Queen of France by this author, I thought I would give her another try. According to the plot synopsis on the back of the cover, this book was supposed to be the story of the great romance between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Well, the story barely touched on Elizabeth of York and when she did actually appear in the progression of the novel, I think she was treated as nothing more than breeding stock. A very disappointing read...
I also found fault with some of the writing. For example, Plaidy writes a scene between a three year old Henry VIII and his sister Margaret. Other than the childish tone of the whole conversation and the author telling the readers the age of the children, these children are basically having an adult conversation, which is not very realistic.
Two things I did like: One, I think the author characterized Henry VII perfectly. He is just how I imagine the real Henry was when alive and King of England. Two, throughout the whole story, the author insinuates that Henry VII killed the two princes in the Tower and not their uncle, Richard III. I definitely believe that Henry was capable of that in order to secure his crown.
Overall, I wouldn't waste the time reading this book. As I said earlier, it was very disappointing and I could not wait to finish it.
I also found fault with some of the writing. For example, Plaidy writes a scene between a three year old Henry VIII and his sister Margaret. Other than the childish tone of the whole conversation and the author telling the readers the age of the children, these children are basically having an adult conversation, which is not very realistic.
Two things I did like: One, I think the author characterized Henry VII perfectly. He is just how I imagine the real Henry was when alive and King of England. Two, throughout the whole story, the author insinuates that Henry VII killed the two princes in the Tower and not their uncle, Richard III. I definitely believe that Henry was capable of that in order to secure his crown.
Overall, I wouldn't waste the time reading this book. As I said earlier, it was very disappointing and I could not wait to finish it.
February 13, 2009
I was really looking forward to reading this book. Even though it was another fictionalized account of Henry VII & Elizabeth of York, I was eager to read about the events from a different view. As much as I hate to say it, this book was almost painful to get through at times.
In contrast with The King’s Daughter, a book that grabbed me and pulled me in, To Hold the Crown just seemed to gloss over the characters & events of the book. Elizabeth of York hardly played a part in this book. Reading descriptions of the book online, I expected there to be a great love story in this book. That definitely would have been different from the image in The King’s Daughter. Unfortunately, I don’t think that To Hold the Crown really portrayed a deep love.
To Hold the Crown read more as a non-fiction book with some fiction thrown in. It did do a good job of going over events that occurred during Henry VII’s reign.
In contrast with The King’s Daughter, a book that grabbed me and pulled me in, To Hold the Crown just seemed to gloss over the characters & events of the book. Elizabeth of York hardly played a part in this book. Reading descriptions of the book online, I expected there to be a great love story in this book. That definitely would have been different from the image in The King’s Daughter. Unfortunately, I don’t think that To Hold the Crown really portrayed a deep love.
To Hold the Crown read more as a non-fiction book with some fiction thrown in. It did do a good job of going over events that occurred during Henry VII’s reign.
August 19, 2017
Prima boek als je graag eens wil weten hoe dat nou zat met de vader van Hendrik de 8e. De jeugd van Hendrik 8 komt aan bod en na het lezen weet je ook hoe het zo is gekomen dat Hendrik met de vrouw van zijn overleden broer trouwt. Allemaal dingen die je waarschijnlijk ook wel op Wikipedia kunt vinden. Het boek zit chronologisch waarschijnlijk aardig in elkaar, is toch ook informatief en vandaar toch nog twee sterren. Ik heb het uitgelezen omdat ik het nu echt graag eens wilde weten.
Helaas is het boek saai geschreven (ik las het in het Engels, dus de vertaling kan ik de schuld niet geven). Telkens op nieuw beschrijft Jean Plaidy wat haar personages denken en dat zijn telkens dezelfde dingen. Nu is het natuurlijk zo dat mensen inderdaad zo hun hang ups hebben en heel vaak dezelfde gedachten hebben, maar in dit geval is het geen literair stijlelement om de psychologie van de personages beter tot hun recht te doen komen.
Kortom in ca 290 pagina's weet je meer, maar is er bij mij niet direct de behoefte om het volgende boek, Katharine, the virgin widow ook te gaan lezen hoewel de eerste bladzijden die ik inkeek wel een andere "toon" hebben. Het lijkt me alleen zo sterk dat Plaidy ineens een prima schrijfster is geworden. Toch schreef ze 9 delen over de Tudors, wie weet was dit eerste deel gewoon een vingeroefening.
Helaas is het boek saai geschreven (ik las het in het Engels, dus de vertaling kan ik de schuld niet geven). Telkens op nieuw beschrijft Jean Plaidy wat haar personages denken en dat zijn telkens dezelfde dingen. Nu is het natuurlijk zo dat mensen inderdaad zo hun hang ups hebben en heel vaak dezelfde gedachten hebben, maar in dit geval is het geen literair stijlelement om de psychologie van de personages beter tot hun recht te doen komen.
Kortom in ca 290 pagina's weet je meer, maar is er bij mij niet direct de behoefte om het volgende boek, Katharine, the virgin widow ook te gaan lezen hoewel de eerste bladzijden die ik inkeek wel een andere "toon" hebben. Het lijkt me alleen zo sterk dat Plaidy ineens een prima schrijfster is geworden. Toch schreef ze 9 delen over de Tudors, wie weet was dit eerste deel gewoon een vingeroefening.
July 5, 2020
Having read numerous books by Jean Plaidy, I’ve concluded that her earlier books are better than the later ones. “To Hold the Crown” is a later book, published after the last novel in her Plantagenet saga.
Like with the Plantagenet saga, the author's attempts to pack several years’ worth of history into one volume results in a serious rush job. While I like fast-paced novels, I dislike rushing through bland scenes that should’ve been dramatized.
It could be the author’s “rush” to finish that led to a few historical errors. For example, the Earl of Warwick is occasionally referred to as the Duke of Warwick, while on another occasion we’re informed that Wawrick “had no close relations”. Didn’t his sister count? What about his Plantagenet aunts and his cousins?
The main reason why Plaidy’s works are so dry is because there’s far too much *telling*, as opposed to *showing*. Many times in this book the reader is told what happened in a few sentences, when the author could’ve dramatized scenes to show what happened.
Something else Plaidy’s guilty of is her continuous use of the passive voice. It’s always, “The coronation of the Queen” or “one of the sons of Edward”, as opposed to the active voice: “The Queen’s coronation” and “one of Edward’s sons”.
Passive voice = passive prose.
Some of the character exchanges are good, but most lack substance. At times, we don’t even know where conversations are transpiring. A new scene opens with two characters talking, yet there’s no sense of place. The author/narrator hasn’t given a shred of detail where the characters are. It’s like they’re floating in limbo. This is poor imagery. At least have them seated at a table, or lying in bed, or taking a walk – anything to give the reader a sense of place to visualise the scene.
Also annoying is characters talking with the benefit of hindsight, such as the young Henry (future Henry VIII) seeing himself as king because his older brother is fragile (we're repeatedly told how fragile he is).
The Battle of Stoke in 1487, which was the last significant conflict during the Wars of the Roses, is treated the same as the battles featured in the Plantagenet saga. Here, Stoke is no more than a three-sentence summary (I’ve omitted names to avoid spoilers for anyone unfamiliar with this history):
>The opposing armies met at Stoke and battle ensued. The Germans fought valiantly and, professional soldiers that they were, came within sight of victory; but the King’s forces were too much for even them and gradually they had to face defeat. **** was slain; **** managed to escape and **** and ****, who were not actually involved in the fighting, were surprised together in a tent and taken prisoner.<
The above is blatant telling. Maybe Jean Plaidy was squeamish when it comes to describing men hacking each other to death, I don’t know, but why build up to the battle only to not bother dramatizing it?
