The family behind the Virgin Queen
It is 1559, and Elizabeth Tudor has just succeeded to the throne of England. Beside her are the family who will share the momentous triumphs and setbacks of her reign: the Allgraves. Richard and Margaret Allgrave’s lives and those of their children and grandchildren are destined to be closely bound to that of the queen, though with such power will also come grave personal sacrifice.
This is a tale of kinship, loyalty, heroism and reward, set in the time of Drake, Frobisher and the Armada; of Mary Stuart, sent to her violent death. It is also the story of Elizabeth herself, the woman behind the magnificent facade of velvets, silks and jewels. A woman who passionately loved just one man, but chose to devote her life to her country and its people. Together Elizabeth and the Allgraves created the Tudor Heritage – a nation whose power was to be feared and respected for centuries to come.
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Sexual Content - 1/5
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Violence - 2/5
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Language - 1/5
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Summary
From the start of her reign, Queen Elizabeth faced pressure to marry and beget an heir to secure the throne. Instead, she chose to guide her kingdom through the ups and downs of the time.
This was a difficult book to read. I've read books based on historical people and greatly enjoyed the history with a fictional telling. That was not the case with this book. It didn't seem to have a focus as it jumped from the Allgrave family to the queen and then to someone else. Perhaps if it had stayed specifically with the Allgrave family, as the book blurb indicated it would, the story would have been more enjoyable.
The pacing was all over the place, ranging from slow and tedious to fast paced and covering a great deal of time in too short a space. The style would change constantly, going from a modern telling to a verbatim speech Queen Elizabeth gave using words from her time period.
Those who enjoy a more history book telling might enjoy the book more than I did.
I received a copy from Netgalley for reviewing purposes.