Young Bess

Elizabeth Trilogy #1

by Margaret Irwin

Growing up in the shadow of her dead mother, the infamous Anne Boleyn, young Princess Elizabeth has learnt to be continuously on the watch for the political games played out around her. It is never certain when one might rise, or precariously fall, out of royal favor. When her distant father, Henry VIII, dies, the future brightens for Elizabeth. She is able to set up a home with Henry’s last wife, Katherine Parr who now has a new husband, Tom Seymour. Tom, however, is playing a risky game. Marrying a widowed queen is one thing, flirting with the King’s daughter and second in line to the throne is another. As the adolescent Elizabeth finds herself dangerously attracted to him, danger encroaches upon herself and the kingdom…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period, British Literature, 16th Century, Romance

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

Born in 1899 and educated at Oxford, Irwin was recognized as a novelist of well-researched and occasionally heart-breaking historical fiction. She is best known for her trilogy about Elizabeth I: Young Bess, Elizabeth Captive Princess, and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain. Young Bess was made into a movie starring Jean Simmons.

Irwin also wrote passionately about the English Civil War, causing generations to fall in love with the ill-fated but charismatic Earl of Montrose.

Reviews

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whether as a child or as an adult; the life of Queen Elizabeth I was quite interesting and dramatic, to say the least. Margaret Irwin begins her Elizabeth Trilogy following the future Gloriana as a young teen aging both physically and mentally in, “Young Bess”.

Irwin’s writing strikes the reader with instant literary tones in the realm of flowery descriptions, symbolism, and vivid imagery. This captures the reader without turning “Young Bess” into a fluff piece by focusing ardently on historical events (“Young Bess” is more history than fiction). The issue with this is that there are some historical inaccuracies but perhaps Irwin can be forgiven as “Young Bess” was published in the 1940s.

“Young Bess” can definitely be described as ‘dry’ as the text contains little dialogue and the narrator merely describes events instead of allowing the reader to live through them. Much of the plot is a history recap versus actually revealing Elizabeth, at all. In fact, Elizabeth feels sort of like an afterthought instead of being a main character.

There are quite a few instances where Irwin tries to create controversy by simply name-calling characters and using elementary-level teasing instead of imaginatively weaving it into the plot. This feels like debasing the events and doesn’t truly add anything to the story.

At approximately the halfway point, Irwin infuses “Young Bess” with a bit more of a fictional styling creating a faster pace amongst the pages. Elizabeth begins to come off the pages much more in comparison than she was and Irwin explores angles on how her childhood may have affected her adult self. Also evident at this point are unique highlights which other Tudor HF novels never focus on (such as Thomas Seymour’s time spent in Hungary). This is quite welcomed.

In true Irwin style, “Young Bess” jumps between characters and their points of view of the story. This, luckily, is not overwhelming to the reader and does not create any chunkiness (although it reduces the spotlight on Elizabeth even more). Another common Irwin trait, heavy foreshadowing, is infused into the text of “Young Bess”. This is more noticeable for those familiar with Elizabeth and may not be as striking to the general reader.

The concluding chapters of “Young Bess” are quite evocative with emotion and shed an understandable and relatable light to the hysterical feeling surrounding the execution of Thomas Seymour and the last days of King Edward’s reign. Sadly, this still bypasses the views of Elizabeth and ends the novel rather abruptly (this may be due to the fact that there are more books within the trilogy).

Like most other older HF novels; Irwin did not include any notes to explain any historical liberties taken or a genealogical table which could be of use to the general reader.

Overall, “Young Bess” is rather strong in terms of historical focus but weak when it comes to retaining the essence of a novel. The pages fail to bring Elizabeth alive therefore eclipsing any character growth while the plot doesn’t express a proper arc. “Young Bess” is consequentially somewhat dry and flat. The novel basically displays an absence of excitement or that special, “oomph”. Despite these complaints, “Young Bess” is a rather good historical overview for those seeking less fluff and is therefore recommended for readers interested in the Tudors.

[Gabriel]

I don't have the right to rate this book for I did not even make it to the half of the story line.
This book was not bad I actually loved it but due to personal circumstances I suddenly lost the desire to finish this book for it had became the symbol of poignant memories . I would highly recommend this book for those who love to read historical fiction most especially those books that focuses on the Tudor period.