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing.
Some of her novels do hit the mark, but “To Hold the Crown” is another that feels like an unedited second draft.
Like with the Plantagenet saga, the author's attempts to pack several years’ worth of history into one volume results in a serious rush job. While I like fast-paced novels, I dislike rushing through bland scenes that should’ve been dramatized.
It could be the author’s “rush” to finish that led to a few historical errors. For example, the Earl of Warwick is occasionally referred to as the Duke of Warwick, while on another occasion we’re informed that Wawrick “had no close relations”. Didn’t his sister count? What about his Plantagenet aunts and his cousins?
The main reason why Plaidy’s works are so dry is because there’s far too much *telling*, as opposed to *showing*. Many times in this book the reader is told what happened in a few sentences, when the author could’ve dramatized scenes to show what happened.
Something else Plaidy’s guilty of is her continuous use of the passive voice. It’s always, “The coronation of the Queen” or “one of the sons of Edward”, as opposed to the active voice: “The Queen’s coronation” and “one of Edward’s sons”.
Passive voice = passive prose.
Some of the character exchanges are good, but most lack substance. At times, we don’t even know where conversations are transpiring. A new scene opens with two characters talking, yet there’s no sense of place. The author/narrator hasn’t given a shred of detail where the characters are. It’s like they’re floating in limbo. This is poor imagery. At least have them seated at a table, or lying in bed, or taking a walk – anything to give the reader a sense of place to visualise the scene.
Also annoying is characters talking with the benefit of hindsight, such as the young Henry (future Henry VIII) seeing himself as king because his older brother is fragile (we're repeatedly told how fragile he is).
The Battle of Stoke in 1487, which was the last significant conflict during the Wars of the Roses, is treated the same as the battles featured in the Plantagenet saga. Here, Stoke is no more than a three-sentence summary (I’ve omitted names to avoid spoilers for anyone unfamiliar with this history):
>The opposing armies met at Stoke and battle ensued. The Germans fought valiantly and, professional soldiers that they were, came within sight of victory; but the King’s forces were too much for even them and gradually they had to face defeat. **** was slain; **** managed to escape and **** and ****, who were not actually involved in the fighting, were surprised together in a tent and taken prisoner.<
The above is blatant telling. Maybe Jean Plaidy was squeamish when it comes to describing men hacking each other to death, I don’t know, but why build up to the battle only to not bother dramatizing it?
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing.
Some of her novels do hit the mark, but “To Hold the Crown” is another that feels like an unedited second draft.
May 6, 2013
I decided to give Plaidy another try after giving up on her "Plantagenet Prelude" swearing that I would never purchase one of her books again. Looking for something on Elizabeth of York and finding such novels in short supply, I attempted Plaidy again with the hope that this more recent novel would see improvements in her writing. It is improved in that I finished it. This at times required some perseverance on my part. Much to my dismay, Elizabeth is not even a major character in the book.
Once again, I encountered repetitive, condescending writing, which only improved in her section on Perkin Warbek. She refers to favorite topics such as the mysterious disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, Henry's devotion to his mother, and young Henry's desire to be King at least 2-dozen times. I found myself wanting to throw a thesaurus at Plaidy's head as I read the word "parsimonious" more times in this book than in the 100 I've read before it.
The two-dimensional characters that I had deplored in PP were par for the course in this novel as well. Elizabeth of York is complacent to the extent that she does not question her brothers' disappearance or whether her husband may have had something to do with it because it would be "embarrassing." She is quick to agree to everything Henry says and thanks God that her mother-in-law is there to make any other decisions for her. Prince Henry is written as a throne hungry egotist, which seems accurate except she started writing him that way at 3 years old!
I did enjoy Plaidy's take on the Princes in the Tower, Lambert Simnel, and Perkin Warbek. However, I will not be spending time on any other of her books.
Once again, I encountered repetitive, condescending writing, which only improved in her section on Perkin Warbek. She refers to favorite topics such as the mysterious disappearance of the Princes in the Tower, Henry's devotion to his mother, and young Henry's desire to be King at least 2-dozen times. I found myself wanting to throw a thesaurus at Plaidy's head as I read the word "parsimonious" more times in this book than in the 100 I've read before it.
The two-dimensional characters that I had deplored in PP were par for the course in this novel as well. Elizabeth of York is complacent to the extent that she does not question her brothers' disappearance or whether her husband may have had something to do with it because it would be "embarrassing." She is quick to agree to everything Henry says and thanks God that her mother-in-law is there to make any other decisions for her. Prince Henry is written as a throne hungry egotist, which seems accurate except she started writing him that way at 3 years old!
I did enjoy Plaidy's take on the Princes in the Tower, Lambert Simnel, and Perkin Warbek. However, I will not be spending time on any other of her books.
January 12, 2020
Primer libro del año Yeeeeeeey....
pudo haber sido mejor.
El trono codiciado nos habla de la vida de diversos personajes en la epoca en que Enrique tudor se hace con la corona, vamos de el mismo rey hasta un impostor del duque de York. Con sinceridad de admitir que no sabia muy bien que esperar (se de los acotecimiento, pero no sabia como los narraria) y para mi me parecio todo llevado de manera.....¿insula? la narrativa esta bien, no muchas descripciones y para pasar el rato esta bien, pero no logro engancharme en ningun momento.
Dejando de lado que tanto rigor historico tengo varias pegas, mas que nada con los càpitulos de las mujeres, o son molestas o las mansas corderos o buenas fabricas de hijos. Aparte sus unicos pensamientos son de que deben dar mas hijos o que deben casarse.
Tal vez sea que he leido mas desde perspectiva de mujeres, pero me senti algo decepcionada de no ver mas sobre ellas, lo mas que supe fue el sufrimiento de Catalina, el deseo de paz de Isabel de York y que Margarita veia muy egocentrico a Enrique(hijo).
3/5 Seguire leyendo por el mame que se viene con Enrique y su terquedad de tener un hijo varòn y por Catalina que se me hace ahora un personaje interesante y quisiera saber que mas paso con Margarita pero dudo sasber mas de ella (Porque una vez casadas desaparecen del mapa a menos que esten pariendo un carajito).
pudo haber sido mejor.
El trono codiciado nos habla de la vida de diversos personajes en la epoca en que Enrique tudor se hace con la corona, vamos de el mismo rey hasta un impostor del duque de York. Con sinceridad de admitir que no sabia muy bien que esperar (se de los acotecimiento, pero no sabia como los narraria) y para mi me parecio todo llevado de manera.....¿insula? la narrativa esta bien, no muchas descripciones y para pasar el rato esta bien, pero no logro engancharme en ningun momento.
Dejando de lado que tanto rigor historico tengo varias pegas, mas que nada con los càpitulos de las mujeres, o son molestas o las mansas corderos o buenas fabricas de hijos. Aparte sus unicos pensamientos son de que deben dar mas hijos o que deben casarse.
Tal vez sea que he leido mas desde perspectiva de mujeres, pero me senti algo decepcionada de no ver mas sobre ellas, lo mas que supe fue el sufrimiento de Catalina, el deseo de paz de Isabel de York y que Margarita veia muy egocentrico a Enrique(hijo).
3/5 Seguire leyendo por el mame que se viene con Enrique y su terquedad de tener un hijo varòn y por Catalina que se me hace ahora un personaje interesante y quisiera saber que mas paso con Margarita pero dudo sasber mas de ella (Porque una vez casadas desaparecen del mapa a menos que esten pariendo un carajito).
