The Lady Elizabeth

Elizabeth I #1

by Alison Weir

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A masterful novel exploring the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would become England’s most intriguing and powerful queen, from acclaimed historian Alison Weir

“Engrossing . . . Weir marries conjecture with what is known about the life of Elizabeth I from childhood to coronation, and it makes for ripping good reading.”— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Even at age two, Elizabeth is keenly aware that people in the court of her father, King Henry VIII, have stopped referring to her as “Lady Princess” and now call her “the Lady Elizabeth.” Before she is three, she learns of the tragic fate that has befallen her mother, the enigmatic and seductive Anne Boleyn, and that she herself has been declared illegitimate, an injustice that will haunt her.

What comes next is a succession of stepmothers, bringing with them glimpses of love, fleeting security, tempestuous conflict, and tragedy. The death of her father puts the teenage Elizabeth in greater peril, leaving her at the mercy of ambitious and unscrupulous men. Like her mother two decades earlier she is imprisoned in the Tower of London—and fears she will also meet her mother’s grisly end. Power-driven politics, private scandal and public gossip, a disputed succession, and the grievous example of her sister, “Bloody” Queen Mary, all cement Elizabeth’s resolve in matters of statecraft and love, and set the stage for her transformation into the iconic Virgin Queen.

Alison Weir uses her deft talents as historian and novelist to exquisitely and suspensefully play out the conflicts between family, politics, religion, and conscience that came to define an age. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time—an orphaned girl haunted by the shadow of the axe, an independent spirit who must use her cunning and wits for her very survival, and a future queen whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period, British Literature, Royalty, 16th Century

512 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Alison Weir is an English writer of history books for the general public, mostly in the form of biographies about British kings and queens, and of historical fiction. Before becoming an author, Weir worked as a teacher of children with special needs. She received her formal training in history at teacher training college. She currently lives in Surrey, England, with her two children.

Reviews

[EMMA · Rating 5 out of 5]

یکی از سریال های مورد علاقه من که در دوران کنکور(:دی) نگاش میکردم سریال رین یا سلطنت بود.
تو اون سریال الیزابت یه فرد بی رحم نشون داده شده بود چون مری، ملکه اسکاتلند را گردن زد.
حالا تو این کتاب الیزابت یه فرد مهربان نشون داده شد :|

البته کتابو دوس داشتم، منو یاد دزیره مینداخت البته شایدم بخاطر این بود این دو کتابو صوتیشو گوش دادم با صدای شیما درخشش!
چیزای زیادی واسه گفتن هست ولی من نمیدونم اینا صرفا زائده ذهن نویسنده بودن یا واقعیت داشتن؟!!
واسه همین در این مورد نظری نمیدم.
البته این کتاب باعث شد بیشتر در مورد پروتستان و کاتولیکها مطالعه کنم و مستند ببینم.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read Weir's Eleanor of Aquitane and was bored stiff by all the contradicting accounts she included. You really wanted her to take a side, and she just wanted to give you all the information she had dug up. Well, this novelized version of Elizabeth I's life preceding her coronation does take sides. You have to credit Weir with creating a sympathetic character out of someone who tried during her reign to obliterate any trace of weakness or even of her past. But one of the first things Weir does is violate her own sense of what actually happened. She personally believes Elizabeth was a virgin, but in the first third of the novel, she has Elizabeth having sex with her stepfather and then miscarrying the child. At that point I about gave up. I mean, if the author herself doesn't believe what she's portraying, you can feel it, and the whole scene and ensuing months of Elizabeth's life suffer in the telling. She tried to be Philippa Gregory, but I really wanted Weir to take the high road rather than giving in to pressures from her publisher and whoever else decided she needed to include a sex scene. This was definitely a disappointment.

[Nadine Doolittle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected more from an historian. Weir's imaginary account of Elizabeth I's early years is a bodice-ripper. The problem with academics writing fiction is they lack imagination. Young Elizabeth is described as a "minx" whose "body betrays her" when she falls for the debatable charms of her stepfather--thus explaining why she refuses men thereafter to become the Virgin Queen. Blood, mess, childbirth--Elizabeth recoils from the very idea of marriage.

