[Books] The Cousins' War #1: The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Goodreads

July 27 2013 - July 28 2013

Synopsis

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.
The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.
With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

Review

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory tells a story about a commoner; Elizabeth Woodville, who falls in love with the King of England; Edward IV, they marry and she becomes Queen. This is also during the time of the Cousins' War, where cousins' fight over the throne of England. 

I started watching the TV Series that was based on this book, and I loved it. I made others watch it, but unfortunately they don't love it as much as I do... :( 

Being the impatient person that I am, I wanted to know what would happen next and what would happen in the ending of the series, so I decided to read/listen to the books. 

The TV series did a great job sticking to the books, I am pleased about that. But as for the rest of the episodes that haven't been released yet, we still have yet to see if they really did stick to the books or not. 

The book is from Elizabeths; the Queen herself, point of view, so everything is told through her eyes, her emotions, her thoughts. Her husband King Edward IV, has his own POV in the book, but for only a few paragraphs. 

Now what makes this book so engrossing to me is how things happen so fast. What seemed like multiple wars would be won by the King and multiple babies would be born in the entire span of 20 years. 

I listened to the audio version; the narrator did a great job by the way, for the majority of the book, that may be the reason behind it being fast paced. 

The book ended with such a really big "OH MY GOSH!" and a really hard face palm. 

The book made me worry and fear for the life of Elizabeths family and her royal children. It made me gasp and say "No!" making people around me think I'm going crazy and it made me smile sweetly. It has somewhat of romance and a lot more of suspense. 

I will definitely read the entire Cousins' War series, and I recommend it to everyone who loves reading historical fiction. This is the book for you!

Have you guys read any of Philippa Gregory's books?

Have you read the Cousins' War series? 

Have you all watched the TV Series? 

Let me know!

I would love to hear about it! xD