February 20, 2023
3.5 stars
The Wars of the Roses is over, with Elizabeth (House of York) having married Henry VII (House of Lancaster) to join the two warring houses for the crown of England. This book starts when Elizabeth is pregnant with her first child (Arthur) and ends with Henry’s death. It follows the births of all their children; the two “pretenders” to the crown pretending to be Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s missing princes from the tower – the “rightful” heirs; Katherine of Aragon’s marriage to Arthur and subsequent betrothal to the soon-to-be Henry VIII. Henry VII was always concerned about someone coming along to claim the throne.
It was good, but – especially at first – I found it a bit hard to follow as it followed many different viewpoints of many different characters and transitioned without any indication of a transition! I think it got a bit easier once we were following Henry VIII and his generation, as I know the people and characters better, so I could figure it out. The story moved forward very quickly, as years would pass with only a sentence or two (or nothing, and it’s a few years later).
The Wars of the Roses is over, with Elizabeth (House of York) having married Henry VII (House of Lancaster) to join the two warring houses for the crown of England. This book starts when Elizabeth is pregnant with her first child (Arthur) and ends with Henry’s death. It follows the births of all their children; the two “pretenders” to the crown pretending to be Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville’s missing princes from the tower – the “rightful” heirs; Katherine of Aragon’s marriage to Arthur and subsequent betrothal to the soon-to-be Henry VIII. Henry VII was always concerned about someone coming along to claim the throne.
It was good, but – especially at first – I found it a bit hard to follow as it followed many different viewpoints of many different characters and transitioned without any indication of a transition! I think it got a bit easier once we were following Henry VIII and his generation, as I know the people and characters better, so I could figure it out. The story moved forward very quickly, as years would pass with only a sentence or two (or nothing, and it’s a few years later).
January 20, 2018
I enjoyed this book although I thought in places it was a little slow. It starts at the end of the War of the Roses as Henry 7th comes to the throne. I am a huge fan of the Tudor period but I haven't read that much that focuses on Henry 7th.
We get to see a lot of POVs in this book and the constant changing of POV was a bit annoying at times as it made the story seem as if it was jumping around quite a bit.
I have read a number of historical fiction novels and most stick to the facts but mix in the authors own interpretation of the events. I found that this book read a little more like a factual book in places rather than being a work of fiction. This made the placing quite slow and this book is over 400 pages which I thought was a little too long as not a lot happened in the book despite it taking places over a number of years.
I will continue to read more in this series as the next books will follow the reign of Henry 8th which is my favourite topic to read.
We get to see a lot of POVs in this book and the constant changing of POV was a bit annoying at times as it made the story seem as if it was jumping around quite a bit.
I have read a number of historical fiction novels and most stick to the facts but mix in the authors own interpretation of the events. I found that this book read a little more like a factual book in places rather than being a work of fiction. This made the placing quite slow and this book is over 400 pages which I thought was a little too long as not a lot happened in the book despite it taking places over a number of years.
I will continue to read more in this series as the next books will follow the reign of Henry 8th which is my favourite topic to read.
December 17, 2019
It went on an on about the same issues and the same thoughts from the main characters - Henry Tudor moody, Henry VIII selfish, Katharine helpless. However, I liked it because it gives me a historical background (although not 100% accurate) to understand Henry VIII’s actions later on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2018
Written as though for YA. Juvenile at best. Gives us a historical POV, but other than that...very disappointing...unless I'm 12 and very impressionable.
October 20, 2024
2.5 star
March 20, 2021
Uneasy Lies The Head
Thoughts:
A bit repetitive at the start so far like the 3 points of view. I find the repetitive nature is continued through out this book and it has frustrated me more than once.
Synopsis:
We hear from the Queen mother about her unsteady situation. Her fears and longings. Elizabeth who’s the new Queen and her dreams, fears and baby. The kings Henry the 7ths fears of the baby coming early.
Henry is plagued with his own upbringing, family history and how he got here. He is greeted by his mother who tells him he has a son. Rushing to the chamber he sees his wife with his son Arthur. She wanted to name him Edward but the past has ruined that name for him.
The child is taken away leaving the Queens mother and the Queen aware that the King and his mother always gets what they want.
Richard Simon is a priest who think he has for Earl of Warwick. He meets with a man who can help him raise people behind a boy from a Bakers Shop. He is a bitter man who chases dreams of becoming a famous man. All attempts have failed but now he is on track to meet the Queen Dowager.
The Dowager Woodville and the Countess of Richmond are knocking heads over the child, the nursery and how it’s ran. She is mad angry and when a chance presents itself to leave to meet with the Earl of Lincoln’s recommended priest she takes it. The boredom in her life makes her buy into his story.
Richard removes the child from the Bakery and takes him to Ireland. He teaches him to write, read and speak correctly. Anything that will allow his game to continue.
The king and countess find out about The Dowagers meddling, she is confronted by the countess where she is told to pack up she was going to the Nunnery. She goes to her daughter who is appalled at her mother’s behaviour.
The Dowager goes to the nunnery, the real Earl of Warwick dreams of freedom and thinks his sister can give him it. He is returned to the tower. The boy crosses the ocean and the forces are crushed. Richard and Lambert are crushed. The king shows mercy after learning the boy is simple.
Lambert is sentence to work in the kings kitchens where he is happy. The priest is jailed for life and escapes a traitors death. The country laughs and jokes about Lambert Simnel.
The King advisers convince him to give the Queen her coronation to raise the people’s spirits. They also manage to encourage him to set a match between the king of Scotland and the Dowager.
When the Dowager is presented with the idea she is fascinated by it. Even if she worries about what happened to her boys abs longs to see her grandson. She even wants to know why Cecilia has yet to be married off.
The Queen goes to St. Mary’s hospital on horse back with her sisters. Each airing their feelings about how their sister has changed. Cecillla is in love with John Wells and is determined to marry him.
Anne is worried mostly about her mother. When they go to the tower they travel together and the Queen wishes her mother would marry the Scot.
She is dressed at the Abby for the coronation and the King becomes more convinced the advisers were correct. They attend the coronation and the king attends with his mother behind a box where they also take the feast.
Later Cecilia tells her sister that she married John Wells. Elizabeth tells the king and fears his reaction but he shrugs it off. He knows there’s still Anne and Elizabeth is well. They make love. All is well.
Elizabeth brings the Dowager the news that King James of Scotland is dead. She is heart broken after all her plans, studies and ideas.
Gone.
Elizabeth sowed seeds that she might have her mother return to court if she truly repents. This is something the Dowager sits on the fence over.
King Henry fears ambush every day and when his envoy comes back from Spain without a marriage alliance between them and England he fears they wasted money for nothing. That the country is in dire states. His adviser Kohn Studley does his best to council away his fears.
Queen Elizabeth goes on to have a further three children, Margaret and Henry. The Countess and her growing closer each day.
The Dowager grows very ill and sends for Cecilia who prays her mother gets well. The Dowager believes that will not happen. She dies after her other three daughters come to her side. She is heart broken. Worse still anger is flared with those from York at the knowledge that she was given a very quiet, common merchant burial by her husband.
Unaware of the people’s feelings, Henry is forced to go to war with France who settle. His Earls are mad as they had to sell land to go and return with nothing. Henry is blind to this.
The Duke of York appears in Ireland and quickly gathers an army with influential people. This frightens Henry.
The boy Peter who steps forward as the Duke of York has grown up in Lady Flamptons home hearing how he looks like the royals. He goes to Lisbon with them and soon he attracts the eye of a battlefield tested Knight who also remarks on his likeness to the royals.
