The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien (ARC Review)

The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien

About the author

Sunday Times bestselling author Anne O’Brien was born in West Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree in History at Manchester University and a Master’s in Education at Hull, she lived in East Yorkshire for many years as a teacher of history.

Today she has sold over 250,000 copies of her books in the UK and lives with her husband in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire. The area provides endless inspiration for her novels about the forgotten women of history.

Blurb

One family united by blood. Torn apart by war…

England, 1459: Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, is embroiled in a plot to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne. But when the Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily’s family flee and abandon her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.

Cecily can only watch as her lands are torn apart and divided up by the ruthless Queen Marguerite. From the towers of her prison in Tonbridge Castle, the Duchess begins to spin a web of deceit – one that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI, and to her eldest son being crowned King Edward IV.

This is a story of heartbreak, ambition and treachery, of one woman’s quest to claim the throne during the violence and tragedy of the Wars of the Roses.

Review

I will be honest when I started to read this book I was a little put off by the story having been written in the form of letters and I found it hard to get into the style of the book to begin with. However, once I got used to the style I really started to enjoy the book and loved seeing a different side to such well known names from history.

Cecily Neville is a strong woman who is not afraid of a fight and does not stand down easily. She is proud and determined to get the very best for her family. I loved Cecily’s strength through this book and even at times she faced alarming things like her husband leaving her and three small children to face an army ransack her home and town she stood firm, she did not hide but made her children watch and learn the dangers of an army. She never gave up even when weighed down in grief and kept strong for her family.

My favourite letters in this book were between Cecily and her two sisters, I must admit they did leave me giggling at times. Sisterly love at its finest with side notes of snide remarks. I also loved the letters from Cecily’s sons to her because you can tell at times they are really fed up of their mother’s interference and constant nagging letters.

I enjoyed this book and found it interesting how O’Brien chose to write the story in the form of letters and documents. It made me wonder if O’Brien was trying to make her book a little different from all the other Historical fiction that is out there. I recommend this book to all Historical fiction fans and I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

Thank you to NetGally and HQ for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

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