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Wars of the Roses #3
Bloodline
114 40m
Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Wars of the Roses: Bloodline, The Third instalment in Conn Iggulden's thrilling Wars of the Roses trilogy - Winter 1461 - Richard Duke of York is dead, his ambitions in ruins, his head spiked on the walls of York city. King Henry VI is still held prisoner. His Lancastrian queen rides south with an army of northerners, accompanied by warriors from the Scottish Highlands. Margaret and her army seem unstoppable. But his death has unleashed York's sons. Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself England's rightful king. Through blood and treason, broken men and vengeful women, brother shall confront brother, king shall face king. Two men may claim a crown. Only one can keep it.
Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Wars of the Roses: Bloodline, The Third instalment in Conn Iggulden's thrilling Wars of the Roses trilogy - Winter 1461 - Richard Duke of York is dead, his ambitions in ruins, his head spiked on the walls of York city. King Henry VI is still held prisoner. His Lancastrian queen rides south with an army of northerners, accompanied by warriors from the Scottish Highlands. Margaret and her army seem unstoppable. But his death has unleashed York's sons. Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself England's rightful king. Through blood and treason, broken men and vengeful women, brother shall confront brother, king shall face king. Two men may claim a crown. Only one can keep it.
Audiobook
First published October 8, 2015
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About the author
Conn Iggulden
145 books6,052 followersAlso publishes under author name C.F. Iggulden.
I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It’s what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory’s RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can’t find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers’ room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.
My mother is Irish and from an early age she told me history as an exciting series of stories – with dates. My great-grandfather was a Seannachie, so I suppose story-telling is in the genes somewhere. My father flew in Bomber Command in WWII, then taught maths and science. Perhaps crucially, he also loved poetry and cracking good tales. Though it seems a dated idea now, I began teaching when boys were told only girls were good at English, despite the great names that must spring to mind after that statement. My father loved working with wood and equations, but he also recited ‘Vitai Lampada’ with a gleam in his eye and that matters, frankly.
I’ve always loved historical fiction as a genre and cut my teeth on Hornblower and Tai-Pan, Flashman, Sharpe and Jack Aubrey. I still remember the sheer joy of reading my first Patrick O’Brian book and discovering there were nineteen more in the series. I love just about anything by David Gemmell, or Peter F. Hamilton or Wilbur Smith. I suppose the one thing that links all those is the love of a good tale.
That’s about it for the moment. If you’d like to get in touch with me leave a comment in the forum or you can tweet me @Conn_Iggulden. I’ll leave it there for the moment. If you’ve read my books, you know an awful lot about the way I think already. There’s no point overdoing it.
Conn Iggulden
I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It’s what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory’s RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can’t find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers’ room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.
My mother is Irish and from an early age she told me history as an exciting series of stories – with dates. My great-grandfather was a Seannachie, so I suppose story-telling is in the genes somewhere. My father flew in Bomber Command in WWII, then taught maths and science. Perhaps crucially, he also loved poetry and cracking good tales. Though it seems a dated idea now, I began teaching when boys were told only girls were good at English, despite the great names that must spring to mind after that statement. My father loved working with wood and equations, but he also recited ‘Vitai Lampada’ with a gleam in his eye and that matters, frankly.
I’ve always loved historical fiction as a genre and cut my teeth on Hornblower and Tai-Pan, Flashman, Sharpe and Jack Aubrey. I still remember the sheer joy of reading my first Patrick O’Brian book and discovering there were nineteen more in the series. I love just about anything by David Gemmell, or Peter F. Hamilton or Wilbur Smith. I suppose the one thing that links all those is the love of a good tale.
That’s about it for the moment. If you’d like to get in touch with me leave a comment in the forum or you can tweet me @Conn_Iggulden. I’ll leave it there for the moment. If you’ve read my books, you know an awful lot about the way I think already. There’s no point overdoing it.
Conn Iggulden
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
June 14, 2016
This was just so damn good. The entire novel felt like one great big action sequence, as Iggulden captured the desperate, and crucial, nature of the fighting superbly. It was violent and intense; it was clever and brutal, more importantly though, it was careful. Edward and Warwick knew that their future and the continuing existence of their houses rested on this conflict. They couldn’t lose: they couldn’t make a mistake. So they didn’t.
The sons truly have been unleashed
-King Edward VI and Earl Warwick (from the White Queen)
In his final moments, Richard Duke of York had the right of things. He knew his demise wouldn’t change a great deal. His son could simply take on the role of head of the house and carry on the bloody war. The sons can take vengeance for their father’s defeat. They are now the leaders of vast armies and they want blood: they want revenge on the house of Lancaster. So, they proclaim Edward King of England, and contest the weak King of house Lancaster: Henry VI. The white rose is set to face the red once again.
The action that commenced was as epic and turbulent as these historical times. Iggulden describes battlefields perfectly. It almost feels like your there witnessing the events. I still attest he is one of the best historical fiction author’s at this particular aspect of writing. I stormed through these parts of the book, as Edward stormed his enemies with sword in hand. Pages seemed to fly like the arrows of the English longbow. I do love a good historical novel, and this is easily the best one in this series so far.
The broken bonds of war
So Warwick and Edward set out what they achieved to do; they won a crown and avenged both their fathers, but now that the fighting has finished, and so politicking begins. Edward is now king and Warwick is left with the task of trying to manage a headstrong youth who thinks he knows how to rule. He doesn’t listen to his friends and in the end terns him against himself. He doesn’t appreciate what he has done for him in the past; he doesn’t reward Warwick enough for his service and backs the Woodville faction. Had he more sense, he would have kept such a powerful friend, and such a dangerous enemy, much closer. His loss wasn’t worth the gain of the Woodville family. It’s like exchanging gold for copper.
It is no wonder why tension begins to rise between the two. Edward makes Warwick look the fool in France. But, he did only marry for love. I think in this the self-serving and fickle nature of each family shines through the writing. Everybody is out for themselves. The Woodville’s wanted power, and to destroy those that got in-between them and the king; thus, another bloody chapter in the Wars of the Roses begins. It will be interesting to see how Iggulden handles the fall of the Kingmaker (Earl Warwick) and the murder of the Duke of Clarence. I’m looking forward to the end of this series, at the bloody field of Bosworth with the last charge of the final Plantagenet King: Richard III.
War of the Roses series:
1. Stormbird-An interesting four stars
2. Trinity A bloody four stars
3. Bloodline- A strong four stars
The sons truly have been unleashed
-King Edward VI and Earl Warwick (from the White Queen)
In his final moments, Richard Duke of York had the right of things. He knew his demise wouldn’t change a great deal. His son could simply take on the role of head of the house and carry on the bloody war. The sons can take vengeance for their father’s defeat. They are now the leaders of vast armies and they want blood: they want revenge on the house of Lancaster. So, they proclaim Edward King of England, and contest the weak King of house Lancaster: Henry VI. The white rose is set to face the red once again.
