The Red Queen: A Novel of The Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory

Nov 19, 2012 Nenia Campbell rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: x-series-bk-2, x-2010s, reviewed, did-not-finish-or-skimmed

Red Queen features one of the bitchiest, sanctimonious, self absorbed, and narcissistic characters I have EVER encountered in literature . The winner of the Righteous Bitch award is Margaret Beaufort, Plantagenet and progenitor of the Tudors.

Originally I felt sorry for her. I mean, here's this girl who lives in a fantasy land and has somehow convinced herself that she's destined to be the next Joan of Arc, or at the very least a saint, and then her mother foists her off - at twelve - to be the...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Beth Dean rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, romance, war, time-spanning, real-people-bio-fiction

I got it cheap with the Daily Mail in duty free and I see why.IT'S THE SAME BOOK BUT MADE A HELL OF A LOT MORE BORING! I was shocked at Gregory's choice of using the same time frame as The White Queen, although she included the story of Magaret from when she was 7 the main story line was the same, revolving around the same events. Since you knew what was going to happen next and who was true and who wasn't Gregory destroyed her best assesst, intrigue. You could skip chapters (I wouldn't but the...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First, despite its title, The Red Queen is not about Margaret of Anjou, but about Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII. (For some reason, no one in the novel ever addresses Margaret as the Countess of Richmond, though records from the time refer to her as such, and she herself seems to be unaware that she holds that title through her first marriage to Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond. I found this odd, because Margaret as depicted here is not a woman to forget the fact that...more First, despite its title, The Red Queen is not about Margaret of Anjou, but about Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII. (For some reason, no one in the novel ever addresses Margaret as the Countess of Richmond, though records from the time refer to her as such, and she herself seems to be unaware that she holds that title through her first marriage to Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond. I found this odd, because Margaret as depicted here is not a woman to forget the fact that she has a title.)

Margaret, as those of you who have read the early reviews know, is convinced from early childhood that she is chosen by God to do great things, just like Joan of Arc. When she bears her only child, Henry Tudor, she becomes equally convinced that her God-granted destiny is to put her son on the throne. For those who do not share her conviction--which amounts to just about everyone--Margaret has nothing but scorn.

First, the bad news: there are some odd historical errors here. Gregory pushes the 1469 Battle of Edgecote into 1470, making it the event that restores Henry VI to the throne, and she has Elizabeth Woodville give up the Duke of York before, instead of after, Hastings is executed. (I suppose Gregory might have been following the theory that Hastings was executed on June 20 instead of June 13, but that theory has been discredited for some time.) These chronological errors don't make much difference in the greater scheme of things, but they will distract and annoy anyone who's done more than cursory research into this period. I also found it highly unlikely that Margaret and the other characters would repeatedly exchange letters detailing their treasonous thoughts and schemes, as they do here; they might as well have drawn lines on their necks reading "CUT HERE."

Despite those reservations, I did enjoy this novel. Telling a first-person story through an essentially unlikable narrator is a tough job, and Gregory does it very well here. Margaret's snide remarks about the other characters made me laugh out loud at several points, one of my favorites being her comment about Katherine Woodville: "a girl born and bred only to raise hens in Northampton." There are some rather droll moments, such as when the widowed Margaret canvasses her possible future husbands and sets her cap at Richard, Duke of Gloucester, only to find that the unsuspecting prospective groom has foiled her plans by marrying Anne Neville. Despite being seen through the eyes of the obtuse and insensitive Margaret, several of the supporting characters are quite sympathetic, particularly Henry Stafford, Margaret's sardonic, war-weary second husband, and Jasper Tudor, Margaret's loyal brother-in-law. Henry Stafford's death was quite moving, and Jasper's scenes with his baby nephew were quite sweet. Margaret's cynical, opportunistic third husband, Thomas Stanley, is the perfect foil for Margaret, without being a cardboard villain. He did much to keep the latter third of the novel, which recounts the very familiar events of 1483 to 1485, moving along at a brisk pace. Elizabeth of York makes a brief appearance, but one that's long enough to inform the reader that she is no fool. As for Margaret herself, although I don't share Gregory's view of the historical Margaret Beaufort, I didn't find her characterization here implausible, grossly unfair, or one-dimensional, as I have in some novels where Margaret is depicted as a fiend who does everything but cackle, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!"

All in all, I found this a diverting and enjoyable read about a woman who's been relatively neglected in historical fiction. (less)

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Jun 28, 2011 Virag rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read a while ago, and I loved it at the time, but if I read it again I'd probably not like it as much. I don't remember much of the story, besides the fact that Margaret was quite bitchy, but I kind of enjoyed that because my middle-school self couldn't quite grasp that cruelty does not equal amusing. So if you're reading my review and thinking "Wtf is wrong with her, this book is freaking horrible!", then keep in mind that my 4/5 rating is probably quite off if I were to read this again.

Origina...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Isis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who want a light, breezy read rather than something meatier

Shelves: medieval-age-1000-to-1400ce-fiction, all-starting-to-look-the-same

I was surprised, but I actually ended up liking this novel a shade better than "The White Queen". There's much less of the Melusina magic, which I really felt was used too much as a deus ex machina in "The White Queen". The relationship with Jasper Tudor, although completely fictional, was intriguing and even more so because I knew it could never truly be realised. The one-liners here and there. I actually liked Margaret's steadfastness and singlemindedness, and whilst her ruthlessness is shocki...more I was surprised, but I actually ended up liking this novel a shade better than "The White Queen". There's much less of the Melusina magic, which I really felt was used too much as a deus ex machina in "The White Queen". The relationship with Jasper Tudor, although completely fictional, was intriguing and even more so because I knew it could never truly be realised. The one-liners here and there. I actually liked Margaret's steadfastness and singlemindedness, and whilst her ruthlessness is shocking to modern sensibilities at the same time I didn't feel like it was out of place in the brutal Medieval world in which Margaret moved. At points, Margaret is downright mean, however whilst I didn't like her mean actions I could still understand what drove her to them, the pride and jealousy that she harbours.