Peter Warbeck is another pretender that the Lord Desmond, King of France and Margaret Burgundy want to believe is the Duke of York. They tell him all he needs to know and makes King Henry more anxious as he knows the boys a pretender, but does not want the country to know how.
King Henry signs a treaty with the King of France that forces Peter to leave with his followers. He goes to Margaret.
King Henry talks over his worry with his advisers and speaks of how easy it is for the people to turn against him. He discovers all those who were part of the conspiracy to remove him from the throne and turns Robert Clifford round to work for him.
Little Henry tries to rule his nursery but has Margret to content with. Arthur just wants to do his lessons. Lady Anne who is raising them thinks Arthur will not reach old age and is grateful for Henry yet sends mixed messages with how she scolds him.
The King and Queen visits where Henry is told he will be made Duke of York. He is delighted even though his mother’s distance and coldness effects him. Anne comforts him.
Henry rides into London and goes through the process of becoming the Duke of York and even a Knight of Bath.
Sir William Stanley is realised to be a traitor he is found guilty and beheaded. Several of those who were also involved found a similar fate, some the King pardoned.
Henry at three is told of what happened to Sir William Stanley by Arthur, none to gently. Princess Elizabeth dies and Henry grows more angry at the pretender.
The pretender lands some of his men in England but they are captured and killed. He sails on to Scotland. Where he is greet by King James. During his time at court he pleases the king and starts to fall in love with Katherine Gordon.
Stewart is born during his time there and there is a sense of happiness. Perkin falls in love with Katherine and the king gives permission to marry. They have a baby girl and Perkin raids the border with the King.
Tudor King Henry raises taxes to pay for the Scottish war. The Cornishmen rebel. The head of the Kings army is captured then released. The leaders are quickly caught and give a traitors death. He also beheads a Lord who stood up with the people.
Perkin is dispatched from Scotland by King James who is in love with Margret Drummond. Perkin is not welcomed in Ireland and goes with Katherine to Cornell where he raises an army. He heads towards London but flees when he comes against two professional armies.
On the run Perkin is captured, he confessions his fraud to his wife before the king. He is kept from her and endures endless humiliations as King Henry tries to make himself feel more secure.
King Henry is determined to marry his son to the daughter of Spain, but the imposters has made them unsure. He fears the now 24 year old Earl of Warwick. He is unsure of what to do.
The King tricks Edward and Perkin into making a plan to escape or take the tower. Sends in his constable to have Edward confess to wanting to raise an army against the king. Both a tried and found guilty. They are killed on the same day in two different parts of England.
Henry thinks over the death of his fathers animals as a warning to his subjects to not go against him when the animals take on the leaders of the kingdom. Skelton keeps leading Henry astray and showing him how he sees or hears all. Even his speech could get him killed yet Prince Henry sticks with him and keeps his secrets.
Henry is summoned to be told that he will be escorting the princess of Spain into London. He is excited yet jealous of Arthur. Margaret is soon to be married to the king of Scotland.
The princess arrives and has a pleasant journey to Exeter where she meets her Spanish diplomats and these two men are in fighting. The head of the King’s servants is sent from Westminster to make sure nothing goes wrong with her treatment or journey. All is laid on for her even though she is disappointed the king has not come to meet her on the shores or her future husband.
Arthur rides to meet his bride and father and son are impressed. The princess and Arthur hit it off. His reluctance to be her husband is gone and his coughing up blood a secret. They are wed and King Henry tells them that they don’t have to consummate their marriage right away. This gives the pair a great deal of relief.
Prince Henry finds all the feasts and celebrations to much so he decides to out do his brother who only seems to be doing more relaxed roles. His jealous nature grows as he is fond of the princess too. His envy drives him.
Margaret is married off to the King of Scotland by proxy of the Earl of Bothwell. Henry and her take all the attention at the wedding. Leaving the Duke longing for Arthur’s place.
Katherine grows closer to Arthur but they don’t consummate the marriage. Arthur dies of the sweating sickness which grieves the King and Queen badly. The king had met with De Publeo early where they schemed about the dowry.
King Henry spirals with grief as they get ready to lay Arthur to rest.
Suffolk has been hassling the conscious of King Henry, he sets a trap for him and Sir John who witnessed the murder of those two little boys. He gets Suffolk on treason charges after he tried to raise an army with Emperor Max. Sir John is set into his own trap where he is taken from his home with his horseman and his son. To save his sons life he has to confess to a confession of the princes Murder. Taking another boogie man out of King Henry’s life.
The king are arranges for Katherine to marry Prince Henry. The Queen has her child in the Tower and dies nine days later. Her daughter a few after that.
Katherine worries about having an friend on those shores and wants to please the king to survive. The King requests Katherine’s hand and her mother says no. Turns King Henry’s eye to the Queen of Naples.
Katherine is relieved to hear of the way her mother stood up for her. She is scared at the idea of marrying Prince Henry.
King Henry learns of the failings with the Queen of Naples and wonders at what the Queen of Spain can mean by this. He worries about Prince Henry and the changes he sees in his son. He hopes he will grow out of them.
Katherine is feeling the pinch of her father in laws lack of care for her comfort and knows her only way out is through the Prince of Wales.
Margret prepares to leave for Scotland and she decides to bring her brother to heel once more. She reveals in their bickering that Katherine writes home begging her mother to take her away from England and lies saying she does not want to marry him. Her words hurt him and enrage him.
Prince Henry forgives and finds himself loving her, wanting to protect her, raise her back up. Her mother dies and she is found without such a great claim to the crown. King Henry makes Prince Henry retract his offer but that does not change his heart. She is moved back to court and her servants dismissed but the bare essential ones.
Her life is miserable.
Margaret loves the King of Scotland and the fuss is made over her leaving. She takes her time and enjoys the journey. She thinks she has found her happy ever after with the King of Scotland.
Spanish affairs grow more complicated and King Henry finds himself become closer with Philip who is to become the most powerful king in Europe. King Henry’s fears of people trying to steal his crown is taken away.
Philip is having a hard time with his obsessive wife, sailing into a storm he ends up on the English shores. He is glad to be safe but fears what King Henry might do.
Prince Henry is summoned and sent on the welcoming party for the Emperor and Katherine’s sister. This is mentioned to King
Henry. He is not happy about having to treat Katherine better.
Philip dismisses Katherine and makes promises to King Henry. He dies before the year was out. Ferindard takes over the ruling of Spain and does not accept King Henry’s attempts to marry Juana who has had a daughter.
King Henry ages and dies off leaving Prince Henry to become King. He marries Katherine as he had always wanted.
Thoughts:
A bit repetitive at the start so far like the 3 points of view. I find the repetitive nature is continued through out this book and it has frustrated me more than once.
Synopsis:
We hear from the Queen mother about her unsteady situation. Her fears and longings. Elizabeth who’s the new Queen and her dreams, fears and baby. The kings Henry the 7ths fears of the baby coming early.
Henry is plagued with his own upbringing, family history and how he got here. He is greeted by his mother who tells him he has a son. Rushing to the chamber he sees his wife with his son Arthur. She wanted to name him Edward but the past has ruined that name for him.
The child is taken away leaving the Queens mother and the Queen aware that the King and his mother always gets what they want.
Richard Simon is a priest who think he has for Earl of Warwick. He meets with a man who can help him raise people behind a boy from a Bakers Shop. He is a bitter man who chases dreams of becoming a famous man. All attempts have failed but now he is on track to meet the Queen Dowager.
The Dowager Woodville and the Countess of Richmond are knocking heads over the child, the nursery and how it’s ran. She is mad angry and when a chance presents itself to leave to meet with the Earl of Lincoln’s recommended priest she takes it. The boredom in her life makes her buy into his story.