The action that commenced was as epic and turbulent as these historical times. Iggulden describes battlefields perfectly. It almost feels like your there witnessing the events. I still attest he is one of the best historical fiction author’s at this particular aspect of writing. I stormed through these parts of the book, as Edward stormed his enemies with sword in hand. Pages seemed to fly like the arrows of the English longbow. I do love a good historical novel, and this is easily the best one in this series so far.
The broken bonds of war
So Warwick and Edward set out what they achieved to do; they won a crown and avenged both their fathers, but now that the fighting has finished, and so politicking begins. Edward is now king and Warwick is left with the task of trying to manage a headstrong youth who thinks he knows how to rule. He doesn’t listen to his friends and in the end terns him against himself. He doesn’t appreciate what he has done for him in the past; he doesn’t reward Warwick enough for his service and backs the Woodville faction. Had he more sense, he would have kept such a powerful friend, and such a dangerous enemy, much closer. His loss wasn’t worth the gain of the Woodville family. It’s like exchanging gold for copper.
It is no wonder why tension begins to rise between the two. Edward makes Warwick look the fool in France. But, he did only marry for love. I think in this the self-serving and fickle nature of each family shines through the writing. Everybody is out for themselves. The Woodville’s wanted power, and to destroy those that got in-between them and the king; thus, another bloody chapter in the Wars of the Roses begins. It will be interesting to see how Iggulden handles the fall of the Kingmaker (Earl Warwick) and the murder of the Duke of Clarence. I’m looking forward to the end of this series, at the bloody field of Bosworth with the last charge of the final Plantagenet King: Richard III.
War of the Roses series:
1. Stormbird-An interesting four stars
2. Trinity A bloody four stars
3. Bloodline- A strong four stars
December 26, 2017
I had previously read the first novel in the series Stormbird and liked it but did not love it - the fictional character Derry Brewer was irritatingly unreal to me. In this third novel he only has a small part and his behavior and actions are much more believable.
The novel is divided into two parts: the first mainly dealing with the vicious Battle of Towton between the Lancastrian army led by Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI's wife) and the one led by Edward of York and Richard Neville ("the Kingmaker"), and the second part focusing on the poisonous feud between Elizabeth Woodville (Edward IV's wife) and Richard Neville, and the latter's ultimate downfall.
The battle scenes are skillfully drawn to keep readers on their toes, but after a while, they lose some of their pull (at least they did for me). I personally found Part Two to be much more satisfying than the first, if only for the vivid characterization of the leading actors like Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville and Richard Neville, and the piquant description of their increasingly convoluted relationships with each other as self-interest comes into play. In particular, Richard Neville is painted in a sympathetic light, which is not hard at all to believe.
Upon Elizabeth entering Edward's life, the friendship and trust between him and Richard begins to sour. Richard, once a loyal mentor and right-hand man to King Edward, is made to look like a fool in the French court on at least two occasions; his two brothers are made to suffer overt and callous humiliation, with the Neville family losing estates and titles; and Edward meanly rejects Richard's petition for his daughter to wed the Duke of Clarence (Edward's brother). So, we can at least understand his rage and his desire for revenge, even if we do not see the prudence of his making a precipitous and brash move to imprison Edward and consider putting Henry back on the throne. As things turn out, he sadly underestimates Edward's popularity among the subjects, which is enough to doom him to failure. His subsequent regret is almost a foregone conclusion.
This was a good historical fiction read that is worth 4 solid stars.
The novel is divided into two parts: the first mainly dealing with the vicious Battle of Towton between the Lancastrian army led by Margaret of Anjou (Henry VI's wife) and the one led by Edward of York and Richard Neville ("the Kingmaker"), and the second part focusing on the poisonous feud between Elizabeth Woodville (Edward IV's wife) and Richard Neville, and the latter's ultimate downfall.
The battle scenes are skillfully drawn to keep readers on their toes, but after a while, they lose some of their pull (at least they did for me). I personally found Part Two to be much more satisfying than the first, if only for the vivid characterization of the leading actors like Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville and Richard Neville, and the piquant description of their increasingly convoluted relationships with each other as self-interest comes into play. In particular, Richard Neville is painted in a sympathetic light, which is not hard at all to believe.
Upon Elizabeth entering Edward's life, the friendship and trust between him and Richard begins to sour. Richard, once a loyal mentor and right-hand man to King Edward, is made to look like a fool in the French court on at least two occasions; his two brothers are made to suffer overt and callous humiliation, with the Neville family losing estates and titles; and Edward meanly rejects Richard's petition for his daughter to wed the Duke of Clarence (Edward's brother). So, we can at least understand his rage and his desire for revenge, even if we do not see the prudence of his making a precipitous and brash move to imprison Edward and consider putting Henry back on the throne. As things turn out, he sadly underestimates Edward's popularity among the subjects, which is enough to doom him to failure. His subsequent regret is almost a foregone conclusion.
This was a good historical fiction read that is worth 4 solid stars.
June 22, 2025
Гражданската война приключва с пълна победа за Йорк и Уоруик на бойното поле. И всичко би трябвало да е наред...
Но крал Едуард Йоркски се жени необмислено или направо глупаво - за вдовица с ниско потекло, но твърде алчна за власт, привилегии и пари, а всичко това е съчетано с голямо и гладно семейство. Тя му шепне непрестанно отровни слова в спалнята, кралят се обръща постепенно срещу най-верния си съюзник и борбата за власт започва отново. Включва се и кралят на Франция, който не е забравил дългогодишните английските нашествия по земите си и жадува реванш.
Тази част беше по-интересна от предишната, но основно заради събитията описани в нея, нивото на текста и развитието на героите си остава слабовато.
Моята оценка -3,5*.
Има и четвърта книга от поредицата, но не знам дали ще излезе на български. Все едно, на мен ми се отщя да чета повече Игълдън, със сигурност има написани и по-интересни книги за периода.
Но крал Едуард Йоркски се жени необмислено или направо глупаво - за вдовица с ниско потекло, но твърде алчна за власт, привилегии и пари, а всичко това е съчетано с голямо и гладно семейство. Тя му шепне непрестанно отровни слова в спалнята, кралят се обръща постепенно срещу най-верния си съюзник и борбата за власт започва отново. Включва се и кралят на Франция, който не е забравил дългогодишните английските нашествия по земите си и жадува реванш.
Тази част беше по-интересна от предишната, но основно заради събитията описани в нея, нивото на текста и развитието на героите си остава слабовато.
Моята оценка -3,5*.