There's nothing wrong with creating an imaginary lover for Elizabeth--I don't care if she was a real virgin or not, but Weir manages to diminish the extraordinary stand Elizabeth took in refusing to marry to the level of sexual frigidity. She lived at a time when husbands wielded power over their wives. For a Queen, serving two masters could have disasterous consequences for the realm, as was shown in Queen Mary's reign. Call me Not an Historian but I figured Elizabeth refused to marry to avoid the very conflicts she witnessed with her sister.

For me, the fascinating thing about Elizabeth I was her resolution to trust in her own judgement for the good of her people. This is remarkable. Where did she find the strength to resist all demands she marry? How did she come to this conclusion? What forces were at work in her psychologically? She not only claimed power, she wielded it masterfully. Weir gives us no psychological insight into how that woman developed and flowered at a time when everything was working against her.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never tire of reading about the Tudors. This is the engaging story if ElizabethI
Before she became Queen It is the tale of young Elizabeth ‘s life from the time her mother Ann Boleyn was beheaded until she became Queen.

Alison Weir’s writing is superb. It is an intriguing story with well developed characters. It is mostly based on true facts. We learn of Elizabeth’s tempestuous relationship with her sister Mary. Mary who was HenryVIII daughter with Katherine. Mary was brought up Catholic, Elizabeth Protestant.

Elizabeth becomes a very strong willed young woman and fights for what is hers. She is known as the Virgin Queen, but Weir gives us another theory.
Truth or rumor?

A very captivating novel.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This absorbing novel, which takes Elizabeth from early childhood to the day she becomes queen, explores the reasons this ruler chose to remain “The Virgin Queen.” Weir constructs her story around basic historical facts. I feel so much more educated on who Elizabeth was and what made her into the Queen she became. Full review you can find on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...

[Zahra · Rating 3 out of 5]

یه کتاب فیکشن تاریخی که بار فیکشنش خیلی بیشتر از بار تاریخیشه خصوصا وقتی داستان به رابطه های الیزابت می رسه!
خوشبختانه داستان بیشتر مواقع سریع پیش می ره و نویسنده هر سوراخ سنبه ای رو توصیف نکرده و بیخودی به جزییات بی اهمیت نپرداخته ( برعکس یکی مثل گریگوری😖)
اما سرعت داستان وقتی به سلطنت مری می رسه به شدت کند میشه و تاکید های دوباره و دوباره روی دشمنی ها و زیرکی و هوش خارق العاده الیزابت یکم زیادی تکراری میشه جوری که با رد کردن یکی در میان صد صفحه آخر چیزی رو از دست نمیدیم. دلایل رفتارها و تصمیمات الیزابت هم بنظرم خیلی ساده و تک بعدی بودن که به ملکه الیزابت واقعی خیلی نمیاد همچین دلایل سطحی ای داشته بوده باشه!
نکته دیگه اینکه همه شخصیت ها بجز الیزابت خیلی ماست و سطحین و اکثرا شدیدا حرص درآر!
ترجمه خانم صدیقیان هم خوب و روان بود

[Anna Karras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is another one I was asked to review for Library Journal.

OMG, so good!

This is the second fiction novel from Alison Weir, the fabulous Tudor historian who wrote many biographies, including The Six Wives of Henry VIII, and The Children of Henry VIII. But last year she gave us her first foray into fiction about Lady Jane Grey, who was queen for about a week between Edward VI and Mary I. That one was fascinating since I knew very little about her. I know quite a bit about Elizabeth I, and this was a top-notch novel about her early life up to the point when she ascends the throne in her 20's.

Life was never easy for this girl, and she must have been extraordinary to be able to survive to become queen. There was much against her: her father had declared her a bastard, her sister despised her religious views and nearly had her killed for it. But Elizabeth was known for being shrewd, wily, and able to perform the fine dance of diplomacy.

The most interesting part of this novel was the period of her life following her father's death when she lived with her stepmother, Katherine Parr, and her new husband, Thomas Seymour. Katherine had been in love with Seymour when the King commanded she marry him instead. When she became free, she was allowed to marry her love, and soon became pregnant for the first time at the age of 36. This may not seem such a great thing in this day and age, but in the 1500's, that was a very late age for a woman to be pregnant - it was a great health risk to both mother and child.