That said, the book had its problems. One problem was the sheer repetition. This seems to be a consistent problem throughout many of Gregory's books – Elizabeth Woodville has her legend of Melusina, Mary Queen of Scots has her "I am three times a queen", Catherine Howard has her "Let me see, what do I have now"... Margaret Beaufort has an obsession with Joan of Arc. Gregory seems to lack the necessary skill to create a character’s personality through subtle means, through showing instead of telling, because she seems to hit upon one phrase or theme to associate with a character and then repeats it over and over again throughout the novel. Margaret Beaufort was a pious woman, we know this from history. Gregory feels the inexplicable need to demonstrate this by giving her character an obsession with Joan of Arc, and then repeatedly drumming this into us throughout the book. However, her readers aren’t stupid and don’t have the attention span of a goldfish – yes, we got it the first time, she likes Joan of Arc because she’s so pious, we understand this – and such interminable repetition gets extremely old extremely fast. Give your readers a little credit and stop repeating things like this. It makes the story drag for us as readers, and it makes you come off like an incompetent writer because you’re telling, not showing. Moreover, the Joan of Arc stuff isn't the only repetition you'll encounter in the book. Characters who should be on close terms with one another call each by full name and title, just in case we've forgotten who they are for the past 100 pages or so.

Occasionally some spelling and grammatical errors have crept in - which wouldn't be worth mentioning except they unfortunately change the meaning of the whole sentence - and here and there I stumbled across some strange sentences which just sounded clunky and poorly constructed, though this is not the first time I've noticed this in Philippa Gregory's works.

The novel is written in first person from Margaret Beaufort’s point of view, which can also be a problem at times, as it was in "The White Queen". Since many of the battles occur outside of Margaret’s experience, Philippa Gregory is rather stuck, unless she wants to write a string of messenger scenes, which would be authentic but fairly dull for us as readers and mean that we would have no action whatsoever throughout the novel. Instead, Gregory switches out to third person omniscient perspective for a single scene here and there whenever she needs to write a battle, returning to Margaret’s first person POV again afterwards. This feels really awkward, since we’re meant to be following Margaret’s story here. I felt like Gregory should have chosen a perspective and stuck with it all the way through. Personally I think third person works best for historical fiction, since it covers so many events that one person alone is rarely present at for all. If she wanted to do first person in order to give us an intimate portrait of Margaret, fine, her decision, but stick with it – otherwise we can’t really get a true insight into Margaret unless we’re with her all of the way, experiencing what she experiences and missing out on the battles she misses, waiting at home like her with nervous anxiety and waiting for news of the battle’s outcome.

However, probably my biggest gripe with this book was the fact that Gregory never comes to grips with the real meat of the history. This is actually a complaint about all of her books as this is another feature which plagues her writing consistently. The historical events feel glossed over with a broad brush and largely trivialised, reduced to a ten person cast and all the social complexity of who is friends with whom, ignoring the wider picture and the larger issues behind conflicts. Many of the momentous events which make up the most exciting happenings of whichever period Gregory is writing about are related in past tense and they occur offstage, and we are told about them in a sentence or two. This is a huge let down as a reader, as these moments are the turning points of their day, exciting events of truly huge significance. Instead of writing these moments out as actual scenes, happening live and unfolding before our eyes as we read with baited breath, utterly engrossed, Gregory tells instead of shows and plops down a summary of what happened, which we don’t get to see, and uses it as exposition to move the plot forwards to the next scene. To illustrate this, I’ve provided a couple of examples from this book. This first example comes from page 182 of the edition I read (no spoilers, this is known historical fact):

"Amazingly, Edward gets to London without a single obstacle in his path, the gates are thrown open for him by the adoring citizens, and he is reunited with his wife, as if he had never been chased from his own land, running for his life."

Above, Gregory, using Margaret as a narrator, describes the return of Edward IV from a rebellion which forced him into exile from England and was probably the darkest and most uncertain period of Edward’s reign. Yet, Gregory summarises them in a single sentence which glosses over all this, and worse it all occurs offstage and we never get to see any of these thrilling events! Again, if she’s going to stick with Margaret as a first person narrator, she is in some difficulty in conveying these events, certainly, which is why I think third person is better for historical fiction, but the very least she could have done was let these events play out "live" through Margaret’s eyes from afar. This isn’t just a one off example either. The following quote comes from page 255 of the edition I was reading:

"News comes in snippets from the outside world, carried by housemaids as gossip from the market. Richard declares that the marriage between the queen, Elizabeth Woodville, and King Edward was never valid as Edward was pre-contracted to another lady before he married Elizabeth in secret. He declares all their children bastards and himself as the only York heir. The craven Privy Council, who observe Hastings’ headless body being laid to rest beside the king he loved, do nothing to defend their queen and their princes, but there is a general hasty and unanimous agreement that there is only one heir, and it is Richard."

Richard’s seizing of the throne is covered in three sentences, again conveyed in past tense as an event which happened offstage. This is the seizure of the throne we’re talking about, this should be one of the highlights of the novel and you should be able to squeeze multiple scenes and pages out of this, all jam packed with tension and excitement. What do we get? Nada. Nothing. A summary that greatly simplifies and glosses over events.

