Meet the woman who survived Henry VIII in Elizabeth Fremantle's first novel, Queen's Gambit...
My name is Katherine Parr.
I'm 31 years old and already twice widowed.
I'm in love with a man I can't have, and am about to wed a man no-one would want - for my husband-to-be is none other than Henry VIII, who has already beheaded two wives, cast aside two more, and watched one die in childbirth.
What will become of me once I'm wearing his ring and become Queen of England?
They say that the sharpest blades are sheathed in the softest pouches.
Only time will tell what I am really made of...
For fans of Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Elizabeth Fremantle's first novel, Queen's Gambit, is a riveting account of the Tudor queen who married four men and outlived three of them - including Henry VIII.
Rich in atmosphere and period detail, and told through the eyes of Katherine and her young maid Dot, it tells the story of two very different women during a terrifying and turbulent time. If you loved Wolf Hall, The Other Boleyn Girl or the BBC drama series The Tudors, then Elizabeth Fremantle's Queen's Gambit is the book for you.
'Gripping' Woman & Home
'Sumptuous' Metro
'A major new voice in historical fiction'The Bookseller
'Rich and enticing' Stylist
'Electric' Good Housekeeping
'Wildly entertaining' Huffington Post
Elizabeth Fremantle holds a first in English and an MA in creative Writing from Birkbeck. As a Fashion Editor she has contributed to various publications including Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair and the Erotic Review and has had her fiction published in the Mechanic's Institute Review. Queen's Gambit is her first novel; her second, Sisters of Treason, will be published early in 2014.
My thoughts
I gave this a 3.5 stars or 7/10. I borrowed a copy from my local Library and it had been in my house for a lot longer than it should have been. I did make a start on this book some time ago, but it was put to one side for one reason or another. I decided that the time was now to read it and get it returned back to the Library.
This is the first in the Tudor trilogy by Elizabeth Fremantle. I am not sure if this was originally chosen as one of the Reading Group reads for the Reading Group that I go to at my local Library or whether I chose it myself.
This story is loosely based around the time of Henry the VIII and his marriage to his last wife Katherine Parr and all that happened in the years before Henry the VIII died. The Author has used her own discretion and has woven her story based on events that happened, but has obviously created her own dialogue to accompany it. I found this an interesting read and I might be tempted to read the next in the series if I come across it at some point.
No comments:
Post a Comment