Thomas Seymour was "a rake." Heh. You see them gracing the covers of romance novels, but you never think of them actually existing in history. Seymour was a man of ambition and would seemingly stop at nothing to gain the most power and wealth he could. Before he married Katherine Parr, he tried to woo both Mary and Elizabeth. When the Privy Council would have none of it, he wooed Katherine and got her to marry him in secret without the permission of the Council or the King. (Rather a no-no at the time.)

Even though he was married to Katherine, he was still drawn to Elizabeth and since she was living in his household, he blatantly sought her out. He came to her bedroom before she was up to tickle her. He tried to catch her undressed. Elizabeth was 14 years-old at the time. If it happened today Chris Hansen from "To Catch a Predator" would have been asking him to take a seat. As it was, it was seen as highly inappropriate, and Elizabeth was finally sent away from the house.

Many people have speculated about just how far the relationship progressed between Elizabeth and Thomas. Some say she was innocent, some say she led him on. And there are some who say nothing happened, and some who claim Elizabeth had a child from the episode. I love the way Weir treats this - but I won't go into what she says happens.

Alison Weir is the perfect person to write historical fiction. She knows her material inside and out, and on top of it has an ear for dialogue pacing, and an eye for detail. Well done, and I look forward to reading more of her fiction in the future.

[Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

10 days! It took me 10 days to plod my way through this 400 page book.

I kept coming up with reasons NOT to read this. I cleaned out junk drawers, broke down cardboard boxes, sorted through my winter clothes, organized my armoire, etc. And when evening rolled around (my usual time for reading), I surfed the Internet, played games on my tablet, watched television, calculated my taxes, etc. I did just about ANYTHING other than read this book. I never seemed to be "in the mood" for it.

To put it bluntly, I was bored to tears by this novel. The author would take a couple of main topics and bury you with them.

For example, parts of the relationship between Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour were WAY overdone:

Kat tells the queen of Thomas’ inappropriate behavior… the queen does nothing… Kat admonishes Thomas… Thomas ignores her… Kat tells the queen again… Thomas leaves Elizabeth alone for a while… Kat rebukes Elizabeth… Elizabeth ignores her… Thomas starts coming to the bedroom again… once again Kat tells the queen… the queen doesn’t believe her… the queen then participates in cutting off Elizabeth’s dress… Kat protests loudly to her… the queen does nothing… Elizabeth gets caught in bed with Thomas… the queen is shocked and finally sends Elizabeth away.

Another themed topic that went on and on was the love / hate relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. Another was the power seesaw between the Catholics and the Protestants.



ENOUGH!!! All of this stuff should have been tightened up. I thought the book ran about 100 pages too long for the material covered.

You know, had I not already been so familiar with the subject matter, I may have enjoyed this more. Since I have done extensive reading on Henry VIII, his wives and his children, there was nothing really here for me that was in any way new. Well, except for Elizabeth’s pregnancy and miscarriage, and the author has admitted that she made the entire thing up. In the Author’s Notes, she states that there at least was SOME speculation about it at the time (so I guess that’s something).

It is just this kind of "dramatic license" (Elizabeth's pregnancy) that makes me crazy. It dilutes everything else the author has written, and makes a mockery of all of the research she must have done for this book. This is not a minor little deviation from accepted beliefs... this is a huge stretch of the imagination. And it only makes it worse that the author doesn't even believe it to be true!

I somewhat enjoyed the first part of the book (Henry VIII), but I would not have finished this had it not been for book club.

Read with SBC book club February 2014

UPDATE 01-14-2015
While surfing the internet, looking for factual information about Richard III, I found this description of another historical novel, 'His Lady Bride' by Shelley Bradley:

An "historical romance" set in 15th c. England, but rife with historical errors as it takes its “facts” from Alison Weir." - Richard III Society web site

I am done with reading anything by Alison Weir.