Има и четвърта книга от поредицата, но не знам дали ще излезе на български. Все едно, на мен ми се отщя да чета повече Игълдън, със сигурност има написани и по-интересни книги за периода.
October 6, 2015
This series just keeps getting better and better, but being a Yorkist I wish Edward IV was portrayed more positively but I suspect it's accurate. Can't wait for the next volume but a year to wait I guess
January 27, 2024
It has been years since I've read the last book, yet this is still as exciting as ever.
Actual rating: 4.5
Actual rating: 4.5
November 23, 2015
Nearly a 5 Star as its a 4.5pts for me.
Back on familiar ground with the third instalment of Conn Iggulden’s War of the Roses!
It grows on you, many new characters come to the fore after the last series climaxed in the fall of the Duke of York & it takes a little time to attune but once you are there its a smooth ride of a story. By now Derry is older & maybe not so wiser whilst the Queen has matured as she’s doubled in age from the frightened 15 year old girl that arrived in England. The sons of York & Warwick have come of age & armies are readily brought to battle as the struggle intensifies. I really learned a lot about the period as well as the folk involved, much moreso than a few dusty history books about the period.
The battle scenes too, of St Albans & Towton, leap out from the text & the telling of the strategy is particularly impressive leaving you with a vivid picture of how it all played out. Gorefest not included, nor required as the compress the ordinary soldiers found themselves in fighting with billhooks, staffs or cleavers is chilling enough.
Parts do drift, albeit very small, no doubt important details which will come to the fore later. For the most it’s an impressive tale of the War Of the Roses with the balance between narrative & battle scenes spot on unlike his later two books in the Wolf of the Plains series which turned into endless battle after battle.
Endless scheming & mistrust abound & you clearly get to see how the Wars of the Roses came about & why it continued as the sides fractured despite victories on the battlefield. One could say that the kingdom of England was torn asunder by two harpies, firstly Margaret of Anjou & latterly Elizabeth Woodville? They certainly weren’t confined to whispering sweet nothings in the ear.....
Impressive & the series is to be continued, cant’ wait!
Back on familiar ground with the third instalment of Conn Iggulden’s War of the Roses!
It grows on you, many new characters come to the fore after the last series climaxed in the fall of the Duke of York & it takes a little time to attune but once you are there its a smooth ride of a story. By now Derry is older & maybe not so wiser whilst the Queen has matured as she’s doubled in age from the frightened 15 year old girl that arrived in England. The sons of York & Warwick have come of age & armies are readily brought to battle as the struggle intensifies. I really learned a lot about the period as well as the folk involved, much moreso than a few dusty history books about the period.
The battle scenes too, of St Albans & Towton, leap out from the text & the telling of the strategy is particularly impressive leaving you with a vivid picture of how it all played out. Gorefest not included, nor required as the compress the ordinary soldiers found themselves in fighting with billhooks, staffs or cleavers is chilling enough.
Parts do drift, albeit very small, no doubt important details which will come to the fore later. For the most it’s an impressive tale of the War Of the Roses with the balance between narrative & battle scenes spot on unlike his later two books in the Wolf of the Plains series which turned into endless battle after battle.
Endless scheming & mistrust abound & you clearly get to see how the Wars of the Roses came about & why it continued as the sides fractured despite victories on the battlefield. One could say that the kingdom of England was torn asunder by two harpies, firstly Margaret of Anjou & latterly Elizabeth Woodville? They certainly weren’t confined to whispering sweet nothings in the ear.....
Impressive & the series is to be continued, cant’ wait!
May 13, 2024
Review for book 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
(1) I am not usually a historical novels fan, but Mr. Iggulden's novels always get me hooked, this one does too!
(2) I am not super into the history of Wars of the Roses either, but I appreciate how the author held all the historical events together and made them easy to understand.
(3) Among the characters, I still like Margaret of Anjou the best~for some reason~
(4) I don't particularly like any of the characters as person but I still want to read the next book so badly~
(1) I am not usually a historical novels fan, but Mr. Iggulden's novels always get me hooked, this one does too!
(2) I am not super into the history of Wars of the Roses either, but I appreciate how the author held all the historical events together and made them easy to understand.
(3) Among the characters, I still like Margaret of Anjou the best~for some reason~
(4) I don't particularly like any of the characters as person but I still want to read the next book so badly~
September 13, 2016
Once again Mr. Iggulden has written a very, very good historical novel. This entry in his Wars of the Roses series covers the time from just after the Battle of Wakefield to when Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick AKA the King Maker, decides to throw his lot in with Lancastrian cause, roughly from 1460 – 1469. The novel is divided into two parts. The first part covers the time for just after the Battle of Wakefield to the Battle of Towton. I felt this section had some of the best and most evocative scenes in the novel. They included to impaling of the heads of the losers at Wakefield on the Micklegate Bar-one of the Gates of the City of York, the Lancastrian forces recovering Henry VI after the 2nd Battle of St. Albans, the refusal of the City of London to open its gates and welcome Henry and his queen and finally the authors depiction of the Battle of Towton.
The second part of the novel opens about 4 yrs after Towton and is more of a political potboiler than an adventure story. Mr. Iggulden tells the story of the fall of the Earl of Warwick. While it too has some excellent sequences, it moves much slower pace than the first part. In this half of the novel, the author looks at how Edward IV’s Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, moves to neutralize influence of the house of Neville and how that eventually drives Warwick into exile. The picture drawn of Warwick as he tries to figure out just what is happening to him and his family is very well done. Some of the events included in this section of the novel include John Neville’s, Warwick’s brother, “legal” executions of the Queen’s father and brother after being stripped of the Earldom of Northumberland, the embarrassment of Warwick at the King of France’s court as he is trying to negotiate a commercial treaty with France. In this scene Warwick is actually meeting the French King when he is told that Edward has concluded a treaty with Burgundy, France’s wayward Dukedom, totally embarrassing him in front of the French Court. The romance between Warwick’s daughter and the Kings brother is also well done as its consequences when the King forbids the wedding between the two.
As far as the characters go, most of those written about in the novel are actual historical figures. The main exception to this is Derry Brewer. He makes his return after being almost totally absent in the second novel of the series. His is depicted almost as Margaret’s, Henry VI's Queen and de facto leader of the Lancastrian cause, right hand man. He is always there to give advice and pass on intelligence. Sometimes the advice is good and sometimes it isn’t, but he still remains high in her esteem.
