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Queen of Shadows: A Novel of Isabella, Wife of King Edward II
Humiliated by her weak and unfaithful husband, Queen Isabella, wife of England's King Edward II, plots her revenge, joining forces with her lover, Roger Mortimer, to seize control of the throne, in a historical novel set against the backdrop of fourteenth-century England. Original. 75,000 first printing.
304 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 21, 2012
Gwenith’s family is killed when Edward I crushes Wales and Gwenith grows up with her grandmother, who makes Gwenith promise to seek vengeance for her family. She starts to serve Queen Isabella intending to bring harm but comes to respect Isabella, but comes hate the Despensers.
Book is told mostly from Gwenith’s point of view, for reasons I can’t figure out. The idea of Gwenith taking revenge for her family is kinda far-stretching. Why does she want to kill Edward II who isn’t in anyway responsible for the things that happened to her family? It would have been far more interesting to hear the story just from Isabella’s point of view. Instead we get abruptly changing POV’s which made me so confused. I had to read a sentence few times to make sense of it.
But I have to say I didn’t like Isabella either. She was just too good to be true. She is constantly complaining how the women are treated, how everyone loved her in France more and telling all the time that she is the queen.
The most annoying this was that it’s hinted through the book that Edward II wasn’t the real father of future Edward III, and it’s never told who the real father is supposed to be! I mean why!? It’s mentioned that Isabella spent some time in Scotland when Edward abandoned her and had an affair from which Edward III was born. If you invent such rubbish at least you could tell the inventory man’s name!
Isabella is also sneaking out to The Tower to have sex with Roger Mortimer, multiple times. Because queen can just leave castles wearing a hood as her only disguise. Queens are constantly watched and very rarely alone so how could she have managed to get her little trysts?
In the afterword it’s told that Edward III had huge sexual appetites and had many mistresses and illegitimate children. I don’t remember reading about any other mistress than Alice Perrers but I’m not sure about the children. Wouldn’t call it “huge sexual appetite” if he has one known mistress.
Book is told mostly from Gwenith’s point of view, for reasons I can’t figure out. The idea of Gwenith taking revenge for her family is kinda far-stretching. Why does she want to kill Edward II who isn’t in anyway responsible for the things that happened to her family? It would have been far more interesting to hear the story just from Isabella’s point of view. Instead we get abruptly changing POV’s which made me so confused. I had to read a sentence few times to make sense of it.
But I have to say I didn’t like Isabella either. She was just too good to be true. She is constantly complaining how the women are treated, how everyone loved her in France more and telling all the time that she is the queen.
The most annoying this was that it’s hinted through the book that Edward II wasn’t the real father of future Edward III, and it’s never told who the real father is supposed to be! I mean why!? It’s mentioned that Isabella spent some time in Scotland when Edward abandoned her and had an affair from which Edward III was born. If you invent such rubbish at least you could tell the inventory man’s name!
Isabella is also sneaking out to The Tower to have sex with Roger Mortimer, multiple times. Because queen can just leave castles wearing a hood as her only disguise. Queens are constantly watched and very rarely alone so how could she have managed to get her little trysts?
In the afterword it’s told that Edward III had huge sexual appetites and had many mistresses and illegitimate children. I don’t remember reading about any other mistress than Alice Perrers but I’m not sure about the children. Wouldn’t call it “huge sexual appetite” if he has one known mistress.
July 12, 2011
Hopelessly inaccurate, terrible ending...
Queen of Shadows tells the story of King Edward II's wife Isabella and her Welsh handmaiden Gwenith de Percy, from 1321-27. The novel's sub-heading `A Novel of Isabella, Queen of Edward II' is rather misleading, as it's equally Gwenith's story. (But then I suppose `A Novel of Queen Isabella and Some Random Invented Welshwoman' isn't quite as compelling.)