[Negar Taghizadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

همونطور که از اسم کتاب و خلاصه‌ش مشخصه، داستان کتاب درباره لیدی الیزابته و از دوران کودکی‌ش شروع می‌شه(۲ - ۳ سالگی‌ش) تا روزی که خبر سلطنتش بهش اعلام می‌شه.

اوایل کتاب برای من به سختی پیش می‌رفت و با زور و فقط محض اینکه بیکار نباشم و یه کتابی خونده باشم، می‌خوندمش. اما بعد از حدود پنجاه شصت صفحه، داستان افتاد رو سرعت و اگر اشتباه نکنم، به‌جز وقفه‌ای که بخاطر شروع امتحانام بود، کلا سه چهار روز طول کشید.
سرعت کتاب خوب بود؛ به‌غیر از جاهایی که الیزابت در حبس خانگی بود یا قسمت مکالمات مری با مشاورانش و مجلس.

یکمی که گشتم، ترتیب زمانی درست کتابای ترجمه و چاپ شده‌ی آلیسون ویر رو پیدا کردم و متوجه شدم که اگه می‌خواستم براساس وقایع تاریخی پیش برم، باید از ملکه اسیر شروع می‌کردم که داستان النور دوشس آکتین، همسر هنری دوم بود. ولی حالا هم عیبی نداره، یکی‌دوتا کتاب رو جا انداختم.

اگر کسی ترتیب خوندن کتابای آلیسون ویر رو خواست :
ملکه اسیر :داستان النور دوشس آکتین، همسر هنری دوم که ملکه انگلیس و فرانسه بود.

خائن بی‌گناه : داستان ملکه ۹ روزه، لیدی جین گری.

ارثیه شوم : داستان کاترین گری، خواهر لیدی جین گری و دو پسر ادوارد چهارم که ناپدید شدن و در تاریخ محو شدن.

لیدی الیزابت : داستان لیدی الیزابت، یا ملکه الیزابت اول، از کودکی و درست بعد از گردن زدن مادرش تا قبل از به سلطنت رسیدنش.

بازی ازدواج : زندگی ملکه الیزابت اول بعد از تاجگذاری تا زمان مرگ.
( البته یه نکته‌ای رو هم بگم. بین دوستان اختلاف بود که اول ارثیه شوم خونده بشه یا لیدی الیزابت، و من خودم ترجیح دادم که اول ارثیه شوم رو بخونم.)

[Rio (Lynne) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story telling was 4 stars, the fictional liberties were 1 1/2 stars. Yes, I know it's a fictional book, but I expect more from a "historian" than a bunch of cliches. In Weir's author notes, she says she enjoyed running with this story, but stated she stayed true to the facts. I did not like the portrayal of Kat (Elizabeth's governess) She was immature, annoying and I simply wanted to slap her. The problem with knowing Tudor history is hating to see the myths...Anne Boleyn and the 6th finger, Jane Grey having abusive parents etc. Elizabeth was a naive child, who fell in love with Thomas Seymour. She gave him her virginity willingly, got pregnant, lost the baby...then ruled men away forever. Why can't a woman simply not want to get married? She didn't want to share her power. Why must something bad happen for her to feel that way? I'm an Elizabeth fan. I believe she was a shrewd woman, not just a woman lead by a strong council.

This was an audiobook and because of that I finished it. Had it been an actual book, I would have dumped it when Kat wanted Elizabeth to marry Thomas and make beautiful babies.

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, Elizabeth I is the most interesting of all the English monarchs. This novel is about the young Elizabeth, which may be a more remarkable story than that of her as Queen Elizabeth. She is very lucky to have survived, let alone become Queen.

Her mother was executed as a traitor, she was proclaimed illegitimate, her father was the seemingly mad (my word) Henry VIII, and she had many other detractors as well, not the least being her two siblings, Edward and Mary. But she survived her tribulations and became Queen.

I don't claim to be an expert on anything, certainly not royal history. I realize this is fiction, but Alison Weir is known for her ability to be factual and through with her research when she writes, and she is a very good writer.

