Interesting perspective on Tudors and Henry III. ( )

The King's Daughter recounts the life of Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, sister to Edward V and wife to Henry VII and mother to Henry VIII. This is all pretty much well known history and enough reviewers and the product page recap the main story line I don't want to rehash it again. Worth's version of Elizabeth's life, told in the first person POV, just ended up for this reader to be a sodding, boring mess - I ended up skimming through the last 200 pages.

The goodies were really really good and the baddies were really really bad. Elizabeth herself was so pure and perfect I was waiting for her to cut her finger so I could see if she would bleed sugar, while her mother Elizabeth Woodville was practicing witchcraft when she wasn't busy running into sanctuary. Her son Arthur is pure as the driven snow, while young Harry (the future Henry VIII) is a borderline child sociopath. As for Henry's mother Margaret Beaufort - well the only person I can think of to portray her in the movie is Cruella de Vil. Honestly, Henry VII is the only character who got a fair shake in this one.

As for historical accuracy and the author's research from her notes, I am not a historian so I'm not one to judge. However, the bit about proving to Henry VII that she was a virgin has no historical basis that I've heard of, nor does the author mention in her notes where she picked up that bit of supposition from. Worse yet, is the unrequited love (and never-ending even after death) Elizabeth holds for her uncle Richard.

To top it all off, way too much melodrama and "woe" is me from both Elizabeth's (mother and daughter) and over the top prose. Here we have Elizabeth's reaction after Ann (that would be Queen Ann Richard's wife) as she tells niece Elizabeth her uncle will need her,

"I felt as if a shutter had been thrown open, pouring in brilliant light. The sleepless nights, the pounding of my heart each time King Richard drew near; my shyness in his presence...."

Elizabeth's mother giving her advice on keeping her husband in line,

"You'd know what to do -- you'd get into bed and lick that king of yours until he stops listening to his mother and turns to you". Eeeewwww.

Get the point? It is unfortunate, as so little is really known about Elizabeth of York's life and a well written fleshed out novel on her is sorely lacking - however, this is not it. While its certainly not the worst historical ever written, IMO it's far from the best as well. If you're dead set on reading this, get it from the library first and then buy it if you love it. ( )

http://shelfandstuff.blogspot.com/200... ( )

The first child of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York seems destined for greatness. She is the apple of her father’s eye, betrothed to the heir to the French throne, and loved by the people. When her father dies too young and Richard III takes the throne over her brother Edward, Elizabeth’s mother rushes the family into sanctuary. Increasingly, the family hears horrible things about Richard and fears for the worst. One night, however, Richard himself visits the sanctuary and everything changes. As history inexorably moves forward, changing lives all over England, Elizabeth well earns her reputation as selfless, generous, and noble.

I’m not sure how to review this book. Let me say first that I really enjoyed it and give you my historian’s opinion. Sandra Worth never goes outside of the facts; she fills in between the lines. With Elizabeth of York, there is quite a bit to fill in; she is so little known. In some ways, I’d call this a very romantic interpretation of the history, but I think that’s why many of us read historical fiction. I simply know too much about Richard III. Worth has definitely done her research, and I really appreciated her selected bibliography at the end, but I’m wondering why she didn’t include more of the modern histories on Edward IV and Richard III. Personally, I loved the idea that Perkin Warbeck was actually the younger of the two princes in the tower. So little has been done on that possibility and it’s an exciting question, if one we’ll never know the answer to. I too wonder why the bones found in the Tower haven’t been exhumed and analyzed in recent years. If they are the princes, then these questions would be conclusively answered.

Okay, now, as a book, how did it hold up? Well, I really liked it. I loved Elizabeth. She’s a great, strong, sympathetic character throughout. I knew what was going to happen, so I didn’t get caught up in the plot, but I think if I didn’t know the history I would have been. In any case, the book is well-written and easy to lose yourself in for a while. Something else I really liked was how well the author depicted the changes between the Plantagenet kings and the Tudors and the shift into the early modern period, which for me is marked by the growth in the king’s power and the lessening of the nobles’ power.

Overall, this is solid, entertaining historical fiction and I definitely recommend it.

