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The Forbidden Queen
An innocent pawn
A kingdom without a king
A new dynasty will reign...
1415. The jewel in the French crown, Katherine de Valois, is waiting under lock and key for King Henry V. While he's been slaughtering her kinsmen in Agincourt, Katherine has been praying for marriage to save her from her misery. But the brutal king wants her crown, not her innocent love.
For Katherine, England is a lion's den of greed, avarice and mistrust. And when she is widowed at twenty-one, she becomes a prize ripe for the taking--her young son the future monarch, her hand in marriage worth a kingdom.
This is a deadly political game, one the dowager queen must learn fast. The players--the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund Beaufort and Owen Tudor--are circling. Who will have her? Who will ruin her? This is the story of Katherine de Valois.
"Anne O'Brien has joined the exclusive club of excellent historical novelists." --Sunday Express
"An absolutely gripping tale that is both superbly written and meticulously researched." --The Sun
A kingdom without a king
A new dynasty will reign...
1415. The jewel in the French crown, Katherine de Valois, is waiting under lock and key for King Henry V. While he's been slaughtering her kinsmen in Agincourt, Katherine has been praying for marriage to save her from her misery. But the brutal king wants her crown, not her innocent love.
For Katherine, England is a lion's den of greed, avarice and mistrust. And when she is widowed at twenty-one, she becomes a prize ripe for the taking--her young son the future monarch, her hand in marriage worth a kingdom.
This is a deadly political game, one the dowager queen must learn fast. The players--the Duke of Gloucester, Edmund Beaufort and Owen Tudor--are circling. Who will have her? Who will ruin her? This is the story of Katherine de Valois.
"Anne O'Brien has joined the exclusive club of excellent historical novelists." --Sunday Express
"An absolutely gripping tale that is both superbly written and meticulously researched." --The Sun
407 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2013
244 people are currently reading
3723 people want to read
About the author
Anne O'Brien
66 books774 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
My home is in the Welsh Marches, although much of my early life was spent in Yorkshire, most recently in the East Riding.Ann O'Brien The Marches is a remote region of England, surrounded by echoes from the past. Hereford is close with its famous Mappa Mundi and chained library.So is Shrewsbury, and also Ludlow with its splendid castle and its connections with our Plantagenet and Tudor kings. With my husband, I live in an eighteenth century timber framed cottage, which itself must have seen much history over two hundred years.
I have always enjoyed the appeal of History.I taught the subject with enthusiasm but it became my ambition to write historical romances. My first novel, The Runaway Heiress, was published by Mills and Boon in 2004.
This first book was a Regency Romance in the great tradition of Georgette Heyer - who has not admired her skill and delicate touch for the period? I have drawn on my interest in the Stuart century to write about the English Civil War and Restoration England of Charles II. Living in the Marches however I soon discovered the wealth of atmosphere and legend in this isolated part of England from medieval times. It was not long before I was encouraged to create a medieval romance inConquering Knight, Captive Lady.
When not writing, I have a large rambling garden where George and I grow organic vegetables and soft fruit - or perhaps I should admit that he grows them whilst I pick and cook them. We have a wild garden, an orchard, a formal pond and herbaceous flower borders. We share it all with rabbits and pheasants, frogs and goldfinches, hedgehogs and buzzards. It is a beautiful place. When we first settled into our cottage I planted a herb garden on a Tudor pattern with stone pathways and clipped box hedges. From this I developed my interest in herbs and their uses.
Nicholas Culpeper's The Complete Herbal, a fascinating resource to a historical novelist first published in 1649, has become essential bedside reading. As a result the use of herbs in medicine and witchcraft, for both good and ill, has appeared in some of my novels.
For pure relaxation I enjoy yoga as well as singing with a local Choral Society. Watercolour painting allows me to simply sit and appreciate the landscape and the flowers in my garden, when my mind is busy constructing my next plot.
My home is in the Welsh Marches, although much of my early life was spent in Yorkshire, most recently in the East Riding.Ann O'Brien The Marches is a remote region of England, surrounded by echoes from the past. Hereford is close with its famous Mappa Mundi and chained library.So is Shrewsbury, and also Ludlow with its splendid castle and its connections with our Plantagenet and Tudor kings. With my husband, I live in an eighteenth century timber framed cottage, which itself must have seen much history over two hundred years.
I have always enjoyed the appeal of History.I taught the subject with enthusiasm but it became my ambition to write historical romances. My first novel, The Runaway Heiress, was published by Mills and Boon in 2004.
This first book was a Regency Romance in the great tradition of Georgette Heyer - who has not admired her skill and delicate touch for the period? I have drawn on my interest in the Stuart century to write about the English Civil War and Restoration England of Charles II. Living in the Marches however I soon discovered the wealth of atmosphere and legend in this isolated part of England from medieval times. It was not long before I was encouraged to create a medieval romance inConquering Knight, Captive Lady.
When not writing, I have a large rambling garden where George and I grow organic vegetables and soft fruit - or perhaps I should admit that he grows them whilst I pick and cook them. We have a wild garden, an orchard, a formal pond and herbaceous flower borders. We share it all with rabbits and pheasants, frogs and goldfinches, hedgehogs and buzzards. It is a beautiful place. When we first settled into our cottage I planted a herb garden on a Tudor pattern with stone pathways and clipped box hedges. From this I developed my interest in herbs and their uses.
Nicholas Culpeper's The Complete Herbal, a fascinating resource to a historical novelist first published in 1649, has become essential bedside reading. As a result the use of herbs in medicine and witchcraft, for both good and ill, has appeared in some of my novels.
For pure relaxation I enjoy yoga as well as singing with a local Choral Society. Watercolour painting allows me to simply sit and appreciate the landscape and the flowers in my garden, when my mind is busy constructing my next plot.
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September 13, 2013
The Forbidden Queen starts out in a very promising way. Poor little Katherine is a princess, yet destitute. Her mother, Isabeau of Bavaria, has resources but not the desire to raise her children. She is too caught up in her own selfish desires to concern herself with the dirty little girls scurrying around the castle. Katherine’s father, Charles VI of France, is insane and may or may not remember who Katherine is when he does run into her. If they chance to interact and he believes that she is indeed his daughter, he makes an effort to provide for her, but his mind is too far gone for her to rely upon him.
This tragic picture of childhood is a far cry from the expected pampered royal upbringing that most princes and princesses of Katherine’s day enjoyed. Once her mother realizes the state of her daughters, she removes them to a cold, stern convent to be educated and disciplined. Katherine grows up never learning what it is like to love or be loved. Her only comfort is her sister Michelle, who of course is lost to her upon her marriage.
When Katherine is married to the legendary Henry V, she envisions a new life of love and happiness. However, her husband is too distracted by his quest to rule over France in addition to England to spend much time wooing his young bride. She is in love nonetheless because he is all she has. At this point in the story, I could still feel sympathy for Katherine. I cared about what happened to her and felt sorry for the girl who wanted so much to give herself to someone and be truly loved in return. After Henry’s death, the whole story fell apart.
Katherine is understandably crushed by her husband’s death and the circumstances surrounding it, but she descends into depression, self-pity, and insipidness that she never (ever) seems to fully recover from. The rest of the book includes her relationships with Edmund Beaufort and Owen Tudor, who are about as two dimensional as characters can be. Meanwhile, Katherine is naïve, selfish, and has a little too much of her parents in her.
Edmund is the seducing rogue who everyone realizes is a bad boy except Katherine. Owen is the brooding, strong, quick-tempered, yet perfectly handsome and sensitive Welshman. Katherine spends so much time doubting herself, her relationships, and the motives of the King’s council which rules her life. She makes, or attempts to make, several major decisions without consulting with whichever man she is deeply in love with at the time. She was just so unlikeable.
What I was really bothered by in this novel was the repetitiveness. Over and over, the reader was reminded: Henry only married Katherine to gain France, Edmund is sexy but it would be a horrible decision to sleep with him, Owen is a servant! My uncorrected proof copy of this book is 613 pages, while I see that Goodreads lists it as 464, so maybe much of this was edited out. I hope so. The other problem that I had was that we aren’t told much of what is going on other than Katherine’s inner thoughts, which are pretty much only about men. England is battling for the crown of France and all we know is that Owen has glossy black hair. It’s just a little too fluffy for me. However, if you are more of a fan of romance than history, it may be just the book for you. I like a little more history in my historical fiction.
This tragic picture of childhood is a far cry from the expected pampered royal upbringing that most princes and princesses of Katherine’s day enjoyed. Once her mother realizes the state of her daughters, she removes them to a cold, stern convent to be educated and disciplined. Katherine grows up never learning what it is like to love or be loved. Her only comfort is her sister Michelle, who of course is lost to her upon her marriage.
When Katherine is married to the legendary Henry V, she envisions a new life of love and happiness. However, her husband is too distracted by his quest to rule over France in addition to England to spend much time wooing his young bride. She is in love nonetheless because he is all she has. At this point in the story, I could still feel sympathy for Katherine. I cared about what happened to her and felt sorry for the girl who wanted so much to give herself to someone and be truly loved in return. After Henry’s death, the whole story fell apart.
Katherine is understandably crushed by her husband’s death and the circumstances surrounding it, but she descends into depression, self-pity, and insipidness that she never (ever) seems to fully recover from. The rest of the book includes her relationships with Edmund Beaufort and Owen Tudor, who are about as two dimensional as characters can be. Meanwhile, Katherine is naïve, selfish, and has a little too much of her parents in her.
Edmund is the seducing rogue who everyone realizes is a bad boy except Katherine. Owen is the brooding, strong, quick-tempered, yet perfectly handsome and sensitive Welshman. Katherine spends so much time doubting herself, her relationships, and the motives of the King’s council which rules her life. She makes, or attempts to make, several major decisions without consulting with whichever man she is deeply in love with at the time. She was just so unlikeable.
What I was really bothered by in this novel was the repetitiveness. Over and over, the reader was reminded: Henry only married Katherine to gain France, Edmund is sexy but it would be a horrible decision to sleep with him, Owen is a servant! My uncorrected proof copy of this book is 613 pages, while I see that Goodreads lists it as 464, so maybe much of this was edited out. I hope so. The other problem that I had was that we aren’t told much of what is going on other than Katherine’s inner thoughts, which are pretty much only about men. England is battling for the crown of France and all we know is that Owen has glossy black hair. It’s just a little too fluffy for me. However, if you are more of a fan of romance than history, it may be just the book for you. I like a little more history in my historical fiction.
