The Queen's Fool

The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels #13

by Philippa Gregory

This is an alternate cover edition for 9780007147298

The bitter enmity between Elizabeth the First and Mary Tudor, the daughters of Henry VIII (not to mention the conflict between their mothers Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon) makes the squabbles between modern-day royals seem small beer indeed. This is particularly clear after reading something as enjoyable as Philippa Gregory's The Queen's Fool, which treats the period and its turbulent sweep with an almost operatic grandeur. In The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory delivered a tremendous popular success and lifted this kind of popular historical writing from the realms of romantic fiction to something rich in authentic drama and convincing historical verisimilitude.

Mary and Elizabeth, the two young princesses, have a common goal: to be Queen of England. To achieve this, they need both to win the love of the people and learn how to negotiate dangerous political pitfalls. Gregory recreates this era with tremendous colour, and she makes the court an enticing but danger-fraught place. Into this setting comes the eponymous fool, the youthful Hannah, who (despite her air of guileless religiousness) is not naive. She soon finds herself having to deal with the beguiling but treacherous Robert Dudley. Dispatched to report on Princess Mary, Hannah discovers in her a passionate religious conviction (to return England to the rule of Rome and its pope) that will have fatal consequences.

From Tolstoy's War and Peace onwards, historical novelists have set fictitious characters among real-life personages with mixed success; the author's creations can often pale beside the historical figures. That is emphatically not the case here, and Gregory ensures that all her characters have a full and teeming life. Expect a major movie: something as colourful and exuberant as The Queen's Fool is a natural for screen adaptation. --Barry Forshaw

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, British Literature, Tudor Period, Adult

496 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 4, 2003

About the author

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

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

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

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory, the reigning Queen of historical fiction, weaves a tale that is as much an insight into the Tudor court as it is into religious history. The protagonist Hannah, is a secret Jew serving a Catholic Queen and befriending a Protestant Princess. What a catalyst for an electrifying plot!

Being that this story is based in history and immersed in fact, there are twists and turns that you will anticipate. However the addition of a completely fictional heroine adds a layer of intrigue and provides you with plot points you will not see coming. It is such a satisfying narrative arc that you won't want it to finish and you certainly won't want to leave Hannah behind.

Hannah is a character full of contradictions. Like many women of the time, Hannah's age and her sexual innocence leave her at the mercy of men who would use her for social elevation. However her education and life experience make her cunning a formidable player in these war games. She gives her heart freely to Robert Dudley, Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth all at once and in doing so endears them all to the reader. Yet she finds it hardest of all to give herself over to a love far greater than any of these, one grounded in safety and protection. She is a tangible character and one I am sorry to say goodbye to.

This was one of the most enjoyable history lessons I've ever had and a formidable novel next to 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. I am so grateful for the sympathy and understanding I now have for England's first female ruler and one of history's most notorious tyrants. I saw 'Bloody Mary' through Hannah's eyes and now history is not just black and white, it is all shades of red.

Don't read this if: You don't like reading.
Read this book if: You want to be swept away to another world and another time. If you even have a vague fascination with history than read this book! You may get more out of it if you're interested in Tudor and religious history however the narrative and characterisation is so strong it wouldn't matter.

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[Icey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well…this is such a lovely surprise.

I have read two of Philippa Gregory’s books and only think her book as entertaining. But this book has totally changed my opinion of her.

She has always been a magical storyteller who can draw you in her world quickly, and this books show how powerful she can be when she is at her peak.

The turmoil, the politics, the forbidden religions.
Gossips and heartbreaks of a royal court, the tension and jealousy between the two sisters.
A Seer. Two queens. Smoke and Burning.

But among all these confusion and cruelty, every character shine in their own way.

A most turbulent time, a group of people with different ambitions, and surprisingly, you fell in love with all of them.

- “Ideas are more dangerous than an unsheathed sword in this world, half of them are forbidden, the other half would lead a man to question the very place of the earth itself, safe at the center of the universe.”

An absolute epic story.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Queen's Fool is the 12th book in Philippa Gregory's historical fiction series, The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels. I've read all the previous ones, and so far, this was probably my least favorite. It was good, but because it focused on a non-royal member of the family for a significant portion of the story, I struggled to truly immerse myself in the setting and characters. Hannah Green becomes the fool, typically a boy or young man, to the King's daughter, Mary, and also her siblings Edward and Elizabeth. She's pushed to become a spy of sorts, caught in the war between various family factions deciding who should inherit the throne if Henry dies and his son Edward doesn't make it through his own illness. Once I connected all the dots and the story revolved around Queen Mary's ascension to the throne, and her eventual discord with sister Elizabeth, it felt more intriguing. That said, it has all of Gregory's typical flair and drama, tho it's quite clear she doesn't favor Elizabeth. Onward to the next one, which focuses on Elizabeth's rise to the throne in the late 1550s.

[K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was pretty excited about reading my first Philippa Gregory book. I mean, she has like a thousand books and they've been turned into movies and miniseries and who knows what else. She clearly knows her shit where historical research is concerned, particularly the Tudor period.

And yet, I only made it to page THREE before I noped my way out of this book. Here's a summary of those three pages:
- 14 year old girl.
- Grown ass married man sexually pursuing 14 year old girl.
- Seriously. He's encouraging her to play chasey with the intention of fucking her when he catches her.
- Grown ass married man pins 14 year old girl against a tree out of sight of supervising adults.
- 14 year old girl is suddenly "no longer a giggling child, she was a young woman in the heat of first desire."
- Grown ass married man shoves his hand down her dress to fondle her boobs.
- 14 year old girl is initially into it but then pulls away.
- Grown ass married man SHOVES HIS HAND UP HER DRESS.
- 14 year old girl clenches her legs shut until she feels "the back of his hand on her hidden sex" and then her knees buckle.
- "The girl was a virgin in name alone. In reality, she was little more than a whore."

Nope. I don't care if it's historically accurate. I don't care that times were different. A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL is being sexually assaulted by an adult who's clearly been grooming her, and it's only page three. Nope. Nope nope nopity nope. I'm done. Fuckity bye, book.

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Queen’s Fool is about the fourteen-year-old Hannah Green story. Hannah is a Jewish girl who fled Spain along with her father. She has “the sight” gift which makes her able to foresee and predict the future. The story starts during King Edward’s reign. She is appointed as a holy fool for the King and after the King’s death, she becomes Queen Mary’s fool. Through all the events, we get to see the rivalry between the Queen and her sister Elizabeth. This is book number twelve in The Plantagenet and Tudor series.

Like the other Philippa Gregory books in the series, this one is all about royalty with an added touch of fantasy. The main character is not very likable. She is not a strong character and more like a puppet being pushed here and there but her presence between the two sisters was impactful to me as a reader because through her eyes the events keep unraveling. She acted unbiasedly towards the two sisters. She did not prefer a sister over the other one. As for the plot, I feel the first 75% of the book was very solid as it concentrated on Mary’s rise to the throne and her rivalry with her sister. The last 25% was weaker because it was more about the main character and less about the Queen and her fall.