There are many events from Isabella's life during the period 1321-30 that would have made great fiction. However, Felber chooses not to dramatise most of them, instead focusing more on the fictional and rather tedious Gwenith. Much of the novel is seen through her eyes. As a child, she made a vow to her grandmother to avenge her grandfather and other family members, killed by Edward II's father Edward I. To me, this just seems like a silly and implausible plot device which forces Gwenith to spend a large part of the novel mooning about court wondering how to kill Edward II. Who did nothing against her family, anyway, and didn't commit any `atrocities' in Wales as Felber seems to think. (Edward II was, in fact, always popular there.) On the other hand, Gwenith immediately switches from loathing Roger Mortimer and calling him a 'beast' - Mortimer and his family really were widely hated in Wales, and Mortimer's uncle takes the head of one of Gwenith's kinsmen to Edward I in the novel's prologue - to liking and respecting him and helping him in his predicament in 1323, apparently for no other reason than it serves Felber's plot.
Gwenith isn't a horrible character, she's just very blah. So is Isabella, unfortunately; she doesn't do all that much except irritatingly proclaim `I am queen!' what seems like every five pages, whine about how badly treated she and other women are, and argue with Edward and Hugh Despenser. Isabella and other characters constantly - and I do mean constantly - refer to "Edward, the king", just in case the reader has forgotten who Isabella's husband is in the last couple of paragraphs. Isabella, as well as reminding everyone that she's queen every few pages, also keeps repeating "My father was king, and my brother is king!" Yes, you're royal; I get it.
Isabella herself too often comes across as a modern, politically correct woman dropped into the fourteenth century, constantly bemoaning the fact that she, as a woman, is subject to her lord and doesn't have the freedom that he does to pursue extra-marital affairs. Speaking of which, it's constantly hinted throughout `Queen of Shadows' that Edward II is not the father of Isabella's eldest child, the future Edward III. But this is never resolved. There are frequent mentions of the fact that Isabella spent time in Scotland when Edward `abandoned' her, that she had a passionate affair, that she lost the great love of her life, that Edward III resulted from "an act of sorrow and rage and sympathy".
Historically, this is complete nonsense, and it makes no sense as fiction either. As much of the novel is told from Isabella's point of view, there seems to be no good reason for constantly hinting at Isabella's affair but never revealing the truth. And Isabella keeps sneaking off to the Tower of London to have sex with Mortimer, a prisoner there and her husband's great enemy. Puh-leeze!! As though a medieval queen of England, who had less privacy than almost anyone else in history, could possibly have done such a thing, without being found out and grotesquely punished. Nice storyline, but there's no way the queen of England could have left court without dozens or hundreds of people noticing, and certainly not by the simple expedient of wearing a hood! Are we supposed to imagine the hood rendered her invisible?
Felber is pretty unfair to Edward II sometimes; as well as the 'atrocities' in Wales which he most certainly did not commit, she states that he had Jewish people murdered if they dared to set foot in England (his father had expelled them from England in 1290). There's not a shred of historical evidence that he ever did any such thing, and in fact, he often gave safe-conducts to Jewish merchants so that they could trade in England. Isabella, by contrast, is so enlightened that she secretly consults a Jewish physician. (Again, a medieval woman with 21st-century values.)
Just a handful of the many historical errors:
- Henry of Lancaster dying of plague in 1345 - 3 years before it reached England
- the religious order the Poor Clares founded by Edward II's niece Elizabeth de Clare. They were actually founded by Saint Chiara of Assisi in 1212, as a ten-second online search would have informed Felber.
- Edward II marrying his niece Eleanor de Clare to Hugh Despenser (his father arranged it in 1306)
- Felber gets the order of the French kings, Isabella's brothers, wrong - Louis X came before Philip V
- many of the dates are wrong, such as Mortimer's escape from the Tower, which took place in August 1323
- Isabella commutes the traitor's death sentence on her uncle the earl of Lancaster to simple beheading - nope, she had no power to do any such thing, and it was Edward II who commuted the sentence
- Edward III moves against his mother and Mortimer `almost immediately' after marrying Philippa of Hainault. In fact, it was 2 years and 9 months later (January 1328 to October 1330).