I felt that Warwick is portrayed fairly sympathically, especially in the second half of the novel. He is shown as feeling that he has earned his position as the most powerful non royal in England. He feels wronged by the Queen as she attempts to distance his family from the King and put her numerous relatives in place of the Nevilles. It all comes to a head when the Queen basically vetoes the marriage of Warwick’s daughter, Isabel, to Edward’s brother George, Duke of Clarence. The relationship between the two is portrayed as a love match. Warwick is depicted as not quite understanding why the King won’t approve the union. He sees it as a natural match – good for both the young people involved and at the same time cementing his family’s relationship with the Royal family. I thought the author did a good job a explaining the Queen’s reasons for strongly suggesting that the Edward not approve the match. The novel ends on Warwick and the two young lovers fleeing England and going ahead with the wedding despite Edward’s disapproval.
King Edward is the other main character of the novel. In the first half he is depicted as a head strong youth wanting revenge on those who killed his father. In the second half is pictured as totally infatuated with his wife and as willingly going along with her plans to disentangle the crown from the Nevilles in general and Warwick in particular. Obviously this back fires when Warwick flees England.
If there is a villain in the novel it is definitely Edward’s Queen, Elizabeth. She is portrayed as scheming and underhanded. She is not above using her influence on the King to get what she wants. That is usually displacing some Neville relative with one of her own family.
I thought the battle scenes, while not particularly gruesome where very well done, esp Towton. The movement of York’s army through the snow was really brought to life. In his author’s note, Mr. Iggulden says that if the high estimates are to be believed, Towton was even more deadly the first day of the Somme in 1916. In in contrast to the Somme and its machine guns and artillery, all the deaths at Towton were with arrows, swords, axes, billhooks, halberds and other edged weapons – hand to hand combat.
In summary, this is a very good historical novel. Mr. Iggulden brought me into the times and minds of those who experienced the chaos and uncertainty of those ten years. This just might be the best of the series and one of his best novels. I would give this 4.25 stars so I’ve rounded down for good reads.
The second part of the novel opens about 4 yrs after Towton and is more of a political potboiler than an adventure story. Mr. Iggulden tells the story of the fall of the Earl of Warwick. While it too has some excellent sequences, it moves much slower pace than the first part. In this half of the novel, the author looks at how Edward IV’s Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, moves to neutralize influence of the house of Neville and how that eventually drives Warwick into exile. The picture drawn of Warwick as he tries to figure out just what is happening to him and his family is very well done. Some of the events included in this section of the novel include John Neville’s, Warwick’s brother, “legal” executions of the Queen’s father and brother after being stripped of the Earldom of Northumberland, the embarrassment of Warwick at the King of France’s court as he is trying to negotiate a commercial treaty with France. In this scene Warwick is actually meeting the French King when he is told that Edward has concluded a treaty with Burgundy, France’s wayward Dukedom, totally embarrassing him in front of the French Court. The romance between Warwick’s daughter and the Kings brother is also well done as its consequences when the King forbids the wedding between the two.
As far as the characters go, most of those written about in the novel are actual historical figures. The main exception to this is Derry Brewer. He makes his return after being almost totally absent in the second novel of the series. His is depicted almost as Margaret’s, Henry VI's Queen and de facto leader of the Lancastrian cause, right hand man. He is always there to give advice and pass on intelligence. Sometimes the advice is good and sometimes it isn’t, but he still remains high in her esteem.
I felt that Warwick is portrayed fairly sympathically, especially in the second half of the novel. He is shown as feeling that he has earned his position as the most powerful non royal in England. He feels wronged by the Queen as she attempts to distance his family from the King and put her numerous relatives in place of the Nevilles. It all comes to a head when the Queen basically vetoes the marriage of Warwick’s daughter, Isabel, to Edward’s brother George, Duke of Clarence. The relationship between the two is portrayed as a love match. Warwick is depicted as not quite understanding why the King won’t approve the union. He sees it as a natural match – good for both the young people involved and at the same time cementing his family’s relationship with the Royal family. I thought the author did a good job a explaining the Queen’s reasons for strongly suggesting that the Edward not approve the match. The novel ends on Warwick and the two young lovers fleeing England and going ahead with the wedding despite Edward’s disapproval.
King Edward is the other main character of the novel. In the first half he is depicted as a head strong youth wanting revenge on those who killed his father. In the second half is pictured as totally infatuated with his wife and as willingly going along with her plans to disentangle the crown from the Nevilles in general and Warwick in particular. Obviously this back fires when Warwick flees England.
If there is a villain in the novel it is definitely Edward’s Queen, Elizabeth. She is portrayed as scheming and underhanded. She is not above using her influence on the King to get what she wants. That is usually displacing some Neville relative with one of her own family.
I thought the battle scenes, while not particularly gruesome where very well done, esp Towton. The movement of York’s army through the snow was really brought to life. In his author’s note, Mr. Iggulden says that if the high estimates are to be believed, Towton was even more deadly the first day of the Somme in 1916. In in contrast to the Somme and its machine guns and artillery, all the deaths at Towton were with arrows, swords, axes, billhooks, halberds and other edged weapons – hand to hand combat.
In summary, this is a very good historical novel. Mr. Iggulden brought me into the times and minds of those who experienced the chaos and uncertainty of those ten years. This just might be the best of the series and one of his best novels. I would give this 4.25 stars so I’ve rounded down for good reads.
May 2, 2016
I love how Iggulden brings something new to the Wars of the Roses in each installment in this series. He has taken a story that has been told many times and adds in a few new details that other authors left in the background. An example: the opening scene at York's Micklegate with men struggling to place the heads of Richard of York, Richard Neville of Salisbury, and Edmund of Rutland on spikes. I think I was holding my breath.
Margaret should have taken the Duke of York's warning more seriously. In killing York and Salisbury, she thought she had vanquished her enemies, but she truly had "unleashed the sons." Warwick and March (now York) are able to do what their fathers had not. Rather than a triumphant entry into London, Margaret finds herself running into exile.
The portrayal of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, is particularly well done. I enjoyed the view of his inner struggle with the death of his father, the fight for his immature but undeniably kingly cousin, and his eventual fall. How he tried to do the right thing at every turn, but somehow things turned out disastrously wrong.
Edward's reign is filled with it's own drama, largely due to his choice of wife. The young king may have established his dominance as a soldier on the bloody field of Towton, but he is no equal to a manipulative older woman. Elizabeth Woodville manages to isolate Edward from everyone who had formerly supported him and turn them against each other. She is certain that the support of her own family will be sufficient to replace that of the Neville's, and as we watch Warwick limp into exile we can almost believe that she is right.
Except we know there is more to this story. Book 4, Ravenspur: Rise of the Tudors cannot get here fast enough.
Margaret should have taken the Duke of York's warning more seriously. In killing York and Salisbury, she thought she had vanquished her enemies, but she truly had "unleashed the sons." Warwick and March (now York) are able to do what their fathers had not. Rather than a triumphant entry into London, Margaret finds herself running into exile.