I enjoyed this novel like the other books in the series. Philippa Gregory’s writing suits my taste to a t and her storytelling style appeals to me a lot. One thing though, I am not sure why Gregory did not mention even once the name “Bloody Mary” that Queen Mary’s opponents have given her in the book. Yes, Hannah mentions all about burning the religious dissenters but that specific name was not brought up. I think the next book will be about Queen Elizabeth’s reign. I am excited about that.

[Wilja Wiedenhöft · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Eine absolute solide, gut recherchierte Geschichte im tollen spannend verpackten Gregory-Stil. Die Geschichte hat einige Wendungen, die es einem nie langweilig werden lassen. Die Protagonistin ist mal anders als die bisherigen, sehr unroyal und unweiblich und eigensinnig. Ihre Entwicklung gefiel mir fantastisch. Man bekam ebenfalls einen guten Eindruck von der Glaubenskrise, die erneut durch "Bloody Mary" angefacht wird. Ich hätte gerne noch intensiver hinter die Kulissen am Hofe geschaut, wie es sonst bei Mrs. Gregory üblich ist, aber trotzdem eine lesenswerte Geschichte für alle history-Fans.

[Heidi (can’t retire soon enough) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Gregory's take on history-- so she may over fictionalize at times, but her books are a great balance of drama and history. And there’s no doubt that I usually keep reading way past my bedtime!

(Reviewed 8/21/09)

[Tzippy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Drinking game! Every time Queen (Princess, here) Elizabeth I is referred to as a whore in The Queen's Fool, take a sip of wine. By the time you finish the book, your blood alcohol level will be infinity.

...


Aside from the misogyny party (everyone's invited!), the problem with this book (as opposed to The Other Boleyn Girl) is that the main character is an outsider with her own story. She's a secret Jew from Spain, whose mother was killed in the Inquisition. So you have this balance between the intrigue of the Tudor court and the secret life of Marranos in England/Europe, and the main focus of the book is supposed to be the Tudors, but the Marranos aspect is actually more interesting, if only because everyone's not running around calling everyone else a whore all the time.

I felt that the book delved a certain amount into what it was like to be a secret Jew, but it could have done more. I especially would have liked to seen a reference to how they would go to the mikvah. In stories about Jews who secretly maintained observance in the Soviet Union, this comes up a lot--secret mikvahs in the basement, or women risking hypothermia to dunk in the sea. I wanted to know what they did in England and France (where presumably using natural bodies of water was less of a big deal), but this wasn't even mentioned.

So, there's that.

There's also the weird way that Mary and Elizabeth are portrayed, like Mary was just this sweet, righteous woman who never wanted to burn and behead people, she was just forced into it because of Elizabeth's schemes to secure the throne. I guess that makes it okay, then.

The other thing is, regarding this whole baby subplot, the dates don't add up:

I was trying to figure out when exactly everything happened vis-a-vis this whole impregnating-another-woman thing, because it seems pretty relevant, even though Hannah doesn't seem to think so.

Okay, so Daniel arrived in Calais around June of 1555, and at the time, he and Hannah had just argued and the betrothal was in question. I would even venture to say that they were On A Break. Then Daniel and Hannah got married in June of 1557, and when they were married for two months, Mrs. Carpenter tells Hannah that Daniel had a baby with a local girl while Hannah was in England (By the way, I call shenanigans on the idea that someone who risked so much to stay Jewish and keep her family Jewish after surviving forced conversion is so thrilled to have a non-Jewish grandchild, no matter how much she dislikes her Jewish daughter-in-law, but that's neither here nor there), and Daniel admits that the baby is "about five months" old. Which puts Baby Daniel's conception around June of 1556. But on the other hand, Daniel explains his actions to Hannah by saying that he was lonely when he "first arrived in Calais," which implies that the affair started in the summer of 1555, and he says that he slept with the other woman "more than once" and that it wasn't a serious relationship--which is completely misleading if he was actually sleeping with her for a year. And Daniel's mother says that the woman was pregnant when Daniel was in Padua, but Daniel was in Padua by December 1555!

So, I see three no-prize possibilities here:

1) Daniel arrived in Calais in summer of 1555, depressed about his fight and uncertain status with Hannah, slept with a woman in Calais a few times, continued to feel bad, and wrote a letter to Hannah telling her how much he loved her and wanted to renew the betrothal. Around the time that Hannah wrote back, Daniel broke things off with the Calais woman. Then he traveled to Padua and renewed his betrothal with Hannah in another love letter. Meanwhile in Calais, the other woman realized she was pregnant and Daniel agreed to support the baby financially, even though the affair was over. Baby Daniel was born in March 1556, and when Daniel said that the baby was "about five months old," he was pulling a Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, and the baby was literally a year and five months. Daniel still should have told Hannah about the baby, and what he did overall wasn't right, but it's forgivable and even a little bit understandable.

2) Same as above, but Baby Daniel's gestation period was a year and nine months. Seems unlikely, but this theory is the only one that doesn't contradict canon, and this is the same universe where Queen Mary has eleven-month pregnancies that end with neither baby nor miscarriage, so who knows.

3) Daniel was having an affair with this woman for over a year. While he was writing to Hannah about how sorry he was and how much he loved her, while he was accepting her terms and promising that they would work things out together, he was sleeping with someone else... and he continued to do so for over a year. The Padua thing makes no sense, unless he went back to Padua again in the winter of 1556 and the book never mentioned it? Anyway, if this is the case, then, combined with the fact that he continued to see her while married to Hannah and that he never actually says when the last time he slept with her is, he is a total creep and I don't understand why Hannah would ever go back to him.

See how different the various narratives are? Without knowing which one is true, how is the reader supposed to get a handle on the story? And why doesn't Hannah ask Daniel when he stopped sleeping with the other woman (unless we're supposed to assume that he never did)? I'm so confused.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hannah Verde "Green" is a young Jewish girl who poses as a boy to apprentice to her father, a bookkeeper. But when Lord Robert Dudley realizes she has "The Sight", she becomes King Edward's Fool. Hannah The Fool gets to experience the King's death, Queen Mary's rise to the throne, and Princess Elizabeth's eternal scheming to get on the throne all from the front seat of the court. But the real question is: Will Hannah ever find Twoo Lurve?

The last Philippa Gregory book I read, The Other Boleyn Girl, I called a guilty pleasure. It wasn't that amazing, the history was iffy, the characters 1-dimensional, but it was amusing and entertaining. I wasn't bored in the slightest.

Oddly enough, I found myself enjoying "The Queen's Fool" even more than I enjoyed TOBG. I don't know much about the historical accuracy, the characters might have been even more annoying, but I was definitely more engaged in the story and more interested.