Right at the end, we get the lines "Her beloved grandson Edward was the image of his father. God willing, he'd never know that. God would forgive her for that, she knew." In a novel that frequently makes little sense, that really makes NO sense at all. Isabella's grandson Edward, the Black Prince, lived to his mid-forties and died in 1376, and her son Edward III died in 1377. I think it's safe to say that the Black Prince knew whether he was the image of Edward III or not. I can only make sense of it by assuming that `grandson' is a misprint for `son', and Felber meant to say that Edward III looks just like his real father, whoever he was, and not Edward II. Why, at the end of the novel, do we still not learn who Edward III's real father was? Of course, it's perfectly well known who Edward III's father was: Edward II. There is no doubt whatsoever about that. Edward II and Isabella were together in York for a few weeks in February/March 1312, in order to conceive their son, born 13 November 1312. Isabella was definitely not jaunting around Scotland, having an affair with some mysterious Scotsman.
This novel is appallingly inaccurate, historically, and doesn't work very well as fiction either. It doesn't end. It just - stops. Things are starting to get really dark and dangerous for Isabella; her husband has been murdered, her son has been imprisoned by her lover Mortimer, and she's beginning to become afraid of Mortimer herself. This is where Isabella's story REALLY starts to get exciting and dramatic. Then, you turn the page - and suddenly it's 28 years later and Mortimer has been dead for a quarter of a century! Huh?? Isabella's story is wrapped up, except that it isn't at all, in a little over two pages. Mortimer's fate is dealt with in one line. I can only assume that Felber reached her word count, or had a pressing deadline from her publisher...
Queen of Shadows tells the story of King Edward II's wife Isabella and her Welsh handmaiden Gwenith de Percy, from 1321-27. The novel's sub-heading `A Novel of Isabella, Queen of Edward II' is rather misleading, as it's equally Gwenith's story. (But then I suppose `A Novel of Queen Isabella and Some Random Invented Welshwoman' isn't quite as compelling.)
There are many events from Isabella's life during the period 1321-30 that would have made great fiction. However, Felber chooses not to dramatise most of them, instead focusing more on the fictional and rather tedious Gwenith. Much of the novel is seen through her eyes. As a child, she made a vow to her grandmother to avenge her grandfather and other family members, killed by Edward II's father Edward I. To me, this just seems like a silly and implausible plot device which forces Gwenith to spend a large part of the novel mooning about court wondering how to kill Edward II. Who did nothing against her family, anyway, and didn't commit any `atrocities' in Wales as Felber seems to think. (Edward II was, in fact, always popular there.) On the other hand, Gwenith immediately switches from loathing Roger Mortimer and calling him a 'beast' - Mortimer and his family really were widely hated in Wales, and Mortimer's uncle takes the head of one of Gwenith's kinsmen to Edward I in the novel's prologue - to liking and respecting him and helping him in his predicament in 1323, apparently for no other reason than it serves Felber's plot.
Gwenith isn't a horrible character, she's just very blah. So is Isabella, unfortunately; she doesn't do all that much except irritatingly proclaim `I am queen!' what seems like every five pages, whine about how badly treated she and other women are, and argue with Edward and Hugh Despenser. Isabella and other characters constantly - and I do mean constantly - refer to "Edward, the king", just in case the reader has forgotten who Isabella's husband is in the last couple of paragraphs. Isabella, as well as reminding everyone that she's queen every few pages, also keeps repeating "My father was king, and my brother is king!" Yes, you're royal; I get it.
Isabella herself too often comes across as a modern, politically correct woman dropped into the fourteenth century, constantly bemoaning the fact that she, as a woman, is subject to her lord and doesn't have the freedom that he does to pursue extra-marital affairs. Speaking of which, it's constantly hinted throughout `Queen of Shadows' that Edward II is not the father of Isabella's eldest child, the future Edward III. But this is never resolved. There are frequent mentions of the fact that Isabella spent time in Scotland when Edward `abandoned' her, that she had a passionate affair, that she lost the great love of her life, that Edward III resulted from "an act of sorrow and rage and sympathy".