The portrayal of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, is particularly well done. I enjoyed the view of his inner struggle with the death of his father, the fight for his immature but undeniably kingly cousin, and his eventual fall. How he tried to do the right thing at every turn, but somehow things turned out disastrously wrong.
Edward's reign is filled with it's own drama, largely due to his choice of wife. The young king may have established his dominance as a soldier on the bloody field of Towton, but he is no equal to a manipulative older woman. Elizabeth Woodville manages to isolate Edward from everyone who had formerly supported him and turn them against each other. She is certain that the support of her own family will be sufficient to replace that of the Neville's, and as we watch Warwick limp into exile we can almost believe that she is right.
Except we know there is more to this story. Book 4, Ravenspur: Rise of the Tudors cannot get here fast enough.
January 3, 2018
Conn Iggulden is one of the finest storytellers out there and it's no surprise to me that Bloodline proved to be an outstanding, powerful novel that fully immersed me in the events of the Wars of the Roses for two glorious days. History - and some of the most dominant personalities of the mid 15th century - comes alive on the page.
August 26, 2016
After being slightly disappointed with the previous book in this series, I was anxious to see if Iggulden returned to some of what made Stormbird so fantastic. I was not disappointed with Bloodlines. This King Edward, oh my. What a beefcake.
September 13, 2017
This book starts with the buildup to the famous battle of Towton. Edward Plantagenet of House York has taken to the field. The English people and many lords are rising up for him. But Henry, primarily Queen Margaret, also have their forces. The two meet in a large snowstorm outside of Towton.
The rest of the book gets into the conflict that arises by Edward marrying Elizabeth Woodville and then promoting her family to high positions, which then cause problems with the Nevilles.
The Wars of the Roses shows that while it is King that may rule England, many of the troubles can be directly to powerful landed families that are often the seeds for conflicts (Neville, Percy, Woodville, etc). Their internal machinations often draw in Kings.
A wonderfully told and fairly accurate representation of the wars of the Roses. This entire series is excellent and a great addition to my collection. Any fan of this turbulent period in English history will enjoy this top notch Historical Fiction.
The rest of the book gets into the conflict that arises by Edward marrying Elizabeth Woodville and then promoting her family to high positions, which then cause problems with the Nevilles.
The Wars of the Roses shows that while it is King that may rule England, many of the troubles can be directly to powerful landed families that are often the seeds for conflicts (Neville, Percy, Woodville, etc). Their internal machinations often draw in Kings.
A wonderfully told and fairly accurate representation of the wars of the Roses. This entire series is excellent and a great addition to my collection. Any fan of this turbulent period in English history will enjoy this top notch Historical Fiction.
July 25, 2020
I've read different books about the war of roses, but I feel this saga is one of my favorites about that period of war between cousins in order to achieve power.
In this book the house of York will rise with a powerful warrior king led to the throne by none other than the famous kingmaker, and the Nevilles will achieve their goals under king Edward's reign, until a she wolf changes things...
In this book the house of York will rise with a powerful warrior king led to the throne by none other than the famous kingmaker, and the Nevilles will achieve their goals under king Edward's reign, until a she wolf changes things...
February 4, 2017
This is a great book, superbly plotted and paced. Conn Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction
After the death of Richard, duke of York, the warrior queen Margaret of Anjou continues her battle against the houses of York and Neville, trying to secure the throne for her husband, Henry VI of Lancaster.
This third book is the best one yet. There are two battles and fortunes waivered. We see the rise of King Edward IV, the decline of Margaret of Anjou. The spotlights turn onto the houses of York and Neville, and the rise of Elizabeth Woodville, who is the cause of the rift between the two houses. And in the middle, we have Derry Brewer, as the scheming spymaster who never seems to end his machinations.
After the death of Richard, duke of York, the warrior queen Margaret of Anjou continues her battle against the houses of York and Neville, trying to secure the throne for her husband, Henry VI of Lancaster.
This third book is the best one yet. There are two battles and fortunes waivered. We see the rise of King Edward IV, the decline of Margaret of Anjou. The spotlights turn onto the houses of York and Neville, and the rise of Elizabeth Woodville, who is the cause of the rift between the two houses. And in the middle, we have Derry Brewer, as the scheming spymaster who never seems to end his machinations.
on-hold
January 3, 2016For Christmas 2014, I received the second book in this series, Trinity. For Christmas 2015, I received Bloodline. And I'm feeling slight deja vu, because I'm doing exactly the same thing to Bloodline as I did to Trinity: putting it on hold. There's nothing wrong with it - in fact, it's really good - it's just not grabbing my attention at the moment. I have so many other books I received for Christmas to read, and this one is massive and will take me forever to get through, so it's going on hold for the time being.
July 29, 2022
I didn't like this installment.
The sexist treatment of Elizabeth Woodville is gross.
It's also historically inaccurate.
Elizabeth Woodville grew up at Court. Her mother, The Duchess of Bedford was a leading lady in Queen Margaret of Anjou's Court. Queen Margaret was related to Jacquetta, perhaps only by marriage but that was sufficient in that time period for strong kinship ties. As a result Jacquetta's children were able to make fairly decent marriages based on the status of their mother and their ability to leverage the family's closeness to the Queen. This is before Edward IV is King, just under Henry VI & Margaret of Anjou.
The Woodville's weren't simple country squires at all. Lord Rivers was already a Baron under Henry VI.
The research by the author is poor and likely biased.
While it's true that Elizabeth Woodville's father was simply a Baron and the 1st Baron Rivers to boot, her mother was not. Her mom was Jacquetta of Luxembourg a part of the French Royal family. Jacquetta comes to England as a teenage bride to John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford who was the Uncle of King Henry VI and highly placed at Court in England. Jacquetta keeps her Royal title as The Duchess of Bedford during her marriage with Richard Woodville.
Jacquetta's connections to Luxembourg via the Duke of Burgundy are why Edward IV makes deals with Burgundy over the King of France. At this time dealing with the Duke of Burgundy is probably a stronger position that dealing directly with the King of France who is already protecting and housing Queen Margaret and her son, Edward the former Prince of Wales. With that in mind it's easy to see why Edward IV chose to make deals with Burgundy instead. It doesn't excuse him embarrassing Warwick but would bolster my belief that Warwick was trying to control Edward IV.
This is a very complicated time in politics and the author chooses to totally omit the French Civil War taking place at this time and instead just pretend that Edward IV made poor choices while chasing his penis. There's strategy at play here and the French Civil War would need make this story much more complicated but also much more historically accurate.
Edward IV was never faithful to Elizabeth so it's doubtful that sex with her was why he made the choices he made.
In fact there's little evidence that Edward IV was influenced by Elizabeth Woodville in regards to her family. Weakening The Neville family's hold over Edward IV and Court made sense and was most likely why Edward IV promoted The Woodville's like he did.