[N.a.f.a.s · Rating 5 out of 5]

دوستش داشتم
صوتی گوش دادم و از شنیدنش خیلی لذت بردم.
اتمام
۱۸/تیر/۰۲
یکشنبه
17:00

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison Weir is very easy to read. She is in her element writing this kind of historical fiction, because she has written so many biographies on the Tudors, including the Wives of Henry VIII which I loved. I also really enjoyed Innocent Traitor. Unlike Philippa Gregory, Weir's writing is based on actual facts. Do not get me wrong, I loved Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, but it had very little based on fact, it was made into an entirely different drama. My only issue with this is that I have read so many biographies and fictional stories about Elizabeth, that it often repeated the same things-but if you mean to stay true to what is known of Elizabeth, you cannot change it too drastically. Weir does add some dramatic elements, which she explains in the end-one major item in the story is completely fictional. This is a great fictional story that uses a lot of fact, and is a nice intro for anyone introducing themselves to the early life of Elizabeth with a story rather than a biography.

[Kosar · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Her great battle for survival was almost over"

And such a battle it was!
Lady Elizabeth is the story of King Henry VIII's second daughter, from her childhood until she becomes the queen of England. It is a very interesting period of history and it has been the focus of historians, as well as the popular culture and Alison Weir as a historian and as a novelist does a great job of depicting all the turmoil and chaos of those times. Although she has done extensive research on this era, when it comes to writing novel, she tells an amazing and gripping story, without boring the readers with too much tedious details, and at the same time does not betray the true events of history.

The only flaw of this book in my opinion were that the first time recurring characters were first mentioned, they seemed to appear from nowhere, they weren't introduced or given a background.
What I mostly liked about this book was that it didn't try to confuse us with so many characters, it kept it as simple as possible. I also liked that the author took a chance with telling the story of Elizabeth and the admiral the way she did, I think it was bold and added an interesting twist.

Although it was a reread, it kept surprising me and captivating me and frightening me. I don't have a very strong memory when it comes to stories I read and I think it serves me well, because I get to relive the story like it's the first time!

I also started googling the palaces that we mentioned in the book and, to my surprise, found that some of them exist today! It brings these stories to light when I seen the palaces or their tombs.

P.S.: Just take a look at what has been added to Elizabeth and Mary's tomb:
NEAR THE TOMB OF MARY AND ELIZABETH REMEMBER BEFORE GOD ALL THOSE WHO DIVIDED AT THE REFORMATION BY DIFFERENT CONVICTIONS LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES FOR CHRIST AND CONSCIENCE' SAKE.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical novels are one of my guilty, but infrequent, pleasures. I have little patience with archaic dialogue, for one thing, and I chafe at too much fictional corpulence draped over an historical skeleton. But when the author of a fictional novel is also a well-respected historian who's taken her first turn with those characters and events as a non-fiction writer, then we're talking a different-colored horse altogether. Alison Weir's "The Lady Elizabeth" is such a horse. Having already written 'Elizabeth the Queen' and 'Henry VIII; King and Court,', two comprehensive, well-regarded histories of the period, Weir takes the narrative of Elizabeth's life to a different dimension, weaving together the loose ends made by gaps in historical knowledge, and making a full blown What If out of one of the more scandalous putative skeletons in Elizabeth's closet.
And apropos of the latter: if you're the kind of reader who objects to an author playing fast and loose with biography, then pass over this book. Of course, if you're that sort of reader, you wouldn't have picked up this, or likely, any, historical novel to start with.
All in all, 'The Lady Elizabeth' is a gratifying read, well developed and well-paced, and it avoids the innate fripperiness of much historical fiction. Highly recommended for those who like this sort of thing. You know who you are.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished this 20 hour audiobook. I listened at 1.5 speed so it didn’t actually take that long but on reaching the end I found out this is book one of two!! This one ends when she becomes queen. The next 20 hour audiobook picks up from there. Phew!!

Even though it was drawn out and tedious at times i couldn’t stop listening. I really like Alison Weir’s writing!

[Redfox5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a couple of Weir's books, fiction and history and so far I've been very impressed.