Historically, this is complete nonsense, and it makes no sense as fiction either. As much of the novel is told from Isabella's point of view, there seems to be no good reason for constantly hinting at Isabella's affair but never revealing the truth. And Isabella keeps sneaking off to the Tower of London to have sex with Mortimer, a prisoner there and her husband's great enemy. Puh-leeze!! As though a medieval queen of England, who had less privacy than almost anyone else in history, could possibly have done such a thing, without being found out and grotesquely punished. Nice storyline, but there's no way the queen of England could have left court without dozens or hundreds of people noticing, and certainly not by the simple expedient of wearing a hood! Are we supposed to imagine the hood rendered her invisible?
Felber is pretty unfair to Edward II sometimes; as well as the 'atrocities' in Wales which he most certainly did not commit, she states that he had Jewish people murdered if they dared to set foot in England (his father had expelled them from England in 1290). There's not a shred of historical evidence that he ever did any such thing, and in fact, he often gave safe-conducts to Jewish merchants so that they could trade in England. Isabella, by contrast, is so enlightened that she secretly consults a Jewish physician. (Again, a medieval woman with 21st-century values.)
Just a handful of the many historical errors:
- Henry of Lancaster dying of plague in 1345 - 3 years before it reached England
- the religious order the Poor Clares founded by Edward II's niece Elizabeth de Clare. They were actually founded by Saint Chiara of Assisi in 1212, as a ten-second online search would have informed Felber.
- Edward II marrying his niece Eleanor de Clare to Hugh Despenser (his father arranged it in 1306)
- Felber gets the order of the French kings, Isabella's brothers, wrong - Louis X came before Philip V
- many of the dates are wrong, such as Mortimer's escape from the Tower, which took place in August 1323
- Isabella commutes the traitor's death sentence on her uncle the earl of Lancaster to simple beheading - nope, she had no power to do any such thing, and it was Edward II who commuted the sentence
- Edward III moves against his mother and Mortimer `almost immediately' after marrying Philippa of Hainault. In fact, it was 2 years and 9 months later (January 1328 to October 1330).
Right at the end, we get the lines "Her beloved grandson Edward was the image of his father. God willing, he'd never know that. God would forgive her for that, she knew." In a novel that frequently makes little sense, that really makes NO sense at all. Isabella's grandson Edward, the Black Prince, lived to his mid-forties and died in 1376, and her son Edward III died in 1377. I think it's safe to say that the Black Prince knew whether he was the image of Edward III or not. I can only make sense of it by assuming that `grandson' is a misprint for `son', and Felber meant to say that Edward III looks just like his real father, whoever he was, and not Edward II. Why, at the end of the novel, do we still not learn who Edward III's real father was? Of course, it's perfectly well known who Edward III's father was: Edward II. There is no doubt whatsoever about that. Edward II and Isabella were together in York for a few weeks in February/March 1312, in order to conceive their son, born 13 November 1312. Isabella was definitely not jaunting around Scotland, having an affair with some mysterious Scotsman.
This novel is appallingly inaccurate, historically, and doesn't work very well as fiction either. It doesn't end. It just - stops. Things are starting to get really dark and dangerous for Isabella; her husband has been murdered, her son has been imprisoned by her lover Mortimer, and she's beginning to become afraid of Mortimer herself. This is where Isabella's story REALLY starts to get exciting and dramatic. Then, you turn the page - and suddenly it's 28 years later and Mortimer has been dead for a quarter of a century! Huh?? Isabella's story is wrapped up, except that it isn't at all, in a little over two pages. Mortimer's fate is dealt with in one line. I can only assume that Felber reached her word count, or had a pressing deadline from her publisher...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2011
Queen Isabella is often called the "She-Wolf of France" even though this title was actually coined by Shakepeare in regards to Margaret of Anjou and NOT Isbella. Isbella is another one of the queens and/or mistresses whom are described as evil and overly-ambitious merely because the female role was so debased dueing history. Okay, I'll stop now before I step onto my feminist soap box.