Also Iggulden's research is faulty as fuck because Anthony Woodville had already made a good marriage and become Lord Scales BEFORE Elizabeth became Queen. Anthony Woodville was also highly educated, extremely religious and well respected across Western Europe. He had traveled to multiple Royal European Courts and even spent time in Rome. He was highly educated and deeply respected in his time.
This series mostly focuses on battles and it's mostly very slow because of this.
The sexist treatment of Elizabeth Woodville is gross.
It's also historically inaccurate.
Elizabeth Woodville grew up at Court. Her mother, The Duchess of Bedford was a leading lady in Queen Margaret of Anjou's Court. Queen Margaret was related to Jacquetta, perhaps only by marriage but that was sufficient in that time period for strong kinship ties. As a result Jacquetta's children were able to make fairly decent marriages based on the status of their mother and their ability to leverage the family's closeness to the Queen. This is before Edward IV is King, just under Henry VI & Margaret of Anjou.
The Woodville's weren't simple country squires at all. Lord Rivers was already a Baron under Henry VI.
The research by the author is poor and likely biased.
While it's true that Elizabeth Woodville's father was simply a Baron and the 1st Baron Rivers to boot, her mother was not. Her mom was Jacquetta of Luxembourg a part of the French Royal family. Jacquetta comes to England as a teenage bride to John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford who was the Uncle of King Henry VI and highly placed at Court in England. Jacquetta keeps her Royal title as The Duchess of Bedford during her marriage with Richard Woodville.
Jacquetta's connections to Luxembourg via the Duke of Burgundy are why Edward IV makes deals with Burgundy over the King of France. At this time dealing with the Duke of Burgundy is probably a stronger position that dealing directly with the King of France who is already protecting and housing Queen Margaret and her son, Edward the former Prince of Wales. With that in mind it's easy to see why Edward IV chose to make deals with Burgundy instead. It doesn't excuse him embarrassing Warwick but would bolster my belief that Warwick was trying to control Edward IV.
This is a very complicated time in politics and the author chooses to totally omit the French Civil War taking place at this time and instead just pretend that Edward IV made poor choices while chasing his penis. There's strategy at play here and the French Civil War would need make this story much more complicated but also much more historically accurate.
Edward IV was never faithful to Elizabeth so it's doubtful that sex with her was why he made the choices he made.
In fact there's little evidence that Edward IV was influenced by Elizabeth Woodville in regards to her family. Weakening The Neville family's hold over Edward IV and Court made sense and was most likely why Edward IV promoted The Woodville's like he did.
Also Iggulden's research is faulty as fuck because Anthony Woodville had already made a good marriage and become Lord Scales BEFORE Elizabeth became Queen. Anthony Woodville was also highly educated, extremely religious and well respected across Western Europe. He had traveled to multiple Royal European Courts and even spent time in Rome. He was highly educated and deeply respected in his time.
This series mostly focuses on battles and it's mostly very slow because of this.
February 28, 2019
It's a time to feel sympathy for the Yorks in Conn Iggulden's Bloodline. The Duke and his young son are dead, their heads adorning pikes. The duke's oldest son, Edward, seeks revenge. If you know your history, you know how this turns out, but there's still a great deal of pleasure in reading about it. With the help of the Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker, Edward takes what he considers his rightful place in England.
Nothing's ever easy, though, is it? You're meant to be king, and there's a pesky, weak old man (Henry VI) occupying the place of God's anointed representative on earth. Curses! The forces of Henry Lancaster and Edward York clash, most notably at Towton, the bloodiest battle on English soil. Poor Henry has lost whatever was left of his poor little mind, so it falls to his wife, Margaret of Anjou, to head the men fighting to keep the Lancasters in the palace.
For fans of Phillipa Gregory, we get Edward's point of view on the meeting between himself and Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner he married. In secret. With no one's permission. The Kingmaker is not pleased. Such marriages serve no political purpose and tend to lessen the mystique of the crown, especially when all the in-laws move to court with their rustic ways. Now, in addition to the battle for power between York and Lancaster, there is another battle within York's faction: the one between the Woodvilles and Richard of York.
War was a nasty thing in the 1460s, up-close and personal, and Iggulden does not spare us the horror of not only death, but of killing as well. There's a necessary sacrifice of the men on the front lines. Everybody recognizes this, and they feel kind of bad about it, but hey, they're expendable. But not the archers! God save the archers!
I'm on to the last published book in the series, The Rise of the Tudors.
Nothing's ever easy, though, is it? You're meant to be king, and there's a pesky, weak old man (Henry VI) occupying the place of God's anointed representative on earth. Curses! The forces of Henry Lancaster and Edward York clash, most notably at Towton, the bloodiest battle on English soil. Poor Henry has lost whatever was left of his poor little mind, so it falls to his wife, Margaret of Anjou, to head the men fighting to keep the Lancasters in the palace.
For fans of Phillipa Gregory, we get Edward's point of view on the meeting between himself and Elizabeth Woodville, the commoner he married. In secret. With no one's permission. The Kingmaker is not pleased. Such marriages serve no political purpose and tend to lessen the mystique of the crown, especially when all the in-laws move to court with their rustic ways. Now, in addition to the battle for power between York and Lancaster, there is another battle within York's faction: the one between the Woodvilles and Richard of York.
War was a nasty thing in the 1460s, up-close and personal, and Iggulden does not spare us the horror of not only death, but of killing as well. There's a necessary sacrifice of the men on the front lines. Everybody recognizes this, and they feel kind of bad about it, but hey, they're expendable. But not the archers! God save the archers!
I'm on to the last published book in the series, The Rise of the Tudors.
November 13, 2015
Ok, this actually pains me a little to write this but I have been a massive Conn Iggulden fan since as a teenage lad I picked up Wolf of the Plains and got sucked into the world of Genghis Khan, which has remained both my favorite book of his and my favorite historical fiction book of all time. Until now. Maybe. I'm actually still undecided. But one thing I am decided on is the awesomeness of this book.
The third in the trilogy on the Wars of the Roses and things are in full swing. There are battles aplenty, intrigue, great characters (and the odd despicable one) and even a wee bit of treason thrown in for good measure.
Despite really enjoying the second book in the series, I think I would enjoy it even more second time round as I think it is a perfect precursor to this, with the way it sets up the characters and the leaves the situation so delicately poised. Whereas sometimes historical fiction can drag in sections or be too obviously leading up to a monstrous battle, there were no dry moments in Bloodline. Much like a Barney Stinson mix-tape, it was all rise. I didn't read it, I inhaled it. Perhaps the only complaint was it wasn't long enough. I would recommend Conn Iggulden write a War and Peace-esque book in terms of length for the finale to the series. I know one guy who won't be complaining.