Want to read
December 10, 2012Woo Hoo...just scored a eGalley at NetGalley!
May 19, 2013
Isn’t it great when you suddenly discover a fascinating historical figure you really know nothing about? It doesn’t happen very often, so when it does it’s quite special – and often unexpected. My current WIP is set during the time of Katherine of Valois (the ‘forbidden queen’ of Anne O’Brien’s latest novel), so I’m very familiar with her story. No, the big surprise was her hero, the impressive Owen Tudor, (or Owain ap Maredudd ap Tewdwr as he would have preferred to be called) who of course gave his name to the Tudor dynasty. (There is a theory that the name ‘Tudor’ was actually a typo made by an English scribe who didn’t know any better. We will never know if that is true, although I did read that Henry VIII never described himself as a ‘Tudor’).
The awful way King Henry V treated his new wife has been well documented but there was great secrecy about Katherine’s relationship with Owen Tudor. This makes it all the more interesting, as we do have to ‘fill in the gaps’. Anne O’Brien’s relaxed style does this sensitively and convincingly through the eyes of Queen Katherine. Tricked by Duke Humphrey of Gloucester into a life of widowhood, she slowly becomes aware of the real man behind the role of ‘Master of the Household’. (His real title may have even been ‘clerk of the wardrobe’!)
There is a fascinating postscript at the end of the book where Anne discusses her inspiration for writing it. She says “I decided that Katherine deserves a re-evaluation. I hope I have done her justice in writing The Forbidden Queen, allowing us to see the woman behind the façade.” Anne has certainly achieved that and more. I will admit to feeling quite emotional at the end of her amazing story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what life may have been like for this remarkable woman.
The awful way King Henry V treated his new wife has been well documented but there was great secrecy about Katherine’s relationship with Owen Tudor. This makes it all the more interesting, as we do have to ‘fill in the gaps’. Anne O’Brien’s relaxed style does this sensitively and convincingly through the eyes of Queen Katherine. Tricked by Duke Humphrey of Gloucester into a life of widowhood, she slowly becomes aware of the real man behind the role of ‘Master of the Household’. (His real title may have even been ‘clerk of the wardrobe’!)
There is a fascinating postscript at the end of the book where Anne discusses her inspiration for writing it. She says “I decided that Katherine deserves a re-evaluation. I hope I have done her justice in writing The Forbidden Queen, allowing us to see the woman behind the façade.” Anne has certainly achieved that and more. I will admit to feeling quite emotional at the end of her amazing story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what life may have been like for this remarkable woman.
February 6, 2013
The Forbidden Queen is the story of how a beautiful young woman was manipulated into a loveless marriage, and then forced to live her life in the shadow of powerful men. Katherine’s story draws you in from the very beginning as we rejoice to see her as an innocent bride and gently protective mother, but then grieve as she learns to live her life as a beautiful young widow, but what really brings the novel to life is the way in which this gentle, charismatic Queen was treated by the powerful men who were appointed as the young King’s protectors.
Anne O’Brien has a great skill with words and undoubtedly makes history come alive, so much so, you are easily transported back in time to an age when women were largely seen but not heard, and as the 21st century begins to fade and the echoes of the past resonate within your imagination, you feel the cold of the castle walls and sense Katherine’s unease as she finds herself caught between love and duty.
There is no doubt that history has much to thank Katherine de Valois for, as this largely forgotten queen was not only the mother of a King of England, but was also the grandmother of the Tudor dynasty, in this novel Anne O’Brien more than does justice to a story that needed to be told.
There is no doubt that Anne O'Brien's historical narratives just get better and better, and this is one of my favourite of her novels to date.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin (UK) for an advance ecopy of this book to read and review.
Anne O’Brien has a great skill with words and undoubtedly makes history come alive, so much so, you are easily transported back in time to an age when women were largely seen but not heard, and as the 21st century begins to fade and the echoes of the past resonate within your imagination, you feel the cold of the castle walls and sense Katherine’s unease as she finds herself caught between love and duty.
There is no doubt that history has much to thank Katherine de Valois for, as this largely forgotten queen was not only the mother of a King of England, but was also the grandmother of the Tudor dynasty, in this novel Anne O’Brien more than does justice to a story that needed to be told.
There is no doubt that Anne O'Brien's historical narratives just get better and better, and this is one of my favourite of her novels to date.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin (UK) for an advance ecopy of this book to read and review.
October 19, 2022
The Forbidden Queen starts really strong with Katherine's childhood. The author gave us plenty of time to make ourselves familiar with the time period and the whole setting of the book and despite being so long, I did not realise when I reached the end. It did not feel unnecessarily stretched at all and had a breezy feel to it overall.
I was saddened by Katherine's plights after her politial marriage to Henry and was not much affected by his death tbh. Edmund felt like a shady character right from the start but when Katherine and Owen started their relationship, It made me truly happy for her.
This book gave me a topic I was not educated about at all in the slightest and has made me curious enough to read even more about Tudor period. I am excited to find out how Owen Tudor got into power and am sad that this book didn't dive further into his life.
I was saddened by Katherine's plights after her politial marriage to Henry and was not much affected by his death tbh. Edmund felt like a shady character right from the start but when Katherine and Owen started their relationship, It made me truly happy for her.
This book gave me a topic I was not educated about at all in the slightest and has made me curious enough to read even more about Tudor period. I am excited to find out how Owen Tudor got into power and am sad that this book didn't dive further into his life.
November 22, 2017
See my other reviews at Never Enough Books
The Forbidden Queen by Anne O’Brien follows Katherine de Valois from French Princess to Dowager Queen of England. Wed in an arranged marriage to King Henry V at 19 and then widowed by 21, she finds herself thrust in to a game of politics with the prize being her hand and potential control of the throne through her young son. Just as there are those who see her as a prize to be won, there are those who see her as the woman she is. Katherine must learn to tell friend from foe, not only for herself but for the good of England.
While The Forbidden Queen is based on actual events, historically there unfortunately very little on the actual person Katherine de Valois. Some points are known and are true; such as she is the daughter of Charles VI of France and was married to Henry V where she bore him a son, Henry VI. She was sent to the convent at Poissy at a young age but whether it was because her father was insane and her mother wished to be rid of her or whether it was so Katherine could receive a proper education is up for debate.
How content she was in her marriage to Henry is also another point of contention. During that time women, especially high born ladies, were seen as little more than chattel. They were regarded only as far as how much could be gained through their marriage to another. In effect, women were considered little more than animated property and title deeds. And unfortunately, history paints Katherine de Valois with such broad strokes.
What kind of person Katherine truly was is virtually unknown. Generally she is regarded as being not all that bright, the stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ if one prefers. Yet to have survived for so long in the cutthroat court, Katherine must have had at least a modicum of intelligence. And that is how O’Brien paints her – not as some dim-wit but as an intelligent woman.
With her rather lacking upbringing, Katherine is somewhat emotionally stunted by the time she reached adulthood. Something O’Brien plays upon as throughout the novel Katherine constantly doubts herself. She believes herself to be in love with King Henry and her tender heart is broken when he does not return her feelings with the same fervor. Some years later when she develops feelings for Edmund Beaufort, she is devastated to learn that his only reason for courting her was for her crown and the power it held. So when Owen Tudor tries to claim her heart she initially pushes him away. It is when she comes to realize that he does not see her as some prize but as a woman does she allow herself to be happy.
Anne O’Brien’s version of Katherine de Valois is a truly memorable one. The real woman is mentioned only briefly in history and not very flatteringly. This version is an intelligent woman who throughout the tale learns to trust her feelings. Though she starts the story as little more than a pawn, by the final pages she emerges as a true queen.
The Forbidden Queen by Anne O’Brien follows Katherine de Valois from French Princess to Dowager Queen of England. Wed in an arranged marriage to King Henry V at 19 and then widowed by 21, she finds herself thrust in to a game of politics with the prize being her hand and potential control of the throne through her young son. Just as there are those who see her as a prize to be won, there are those who see her as the woman she is. Katherine must learn to tell friend from foe, not only for herself but for the good of England.
While The Forbidden Queen is based on actual events, historically there unfortunately very little on the actual person Katherine de Valois. Some points are known and are true; such as she is the daughter of Charles VI of France and was married to Henry V where she bore him a son, Henry VI. She was sent to the convent at Poissy at a young age but whether it was because her father was insane and her mother wished to be rid of her or whether it was so Katherine could receive a proper education is up for debate.
How content she was in her marriage to Henry is also another point of contention. During that time women, especially high born ladies, were seen as little more than chattel. They were regarded only as far as how much could be gained through their marriage to another. In effect, women were considered little more than animated property and title deeds. And unfortunately, history paints Katherine de Valois with such broad strokes.
What kind of person Katherine truly was is virtually unknown. Generally she is regarded as being not all that bright, the stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ if one prefers. Yet to have survived for so long in the cutthroat court, Katherine must have had at least a modicum of intelligence. And that is how O’Brien paints her – not as some dim-wit but as an intelligent woman.
With her rather lacking upbringing, Katherine is somewhat emotionally stunted by the time she reached adulthood. Something O’Brien plays upon as throughout the novel Katherine constantly doubts herself. She believes herself to be in love with King Henry and her tender heart is broken when he does not return her feelings with the same fervor. Some years later when she develops feelings for Edmund Beaufort, she is devastated to learn that his only reason for courting her was for her crown and the power it held. So when Owen Tudor tries to claim her heart she initially pushes him away. It is when she comes to realize that he does not see her as some prize but as a woman does she allow herself to be happy.
Anne O’Brien’s version of Katherine de Valois is a truly memorable one. The real woman is mentioned only briefly in history and not very flatteringly. This version is an intelligent woman who throughout the tale learns to trust her feelings. Though she starts the story as little more than a pawn, by the final pages she emerges as a true queen.
March 4, 2015
È stata una lettura interessante e superlativa. Ritrovarsi d’un tratto a vivere la vita di Caterina di Valois e della sua corte è stata un’esperienza impareggiabile. Fantastica l’ambientazione e lo stile delicato e coinvolgente di Anne O’Brien che ha saputo ben amalgamare la componente storica con il genere romance.
