Queen by right

Anne Easter Smith

This is the latest novel about the War of the Roses from Anne Easter Smith. It goes back to the start, to Richard, Duke of York and wife, Cecily Neville. It is evident that both Richard and Cecily love each other very much, which is a rare occurrence when the marriage has been arranged. It follows Cis from when she first met Richard to the crowning of their son, Edward, as king of England. When she first meets him, he has just been made an orphan by King Henry. His father tried to revolt against the Henry and proclaim himself king. This is because Richard and his father had more right to the throne than Henry (a family tree at the start shows this very well). So Richard must now grow up with this shadow over his head, and he spends the majority of his life trying to prove that he is loyal to the king.

Once Cecily and Richard are married, they become very wealthy and together they own much land between them. This status leads Richard to English holdings in France and Ireland, before he is forced to come back to assert his right in England. This novel follows his frustration at not being able to take his place at the king's side, due to powerful enemies. However, it also follows Cecily, and how she must also fight to keep her family alive and well. It shows how powerful and powerless women could be, in a time when a woman was little more than her husband's possession. Cecily Neville was a strong woman who fought tooth and nail for everything that she had. As a result, she will forever known as “Proud Cis”. She is also the ancestor of the current royal family in the UK.

I really loved this book. Sometimes the politics became confusing, but the author provided a family tree, a map and a list of characters at the start which helped immensely. I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction, and to anyone who enjoys reading medieval fiction.

(Reviewed by Jasmine)