[Alantie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really cannot fathom why people are giving this book such high reviews. I love historical fiction, I love the Tudors, but something about this book just didn't jive with me. To be honest I found it very dry - most of it is telling, not showing. There's very little meaningful conversation and there's no real personal connection to anyone in the text.

There are great big passages where it talks about the plots that are happening but it's always from a distance- we don't see the conversations play out in real time, it feels like all of this is being told by an onlooker who's not bothering to pay any attention to the people to try to figure out what's happening. We don't get inside their heads, we're usually told and not shown what they are thinking or feeling, and it got very tiresome very quickly.

The POV also meanders and changes rapidly. One minute Bess is pondering her family and then the next we're a thousand miles away in the castle with the King and Protector and then a couple lines later it jumps to Catherine who's noticed Tom's interest in Bess, it's just like- there's no indications that these switches are happening either, no chapter changeovers, no breaks in the flow of the story, nothing, which makes it even more of a pain.

And I'm kind of eyebrow raising over the behavior of 'Bess'. This girl is quite frankly a brat. It's like the worst qualities of Henry and Anne were both cobbled together to create this young version of Elizabeth and it just seemed very much at odds with everything else I've read or seen about Elizabeth and how she was portrayed.

But then, I do seem to be in the minority, so read, form your own opinion. Maybe I'm the crazy one.

[Natasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Bess was a wonderful story, centering on a time in Elizabeth’s life when things still aren’t certain for her. Danger, doubt, and treachery are at every turn. The research that the author did for this book shines through in the writing. 

[CLM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my mother's favorite book, which influenced both her and me in our love of the 16th century. I asked her to share her thoughts:

https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...

I recently found out it was made into a movie starring Jean Simmons. The popularity of Philippa Gregory has brought this wonderful trilogy back into print.

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young Bess is the first in a trilogy Margaret Irwin wrote on the life of Elizabeth Tudor and begins towards the end of Henry VIII's life during his marriage to Catherine Parr. Upon Henry's death Bess goes to live with the widowed Catherine who soon marries the new King's uncle Tom Seymour - but was Catherine really Tom's first choice for a bride or would he have preferred to marry the young princess to further his own ambitions? Bess is barely on the cusp of womanhood and Tom's *flirtations* begin to appear most inappropriate and Catherine must step to nip it in the bud and separate the two.

The book continues through the reign of her brother Edward as Bess and Tom face the consequences for their reckless actions. The trilogy continues in Elizabeth, The Captive Princess and Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain. While I did enjoy this novel a great deal and Irwin's writing is top-notch, this book didn't bring any new knowledge to *the table* either. I believe this was written for the YA market and would do very nicely for today's younger readers new to the period as well as for those who do enjoy a YA book on occasion. Readers looking for a heavier going read should look elsewhere, and I highly recommend Susan Kay's Legacy (which BTW is being reissued by Sourcebooks in 2010).

[Haley Mathiot · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I was reading this book I had my moments where I was thinking “this is nice…this is cute…” the writing was very eloquent and good. However the plot was just… nonexistent. By page 85 not much had happened. I had no urge to continue reading and even though I enjoyed it while I was reading it, I had to force myself to sit down and read it. And you should never have to force yourself to read a book (except for school). I felt the same way about The Midnight Charter. Both of these were similar in that they both had a bit of politics in them.

I did like the characters (Loved Tom Seymour!) and the writing, again, was great. But nothing made me want to keep reading.

I didn’t get far enough into the book to be able to say what content was in it.