Caterina di Valois, figlia di Carlo VI di Francia e Isabella di Baviera, andò in sposa a Enrico V d’Inghilterra. Rimasta una giovanissima vedova divenne un trofeo ambito per molti contendenti, corteggiatori instancabili ed avidi. Lei, però, cercava l’amore vero, quello che il suo primo marito Enrico V non è stato in grado di darle, avendola sposata per interesse e non per un reale sentimento d’affetto nei suoi confronti.
Per la regina francese, Caterina, l’Inghilterra è un covo di vipere avare e fraudolente, dove con ingordigia e inganno chiunque è pronto a danneggiarla o sfruttarla. Ecco perché lei deve fare della diffidenza il suo punto di forza, prima di coronare il suo sogno d’amore.
Come sappiamo già dalle pagine di storia, tra i tanti uomini che cercarono di possederla, Caterina sposò segretamente, in seconde nozze, Owen Tudor, unendo il suo nome alle origini della dinastia dei Tudor.
È un’opera preziosissima quella scritta da Anne O’Brien, la quale narra le vicende storiche inglesi, tra intrighi, scandali e passioni, con l’eleganza di uno stile ricercato, rendendo appassionanti anche le lontane emozioni che hanno lasciato traccia sulle pagine dei manuali storici.
Se amate le intense e coinvolgenti rievocazioni storiche, soprattutto quattrocentesche, e le personalità affascinanti e sfaccettate, LA REGINA PROIBITA è un romanzo che vi conquisterà.
March 5, 2014
*** This book review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca).
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Review: Historical Fiction is one of my favourite genres. There's something awesome about reading a book that puts you back in time so you can learn a thing or two about an era long since gone. I love the historical tidbits and felt that learning about Katherine de Valois, the mother of King Henry VI, would be a wonderful way to spend the weekend. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting into this book.
I would characterize this book as much more of a romance than a historical fiction novel. I would have loved to have more historical detail incorporated into the storyline but the book just seems to follow Katherine's love life (which I didn't find very romantic to begin with, truth be told). Add to the fact that the character development and plot were both weak and one-dimensional and I just didn't enjoy this book.
In the beginning Katherine was a likeable, innocent young girl who has had a hard childhood (I actually would have liked to get more detail into her childhood but that time in her life was glossed over quickly). As the story progresses Katherine continues to be this innocent, naïve, flighty girl and her lack of character development grated on me quickly. She was defeatist from the get go and overall just had an utterly bleak feel to her. It's one thing to be naïve because she was just a teenager when she was sent to England but she came off as whiny, weak and immature throughout the book. She seemed shocked when Henry didn't have time for her. He's the KING OF ENGLAND! He's got countries to conquer and England to run, for goodness sake! For a girl who grew up never imagining that she'd one day get the chance to be married, let alone a Queen, she sure did have a lot of preconceived notions.
And for a girl who was raised in a neglectful (albeit royal) home and then sent to a nunnery you'd think that she'd have a lot more trouble fitting into her new life as the Queen of England. But Katherine seems to worry more about whether Henry loves her than learning about her new role and helping to rule a country. This issue continues as she is widowed and essentially looking for love in all the wrong places time and again. There were many times when the story could have gone into further detail to help the reader get a better idea of life during this time but more often than not the details were glossed over to make room for Katherine's beaux.
I love strong female characters but Katherine came off as weak and silly. Her happiness is solely dependent on her romantic life. She was very self-absorbed in her own little world and felt very meek, immature, whiny and just generally not a character I could get behind. If she started out weak and immature but then we got to see some growth in her character that would be one thing but it never felt like her character went through any substantial emotional changes throughout the book.
Another issue I had with this book concerned the writing style. Throughout the book it felt like I was being told things instead of being shown by the characters actually doing something. We got glimpses into Katherine's life but never really got down into the details. For example, Katherine initially has issues with her 'damsels' (ladies in waiting) but other than the odd comment about her damsels not liking her it's not dealt with. I would also have loved to get a feeling for the political and social issues of the time but instead the storyline felt like it just went from one bad relationship of Katherine's to the next.
Finally, one of the main reasons I requested to review this book was the fact that it dealt with Owen Tudor. I was eager to get a peek at the early days of the Tudor dynasty but it was overshadowed by the 'will they won't they?' romantic banter between Katherine and Owen and that got old for me fast.
If there was more historical detail, intrigue and character development it would have made for a really good read. Unfortunately, this book came off as a romantic novel with a weak historical framework that focused more on Katherine's love life and less on the political intrigue and historical details of the time.
My Rating: 2 stars
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary e-book copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My Review: Historical Fiction is one of my favourite genres. There's something awesome about reading a book that puts you back in time so you can learn a thing or two about an era long since gone. I love the historical tidbits and felt that learning about Katherine de Valois, the mother of King Henry VI, would be a wonderful way to spend the weekend. Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting into this book.
I would characterize this book as much more of a romance than a historical fiction novel. I would have loved to have more historical detail incorporated into the storyline but the book just seems to follow Katherine's love life (which I didn't find very romantic to begin with, truth be told). Add to the fact that the character development and plot were both weak and one-dimensional and I just didn't enjoy this book.
In the beginning Katherine was a likeable, innocent young girl who has had a hard childhood (I actually would have liked to get more detail into her childhood but that time in her life was glossed over quickly). As the story progresses Katherine continues to be this innocent, naïve, flighty girl and her lack of character development grated on me quickly. She was defeatist from the get go and overall just had an utterly bleak feel to her. It's one thing to be naïve because she was just a teenager when she was sent to England but she came off as whiny, weak and immature throughout the book. She seemed shocked when Henry didn't have time for her. He's the KING OF ENGLAND! He's got countries to conquer and England to run, for goodness sake! For a girl who grew up never imagining that she'd one day get the chance to be married, let alone a Queen, she sure did have a lot of preconceived notions.
And for a girl who was raised in a neglectful (albeit royal) home and then sent to a nunnery you'd think that she'd have a lot more trouble fitting into her new life as the Queen of England. But Katherine seems to worry more about whether Henry loves her than learning about her new role and helping to rule a country. This issue continues as she is widowed and essentially looking for love in all the wrong places time and again. There were many times when the story could have gone into further detail to help the reader get a better idea of life during this time but more often than not the details were glossed over to make room for Katherine's beaux.
I love strong female characters but Katherine came off as weak and silly. Her happiness is solely dependent on her romantic life. She was very self-absorbed in her own little world and felt very meek, immature, whiny and just generally not a character I could get behind. If she started out weak and immature but then we got to see some growth in her character that would be one thing but it never felt like her character went through any substantial emotional changes throughout the book.
Another issue I had with this book concerned the writing style. Throughout the book it felt like I was being told things instead of being shown by the characters actually doing something. We got glimpses into Katherine's life but never really got down into the details. For example, Katherine initially has issues with her 'damsels' (ladies in waiting) but other than the odd comment about her damsels not liking her it's not dealt with. I would also have loved to get a feeling for the political and social issues of the time but instead the storyline felt like it just went from one bad relationship of Katherine's to the next.
Finally, one of the main reasons I requested to review this book was the fact that it dealt with Owen Tudor. I was eager to get a peek at the early days of the Tudor dynasty but it was overshadowed by the 'will they won't they?' romantic banter between Katherine and Owen and that got old for me fast.
If there was more historical detail, intrigue and character development it would have made for a really good read. Unfortunately, this book came off as a romantic novel with a weak historical framework that focused more on Katherine's love life and less on the political intrigue and historical details of the time.
My Rating: 2 stars
January 15, 2013
One of my favorite stories in English history is the story of Katherine of Valois and Owen Tudor's marriage. So romantic, so unexpected, so honest.
But this book is not just about that particular story. This book is about Katherine of Valois, beginning from her neglected childhood in a French court ruled by a mad King and an absent Queen. Katherine is telling the reader her story, from her point of view, naive and foolish as it may have been at times. Katherine is heartbreakingly honest with both the reader and herself as she rises to become Queen of England to the great warrior King Henry V, the man she dreamed would be her hero and true love, but died before the dream could even be touched upon. Katherine is straight forward and remorseful as she tells the reader of her depression and melancholy after the death of Henry, and then angry when her lonely heart falls victim to the schemes of an ambitious courtier. Katherine is truthful, never sugar-coating her actions, even when she happens to accidentally fall deeply in love with her servant, Owen Tudor. Katherine makes no excuses for herself as she grasps for the happiness that she has always sought, fighting tooth and nail with council and country for what she believes her family deserves.
Anne O'Brien has written a beautiful, bittersweet novel. This story deserved to be told, in exactly this manner. Katherine's story, on Katherine's terms. Highly Recommended.
But this book is not just about that particular story. This book is about Katherine of Valois, beginning from her neglected childhood in a French court ruled by a mad King and an absent Queen. Katherine is telling the reader her story, from her point of view, naive and foolish as it may have been at times. Katherine is heartbreakingly honest with both the reader and herself as she rises to become Queen of England to the great warrior King Henry V, the man she dreamed would be her hero and true love, but died before the dream could even be touched upon. Katherine is straight forward and remorseful as she tells the reader of her depression and melancholy after the death of Henry, and then angry when her lonely heart falls victim to the schemes of an ambitious courtier. Katherine is truthful, never sugar-coating her actions, even when she happens to accidentally fall deeply in love with her servant, Owen Tudor. Katherine makes no excuses for herself as she grasps for the happiness that she has always sought, fighting tooth and nail with council and country for what she believes her family deserves.
Anne O'Brien has written a beautiful, bittersweet novel. This story deserved to be told, in exactly this manner. Katherine's story, on Katherine's terms. Highly Recommended.
September 5, 2016
Katherine de Valois was a French princess married off to King Henry V of England in return for the promise of a French crown. She successfully produced a male heir within the first two years of their marriage, but was suddenly left a young widow when Henry V died whilst his son was still a baby. Katherine then became Queen Dowager, a figurehead for her son, the child King Henry VI.
In this novel, Anne O'Brien paints a picture of a lonely, duty-bound Queen who wants nothing more than to love, and be loved. Yet Katherine does not have the authority to decide when (or if) she will remarry, nor to whom. The story becomes a wonderfully romantic tale of Katherine de Valois and Owen Tudor - master of the Queen Dowager's household. Owen was a disinherited Welshman in a role of servitude, but O'Brien's Katherine is completely smitten by him. The union between Katherine de Valois and Owen Tudor would eventually result in the Tudor Dynasty (Katherine being Henry VII's grandmother).
