Dem's Reviews > The Last Queen

The last Queen a Novel by C.W. Gortner tells the moving tale of Juana la Loca (the mad).

" She was if nothing else an extraordinary figure for her time"

I love Historical Fiction but am not a fan of novels about the English Throne and was delighted when I came across this Novel which brings to life Juana of Castile, the third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain. who would become the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country's throne. This is a gripping and moving tale and also an eyeopener at how women were used as pawns in the fight for power and crowns at the time.

I knew nothing of Juana of Castile and I enjoyed learning about the passion, politics and betrayals of this spirited queen which through this well written novel I am delighted to say I have learned so much.

This is a very gripping and well written novel and I did spent some time googling to find out what was fiction and what was truth about this story. But I am delighted to say that the author clears up any questions one might have on this matter at the end of the novel and quite clearly he has taken some liberties with the storyline but he has has explained these liberties quite satisfactorily in my opinion and has appeared to do excellent research on the story.

I listened to this as an audio book and while the narrator was adequate I felt she raced through the story as if there was a pack of Lions after her, I did try to slow down the narration but eventually I got used to it and it all worked out in the end.

This is certainly one of those books that transports you to the past and while doing so you learn something on the trip and that is what makes a historical fiction so enjoyable for me.

Lovers of Historical Fiction will really enjoy this well researched and interesting story.