Skip to main content

Review: "Royal Mistress" by Anne Easter Smith

From Goodreads:  Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore—but her heart belongs to another. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane Shore from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain and friend, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows his King will find her irresistible.

Edward IV has everything: power, majestic bearing, superior military leadership, a sensual nature, and charisma. And with Jane as his mistress, he also finds true happiness. But when his hedonistic tendencies get in the way of being the strong leader England needs, his life, as well as that of Jane Shore and Will Hastings, hang in the balance.

This dramatic tale has been an inspiration to poets and playwrights for 500 years, and told through the unique perspective of a woman plucked from obscurity and thrust into a life of notoriety, Royal Mistress is sure to enthrall today’s historical fiction lovers as well.


My Thoughts: I love all of Anne Easter Smith's books and Royal Mistress is no different.  It is a wonderfully well-written story that I could not put down.  I think Edward IV is a really interesting historical figure and Royal Mistress provides a look at the end of his reign from a very unique perspective.

Jane Shore was one of Edward IV's mistresses and the author made her into a truly fascinating character.  She was a strong-minded woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it.  I thought it was so interesting to see a woman in that era actively  pursue an annulment because of her unsatisfactory marital situation.  I don't know if I have seen that before and I thought it was really neat. 

This story focused not only on Jane Shore but also on the rise of Richard III.  I really enjoyed the sections that highlighted Richard's rise to power and the downfall of Jane Shore and I liked how the author portrayed Richard.  She didn't make him out to be a villain; Easter Smith's Richard III is a much more complex character and I think that added a lot to the story.

Like all of her books, Royal Mistress had an extensive author's note at the end of the book that discussed what was fictional and what wasn't as well as where the author got all the information about the characters in her story.  This was an extremely well-researched story; I love that Royal Mistress is not only a great read and that the author is very clear about where her information is coming from.  I hate when authors make claims about historical figures with no evidence to back it up.  

If you are fan of the Plantagenets, or historical fiction in general, I highly recommend Royal Mistress!  4 stars.

Comments

  1. I've loved Anne Easter Smith's books so I can't wait to read this. My favorite of hers was A Rose for the Crown, and hearing that this books deals with the rise of Richard III, I'm hopping for a few cameos from the characters from that book as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Rose for the Crown is probably my favorite as well!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review and Giveaway: "Distant Signs" by Anne Richter

Synopsis: Distant Signs is an intimate portrait of two families spanning three generations amidst turbulent political change, behind and beyond the Berlin Wall. In 1960s East Germany, Margret, a professor’s daughter from the city, meets and marries Hans, from a small village in Thuringia. The couple struggle to contend with their different backgrounds, and the emotional scars they bear from childhood in the aftermath of war. As East German history gradually unravels, with collision of the personal and political, their two families’ hidden truths are quietly revealed. An exquisitely written novel with strongly etched characters that stay with you long after the book is finished and an authentic portrayal of family life behind the iron curtain based on personal experience of the author who is East German and was 16 years old at the fall of the Berlin Wall. Why do families repeat destructive patterns of behaviour across generations? Should the personal take precedence over

Top Ten Books I Recommend The Most

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish . This week's topic:  Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most 1.) The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons   2.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon           If you read my blog at all, you know I love these two books so much!  I am not afraid to suggest them to anyone who I think might enjoy them. 3.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I was definitely recommending this book left and right when the first movie came out. 4.) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 5.) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin           These are two books that I just recently started recommending but they are books that can appeal to anyone so they are easy picks when someone asks for a recommendation. 6.) Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead  - I get a little embarrassed when I recommend this book to people but seriously, just because it has vampires does not mean it is like Twilight. 7.) The Giver by Lois

Book Blog Hop (11)

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books .  It's a way to meet other bloggers and check out some cool new blogs. This week's question is:  "Highlight one book you have received this week that you can't wait to dig into!" Okay, I have a confession to make.  I have been so busy this week that I have not had time to get any new books.  I have several waiting for me at the library but I won't be able to pick them up until this weekend.  : ( Did you all get any exciting new books this week?