Just a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience in every conceivable way. 5/5 would recommend to anyone, even people who can't read (I am more than willing to read it to them, and relive this cracking novel). Gutted I have to wait a year for the finale.
The third in the trilogy on the Wars of the Roses and things are in full swing. There are battles aplenty, intrigue, great characters (and the odd despicable one) and even a wee bit of treason thrown in for good measure.
Despite really enjoying the second book in the series, I think I would enjoy it even more second time round as I think it is a perfect precursor to this, with the way it sets up the characters and the leaves the situation so delicately poised. Whereas sometimes historical fiction can drag in sections or be too obviously leading up to a monstrous battle, there were no dry moments in Bloodline. Much like a Barney Stinson mix-tape, it was all rise. I didn't read it, I inhaled it. Perhaps the only complaint was it wasn't long enough. I would recommend Conn Iggulden write a War and Peace-esque book in terms of length for the finale to the series. I know one guy who won't be complaining.
Just a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience in every conceivable way. 5/5 would recommend to anyone, even people who can't read (I am more than willing to read it to them, and relive this cracking novel). Gutted I have to wait a year for the finale.
December 5, 2015
Superb historical fiction. Conn Iggulden is without doubt, one of the best writers of historical fiction today. The complexity of the various factions and switches in fortune during the Wars of the Roses can be difficult to follow. From the very start, even after a year of waiting, you are quickly drawn back into the history and excitement. Now comes the wait for the next in the series. After all, the Wars of the Roses have still not drawn to a close.
January 17, 2026
8,5/10 Estirpe continua els fets immediatament posteriors a la mort del duc d’York i del comte de Salisbury, i s’endinsa de ple en una espiral de venjança, rivalitats nobiliàries i violència extrema. Iggulden recrea uns temps convulsos marcats per l’ambició, les intrigues i les traïcions: una autèntica tempesta de sang i poder on dues famílies s’esquinçaren per una corona.
Els girs de la història són sorprenents i frenètics, fins al punt que es pot dir que la realitat supera la ficció. La multitud de personatges aporta ritme i dinamisme a la narració i recorda, en certa manera, Cançó de gel i foc, però sense dracs.
La prosa d’Iggulden és directa i contundent, molt visual, amb escenes de batalla especialment vives i una gran capacitat per transmetre la brutalitat del període. Pel que fa a la caracterització, els personatges resulten complexos i sovint contradictoris, allunyats de lectures maniquees, cosa que enriqueix el conjunt.
També és interessant observar les simpaties de l’autor envers determinats protagonistes —en aquest cas la reina Margarida (potser amb massa indulgència) i Warwick—, en contrast amb altres autors com Philippa Gregory, més inclinada a favor d’Isabel Woodville. En el meu cas, la fascinació recau sovint en Ricard III. Sigui com sigui, sempre cal mantenir un sentit crític, i Iggulden, com Gregory, en aquest aspecte, compleix amb escreix.
Els girs de la història són sorprenents i frenètics, fins al punt que es pot dir que la realitat supera la ficció. La multitud de personatges aporta ritme i dinamisme a la narració i recorda, en certa manera, Cançó de gel i foc, però sense dracs.
La prosa d’Iggulden és directa i contundent, molt visual, amb escenes de batalla especialment vives i una gran capacitat per transmetre la brutalitat del període. Pel que fa a la caracterització, els personatges resulten complexos i sovint contradictoris, allunyats de lectures maniquees, cosa que enriqueix el conjunt.
També és interessant observar les simpaties de l’autor envers determinats protagonistes —en aquest cas la reina Margarida (potser amb massa indulgència) i Warwick—, en contrast amb altres autors com Philippa Gregory, més inclinada a favor d’Isabel Woodville. En el meu cas, la fascinació recau sovint en Ricard III. Sigui com sigui, sempre cal mantenir un sentit crític, i Iggulden, com Gregory, en aquest aspecte, compleix amb escreix.
March 5, 2019
#Beendet
🐭 🐭 🐭
Conn Iggulden
"Drei Könige"
- Die Rosenkriege -
Bei diesem Autor brauche ich immer etwas länger bis ich in der Geschichte bin. Doch wenn sie mich einmal hat, lässt sie auch nicht mehr los.
Jetzt bin ich wirklich auf den letzten Teil gespannt, den ich direkt im Anschluss lesen werde.
🐭 🐭 🐭
Conn Iggulden
"Drei Könige"
- Die Rosenkriege -
Bei diesem Autor brauche ich immer etwas länger bis ich in der Geschichte bin. Doch wenn sie mich einmal hat, lässt sie auch nicht mehr los.
Jetzt bin ich wirklich auf den letzten Teil gespannt, den ich direkt im Anschluss lesen werde.
November 21, 2017
Muy bueno, el mejir de la serie
June 8, 2024
Good continuation of the last book. Pretty much the same- if you liked the others you’ll like this one. 4.3
December 29, 2018
This thrilling book is the 3rd volume of the wonderful "Wars of the Roses" series.
Like its two predecessors this book contains also an excellent quality of storytelling, for it keeps you gripped right till the end.
Where Toby Clements tells his tale through the eyes of the common people, Conn Iggulden tells his through the eyes and minds of the High and Mighty.
Once more the book has been thoroughly researched, see Historical Note, and the book contains immaculate explained Family Trees, from the Royal Lines of England, to the Houses of Lancaster and York, as well as the Houses of Neville, Percy, and last but not least the House of Tudor.
The book is set as from the year AD 1461 and it will end well into the year AD 1469, once again see Historical Note, and the book tells its gruesome tale about the struggles and battles for the Crown of England.
The story continues after the killing of Richard, Duke of York, who has his head spiked on the walls of the city of York, there along with him spiked also the heads of his son Edmund and that of Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, an action that will finally result into a reaction by the sons of the Duke of York of revenge against King Henry VI and his prominent wife Queen Margaret of Anjou.
And so when Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself the rightful King of England, this action by the Duke will plunge England into a bloody and hard fought Civil War.
What follows is a Civil War where brutal battles will be fought between the two factions, brilliantly pictured within this book, and political schemes are taking place in a desperate bid to obtain the power and the upperhand, and thus finally the Royal Crown.
Fully recommended, for this is "A Fabulous Book"!
Like its two predecessors this book contains also an excellent quality of storytelling, for it keeps you gripped right till the end.
Where Toby Clements tells his tale through the eyes of the common people, Conn Iggulden tells his through the eyes and minds of the High and Mighty.
Once more the book has been thoroughly researched, see Historical Note, and the book contains immaculate explained Family Trees, from the Royal Lines of England, to the Houses of Lancaster and York, as well as the Houses of Neville, Percy, and last but not least the House of Tudor.
