Oreo Teeth reviewed Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir
Review of 'Elizabeth of York' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors in the historical fiction genre because she is also an historian who finds the right mix of accuracy and intrigue. There's been a trend in historical fiction lately to make interesting figures of the past considerably more controversial than they are, and I love that Alison Weir resists. So I was thrilled to receive an advance review copy of Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This book does not disappoint. Elizabeth of York was right where the action was during the golden era of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors. Weir fleshes her out as best she can, given the low level of attention early historians paid to the woman herself. Elizabeth was more commonly portrayed as a pawn than a queen heretofore, and I was very …
Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors in the historical fiction genre because she is also an historian who finds the right mix of accuracy and intrigue. There's been a trend in historical fiction lately to make interesting figures of the past considerably more controversial than they are, and I love that Alison Weir resists. So I was thrilled to receive an advance review copy of Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This book does not disappoint. Elizabeth of York was right where the action was during the golden era of the Plantagenets and the rise of the Tudors. Weir fleshes her out as best she can, given the low level of attention early historians paid to the woman herself. Elizabeth was more commonly portrayed as a pawn than a queen heretofore, and I was very pleased to enjoy a richly researched and thorough account of her instead of the powerful men who were her father, uncles, husband, and son.
I'm a history wonk. The huge level of detail into family trees, longstanding feuds among the noble families of the period, dress, diet, architecture, and politics are hugely satisfying to me. I devoured this ARC. While I recommend it very highly, it's a qualified recommendation for my history-loving friends. There isn't going to be the flashy bodice-ripping content of a Philippa Gregory book to satisfy my historical romance fan friends, and there is so much historical detail that it's not the book for my friends who prefer escapist reading. But it's mother's milk to a Tudor junkie like myself and I plan to buy this as a Christmas present for several of my historical fiction book club friends.
