Review: Elizabeth I by Margaret George

★★★★ 1/2

Book Source: I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Publish Date: April 5, 2011

Book Synopsis: One of today’s premier historical novelists, Margaret George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma—the Virgin Queen who had many suitors, the victor of the Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel-bedecked woman who pinched pennies. England’s greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. But what was she really like?

In this novel, her flame-haired, look-alike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth’s rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth’s throne, Lettice has been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country, and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family. Their rivalry, and its ensuing drama, soon involves everyone close to Elizabeth, from the famed courtiers who enriched the crown to the legendary poets and playwrights who paid homage to it with their works. Intimate portraits of the personalities who made the Elizabethan age great—Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake—fill these pages, giving us an unforgettable glimpse of a queen who ruled as much from the heart as from the head, and considered herself married to her people.

This magnificent, stay-up-all-night page-turner is George’s finest and one that is sure to delight readers of Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory, and Hilary Mantel.

My Review: Yes! I’ve finally finished this brick of a book! I think I started reading this book in May and I just finished it yesterday. I swear this was a big accomplishment because it was 671 pages long. Anyway on to the review portion…

This novel tells the story of Elizabeth I as an older woman who is struggling to cope with the fact that she is getting older and is beginning to lose her virgin looks and is having difficulty seeing. She doesn’t want any of her maids or her courtiers to know how quickly she is aging because she doesn’t want to be vulnerable to them and she is adamant about not naming her heir for fear of her people looking at her heir for guidance when she has not yet met her maker. The novel also tells the later life of Lettice Knollys, the Queen’s banished cousin and the mother of the treasonous Earl of Essex.

Ok so I had very high expectations for Elizabeth I because Margaret George is a genius when it comes to writing Historical Fiction! Well the book started off with the battle between England and Philip of Spain’s Spanish Armada. I must admit I was disappointed with the beginning of this book. I feel I like I just flipped a bunch of pages and started reading so I didn’t really know what was going on at first. Yes I am very familiar with the Spanish Armada and King Philip of Spain, but there was no opening or setting of the stage for the battle. I just think it was a poor place to start the story line not to mention very dry and boring to start with.

At first, I didn’t much care for the fact that the story was centered on Elizabeth’s later life as Queen of England; however, as the story progressed I later realized that I’m glad it was about her later years because most stories about Elizabeth are about her coming to the throne and declaring herself married to England and her love affair with Robert Dudley. George does visit this point in Elizabeth’s life in a creative way, which totally makes up for it. I found Lettice’s story a bit boring and at some points annoying, but I will let you be the judge of her life.

My opinion: Over all I loved this book! I loved learning about the Earl of Essex and the Irish War. I got to see a different side of Queen Elizabeth through Margaret’s work. She’s older and wiser in her later years not to mention a bit temperamental and irritable. The book had a lot of slow points and I hated the beginning, which made me give the novel 4.5 instead of 5 stars. It’s not an easy read and it takes patients and time to get through all of it so if you’re looking for a fast paced read about Elizabeth then this isn’t it. But if you love learning and or reading about Queen Elizabeth’s life and want to get to know her on a deeper level then this book is highly recommended!

Review: Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar

★★★★

Source: I received a copy from the publisher for a fair & honest review.
Release Date: February 2011

Synopsis: While selling oranges in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, sweet and sprightly Ellen "Nell" Gwyn impresses the theater's proprietors with a wit and sparkle that belie her youth and poverty. She quickly earns a place in the company, narrowly avoiding the life of prostitution to which her sister has already succumbed. As her roles evolve from supporting to starring, the scope of her life broadens as well. Soon Ellen is dressed in the finest fashions, charming the theatrical, literary, and royal luminaries of Restoration England. Ellen grows up on the stage, experiencing first love and heartbreak and eventually becoming the mistress of Charles II. Despite his reputation as a libertine, Ellen wholly captures his heart - and he hers - but even the most powerful love isn't enough to stave off the gossip and bitter court politics that accompany a royal romance. Telling the story through a collection of vibrant seventeenth-century voices ranging from Ellen's diary to playbills, letters, gossip columns, and home remedies, Priya Parmar brings to life the story of an endearing and delightful heroine.

Review: I first read about little Nell Gwyn from Diane Haeger’s A Perfect Royal Mistress, and loved it! So when asked to read another novel about Nell Gwyn and her love affair with King Charles II I was so excited and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I was excited when I finally was able to squeeze it into my hectic reviewing schedule and the cover is just to die for! This book has been endorsed by many of my favorite HF authors such as Philippa Gregory, Sharon Kay Penman, and Sandra Gulland; which made me think this book was going to be spectacular!