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=371 ( )

England in the 15th century isn’t exactly a stable place to be if you’re royalty. The Wars of the Roses leave the throne bouncing back and forth between the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. Princess Elizabeth of York spends much of her time in and out of sanctuary, hiding while her father, Edward IV, defends his throne. After her father’s death, her younger brother is crowned Edward V- and he, along with younger brother Richard, are sent to the Tower of London by their uncle, who becomes King Richard III of England. What happens to the boys after that is one of the great historical mysteries, and no one is able to say for certain whether one or both of them died in the Tower. The final outcome of the Wars of the Roses is determined at Bosworth Field, and Henry Tudor, a Lancastrian, beats Richard III and becomes Henry VII of England. In an effort to legitimize his seat on the throne and end the wars once and for all, Henry marries Elizabeth.

The King’s Daughter by Sandra Worth is Elizabeth’s story. Elizabeth of York holds an interesting place in history: she is the only Queen of England to have been daughter, sister, niece, wife, and mother of kings of England. Yet she doesn’t receive much attention- she certainly doesn’t receive the same level of attention as the wives of her son (Henry VIII). But that doesn’t make her any less important. It was for her sake that subjects were willing to accept Henry on the throne.

For me, The King’s Daughter was everything that a historical fiction novel should be: it’s a new take on a familiar story, and every single character is absolutely believable. I studied history in college, and my interest has always been with British monarchs. But I don’t know much about monarchs preceding Henry VIII, and this book made me want to run for my history books, and order books on monarchs that predate my books on the Tudors. My curiosity is piqued, and I want to know more.

One of the things I loved most about this novel is that it didn’t fall into the traps that plague many historical novels: tawdry (and unbelievable) love scenes, and women with 21st century sensibilities. Certainly, there were strong women at the time. Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, was one of them- and Worth’s portrayal of Margaret Beaufort is historically accurate. But Elizabeth herself was kind of a doormat in some ways, and that’s okay. Worth doesn’t portray her as weak and insipid, but as the type of woman who knows to pick and choose her battles- and she does so with dignity and class. And in regard to my first point, there is one scene I can recall in the novel that involves physical intimacy, but it’s not particularly titillating. There were scandals and intrigues enough during this time that it’s not necessary to invent more.

I highly, highly recommend this book. It’s one of the best historical fiction novels I’ve read in a long time. ( )

Elizabeth of York was the eldest daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, his reviled queen. Her unhappy relationship with her own mother was only relieved by a brief happy period as lady in waiting to Queen Anne, Richard III's wife. Richard was dazzling to Elizabeth, a kind and good man whom she grew to love.

When Richard was killed in battle by the man who would become Henry VII, Elizabeth's heart was broken. She was forced to marry Henry because she embodied the end of the great Plantagenet line and lent authenticity to Henry's less-than-royal bloodline. They had one thing in common, though. Henry's scheming and domineering mother, Margaret Beaufort, is easily as hated as Elizabeth Woodville ever was.

Margaret Beaufort was the engineer of the Tudor reign. Without her, Henry would never had become king. She was Elizabeth's cross to bear for her entire marriage. Her mother-in-law oversaw every single aspect of her life. It was no better than imprisonment for Elizabeth.

But Elizabeth had a kind and loving nature, remembered by history as "Elizabeth the Good." She loved her children and did her best to instill in them the virtues of kindness and benevolence. Her love for England and its people led her to accept her position in life and to endure with grace and dignity, though she was sickened by her husband's bloody reign.

In The King's Daughter, Sandra Worth opens a window into the life of one of history's least known women. She was truly royal and that showed in her acceptance of the difficulties of her life. This is a detailed and well researched novel with engaging characters and rich background. I particularly liked her portrayal of Richard III as a clear thinking, honest man who never wanted the crown and whose heartbreak and grief over the loss of his wife and child drove him to throw his life away. ( )

The King’s Daughter
A Novel of the First Tudor Queen
by Sandra Worth
Berkley Trade Paperback(Penguin Group,USA)
978-0-425-221440

Sandra Worth has written a gripping dramatic historical novel based on the ruthless rise to power of the Tudor court. It is a complex history that is presented through the eyes of Elizabeth of York, the King’s Daughter who became the first Tudor Queen upon marrying the usurper Henry Tudor.

Bewitched from the beginning I was a captive reader until the last page. This book is an Elizabethan page-turner from the fifteenth century best sellers list. It offers realistic melodrama, intrigue and suspense, illegitimacy and bigamy, plotting and murder, love and hate all from European History.