Getting more to the point: Queen of Shadows is an excellent historical-fiction novel which tells some of the story of Isbella, her unsucesful marriage to the homosexual Edward II, and her adultery with Roger Mortimer. Versus the general portrayals of Isabella which glare shockingly at her rebellion against her husband and taking over the throne in the name of her son the future King Edward III (who during his reign had Roger executed and his mother in excile for 28 years); Felber takes a different stand and depicts a brave female, desperately seeking her rights by blood and birth versus vegence and lust. yes, Isbella was over-sexed but she only wanted what her son and she deserved.
Much of this novel is just fiction, but not the overly fluffy historical fiction that covers library shelves. Plus, it is a great about-face view of Isabella.
Smooth, fast read and great for anyone who ISN'T against females.
Getting more to the point: Queen of Shadows is an excellent historical-fiction novel which tells some of the story of Isbella, her unsucesful marriage to the homosexual Edward II, and her adultery with Roger Mortimer. Versus the general portrayals of Isabella which glare shockingly at her rebellion against her husband and taking over the throne in the name of her son the future King Edward III (who during his reign had Roger executed and his mother in excile for 28 years); Felber takes a different stand and depicts a brave female, desperately seeking her rights by blood and birth versus vegence and lust. yes, Isbella was over-sexed but she only wanted what her son and she deserved.
Much of this novel is just fiction, but not the overly fluffy historical fiction that covers library shelves. Plus, it is a great about-face view of Isabella.
Smooth, fast read and great for anyone who ISN'T against females.
September 12, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! Another one that I couldn't put down. I never knew any history about Isabella, Queen of England. What a powerful, bad-ass woman, in a complicated political situation! I have actually had this sitting on my shelf since high school, waiting to pick up. I'm glad I did.
The book actually follows primarily the perspective of Gweneith, a Welsh woman who's family was destroyed by King Edward I of England. She travels to the English court to avenge her family and destroy the dead king's family. With pure luck and fate she finds herself as the new lady in waiting to Queen Isabella, wife of Edward II. Gweneith and Isabella become as close trusted friends as two lonely women from opposing statuses could be. We see the shadowed life of the young queen through the eyes of her woman who even more in the shadows. We follow both women throughout the intense history of Edward II's court. Scandals of the king's influential male lovers turn into questions about control of the kingdom, leading Isabella & Gweneith to decide where their loyalties and power as women lie.
I am really glad the narrative followed Gweneith, even though it came as a surprise. Again I'm sad this upset so many people. I think Gweneith allowed the reader to have eyes on the whole court, and not just from the queen's perspective. We were able to see and feel a lot more as a woman with "no influence" compared to a queen who has a set amount of safeguards around her. To the people complaining that Isabella was whiny, I'd ask you to remember that royalty was treated with such a different perspective than what we have today. I'm actually really glad that reading this book happened to coincide with my watching of The Crown. It gives more insight into the idea of the crown vs. the person wearing it. All of these interpersonal and personal conflicts arose in the book. The feelings of fear, uncertainty, powerlessness for women is prominent and still very relevant today, but it shows how everyone can be influential even if it seems small. This was also particularly interesting from an LGBTQ historical standpoint. It left me with some very conflicting feelings. Overall the book did an excellent job highlighting different expressions of love and relationships (romantic, sexual, familial, friendship, political, healthy, unhealthy etc)
I've been reminded lately how much I love historical fiction. Even though all of these thoughts and emotions are all from the author's imaginations, they remind us that these historical figures were very real humans with feelings very similar to our own.
The book actually follows primarily the perspective of Gweneith, a Welsh woman who's family was destroyed by King Edward I of England. She travels to the English court to avenge her family and destroy the dead king's family. With pure luck and fate she finds herself as the new lady in waiting to Queen Isabella, wife of Edward II. Gweneith and Isabella become as close trusted friends as two lonely women from opposing statuses could be. We see the shadowed life of the young queen through the eyes of her woman who even more in the shadows. We follow both women throughout the intense history of Edward II's court. Scandals of the king's influential male lovers turn into questions about control of the kingdom, leading Isabella & Gweneith to decide where their loyalties and power as women lie.
