Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel

I usually avoid historical novels like the plague. Seriously. For some reason, I just can’t get into most of them and I tend to get lost very easily. Which is why I dragged my feet when I first opened Prisoners In The Palace. It had to be read out of obligation, but I didn’t expect to like it enough to review it. Surprise!

Prisoners In The Palace is one of the best historical novels I’ve read so far. Michaela MacColl manages to mix the history of Queen Victoria with scandal and romance so gracefully that it’s impossible to get lost. The writing is gorgeous without being ostentatious; simple but powerful. And the characters, though clearly written appropriately to the 1800s, have actual personalities so it won’t just end up show more being “another book about that dead queen.”

It reads like a modern day book, but has all the grace and style of historical fiction. Liza and Princess Victoria’s shenanigans to tarnish Sir John Conroy’s name were incredibly entertaining. Liza’s relationship with Will, a newspaperman, was incredibly romantic. And the scandalous plot twists of this book were incredibly enthralling. And I never thought I would say this, but I actually loved all the detailed setting and history lessons that are subtly stuffed between the shenanigans, romance and plot twists.

Overall, Prisoners In The Palace has broken my avoidance of historical novels. It’s simply a great read without being over the top or boring. With a plethora of entertaining characters, gossip and scandals, romance, and faint but memorable history, the book is definitely a must for all historical fans and non-fans who wish to be converted! I definitely recommend! show less

I loved this book! Obviously, I read a ton of kids' books... children's book, chapter books, and as much YA as I can manage. Reading for a living is a dream; it really is! But if there's one thing I'm quickly growing tired of (if I can be completely honest here), it's fantasy. I find the YA market so saturated with vampires, werewolves, paranormal activity, time travel, and pretty much every other fantastical spin imaginable. I like it just fine, but I am much more a fan of realistic fiction, or better yet... HISTORICAL FICTION! So I was thrilled when my Chronicle rep put [b:Prisoners in the Palace|7926790|Prisoners in the Palace|Michaela MacColl|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1276486377s/7926790.jpg|11241956] into my hands! First of show more all, it's a stunningly beautiful book inside and out. Seriously, you have to look inside this book! But once I started reading, I realized that in this case you absolutely can judge a book by its cover. Michaela MacColl has done her homework. Liza's story is set in 1830s London, when Queen Victoria was a young girl. The details are so delicious, and the story so wonderfully engaging. I relished every page of this book. I won't go into the plot; you can read that on your own. But I will absolutely recommend this book, and put it into the hands of as many people as I can!
And... job perk: I have booked Michaela MacColl to come to RJ Julia on December 8th. Can't wait! show less

As is sometimes the case, actual history can contain more in the way of suspense, romance, unbelievable circumstances than can fiction. For me, this was the case with Prisoners in the Palace. I actually know quite a bit about the history behind this historical fiction novel, but was kept enraptured and flipping pages to find out what happened. It was just so riveting and engrossing that I had to see how it all came together (even though I knew how it would all come together)!

Prisoners in the Palace is the story of how the teenaged Princess Victoria came to be the longest ruling queen of Great Britain. Queen Victoria's story has always intrigued me, but I have not felt so connected to her as I do after reading this book. Perhaps this is show more a result of the style of this novel and the focus on a wide variety of characters, most of whom are average citizens of this time period (the 1830's). In fact, the main character is not Victoria herself, but her personal maid, Eliza.

Eliza has a sad story that seems all too common for the time period. She was fairly well-to-do until her parents died, leaving her in huge debt. As a woman, she was trained in lots of areas that were not at all practical. By the time that the job at Kensington Palace appears, Eliza is completely destitute. After begging for the position, she soon finds out that life for the royalty is not as blissful and uncomplicated as she had previously thought.

And there is scandal. And suspense. And violence. And romance. Lots of all of it.