The biggest disappointment of all is the Battle of Bosworth Field. Here Gregory finally has to bite the bullet and write it in real time in order to give her story some sort of climax... but it’s covered in under five pages – of pretty large font and double spaced at that – and the whole thing feels quite trivial and basic. I didn’t get the sense of the epic scope of what was going on, and the scene for me failed to conjure or evoke any sort of atmosphere or ambience, and finally the tactical manoeuvrings just weren’t described very well and came off as all too simplistic and easy. After it was over I couldn’t quite believe that Gregory had written such a dull, lifeless, lacklustre retelling of the Battle of Bosworth Field, so much so that I felt compelled to immediately pick up my copy of Sharon Penman's "The Sunne in Splendour" and turn to its account of the battle, just to confirm in my mind that it was actually possible to write a better retelling of it than this. What I felt was overwhelmingly disappointment that such a great historical moment, on which virtually everything hinged for the two opposing leaders, could be so thoroughly screwed up. How can you screw up writing the Battle of Bosworth Field? It’s got all the tension and excitement you could ever hope to ask for in an historical event!

I so wanted to give this book 3 stars out of 5, as there were a number of things about it which I did like and enjoy, but I have to concede that the number of problems outweighs the good points, meaning I can't in all honesty give it more than 2 stars... but just barely. If there was an option to award half stars I might well be using it right now. Even though I so wanted this novel to be better than it was, let's face it, in the end this is lightweight historical fiction, this is the Wars of the Roses Lite. (less)

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Jul 26, 2010 Misfit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: get-it-from-the-library

A bit better than TWQ, and will appeal to PG fans, but perhaps not the serious Ricardians.

http://misfitandmom.wordpress.com/201...

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Nov 16, 2010 Robin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I have no idea if Margaret Beaufort was as she is depicted by Gregory, but her fictional alter ego is the most unlikeable person to spend hours with that I have come across in a novel in years. The first-person narrative gave little escape from this fanatical and self-absorbed woman. Henry Tudor's ascension to the throne as Henry VII is a a fascinating and unlikely story, but neither mother, the true believer in his destiny despite its apparent impossibility, nor Henry VII (whom I am more famili...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Everybookhasasoul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2011

Historical fiction is a passion of mine and I personally think that Philippa Gregory is one of the masters of the genre. I always find her books to be so well researched that as a reader you feel like you are experiencing that particular time first hand.

This is the second book in the new cousins war series and I did find this novel hard going at first but after the first 50 pages I found myself completely absorbed in this novel and felt like I was there watching events unfold in front of my eyes...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Anita added it · review of another edition

I am listening to this book via audio, and I can honestly say I'm not enjoying this as much as I usually enjoy Philippa Gregory's books. This book is very political and while it involves the Court, it's not such a big part of the book. I don't think it's the writing that is bothering me though, I think it's Margaret, who is extremely arrogant and I would almost say selfish - except she does show some compassion now and then. She is single minded, focused on her mission. I feel like the book is m...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Faith Spinks rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

I always enjoy the journey of discovery into the history of my own country which I get from Gregory's historical novels and once again I was not disappointed.

The Red Queen tells one side of the historical story of The Cousin's War - the battle between the houses of York, lancaster and Tudor to hold the Royal throne of England, to be the rightful King of England. Margaret Beaufort is the mother of Henry Tudor (Henry VII) and never stops believing that her son is the rightful God ordained King. As...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Elysium rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, medieval, wars-of-roses, read-in-2011

2.5 stars

Margaret Beaufort wants to devote her life to church but is instead maried off to Edmund Tudor when she is 12. He dies soon after that but manages to get her pregnant before that. After her son Henry is born, Margaret devotes her life to get him on the throne.

I don’t think I’ve ever hated any character so much as I hated Margaret! By page 60 I just wanted to stab her. She think she is England’s Joan of Arc ans is here to deliver England from the Yorkist. I got it, she’s pious person and...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I listened to this as an audio book while driving to and from work. Although I do not have the benefit of the academic knowledge of whether the chronological dates are precise (as some reviewers have), from my perspective I am fascinated by the overall picture Gregory paints of an era fraught with intrigue, power struggles and bloody wars. Gregory's interpretation of the social history of the period, the motives of individuals, the families struggling for power and the drivers behind their actio...more I listened to this as an audio book while driving to and from work. Although I do not have the benefit of the academic knowledge of whether the chronological dates are precise (as some reviewers have), from my perspective I am fascinated by the overall picture Gregory paints of an era fraught with intrigue, power struggles and bloody wars. Gregory's interpretation of the social history of the period, the motives of individuals, the families struggling for power and the drivers behind their actions are portrayed in a very human way.

In a nation that had not yet discovered democracy and was going through the throes of tiresome battles that so often the farmers and servants had to fight on behalf of their masters, we can clearly see the lead up to the eventual civil war during the reign of Charles I.

Gregory has a way of taking the reader back in time so that the way of life, the customs, fashions and deprivations are easily imagined. Some things push the boundaries of thinking, but Gregory has a way of reminding us that this is in the context of the social culture of the times.

I have a rather detached view of Margaret Beaufort, rather than liking or disliking her, I am more interested in the drivers for her ambition to see her son on the throne. I can empathise with her total distaste at being married off and used as a "brood mare" at such a young age and that, as was the custom of the times, her inheritance automatically became the property of her husband. I couldn't imagine how I would cope with sort of entrapment - could any of us? Then to have her son taken from her on the basis that other people could look after him better - this alone would generate anger and bitterness in any mother.