I couldn't help but like and admire O'Brien's interpretation of Katherine and Owen, and the relationship that existed between them. Their resilience and determination to be together in the face of constant opposition is what I enjoyed most about this novel. Why else would a Queen marry a servant, if not for love?
A sad story overall, but with sweet interludes.
In this novel, Anne O'Brien paints a picture of a lonely, duty-bound Queen who wants nothing more than to love, and be loved. Yet Katherine does not have the authority to decide when (or if) she will remarry, nor to whom. The story becomes a wonderfully romantic tale of Katherine de Valois and Owen Tudor - master of the Queen Dowager's household. Owen was a disinherited Welshman in a role of servitude, but O'Brien's Katherine is completely smitten by him. The union between Katherine de Valois and Owen Tudor would eventually result in the Tudor Dynasty (Katherine being Henry VII's grandmother).
I couldn't help but like and admire O'Brien's interpretation of Katherine and Owen, and the relationship that existed between them. Their resilience and determination to be together in the face of constant opposition is what I enjoyed most about this novel. Why else would a Queen marry a servant, if not for love?
A sad story overall, but with sweet interludes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2013
Ugh! This is the third book I've abandoned in as many weeks. I don't know whether I'm just not in the mood for a particular genre, I'm too distracted to get into a book properly or whether I'm just picking bad books but it's unusual for me to abandon so many at once.
Anyway, The Forbidden Queen actually started off quite well, although I thought the chapters could have been shorter - sometimes the focus of the story changed at a point when a new chapter would have been better, rather than continuing with the current one. The story was interesting though and provided a good insight into a period of history with which I'm unfamiliar.
However, once Henry V died and Edmund Beaufort came onto the scene, I was suddenly transported into a Mills and Boon romance, with page after page (after page) of gushy declarations of love between Katherine and Edmund. I tried to stick with it but it was just too much. I even skipped ahead a couple of chapters, only to find they were still madly in love and I wasn't in the mood for it. The author has been favourably compared to Philippa Gregory but having read several of Ms Gregory's works and thoroughly enjoyed them, I'd have to disagree.
Anyway, The Forbidden Queen actually started off quite well, although I thought the chapters could have been shorter - sometimes the focus of the story changed at a point when a new chapter would have been better, rather than continuing with the current one. The story was interesting though and provided a good insight into a period of history with which I'm unfamiliar.
However, once Henry V died and Edmund Beaufort came onto the scene, I was suddenly transported into a Mills and Boon romance, with page after page (after page) of gushy declarations of love between Katherine and Edmund. I tried to stick with it but it was just too much. I even skipped ahead a couple of chapters, only to find they were still madly in love and I wasn't in the mood for it. The author has been favourably compared to Philippa Gregory but having read several of Ms Gregory's works and thoroughly enjoyed them, I'd have to disagree.
April 17, 2013
I literally just finished this book. It was absolutely amazing. I may be a bit biased because I love historical fiction, but this was probably one of the best books I've ever read. It really puts a spotlight on Catherine of Valois, but not all of the information in here is historically accurate. Still a good story, though. The plot was pretty good, but the time spacing was a bit off. I feel like it was in fast forward and I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be days or years between some events. Besides that, the character development and realism was astonishing. I felt like this was an authentic story, like the author really felt a connection with some of the characters. Most of this book was dialogue, and not much attention was given to scenery, setting, or any small details. It was very much a "bigger picture" novel. While this story was good, I'm not completely sure if I would read another book by this author, but to each their own. Definitely worth a read if you're into historical fiction.
April 18, 2013
I really didn't know what to think about this book. I was interested to read to the end as I wanted to know about what happened historically. Not a lot is known about Katherine's life so there was major license for the author to do what she wanted - it was all a bit too Mills and Boon for me. Katherine had no real political role, so there was none of the plotting and scheming in Gregory's The White, Red and Rivers queens, which is a real shame.
May 20, 2014
A very readable telling of the story of Catherine de Valois, Princess of France, wife and mother of English Kings and one of my favourite historical loves stories between Catherine and Owen Tudor, the ancestors of the current British monarchy. Anne O'Brien does a good job of combining the historical facts and the romantic elements of the story of one of England's most unknown but fascinating Queens.
★★★☆ (3.5 stars)
★★★☆ (3.5 stars)
July 26, 2025
The story of Catherine of Valois is told from her earliest days to her final retreat at Bermondsey. I’m sad to say that this book followed the same path as the other book I read by Anne O’Brien, The King’s Concubine: it started strong, having much potential, but was lost on the way.
First, its length: my translated copy has 400 pages, while the original has around 600, due to the printing. If the book truly were around 350-400 pages, it would have felt much easier to enjoy. There is a constant lack of plot and it sometimes felt like scenes were added to reach a page number.
Second, Catherine: I went into this expecting a beautiful character development, expecting to see that Catherine wasn’t this meek woman with no mind of her own who just accepted everything life threw at her. I don’t see the real Catherine of Valois that way at all. Anne O’Brien is a skilled writer who, in my opinion, could’ve done something so much better with this character. Instead of that, we had a heroine who let life happen to her, even when she chose who to marry, it felt that she wanted to escape back to her safe zone at every point. The only moment when Catherine truly shone was before the Council. At every point in this book, Catherine is feeling sorry for herself about something, whether it be her love life (mostly) or her parents’ reputation. I wanted Catherine to be her own person, I wanted to see her navigating all this in a much different way. To me, it seems like she was reduced to being a woman whose life is determined by men. A heroine in a romance book whose world revolves around the men she loves.
Third, the romances: I liked the way the relationship with Henry was portrayed, and then the one with Edmund Beaufort was also well written, especially given that this is merely a rumour and there is not much for the author to take as guidance when writing about it. It could have been a good point of development for our heroine whose life already revolved around men. Sadly, it wasn’t. The romance with Owen fell flat to me. I was supposed to believe that Catherine, who was not a teenage girl anymore, sees this man bare once and her new obsession awakens and now she cannot think about anything but Owen. And Owen, who was this warm person around everyone but Catherine, not only likes her, but suddenly wants to worship her. Mm… alright… so, why do we keep mentioning Edmund Beaufort every two to three lines?
I couldn’t exactly point to when Catherine is supposed to go from infatuation to love. Did she, truly, love Owen in this novel? Or did she love the idea of love, the idea of a man, and with all these restrictions, the only available man, who was quite charming suddenly, and also unattainable through his cold behaviour, who also didn’t own anything (didn’t have the right to), the only option? To me, the whole presentation of their relationship pointed to this direction.
All that being said, I’m giving this book three stars. I like Anne O’Brien’s writing, and she does have that which keeps you reading. I didn’t like the characters as much as I hoped I would, and I was truly disappointed by the take on Catherine. This book is basically only romance set in a historical time, with historical “props.” Because that is what Humphrey of Gloucester felt like, a prop. This is supposed to be the big bad guy, the main cause of problems in Catherine’s life after Henry. But Humphrey has no personality, no trait besides wanting power because he wants power. I’m not sure if I will ever try another book by O’Brien. I suppose that, for her books to be enjoyed, you should treat them as romances inspired by historical people, not historical fiction with the expectation of any history. Or character development. I digress.
First, its length: my translated copy has 400 pages, while the original has around 600, due to the printing. If the book truly were around 350-400 pages, it would have felt much easier to enjoy. There is a constant lack of plot and it sometimes felt like scenes were added to reach a page number.
Second, Catherine: I went into this expecting a beautiful character development, expecting to see that Catherine wasn’t this meek woman with no mind of her own who just accepted everything life threw at her. I don’t see the real Catherine of Valois that way at all. Anne O’Brien is a skilled writer who, in my opinion, could’ve done something so much better with this character. Instead of that, we had a heroine who let life happen to her, even when she chose who to marry, it felt that she wanted to escape back to her safe zone at every point. The only moment when Catherine truly shone was before the Council. At every point in this book, Catherine is feeling sorry for herself about something, whether it be her love life (mostly) or her parents’ reputation. I wanted Catherine to be her own person, I wanted to see her navigating all this in a much different way. To me, it seems like she was reduced to being a woman whose life is determined by men. A heroine in a romance book whose world revolves around the men she loves.
Third, the romances: I liked the way the relationship with Henry was portrayed, and then the one with Edmund Beaufort was also well written, especially given that this is merely a rumour and there is not much for the author to take as guidance when writing about it. It could have been a good point of development for our heroine whose life already revolved around men. Sadly, it wasn’t. The romance with Owen fell flat to me. I was supposed to believe that Catherine, who was not a teenage girl anymore, sees this man bare once and her new obsession awakens and now she cannot think about anything but Owen. And Owen, who was this warm person around everyone but Catherine, not only likes her, but suddenly wants to worship her. Mm… alright… so, why do we keep mentioning Edmund Beaufort every two to three lines?
I couldn’t exactly point to when Catherine is supposed to go from infatuation to love. Did she, truly, love Owen in this novel? Or did she love the idea of love, the idea of a man, and with all these restrictions, the only available man, who was quite charming suddenly, and also unattainable through his cold behaviour, who also didn’t own anything (didn’t have the right to), the only option? To me, the whole presentation of their relationship pointed to this direction.
All that being said, I’m giving this book three stars. I like Anne O’Brien’s writing, and she does have that which keeps you reading. I didn’t like the characters as much as I hoped I would, and I was truly disappointed by the take on Catherine. This book is basically only romance set in a historical time, with historical “props.” Because that is what Humphrey of Gloucester felt like, a prop. This is supposed to be the big bad guy, the main cause of problems in Catherine’s life after Henry. But Humphrey has no personality, no trait besides wanting power because he wants power. I’m not sure if I will ever try another book by O’Brien. I suppose that, for her books to be enjoyed, you should treat them as romances inspired by historical people, not historical fiction with the expectation of any history. Or character development. I digress.
February 5, 2022
I couldn't put this book down (other than to sleep) as I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative exaggeration of getting inside the mind of this woman who lived in the early 1400's England, Katherine de Valois, as this book narrates from her first memory as a 5-year-old, snippets from her early childhood and then her arrival in England and becoming married the King of England at the time, Henry V in 1420.
It doesn't stop there, we experience Katherine's desperation for a connection and to be loved in return, all the while juggling her inexperience dealing with the politics at court, naivety, her loneliness at court.
As a woman in medieval England to have no rights or political power of her own, despite being Queen and later Dowager Queen and be totally dependent on the men in her life: Henry V and later her son and to be rigidly controlled by Parliament, for her fight to be able to remarry, have children and to love.