Well my fellow bookaholics, I’m here to say although I did enjoy the book it did not fully live up to my expectations. I’ll start off with what I did like about the book. One thing I liked was how Parmar started the storyline before Nell was an orange girl and before both her sister and mother resorted to prostitution. I got a better understanding as to why her mother and sister chose to sell their bodies for money and how Nell became an orange girl. Also, Parmar focused more on Nell’s and Hart’s affair, which allowed the reader to see why Nell ran out on him and attached herself to Lord Buckhurst. She was looking for someone whom she could fall in love with instead of someone who spoiled her with lavish gifts in order to buy her affection. Sadly that didn’t work out so well in the end for little Nell. 

I really liked the character Teddy, who was Nell’s best friend and fellow actor. He was a flamboyant man who had a heart of gold. I think it would be safe to say he was gay and his wife, whom he never saw, was just a cover. On many occasions he would dress up in women’s clothing and was even Nell’s shopping buddy. I also loved Parmar’s take on Queen Catherine, the Portuguese Infanta. I couldn’t help but to sympathize with her disheartening situation. She was baron and King Charles’s long time, cruel mistress Lady Castlemaine was popping them out left and right, which was so unfair.

Now to what I didn’t like so much about the book. Every time I read or hear about Nell Gywn, it’s her brassy sense of humor that is most talked about besides her long time love affair with King Charles II. Unfortunately, I found it was lacking in this storyline and I missed it very much. Her harsh sense of humor is what makes her who she is and one of the reasons why she was so loved by the English people while on stage. Also, I felt Nell’s and King Charles’s first meeting was funny but totally not believable in my opinion. I won’t spoil it for everyone so just take my word for it.

Parmar definitely made this story unique by writing it in a diary format, and including home remedies, letters, and gossip columns into her book. I personally found it distracting and getting information through a letter or a gossip column is overall vague. That is just my personal opinion. I know some people really enjoy the diary format and would really like reading gossip columns, and letters because it would make you feel like your actually reading something during that century.

Overall, I thought Exit the Actress was an enjoyable read, but it was not spectacular. Priya Parmar is definitely an author to watch out for; however, I thought Haeger’s rendition on Nell Gwyn had a lot more depth and characterization than Parmar’s. I don’t usually compare books in my reviews, but since I went into this book thinking it was going to be as good if not better than Haeger’s A Perfect Royal Mistress, I had to do it. The whole time while reading Exit the Actress, I found myself comparing the two books.

Review: The Perfect Royal Mistress by Diane Haeger

The Perfect Royal Mistress by Diane Haeger

★★★★ 1/2

Setting: 1666 London, England during the English Restoration

Synopsis: The Perfect Royal Mistress was set during the reign of King Charles II who was most known for the considerable number of affairs and committed relationships that took place throughout his life. He also had a wife, Portuguese Queen Catherine of Braganza who unfortunately miscarried all of her pregnancies. King Charles II had a wondering eye which eventually landed on the quick-witted sharp tongued, Nell Gwynne.

Nell Gwynne was a young girl born into poverty and raised in a brothel. She was left to fend for herself once her sister Rose was imprisoned for stealing and her drunken mother was out prostituting. Nell refused to follow in her mother and sisters foot-steps; therefore, she took to selling oranges outside the newly reopened King’s Theater. After awhile, her quick wit and sarcastic humor elevates her from orange girl to the star actress of the King’s Theater.

It doesn’t take long for Nell to win the attention of all of London and even the King himself. She soon finds herself falling head over hills for King Charles II but she soon realizes that the more she tries to please the King and his friends the harder it is to remain herself. She’s constantly torn between the glamorous world with the King and the exhilarating life as the star of the theater. Nell doesn’t want to give up the King nor acting but she finds herself doing a balancing act between the two.

Review: The Perfect Royal Mistress was a breath of fresh air. This was my first encounter with King Charles II and despite all of his affairs I actually admire him as a King. He had to deal with his father’s, King Charles I, murder as a young boy, which greatly affected his adult life. Diane Haeger did a great job with setting the tone for the book. I found the characters to be well developed and well researched.

What I loved so much about this book was how descriptive it was for example the description of the King on pg. 12
“He wore official Garter robes, billowing ivory satin, crimson velvet sewn with gold thread, and tall lace cravat, and his long, muscled legs were crossed at the ankles. His hands played restlessly at the lion’s head fixtures on the arms of his throne…” I find that so beautifully well written that I could actually picture him sitting there on his throne.

This is defiantly a rags to riches, Cinderella kind of story that will keep your attention all the way till the end. I highly recommend this book and I will be looking forward to reading more of Diane Haeger’s work.