Young Bess was re-published by Sourcebooks March 1st. Please know that I am in the minority for those who didn’t like/finish it. See other reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my blog...
Exquisitely written, well researched, with intense and vivid imagery, Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen is an absolutely amazing beginning of what promises to be a spectacular trilogy chronicling the life of Queen Elizabeth. Margaret Irwin has such a brilliant command of this time period, the reader is immediately transported back in time to the end of King Henry VIII's rule as a young Bess has moved in with the newly widowed Catherine Parr and her new husband Thomas Seymour and King Edward IV sits upon the thrown. I do believe my favourite genre, if pressed to choose would be historical fiction and Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen is a shining example of exactly why historical fiction is such a fabulous genre. This novel is well researched, the characters are made quite real to the reader and the plot will keep the reader turning the pages, even if the reader does in fact already know the historical facts, one cannot help but anxiously await what will happen next in this novel. The only negative I can think of is the fact that I must wait until October 2010, for the release of the second book of the trilogy, Elizabeth, Captive Princess. An absolute must read, I give Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen high marks all around and recommend this novel to everyone.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my blog...[return]Exquisitely written, well researched, with intense and vivid imagery, Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen is an absolutely amazing beginning of what promises to be a spectacular trilogy chronicling the life of Queen Elizabeth. Margaret Irwin has such a brilliant command of this time period, the reader is immediately transported back in time to the end of King Henry VIII's rule as a young Bess has moved in with the newly widowed Catherine Parr and her new husband Thomas Seymour and King Edward IV sits upon the thrown. I do believe my favourite genre, if pressed to choose would be historical fiction and Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen is a shining example of exactly why historical fiction is such a fabulous genre. This novel is well researched, the characters are made quite real to the reader and the plot will keep the reader turning the pages, even if the reader does in fact already know the historical facts, one cannot help but anxiously await what will happen next in this novel. The only negative I can think of is the fact that I must wait until October 2010, for the release of the second book of the trilogy, Elizabeth, Captive Princess. An absolute must read, I give Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen high marks all around and recommend this novel to everyone.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reprint; the book was originally written in 1944. Elizabeth I is one of my favorite historical figures and I have done quite a bit of reading about her - but most of it is from the time after she ascended to the throne. It was very interesting to read a book that takes you back to the time when she was still a child. Before she became the political genius and great Queen of England.

The book was easy to read and is very detailed as to its period and time. My only issue is that at time it seems that the book switches tone from historical novel to history book in trying to put forth the necessary information to move the story forward. This was, of course, a very challenging time in England's history and there was much intrigue going on as Henry VIII faded away. After his death the short reign of Edward was fraught with strife due to his guardians. Elizabeth's position was precarious and she had many lessons to learn.
Yet it is often forgotten that she was still very young.

The book is an excellent starting point for someone wanting to learn about Elizabeth and this period in history. It is part of a trilogy and the other books are also due to be reprinted. I will eagerly await their publication. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Young Bess.

[Hayat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to re-read this trilogy. It was pure joy but i just wish the author continued with the series as it felt like she left it at a cliff-hanger at the end of book 3.

[Gareth Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times, this book is almost unbearably beautiful, especially in its summary of characters - her description of the tragedy in paradoxes that sat at the heart of Queen Mary I, for instance, is a gorgeous and insightful piece of writing. Unfortunately, for most of the book, the author’s impressive research is essentially a list of facts held together by intermittent pseudo-fictional dialogue which lets the characters, particularly the eponymous Elizabeth, feel almost incidental. But, it is worth it for some of Irwin’s jewels of description.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has taken me ages to read, which is partly a reflection on the book, but I was also quite busy. The Tudor times are one of my favourite periods in history which is mainly why I was drawn to this book and in the aspect of history I got exactly what I wanted. However, some sections were extremely boring and long which let it down for me and made me at times not want to continue to read to it. I am glad I persisted with it though as it did pick up at the end, but I don't know whether I will read the second book in the series. I definitely now need a break reading a lighter book.

[Redsteve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adequate historical novel. It's got a somewhat YA feel but not unduly so. Very readable. History is OK although the author COMPLETELY glosses over Thomas Seymour's attempt to kidnap the young King Edward VI. Also, Irwin obviously falls on the "tell" side of the "show-tell axis" which often gives this novel a docudrama-ish feel. There are large blocks of history that are simply described, or told in a character's memories or in their thoughts. Not terrible; not great. 2.5 stars.

[Mariah Westerhausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a vintage book subscription and didn't think I would enjoy it. If you like history about Henry VIII and his children, this is an excellent novel to read. It is from the view of Elizabeth I as she is growing up right after King Henry's death while her brother is made king at age 11. Very interesting view and well written.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as a teen!