I sometimes really struggle with the story of Elizabeth, she is a woman I greatly admire but her life sometimes lacks the excitement her parents had. I keep trying to figure this out and I think the conclusion is that I don't like the men in her life. Thomas Seymour and Robert Dudley are the times when she appears weakest and they are not worthy men in my opinion. I know they are important parts of her life but the fact that I dislike them both(although you didn't see much of Dudley in this book) sometimes makes it hard to engage in Elizabeth's story when they are about.

Weir admits that although she tries to stick closely to the facts, as it's fiction she does fantasise about some of the rumors concerning Elizabeth, mainly the one where she becomes pregnant with Seymour's child. Personally I belive she died a virgin but like Weir I have no problem with historical fiction adding more fictional elements to the story. I didn't have a problem with the ghost of Anne Boleyn popping up from time to time either.

It was nice to read a story about her that focused solely on her young life before she became Queen. I like how her relationship with Mary changes throughout the years. I still think Mary wouldn't have been so awful if she's been allowed to marry and have a family when she was younger. As cruel as she was towards the end, I can't help but feel sorry for her. No wonder she was jealous of Elizabeth.

This is book that keeps you reading and would be a must read for all Tudor fans.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the "Virgin Queen". The author is a historian and has based this novel on both things that are known, and things that are merely speculation or rumor.

While I completely understand the desire to never have sex and children as a reason for never wanting to get married, I'm not entirely sure that was Elizabeth's SOLE motivation. How about - she didn't want to share the throne with a man? She didn't want some foreign king to come in and treat her like Phillip did her sister. She didn't want to take the chance that England might become annexed to some other power through marriage to her. Elizabeth was smart enough to think of these things. I'm sure if she thought marriage and children would strengthen her rule, she would have been all over it.

This book takes us from Elizabeth's childhood through her ascending to the throne with the death of her sister, Mary. I'd be interested in seeing more of Weir's interpretation of events throughout Elizabeth's reign.

[Morana Mazor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obzirom da su povijesni romani moj omiljeni žanr...pa onda još Tudori... (točnije Elizabeta I) pa još i to da sam ovu knjigu dugo, dugo željela čitati nisam baš objektivna u ovom osvrtu.. ;) Meni je ovo sve super.. Priča prati onaj rani dio života Elizabete Tudor, od njezine 3. god pa do trenutka kada postaje kraljica. Likovi, događaj temelje se na povijesnim činjenicama, začinjeno, naravno sa dozom fikcije. I sve skupa je meni odlično. Za ljubitelje žanra- obvezatno štivo. :)

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting fictional portrayal of the life of Queen Elizabeth the first before her ascension to the throne. The book is divided into three parts describing different periods. In the first, the writer deals with her childhood in a very tender manner that shows us that despite her position she was also a little girl like all the others, looking for love and affection. In the second she deals with her highly controversial relationship with her stepfather but I found this point somewhat exaggerated though, as she says in the end, based on some real rumors about the nature of this relationship. In the third one we are in the politically most critical part of this period when during her sister's reign she lived years of uncertainty, trying to survive and maintain her position as successor to the throne. There the writer does a very good job as a historian putting a lot of historical details in this part thus creating an exciting chronicle, this insistence, however, I think it is at the expense of literary.

 I can say that I liked it enough, with the first part to leaving me excited. After that, however, enthusiasm declined but not enough to change my view that it is a very good historical novel.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this!!!! This is a historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth I’s life from the day her mother (Anne Boleyn) was killed to the day she becomes queen. The drama! The politics! The trauma this woman lived through. I thought that this was really well done. It’s fulllllll of history but written in a digestible and entertaining way. Excited to continue with Weirs books. The one on Elizabeth’s reign is up next for me!

[AdiTurbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm an avid Anglophile, I couldn't resist this book. Even though I've read many books on the subject and know the story, it showed it to me from a different angle, and added a lot to my understanding of the frame of mind of the main character, Elizabeth I, and others around her. The book follows her since the death of her mother Anne Boleyn, to her becoming queen. It is an amazing story, filled not only with some very interesting and unique characters with fascinating personalities, but also with political and religious issues, difficult choices, manipulations, dangers and many moments of pure chance (or luck, depending on which side you're on). The novel is very engaging and compelling.

[Arezoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

بی نهایت عالی بود
خیلی خیلی بیشتر از توقعم عالی بود
حتما حتما بخوانید

[Giorgia Legge Tanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell'Inghilterra del 1536, Lady Maria figlia di Enrico VIII e Caterina d'Aragona, arriva al palazzo di Hatfield nell'Hertforshire, dove l'attende la sorellastra di tre anni, figlia dello stesso Enrico VIII e di Anna Bolena Elisabetta I. Il compito di Lady Maria è quello di comunicare alla sorellastra che Anna Bolena, è stata punita per alto tradimento e quindi giustiziata. Elisabetta ha il cuore in pezzi, piange e si dispera e poi con l'atteggiamento tipico dei bambini reagisce allo sconforto, grazie alla intelligenza acuta e all'intuito che la contraddistinguerà anche nella vita adulta.
Infatti Elisabetta ha una regalità innata, che di solito si addice ad un principe, quel principe di cui l'Inghilterra ha un grande bisogno. Infatti la madre di Elisabetta, Anna Bolena, è caduta in disgrazia proprio per quel figlio maschio mai arrivato. Così viene accusata di stregoneria, alto tradimento, incesto e adulterio. Imprigionata il 2 maggio viene decapitata il 19 maggio. Il giorno dopo Enrico VIII si fidanza con Jane Seymour e sia Maria che Elisabetta vengono dichiarate illegittime.
Questo libro racconta la prima parte della vita di Elisabetta, I suoi primi vent'anni. Soffermandosi sul rapporto fra lei e la sorella Maria e le mogli di Enrico VIII. Particolare il racconto della perspicacia di Elisabetta che pervade ogni pagina di questo libro. Con grande accuratezza nelle descrizioni che lasciano spazio al piacere dell'immaginazione del lettore, ai visi, agli abiti e ai comportamenti.
Una lettura che mi ha appassionato, da cui non sono riuscita a staccarmi. Una scrittura ipnotica, che non permette al lettore di posare sul comodino questo libro. Ottimi presupposti per la prossima tappa!
E ora mi toccano i film che non ho mai visto.
Lo consiglio a tutti!

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any Alison Weir book is always packed full of intricate detail and well rounded characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and consider Alison Weir to be one of the best historical authors. I must say that I wasn't the hugest fan of the Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour plot line, but I can see why in a novel this is an interesting idea to explore. One other small issue I had was that the writing wasn't the most polished; it frequently changed point of views mid-paragraph, which was a little jarring. But overall, this was a solid read that I enjoyed, and I can't wait to get through the rest of Alison Weir's fictional backlist.

[Učitaj se! | Martina Štivičić · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ova je knjiga jedan veoma opširan i vrlo zanimljiv povijesni roman o Elizabeti I, koji započinje u njenom djetinjstvu, a završava njenim usponom na tron. Kod povijesnih romana uvijek postoji problem unaprijed nam znanog kraja. Ponekad je teško pronaći neku nepredvidivu situaciju u romanu za koji već znaš kako završava, i u kojem su ti poznate brojne činjenice i način na koji su se pojedini događaji opisani u njemu odvili. Alison Weir tom je problemu uspjela doskočiti upravo odabirom razdoblja Elizabetinog života o kojem će pisati, jer, iako je njena vladavina i njen život kao kraljice dobro dokumentiran i o njemu možemo saznati gotovo sve detalje iz brojnih povijesnih izvora, Elizabetine rane godine još su nam uvijek uglavnom nepoznanica.

Ono što je o Elizabetinim ranim godinama poznato, Weir s velikom točnošću prati, ali u sve one 'rupe' u pojedinim razdobljima Elizabetinog života o kojima postoje samo nagađanja Weir je ugradila svoju fikciju - svoj način gledanja na ono što se možda u tom razdoblju dogodilo. Ti događaji, iako fikcijski, svejedno su mogući, a, budući da ne postoji način da saznamo što se tada stvarno događalo s Elizabetom, možda i točni. Oni također doprinose očuvanju napetosti tijekom cijelog romana, jer, s obzirom da njihov ishod ne znamo, zajedno s Elizabetom strepimo i nestrpljivo iščekujemo što će dalje dogoditi. Weir je to izvela toliko majstorski, da, bez obzira na to što ZNAMO da će Elizabeta na kraju postati kraljica, svejedno si ne možemo pomoći da ne 'grizemo nokte' sve do trenutka u kojem se to konačno dogodi.

