Book Review – The Other Queen

The Other Queen
Written By: Philippa Gregory
Published By: Simon & Schuster, A Touchstone Book, 2008, First Edition, 439 pages, hardcover
ISBN 978-1-4165-4912-3

“The Other Queen sees Mary Queen of Scots at her most cunning and manipulative; can her hosts survive ‘The Other Queen’s narcissistic plotting and manipulations?”

Product Description – From Simon & Schuster.com
“The newly married couple welcome the doomed queen into their home, certain that serving as her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Elizabethan court. To their horror, they find that the task will bankrupt them, and as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against Elizabeth, their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treachery and treason, or if the great spymaster William Cecil links them to the growing conspiracy to free Mary from her illegal imprisonment, they will all face the headsman.”

The Other Queen is a very interesting historical fiction novel. Philippa Gregory’s clever writing style and her attention to historical detail is clearly evident. The story has good flow, momentum and transports you back to a time when revolutionary Queens ruled the land, leaving little room for error.
This is the most recent book released from the author and I believe it is more focused on the historical and less on the romantic side, for those who disliked the romantic elements of some of her previous books.
I was captivated by the whirls of subterfuge, the spies, treachery and underhanded machinations going on in Queen Elizabeth’s court, surrounding Mary Queen of Scots and her caretakers as well. Heaven help anyone who got caught in between these two, great Queens.
I fell under Queen Mary’s spell as I read this novel and at the same time I felt badly for her hosts, George and Bess. There subsequent state of affairs was a definitive case of  ‘being careful what you wish for’.
While reading the story, I found myself compelled to switch sides, my own loyalty in question and I felt torn by making the choices. As a reader, I wondered which of the Queens I would have followed. Could I have made a choice where thousands upon thousands of others had struggled?
They were glorious women, Queens in their prime, competing for a crown and utterly willing to die for its sake.
I really enjoyed this novel and I highly recommend it!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ (8 out of 10 Diamonds) – Thoroughly enjoyed it

 
Link to the Author’s website:
http://www.philippagregory.com/
Link to the Publisher’s Website:
http://www.simonsays.com/

A special thanks to Kelly at Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy to review and an extra copy to give away.