Richard removes the child from the Bakery and takes him to Ireland. He teaches him to write, read and speak correctly. Anything that will allow his game to continue.
The king and countess find out about The Dowagers meddling, she is confronted by the countess where she is told to pack up she was going to the Nunnery. She goes to her daughter who is appalled at her mother’s behaviour.
The Dowager goes to the nunnery, the real Earl of Warwick dreams of freedom and thinks his sister can give him it. He is returned to the tower. The boy crosses the ocean and the forces are crushed. Richard and Lambert are crushed. The king shows mercy after learning the boy is simple.
Lambert is sentence to work in the kings kitchens where he is happy. The priest is jailed for life and escapes a traitors death. The country laughs and jokes about Lambert Simnel.
The King advisers convince him to give the Queen her coronation to raise the people’s spirits. They also manage to encourage him to set a match between the king of Scotland and the Dowager.
When the Dowager is presented with the idea she is fascinated by it. Even if she worries about what happened to her boys abs longs to see her grandson. She even wants to know why Cecilia has yet to be married off.
The Queen goes to St. Mary’s hospital on horse back with her sisters. Each airing their feelings about how their sister has changed. Cecillla is in love with John Wells and is determined to marry him.
Anne is worried mostly about her mother. When they go to the tower they travel together and the Queen wishes her mother would marry the Scot.
She is dressed at the Abby for the coronation and the King becomes more convinced the advisers were correct. They attend the coronation and the king attends with his mother behind a box where they also take the feast.
Later Cecilia tells her sister that she married John Wells. Elizabeth tells the king and fears his reaction but he shrugs it off. He knows there’s still Anne and Elizabeth is well. They make love. All is well.
Elizabeth brings the Dowager the news that King James of Scotland is dead. She is heart broken after all her plans, studies and ideas.
Gone.
Elizabeth sowed seeds that she might have her mother return to court if she truly repents. This is something the Dowager sits on the fence over.
King Henry fears ambush every day and when his envoy comes back from Spain without a marriage alliance between them and England he fears they wasted money for nothing. That the country is in dire states. His adviser Kohn Studley does his best to council away his fears.
Queen Elizabeth goes on to have a further three children, Margaret and Henry. The Countess and her growing closer each day.
The Dowager grows very ill and sends for Cecilia who prays her mother gets well. The Dowager believes that will not happen. She dies after her other three daughters come to her side. She is heart broken. Worse still anger is flared with those from York at the knowledge that she was given a very quiet, common merchant burial by her husband.
Unaware of the people’s feelings, Henry is forced to go to war with France who settle. His Earls are mad as they had to sell land to go and return with nothing. Henry is blind to this.
The Duke of York appears in Ireland and quickly gathers an army with influential people. This frightens Henry.
The boy Peter who steps forward as the Duke of York has grown up in Lady Flamptons home hearing how he looks like the royals. He goes to Lisbon with them and soon he attracts the eye of a battlefield tested Knight who also remarks on his likeness to the royals.
Peter Warbeck is another pretender that the Lord Desmond, King of France and Margaret Burgundy want to believe is the Duke of York. They tell him all he needs to know and makes King Henry more anxious as he knows the boys a pretender, but does not want the country to know how.
King Henry signs a treaty with the King of France that forces Peter to leave with his followers. He goes to Margaret.
King Henry talks over his worry with his advisers and speaks of how easy it is for the people to turn against him. He discovers all those who were part of the conspiracy to remove him from the throne and turns Robert Clifford round to work for him.
Little Henry tries to rule his nursery but has Margret to content with. Arthur just wants to do his lessons. Lady Anne who is raising them thinks Arthur will not reach old age and is grateful for Henry yet sends mixed messages with how she scolds him.
The King and Queen visits where Henry is told he will be made Duke of York. He is delighted even though his mother’s distance and coldness effects him. Anne comforts him.
Henry rides into London and goes through the process of becoming the Duke of York and even a Knight of Bath.
Sir William Stanley is realised to be a traitor he is found guilty and beheaded. Several of those who were also involved found a similar fate, some the King pardoned.
Henry at three is told of what happened to Sir William Stanley by Arthur, none to gently. Princess Elizabeth dies and Henry grows more angry at the pretender.
The pretender lands some of his men in England but they are captured and killed. He sails on to Scotland. Where he is greet by King James. During his time at court he pleases the king and starts to fall in love with Katherine Gordon.
Stewart is born during his time there and there is a sense of happiness. Perkin falls in love with Katherine and the king gives permission to marry. They have a baby girl and Perkin raids the border with the King.
Tudor King Henry raises taxes to pay for the Scottish war. The Cornishmen rebel. The head of the Kings army is captured then released. The leaders are quickly caught and give a traitors death. He also beheads a Lord who stood up with the people.
Perkin is dispatched from Scotland by King James who is in love with Margret Drummond. Perkin is not welcomed in Ireland and goes with Katherine to Cornell where he raises an army. He heads towards London but flees when he comes against two professional armies.
On the run Perkin is captured, he confessions his fraud to his wife before the king. He is kept from her and endures endless humiliations as King Henry tries to make himself feel more secure.
King Henry is determined to marry his son to the daughter of Spain, but the imposters has made them unsure. He fears the now 24 year old Earl of Warwick. He is unsure of what to do.
The King tricks Edward and Perkin into making a plan to escape or take the tower. Sends in his constable to have Edward confess to wanting to raise an army against the king. Both a tried and found guilty. They are killed on the same day in two different parts of England.
Henry thinks over the death of his fathers animals as a warning to his subjects to not go against him when the animals take on the leaders of the kingdom. Skelton keeps leading Henry astray and showing him how he sees or hears all. Even his speech could get him killed yet Prince Henry sticks with him and keeps his secrets.
Henry is summoned to be told that he will be escorting the princess of Spain into London. He is excited yet jealous of Arthur. Margaret is soon to be married to the king of Scotland.
The princess arrives and has a pleasant journey to Exeter where she meets her Spanish diplomats and these two men are in fighting. The head of the King’s servants is sent from Westminster to make sure nothing goes wrong with her treatment or journey. All is laid on for her even though she is disappointed the king has not come to meet her on the shores or her future husband.
Arthur rides to meet his bride and father and son are impressed. The princess and Arthur hit it off. His reluctance to be her husband is gone and his coughing up blood a secret. They are wed and King Henry tells them that they don’t have to consummate their marriage right away. This gives the pair a great deal of relief.
Prince Henry finds all the feasts and celebrations to much so he decides to out do his brother who only seems to be doing more relaxed roles. His jealous nature grows as he is fond of the princess too. His envy drives him.
Margaret is married off to the King of Scotland by proxy of the Earl of Bothwell. Henry and her take all the attention at the wedding. Leaving the Duke longing for Arthur’s place.
Katherine grows closer to Arthur but they don’t consummate the marriage. Arthur dies of the sweating sickness which grieves the King and Queen badly. The king had met with De Publeo early where they schemed about the dowry.
King Henry spirals with grief as they get ready to lay Arthur to rest.
Suffolk has been hassling the conscious of King Henry, he sets a trap for him and Sir John who witnessed the murder of those two little boys. He gets Suffolk on treason charges after he tried to raise an army with Emperor Max. Sir John is set into his own trap where he is taken from his home with his horseman and his son. To save his sons life he has to confess to a confession of the princes Murder. Taking another boogie man out of King Henry’s life.
The king are arranges for Katherine to marry Prince Henry. The Queen has her child in the Tower and dies nine days later. Her daughter a few after that.
