Review of: The Tudor Rose

Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes
ISBN: 9781402224683
Pages: 336
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark (October 2009)
Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction
Grade: A+

Through many of the books by Philippa Gregory that I have read, I know quite a bit about those that orbited King Henry VIII (Yes, I am aware that these are historical fiction). I was so happy to read and learn about his mother, and his father to a much lesser extent.

The Tudor Rose open with seventeen year old Elizabeth of York being fitted for a wedding dress that she will never wear. The France's Dauphin has withdrawn his suit for her. This seems to be a turning point for Elizabeth, affectionately known as Bess. She has been a political pawn before, but this time she takes it a bit more personally.

Eventually she will have two men wanting to marry her. Her uncle King Richard III and Henry Tudor. She suspects her uncle of having done away with her younger brothers and becomes so emboldened by these suspicious that, with the help of a few choice allies, she sends a message to Henry Tudor stating that she will marry him and make him King of England. All the knight has to do is come to England and kill King Richard!

From GoodReads:

One woman holds the key to England's most glorious empire in this intimate retelling of the launch of the Tudor dynasty

A magnificent portrait of Elizabeth of York, set against the dramatic background of fifteenth century England. Elizabeth, the only living descendant of Edward IV, has the most valuable possession in all of England—a legitimate claim to the crown. Two princes battle to win Britain's most rightful heiress for a bride and her kingdom for his own. On one side is her uncle Richard, the last Plantagenet King, whom she fears is the murderer of her two brothers, the would-be kings. On the other side is Henry Tudor, the exiled knight. Can he save her from a horrifying marriage to a cut-throat soldier?

Thrust into the intrigue and drama of the War of the Roses, Elizabeth has a country within her grasp—if she can find the strength to unite a kingdom torn apart by a thirst for power. A richly drawn tale of the woman who launched one of the most dramatic dynasties England has ever seen, The Tudor Rose is a vibrant, imaginative look at the power of a queen.

I am quickly falling in love with Margaret Campbell Barnes books. As of now I have only read two of them, both reprints by Sourcebooks Landmark.

Other reviews:
Lana @ A Hoyden's Look at Literature
For more reviews search book blogs.

Buy The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes:
SourceBooks {} IndieBound {} Powell's {} Amazon