NOTE: History isn't my forte. I appreciate historical accuracy in a book, but it's going to have to be pretty blatantly WRONG for me to notice it (i.e. Jeans in the Middle Ages type thing). Therefore, if you are reading this review to see how accurate TQF is, I would suggest you move to another review, because I won't be able to answer that question very adequately at all.

Probably the biggest, most obnoxious and annoying aspect of the book for me was Hannah Verde herself. There was quite a bit I didn't like about her.

1. Anachronistic. Yeah, I know, I just noted I "Don't do history" and my first complaint is about historical accuracy. But I put this under "Things that are obvious an idiot would know". I'm sorry but I can't believe a 16th century woman would be saying these things:

"I don't wish to marry...I should like to have my own shop and print my own books."

"It's not you I dislike. It's marriage itself. I wouldn't choose marriage at all. What is it about the servitude of women hoping for safety to men who cannot even keep them safe?"

"I need to be a woman in my own right, and not only a wife...This is the woman I've become."

Women of this day got married and had kids. That was it. There was no big push for women's rights or women to have jobs outside of being a wife and mother. Sorry, if you want to do this plot device, travel to the 1950's. Even then, though, the women STILL were expected to be wives and mothers FIRST AND ONLY and were SHAMED if they had jobs (just ask my grandmothers!).

2. Mary Sue-ness. Hannah has "The Sight", some weird, undefined phenomenon that takes a historical fiction book into the fantasy realm. Women are jealous of her. She befriends Queen Mary AND Princess Elizabeth and are buddy-buddy with them up until the end. She has several men chasing to get in her skirts. She is shapely and attractive and has desires that are NOT common in her time period. Hannah, come on down, you are the newest Mary Sue!!

3. Miss Passivity. Much like with Mary Boleyn, Hannah barely does ANYTHING of her own volition. Much of her life is being pushed around by everyone else. Now, I know earlier that I said that women were expected to be wives and mothers, and basically didn't have rights. That is true, but I still think it is possible to show a historically accurate woman that isn't a doormat all the time, letting everyone walk all over her.

4. Inconsistent. Hannah spends much of the book fearing that she will be revealed as Jewish. And THAT is why she clings to the VERY Catholic Queen, Mary, who killed several "heretics" during her time. Uh...wait, that doesn't make sense! Now, this COULD have been done well, if Hannah had met and befriended Mary (which she did), but had serious reservations and fears about Mary--something like "Mary is a woman I look up to...but she could kill me at any moment for being Jewish!" But this NEVER HAPPENS.

And yet...she says THIS:

"I couldn't pray to a God who would allow my mother to be burned to death. I couldn't pray to a God who could be invoked by the torchbearers."

But you can serve a Catholic Queen with no problems? Not even some "Oh, I like Queen Mary, but she's burning people, like the Catholic Church burned my Mom, oh no what do I do?" Huh? How does THAT make any sense?

5. Holier Than Thou. Hannah flirts around with the married Lord Robert Dudley. But when Princess Elizabeth does this, WHAT A HORRIBLE SLUT THAT GIRL IS!!! HOW DARE SHE!!!

"The Queen had to watch the man she still passionately loved at another woman's beck and call, and that woman, Elizabeth, the unwanted sister who had stolen Mary's Father, was now seducing her husband."

And yet, when Lord Robert's wife, entrusted with Hannah's care, treats Hannah like dirt, thinking she has fooled around with Lord Robert (and in some ways, Hannah did), GOD FORBID WHAT A HORRIBLE WOMAN!! HOW DARE she not treat Hannah with the utmost respect!

And then, when Princess Elizabeth rebels against the Catholic ways, SHAME ON HER for defying the laws! Oh, Hannah still practices her Jewish ways in secret? Oh, THAT'S OKAY!! Geesh, get it right!

6. Lack of compassion. At one point, Hannah learns Daniel has cheated on her. She is understandably upset (I truly did feel sorry for her and was glad when she reacted appropriately). But when Amy Dudley's husband, Hannah's beloved Lord Robert, does the same thing, does Hannah show ANY compassion or empathy to Amy? HELL NO!!

7. Mary Boleyn 2.0, New and Improved! There were several times where I found it hard to differentiate between Mary from TOBG and Hannah from TQF. Both were passive, holier-than-thou, women who admired their Pure and Righteous Queen Who Can Do No Wrong, and fall in love with the most boring of men. Even Hannah's supposed Jewishness felt fake; more like painting a white rose red.

8. Forgetfulness. After Hannah learns about Daniel's baby momma, she leaves his house and lives with her father. Understandable. She also doesn't immediately take him back. Good. But then, after the battle of Calais, suddenly, she forgets how he cheated on her and talks about how "patient and longsuffering" Daniel was, how he "waited for her" until she left court and married him. Um, girlfriend, no, he wasn't patient. If he were patient, he wouldn't have a baby momma. You have a VERY short memory, don't you?

For once, I'd like to read a historical novel in which the female main character was correct to her time period, wasn't a pushover, had actual real female friends and LIKED them, wasn't fawned all over by every male within a 30 mile radius, and had simple human emotions such as compassion, mercy, understanding, and kindness.

But enough about Hannah, I think I've worn myself out talking about her.

The other characters are 1-dimensional like in PG's TOBG. Queen Mary is Pure and Holy and All Things Good. While I liked this better than painting her as some devil woman just because she had a lot of people put to death, it got to be over the top on numerous occasions. Princess Elizabeth felt almost EXACTLY like Anne Boleyn from TOBG: scheming, playing around with men, being evil and thinking of herself and her power over her country. Again, while I don't think Princess/Queen Elizabeth was all Perfection, I don't think she was the harlot that PG tried to portray her as.

I got no sense of Hannah's father's character; he felt very much a blank slate. Daniel felt like a selfish, domineering pig. I have no idea WHY he and Hannah Fell In Lurve. Lord Robert was only a self-serving rake; he didn't care about anyone other than himself. Daniel's mother and sisters were terrible people--well, actually, I had more heart for them, realizing that they were scared and didn't want to lose Daniel. But the way Hannah talks about them, you would think they chased her with pitchforks and playfully tied her to the lit BBQ every so often.

In fact, none of the women, other than Queen Mary and Hannah herself are portrayed as being "good". It's sad that Hannah can't have a single female friend--and not someone like the Queen, someone of Hannah's own rank.

I did like William, the court jester. He was pretty amusing at times. Given the 1 dimensional nature of the characters, he was probably the most interesting character to me.

The story is what I think really gripped me. Even though Hannah drove me bonkers, I was curious about what would happen to her. I think also PG writing from the point of view of a fictional character helped her story; she had a lot more flexibility and could show us the little things in court--things that the bigger players, like Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth wouldn't have seen. Sure, it's awful convenient that Hannah gets in the employ of the Court and sees all that she does, but I'll suspend disbelief for that. What I find ridiculous, honestly, is "The Sight". I have no idea why THAT was included (and I do realize that is what gets her hired, but geesh, there are other ways!).