But best of all, I love reading and learning about history and realizing that not all that much has changed. The public is still fascinated but critical and judgmental of those with power and prestige, and those with power and prestige are often unaware (or uncaring) of the sufferings of every day people. And sometimes, there are people who are lucky enough to be a part of both worlds, like Eliza. And it's fun when they gossip about the inner workings of royalty! show less

Liza is suddenly orphaned while on a trip to London, and left penniless. In fact, she owes her hotel a great deal of money. What's a well-bred girl to do? Get a job. Liza, through a stroke of good fortune becomes an attendant to Princess Victoria. (Yes, THAT Victoria.) With the help of a newspaperman and palace trespasser, Liza works to help Victoria shake off her mother's schemes and take the crown.

RESPONSE: I really liked this book, it provides an interesting look into Victoria's childhood and created a fantastic character in Liza. The book also touches on the seedier side of Regency era England, like prostitution and sexual assault, but the mentions are by no means gratuitous.

THEMES/CONCEPTS: friendship, class barriers, Regency show more England, orphans, poverty, fallen women, usurpers show less

Prisoners in the Palace hooked me from the start. The plot reminded me a bit of A Little Princess, the writing style recollected Tamora Pierce, and the era brought to mind the Sorcery and Cecelia series - all three excellent recommendations in my book. I don't have much time for pleasure reading and when I do get to read a bit it's usually something light and easy to provide some contrast from the dense school stuff. This fit the bill perfectly. Fun, well-written, and with a bit of historic relevance, I found it difficult to put down and return to class reading! I might also take advantage of the Further Reading section at the end and find out more about Victoria's reign. Great fun!

On a side note, I love the cover!

As the daughter of a rich tradesman who has recently been knighted, seventeen-year-old Liza Hastings is used to the best of everything. But when a tragic accident kills both her parents, Liza suddenly finds herself alone in the world, with no money and no prospects of marriage. Desperate for a job that will keep her off the streets, she accepts a position as a lady's maid to Princess Victoria, the future queen of England. Liza soon discovers that Victoria's selfish mother and the manipulative Sir John Conroy are deliberately keeping the princess helpless and dependent in order to consolidate their own power. However, with the help of some unconventional friends, Liza is determined to protect the princess and save the throne of show more England.

This was a fun, quick read with an interesting take on history. I appreciated MacColl's historical note at the end of the book, explaining which incidents actually happened and which were invented. I don't know that her interpretations of the various historical figures are always correct -- her view of Sir John Conroy seems a bit too nefarious to be true -- but I appreciated the effort to be historically accurate. I wasn't a huge fan of Liza's story, though. I found her somewhat obnoxious and bratty as a main character, and I didn't think her initial plight was that believable. Surely a member of the gentry, even if penniless, would find a more genteel occupation than becoming a maid -- perhaps a governess or a lady's companion, for example. All in all, this was an entertaining book, but I don't think it would stand up well to a re-read. show less

The story is concentrated mostly on Elizabeth 'Liza' Hastings - a gentleman's daughter who finds herself penniless and orphaned after an accident, and manages to snag a position as maid to Princess Victoria. Because Liza is fluent in German, she is hired to act as spy and 'protector' of sorts for Victoria - finding out what is going on in the palace, trying to keep the Princess's power intact. Along the way, Liza discovers just how much IS going on in the palace - and makes a host of new friends, from 'Inside Boy' living in the palace walls to Will - the handsome young entrepreneur running a newspaper. As well as finding a friend in Princess Victoria herself.

There is a lot going on in the novel - a lot of characters involved, and so show more much intrigue and mystery! I was fascinated from page one, and loved watching the characters develop. Liza has much to learn about herself and her new life - she has to confront societal norms and decide what is best for her. Likewise, Victoria grows and develops throughout the story - from a spoiled child to the girl who is young, but ready to be Queen. Reading, I was reminded a lot of when I watched The Young Victoria, and the way she grew and matured - and am even more fascinated by the person, the idea, of Queen Victoria. This is another one of those books that has triggered a want to hunt through some nonfiction, I think. Definitely a good read, easy and fun - but a story of quality and depth too. show less