Katherine worries about having an friend on those shores and wants to please the king to survive. The King requests Katherine’s hand and her mother says no. Turns King Henry’s eye to the Queen of Naples.
Katherine is relieved to hear of the way her mother stood up for her. She is scared at the idea of marrying Prince Henry.
King Henry learns of the failings with the Queen of Naples and wonders at what the Queen of Spain can mean by this. He worries about Prince Henry and the changes he sees in his son. He hopes he will grow out of them.
Katherine is feeling the pinch of her father in laws lack of care for her comfort and knows her only way out is through the Prince of Wales.
Margret prepares to leave for Scotland and she decides to bring her brother to heel once more. She reveals in their bickering that Katherine writes home begging her mother to take her away from England and lies saying she does not want to marry him. Her words hurt him and enrage him.
Prince Henry forgives and finds himself loving her, wanting to protect her, raise her back up. Her mother dies and she is found without such a great claim to the crown. King Henry makes Prince Henry retract his offer but that does not change his heart. She is moved back to court and her servants dismissed but the bare essential ones.
Her life is miserable.
Margaret loves the King of Scotland and the fuss is made over her leaving. She takes her time and enjoys the journey. She thinks she has found her happy ever after with the King of Scotland.
Spanish affairs grow more complicated and King Henry finds himself become closer with Philip who is to become the most powerful king in Europe. King Henry’s fears of people trying to steal his crown is taken away.
Philip is having a hard time with his obsessive wife, sailing into a storm he ends up on the English shores. He is glad to be safe but fears what King Henry might do.
Prince Henry is summoned and sent on the welcoming party for the Emperor and Katherine’s sister. This is mentioned to King
Henry. He is not happy about having to treat Katherine better.
Philip dismisses Katherine and makes promises to King Henry. He dies before the year was out. Ferindard takes over the ruling of Spain and does not accept King Henry’s attempts to marry Juana who has had a daughter.
King Henry ages and dies off leaving Prince Henry to become King. He marries Katherine as he had always wanted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2014
First things first, the packaging and subtitle of To Hold the Crown are not at all accurate to the actual text. If you were thinking of reading this is in the hope that it focuses on the romance between Henry VII and Elizabeth of York you’ll be disappointed. A more accurate description would be the story of Henry VII and a young Henry VIII, because despite Elizabeth being the focus of the first chapter she quickly disappears from the narrative, becoming little more than Henry’s meek wife bent to the will of him and his mother. Rather than romance Plaidy’s novel is more concerned with the rebellions that plagued Henry’s reign, his own paranoia and his son Henry’s ambitions to the crown.
Although not what the book promised the subject matter should still be engaging for anyone interested in the period. Unfortunately Plaidy’s prose is very repetitive, often reiterating the same facts over and over again, and this makes the book very dull and hard to read. Also the chapter-by-chapter shifts in perspective make it hard to find one character to root for or relate to. While most historical novels of this period exhibit some sort of bias towards either the Yorkist or Lancastrian/Tudor side Plaidy avoids this by writing all her characters as wholly unlikable. Henry VII is a cold hearted miser, little Henry VIII is a spoilt brat, Elizabeth of York is a passive doormat, Elizabeth Woodville is vain and obsessed with plotting, etc. Perhaps the hopelessly naive Perkin Warbeck gets the fairest treatment. Moreover Plaidy’s characters are so one dimensional it is hard to believe any of them were truly like the caricatures she presents here.
While Plaidy may have been aiming for a pro-Ricardian novel, judging by the fact that Ultimately Plaidy’s pro-Richard stance in this novel doesn’t so much cast the absent Richard in a good light as throw Henry VII, the closest character to a protagonist, in an increasingly bad one. If Plaidy wanted to write Ricardian fiction perhaps she should have focused her novel on him during his lifetime rather than detailing how despicable she finds his surviving enemies.
April 16, 2008
After having read Victoria Holt in my teens and having heard rave reviews of Jean Plaidy's historical fiction novel I finally tried one - Uneasy Lies the Head is the story of Henry VII. The man who defeated Richard III at Bosworth, united the Lancaster and York Houses and spent his ruling years getting rid of potential rivals to the throne.
In the aftermath of the bloody Wars of the Roses, Henry Tudor has seized the English crown, finally uniting the warring Houses of York and Lancaster through his marriage to Elizabeth of York. But whilst Henry VII rules wisely and justly, he is haunted by Elizabeth's missing brothers; the infamous two Princes, their fate in the Tower forever a shrouded secret. Then tragedy strikes at the heart of Henry's family, and it is against his own son that the widowed king must fight for a bride and his throne...
I liked Plaidy's voice although at first I was a bit confused with the different point of views. I also would have preferred if the story had started a bit earlier. Henry VII acceptance as a king was a in part due to his marriage to Elizabeth of York and it was a bit odd seeing her so dependent of him when she must have been an important part of the day's politics.
But mostly the book is about Henry's political moves to guarantee his power, to prevent rebellions by York claimants. He had to deal with two fake pretenders - Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck - and kept a tight hold on the ones who might be a potential danger like the young Earl of Warwick. He comes across as cold, scheming and a detached murderer. He has no strong feelings - love or hate - towards anyone but he doesn't hesitate to murder, or better said convict with fake charges, the one's who might threaten his power. Unavoidably part of what bothers him is to explain the disappearance of the prince's in the tower in a way that doesn't make him look guilty.
Another important thing is the begetting of heirs to strengthen the dynasty. Having had the fragile Arthur, Henry and Elizabeth keep having more children and next come Margaret, Henry and Mary and a few other babies who didn’t survive. Their children are also an important part of the book and we follow the negotiations for Arthur and Katharine of Aragon's marriage and the early years of the princess's stay in England. The author also develops a bit of the future Henry VIII personality, presumably to set us on the right path for the next books.
All in all an enjoyable read which follows the historical facts closely but gives them a lighter and fictionalised approach.
Grade: B
In the aftermath of the bloody Wars of the Roses, Henry Tudor has seized the English crown, finally uniting the warring Houses of York and Lancaster through his marriage to Elizabeth of York. But whilst Henry VII rules wisely and justly, he is haunted by Elizabeth's missing brothers; the infamous two Princes, their fate in the Tower forever a shrouded secret. Then tragedy strikes at the heart of Henry's family, and it is against his own son that the widowed king must fight for a bride and his throne...
I liked Plaidy's voice although at first I was a bit confused with the different point of views. I also would have preferred if the story had started a bit earlier. Henry VII acceptance as a king was a in part due to his marriage to Elizabeth of York and it was a bit odd seeing her so dependent of him when she must have been an important part of the day's politics.
But mostly the book is about Henry's political moves to guarantee his power, to prevent rebellions by York claimants. He had to deal with two fake pretenders - Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck - and kept a tight hold on the ones who might be a potential danger like the young Earl of Warwick. He comes across as cold, scheming and a detached murderer. He has no strong feelings - love or hate - towards anyone but he doesn't hesitate to murder, or better said convict with fake charges, the one's who might threaten his power. Unavoidably part of what bothers him is to explain the disappearance of the prince's in the tower in a way that doesn't make him look guilty.
Another important thing is the begetting of heirs to strengthen the dynasty. Having had the fragile Arthur, Henry and Elizabeth keep having more children and next come Margaret, Henry and Mary and a few other babies who didn’t survive. Their children are also an important part of the book and we follow the negotiations for Arthur and Katharine of Aragon's marriage and the early years of the princess's stay in England. The author also develops a bit of the future Henry VIII personality, presumably to set us on the right path for the next books.
All in all an enjoyable read which follows the historical facts closely but gives them a lighter and fictionalised approach.