The writing was serviceable. Nothing glaringly bad. My experience listening on audiobook was good--though I did miss the woman who narrated TOBG. I did wonder whether Hannah, a Jewish girl, would reference Judas Iscariot:

"We ran from her, like a pair of Judas Iscariots, desperate to save our own skins."

(If this would have been likely or not, please comment and tell me!!)

I think if the character of Hannah had been stronger, less annoying, and more unique (less like Mary Boleyn from TOBG), then this book would have been more enjoyable to read. It's a decent read, one that makes you head over to Wiki and check up on some long-forgotten history. Don't go in expecting brilliance, and you are bound to be pleased.

[Selah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book tremendously, with the exception of the ending, which felt weak and rushed compared to the rest of the book. Excellent historical fiction. I'm buying all this author's books.

[Harmonyofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ona güvenmiştim. Ona hayatım konusunda güvenmiştim."
"Ve çok doğru yapmıştın," dedi dalga geçer bir tavırla. "Sen gerçek bir soytarısın. Bir krala ancak bir soytarı güvenir."
4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tudors serisi uzun zamandır okumak istediğim bir seriydi ve nihayet seriyi sırasıyla okumaya karar vererek Boleyn Kızı ile başladım. Ardından ikinci kitabı Kraliçenin Soytarısı'nı okumayı çok istedim fakat uzun süre ikinci kitabı hiçbir kütüphanede bulamayarak sonunda kendim satın aldım. Aldığım gibi de hemen bu ayın okuma listesine ekledim. Bu tarz hem tarihi hem edebi bir roman okumayalı çok olmuştu. Öncelikle Boleyn Kızı'nı çok ama çok beğenmiştim, yazarın kaleminde gerçek İngiltere tarihine bu kadar yatkın olması gerçekten takdire şayan bir durum ve böylece kalemini okumak hem bilgilendirici hem de keyifli oluyor. Şahsen ben İngiltere tarihinde Bakire Elizabeth ile Kanlı Mary'inin birbirleriyle bağlantılarını asla anlayamıyordum ki nihayet bu kitapla birlikte kimin kim olduğu aklıma kazındı. Kraliçenin Soytarısı denince benim aklımda bu soytarı sıfatı daha çok bir erkek karakter oluşturmuştu ama meğerse soytarımız Hannah adında Yahudi asıllı bir casusmuş. Hannah'ın aslında kurgusal bir karakter olduğuna hiçbir zaman inanmak istemedi bir tarafım. Ama zaten bu kadar detaylı bir anlatımda aksi mümkün olamazdı. Kitap başlarda Bakire Elizabeth ve Kanlı Mary arasında gerçekten çok etkileyici ve bilgilendirici bir şekilde ilerledi. Yani ikili arasındaki tarihe yansıyan rekabetin tam ortasında kalıyordu okuyucu. Fakat kitap yaralandıktan sonra artık biraz daha Hannah'ın nişanlısıyla yaşadıkları çerçevesinde gelişti. O sayfaları okuması da çok keyifliydi fakat Hannah'ın evliliğinin ardından Hannah'ın kişiliğinde bazı garip gelişmeler yaşandığı için kitap benim için rayından biraz sıyrıldı. Hannah ise kendi dininden biriyle nişanlı olan, babasının kitapçısında erkek kılığında çalışan, görme yeteneğine sahip ve Bakire Elizabeth'in casus soytarısı olarak oldukça farklı özelliklere sahip okuması çok keyifli bir karakterdi. Kitabın son iki yüz sayfasına geldiğimizde artık İngiltere tarihinden çok Hannah'ın yaşadıklarını okuduğumuz için kitap biraz gözümde gerilere kaydı. Üçüncü kitap Beyaz Kraliçe'yi daha büyük bir heyecanla okuyacağımı düşünüyorum. Kraliçenin Soytarısı kitabı harika bir girişle başlamıştı ve inanılmaz akıcı okunan çok güzel bir kitaptı yine. Sizlere de keyifli okumalar dilerim, hedefim seriyi bitirebilmek umarım.

[Mariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philippa Gregory writes royalty fanfic, pretty much. Sometimes she'll throw in a Mary Sue stand-in based on an actual figure from history (such as Mary Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl) and ground her story on some small fact she wanted to do a what-if on. That's okay, but it still feels like putting in your own new character into someone else's story (this time a real one) and adding importance to them that they didn't have. Just like fanfics.
The Queen's Fool hones in on fictional Spaniard Jewish girl Hannah Greene. The best parts were about her life in Spain, and trying to be true to their faith in that environment (nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!). Hannah gets married to a boy who is stretched too thin trying to take care of his mama and sister as well as taking a wife. More than sharing his time, Hannah wants to get down and do the nasty. Hannah can't get anything she wants. She has to practice being a good jew in secret from the government, and then hide very real parts of herself from everyone, including those who share her faith (and supposedly) her body.
That was the best part of the book. The standard fanfic historical fiction fare was the "Oh yay Robert Dudley is so sexy!" and "Won't the impossibly cool Queen Elizabeth notice me?" [There's no way that Robert Dudley was the hottie that historical fiction makes him out to be.] Then Elizabeth is a bitch they "have to" (I don't see the need for it. She was who she was. Fascinating, not a saint) rationalize everything because apparently people can't just be complex individuals. 'Boleyn' was the same way about Henry VIII. He didn't need to be a bodice ripper type. He got his, and they were the harem girls waiting around. (The best part of that book was the "new" sexual practices from French court, such as fellatio.) What do I expect from a genre that makes either Elizabeth or Dudley's wife the villain, and Dudley always the poor torn soul.
There had to be interesting things going on back then that did not involve royalty. I know they need a selling hook, but c'mon.
The Elizabeth/Dudley stuff was the weakest part.
I think that it is best to read only one of these types of books at a time. It's confusing for me to read one book with Mary Tudor as the heroine and then switch around and she's the baddie in Elizabeth's story.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. It's set during an interesting period of history. It features a Jewish heroine, Hannah, who must hide her faith. The overarching theme is about religious and personal freedom. But the writing is so awful (it reads like a trashy romance novel) I just couldn't like the book. Nor could I like the heroine. Being free isn't equivalent to being unprincipled. And Hannah "loves" everyone she meets; she ends up loyal to no one. Moreover, the characters are all over the place. For instance, we meet Princess Elizabeth in the first few pages of the book, where she is "catting" about with her stepfather. Hannah tells us: "that was the first sight I ever had of Princess Elizabeth: damp with desire, panting with lust, rubbing herself like a cat against another woman's husband" (pg5) and that Elizabeth was "a virgin in name alone... [i:]n reality she was little more than a whore." (pg3). Which would seem to suggest that Elizabeth is a bad actor. Yet later, the heroine tells us she loves Elizabeth because "she is the bravest cleverest woman I have ever known, she is like a quick-witted lion... like a flame of fire, no one could help wanting to be near her..." (pg221). Indeed, Hannah determines that she should look to Elizabeth in order to learn how to "act like a woman." But later, Hannah tells Queen Mary that Elizabeth is a bad woman, who will be a good ruler (pg495). So which is it? Is Elizabeth a bad woman or a good one? This is not some attempt to depict someone as multi-faceted; it's just a confused character study. Also, did anyone else think it weird that Hannah was living in Spain as a girl, but delivering books to Tom Seymour in London? And what precisely was the appeal of Robert Dudley? He was "dashing?" This is enough to convince a girl obsessed with freedom to become infatuated with her "master" instead of rebelling against him? And why did baby Daniel suddenly regain the ability to speak? Anyway, I had higher hopes for this book given all the hype.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book number twelve in the Tudor saga, The Queen’s Fool seems to me to be one of Gregory’s weaker efforts, or perhaps I am growing tired of her at last. I love historical fiction that contains MORE of the historical and LESS of the fiction. I have loved Gregory at times because I felt her fictional accounts fit so perfectly into the narrative that we know to be true, into the facts that surround the tale. I cannot say that I felt she did a good job here, though, as I walked away thinking that the story was completely ludicrous in view of the known facts and that, rather than offering me a believable interpretation of the people, she had offered an interpretation that I would judge has less than an hair’s breadth of being true.