In modern western society most primary school children are far more educated about science due to the advances that have been made since the sime of Margaret Beaufort. The way Gregory captures the intepretation of 'signs' by the religious and superstitions by those not so inclined, is highlighted when Margaret Beaufort observes an eclipse of the sun. Our scientific knowledge does not allow our minds to even traverse other imaginings and yet, what were these poor souls to know without the knowledge we have?

Gregory has an incredible ability to immerse the reader into the very mind of her primary character and to empathise and understand the character in the context of the times. Another delectable read - I would far rather stay home and read this book than dine at a fine restaurant! When I was only 20 pages to the end I commented to my daughter that I didn't want too finish this read. Only a few days later we were in Target at Toowoomba and we spotted 'The Lady of the Rivers', which picks up on the earlier story of the Woodville family who produced Elizabeth Woodville, the Queen standing in the way of Margaret Beaufort's son ascending the throne. I am in heaven again! Thank you Philippa.(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Adriana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Acabei A Rainha Vermelha chegando assim ao fim desta trilogia que acaba com a ascensão de Henrique Tudor ao trono de Inglaterra.

A narrativa passa-se no tempo da Guerra das Rosas entre a Casa Iorque e a Casa Lencastre e é contada no ponto de vista de Margarida Beaufort - a herdeira da Casa de Lencastre. Margarida Beaufort, desde cedo, acha que é escolhida por Deus para uma missão gloriosa, ao ter uma visão quando era criança de Joana D'arc. Ansiava por ir para um convento, mas a mãe rapidamente a...more Acabei A Rainha Vermelha chegando assim ao fim desta trilogia que acaba com a ascensão de Henrique Tudor ao trono de Inglaterra.

A narrativa passa-se no tempo da Guerra das Rosas entre a Casa Iorque e a Casa Lencastre e é contada no ponto de vista de Margarida Beaufort - a herdeira da Casa de Lencastre. Margarida Beaufort, desde cedo, acha que é escolhida por Deus para uma missão gloriosa, ao ter uma visão quando era criança de Joana D'arc. Ansiava por ir para um convento, mas a mãe rapidamente a casou aos 12 anos com Edmundo Tudor de quem teve um filho: Henrique Tudor. Depressa, fica viúva e vê-se obrigada a casar pela segunda vez aos 14 anos. Ao longo de todos estes acontecimentos, é visível o descontentamento de Margarida com a sua vida e com o facto de ninguém querer saber da vocação dela e de ela se considerar uma escolhida por Deus para uma missão grandiosa. Assim, durante todo o livro é mostrada a devoção de Margarida para com a religião e para colocar o seu filho Henrique no trono, mesmo quando este é exilado durante anos.
A história é passada no mesmo tempo que a história da Rainha Branca e assim tem uma perspectiva da maneira de ser e de como ambas viveram os acontecimentos conturbados da época. Margarida tem um ódio de morte à Rainha Isabel, por achar que esta, sem merecer, tem tudo o que ela sempre devia ter tido e é uma amargurada para com o silêncio de Deus para com as suas preces e com o facto dos Iorque permanecerem no trono, mesmo assim, nunca desistiu e nunca vacilou perante as dificuldades. Seguidamente, quando o seu segundo marido morre, casa com Lorde Stanely, um homem que ela pensa que finalmente a levará a conseguir os seus objectivos.

Devo dizer que dos 3 livros, este foi o que menos gostei. Apesar de ser um livro agradável, o facto de desde o início ter embirrado com Margarida Beaufor fez-me desgostar um pouco do livro. Apesar de esta ser uma lutadora e de ideias fixas, ao longo do livro mostra o quão arrogante, desleal e possuidora de uma falsa modéstia é. A inveja cega que tem por Isabel, e por toda a sua alegria, é tão irritante que só me apetecia que alguém lhe desse um murro. É também levantada a hipótese no livro, de ter sido por ordens de Margarida que os príncipes foram mortos na Torre. A mulher durante todo o livro não olhou a meios para atingir os seus fins, em busca de grandeza, não por amor ao filho, com quem nunca teve grande relação, mas sim porque buscava ser Rainha ou mãe do Rei.

Bem, toda a sua persistência acaba por compensar pois Ricardo III é morto em batalha e o seu filho é coroado Rei de Inglaterra, compromete-se a casar com a princesa Isabel - Filha de Isabel Woodville e de Eduardo de Iorque - acabando assim com uma das maiores guerras civis de Inglaterra.

Relativamente, a Philippa Gregory, esta autora, para mim, não desilude. Sou uma apaixonada pela história de Inglaterra, muito por causa dela, que escreve de uma maneira fantástica, apesar de toda a ficção que possa envolver os factos históricos.

Seguidamente, irei ler A preferida do Rei para dar seguimento à dinastia Tudor.(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Julie Shennan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

THEY say that behind every successful man there is a woman. So what about Henry the Eighth? When a man has more wives than he can count on one hand, to whom do we credit his success? Well, if Philippa Gregory is to be believed, his mother. According to her latest novel ‘The Red Queen’ there was no limit to the effort Margret Beaufort exerted securing her son the throne. The women hid her son from political enemies, arranged his marriage within the royal line, married a usurper of the king, and f...more

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May 03, 2011 Matthew rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After finishing this, the only real things I feel I have to say are that I HATE Margaret Beaufort and had many a moment while reading where I was hoping beyond hope that Elizabeth Woodville or some other such person would show up and strangle her to death with the rosary she's always fondling.