[Elizabeth (Thoughts From an Evil Overlord) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Margaret Irwin's Young Bess introduces us to an Elizabeth rarely written about. Opening when she is twelve years old, readers meet an intelligent, strong-willed child who has been reunited with her father through the auspices of his Queen, Catherine Parr. Loving and admiring her father, Bess, like any other child has been hurt by his refusal to see her for several years, and is mistrustful of his words and actions. The constancy of her governess, Mrs. Ashley is all she has had until this marriage of her father and Catherine Parr, his sixth wife. Twice a widow, Catherine has no children of her own and the care of Bess and Edward, as well as making Mary an important member of court, brings her delight. On the death of the King, Bess is pleased to be placed in the dowager Queen's household under the guardianship of Sir Thomas Seymour, whom the Queen had married less than six months after Henry's death. Seymour uses Elizabeth's youth and proximity to play and flirt to the point that Bess must leave the household to protect her reputation. Angry and also despondent, Bess is even more upset about the news of Catherine's death in childbirth a few months later. Catherine's death leaves Seymour even more time to pursue the young princess and intrigue against his brother, Edward, Lord Protector of young King Edward. Seymour's plots are soon discovered and his treason in plotting against the king causes him to lose his head.
Through all of these plots, rumors, deaths, and marriages, Young Bess keeps her own counsel. Mrs. Ashley and Catherine Parr taught her well to hold her opinions and stay out of plotting. Although she fully intends to become Queen one day, the teenage Elizabeth is smart enough to know that it will not come about through plotting against her younger brother or older sister Mary. The book ends with the pitiable death of little King Edward and the machinations of John Dudley, current Lord Protector attempting to put his own son on the thrown instead of Mary or Elizabeth.
I greatly enjoyed the strong, wily and intelligent young princess presented to us by Mrs. Irwin. I think Elizabeth would have to have been that way from a very young age to have ruled so well as an adult. It also shows positive aspects of both her parents' personas in her own, without her father's rages and her mother's lack of understanding consequences. King Edward, of whom very little is known, is portrayed as pious and cold, a boy who doesn't mind being sickly and having to stay indoors as he loves to read and study theology. Her sister Mary is portrayed as mercurial, as is often the case, and definitely never actually happy, contentment being the closest she comes to happiness. Young Bess gives a great perspective on an often ignored time in the life of Queen Elizabeth I, and I eagerly await the October publication of Elizabeth: Captive Princess.

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book focuses on the young Elizabeth (from aged 12 to 19) and her fiery relationship with Tom Seymour. It is a bit confused at first as to whether it is teaching people the history of the royal children or telling the story; the history textbook feel is added to by the fact that some phrases are lifted from historical documents and letters. It feels like the author is showing off her research a little too much. I was a little surprised at just how floral the prose was until I realised it was written in the 1940s.

Having said that, it is so clear the author loved writing this. It is a labour of love. You can almost see her sitting at her desk (somewhere by the sea), finding a new letter from the young King Edward to his sister Elizabeth and almost shrieking with delight, imagining exactly why he wrote that and putting it into her precious story. That made me laugh as it's the sort of thing I do whilst writing! The characters are interestingly developed throughout the book.

I would have liked the first half to have gone a little quicker, and from aged 15 to 19 apparently nothing worth writing happened to Elizabeth, whereas every detail was noted before. Most historical books written today have to have a twist to the conventional tale, I can't decide whether I liked the fact this didn't or not.

This is a great book if you love the era and want to know more about Elizabeth's childhood and Tom Seymour, but I don't know if it's the best book on the heavily covered subject of the Tudors.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have read the stories about Queen Anne and King Henry but what about Princess Elizabeth? In Young Bess, the first book in the Elizabeth I trilogy, readers learn about Elizabeth “Bess” and her life after her mother’s death. Bess does not have much love for he father, the King. In fact you could say she will not be heart broken when he dies. Bess strikes up a romantic interlude with her step-mother, Catherine Parr’s husband, Tom Seymour. She and Tom are playing a dangerous game. Though, who is really playing whom?

I liked this book. I have to admit that I don’t know much about the Tudor era but I find books about this time period fascinating. This was a nice change from all the other books that are currently out about Queen Anne and Kind Henry VII. This book focused on Princess Elizabeth. In Young Bess, Elizabeth is really conniving and vindictive. Bess and Tom’s relationship I felt was more of a love/hate relationship than the real deal. She almost made her father, King Henry VIII look good. Young Bess is a check out read for fans of the Tudors. I can’t wait to continue this exciting journey with author, Margaret Irwin.