I don't know much about Katherine de Valois, but the creative reimagining of traumatic memory in her childhood that followed her into adulthood, propelled her to search for love and to be loved in return and looking for that love and support and failing every time considering in those days widowed women rarely if ever remarried, especially if they were Dowager Queens. (I thought it was a nice mix of fact/fiction by Anne O'Brien).
Throughout the book, she struggles to maneuver court life, her relationship with her son which is non-extistent, even though she's part of his household but her son is being raised by tutors and guardians.
Katherine found herself in a whirlwind romance with Edmund Beaufort who she wishes to marry, however, the Duke of Gloucester sees this as a coup d'état planned by Edmund and Katherine, for the former to seize control of the young king and the throne and seek power for himself in favour of House Beaufort.
Then again Edmund Beaufort was nothing more than a gold digger and couldn't care less about Katherine, as he COULD have married her for LOVE but would have forsaken all his lands and titles if he went through with it, of course, Katherine was heartbroken and rightly pissed off! But I honestly think she dodged a bullet there.
Though we all know that a generation later the de Valois, Tudor, and Beaufort family lines are later joined by Owen Tudor's marriage to Katherine and their son Edmund's marriage to Margaret Beaufort, with their grandson Henry eventually becoming King Henry VII of England.
I'm not sure about Owen Tudor and his motives, if he genuinely loved and cared about Katherine, who he later married, I don't necessarily buy into that there was no ulterior motive considering how marriages in those days were all about solidifying political alliances between two families and nations. Then again I guess Owen Tudor got the last laugh considering his House ended up on the throne of England.
The only issue I have is Katherine herself, she did start off as very immature and naive but it would've been awesome to see the progression of her confidence and see some growth in her character as she just comes across as self-obsessed, co-dependent on the men in her life, the one scene where she does stand up for herself, for her needs is during the Council Meeting where she petitions for the validity of her marriage with Owen Tudor, even though he's there as her rock, she's the one leading the charge and her strength shows, I just wish we saw more of that.
This is the first book that I've read by Anne O'Brien, fun little historical romance novel, I'll give this book a a four star rating as there certain things that could have been explored further more such as the political and social classes of the women in her household.
It doesn't stop there, we experience Katherine's desperation for a connection and to be loved in return, all the while juggling her inexperience dealing with the politics at court, naivety, her loneliness at court.
As a woman in medieval England to have no rights or political power of her own, despite being Queen and later Dowager Queen and be totally dependent on the men in her life: Henry V and later her son and to be rigidly controlled by Parliament, for her fight to be able to remarry, have children and to love.
I don't know much about Katherine de Valois, but the creative reimagining of traumatic memory in her childhood that followed her into adulthood, propelled her to search for love and to be loved in return and looking for that love and support and failing every time considering in those days widowed women rarely if ever remarried, especially if they were Dowager Queens. (I thought it was a nice mix of fact/fiction by Anne O'Brien).
Throughout the book, she struggles to maneuver court life, her relationship with her son which is non-extistent, even though she's part of his household but her son is being raised by tutors and guardians.
Katherine found herself in a whirlwind romance with Edmund Beaufort who she wishes to marry, however, the Duke of Gloucester sees this as a coup d'état planned by Edmund and Katherine, for the former to seize control of the young king and the throne and seek power for himself in favour of House Beaufort.
Then again Edmund Beaufort was nothing more than a gold digger and couldn't care less about Katherine, as he COULD have married her for LOVE but would have forsaken all his lands and titles if he went through with it, of course, Katherine was heartbroken and rightly pissed off! But I honestly think she dodged a bullet there.
Though we all know that a generation later the de Valois, Tudor, and Beaufort family lines are later joined by Owen Tudor's marriage to Katherine and their son Edmund's marriage to Margaret Beaufort, with their grandson Henry eventually becoming King Henry VII of England.
I'm not sure about Owen Tudor and his motives, if he genuinely loved and cared about Katherine, who he later married, I don't necessarily buy into that there was no ulterior motive considering how marriages in those days were all about solidifying political alliances between two families and nations. Then again I guess Owen Tudor got the last laugh considering his House ended up on the throne of England.
The only issue I have is Katherine herself, she did start off as very immature and naive but it would've been awesome to see the progression of her confidence and see some growth in her character as she just comes across as self-obsessed, co-dependent on the men in her life, the one scene where she does stand up for herself, for her needs is during the Council Meeting where she petitions for the validity of her marriage with Owen Tudor, even though he's there as her rock, she's the one leading the charge and her strength shows, I just wish we saw more of that.
This is the first book that I've read by Anne O'Brien, fun little historical romance novel, I'll give this book a a four star rating as there certain things that could have been explored further more such as the political and social classes of the women in her household.
February 2, 2014
Opinião do blogue Chaise Longue: http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...
Anne O’Brien vive nas Marcas de Gales, uma área entre Galês e Inglaterra, num chalé com mais de duzentos anos, onde o passado ecoa nos castelos medievais com conexões com os Plantagenetas e os Tudor, conexões essas que levaram a autora a descobrir as lendas e a riqueza da atmosfera da Inglaterra medieval e que, depois dos seus romances históricos sobre a Restauração e a Guerra Civil da Inglaterra de Carlos II, a fizeram começar a escrever romances medievais.
Professora de História, Anne ambicionava escrever romances históricos, tendo o seu primeiro livro sido publicado em 2004. Quando escreve, a autora entretém-se no seu jardim, através do qual desenvolveu o seu interesse por ervas e o seu uso, algo que usa amiúde nos seus livros.
The Forbidden Queen é o seu quinto romance histórico. Ainda não foi traduzido e foi publicado em 2013.
Considerada melhor que Philippa Gregory, Anne tem dedicado os seus romances às mulheres esquecidas da história de Inglaterra, motivo pelo qual quis ler esta autora e, ainda bem que o fiz pois este seu romance satisfez-me como poucos. Apesar da pouca informação existente sobre a sua protagonista, a autora teve o cuidado de imiscuir na perfeição história e lenda, sem exageros ou demasiada personalização ou fantasia, criando um romance envolvente e soberbo sobre uma das rainhas mais importantes (mas esquecidas) para a linhagem real inglesa. Com uma escrita onde se nota a paixão da autora pela História, cheia de charme e beleza, The Forbidden Queen conseguiu um lugar cimeiro nos meus romances históricos preferidos, sem grande esforço.
Desde a infância à morte de Katherine Valois, o leitor é levado numa viagem única pela vida desta rainha, usada como peão na Guerra dos Cem Anos que, esquecida e ignorada por todos à sua volta, se atreveu a viver uma história de amor abaixo do seu estatuto e, assim, mudando para sempre a história da Inglaterra. Entre lenda e factos históricos, o enredo apresenta-nos um quadro realista, por vezes belo e outras, cruel, das intrigas e alianças políticas, da vida de corte, da guerra entre a Inglaterra e a França, do ódio aos galeses e da pouca importância das mulheres para a sociedade, fosse qual fosse o seu estatuto. Brilhantemente, todos estes factores são entrelaçados com o romance, transportando-nos para a Inglaterra do século XV e para um dos períodos mais atribulados da história deste país.
Página a página, mais do que a época, vamos conhecendo a mulher que foi bisavó de Henrique VIII. Através da sua voz, é nos dado a conhecer as inseguranças de uma jovem princesa nunca amada e entregue ao inimigo, de uma jovem casada que pouco amor recebe e depressa enviúva, das suas lutas contra os homens de poder do seu novo país, do seu papel de mãe nunca aceite, de mulher que sonha com liberdade e amor. Insegura, inocente e ingénua de início, Katherine vai crescendo aos nossos olhos, aprendendo com as vicissitudes e experiências da vida, de princesa a Rainha Mãe, ela vai ganhando fulgor com o desenrolar da sua história, uma história cheia de promessas do que poderia ter acontecido e das consequências inimagináveis dos seus actos.
As personagens são brilhantemente elaboradas, tão reais quanto os seus actos, interessantes e cheias de vida que, tornam a leitura ainda mais prazerosa. Aproveitando as intrínsecas e complicadas ligações entre personagens, a autora vai nos dando um prenúncio do destino enquanto nos leva a apaixonar pelas vidas dos que escreveram a História. Desde Henrique V de Inglaterra a Carlos VI de França, aos grandes senhores de Inglaterra e aos futuros reis Henrique VI e Carlos VII, nenhum deles é esquecido nesta trama.
Melhor do que Philippa Gregory? Sim. Anne O’Brien é uma autora notável e cuidadosa que romanceia a História sem esquecer os seus limites. The Forbidden Queen é um romance soberbo que satisfará qualquer amante do género.
**I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Anne O’Brien vive nas Marcas de Gales, uma área entre Galês e Inglaterra, num chalé com mais de duzentos anos, onde o passado ecoa nos castelos medievais com conexões com os Plantagenetas e os Tudor, conexões essas que levaram a autora a descobrir as lendas e a riqueza da atmosfera da Inglaterra medieval e que, depois dos seus romances históricos sobre a Restauração e a Guerra Civil da Inglaterra de Carlos II, a fizeram começar a escrever romances medievais.
Professora de História, Anne ambicionava escrever romances históricos, tendo o seu primeiro livro sido publicado em 2004. Quando escreve, a autora entretém-se no seu jardim, através do qual desenvolveu o seu interesse por ervas e o seu uso, algo que usa amiúde nos seus livros.
The Forbidden Queen é o seu quinto romance histórico. Ainda não foi traduzido e foi publicado em 2013.
Considerada melhor que Philippa Gregory, Anne tem dedicado os seus romances às mulheres esquecidas da história de Inglaterra, motivo pelo qual quis ler esta autora e, ainda bem que o fiz pois este seu romance satisfez-me como poucos. Apesar da pouca informação existente sobre a sua protagonista, a autora teve o cuidado de imiscuir na perfeição história e lenda, sem exageros ou demasiada personalização ou fantasia, criando um romance envolvente e soberbo sobre uma das rainhas mais importantes (mas esquecidas) para a linhagem real inglesa. Com uma escrita onde se nota a paixão da autora pela História, cheia de charme e beleza, The Forbidden Queen conseguiu um lugar cimeiro nos meus romances históricos preferidos, sem grande esforço.