I am really glad the narrative followed Gweneith, even though it came as a surprise. Again I'm sad this upset so many people. I think Gweneith allowed the reader to have eyes on the whole court, and not just from the queen's perspective. We were able to see and feel a lot more as a woman with "no influence" compared to a queen who has a set amount of safeguards around her. To the people complaining that Isabella was whiny, I'd ask you to remember that royalty was treated with such a different perspective than what we have today. I'm actually really glad that reading this book happened to coincide with my watching of The Crown. It gives more insight into the idea of the crown vs. the person wearing it. All of these interpersonal and personal conflicts arose in the book. The feelings of fear, uncertainty, powerlessness for women is prominent and still very relevant today, but it shows how everyone can be influential even if it seems small. This was also particularly interesting from an LGBTQ historical standpoint. It left me with some very conflicting feelings. Overall the book did an excellent job highlighting different expressions of love and relationships (romantic, sexual, familial, friendship, political, healthy, unhealthy etc)
I've been reminded lately how much I love historical fiction. Even though all of these thoughts and emotions are all from the author's imaginations, they remind us that these historical figures were very real humans with feelings very similar to our own.
March 6, 2015
This is the intriguing and informative story of Isabella of France who was married to Edward II in 1308 at the age of twelve. Since this was an arranged marriage by her father King Phillip of France, Isabella didn't meet her husband until she stepped off the ship in England. Edward was eleven years older and quite involved with a circle of friends that would bring criticism throughout his reign. One of those was Piers Galveston, a sworn blood brother and some believe homosexual lover of the king. Galveston exercised extensive control over Edward, at times even running the kingdom, but always assuring Edward performed his duties to the crown regarding the succession. As a young girl, Queen Isabella was often in the shadows and neglected by her husband. This is also the story of Isabella's handmaiden, Gwenith of Wales, who was bent on seeking revenge for the devastation to her homeland by the English monarchy.
Edward was often in turmoil with his barons, favoring some over others. His suspected homosexuality forced the barons to make demands that he share his rule at one point. As Isabella became older and fearful for her life and her children's succession, she made an alliance with Roger Mortimer who became her lover. This was a troubled time in English history, filled with treachery, betrayal, and greed. Isabella's story is told with air of mystery and suspense, often detailing the grahic cruelty of the time. Edith Felber brought this period to life.
Edward was often in turmoil with his barons, favoring some over others. His suspected homosexuality forced the barons to make demands that he share his rule at one point. As Isabella became older and fearful for her life and her children's succession, she made an alliance with Roger Mortimer who became her lover. This was a troubled time in English history, filled with treachery, betrayal, and greed. Isabella's story is told with air of mystery and suspense, often detailing the grahic cruelty of the time. Edith Felber brought this period to life.
March 22, 2010
I really enjoyed this novel and would give it a 4.5. The book was different from other novels I have read about the reign of Edward II of England. The story was about 2 women, Gwenith, a Welsh woman who seeks revenge for the death of her family at the hands of Longshanks and from Queen Isabella, Edward II's queen.
Gwenith becomes a servant to Isabella and quickly becomes her confidante. Gwenith hears and sees all, but tells nothing to anyone of what she sees with the queen. I did like the change in portrayal of Isabella from she-wolf to a more sympathetic character who only wanted to ensure her son's throne would be safe from the nasty Despensers.
It was a really one sided novel favoring Isabella, but like I said, I did think this was refreshing.
Gwenith becomes a servant to Isabella and quickly becomes her confidante. Gwenith hears and sees all, but tells nothing to anyone of what she sees with the queen. I did like the change in portrayal of Isabella from she-wolf to a more sympathetic character who only wanted to ensure her son's throne would be safe from the nasty Despensers.
It was a really one sided novel favoring Isabella, but like I said, I did think this was refreshing.
