Review: The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Elizabeth of York, 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.

The times between King Edward III of England and Henry VII, the first Tudor King, were full of intrigue, bloody battles and civil war. The Lancastrians and the Yorkists, descendants of the prolific Edward III both had a legitimate claim to the crown and they were tearing the country apart by warring against each other. This has always been one of my favorite times in English history to study and just enjoy. When I realized the Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes was available, I had to read it.

In the The Tudor Rose, Margaret Campbell Barnes begins by introducing a young Elizabeth of York in 1483, right as the French King Louis XI breaks the betrothal contracts between his son, Charles The Dauphin and Elizabeth. The book covers Elizabeth's life up until the birth of her last child. Throughout The Tudor Rose, Campbell Barnes weaves history and fiction seamlessly. There were a couple of instances where creative license was taken, but for the most part she uses known history accurately and beautifully. I love the way she develops and explores the characters in this book. She specifically explores the duality in their personalities and lets the reader be the judge.

When we first meet young Elizabeth, the French King's rejection feels more like a personal affront than a matter of state. Elizabeth quickly realizes that as the daughter of a King, she is not just a woman -- she is more a chess piece in the game of political alliances. This single act of rejection serves to make her aware of the ambitious and cruel acts of men -- a theme explored by Campbell Barnes throughout the book. A few months later, her father is dead and this lesson will serve Bess well.

Fearful of Richard of Gloucester, the King's younger brother and his closest relative by blood, Bess' mother, the calculating Dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, calls on her powerful Woodville relatives and attempts to take control of the new King, young Edward. When Richard thwarts her, she quickly moves the rest of her children into sanctuary. During their time in sanctuary, a seventeen-year old Bess is seen as the one who consoles her mother and takes responsibility for her siblings. Although young, Bess is quite sharp and recognizes her mother erred against Richard, however she soon loses faith in Richard's promise to be the young King's protector. Not long after, when he imprisons her two brothers Edward and Richard, and ceases the crown for himself all hope seems to disappear, as Richard of Gloucester becomes King Richard III.

At this point, Campbell Barnes tells us the account of the two princes in the Tower. Did Richard have the princes murdered? Bess agonizes as certainty and doubt plague her throughout her life. In the midst of loss and grief Bess' mother approaches her with the idea of a betrothal to the Lancastrian, Henry of Richmond. Horrified at first Bess refuses, but with confirmation of her brothers' murder and the realization that she is now the legitimate heir to Edward IV, she hastily agrees to marry Henry.

After a failed plot by Henry's supporters to cease the crown, Elizabeth is finally set free from sanctuary and returns to court with a public promise from Richard that she and her sisters will not be harmed. Soon after, Richard's son dies and Queen Anne of Neville goes into decline. During this time, we not only see Richard's duality, but Elizabeth's true understanding of it. After the Queen's death, Richard shocks Elizabeth by proposing a marriage between them in an attempt to secure the crown. This incestuous proposal gives Bess the impetus to seek help from powerful Lord Stanley and the second plot against Richard III is set into motion and succeeds.

In The Tudor Rose, Richard III's character just took over the pages. The way Campbell Barnes weaved history with fiction when it comes to this particular character was fascinating. Elizabeth's reactions to him were portrayed as those of a confused and troubled young woman who admired his accomplishments and talents while recognizing his faults. The battle where Richard loses his life to the Lancastrians is one of the most touching and fascinating narrations in this book. I couldn't stop reading and was just as arrested, horrified and admiring of him, as was Elizabeth herself.

Although Elizabeth looked forward to giving herself to her husband and hoped for a good marriage, she was to be disappointed. King Henry VII is portrayed as a cautious man whose cruelty is cold and who lacked passion. Bess describes Henry as a man who could "neither love nor hate." For a warm, giving woman like Bess who came from the passionate Plantagenets, this was a tough road. Campbell Barnes also explores the duality in Henry's character through Bess' doubts about his actions. Impostors, one of which claimed to be Bess' adored brother, Richard of York, plagued Henry's reign. He was a man who cared much for hoarding money and things and who left the crown well stocked for his successor, Bess' favorite son, King Henry VIII.

Elizabeth of York, first born to King Edward IV of England and Elizabeth Woodville took the motto a "Humble and Reverent Queen." She was a giving, warm woman who gave much of herself to her family and the people around her, yet kept little for herself. She's portrayed as someone who was loved dearly by those around her, but who craved the passion denied her by her husband, King Henry VII. She suffered dearly throughout her life and never stopped grieving for her young murdered brothers, especially for the youngest Richard, Duke of York. However, a Plantagenet through and through, strong and focused she forged ahead and gave birth to the Tudor dynasty. The only English Queen to have been the wife, daughter, sister, niece, and mother to English Kings, she gave herself to her family and her people.

First released in 1953, The Tudor Rose is a classic. If you love historical fiction like I do, this is a book I know you'll enjoy.

Review based on ARC copy from Sourcebooks.

Books by Margaret Campbell Barnes you might enjoy.
The Tudor Rose
Brief Gaudy Hour
My Lady of Cleves
King's Fool

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile September 28, 2009

Buddy Review: Madhouse by Rob Thurman

Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, aren't exactly prospering with their preternatural detective agency. Who could have guessed that business could dry in New York City, where vampires, trolls, and other creepy crawlies are all over the place?

But now there's a new arrival in the Big Apple. A malevolent evil with ancient powers is picking off humans like sheep, dead-set on making history with an orgy of blood and murder. And for Cal and Niko, this is one paycheck they're going to have to earn.