I’m not sure I can buy Bloody Mary Tudor as a sweet girl who was trying to save the souls of one and all by burning them at the stake. Wouldn’t it make a bit more sense that this woman, who was treated so poorly by her father and his cronies, while being no doubt influenced by her mother’s unwavering adherence to Catholicism, might have had a bit of a vengeful streak in her that would have made burning people and lopping off heads an easier task? I kept asking myself unanswerable questions: Would you continue to love a person and put them above your own safety and that of your father if they signed an order to have you interrogated by the Inquisition? Can a person truly serve two masters faithfully? I know, it makes for a character who can relate first hand what is going on in both camps, but really, wouldn’t your true feelings lean one way or the other? And, finally, history tells us Elizabeth I was a strong and independent woman. I just can’t buy this slutty, femme fatale version of her. If she had been this woman, could she have survived to have reigned and would these men have respected her judgment as history tells us they did?

So, given these failings, how can I give it a 3-star rating? Well, Gregory knows her craft well enough to spin a tale that you want to see through to fruition. She makes you stay, even at those moments when you are shaking your head and saying, “I don’t think so.” I’ll give her a star for that alone. With another author, I would probably have been out of there less than half way in.

I have two more novels to read in this series of books about the Plantagenets and Tudors. Since I have not read them in complete order, I have already read the next book in line, The Virgin’s Lover, which is the continuation of this book into the life and reign of Elizabeth I. I thought it also a weaker novel than her norm. Perhaps Gregory is tired, perhaps I am tired, or perhaps she doesn’t like Elizabeth and feels moved to malign her?I am hoping that the last two will revert to the quality of some of the earlier ones. The book about Katherine Parr should be more interesting if handled well, since I am not as familiar with her and might not notice the historical inconsistencies quite as much. The last will be The Last Tudor, which by its title promises to be the last in this long, long line. I admit I will not be unhappy to have it done.

[Noella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannah is een joods meisje dat met haar vader in Londen woont. Ze is verloofd met Daniël, een joodse jongen.
Op een dag komen Lord Robert Dudley en John Dee naar de boekwinkel van haar vader, om boeken te kopen. Hannah is (soms) helderziende, en ze ziet een engel achter de twee heren.
Als ze 's anderendaags boeken naar het Hof moet brengen, wil Dudley dat ze daar blijft, als nar--heilige nar vanwege haar gave--van de jonge zieke koning Edward. Haar vader had hierin toegestemd.
En zo begint het leven van Hannah aan het Hof: eerst onder koning Edward, dan bij prinses Mary, en dan weer bij prinses Elisabeth, en dan weer terug bij Mary, die dan koningin geworden is.
Het zijn echter turbulente tijden, en Daniël en zijn moeder en zussen, en de vader van Hannah, moeten naar Calais vluchten. Hannah besluit echter bij prinses Elisabeth te blijven, die dan juist naar de Tower gebracht is in opdracht van haar zus Mary.
En de tijd verstrijkt...Maar als Hannah door de Inquisitie gearresteerd wordt, en maar amper kan ontsnappen door toedoen van John Dee, besluit ze ook naar Calais te vluchten.
Daar trouwt ze met Daniël, maar haar relatie met zijn familieleden laat veel te wensen over. Als ze dan ook nog ontdekt dat Daniël een kind heeft bij een andere vrouw, wil ze niet meer met hem samenwonen. En bij de strijd om Calais, kan ze ontsnappen en inschepen op een schip naar Engeland met hulp van Robert Dudley.
Ze komt na een tijdje terug terecht bij koningin Mary, die aan het eind van haar krachten en haar leven is. Het enige wat Hannah nu nog wil is weg van het Hof, Daniël terugvinden en een nieuw leven beginnen met hem en zijn zoontje.

Ik heb echt genoten van dit boek. Ik wist al veel van deze woelige tijden in Tudor Engeland, maar het was verfrissend om de gebeurtenissen te zien door de ogen van een buitenstaander. Ik vond ook dat de relatie tussen Robert Dudley en zijn vrouw Amy op een geloofwaardige manier geportretteerd werd. Bij het lezen hiervan dacht ik: zo heb ik het nog nooit bekeken!

Een aanrader!

[Bookish Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that the day, Nov 17th, of Mary Tudor’s death was celebrated (and I DO mean CELEBRATED) as a holiday in England for centuries?

I actually read this book half grudgingly, I can’t remember why now other than that I like to switch historical periods. I was very pleasantly surprised.

I haven’t read many books from the period of “Bloody” Mary Tudor, as it’s not the most popular period to write about and it’s a blot on mankind to read what we did to each other during those years of the Spanish Inquisition. It’s hard to read about the atrocities of torture. So yes, this book included some of that. The details were kept minimal but the fear that was felt by our heroine was a constant. As a young jewish girl who had to endure having her mother ripped away from her to be burned as a heretic (who came up with all of this ghastly business anyways?) in Spain, move from country to country, and live with not only her heritage but her sex, hidden, her terror is palpable in “The Queen’s Fool”. I think that “Hannah Green” is fictional, but it provides a marvelous perspective on the time.

Dragging a BIT at times, I found overall this book to be interesting and that it was able to hold my interest and add to my thoughts about Henry VIII’s legacy. You may find yourself with sympathy towards the most unlikely people. 3.75 ⭐️ stars.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't read this in a long time, but I remember that this was one of my favourite books in this series.

I would recommend it to anyone, especially to people who like Historical Fiction and Tudor time period.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read (more specifically, listened to) by Philippa Gregory. After seeing the enormous popularity of The Other Boleyn Girl, I had kind of wondered what it was that made this author so appealing.