Unrequited love and self sacrifice surround Elizabeth’s life. Her only true happiness is the joy she receives from the birth of her son Prince Arthur, heir to the throne.
As Elizabeth the Good learns, marrying Prince Charming does not always guarantee you get you a prince. King Henry VI is the antithesis of the Queen. Virtually invisible, and supplicant to Henry’s mother, Elizabeth is forever pleading with King Henry to grant leniency when punishing his enemies. In most cases begging is wasted on his heartless unmerciful soul.

This novel has been researched with careful attention to historic accuracy and details. Author’s notes clarifying the writer’s process, historical notes and bibliography are included.

The King’s Daughter is an evocative tapestry of the time that presents a history lesson with each passionate page. Sandra Worth tells historical fiction with an enchanting allure making expectations for her next novel an impatient wait. I highly recommend this book.

Wisteria
December 28th 2008 ( )

Elizabeth of York has the rare distinction of having been the daughter of a king, sister of a king, niece of a king, wife of a king and mother of a king. But despite this pedigree, she does not receive the same copious amounts of ink as her more famous Tudor relatives like Katherine of Aragorn, Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard or Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth grew up lavished in luxury with a loving father, Edward IV, who was devoted to her and her siblings. Her mother, Bess Woodville, was always something of a dark shadow in her life as she always seemed harsh and solemn as well as schemeing and manipulative. But Elizabeth's life takes a dramatic turn when at seventeen her father dies and her mother makes a grab for the throne,claiming to be securing the title for her son before he came of age. Bess was expressly going against her husband's sanctioned will as he had clearly appointed his brother, Richard III, to the that position. Bess and Richard III would then engage in a tug ot war over whose authority would reign supreme in England. When Bess comes out on the loosing end of the fight, she moves her family to a monastery where she claims sanctuary for herself and her family. Richard III declares himself king on the claim that his brother Edward IV's marriage to Bess Woodville was never valid because Edward IV was already married.

Eventually Bess and Richard III would reconcile and Elizabeth would serve as one of Anne Neville's (Richard's wife) companions. The two women would grow close and Elizabeth would begin to see a different side of Richard III than she had previously believed. She sees him as a man of principle who she had gravely misunderstood. She understands why her father entrusted the throne to him and comes to trust his decision making. She discovers that she has fallen in love with him and his wife Anne encourages this affection as she is herself dying and wants Richard to have a trusthworthy and loyal companion. But that union is not to be because after Anne dies, Richard III loses his hold on the monarchy to a usurper. Henry VII.

From the outset, it becomes obvious very quickly that the author is sympathetic to Richard III. She presents him in a very flattering light and he is seen as a man whose downfall was his trusting nature and desire to do what was right. I thought this was very interesting as I have rarely seen him represented as being so noble. Historians and literature have not been kind to him as he was presented as a hunch backed deformed character whose moral character was questionable.

This book is brilliantly crafted and very well written and every page brings with it more interesting discoveries. I could barely put the book down because Elizabeth was such an interesting character whose assessments of situations and people was very interesting and enlightening. In my opinion, one of the weaknesses of the story was the way in which Richard is presented as almost flawless. This makes his character lack true complexity as he seemed almost one dimensional. Whereas Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, Bess Woodville and many of the other characters may have had a basic representation in the book, they were allowed dimensions to their personality. For example, though Henry VII was brutal and avaricious, we saw him as having loving moments with his wife and children. But with Richard, it seemed like he was just a bit too perfect. I realize that the story was told through the eyes of Elizabeth who is supposed to be in love with him but it did not seem in line wth her character to not realize and document his failings. And this brings me to another weakness in the book. Elizabeth is supposed to have fallen in love with Richard and that love was the catalyst that made her assent to marry Henry VII despite her misgivings about him. We are led to believe that her love for Ricahrd III, leads her to marry Henry VII because she saw this as a way to save England from it warring past. Respectfully, I just did not buy that story line. Not enough interaction was shown between them for her to suddenly be head over heels with Richard. I understand that she may have come to respect him and see him in a totally different light but I just did not buy that she was in love with Richard. But despite the aforementioned, I thought this was a marvelous read and one of the best books I have read this year. I can't wait to see if the author will explore the Tudors further as her take on history is very, very interesting. Great historical fiction. ( )

This is a historical fiction novel about Elizabeth of York, daughter of England's King Edward IV, wife of King Henry VII, and mother of King Henry VIII. Told in first person narrative, the story follows Elizabeth from her childhood to her death at the age of 37.