Honestly, I cannot imagine how anyone could come to like Margaret while reading this novel. She is every negative stereotype about religious people all wrapped up in one and served with a massive side of p...more After finishing this, the only real things I feel I have to say are that I HATE Margaret Beaufort and had many a moment while reading where I was hoping beyond hope that Elizabeth Woodville or some other such person would show up and strangle her to death with the rosary she's always fondling.

Honestly, I cannot imagine how anyone could come to like Margaret while reading this novel. She is every negative stereotype about religious people all wrapped up in one and served with a massive side of puffed up self-importance and hypocrisy.

To be fair, however, I went into this book with a rather biased opinion. After reading "The White Queen" I (like so many other people according to Margaret's constant complaining) was enraptured with Elizabeth Woodville, her speculated witchcraft, her relationship with King Edward and so on.

To go from reading about a woman like that to reading about a dowdy, self-righteous, self-important "Bible thumper" was, as I figured it would be, a let down.

I am glad that this book was only 377 pages and that I did not have to pay full price for it. I think I would have screamed if I'd had to read about Joan of Arc or how everything Margaret did was "God's will" for yet another 100 pages or more.

Reading this novel was like reading a hidden diary of one of the crazy religious people you hear about today (Fred Phelps, for example.)

If this is truly an accurate depiction of what she was like when she was alive I am not surprised by the fact that her grandson became a womanizing glutton who went crazy from syphilis. If only someone had cut HER head off instead. The only bright side I can see to her existence (if she were truly like this) is that she was great-grandmother to Elizabeth I, who is pretty awesome (yet also annoying in Gregory's novels.)

I would recommend this book to any religious extremist (since I think it would be amusing for them to hear what they sound like to the rest of us) or anyone who, like me, is just a Philippa fan and wants to finish the series.

***UPDATE***
I know I originally gave this book two stars but while going through my virtual shelf today I saw this and was immediately reminded of my intense dislike of this novel so I just had to take one off. Ugh...seriously, it sucked.(less)

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Aug 20, 2010 Daisy Chain Books rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review

The Red Queen, the second book in Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War series focuses on deeply religious Margaret Beaufort, heiress to the house of Lancaster, and polar opposite to the enchanting Elizabeth Woodville, protagonist of The White Queen. When we are introduced to Margaret as a young girl she has already acquired “saints knees” from her hours spent in prayer, has what she believes to be visions from God, and believes she is blessed by Him, just like her heroine, Joan of Arc. But she is not...more The Red Queen, the second book in Philippa Gregory’s Cousins’ War series focuses on deeply religious Margaret Beaufort, heiress to the house of Lancaster, and polar opposite to the enchanting Elizabeth Woodville, protagonist of The White Queen. When we are introduced to Margaret as a young girl she has already acquired “saints knees” from her hours spent in prayer, has what she believes to be visions from God, and believes she is blessed by Him, just like her heroine, Joan of Arc. But she is not destined to follow in the footsteps of Joan of Arc - she will not fight, but instead her purpose in life is just one. To produce an heir for the house of Lancaster. To this effect, she is married at age twelve, and becomes a mother at just age thirteen, to her only son, Henry Tudor, who she believes is destined to take the throne of England, a feat she will stop at nothing to accomplish.

In this book, I believe Gregory set herself a difficult task, in that she has presented to us a character who is near impossible to warm to. I felt some amount of sympathy for the loveless marriage and horrendous childbirth Beaufort had to suffer so early on in her life, but throughout the rest of the book, even though she presents herself as being deeply religious, in reality Beaufort is devious, cunning, spiteful and even brutal at times. She is unrelenting and absolutely single-minded in her quest to see her son, Henry ascend to the throne, and the measures she is prepared to take to ensure this are extremely unnerving. All that said, I believe Gregory succeeded in her aim to tell the story of Beaufort - she does not vilify her, but explains the thinking behind her actions to the point where I understood her motivations, even though I may not have agreed with them.

I very much enjoyed reading of Beaufort’s rivalry with Elizabeth Woodville in this book, and gaining a different perspective on Woodville and the House of York. Beaufort’s hatred of Woodville is not all politically motivated - she is also jealous of her beauty and her fruitful marriage. She sees Woodville as a commoner and a witch, who has used her magic to attain the life which she believes is rightfully hers. The scenes between the two women, and those where Beaufort meets Woodville’s daughter Elizabeth of York, were some of my favourites in a book that was in parts too focused on battle scenes and political scheming for my tastes.

While I found the character of Beaufort less engaging than that of Woodville, I found this perspective on The Wars of the Roses told through the eyes of the House of Lancaster very compelling. These books have definitely piqued my interest in the history of this period, and I am especially interested in the tale of the lost princes in the tower, a mystery which is detailed in both books in this series. I am really looking forward to reading the forthcoming books in the series, The Rivers Woman, which will tell the story of Elizabeth Woodville’s mother Jacquetta, and The White Princess which will detail the life of Elizabeth of York.

3.5/5(less)

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May 19, 2013 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I found this book on the clearance table of Barnes and Noble. Philippa Gregory writes a good story and she's a good researcher.

I like how Philippa Gregory is researching these little-known, although influential women, of the middle ages. Parts of their lives were horrifying (early marriage, childbirth) while others aren't much different from the lives of women throughout the world today.

I didn't care much for the protagonist although Philippa Gregory did her best to explain why she turned out as...more

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May 12, 2013 Regina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Not even to my worst enemies.