November 28, 2014
This one gets 4 stars simply because I learned something! Edward II of England was a king who was greatly influenced by his closest advisers. Not uncommon in a ruler, but the book (and history texts) would lead you to believe that his advisers were also in fact his lovers. His wife, Queen Isabella, daughter of the French king, is torn between duty and ambition for her son. And is ultimately led astray by another seeking his own power.
The book is told mainly from the vantage point of Gwenith, a Welsh maiden brought to serve the young queen, but with murderous ambitions of her own, and the lesson of "be careful who you trust."
The book is told mainly from the vantage point of Gwenith, a Welsh maiden brought to serve the young queen, but with murderous ambitions of her own, and the lesson of "be careful who you trust."
March 10, 2012
I expected so much more of this but there was disappointing. I was really thrown off by the years not progressing correctly on top of the chapters and the fact that Isabella complains and screams "I am a queen and born of kings and my dad was king and my brothers are kings and blah blah blah". Get over it
Isabella! She was not even the main character of the novel as we all suffer through Gwenthin and her vow to take down the son of Longshanks and such. Not a total waste of my time but not one I would recommend.
Isabella! She was not even the main character of the novel as we all suffer through Gwenthin and her vow to take down the son of Longshanks and such. Not a total waste of my time but not one I would recommend.
November 17, 2017
This short, charming historical novel is about Isabella, queen to Edward II of England, as seen through the eyes of Gwenith, her lady-in-waiting and close confidant (Gwenith is fictional). The book focuses on the six years the lead up to and culminating in in Edward II's removal from the throne in 1326 and his murder the following year. It particularly focuses on Isabella's role in Edward's downfall and what drove her to it. I didn't find this novel to be terribly deep or probing, but it was nontheless a very enjoyable read.
July 30, 2009
This was the third book I've read that dealt with Isabella, Edward II, and their favorites and this one painted Isabella in a much more favorable light. She comes across as a much more sympathetic character and not nearly as hateful and spiteful as in other books. I liked the way the author had her actually helping her son Edward secretly escape from Mortimer at the end, seeming to have realized that Mortimer was becoming like Despenser (remembering Edward II's last advice to her?).
September 15, 2008
Historical fiction. Isabella was the queen who slept with Braveheart in Mel "Christ-complex" Gibson's movie. Felber did a great job of intertwining fact with storyline and especially of bringing these people to life. However, it does tend to sound like a romance novel by the end, so eh. . . Still a pretty good, fast read.
May 10, 2012
I always like historical fiction. This was a very interesting look into the court of Edward the Second, and the possible feelings and motives of the people who lived there. Edith Felber does a pretty good job about sticking to historical accuracy (which I appreciate). There are times she fudges dates and events, but overall the novel is both entertaining as a novel and as history.
August 29, 2013
In researching my genealogy I recently leaned that I am descended from both Edward & Isabella, as well as Roger Mortimer & Welsh kings. For that reason this book was of particular interest to me. That being said, it is a good read for anyone interested in that period of English history. It is a novel so may not be historically accurate in all cases but a good story nevertheless.
August 21, 2009
If Isabella has been wronged as an evil woman by her historical detractors, this book tries a bit too hard to swing the other direction. It's hard for me to believe the story without the sense of ambition that must have been present for her to take the risks she did.
January 10, 2013
As a geek about English history I really loved this book! There are many variations written about Isabella's life, some kind, some not. This one shows her in a more positive light. A throughly enjoyable read and I learned a lot a the same time!
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February 12, 2015Includes a reader's guide.\n\nInteresting\nA bit graphic at times when it came to executions and some sex\nYick all the references to King Edward's gay lovers\nSince I don't know much about this time in history or this reign, it was hard for me to separate fact and fiction
August 6, 2007
Disturbing and sad. I was sorry that I started the book at work on a break, because when the time came to work again, it was hard to keep my mind off the book.
October 2, 2008
Easy read, very entertaining!