Desde a infância à morte de Katherine Valois, o leitor é levado numa viagem única pela vida desta rainha, usada como peão na Guerra dos Cem Anos que, esquecida e ignorada por todos à sua volta, se atreveu a viver uma história de amor abaixo do seu estatuto e, assim, mudando para sempre a história da Inglaterra. Entre lenda e factos históricos, o enredo apresenta-nos um quadro realista, por vezes belo e outras, cruel, das intrigas e alianças políticas, da vida de corte, da guerra entre a Inglaterra e a França, do ódio aos galeses e da pouca importância das mulheres para a sociedade, fosse qual fosse o seu estatuto. Brilhantemente, todos estes factores são entrelaçados com o romance, transportando-nos para a Inglaterra do século XV e para um dos períodos mais atribulados da história deste país.
Página a página, mais do que a época, vamos conhecendo a mulher que foi bisavó de Henrique VIII. Através da sua voz, é nos dado a conhecer as inseguranças de uma jovem princesa nunca amada e entregue ao inimigo, de uma jovem casada que pouco amor recebe e depressa enviúva, das suas lutas contra os homens de poder do seu novo país, do seu papel de mãe nunca aceite, de mulher que sonha com liberdade e amor. Insegura, inocente e ingénua de início, Katherine vai crescendo aos nossos olhos, aprendendo com as vicissitudes e experiências da vida, de princesa a Rainha Mãe, ela vai ganhando fulgor com o desenrolar da sua história, uma história cheia de promessas do que poderia ter acontecido e das consequências inimagináveis dos seus actos.
As personagens são brilhantemente elaboradas, tão reais quanto os seus actos, interessantes e cheias de vida que, tornam a leitura ainda mais prazerosa. Aproveitando as intrínsecas e complicadas ligações entre personagens, a autora vai nos dando um prenúncio do destino enquanto nos leva a apaixonar pelas vidas dos que escreveram a História. Desde Henrique V de Inglaterra a Carlos VI de França, aos grandes senhores de Inglaterra e aos futuros reis Henrique VI e Carlos VII, nenhum deles é esquecido nesta trama.
Melhor do que Philippa Gregory? Sim. Anne O’Brien é uma autora notável e cuidadosa que romanceia a História sem esquecer os seus limites. The Forbidden Queen é um romance soberbo que satisfará qualquer amante do género.
**I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
July 13, 2013
Meh, I just didn’t enjoy this book that much.
The main problem was, well, the main character. Katherine of Valois in this book came off as by nature rather melancholy and defeatist, more afraid than courageous. I just couldn’t root for someone whose outlook on life was so bleak. She thinks she’s old and all shrivelled up and past her prime when she’s in her early twenties. When Edmund Beaufort begins courting her she gets a lease of new life but she thinks of it in terms of this vibrant young man making an old lady feel young again. When she faces problems with Owen Tudor, her solution is to give up and run away, reasoning that it would just be better for everyone. It’s just so boring and dispiriting. It made me want to put the book down. It’s like that eternally gloomy acquaintance you just loathe dropping by your house because you just know they’re going to trap you for three hours going on and on about all the terrible things in their life. It makes you want to pretend there’s nobody home, and then go and spend some time with some friends who have a bit more motivation and passion and gumption. And the book is written in first person present tense so we’re with Katherine, inside her dismal thoughts, ALL THE TIME. Can you tell yet how much this grated on me?
Another problem with the story being told in first person present tense and with us as readers sitting on Katherine’s shoulder the entire time is that even though this period of history has plenty of action, being right in the thick of the Hundred Years War between England and France. Except we see NONE of that, because we’re stuck in some backwater residence with miserable old Katherine. GET ME OUT OF HERE! To be fair, we get a few changes of scene in the first part of the book. Katherine’s childhood in a religious institution was pretty interesting, and after she marries Henry V we get to trundle off on campaign and we meet a few intriguing characters. But after she’s widowed the scope suddenly becomes massively restricted and my brain began switching off. I felt like I had cabin fever the rest of the book.
The romance did nothing for me either. At least with Edmund Beaufort there was an injection of joyousness and spontaneity into proceedings, even if Katherine thought of it in terms of an old woman deriving new enjoyment from this delightful young man. But of course he’s a frivolous cad, more interested in his status and position, etc. Katherine supposedly develops a much more mature relationship with Owen Tudor… Her feelings are awakened when she glimpses him swimming naked, and then they go round and round in a grinding tirade of “my lady, I worship you”, “I want you too, but we mustn’t, you’re a servant!”, “And you’re a lady, obviously you must look down on my low birth and mock me!” *rubs temples* And then when they do get together, Katherine attempts to leave when they face problems, and then later he threatens to leave but not really, to put her through the stress of dealing with the same idiocy, and then finally she plans to just up and leave again, without telling him, when she feels her dreaded illness closing in… Sigh.
It’s competently written, if you can get past the really unlikeable Katherine and the character idiocy. Obviously others have greatly enjoyed this book, but I just couldn’t click with the characters at all, and that marred the whole book for me. I probably won’t read this author again.
5 out of 10
March 14, 2015
Anne O'Brien ci descrive un romanzo storico raffinato e pulsante di vita.
Come ci rammenta la scrittrice nelle note, conosciamo ben poco la protagonista, Caterina di Valois, figlia di Carlo VI di Francia e Isabella di Baviera, sposò Enrico V d'Inghilterra e gli diede un figlio, il Giovane Enrico poi divenuto Enrico VI. La storia sembra ardua ma posso garantirvi che non lo è; l'autrice semplifica e rende naturale il decorso della storia, l'addolcisce e l'abbellisce. Valorizza Caterina e la fa divenire una rispettabile donna, intelligente e piena di passione.
Tutto gira intorno ad ella anche se forse nella realtà molte volte le donne a quei tempi venivano denigrate e usate solo come intermediarie per arrivare a un accordo fra due nazioni. Così furono le sorti di Caterina data in sposa a Enrico. L'amore fra loro nacque scomposto e lei ancor giovane, vissuta sempre in cattive acque prima e poi in un convento, si innamorerà di un uomo forte, valoroso e soprattutto ricco. Tutto avrà però la sua fine. Enrico non si dimostrerà l'uomo dolce e sensibile che è parso ma un uomo assetato di potere, un arrampicatore sociale, come tutti a quei tempi d'altronde; un uomo di elevata carica nobiliare come Enrico non poteva essere da meno. Lei verrà presa in sposa per congiungere l'Inghilterra alla Francia ma tutto ciò si presenterà in maniera sconnessa a causa del fratello di Caterina (il Delfino di Francia).
La scrittura è fluida, non è un monologo, ne un tedioso romanzo storico ma un elegante scritto costruito e elaborato minuziosamente. Anne O'Brien sembra aver perfettamente centrato l'anima di Caterina, la descrizione di ella e dei suoi comportamenti sono pennellate luminose in quelle epoche oscure. Il medioevo è per noi storia buia, ma con l'aiuto di questa abile scrittrice riusciamo a immedesimarci perfettamente nel romanzo. Un romanzo che toglie il fiato, ti fa piangere, gioire e vivere insieme alla protagonista. Caterina di Valois, rispettabile, impeccabile, Regina Madre diventa vedova fin troppo presto a soli 22 anni ma la sua ineluttabile voglia di vita prevale.
In seguito fu presa di mira da Edmondo Beaufort abile scalatore che la indusse in tentazione ma lei seppe come destreggiarsi dai suoi inganni e se ne svincolò. Infine, giovane donna sola, ebbe la tentazione del suo Primo Servitore Owen Tudor con cui nacque una profonda e sincera storia d'amore, il primo vero amore dal quale nacque poi la Dinastia TUDOR in seguito!
Tutto sembra perfetto, uno stile particolare e curato, amabile; Caterina e tutti i personaggi che la circondano ammaliano il lettore e lo trascinano nei meandri più nascosti della storia. Le descrizioni sono meticolose e avvolgenti. La trama accattivante e l'esposizione di Anne O'Brien un elogio alla Regina Madre più bella di tutti i tempi. Caterina di Valois. Una donna presa in considerazione troppo poco dagli storici ma splendidamente elegante, regale e garbata.
Consigliato anzi consigliatissimo per un pubblico che ama le vicende storiche, gli intrighi di corte, la bellezza di quei tempi, lo sfarzo e la nobiltà; tutto è racchiuso in un solo e unico volume ...La Regina Proibita. Buona LETTURA!
"Vostra è la fibia
Che tiene agganciata la mia lealtà,
Voi bandite gli affanni dalla mia anima"
Come ci rammenta la scrittrice nelle note, conosciamo ben poco la protagonista, Caterina di Valois, figlia di Carlo VI di Francia e Isabella di Baviera, sposò Enrico V d'Inghilterra e gli diede un figlio, il Giovane Enrico poi divenuto Enrico VI. La storia sembra ardua ma posso garantirvi che non lo è; l'autrice semplifica e rende naturale il decorso della storia, l'addolcisce e l'abbellisce. Valorizza Caterina e la fa divenire una rispettabile donna, intelligente e piena di passione.
Tutto gira intorno ad ella anche se forse nella realtà molte volte le donne a quei tempi venivano denigrate e usate solo come intermediarie per arrivare a un accordo fra due nazioni. Così furono le sorti di Caterina data in sposa a Enrico. L'amore fra loro nacque scomposto e lei ancor giovane, vissuta sempre in cattive acque prima e poi in un convento, si innamorerà di un uomo forte, valoroso e soprattutto ricco. Tutto avrà però la sua fine. Enrico non si dimostrerà l'uomo dolce e sensibile che è parso ma un uomo assetato di potere, un arrampicatore sociale, come tutti a quei tempi d'altronde; un uomo di elevata carica nobiliare come Enrico non poteva essere da meno. Lei verrà presa in sposa per congiungere l'Inghilterra alla Francia ma tutto ciò si presenterà in maniera sconnessa a causa del fratello di Caterina (il Delfino di Francia).
La scrittura è fluida, non è un monologo, ne un tedioso romanzo storico ma un elegante scritto costruito e elaborato minuziosamente. Anne O'Brien sembra aver perfettamente centrato l'anima di Caterina, la descrizione di ella e dei suoi comportamenti sono pennellate luminose in quelle epoche oscure. Il medioevo è per noi storia buia, ma con l'aiuto di questa abile scrittrice riusciamo a immedesimarci perfettamente nel romanzo. Un romanzo che toglie il fiato, ti fa piangere, gioire e vivere insieme alla protagonista. Caterina di Valois, rispettabile, impeccabile, Regina Madre diventa vedova fin troppo presto a soli 22 anni ma la sua ineluttabile voglia di vita prevale.