Madhouse is the third installment in the Cal Leandros urban fantasy series.

After we finished reading Moonshine, the 2nd book in the series, Nath and I continued chatting as we started reading Madhouse -- we couldn't seem to stop talking about Cal and Niko. Originally, we thought of posting a combination review of both the 2nd and 3rd books. However our discussion was so extensive, eventually Nath had to split it up into two separate posts.

If you're interested in this series and would like to read our buddy review for Madhouse, you can find it at Breezing Through.

A big THANK YOU to Nath for chatting, discussing, and reviewing the first three books of this series with me. I had the best time!

...On Winning & M/M Book Shopping!

This last week the winner of the M/M Reading Romance Challenge was announced by Anesthezea/Christina of I Heart Paperbacks. Guess who won the Gift Certificate to All Romance eBooks? Me! Thank you again Anesthezea.

So, you KNOW I went shopping... here are my picks:

Don't Look Back by John Lanyon - Peter Killian, Curator at Constantine House in Los Angeles, wakes in the hospital to find himself accused of stealing a tenth century Chinese sculpture. Peter knows he's not a thief -- but that's all he knows. Why is hot and handsome Detective Mike Griffin so sure he's guilty -- and so hell-bent on seeing Peter arrested? And why is Peter having these weird dreams about an unseen lover?

This is my first Josh Lanyon book! Can you believe it? I've been meaning to pick up his Adrien English mysteries forever and still have those books on my list of books to buy. I decided to give this single title a try first before getting into a series. I'm really looking forward to it. :)

His Convenient Husband by J. L. Langley - Innamorati, Book 1 - At the tender age of seven, newly orphaned Micah Jiminez lost everything and got lucky. The Delaney family opened their hearts and their hone, treated him like one of their own. One Delaney in particular, though, became more than a brother to Micah. The handsome and protective Tucker is the man to whom he wants to give his love. But a single passionate night together, Tucker rebuffs him and hightails it to Dallas to pursue his dreams. Leaving Micha to pick up the pieces of his broken heart - and feeling like a fool.

J. L. Langley is a favorite of mine. The Tin Star is still one of my old time favorite contemporary western M/M books. So, you know I couldn't pass this one up... especially with that title, lol!

Unrequited by Abigail Roux - Vic Bronsen has a problem. He's stuck in a rut, uninspired by his job, and in love with a man who has no clue. Thinking a change of scenery and company will do his aching heart some good, he goes off on a road trip with his best friend, only to find that the answers to his problems may have been right there in front of him all along.

Hmm... unrequited love, angst, a road trip, best friends. Yeap! Had to get this one, plus I haven't read Abigail Roux's work either, so a great way to start, don't you think?

Patient Eyes by Andy Eisenberg - Jaden is in a bind: he's an eighteen-year-old college student who doesn't make enough money at his part-time job to even afford food. So when one of his house mates introduces him to gay-for-pay porn, he reluctantly agrees to take part. During his first scene, Jaden meets Brendan, and he's stunned to find himself falling in love.

Now this one? I don't know... it looked like it might be HAWT and well... I mean.. gay-for-pay porn and he falls in love after shooting the first scene? I have got to read it! *g*

...On Changes, Cloudy Days & a Ray of Sunshine

Manhattan Clouds by V. Richardson

Changes. Sometimes they are as predictable as the seasons. Fall is here! Already. Cool, cloudy days abound and those can be lovely and treasured. There's a beauty and a fascination to those cool, turbulent and cloudy days that peaceful, clear ones don't hold. Those are the perfect days for introspection, study and if caught under a cloudburst some character building.

If unexpected, do we really appreciate those changes -- those cloudy days? Not always -- not until they are over and we either see the devastation left behind, or the fruitful results of the unexpected cloudbursts. But how to reach the sunshine when mother nature is in control and we're in the midst of those clouds?

Autumn. What a marvel of nature. Leaves are falling and all is dying, but the colors are rioting and more beautiful than ever! Even more beautiful than in the spring... one last hurrah before all is gone! But during this last hurrah, the clouds, changes and cloudbursts, do you still search for that ray of sunshine? Where do you look for it?

Sunflower Morning by J. McGuiness

I often find it in simple everyday things, a book, a friend, a conversation... and sometimes in the most complex of nature's gifts. The sunflower, a sturdy, complex ray of sunshine for a cloudy day. A smart flower that follows the sun from east to west during the day, and readies itself at night by facing east to start its quest for sunshine all over again. Thinking of the complexity that makes a sunflower, its spirals and its daily quest, always makes me pause and lifts my day.

Buddy Review: Moonshine by Rob Thurman

After saving the world from his fiendish father's side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half-brother Niko have settled down with new digs and a new gig -- bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings stalk the streets just like normal folk, business is good.

Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin -- the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him up for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine -- a gambling club for non-humans. Cal thinks it's a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong.

Cal and Niko are being set up themselves and the people behind it have a bite much worse than their bark...

In case you haven't noticed, lately I have become obsessed with reading the Cal Leandros urban fantasy series. Last month, the lovely Ms. Nath invited me to review Nightlife, the first book in this series, at Breezing Through and we had a blast! But, we were both so excited about this series that even after we finished the review, we continued chatting about Moonshine the second book in the series. Next thing we knew, we had enough e-mails to put together ANOTHER review. So, yes... all that chatting paid off, lol!

So, for a review of Moonshine by Rob Thurman, 2nd Book in the Cal Leandros Urban Fantasy series, please go to Breezing Through and we'll chat some more!

ETA: Note, expect lots of wonderful little spoilers with this review. :)