It is important to understand that author Sandra Worth was taking a chance here: many of the characters that appear in The King's Daughter (Elizabeth Woodville, Richard III, Henry VII, et al) have sharply divided both historians and historical fiction readers for years and as the old saying goes, you simply cannot please everyone all of the time.

Being relatively open-minded when it comes to any of these historical figures often frees me to read many books that might offend others, although I freely admit to being particular downright picky about historical fiction in general. Writers such as Sharon Kay Penman, Dorothy Dunnett and, more recently, Michelle Moran have set the bar, as it were, quite high. As a result, I am more critical than perhaps I ought to be when picking up a historical novel.

Perhaps The King's Daughter and I started off on the wrong foot. The word "woe!" is uttered four times within the first six pages. Melodramatic, thought I.

I also took exception to the good versus evil characterizations in the novel. Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York, is not just portrayed as ambitious, she is downright evil. Every nasty historical rumor ever uttered about this controversial woman was played out in this novel. She is a practicing witch, a hateful mother who engages in out-and-out physical cat fights with her daughter, a scheming harridan who would pimp out her virgin daughter to obtain throne of England. While there is enough historical evidence to conclude that Woodville was ambitious to a fault, the heaps of evil attributed to her in The King's Daughter ends up detracting from Worth's argument: that it was her ambition that significantly contributed to the ultimate demise of the Yorkists.

Richard III and Queen Anne, on the other hand, are presented as veritable saints. Not simply good people with only honorable intentions, but with a domesticity that could have been much more convincing were it not so drenched in saccharine. The perfect King, so in love with his perfect Queen, living in a fairy tale that the evil Lancastrians want to destroy. Again, a sound premise that was taken to a theatrical extreme.

It must be said that Worth did not scrimp on the research for this novel. While there is no absolute evidence for many of the conclusions she reaches in the novel, this is quite within the historical fiction author's purveyance. The conclusions may have been more convincing, in my opinion, with more subtlety. It is indeed possible that Elizabeth harbored a love for her uncle and wished to marry him, but passages such as "We were never alone again after Anne's death, but our hearts were one each time our eyes met" were ever-so-slightly over the top.

I felt the novel greatly improved as the chapters went by. Once Richard kicked the bucket and Woodville headed off to the nunnery, things became far less melodramatic. Worth's characterization of Henry VII was temperate and because of this, quite believable. In fact, the novel improved so much that I even found flashes of absolute brilliance, such as the references to Machiavelli during Henry's reign. (Loved that!)

The basics of this novel are present: good research and plausible conclusions. I can't help but think that if Worth had just scaled it back a bit on the characterizations, this would have a very good piece of historical fiction instead of a fairy tale-esque melodrama.

Whether or not you seek out a copy of The King's Daughter is going to depend entirely on your taste in historical fiction. If you've come to expect the quality of Penman, you might feel this one misses the mark, at least for the first half of the novel. But if you're more flexible with your historical fiction and can overlook the initial histrionics, you'll likely enjoy this read. ( )

The King's Daughter is the story of Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV and mother of King Henry VIII. According to Sandra Worth, she was the only English queen to have been a wife, daughter, sister, niece, and mother to English kings - that's definitely a pedigree worth writing about! The time period of the novel is directly after the Wars of the Roses, the devastating English war that raged on between the houses of York and Lancaster for thirty years.

For me, the most interesting part of the novel was not Elizabeth's portrayal, but that of Richard III. Prior to reading this novel, I didn't know much about him - simply that he was humpbacked and that he had usurped the crown and imprisoned two princes in the Tower of London. They were never seen again, so people supposed that he had them murdered. The sympathetic representation of Richard III in The King's Daughter surprised me, not because I don't think it's possible that he has been the subject of slander, but because I've never read anything that really tried to vindicate him. I thought it was extremely interesting and am planning on reading some of the books that Worth recommends at the end of the book about Richard III, namely Audrey Williamson's The Mystery of the Princes.

My heart bled for Elizabeth when I was reading the novel. Her life was so quiet, yet so unbelievably tragic. She experienced so much pain and loss, and had to quietly bear it on her own. She was extremely well written, though I wished she could have had a bit more backbone. Of course, Worth was constrained by the historical record of Elizabeth in writing the character, so her portrayal is understandable. I have to say that the main love story in the novel struck me as odd and made me uncomfortable (I can't say any more than that without revealing key plot details), but again, Worth was sticking to historical evidence.