In seguito fu presa di mira da Edmondo Beaufort abile scalatore che la indusse in tentazione ma lei seppe come destreggiarsi dai suoi inganni e se ne svincolò. Infine, giovane donna sola, ebbe la tentazione del suo Primo Servitore Owen Tudor con cui nacque una profonda e sincera storia d'amore, il primo vero amore dal quale nacque poi la Dinastia TUDOR in seguito!
Tutto sembra perfetto, uno stile particolare e curato, amabile; Caterina e tutti i personaggi che la circondano ammaliano il lettore e lo trascinano nei meandri più nascosti della storia. Le descrizioni sono meticolose e avvolgenti. La trama accattivante e l'esposizione di Anne O'Brien un elogio alla Regina Madre più bella di tutti i tempi. Caterina di Valois. Una donna presa in considerazione troppo poco dagli storici ma splendidamente elegante, regale e garbata.
Consigliato anzi consigliatissimo per un pubblico che ama le vicende storiche, gli intrighi di corte, la bellezza di quei tempi, lo sfarzo e la nobiltà; tutto è racchiuso in un solo e unico volume ...La Regina Proibita. Buona LETTURA!
"Vostra è la fibia
Che tiene agganciata la mia lealtà,
Voi bandite gli affanni dalla mia anima"
November 3, 2014
The story of Katherine de Valois was not one that I was overly familiar with. Though every history nerd knows of Henry V, there appear to be few who know about his French Bride and the mother to his heir.
The first quarter of the novel began with promise, with a strong plot and a good selection of characters. Though I thought Katherine was quite meek I hoped that life with Henry and as a Queen would bring her out of her shell and create another legendary Medieval Queen.
The stark, neglected early life of Katherine was a lovely comparison against the sudden luxuries that being Queen of England bought. I thought perhaps she would grow appreciative of these indulgences but it developed that Katherine valued one thing above all the fripperies of Queenhood. Love, or more specifically I suppose, attention. This dependence on men for attention actually became very dull reading quite quickly, and after 500+ pages I was certainly ready for the novel to end.
There was an undeveloped and awkward juxtaposition between the Queen that Katherine was - meek and naive - and the image that O'Brien wanted to paint of a strong, medieval Queen. When she did flex her royal muscles she tended to give up on the principle very quickly - Defending her position as Henry's mother and her role in his household and then suddenly giving up on the idea by mid-book. She had no interest in politics, war or society. She led a secluded, sheltered life away from court, which was such dull reading. Days and days of her moving from house to house and doing nothing while there. Even Fifty Shades of Grey had a subplot to entertain the reader to break up the periods of... romance.
I can understand why she perhaps didn't bother herself with the ins-and-outs of Henry's wars, or to understand the roles of society following Edmund's political machinations, but she didn't even attempt to understand the Welsh issue once involved with Owen and he was supposedly the love of her life . She was so self-absorbed. Her world was everything within the walls of her home, but did not extend beyond. Again, this was far too little plot to fill 500 pages and became quite dull.
Overall I felt that there was not enough interest or context within the novel to sustain the length. Katherine was an interesting figure but so reliant on male attention that the plot points were merely a collection of times that one of her lovers glanced her way, smiled at her or used her name... Katherine was never happier than when she was being adored by a man, and unfortunately I prefer my Medieval Queens more fiesty.
I enjoyed the start, the early days where Katherine had to learn the English way and how to be Queen, but lost interest around about the time Edmund arrived on the scene.
The first quarter of the novel began with promise, with a strong plot and a good selection of characters. Though I thought Katherine was quite meek I hoped that life with Henry and as a Queen would bring her out of her shell and create another legendary Medieval Queen.
The stark, neglected early life of Katherine was a lovely comparison against the sudden luxuries that being Queen of England bought. I thought perhaps she would grow appreciative of these indulgences but it developed that Katherine valued one thing above all the fripperies of Queenhood. Love, or more specifically I suppose, attention. This dependence on men for attention actually became very dull reading quite quickly, and after 500+ pages I was certainly ready for the novel to end.
There was an undeveloped and awkward juxtaposition between the Queen that Katherine was - meek and naive - and the image that O'Brien wanted to paint of a strong, medieval Queen. When she did flex her royal muscles she tended to give up on the principle very quickly - Defending her position as Henry's mother and her role in his household and then suddenly giving up on the idea by mid-book. She had no interest in politics, war or society. She led a secluded, sheltered life away from court, which was such dull reading. Days and days of her moving from house to house and doing nothing while there. Even Fifty Shades of Grey had a subplot to entertain the reader to break up the periods of... romance.
I can understand why she perhaps didn't bother herself with the ins-and-outs of Henry's wars, or to understand the roles of society following Edmund's political machinations, but she didn't even attempt to understand the Welsh issue once involved with Owen and he was supposedly the love of her life . She was so self-absorbed. Her world was everything within the walls of her home, but did not extend beyond. Again, this was far too little plot to fill 500 pages and became quite dull.
Overall I felt that there was not enough interest or context within the novel to sustain the length. Katherine was an interesting figure but so reliant on male attention that the plot points were merely a collection of times that one of her lovers glanced her way, smiled at her or used her name... Katherine was never happier than when she was being adored by a man, and unfortunately I prefer my Medieval Queens more fiesty.
I enjoyed the start, the early days where Katherine had to learn the English way and how to be Queen, but lost interest around about the time Edmund arrived on the scene.
March 10, 2016
The Forbidden Queen tells the story of Katherine of Valois, who was briefly married to Henry V (an English king most famous for his defeat of the French at the Battle of Agincourt). She is the daughter of the famously-mad French king Charles VI and her marriage was a political match to award Henry V extensive lands in France. Henry dies young, his heir Henry VI still a baby, and Katherine lives as a widow. She is perhaps most famous for marrying her servant Owen Tudor (a huge scandal!) and beginning the Tudor line that later claimed the English throne. She died quite young - aged only 35 years old. The context is the cusp of the Wars of the Roses.
The novel charts nearly Katherine’s entire life - including an alleged romantic match with Edmund Beaufort which was not allowed by the council ruling in the place of her son. It follows her romance with Owen Tudor and ends as she enters a nunnery, fearing her imminent death (which did indeed happen a couple of months later).
This book is primarily a romance, rather than a historical fiction. Though there has clearly been a lot of research - at the end of the novel the author has included some short notes on where she got certain plot ideas from, and also about the places mentioned in the novel. I always appreciate this context for fiction based on real events. I also felt there was a strong effort to incorporate Welsh medieval history, as Owen Tudor was Welsh. To me there could have been a lot more of this interesting subject.
Anne O’Brien mentions that Katherine has been portrayed in history as a stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’; beautiful but lacking any substance or involvement the politics of the day. O’Brien thinks this a disservice and wanted to portray a ‘remarkable woman’. To me, this portrayal didn’t come across. Katherine’s character is a typical romantic heroine - silly, obsessed with love and romance, needing protecting and saving by big, strong men. She makes poor decisions and, quite frankly, needs a good slap more than once.
I’m not a romance novel fan, so it’s tricky for me to judge this book. I enjoyed the early parts that detail Katherine’s marriage to Henry V, but once she became involved with Owen Tudor I had to start skipping long, impassioned sections with speeches, desperate longing and forbidden trysts. I felt like we were missing all of the action - this was a politically dark and dangerous time as Edward III’s ancestors were beginning their power struggle between houses of York and Lancaster. However, to be fair, there is no evidence that Katherine was involved in the politics of the day. This is probably an accurate representation, but I personally didn’t feel interested in her.
The novel charts nearly Katherine’s entire life - including an alleged romantic match with Edmund Beaufort which was not allowed by the council ruling in the place of her son. It follows her romance with Owen Tudor and ends as she enters a nunnery, fearing her imminent death (which did indeed happen a couple of months later).
This book is primarily a romance, rather than a historical fiction. Though there has clearly been a lot of research - at the end of the novel the author has included some short notes on where she got certain plot ideas from, and also about the places mentioned in the novel. I always appreciate this context for fiction based on real events. I also felt there was a strong effort to incorporate Welsh medieval history, as Owen Tudor was Welsh. To me there could have been a lot more of this interesting subject.
Anne O’Brien mentions that Katherine has been portrayed in history as a stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’; beautiful but lacking any substance or involvement the politics of the day. O’Brien thinks this a disservice and wanted to portray a ‘remarkable woman’. To me, this portrayal didn’t come across. Katherine’s character is a typical romantic heroine - silly, obsessed with love and romance, needing protecting and saving by big, strong men. She makes poor decisions and, quite frankly, needs a good slap more than once.
I’m not a romance novel fan, so it’s tricky for me to judge this book. I enjoyed the early parts that detail Katherine’s marriage to Henry V, but once she became involved with Owen Tudor I had to start skipping long, impassioned sections with speeches, desperate longing and forbidden trysts. I felt like we were missing all of the action - this was a politically dark and dangerous time as Edward III’s ancestors were beginning their power struggle between houses of York and Lancaster. However, to be fair, there is no evidence that Katherine was involved in the politics of the day. This is probably an accurate representation, but I personally didn’t feel interested in her.
February 17, 2016
Katherine de Valois was the daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabelle of Bavaria. When she was fourteen, her parents entered into negotiations to marry her to King Henry V of England who demanded a large dowry and acknowledgement of his right to the throne of France. After much bantering back and forth, the deal was struck. The moment Henry saw Katherine, he was smitten by her great beauty and they were soon married. True love grew between them and Katherine was very happy with her new surroundings and husband.
In 1421, while Henry was fighting in France, she gave birth to a son and named him after his father. Before Henry could return home to meet his namesake, he died of dysentery. At the tender age of 21, Katherine became a widow. Not long afterwards, her father died, leaving the infant Prince Henry to be become king of England and in parts of France.
In time, Katherine fell in love with Edmund Beaufort, her late husband 19s cousin. Humphrey, her late husband 19s brother, concerned she might remarry, introduce a bill in Parliament making it impossible for Katherine to remarry without the king's consent. If she did so, her husband would lose his lands and possessions, but their children would be considered members of the royal family. Oh, and he also included the clause that the king must have reached his majority before he could grant his approval. At the time this new law was set in place, the king was only six years old. Edward Beaufort abandoned his ambitious quest to marry the dowager queen and soon found himself another wife. Katherine was trapped, kept under watch by the king 19s counsellors.