The book is set as from the year AD 1461 and it will end well into the year AD 1469, once again see Historical Note, and the book tells its gruesome tale about the struggles and battles for the Crown of England.
The story continues after the killing of Richard, Duke of York, who has his head spiked on the walls of the city of York, there along with him spiked also the heads of his son Edmund and that of Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, an action that will finally result into a reaction by the sons of the Duke of York of revenge against King Henry VI and his prominent wife Queen Margaret of Anjou.
And so when Edward of March, now Duke of York, proclaims himself the rightful King of England, this action by the Duke will plunge England into a bloody and hard fought Civil War.
What follows is a Civil War where brutal battles will be fought between the two factions, brilliantly pictured within this book, and political schemes are taking place in a desperate bid to obtain the power and the upperhand, and thus finally the Royal Crown.
Fully recommended, for this is "A Fabulous Book"!
June 3, 2020
An exciting read, great if you want to learn about the war of the roses. Though make sure you fact check before taking it all to literally!
August 22, 2016
Readers, read the book.
May 4, 2020
Bloodline – Conn Iggulden – Série War of the Roses 3 de 4 | A Batalha Final entre a Casa de Lancaster e a Casa de York! | NITROLEITURAS #romancehistórico
A Casa York e a Casa Lancaster se enfrentam em uma batalha final pelo trono inglês!
Bloodline (War of Roses #3) - Conn Iggulden | 462pgs, Penguin (2015) | NITROLEITURAS #romancehistórico
SINOPSE
Este romance do autor best-seller Conn Iggulden é o terceiro livro da aclamada série Wars of the Roses. Após Stormbird e Trinity, este romance continuará com a brutal Guerra Civil que agora conhecemos como Guerra das Rosas.
Bloodline vê as facções lancastrianas e iorquinas colidirem na batalha de Towton - o conflito mais sangrento que todos travaram em solo britânico e o vitorioso Edward de York sela sua reivindicação ao trono inglês.
RESENHA
A Guerra das Rosas entra em um dos seus mais sangrentos episódios. Em Bloodline, o foco se volta para a guerra entre o Rei Edward e o Lorde Warick, antes aliados e agora inimigos mortais na batalha entre a Casa de York e a Casa de Lancaster.
O romance é dividido em duas partes: a primeira que lida principalmente com a cruel batalha de Towton entre o exército Lancastriano liderado por Margaret of Anjou (esposa de Henrique VI) e o liderado por Edward de York e Richard Neville ("o Kingmaker", o famoso Lorde Warrick), e a segunda parte, enfocando a disputa venenosa entre Elizabeth Woodville (esposa de Edward IV) e Richard Neville, o Lorde Warrick, e a derrocada final deste último.
A narrativa é vibrante, as cenas de batalha muito bem descritas, e a ação é ininterrupta. Talvez é o volume da saga mais agitado em termos de trama.
Gostei muito da caracterização do Rei Edward IV, e sua maquiavélica esposa, a Rainha Elizabeth Woodville. Mas o grande personagem desse livro é Warrick, o principal responsável por essa segunda fase da Guerra Civil chamada de Guerra das Rosas.
Após Elizabeth entrar na vida de Edward, a amizade e confiança entre ele e Warrick começam a azedar.
Richard, que foi mentor leal e braço direito do rei Edward, é feito parecer um tolo na corte francesa em pelo menos duas ocasiões; seus dois irmãos são obrigados a sofrer humilhação aberta e insensível, com a família Neville perdendo propriedades e títulos; e Edward rejeita a petição de Richard de que sua filha se case com o duque de Clarence (irmão de Edward).
Assim, podemos pelo menos entender sua raiva e seu desejo de vingança, mesmo que não vejamos a prudência de ele fazer um movimento precipitado e impetuoso para aprisionar Edward e considerar colocar Henry de volta ao trono.
Como as coisas acabam, ele infelizmente subestima a popularidade de Edward entre os assuntos, o que é suficiente para condená-lo ao fracasso. Seu arrependimento subsequente é quase uma conclusão precipitada.
Além disso, Iggulden também prepara a conclusão da saga, apresentando grande vilão shakespeariano Richard York, que se tornará o próximo rei depois da morte de Edward e o jovem Henry Tudor, que será o primeiro rei da Casa de Tudor, ao final da Guerra das Rosas.
Conn Iggulden é excelente, certamente lerei todos os livros que ele já escreveu! Um dos melhores romancistas históricos que já li, na categoria de romance de entretenimento. Ele tem o dom de dar vida às personalidades inglesas mais importantes do do século XV!
Recomendadíssimo!
December 20, 2023
Conn Iggulden’s writing sucks you in and makes you not want to put this book down. The twists and turns of events shown in this book are a wild ride and the nature of the history and Iggulden’s writing gets you rooting for both sides of the conflict.
CI just sets the pace all the way until the Battle of Towton. The second battle of St Albans was intense and then Lancaster forces denied entry to London and afterwards Edward taking the throne - stuff was constantly happening and it was gripping all the way through.
The Battle of Towton was an amazing read. Showing the battle from both sides is something that Igggulden does so well and the carnage and chaos of this day really comes through in his writing. It’s staggering to think this is the bloodiest battle on English soil.
Elizabeth is portrayed as a wicked puppeteer with Edward in her snare until there’s a small scene of her on a roof during the riots following Edward’s capture where we see it from her angle and sympathise with her side of the story a little bit. This whole series has been great at showing both sides of the conflict and not really making any particular side out to be in the wrong. But I was rooting for Earl Warwick when he captured Edward and it was sad it didn’t go his way.
As always there’s some solid historical notes at the end. However battle maps of St Albans and York Field would have been nice just to be able to picture troop movements better.
This series keeps getting better and I am too eager to get stuck into the fourth and last book!
CI just sets the pace all the way until the Battle of Towton. The second battle of St Albans was intense and then Lancaster forces denied entry to London and afterwards Edward taking the throne - stuff was constantly happening and it was gripping all the way through.
The Battle of Towton was an amazing read. Showing the battle from both sides is something that Igggulden does so well and the carnage and chaos of this day really comes through in his writing. It’s staggering to think this is the bloodiest battle on English soil.
Elizabeth is portrayed as a wicked puppeteer with Edward in her snare until there’s a small scene of her on a roof during the riots following Edward’s capture where we see it from her angle and sympathise with her side of the story a little bit. This whole series has been great at showing both sides of the conflict and not really making any particular side out to be in the wrong. But I was rooting for Earl Warwick when he captured Edward and it was sad it didn’t go his way.
As always there’s some solid historical notes at the end. However battle maps of St Albans and York Field would have been nice just to be able to picture troop movements better.
This series keeps getting better and I am too eager to get stuck into the fourth and last book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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