[Kim Kaso · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in 1944, but it can hold its own with most of the books about the reign of the Tudors that are popular today. She does not write quite as salaciously about matters sexual as Philippa Gregory did in The Other Boleyn Girl, but she makes Thomas Seymour's pursuit of the young Princess Elizabeth while married to her pregnant step-mother, Katherine Parr, quite clear. Here is a man who definitely wants his cake while voraciously eating it at the same time. Katherine Parr survived Henry VIII's moody old age, only to fall victim to the tender mercies of the passionate Seymour and his heedless ambition. I thoroughly enjoyed the first volume in the author's trilogy about Elizabeth, and I look forward to beginning the next volume once I finish a few more group books.

[Felicia Empey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This fits into the category of 'Historical Fiction Done Right' because of the research however the multiple viewpoints/exposition on the part of the different characters got a little annoying. I would have preferred it to be more from Elizabeth's POV since it is about her. I don't care what the Duke of Somerset is thinking with regard to his wife... I do want to know more about the conflicting feelings Elizabeth has towards Tom, technically he's taking advantage of her but she wants it but doesn't...see it could be really interesting! Maybe I'll just write my own book about Elizabeth and Tom Seymour.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am revisiting this book from when I read it in fourth grade which started my interest in Elizabeth I. Must confess, I am not sure how much was absorbed at that age as it is a much more sophisticated structure than I remembered. Written as a 'novel' the book does keep to the facts with some embellishments (not bad enough that this history teacher would fear readers would come away with incorrect views).
Felt that the last quarter of the text spent too much time away from Elizabeth but do understand that the Irwin was trying to show the impact of Edward and Thomas Seymour.

[Adrian Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

very engaging. This was billed as YA historical fiction, but I think it addresses more adult themes than YA, but at the same time doesn't focus on the gruesome or pornographic parts of history. I appreciated reading a book that could address violence and sex without making me flinch, and also without making it seem like it had ignored or left out the harshness of that time in history.

Historical fiction, following Elizabeth I from age 12 (?) to age 17. There are two more books in the series which I intend to read also.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

My aunt sent me this series. This is the first one. I had moments of enjoyment but found it a bit dry. Also, it seemed odd that so much time was spent developing certain scenes and characters and then the final chapter was a quick recap of ensuing betrayal and executions. It was as if the author had to finish up the novel in order to meet a deadline. I will probably read the rest of the series, simply because this historical family has always fascinated me. Hopefully the other two installments are more enjoyable.

[Mary Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot finish this book. The Elizabeth and Tom Seymour scenes make me feel uncomfortable and I don't like how Young Bess treated Kat Ashley and I especially hated the way Thomas Seymour treated Catherine Parr.

I added a second star because Elizabeth's relationship with her brother Edward is the only redeeming part of the book.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the moment I have a bit of a "thing" for the Tudors and have been watching a lot of documentaries dealing with the wives of Henry VIII and the fortunes of his offspring. I was recommended to read Phillippa Gregory but spotted this one on sale and thought I would give it a go. I have to admit, it was money well spent and I was surprised to discover how long ago this book was originally published (1944) as some of what we think of as modern sensibilities are overlaid on to the telling of the tale.

Clearly based in a good dose of fact (going of what I have seen on my recent documentary splurge and a little judicious internet searching) with just enough licence taken with the events to make for a fascinating read. Certainly no effort is made to project Elizabeth as a simpering princess or a wily-woman just waiting for her chance. Instead, Elizabeth is at first a relatively innocent child who is just getting to grips with the machinations of those surrounding her when her father passes who rapidly develops a sharp political instinct which will see her well through the years to come. I also enjoyed the fact that some reference is made to the numerous rumours circulated at the time that when Elizabeth went on "progress" to remote parts of her Kingdom she was really going to give birth to yet another Tudor illegitimate. Whether the rumours started as early as her being 14/15 I have no idea but they certainly were plentiful during her actual 40+ year reign.