Ah, but soon, love returned to her life in the form of a handsome man named Owen Tudor of Wales. An impoverished noble, he worked as the keeper of her household and wardrobe. Their love burgeoned, they secretly married, and she soon bore him a child, sending shock waves and scandal through the court.
The Forbidden Queen is a historical novel that sticks close to the facts. The story is conscientiously written with lush detail and historical insight. What I found most compelling were the struggles Katherine faced as she fought to stay close to her son while machinations were at work to keep her at a good distance from any decision making. She was to appear by the boy-king 19s side, but was prevented from holding any influence over him.
I had never read a novel about this lesser known queen, and was thrilled to have her story portrayed with such passion, elegance, and vivid detail. The writing flowed easily, making it a pleasant read. Highly recommended.
In 1421, while Henry was fighting in France, she gave birth to a son and named him after his father. Before Henry could return home to meet his namesake, he died of dysentery. At the tender age of 21, Katherine became a widow. Not long afterwards, her father died, leaving the infant Prince Henry to be become king of England and in parts of France.
In time, Katherine fell in love with Edmund Beaufort, her late husband 19s cousin. Humphrey, her late husband 19s brother, concerned she might remarry, introduce a bill in Parliament making it impossible for Katherine to remarry without the king's consent. If she did so, her husband would lose his lands and possessions, but their children would be considered members of the royal family. Oh, and he also included the clause that the king must have reached his majority before he could grant his approval. At the time this new law was set in place, the king was only six years old. Edward Beaufort abandoned his ambitious quest to marry the dowager queen and soon found himself another wife. Katherine was trapped, kept under watch by the king 19s counsellors.
Ah, but soon, love returned to her life in the form of a handsome man named Owen Tudor of Wales. An impoverished noble, he worked as the keeper of her household and wardrobe. Their love burgeoned, they secretly married, and she soon bore him a child, sending shock waves and scandal through the court.
The Forbidden Queen is a historical novel that sticks close to the facts. The story is conscientiously written with lush detail and historical insight. What I found most compelling were the struggles Katherine faced as she fought to stay close to her son while machinations were at work to keep her at a good distance from any decision making. She was to appear by the boy-king 19s side, but was prevented from holding any influence over him.
I had never read a novel about this lesser known queen, and was thrilled to have her story portrayed with such passion, elegance, and vivid detail. The writing flowed easily, making it a pleasant read. Highly recommended.
October 22, 2017
I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks
"The Forbidden Queen" by Anne O'Brien tells the story of Katherine de Valois---Princess of France, wife of King Henry V, mother of King Henry VI, and the woman who would create the Tudor dynasty. Every since she was a young girl, Katherine was a pawn in everyone's political games, but she will be the one in charge of her fate for once, even if that provokes the ire of the English court and could put her very life in danger.
Yes! Some historical fiction love for Katherine de Valois! Okay, this isn't the first book dedicated to this remarkable woman, but still, I'm glad to see the historical fiction book treatment given to Katherine who history often ignores or brushes to the side. The more books about her, the better. Her life has all the makings of an incredible story: a princess of France with a father who has gone mad, a wife of a king who dies tragically, a mother of a future king who is only a baby when his father dies, and a creator of one of the most famous English dynasties. Plus, throw in political and court intrigue and romance and you are hooked on every page.
Anne O'Brien delivers a very well done book from start to finish. She basically divides Katherine's life up into three sections: Katherine's marriage to King Henry V, her infatuation with Edmund Beaufort, and her marriage to Owen Tudor. This certainly provides for a speedy narrative, but a narrative that holds your continuous attention, and never feels like it's moving so quickly that you're missing important moments. Katherine gets her fair share of character development, starting the novel as a naive lovestruck girl, to a flirtatious young woman, and finally to a woman who realizes the mistakes of her past and wants to love and be loved in the fashion that she so chooses and won't let the English court rule her every decision.
So who to recommend this book to? Obviously fans of historical fiction. And also to fans of the Tudor dynasty. Many people tend to only read about King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, but I highly recommend picking this book up if you want to start right at the very beginning...the prequel if you will. We don't know much about the real historical Katherine de Valois, but I like to think that this book is a true representation of her and I hope people see what a remarkable woman she was.
"The Forbidden Queen" by Anne O'Brien tells the story of Katherine de Valois---Princess of France, wife of King Henry V, mother of King Henry VI, and the woman who would create the Tudor dynasty. Every since she was a young girl, Katherine was a pawn in everyone's political games, but she will be the one in charge of her fate for once, even if that provokes the ire of the English court and could put her very life in danger.
Yes! Some historical fiction love for Katherine de Valois! Okay, this isn't the first book dedicated to this remarkable woman, but still, I'm glad to see the historical fiction book treatment given to Katherine who history often ignores or brushes to the side. The more books about her, the better. Her life has all the makings of an incredible story: a princess of France with a father who has gone mad, a wife of a king who dies tragically, a mother of a future king who is only a baby when his father dies, and a creator of one of the most famous English dynasties. Plus, throw in political and court intrigue and romance and you are hooked on every page.
Anne O'Brien delivers a very well done book from start to finish. She basically divides Katherine's life up into three sections: Katherine's marriage to King Henry V, her infatuation with Edmund Beaufort, and her marriage to Owen Tudor. This certainly provides for a speedy narrative, but a narrative that holds your continuous attention, and never feels like it's moving so quickly that you're missing important moments. Katherine gets her fair share of character development, starting the novel as a naive lovestruck girl, to a flirtatious young woman, and finally to a woman who realizes the mistakes of her past and wants to love and be loved in the fashion that she so chooses and won't let the English court rule her every decision.
So who to recommend this book to? Obviously fans of historical fiction. And also to fans of the Tudor dynasty. Many people tend to only read about King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, but I highly recommend picking this book up if you want to start right at the very beginning...the prequel if you will. We don't know much about the real historical Katherine de Valois, but I like to think that this book is a true representation of her and I hope people see what a remarkable woman she was.
August 21, 2013
Forbidden Queen by Anne O'Brien
Katherine de Valois is a queen won in battle. Given to Henry V of England after the battle of Agincourt, Katherine is smitten with her groom. As a forgotten child, she longs for love and a purpose. Her purpose, according to Henry, is to provide an heir and nothing more. Heartbroken, Katherine learns to live alone and unloved. When she is widowed young, Katherine feels her youth end. Destined to be the Queen Mother, Katherine must give up her wants for the good of her son and England's future king. But life has other plans for The Forbidden Queen.
This book was my first book by Anne O'Brien, and my first book about Katherine de Valois. Anne is a wonderful author, who brings Katherine to life. I enjoyed how Anne even displayed her flaws, including her insecurity and mood swings. Though some thought Katherine's indecision made the book stall, I found it strengthened it. I love how both Katherine and Owen fought hard for their love, even after they married. This is an awesome book. I loved it! Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy.
Katherine de Valois is a queen won in battle. Given to Henry V of England after the battle of Agincourt, Katherine is smitten with her groom. As a forgotten child, she longs for love and a purpose. Her purpose, according to Henry, is to provide an heir and nothing more. Heartbroken, Katherine learns to live alone and unloved. When she is widowed young, Katherine feels her youth end. Destined to be the Queen Mother, Katherine must give up her wants for the good of her son and England's future king. But life has other plans for The Forbidden Queen.
This book was my first book by Anne O'Brien, and my first book about Katherine de Valois. Anne is a wonderful author, who brings Katherine to life. I enjoyed how Anne even displayed her flaws, including her insecurity and mood swings. Though some thought Katherine's indecision made the book stall, I found it strengthened it. I love how both Katherine and Owen fought hard for their love, even after they married. This is an awesome book. I loved it! Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy.
February 6, 2013
The Forbidden Queen is a bittersweet and moving book. Katherine De Valois is a well written character that you soon find yourself rooting for.
The book starts with Katherine and her sister being brought up in a loveless household in Paris. Where their parents have not time for them. Their Mother is too busy keeping her own court whilst their father suffers from madness.
Katherine finds her escape from her hell in the form of her marriage to Henry V, the English hero of Agincourt and she hopes that this is her way to find true love. However soon strikes close to home for Katherine and she finds herself without a husband and without the love that she so craves.
As the book progresses you find you want Katherine to find and keep hold of the love that she wants and needs. As she falls in love with each suitor, you do too due to Anne's O'Brien brilliant writing style.
The book starts with Katherine and her sister being brought up in a loveless household in Paris. Where their parents have not time for them. Their Mother is too busy keeping her own court whilst their father suffers from madness.
Katherine finds her escape from her hell in the form of her marriage to Henry V, the English hero of Agincourt and she hopes that this is her way to find true love. However soon strikes close to home for Katherine and she finds herself without a husband and without the love that she so craves.
As the book progresses you find you want Katherine to find and keep hold of the love that she wants and needs. As she falls in love with each suitor, you do too due to Anne's O'Brien brilliant writing style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2017
Awful. Melodramatic in both plot and word choice, even dipping into the downright ridiculous in some points (when I read the phrase "liquid thighs" I actually said 'are you serious?' out loud). There are multiple contradictions in both characterisations and in plot which were frustrating. It is also teeming with cliches.
The political machinations between Edmund Beaufort and the Duke of Gloucester were mildly interesting, as was the tiny bit of Welsh history that was thrown in. The rest of the plot was melodramatic rubbish.
The political machinations between Edmund Beaufort and the Duke of Gloucester were mildly interesting, as was the tiny bit of Welsh history that was thrown in. The rest of the plot was melodramatic rubbish.
July 5, 2018
Wow. This was probably my favorite out of all of all of Anne O'Brien's books. Katherine, while naive at times was very enduring. You can't help but to be in her corner. Also, I loved Owen. I loved the portrayal of their love--I like to think it was similar to what O'Brien has written. She got stronger as she matured and decided that love was worth fighting for. The epilogue made my eyes well with tears.
5 stars for story and narration.
5 stars for story and narration.
November 3, 2015
I didn't know that much about Katherine of Valois and so I enjoyed this book about her short and somewhat unhappy life. I wish the story hadn't jumped several years to when she'd been married to Owen Tudor, but I can understand why the author made that choice.
August 25, 2019
Pretty awful story of Katherine of Valois. Don’t know why I finished it.
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