Shelves: disappointment, historical, i-should-get-an-award-for-finishing, heroines-i-hate

This was the 4th book of Philippa Gregory that I started and the only one I finished.
What made me try again? Well, one of my classmates truly adores her books and was all over The other Boleyn girl and I wanted to know what's so good about Miss Gregory so I tried and tried and tried and failed to finish every single time.
Well, until now. Honestly? The only reason I made it through the book is my passionate hate towards Margaret. It's stupid right? I know that she will get what she wants but he...more This was the 4th book of Philippa Gregory that I started and the only one I finished.
What made me try again? Well, one of my classmates truly adores her books and was all over The other Boleyn girl and I wanted to know what's so good about Miss Gregory so I tried and tried and tried and failed to finish every single time.
Well, until now. Honestly? The only reason I made it through the book is my passionate hate towards Margaret. It's stupid right? I know that she will get what she wants but her suffering and that it seems to be her fate to always bow down in front of a Woodville woman make it almost worth it. And the side characters? I kind of liked some.
But let's go in order:
Margaret: The main character (who doesn't deserve the heroine or even the protagonist title) is a b*tch. And with that I was still gentle. Her role model is Joan D'Arc and she's, for some unknown reason, convinced that God favors her and that she is a martyr of some short. Well, let me tell you what she is in my opinion:
She looks down on everyone, has no respect towards anyone, she's full of herself with no good reason, believes that just because she's from royal blood she deserves everything, she doesn't care for the kingdom, she says that she's a holy woman but orders the murder of two children, is happy when people fight a pointless war and looks down on them when they are unwilling to die for nothing, and one of the best is: she says she doesn't need luxury but whines when she doesn't get it. She commits sins but of course that's God's will but condemns others for the same or less. Oh, and as far as I could tell, she loved none in her whole life.

Sir Henry: was one of the two people I cared for. Being the husband of Margaret without trying to murder her is an achievement in itself. He was the voice of reason, who refused to die for a cause he didn't believe in and actually wanted peace and supported the one who could bring that.

Elizabeth Woodville: She didn't appear much, but I liked her and her daughter too. She endured everything and won all the time and did it with grace. And she's the polar opposite of Margaret. I won't read her book though 'cause Miss Gregory can't write a female lead I like.

All in all: it would have been a 3 star book, 'cause the story is fairly good, but damn slow, the parts where Margaret isn't there are interesting and even she was likable when she was with Sir Henry and acted like a human. But her overall character made the story unenjoyable for me. (less)

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Feb 22, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Red Queen is the second in The Cousins' War series, and the second of Phillipa Gregory's books that I have read (the first was the first in this series - The White Queen).

The Red Queen is Margaret Beaufort, cousin to Henry VI, who at the age of 14 becomes a mother, giving birth to her son Henry in a remote castle in Wales, in what, to the eyes of the modern world could only be seen as horrendous circumstances. A relative innocent she has been thrust into a harsh reality that she has been il...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I bought this book a month or two ago, and got around to reading it while I was sick with the flu this past weekend. I've always enjoyed Philippa Gregory's books, and while I'm interested in history and prefer historical accuracy, I've never been too hung up on whether historical fiction is perfectly accurate or not. There are plenty of references (both listed in this book and available elsewhere) for those who want to know the exact historical details as far as they're known anyway, I'm here fo...more I bought this book a month or two ago, and got around to reading it while I was sick with the flu this past weekend. I've always enjoyed Philippa Gregory's books, and while I'm interested in history and prefer historical accuracy, I've never been too hung up on whether historical fiction is perfectly accurate or not. There are plenty of references (both listed in this book and available elsewhere) for those who want to know the exact historical details as far as they're known anyway, I'm here for the entertainment.

Margaret Beaufort is the woman of the Lancaster branch of English royalty, who becomes mother of Henry Tudor who is of course eventually crowned king at the conclusion of the Wars of the Roses. This book follows Margaret's life from about age 7 through the crowning of her son Henry as king, written nearly entirely from her point of view. From the young age where her piety and continual prayer gave her the roughened skin and calluses of "saint's knees," Margaret believes she is especially favored by God, a viewpoint which is only strengthened by surviving the ordeal that is Henry's birth when she is just 14. This belief guides and pushes her throughout her life, as she first believes she is born for something better, and then channels that into a belief that Henry is the one born for a great destiny. It's actually a little creepy at times, especially as it's clear to the reader that Margaret is definitely using religion as the support for her own desires, and I'm sure there's a scholastic paper or two in that alone. From the story in this novel, I think Margaret seized upon religion and a chosen destiny as a way to grasp control over her own life, which was so not her own that even her own mother gave orders to save Henry rather than Margaret should the birth go badly. There's a lot of history of the time period, colored by Margaret's opinions and views about those being written about, and for me it was a great refresher/summary of the Wars of the Roses which I'd always been a little fuzzy on understanding.

Some of the point of view writing was a little odd at times, as it switched from first-person to almost a second-person sort of POV, but it didn't bother me too much apart from being a noticeable change in the narrative flow. Some of the time breaks during the "peacetime" sections were a little large and abrupt, but given that the author was focusing on Margaret and the events that affected her and her son Henry, that's understandable. This was definitely an enjoyable read and those who like Philippa Gregory's other work should enjoy this one just as much.(less)

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Dec 28, 2012 Traci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Story of Margaret Beaufort, of the Lancaster line. During the wars between the Yorks and Lancasters. She is of royal blood line. Married at 14 to a Tudor, to secure the royal claim for her son to be King of England. Gives birth to Henry Tudor, who ends up living his adult life in exile, with his uncle Jasper (his father dies after Henry is born).