Grade: B
August 25, 2013
This book frustrates me! The prose is derivative (holy hell and how…?), relies too much on repeated exposition where characters hammered motives and intentions to other characters for the ‘reader’s sake’ as if they are in the midst of intense battle in fighting the honorable title ‘Sir Obvious of Expositionville’. There are no discernable backbone of a story, inconsistent characterizations (how in the name of logic a 3 years old Henry VIII could spar with 5- I think- years old his sister about the state of English court as if they are a pair of educated adults?), and more often than not the lack of editing process shown through (at one point the writer describes William Stanley as the brother of Henry VII’s father-in-law, whereas the fact is William Stanley’s brother , Thomas Stanley is the man who married Henry VII’s mother, making Thomas Stanley Henry VII’s step father. Oh lorddd, do this book really passed the editor’s desk before being printed and sold to the masses..??! it really beggars belief..)
And the ultimate offense; as a novel which titled The Story of Henry VII and His Queen Elizabeth of York, there’s really little to none of Elizabeth of York in the story, she described as a little more than a breeding machine without any thought and voice of her own. I feel duped because I enter this expecting an elaborate and detailed account on their union and the period of their reign together because Henry VII and Elizabeth of York are fascinating characters, together and their own, seeing that their marriage has brought together decades of warring houses Lancaster and York and from their union borne the Infamous Tudor Dynasty with their own interesting figures. A grave disservice and missed opportunity, not even any well written smut included in this book (you see,i'm actually not that hard to please, really..) so that at least this could be saved from being a total craptacular disaster.
And the ultimate offense; as a novel which titled The Story of Henry VII and His Queen Elizabeth of York, there’s really little to none of Elizabeth of York in the story, she described as a little more than a breeding machine without any thought and voice of her own. I feel duped because I enter this expecting an elaborate and detailed account on their union and the period of their reign together because Henry VII and Elizabeth of York are fascinating characters, together and their own, seeing that their marriage has brought together decades of warring houses Lancaster and York and from their union borne the Infamous Tudor Dynasty with their own interesting figures. A grave disservice and missed opportunity, not even any well written smut included in this book (you see,i'm actually not that hard to please, really..) so that at least this could be saved from being a total craptacular disaster.
February 9, 2011
King Henry VII ended The War of the Roses by uniting his House of Lancaster with the House of York by marrying Elizabeth of York. Even with the birth of two sons, Henry still feels paranoid about losing his throne. He seeks an alliance with the rulers of Spain, while fighting off rebels who support other claimants to the throne. He feels more secure when his son Arthur marries Katherine of Aragon, the young Spanish Princess but disaster is waiting just around the corner.
This book was a good background to the early life of Prince Arthur, the first husband of Katharine of Aragon, and his petulant brother who would become King Henry VIII, and their sisters Mary and Margaret. It is clear that their father has a lot of work to do to secure the throne from pretenders who use the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower to their own ends, presenting fake princes to the public to rally support to overthrow the unpopular King. We also get to see all the diplomatic problems surrounding overseas alliances and marriages which makes this a very interesting read. Henry VII was a cold man who showed little emotion even over his wife and the children that he lost so it's no surprise that the people loved the vibrant Prince Henry much better.
Henry VIII is seen here as a spoiled child who wants to get his own way and sulks at not having the power and glory given to reluctant heir Prince Arthur. His desire for marrying Katherine does not end even when his father decides to break the betrothal and you can see the early seeds of the tyrant showing through in young Henry.
It is the first book I have read about Henry VII and I'll be interested to read more about him and The War of the Roses itself.
This book was a good background to the early life of Prince Arthur, the first husband of Katharine of Aragon, and his petulant brother who would become King Henry VIII, and their sisters Mary and Margaret. It is clear that their father has a lot of work to do to secure the throne from pretenders who use the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower to their own ends, presenting fake princes to the public to rally support to overthrow the unpopular King. We also get to see all the diplomatic problems surrounding overseas alliances and marriages which makes this a very interesting read. Henry VII was a cold man who showed little emotion even over his wife and the children that he lost so it's no surprise that the people loved the vibrant Prince Henry much better.
Henry VIII is seen here as a spoiled child who wants to get his own way and sulks at not having the power and glory given to reluctant heir Prince Arthur. His desire for marrying Katherine does not end even when his father decides to break the betrothal and you can see the early seeds of the tyrant showing through in young Henry.
It is the first book I have read about Henry VII and I'll be interested to read more about him and The War of the Roses itself.
September 7, 2010
Blech! I soo wanted to like this book, but it was just so poorly written and such a stretch from the truth that I couldn't get into it. I finished it because I have a good streak going of actually reading the group read selections from the Tudor group, but otherwise probably would have been tempted to throw this into the fire this past Labor Day weekend. Who am I kidding, I was tempted, but it goes against every fiber of my being to burn a book!
The plot was weak - there basically wasn't one, actually, as it was just a chronicle of the reign of Henry VII with little to no character depth, poor use of facts, a complete lack of editing, and the continual shift in perspective lent to a feeling of the book being disjointed and unorganized.
The cover advertises this as a spectacular blend between history, romance and drama. History? Barely. Romance? Between whom? Drama? Umm...no.
There were so many typos, grammatical errors, and an overuse of elipses that I am having a hard time even commenting on the material. Considering the ranking I gave this book, perhaps I've said enough already :)
The plot was weak - there basically wasn't one, actually, as it was just a chronicle of the reign of Henry VII with little to no character depth, poor use of facts, a complete lack of editing, and the continual shift in perspective lent to a feeling of the book being disjointed and unorganized.
The cover advertises this as a spectacular blend between history, romance and drama. History? Barely. Romance? Between whom? Drama? Umm...no.
There were so many typos, grammatical errors, and an overuse of elipses that I am having a hard time even commenting on the material. Considering the ranking I gave this book, perhaps I've said enough already :)
July 29, 2014
I was disappointed in this book. It was very readable but was laden with errors. The theme reminded me of Henry II who maniacally searched for a young wife to give him more heirs while he already had three. Henry VII had an heir but desperately wanted many spares. With Henry VIII, the nut did not fall far from the tree. Personally, I think he had a chromosone problem.
The book had many themes, but I focused on the Tower Princes and Henry VII's lust for money, heirs and a good name among the European aristocracy. Henry became mad over the Tower Prince Pretenders to his throne. Everything he did was designed to hide the truth about the two little princes who, if alive, had a better claim to the throne than he did. That people would eventually find something else to occupy their minds did not register with Henry. After Elizabeth's death, surely caused by too many pregnancies, Henry could not find another fertile, aristocratical bride, thereby losing his chances to solve all his problems, or so he thought.
Thank you, Ms. Plaidy, for a good read.
The book had many themes, but I focused on the Tower Princes and Henry VII's lust for money, heirs and a good name among the European aristocracy. Henry became mad over the Tower Prince Pretenders to his throne. Everything he did was designed to hide the truth about the two little princes who, if alive, had a better claim to the throne than he did. That people would eventually find something else to occupy their minds did not register with Henry. After Elizabeth's death, surely caused by too many pregnancies, Henry could not find another fertile, aristocratical bride, thereby losing his chances to solve all his problems, or so he thought.
Thank you, Ms. Plaidy, for a good read.
March 2, 2018
I'm clearly in the minority, but I didn't enjoy this novel. There isn't a main character, so it lacks a true story arc. I also was not aware of the Great Comma Shortage of the early 1980s until I read To Hold the Crown. I had to re-read many sentences to figure out their meaning without the necessary commas.
