The detailed summary of the book gives you a fair idea about the plot.
So instead of repeating it, let me just tell you all about my thoughts on the
book.
When I realized that the book is based on an actual character from
history, I immediately checked out “Cecily Neville, Duchess of York” on
Wikipedia so that I had a basic idea about what was being narrated.
The story is narrated by Cecylle – our leading lady. I found her to be
very spirited, intuitive and a character of strength. While in reality King
Edward IV was accused of illegitimacy that was never actually proved, in this
novel the author clearly indicated that Cecylle in fact had an extramarital
affair with a handsome archer and that Edward IV was illegitimate. However,
Richard accepted Edward as his son. Overall, I find her life quite sad as she
paid for her mistakes very dearly and managed to outlive her husband and all of
her sons.
Though at times I found the story to be a bit dragging – which could be
because I don’t like to read about war, I’d rather watch them on screen – it is
actually pretty engrossing for most parts. It is all about the ‘drama’ of a
noble family, their relationships, their feud over the throne and a lot of
violence. The relationships portrayed are often complex and the author has done
a marvelous job with them. That is the best part of the book – the character
development and the relationships portrayed. There’s a certain charm in the
author’s writing style that makes you feel right at home even in a completely
different century!
I must also acknowledge here that amount of research that has gone into
writing this book is amazing. Ms.Cynthia’s dedication deserves recognition.
Review Copy received from the Author
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