Margaret is then married to Henry Stafford, they have no children. He does not like the wars, finds them unnecessary, and a waste of human life. He dies...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Precious Maiquez rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

More enjoyable than the White Queen. Upon reading reviews on the first book on the Cousin's War series, many people have mentioned the need for more political storyline, and this is what the Red Queen offered to the table.

In my opinion, what made the first and third book of the series somewhat boring is that they revolved on the stories of love and witchcraft. This novel veered away from these topics and focused more on what I think the Cousin's War was all about: power struggle. The novel talke...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you're looking for an interesting character-driven novel with some historical merit, this is going to be up your alley. However, it does not move as fast as some of Phillipa Gregory's other novels. While "The Red Queeen" is a reasonable length, its protagonist and plot make it seem like double the amount of pages.

From my perspective, the narrator Margaret is completely exasperating - she is a selfish, vain woman who claims religious inspiration as the cause for her actions. I think it's to G...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias added it · review of another edition

Shelves: civilização-editora, catarina

Agora que saiu em português "A Senhora dos Rios", último livro da Trilogia dos Primos em Guerra, mas em termos temporais uma prequela da Rainha Branca, o Encruzilhadas juntou mãos para comentar as Rainhas. Assim sendo fiquei com a Rainha Vermelha a meu cargo e a Cláudia ficou com a Rainha Branca.
Devo confessar que não apreciei tanto a Rainha Vermelha como a apreciei a Rainha Branca. Isto poderá vir em grande parte do facto de a Rainha Branca ser um livro mais místico enquanto a Rainha Vermelha...more Agora que saiu em português "A Senhora dos Rios", último livro da Trilogia dos Primos em Guerra, mas em termos temporais uma prequela da Rainha Branca, o Encruzilhadas juntou mãos para comentar as Rainhas. Assim sendo fiquei com a Rainha Vermelha a meu cargo e a Cláudia ficou com a Rainha Branca.
Devo confessar que não apreciei tanto a Rainha Vermelha como a apreciei a Rainha Branca. Isto poderá vir em grande parte do facto de a Rainha Branca ser um livro mais místico enquanto a Rainha Vermelha é um livro mais terra a terra. Há também que salientar que na Rainha Branca temos uma rainha contente e que relembra um pouco aquela personagem mítica dos contos de fadas, enquanto a Rainha Vermelha é mais severa e parece-se mais com a rainha malvada.
Por ter lido a Rainha Branca primeiro e ter simpatizado bastante com ela, devo confessar que inconscientemente devo ter tomado o seu partido. Quando li o que fizeram aos seus filhos, ou pelo menos o que se supõem, ainda mais fiquei do seu lado, por isso pude ler a Rainha Vermelha já tinha feito dela inimiga não declarada.
Tentei gostar da Rainha Vermelha, até porque tem o mesmo nome da minha mãe, e por causa da sua história de vida. Esta rainha teve uma vida sofrida, foi obrigada a casar nova e quase morreu durante o parto. Para além de todas estas complicações perdeu dois maridos e viu a sua possibilidade de herdar o trono de Inglaterra para o filho esbater-se como lua em quarto minguante.
Creio que foi a sua veia católica e de santa sofrida que me deixou pé atrás com ela, nada contra os católicos, mas a veia de santa que ela decidiu incorporar acabou por me deixar deveras irritada. Todas as suas penitências e abstinências fizeram-me deveras confusão e não ajudaram a que eu me conectasse com ela.
É de referir que apesar de tudo a escrita de Gregory não perdeu a sua força ou a sua musicalidade e pude ler o livro do início ao fim sem problemas demais. Tive este mesmo "problema" com "A Outra Rainha", no qual não gostava da Rainha Maria Stuart, mas gostava das outras personagens, principalmente da Bess, e pude seguir a história sem mais problemas devido à escrita da autora.
No geral creio que é importante ler a Rainha Vermelha, principalmente porque ajuda a ver o outro lado da mesma guerra e conseguimos ter uma noção mais abrangente do que passou durante a Guerra das Rosas. Agora que finalmente saiu "A Senhora dos Rios" poderemos saber mais sobre a mãe da Rainha Branca e o papel que esta desempenhou nesta guerra. Tenho a certeza que será um livro fascinante! - Catarina(less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Divya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love historical fiction - even the kind that takes occasional liberties with history in favor of fiction. And I've read enough of Philippa Gregory's works as well as those by a few others to say that 'The Red Queen' left me sorely disappointed.

Set during the tumultuous times of the 'War of the Roses', 'The Red Queen' is all about Margaret Beaufort - the woman posterity now knows as the 'Tudor Matriarch'. Right from childhood, Margaret is filled with a sense of divine purpose. As a child, she b...more I love historical fiction - even the kind that takes occasional liberties with history in favor of fiction. And I've read enough of Philippa Gregory's works as well as those by a few others to say that 'The Red Queen' left me sorely disappointed.

Set during the tumultuous times of the 'War of the Roses', 'The Red Queen' is all about Margaret Beaufort - the woman posterity now knows as the 'Tudor Matriarch'. Right from childhood, Margaret is filled with a sense of divine purpose. As a child, she believes herself to be 'special to God' in the manner of Joan of Arc. As the last remaining heiress to a tenuous Lancaster connection through descent from the 'other side' of John of Gaunt's bed, it is impressed upon Margaret at an early age that she must marry well. And she does - following her mother's diktats much against her own will that would see her settled an abbess, she marries Edmund Tudor (another with royal claims through the 'other side' of Catherine of Valois' bed). Their only child, Henry Tudor, goes on to claim the crown as Henry VII thereby uniting the Houses of Lancaster and York under a common sigil - the Tudor Rose.