March 11, 2021
2.5✪'s
March 18, 2017
This is the start of the Tudor Saga, so it focuses on Henry VII, who claimed the crown when he defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth. This book spans his reign. He is portrayed as a man paranoid that someone will take the crown from him - also someone that is obsessed with money. A miser who concentrates of gaining money to make the country more prosperous. He takes no pleasure from his wife (the most beautiful woman in England) and mere does his kingly duty in order to produce heirs. That takes a heavy toll on his wife.
The story starts with the birth of Prince Arthur just 8 months after their wedding - he is a sickly baby, but next in the line to the throne. The Queen is completely under the thrall of the King and his mother (it's quite sad how she allows her own mother to be removed from court).
One of the main story threads in the book is the fate of the 2 Princes in the tower. Put there by Richard III, he had proclaimed the children of his brother (the previous King) as illegitimate. One wonders why if that was the case he felt the need to place his nephews (the rightful heirs) in the tower in the first place.
Henry VII actually married their sister - so he obviously didn't feel the same way, but did he do away with the princes? This book has it's own take on their fate. Which makes a lot of sense. If Richard III had put them in the tower and claimed them illegitimate he wouldn't have needed to kill them. Henry VII on the other hand would have had better cause to kill them to keep his grip on the throne.
A strong voice in the book is Henry's son - the future Henry VIII. He comes over as a real brat - jealous of his older brother - resentful that he wasn't first born, glad when Arthur dies.
I have read other books about the wives of Henry VIII and always felt very strongly that Katherine of Aragon was treated terribly - a feeling that this book reinforced big time. She was a pawn in a bigger game, made to live in poverty after the death of Arthur, but kept in arms reach just in case she was useful.
An interesting fictional take on the story.
The story starts with the birth of Prince Arthur just 8 months after their wedding - he is a sickly baby, but next in the line to the throne. The Queen is completely under the thrall of the King and his mother (it's quite sad how she allows her own mother to be removed from court).
One of the main story threads in the book is the fate of the 2 Princes in the tower. Put there by Richard III, he had proclaimed the children of his brother (the previous King) as illegitimate. One wonders why if that was the case he felt the need to place his nephews (the rightful heirs) in the tower in the first place.
Henry VII actually married their sister - so he obviously didn't feel the same way, but did he do away with the princes? This book has it's own take on their fate. Which makes a lot of sense. If Richard III had put them in the tower and claimed them illegitimate he wouldn't have needed to kill them. Henry VII on the other hand would have had better cause to kill them to keep his grip on the throne.
A strong voice in the book is Henry's son - the future Henry VIII. He comes over as a real brat - jealous of his older brother - resentful that he wasn't first born, glad when Arthur dies.
I have read other books about the wives of Henry VIII and always felt very strongly that Katherine of Aragon was treated terribly - a feeling that this book reinforced big time. She was a pawn in a bigger game, made to live in poverty after the death of Arthur, but kept in arms reach just in case she was useful.
An interesting fictional take on the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2022
En "El trono codiciado" vemos el inicio de la dinastía Tudor. Comienza con Isabel de York dando a luz a Arturo, el primer hijo del rey Enrique VII, que hacía poco tiempo había derrotado al rey anterior y culmina con el ascenso al trono de Enrique VIII.
Me gustó la historia en sí, pero los personajes parecían más caricaturas que otra cosa, en especial Isabel, que era una sombra de persona. También a veces se hacía hasta ridículo la repetición de ciertos pensamientos de algunos personajes. Sí, ya entendí que Enrique VII era avaro y que estaba preocupado de que su reclamación al trono era poco sólida, pero no había que repetir lo mismo en todos los capítulos. Y también me pareció ridículo que la caracterización del futuro Enrique VIII fuese que estaba hambriento de poder DESDE LOS TRES AÑOS jajajaja. En fin, creo que el personaje que más me gustó fue Catalina, así que espero que la autora nos haya dado un buen libro sobre ella en la continuación de la saga uwu
También me gustó ese cameo en los últimos capítulos de Juana y Felipe de Castilla aka Juana La Loca y Felipe El Hermoso.
En verdad es una lectura para pasar el rato cuando una tiene ganas de ficción histórica y de los Tudor :) aunque dudo que lo relea.
Me gustó la historia en sí, pero los personajes parecían más caricaturas que otra cosa, en especial Isabel, que era una sombra de persona. También a veces se hacía hasta ridículo la repetición de ciertos pensamientos de algunos personajes. Sí, ya entendí que Enrique VII era avaro y que estaba preocupado de que su reclamación al trono era poco sólida, pero no había que repetir lo mismo en todos los capítulos. Y también me pareció ridículo que la caracterización del futuro Enrique VIII fuese que estaba hambriento de poder DESDE LOS TRES AÑOS jajajaja. En fin, creo que el personaje que más me gustó fue Catalina, así que espero que la autora nos haya dado un buen libro sobre ella en la continuación de la saga uwu
También me gustó ese cameo en los últimos capítulos de Juana y Felipe de Castilla aka Juana La Loca y Felipe El Hermoso.
En verdad es una lectura para pasar el rato cuando una tiene ganas de ficción histórica y de los Tudor :) aunque dudo que lo relea.
July 8, 2021
I enjoy historical novels and I am a fan of Philippa Gregory’s, so I was aware of Jean Plaidy but I don’t think I have ever read one of her books. I had not read historical fiction for a while so when I saw ‘Uneasy Lies the Head’ for 99p on Kindle, I jumped in.
This story revolves around Henry VII and we rush through time as we learn of all the danger, planning, cunning, evil and plotting that happened during this era when one is leading a country. I don’t know how historically accurate the story is but I was expecting a bit more character development. I felt that we don’t really learn anything about the characters, what they are really thinking and feeling and what really motivates them. Saying that, I was swept along with the story. Jean Plaidy does not write as Philippa Gregory does, Plaidy writes historical fiction not historical romance and they are very different but both have their place.
Overall, I enjoyed ‘Uneasy Lies the Head’ but not enough to read all the books in the series. I think I would skip to the more interesting Henry VIII ones but I think I prefer Philippa Gregory’s more scandalous style.
This story revolves around Henry VII and we rush through time as we learn of all the danger, planning, cunning, evil and plotting that happened during this era when one is leading a country. I don’t know how historically accurate the story is but I was expecting a bit more character development. I felt that we don’t really learn anything about the characters, what they are really thinking and feeling and what really motivates them. Saying that, I was swept along with the story. Jean Plaidy does not write as Philippa Gregory does, Plaidy writes historical fiction not historical romance and they are very different but both have their place.
Overall, I enjoyed ‘Uneasy Lies the Head’ but not enough to read all the books in the series. I think I would skip to the more interesting Henry VIII ones but I think I prefer Philippa Gregory’s more scandalous style.
February 24, 2019
This one I did not really enjoy as much as I had hoped. “The Reluctant Queen” was well-written and there was much more depth to this characters. I was really looking forward to reading this one next. However, this one was incredibly slow, the characters were flat, and the POV changed so many times that the story came across as choppy. Also, the author was sooooo repetitive with certain words and phrases. If I had a nickel for every time she referred to the Tudor’s claim to the throne as “flimsy”, or referred to Queen Elizabeth as “docile”, my student loans would be entirely paid off. Also, I thought the novel was going to be about King Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York creating the Tudor Dynasty. Instead, it just slogged on and on about the “flimsy claim to the throne”. Queen Elizabeth was pretty non-existent and had about 4 lines in the entire novel. Such a disappointment! I’m really hoping that this was just a fluke, especially after enjoying “The Reluctant Queen”. I’m going to give the next one a try and it will be the tie breaker in whether or not I continue reading the series.
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