I thought that The King's Daughter was very well crafted. There is a long note at the end of the book expounding on the historical details included in the novel, which I really appreciated. Of course, all historical fiction is subject to interpretation and will include fanciful details on the author's part, but it is nice to know whether what you are reading is grounded in fact. Worth obviously took a lot of time and effort to research Elizabeth of York's life, and it has really paid off. I recommend The King's Daughter to any fan of historical fiction; Elizabeth of York is a fascinating character and an important (if virtually forgotton) part of English history.

From S. Krishna's Books ( )

In The King’s Daughter Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV, tells her own story about growing up to become the First Tudor Queen.

She leads a pampered life until the king dies and the battle over who is the rightful heir to the throne begins. Once Richard of Gloucester is proclaimed the true successor, Elizabeth is taken from her seclusion in the sanctuary and brought to court as a lady in waiting for Richard’s wife, Queen Anne. But just when everything seems perfect Queen Anne becomes ill and knowing she has only a short time left, she persuades Elizabeth to see Richard in a new light. Together they begin plotting for Elizabeth to marry Richard after Anne’s death.

Devastated by his true love’s death Richard sends Elizabeth away and recklessly leads his men into what some say was a suicide mission against Henry Tudor. In order to secure his position as the new king Henry marries Elizabeth and together they begin the Tudor dynasty.

This was an amazing book! With the Showtime series the Tudors I fell in love with King Henry VIII so having the opportunity to read his mother’s story, I jumped at the chance.

Elizabeth’s life was full of devastation and loss yet she remained true to the English people up until her death. Forced to marry Henry and dominated by her dreaded mother-in-law, Elizabeth led her life without question and this novel shares some of her deepest secrets.

Much is written about Henry VII and his mother but so few history books tell the tale of Elizabeth. Even though this is only a novel, I feel that you get a good look into her life with this story. I highly recommend this book to all historical lovers and anyone who has a fascination with royalty. ( )

Seventeen year old Elizabeth of York loved and adored her father. She and him were very close. So she had no reason to doubt that her father's predecessor would be a just and trust worthy man, especially when that man is her uncle. Richard of Gloucester has barely become the new ruler of England and already hings are going very badly for Elizabeth and her family.

First Elizabeth learns that her father was a bigamist; which you can imagine made Elizabeth very irate as she thought her and her father had no secrets between them. With this new piece of information, the problem arises now that Elizabeth, her brothers and sisters are all illegitimate children and now no longer eligible to be considered for the throne. As if being declared a bastard isn't bad enough; Elizabeth's brother are taken into Richard's custody and supposedly killed.

How can Elizabeth ever respect a king who could be so cruel to his relatives? While assisting the Queen in her court, Elizabeth comes to understand and respect her uncle as king of England. Elizabeth matures was more beyond her years to turn into the lovely. beautiful mother to King Henry the eighth.

The King's Daughter by Sandra Worth is the first book I have read by this author. I have to tell you that I was very impressed. I found this book to be very true and accurate to what actually transpired back in that time. The King's Daughter is like reading a history lesson but much more exciting as well as enjoyable. Sandra Worth's writing is so realistic that I felt like I was Elizabeth. As far as historical novels go, The King's Daughter has got to be one of the best I have read in a while. I will be recommending Ms. Worth to all my friends. I plan on check out all the rest of Ms. Worth's books in the Rose of York trilogy. ( )

There is no shortage of drama in Elizabeth’s life. I very much appreciated that, at least so far as I could tell, Worth did not try to infuse the story with any additional drama, as some historical novelists attempt to do. In fact, she paints nearly all of her characters - including Richard and Henry as complex and human, instead of as evil monsters. Elizabeth Woodville and Lady Margaret Beaufort are not looked upon kindly, but even then Worth seems to be painting them as Elizabeth of York might have seen them, instead of as if she herself had an agenda as to what they did or did not do.

Everything in the novel was very believable, if it is not precisely how things happened, it certainly could have been. No wild, untoward leaps seem to have been taken with the history, and everything the characters did seemed internally consistent with how Worth wrote them, including the relationship between Elizabeth and Henry.

I really enjoyed reading “The King’s Daughter.” It is an example of solidly good historical fiction (and Worth wrote a loooong author’s note in the back explaining her research and what may and may not be true. I looove that). I read “The King’s Daughter” in under 48 hours, which means it is the book to successfully pull me completely out of my book funk, which is absolutely fabulous. I will definitely be looking for more of Worth’s work.

For the full review: http://www.devourerofbooks.com/2008/1... ( )