You do need to pay attention as there is a varied cast here and not always called by the same name with some characters referring to others by affectionate diminutives only and others by their titles and yet more by their actual birth name. Compound this with the constant political upheavals and wranglings as each Lord tries to advance his cause whilst supposedly acting as part of a court of Regents for the young Edward as he grows towards Kingship and it does get a little bit confusing if you try and gallop through. The turns of phrase also smack well of what we know of the era from extant documentary evidence and particularly in the surviving journals of Royalty and those who surrounded them. The small sections written in the vernacular where wonderful to read as an evolution of our language.

If this is an era that interests you then this is a wonderful fictionalised account of the years during which Henry VIII dies and his young son is still only a King in name only, with all the power lodging with his Uncles. Although much of the book does concern the young Elizabeth in the second half there is a lot of information about what is happening at the Court and in other countries during this time period.

Once I've caught up a bit on my reading I will certainly be purchasing the remaining books in the trilogy.

[WyrmbergSabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me much longer to get through than I thought it would. At times it read like a history text, giving me mountains of information about the events happening around Young Bess, rather than telling me more about her feelings. I suppose that's that hardest thing about historical novels where the focus is on a known historical figure; the author has to tread carefully between what we know from written documents and paintings, and what the writer can infer from small clues that may or may not have been left behind.
This is the first historical novel I've read where the focus is on a known person, and it was very well researched, written cleanly and certainly told me the events that happened around the time; how the actions of others had a direct influence on members of the royal household. This would not have been possible if the story was only told from Bess' point of view.
I certainly learnt a lot about the young future Queen's teenage years, the scandals that surrounded her, and the careful line she had to walk after the death of her father; no mean feat for the amount of men that craved the power they could get by controlling the royal children.
This is part of a series about the life of Elizabeth, and Mary and although ends with a very positive outlook on the future, which history tells us was not as simple as we'd wish it, there is certainly enough set up to make the reader want to know more about young Bess' next steps.
At this point in history, Lady Jane Grey has just been declared Queen, and many of us know her tale already. I wonder how Elizabeth's tale will be told in the next instalment?
Read if you like the Tudor era, lots of historical information, and plenty of scandal.

[Natasha Padfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see why some people would enjoy it but this just was not my cup of tea. My major problem with it was the paragraph structure and the difficult sentence structure. I can't remember the last time I read a book which seemed to lack as much cohesion within paragraphs and successive sentences. It may be because the book was written quite a while ago but I'm not sure.

Also, this wasn't really a love story, there was very little depth of intimacy. It feels like this is more a story of infatuation, lust and sometimes manipulation rather than about a very deep connection - though sometimes there are some hints of a deeper facet to the interactions.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON ***************************
I really do understand that in those times, teenage girls were viewed as ready for marriage, possibly to much older men. Maybe if 'Bess' were viewed by the other characters as a woman I would not have been so uncomfortable with her flirtatious relationship with a man in his 30s - but the fact that she is constantly referred to as a child by all the other characters kind of made me uncomfortable. In some scenes this made it look like a much, much man who should have known better was preying on her and at times manipulating her.

[Jemina Feyarro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historical fiction about the childhood of Elizabeth I. I have mixed feelings about this book. Parts are interesting, other parts less so. Occasionally the book veers away from Elizabeth's story into dull politics of the day which seemed somewhat irrelevant. There are many chapters which come from the points of view of various historical figures, some of whom don't seem to connect very well to Elizabeth or to her overarching story and many of which are quite dull. I didn't mind the chapter from the point of view of Henry Seymour as I found this to be an interesting insight into the court from an outsiders point of view as well as being an illuminating insight into his elder brother, Edward Seymour.

I'm very much used to Philippa Gregory's style of writing this kind of historical fiction and found the pace to be lacking here and the story less interesting than I expected it to be. There's just something a bit stilted in the way Irwin writes.

[Jo Besser · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one took me a while to get through. I was actually interested in reading this book because I thought it would be written from Elizabeth's perspective, and how she navigates life after the killing of her mother.

Boy was I wrong...

This story seems to be about everyone else who's involved in Elizabeth's life. You are hearing from everyone else (including their thoughts and feelings) rather than from Elizabeth. She wasn't even a main character in her own story! I think it's why it took me so long to finish, there was way too much going on. The switch between characters was abrupt and confusing. I was bored soon after starting.