November 19, 2008
I really liked this fictional account of a very tumultous time in English history. Somehow both Isabella and her misguided husband are very sympathic in this novel.
January 20, 2009
A decent effort by this author. She declares at the very beginning that it is FICTION, and that is obvious.
September 16, 2010
Historical Novel. A quick read that I throughly enjoyed.
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July 25, 20112007
August 18, 2011
Really good book.
January 10, 2012
Not as captivating as Philippa Gregory but still very enjoyable. Must find books in which Isabella is portrayed as a 'mean' woman.
May 15, 2012
First time I read anything about this queen, known as the She Wolf Queen. Fun read.
May 17, 2014
Wonderful insight into the life of Queen Isabella! Well written from scant historical record. It's a fun book, a great summer read.
June 20, 2021
For years King Edward I ruled England with an iron fist and fought to crush the rebels who lived in Wales, his goal was to kill every last one of them but he missed one. A young girl named Gwenith de Percy was raised by her grandmother in a humble home, away from those who would harm her for she is born from royalty, the granddaughter of Llewellyn the Last.
Now many years later England is living under a very different ruler, King Edward II. Where his father was strong Edward II is known for his weaknesses of the flesh and has been judged as unfit to rule. He must share his power with the assistance of others and his wife Queen Isabella suffers from his obscene behaviors. Her one solace is a young girl named Gwenith sent from the marsh of Wales to be her new lady in waiting. With her Isabella finds the companionship and devotion that no one else can provide but underneath the shy, piteous ways lurks an enemy who has made an oath to stop at nothing for vengeance.
I was originally looking to learn more of the infamous woman who earned the name She-Wolf and ended up with a story that unfortunately didn’t hit the mark. Instead of strong, Isabella comes off as emotional, needy, and even somewhat annoying. I did enjoy the kinship that forms between Isabella and Gwenith but still was waiting for the “wolf” to emerge. Maybe if Gwenith would’ve stuck to her promise for revenge I would’ve been more satisfied but even that was lacking. Unfortunately not a favorite.
Now many years later England is living under a very different ruler, King Edward II. Where his father was strong Edward II is known for his weaknesses of the flesh and has been judged as unfit to rule. He must share his power with the assistance of others and his wife Queen Isabella suffers from his obscene behaviors. Her one solace is a young girl named Gwenith sent from the marsh of Wales to be her new lady in waiting. With her Isabella finds the companionship and devotion that no one else can provide but underneath the shy, piteous ways lurks an enemy who has made an oath to stop at nothing for vengeance.
I was originally looking to learn more of the infamous woman who earned the name She-Wolf and ended up with a story that unfortunately didn’t hit the mark. Instead of strong, Isabella comes off as emotional, needy, and even somewhat annoying. I did enjoy the kinship that forms between Isabella and Gwenith but still was waiting for the “wolf” to emerge. Maybe if Gwenith would’ve stuck to her promise for revenge I would’ve been more satisfied but even that was lacking. Unfortunately not a favorite.
January 22, 2020
I feel like this book does what Philippa Gregory’s books do: take all the most salacious rumors of the time and make a historical soap opera of them. This author does it with less skill, however, both in terms of writing ability and in terms of the story elements themselves.
It’s not an awful book, but it’s also going in the pile to go back to the used book store because I’ll never re-read it.
It’s not an awful book, but it’s also going in the pile to go back to the used book store because I’ll never re-read it.
May 13, 2022
I love any book involving history and real people. Isabella was a Princess of France and was wed to King Edward II of England when she was 12 years old. This was in the late 1200’s. Although they had four children, Edward never loved Isabella, he preferred men. Eventually, Isabella found love and ousted Edward from his throne in favor of his son.
August 1, 2025
I wish half stars were a thing. Two star seems too harsh, but giving it three stars seems too much, considering other books that I have given three stars and liked more than this one.
The history of European royalty is fascinating to me. There were some parts that were a little too descriptive for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the book.
The history of European royalty is fascinating to me. There were some parts that were a little too descriptive for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the book.
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