The Cousins' War Collection: White Queen, Red Queen, Lady of the Rivers, Kingmaker's Daughter, The White Princess

by Philippa Gregory

Cousins War Series Collection by Philippa Gregory 5 Books Set, brings the tumult and intrigue of The Wars of the Roses to vivid life in The Cousins' War, series of story about a family of complex rivalries, loves and hatreds.

Genres: Historical Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2014

About the author

DR PHILIPPA GREGORY studied history at the University of Sussex and was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Neilsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE for services to literature and to her charity Gardens for the Gambia. and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.

Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial

Reviews

[Madalena Metelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Envolvente, devora-se.

[Georgia Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having watched the ‘White Queen’ TV series, I wanted to read more about the characters. I was particularly taken with Jacquetta because of her links to witchcraft, her strong and resilient character and her part in the unlikely marriage between Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV.

The book took a while to get going and if I’m honest, her life didn’t become overly interesting until her daughter met King Edward - this book covers the lead up to this event and so it’s largely based on the many battles that took place between the Yorks and the Lancastrians.

However, it gives an interesting read and sets the scene for the later ongoing War of the Roses novels. I’m moving onto the ‘White Queen’ next and hoping this will be a more exciting read.

I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory and have read all of her Tudor novels - this was my least favourite but it serves as a good background for later happenings...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around 1484, the Battle of Bosworth Field in England was fought and ended The Wars of the Roses. The Lancasters against the Yorks was a civil war that the Lancasters won. King Richard III was fatally wounded, and Henry Tudor was crowned Henry VII. Margaret Beaufort, Henry's mother, rode the Royal Barge down the Thames which had been her goal ever since her difficult delivery of Henry when she only 14 years old. Her husband, Edmond Tudor, died before the child was born. I read this partial history of Margaret out of order in Ms. Gregory's trilogy, and I regret it.

Margaret was royalty but did not live most of her life at Court. She was not a sympathetic character in this book or in books I had previously read about her.
Maybe I felt some sympathy for her during her delivery of Henry. The same could be said when her husbands used her for their benefit. On the other hand, she did her share of 'using' the husbands and ladies of the Court to get her son crowned King. The princes in the tower went missing, and she may have had a hand in that all for God's will and her ambition. She was described as plain, never smiling or laughing. Compared to the two Elizabeths, she was rather dowdy and dull.

There was something that left me hanging in the end. Where did Jasper Tudor go when he left Henry shortly before the Bosworth battle? He had been with Henry and protected Henry for all of Henry's life. He schemed with Margaret to get Henry on the throne. So what happened to him? I even researched his life on Wikipedia, and still found no answer! Lol. Jasper told Henry he was going to find an escape route for them in case the battle did not go their way. Even Henry gave that explanation a second thought. There was another incident that I questioned, but I forgot what it was. Should I recall it, I will update this inane and close to stupid review!

Thank you, Ms. Gregory, for a good read.

[Sana Merchant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this author. She brings history to life. Have now read about half of her books and still enjoying them. My favourite is The Other Boleyn Girl. I loved Virgin Earth too.