Before reading this, I already knew that most of Gregory's books were historical fiction told from the perspective of women who lived or might have lived during medieval and early modern times. So, I wasn't surprised to find strong female characters who nonetheless live within the constraints of their times. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author was an absolute expert at portraying multiple, conflicting sides of characters and situations sympathetically.

The main character, Hannah, is drafted into the service of the dying King Edward as a fool, but she soon ends up working for multiple powerful royals and nobles. As a spy, she has close contact with people like Queen Mary, Princess Elizabeth, and the influential Robert Dudley, and she finds qualities to admire in each of them, even when they're working against each other. Her allegiances and loyalties are not so much fluid as complex. She can love someone and hold them in high esteem while seeing their faults clearly. As a reader going along with Hannah's first-person perspective, I found myself seeing both sides of the coin too. A lot of authors create multifaceted, grey-area type characters, but I thought Gregory was especially adept at it. Queen Mary, for example, seems like a really good person whose heart is in the right place--right up until she starts burning heretics. And even then, she seems to truly believe that she's doing the best thing for her country. Yet I still felt some sympathy for her at that point, and so did Hannah, who as a Jew living in secret had every reason to fear the heretic burning.

Hannah's love life was similarly confused. I liked the fact that she wasn't too good. She followed one man with the doggedness and blindness that (hopefully) only comes with youth and inexperience, while resisting another and the very thought of marriage with considerable strength. However, I did think that something that happened towards the end was kind of convenient in terms of making Hannah into a "better person." It just seemed like she came around to a completely different perspective so fully that it was a little strange, and I thought she didn't need to beat herself up so much about having been (somewhat justly) angry and resentful in the past.

A little on pacing: the story starts out in such a way that it immediately draws the reader into the lives and intrigues of people long gone. Historical details are included in a non-intrusive way so that information flows naturally into the grain of the story. For me, the story dragged a little in the middle while Hannah was still at court (the first time). But when she leaves, several unexpected plot twists grabbed my attention and made me really want to know what happened next with all these characters and their dangerous world, where one day something is the law and the next day it's treason or heresy. I got a good flavor for the times, learned some history, and enjoyed the story.

[Celise · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And all they will remember of this queen is that she brought the country floods and famine and fire. She will be remember as England's curse when she was to have been our virgin queen, England's saviour."

That quote is exactly what I knew of Queen Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I's older sister and predecessor. The Queen's Fool is a factual and fictional retelling of Mary's evolution from the miserable child who saw her mother divorced and put aside by Henry VIII, to the woman who would become queen of England and burn thousands of people for their religion in her attempts to return the country to Catholicism, earning the name Bloody Mary. Gregory captures the pain and dejection of a heartbroken woman and while not justifying her madness, she paints a picture of why things might have gone the way they did, starting back in her childhood when Anne Boleyn pushed her mother off the throne, and pushed Catholicism from England with it. (The plot does not go back this far, it is only mentioned, but is covered in The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl).

This isn't really Mary's story though. The novel is told in first person perspective from the point of view of Hannah Verde, a fictional Jewish girl who comes to court to serve Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth. I generally dislike fictional characters set in real history, but she was honestly my favourite part of this. She's a little bit wishy washy with her feelings sometimes, but she's a young girl growing up and learning what she values. This outsider perspective probably makes sense from a narrative perspective as well just because it allows us to see what's going on with both Elizabeth and Mary without two conflicting POVs.

The middle dragged, but these novels tend to do that.

[Sophia Musgrave · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO I see some other reviews of this are whining that it is not historically accurate, and all I can say is so what? it is a piece of fiction, although it may be historically based at points, seriously if you want a real history book go read a text book!!! I think this was great book, the story about Hannah Green being claimed as a fool by the court is engaging, at times very troubling and at times very touching. Based upon the reign of Bloody Mary we get to explore several what ifs-- what if one of England's most ill thought of Monarchs was just human? What if she too had normal everyday concerns and issues? What if her reign was deeply affected by these issues? It delves into a world of the author's creation that questions our assumptions about a little known Monarch. I have to admit that the story is a bit hard to get into, and it does seem to go on forever at times, but if you stick with it and open you narrow mind up just a hair, you may be pleasantly surprised! Told from the perspective of a servant girl with a special sight, we get to see the unfolding of Queen Mary's rule from the perspective that not many people would have bothered with, yet it proves to be a fascinating way to present a heart wrenching time in England's history. Because who really was affected by all the bloody deaths? It was more the people, the peasants and servants and those who had very limited power.

Although there is a lot of political intrigue (which I did not really like just because that is not my interest), I really did like play on Hannah being a Jewess in hiding and continually pitted against circumstances of intense religious persecutions. She lived so long in hiding that she became a boy as a child and young woman to the point that when she could feel somewhat safe coming out of being a woman that she had to continue to pretend ignorance to a certain extent that she almost had no idea who she was any longer. It is a beautiful coming of age story that mirrors the turbulent times. I also really liked the comparison of the not so innocent Elizabeth who would become queen. They both grew up in the same time period but that was about where the similarities ended. Suffice it to say, this novel delves into the what ifs and shows the world different perspectives of a very scary time in England's history. But don't go getting ticked off or disappointed if it is not what you expected, because until you read it, you don't really know!!!

[Sonja Arlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been SO lazy writing this review, putting it off for days after finishing the audio version. This normally only happens when I am slightly underwhelmed by my reading experience.

As always, the audio narrator Bianca Amato gave a stellar performance and I enjoyed the fact that the book was written from the viewpoint of a non-royal, especially one that has an uncontrollable power of prophecy. I also really enjoyed learning about the lives of Jews during this time of persecution and the danger of the Spanish Inquisition.

To be honest, I have never been a fan of king and queen books but the last 2 audio books by this author was excellent, in fact they were such great experiences it had me believing that maybe my tastes have changed.

But nope, this book just proved to me that my enjoyment of The Boleyn Inheritance, and The Taming of the Queen was perhaps only because I found the story of mad Henry 8 so fascinating.

So, I am not going to harp on about all the endless cycles of schemes to overthrow the reigning monarch, the endless illnesses or the slightly tepid standing feud between Mary and Elizabeth.

For fans of Phillipa Gregory I think this will go down well but for me..... well perhaps I should give her books a rest for now.

[AsToldByKenya]

3.75

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. The Queen's Fool, was actuality the first of her novels I have ever read, and I have read every single one. It remains my favorite, and reading this one was a pleasure. Let me tell you why I loved it so much, and what makes this my favorite of a series and collection that I have completely adored. For one, I like it, when the point of view isn't necessarily told from the point of view of a royal, in this case a young girl, who is completely innocent, naive, and truthful to a fault. She has no power of manipulation, and in fact having "the sight", she is forced and out of her control to express what she sees. She acts completely on inner voice and trust, and total love and devotion. Her relationship with her father is precious. I also loved the Murrano theme, a hidden Jew, whose mother was burned in the inquisition, who in Queen Mary's Court, must serve two Queens, Mary and Elizabeth, who compete for the throne, the people, for her, for differing faiths, and with each, she is in danger. With the sight, she remains in danger. And yet she struggles with her own faith, what it means and how it might guide her. There were hidden Jews all through Europe, even likely in the Queen's royal court, and this book laid out the themes absolutely beautifully. It is the only book in the series that talks about the life experience of Queen Mary Tudor, and it is told well, and with compassion for Mary, and a real foreshadowing of Elizabeth I.

