Jennifer F. (mrscountryham) reviewed The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England on + 38 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book but I will say I was almost turned off at first when I read all of those pages which were describing the list of characters. I would recommend you skip that and refer back to it if need be. Most of the characters are clearly explained. This book follows many characters but most closely the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham from their early (around 8-9 years old) marriage to their end. It goes back and forth between the two. This historical fiction is set during the "war of the Roses" and it ends with the accent of Henry VII (Henry VIII) father.
Nicole G. (nyteacher) reviewed The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England on + 152 more book reviews
The War of the Roses from the perspective of the Duke of Buckingham and his wife Katherine Woodville. There is so much mystery about the events of this time period that even though you know the ending, every author had a different interpretation. I found this story slow to get into, but by the end I couldn't put it down. The alternating narrators enriched the story. Kate is a woman who faced a lot of tragedy in her life and had more common sense than the ruling men around her. Harry is a man who is impulsive and easily manipulated by those around him, yet the reader can't help but be somewhat sympathetic to his devotion. Overall, an interesting interpretation of the War of the Roses.
R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England on + 1453 more book reviews
Enter the War of the Roses and read about changing royalty as the Lancasterians and the Yorkists duel over who should be king. Lots of tragedy and blood as supporters of the side out of power are imprisoned, killed in battle or executed in one way or another. The two characters I liked best were Harry and Kate who tell the story. We begin with King Henry who is deposed because of madness snd King Edward IV comes to the throne. Than he isn't king. Than he is. Than he isn't. Chaos keeps the nobles on their toes. Meanwhile, King Edward falls in love with Kate's sister Elizabeth (Bessie) and marries her in secret. When the marriage is announced, Kate goes to court where she becomes the wife of the Duke of Buckingham. Both are very young, understanding little of the political arena in which they will live. King Edward brings peace to the country at last but when he dies unexpectedly the chaos begins all over as Richard decides he wants the throne. Innocents die, lies are spread and King Edward's two sons are murdered. Kate hates the new king but her husband suppots him until the murder of the young princes. Much has been written about the princes in the tower and I have read other takes on what happened. This is Higginbotham's take which she explains at the end of the novel along with her reasoning and references. I rated it four stars.