With so much drama, intrigue and politicking (not to mention the battles and murders et al), all that you really come away with is the feeling that Margaret, far from being the iron-willed, purposeful founder of England's most enduring royal dynasty, is really just a petulant child. The book is filled with a near constant refrain of ' for is it not God's will that I should be the Queen / Queen Mother and write my name as Margaret R (for Regina)' and other such allusions to the lead character's 'divine destiny' that whatever little sympathy you have for the child Margaret, forced into a loveless marriage first with Edmund Tudor and then into another with Henry Stafford, dissipates quickly to be replaced with a growing sense of irritation and boredom. A far cry from either naivete or increasing shrewdness, all that Margaret comes across as is a whining, miserable and peevish girl who grows into a cantankerous woman filled with a sense of hatred towards whom she sees as usurping her 'god given' and 'divine' right. At the worst moment of her life, when she is mere inches away from a certain death as a traitor, she believes that she is being punished by God for the sins of those she chose to ally with (namely Elizabeth Woodville and the Duke of Buckingham). She, of course, is always as pure as driven snow and believes herself to be above the sin of being greedy, power hungry and envious of others while constantly being thankless towards the comforts of life afforded to her with a remarkably tolerant husband in Henry Stafford.

Jasper Tudor, the only man who arouses admiration and even love in the devoutly pious Margaret, and whom she sees as the only hope for fulfilling the destiny intended for herself and her son, flits in an out of the pages as the fortunes of the House of Lancaster (and therefore those of the two Tudors) wax and wane with every battle and change of alliances over the years. Henry Stafford , whom Margaret sees as weak-willed and cowardly, arouses sympathy as a man who is trying to stay true to his ideals of right and wrong and searching for a tenuous peace in these times of war. He is also kind, caring and gentlemanly towards his wife, who of-course, would rather he were a boorish lout who treated her with contempt and violence (as men were wont to do at the time) as long as he had a passion for war and a willingness to fight for the increasingly feeble minded Henry VI. Her third husband, Thomas Stanley, whom she marries for convenience, turns the tide for her son at the Battle of Bosworth Field by choosing to refrain from fighting alongside the armies of King Richard III. Stanley is the consummate politician and shrewd aristocrat - he (and it is hinted his entire family) has perfected the art of 'staying on the winning side' and it is for this that Margaret marries him.

The real heroine of the book then seems to be the mysterious Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of Edward IV, who elicits an incessant stream of hatred and envy from Margaret and who is referred to by her as sinful, shameless and a witch. Indeed, Margaret's constant focus on Elizabeth as the source of all her 'misery' and 'misfortune' makes one want to find out more about this alluring character, herself the subject of Gregory's previous book 'The White Queen'. It also makes one wonder just how much of the hate is really borne out of a grudging sense of respect for a woman who, as a commoner, dared to marry a King, and through every turn of history, emerged with her fortunes (and those of her family) mostly intact.

For those who have read previous works by Gregory - do not expect the same richness of scene as afforded by 'The Other Boleyn Girl' or even mild shards of sympathy for Margaret as for Jane Rochford in 'The Boleyn Inheritance'. At most, Gregory's Margaret arouses some pity and an overall longing to slap some sense into her ungrateful, ill-behaved and forever lamenting character !(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought the second book would pick up where the first left off. Richard in power, Elizabeth's daughters at court and perhaps the return of the young prince Richard who was rumored to have been killed in the tower? I was so looking forward to this book and was so disappointed!

This book chronicles the rise of the Tudors through the eyes of Magaret Beaufort. She only wants to be a nun but is married to Edward Tudor at 13 and gives birth to Henry (the precursor to Henry VIII). Truly Magaret did no...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Nattie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fine read, so much better than The White queen, which started off good but went on down the drain quick enough.
I would give The Red Queen five stars, but I cannot for a number of reasons.
#1 Margaret was over-the-top crazy and tended to get on my nerves.
#2 There were a few rough patches where my eyes glazed over.
#3 If I ever hear the words JOAN OF ARC again I might toss myself out of my basement window. Did Philippa learn nothing from Mesulina in The white queen? Obviously not.
#4 If I read an...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Caitriona H rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this up in the library because it was announced at the Hay Festival and reported in The Bookseller that this book, along with The White Queen and The Kingmaker’s Daughter, are being made into a 12 hour BBC series, which will be aired on Sunday at 9pm next May (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainme...). On finishing the book I went straight back to the library to look out the other two, but I’ve had no luck finding them yet.

This is very much historical fiction, and I can imagine stickler...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Meghan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I finished this book b/c I've been enjoying the series, but I did not enjoy the main character and narration. I think the author made a valiant attempt at portraying Margaret Beaufort as someone deluded with the "right" of birthline and royalty and belief that God supported her under every circumstance but it came across as just that...deluded. It was hard for me as a reader to really understand someone who was that firm in her own birthrights, especially when the book started out showing...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I haven't read many historical novels, so perhaps my complaints are more to do with the genre than the book: before reading it, the only thing I knew about this one was a complaint from a history buff that it was historically inaccurate. Since I know nothing about the war of the roses, and was planning to treat the book as fiction anyway, this didn't bother me much - I can't speak as to whether or not the complaint was justified.

The story is told in first person, from the perspective of Margaret...more

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The Red Queen: A Novel of The Cousins' War (The Cousins' War #2)

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