So those who have been following me, know that when I read Lady of the Rivers, the original book about the first Plantagenet mother, I began to read them all in order, to learn about and see the series as it developed. As I was doing this, She wrote books that filled in right where I left off. And lo and behold was the wonderful series, the White Queen on Starz, (based on her series) which I loved loved loved, so much. I hope they do another based on the next set of Tudors. So I was coming back to this, and this spot, and this most favorite book when the series tag emerged. I loved it.

If the series tag would last for a year, I would add two more series. I'd read the first of the books in the Forgotten Cemetery of Books Series (Shadow of the Wind), and re-read all four in a row. The second thing I'd do, is re-start Clan of the Cave Bear, read the last five, and then finally the 6th that came out last year, that I'd delayed because I'd lost the thread. I wonder if anyone is doing just that….

Now reading My Name Is Lucy Barton, and I have Tsar of Love and Techno and Fates and Furies out of the Library. And Eligible is in transit. Happy Reading All. Off to see the movie DOUGH, with 8 girlfriends….

[Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

For most of this book, the main character's story is completely subsumed by the machinations of the various royalty and wannabes that surround her--she's just along for the ride. It's only in the last quarter of the book or so that Hannah actually gets her own storyline. And the storyline goes like this: "OMG, I'm married and in love, but I hate my in-laws!" --> "OMG, my husband cheated on me before we were married, and he has a child he didn't tell me about! I'm going to run away now." --> "OMG, soldiers! My brush with death has made me realize that I don't care about my husband's cheating! I want to be with him and his dead lover's baby forever!"

Furthermore, I found it quite frankly unbelievable that this girl should be:
1. Snagged off the street and begged as a fool to the king.
2. Sent to spy on the soon-to-be Queen Mary, who knows she's a spy but decides they should become bosom companions anyway, and takes her with her everywhere, even when secrecy and speed are of the utmost importance and she can only take a couple people.
3. Sent by Mary to spy on Princess Elizabeth, who also knows she's a spy but who also decides that they should become bosom companions anyway, and doesn't bother to hide her plotting against Mary despite the fact that Hannah is clearly friends with the queen.

Also: Good lord, girl, grow a backbone. Have some agency. Stop being the puppet of whomever asks.

Overall, I was completely underwhelmed, considering how popular this author is.

[Natasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced, lively read about an independent, young woman who finds herself at a crossroad in her life and begins a voyage of self-discovery that will change her life. The story takes place in sixteenth-century England, amidst all the political rivalry and religious turmoil of the time. The author weaves a pleasing tapestry of historical events and personages together with the intrigues in the Tudor court of the Queen who would become known as Bloody Mary.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highlight!!! - 😍😍😍

[Mira15 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desejava perder-me nos corredores dos castelos, conhecer personalidades fascinantes e cativantes, e, principalmente lançar-me nos meandros da História de uma forma que só Philippa Gregory consegue recriar. Depois de ler 5 livros da autora já sei com o que posso contar e estava ansiosa por ler este - embora soubesse que a personagem principal é fictícia, ao contrário, dos restantes livros.

Oliver e Hannah Verde “Green”, pai e filha naturais de Aragão, Espanha, são honestos e trabalhadores, esforçando-se todos os dias por ganhar o seu ganha-pão. Não obstante o facto de terem sido enveredados nas teias da inquisição e por isso, os dois tiveram de fugir para Inglaterra (após a morte da mãe de Hannah) e lá esperam um recomeço numa terra mais tranquila. Porém, a autora não perdeu tempo e logo nas primeiras páginas dá-se uma mudança – da pequena livraria do pai, Hannah torna-se bobo do rei Eduardo VI. Ela é ambiciosa e não procura esconder o seu desejo de liberdade muito à frente do seu tempo.

“ – E porque anda vestida à rapaz? – perguntou.
O meu pai encolheu os ombros.
- Oh, meus senhores, os tempos estão maus. Tive de atravessar a Espanha e a França com ela e, depois, os Países Baixos, sem uma mãe para a guardar. Tenho de mandá-la fazer recados e agir como se fosse meu empregado. Seria melhor para mim se fosse rapaz. Quando se tornar mulher, terei de lhe dar um vestido, mas não sei como hei-de tratá-la. Como uma rapariga, estou perdido. Mas, com um rapaz, lá me amanho. Como rapaz, ela é-me útil.” P.17

Nunca consegui compreender Hannah. Muitos leitores reprovam a personagem de Margarida Beaufort em “A rainha vermelha” (livro nº 2 da série “Guerra entre primos”) pelos seus comportamentos cruéis e pela sua ambição desmedida. No entanto, com ela tenho um pleno espelho da época e á luz dessa mesma sociedade consigo entender o porquê de se ter tornado assim. Hannah, pelo contrário, dá-nos a noção duma mulher completamente livre para tomar decisões e com vários ideais não propriamente comuns na altura. Até a relação entre ela e Daniel Carpenter é fria e distante, devido á sua teimosia e infantilidade. Surpreendentemente, no final muda e o romance renasce repentinamente… Muito confuso.

Como já vem sendo habitual, a escritora utiliza uma pitada de magia e de sobrenatural para intensificar toda a questão da religião, bem como do pesadelo da Inquisição. Curiosamente, alguns episódios desta natureza fizeram-me recordar “A senhora dos rios” (livro nº 3 da série “Guerra entre primos”) pelas semelhanças de certos pormenores. O triângulo amoroso entre conspirações, intrigas políticas e traições perdura durante todo o reinado de Maria e as suas consequências rasgam Inglaterra ao meio vezes sem conta.

“Actualmente, as ruas de Londres estavam muito diferentes. Havia forcas em todas as esquinas com traidores pendurados pelo pescoço e corvos nos beirais dos telhados a engordar à custa deles. A cidade era varrida por um vento pestilento que tresandava a traição.” P. 208

Em “A espia da rainha”, acompanhei Hannah nos meandros da corte e em Calais (antes de se tornar novamente francesa), e pude usufruir de todos os momentos da sua relação intima com Maria e Isabel, as famosas irmãs rivais Tudor. Apesar de o enredo se concentrar nas personagens de Hannah, Maria e Isabel, o contraste entre estas duas últimas surpreenderam-me, levando-me a querer saber ainda mais!