Kako i inače volim povijesne romane, pa i one s primjesom fikcije, uživala sam čitajući i ovaj. Svi likovi su sjajno karakterizirani, a opisi pred-elizabetinske Engleske, posebno dvorova u kojima se priča odvija, užitak su za čitanje sam za sebe. Jedina je "mana" ovog romana to što mi je on otkrio jedno dosada nepoznato mi lice kraljice Elizabete, kojoj se inače divim, a to je lice tašte i razmažene djevojčice, nesmotrene i lakomislene mlade djevojke i zaljubljene tinejdžerice. S druge strane, utješno je znati i da je jedna tako osobita i snažna povijesna ličnost, neustrašiva i nepokolebljiva, jednom isto tako bila i zbunjena, i neodlučna, i sklona greškama i ishitrenim postupcima kao i mi 'obični smrtnici'.

Neki kasniji Elizabetini postupci, kada je već postala kraljica, u ovoj priči dobivaju svoje temelje ili nude objašnjenja, a s obzirom da se ti temelji uglavnom baziraju na Weirinoj fikciji, nama preostaje da odlučimo slažemo li se s njenim viđenjem Elizabetine mladosti ili ih zamišljamo nekako drugačije.

Duža recenzija je na FB stranici.

[Roniya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll admit that after having read most of Weir's nonfiction work, I expected alot. Maybe thats why,for me,her foray into another genre fell so flat. The plot doesn't stay strictly historically accurate (at least according to her own nonfiction on Elizabeth) but this could be forgiven if her characters were just more, well, believable. The writing style lacks the immediacy necessary to draw the reader into the plot and connect with the characters, which seem to be somewhat stiff and one-dimensional for my taste.Perhaps for this reason however, there is nothing to add to/hold back from the plot, which trips along at a steady pace, managing to make for very plaintive, easy reading, all the while remaining quite bland.
For those who don't know anything about the basic outline of Elizabeth's life, I will say the story may gain an appeal just for revealing that. However, those already briefed on said facts, who are simply looking to see humanity breathed into familiar characters through a page-turning infusion of emotion and intrigue steeped in the vibrancy Tudor court life, are much better off looking elsewhere.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book..it was a daunting four hundred plus page-turner that I thoroughly enjoyed..and of course it combined all my favorite elements to an amazing book, a strong woman with power, drama and secrets, at least one major scene that makes me reread with my mouth wide open and my weakness:the Tudor dynasty. This is the story of dear Elizabeth, daughter of the infamous Anne Boleyn and her rise to be the longest ruling, most effective and greatest queen England has ever known, ruling alone and confidently for 45 years..I adored Elizabeth from the first page and felt for her in every crazy and terrible situation she faced, her companions Kat and Lady Parry were the best friends ever, absolutely loyal and true. This book has its plot twists, villians, the aging king, backstories of treachery and murder and just too much to go into here. Highly recommended as a book to allow yourself to get lost in, follow a queen and watch how history unfolded, laws were changed and an unforgettable lady stood her ground and got everything she wanted...

[Sonia Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Queen Elizabeth I and that of her sister the Queen Mary is quite familiar, but Alison Weir gives a new touch to it...

She, brings the characters to life...

She lets Queen Elizabeth I speak of her terrible infatuation for Thomas Seymour, the child she miscarries...
Elizabeth I, narrates her distress when she is under house arrest and what passes through her mind when she is in the Tower...

The saddest person however, is the Queen Mary who just longs and longs to get married and have a child, like any woman
In her desperation, she then marries the Spanish Prince, who she loves with a kind of desperation.
She believes herself to be pregnant. Sadly there never was a baby.
Slowly Queen Marry sinks into despair and dies.
Alison Weir lets the Royals be human, she lets them bring all their thoughts, emotions, feelings, sadness to the fore and show us that the Royals are humans after all

[Negin · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
عالی :)