+ Equilíbrio entre entretenimento (utilizando a ficção com a história paralela de Hannah) com enriquecimento histórico e político de Inglaterra no séc. XVI
+ Bem escrito, prendendo o leitor até ao fim (embora alguns episódios entusiasmem mais que outros.)
+ Em cada capítulo, transparece uma pesquisa impecável e meticulosa por parte da escritora
----------------------------
- Modernidade de pensamentos e atitudes de Hannah forçada ao máximo, acabando por se desenquadrar com o resto das personagens totalmente inseridas neste período histórico
- Relação de Hannah com os círculos mais nobres da corte inglesa, por vezes, demasiado conveniente e incoerente. Não me convenceu…


Para quem como eu acompanha há vários anos a dinastia Tudor é certamente interessante descobrir o que aconteceu durante o reinado da 3ª geração. Descobrir as diferenças e as semelhanças (que não são poucas), reflectir sobre o poder do destino e o quanto os feitos passados ainda conseguem afectar o presente. Quanto maior é o perigo, maior é a recompensa…
Não foi o livro da autora que mais gostei, mas valeu a pena por tudo o que aprendi!

[Alisi ☆ wants to read too many books ☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh Lord, why did I read this? I hate it, really truly, hate it when authors invention a bunch of BS history to feed us. I've been on a Tudor history binge lately, but that honestly isn't why I read this. It was on sale, damn it. What could I do? xP

This follows Hannah, a Jew, who comes to England to flee from the Spanish Inquisition. Her mother wasn't so lucky. She was burned at the stake. She meets two random people in her shop one day, randomly blurts out something about an Angel, and suddenly she's the fool to the dying King. Afterward, she comes the fool for Mary I.

None of the relationships and/or events and/or the motives behind said events make sense. Hannah is unfailingly loyal to Mary basically on first sight. To a point that's just blatantly, horrifyingly impossible to believe. This is the Queen who's related to the people who killed her Mother and forced their families to flee, and yet there is absolutely NO real reluctance on the part of Hannah.

On the other side of the coin, she pretty much hates Elizabeth on sight. Oh, she says at places that she admires her or wants to study to become a woman like her, but her thoughts and actions don't agree. Hannah literally called and thought of Elizabeth as whore more than 30 times during the course of this book. It's whore this and whore that, etc.

Now, here's one of the biggest reasons I had swallowing this: the burnings of heretics in England. Mary starts up that good ol' fire and Hannah is STILL unfailingly loyal. Hell, Hannah is brought in by the Inquisitors under the order of Mary and SHE'S STILL UNFAILINGLY LOYAL. Mary wanted to torture her and Hannah has no problem with that. She blames everyone, including Dee who gets her off, but Mary? Of course not.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth who thinks these burnings are terrible is still whore this and whore that in Hannah's eyes. There's no sympathy on Hannah's part for Elizabeth, despite the shared life story. She flirts with men, her guardian took liberties with her (which, historically, wheren't anything she'd wanted -- even the Queen had participated to an extent), and she's next in line to the throne, so I guess that makes her evil.

PG has a bad habit of victim blaming and it's much in evidence here. Both Hannah and Mary think that Elizabeth has "stolen" the people's affect, despite either being locked up or in the country much of Mary's reign. This is thought while Mary is burning people. Hannah blames Elizabeth for stealing the peoples love away while MARY IS BURNING PEOPLE. I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I think having your family members burned alive would make me dislike the ruler.

Mary/Hannah think she's 'seducing' the King and yet Mary's hubby wasn't a King. He couldn't set Mary aside for Elizabeth. That's simply ridiculous.

/sigh

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a young girl, Hannah Green, from a Jewish family that hides their identity to escape persecution while secretly holding on to their faith and nationhood.
Hannah and her father have come from Spain, where Hannah's mother was burned as one of the thousands of innocent victims of the Spanish Inquisition.
Hannah has the gift of a seer. She is dressed as a boy in order to protect her, and soon comes to the attention of Lord Robert Dudley, who recruits her to the court of Queen Mary I of England as a 'fool'', but whose real task is as a spy. In the meantime Hannah is betrothed to Daniel, from an old Jewish family.
She soon comes to love the Queen, which is a puzzle, as it was Bloody Mary who brought the Spanish Inquisition to England. The author's rewrite of history by her over-sympathetic portrayal of Queen Mary and her unflattering portrayal of Queen Elizabeth does not sit well with me.
How can one sympathetically portray the Queen who burned thousands in order to force Roman Catholicism back onto England. And how can Hannah have been so devoted to the ruler who brought the brutal inquisition to England, after Hannah's mother was butchered by these same 16th century terrorists of Mary's ilk.
It was Elizabeth who freed England from Mary's terror and was one of England's greatest rulers ever. Elizabeth presided over a golden age of peace, prosperity and culture.
In fact history reveals that it was Mary who was utterly ruthless and had plnned to have Elizabeth killed, while Elizabeth had both judgement and the quality of mercy.
It will not do to present Elizabeth as a scheming harlot. The author go's out of her way to explore the depth of Mary's character but does not do the same for Elizabeth.
The author was also insufficiently sympathetic to Elizabeth, involving her seduction and exploitation by Thomas Seymour, when she was fourteen.

Hannah comes across as intriguing, attractive, like-able and interesting. The element of the crypto-Jews or 'marannos' is of great interest to me.
The book is a real page turner and fabulously written, despite the flaws I have highlighted.

[emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

tw for gendered language/slurs just in case!

the way i HATE this book.

picture little teenage me, so excited to get into adult historical fiction after reading every children's/YA female-focused historical fiction series (dear canada, the royal diaries, those tudor books incl. mary, bloody mary) that i could get my hands on. hearing all about the other boleyn girl, seeing philippa gregory's name, and finding out that she wrote a book about elizabeth i. desperately trying to get my hands on it, then powering through it, and... yikes.

THIS is one of the first books (if not the first) i remember reading with girl-hate so vitriolic that it had me questioning everything i thought i knew. gone was the (way too) idealized princess elizabeth i had in my head; gregory writes elizabeth as a WHORE and a BITCH and a WHORE and don't forget a WHORE. say all you want about writing from the point of view of a biased narrator, but even for 14 year old with her own internalized misogyny (i'm so sorry, miley cyrus), this was way too much.

there are a lot of valid reasons to criticize or hate elizabeth i. she was mercurial and moody, and the ramifications of her reign impacted millions. repeatedly using your narrator to call her a WHORE isn't a valid criticism. this fixation that so many scholars and authors have with the truth of elizabeth's virginity is completely reductive and irrelevant to so much of what actually made her and her leadership successful. plus, when you're tossing in the word WHORE with a teenager being sexually abused by an authority figure/basically her step father, there's something seriously wrong here.

it's been a good ten years since i read this book, but i saw i hadn't reviewed it and felt like i should to set the standard of what i rate books against (especially other historical fiction). this book turned me off adult historical fiction for a long time, and gregory for good. was i too young to be reading this? definitely. but if i read it for the first time again this week, i would have the same criticisms (and much worse) to say.

so yeah: big no thank you!