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The Godmother's Secret: The Mystery of the Missing Princes in the Tower
If you knew the fate of the Princes in the Tower would you tell? Or forever keep the secret?
May 1483: The Tower of London. When King Edward IV dies and Lady Elysabeth Scrope delivers her young godson, Edward V, into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Elysabeth’s sister Margaret Beaufort conspires with her son Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne.
Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court, defying her Yorkist husband and her Lancastrian sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe. Bound by blood and rent by honour, Elysabeth is torn between the crown and her family, knowing that if her loyalty is questioned, she is in peril of losing everything—including her life.
Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Or did the young boys vanish for their own safety? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St. John blends her family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing story about what happened to the Princes in the Tower.
May 1483: The Tower of London. When King Edward IV dies and Lady Elysabeth Scrope delivers her young godson, Edward V, into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Elysabeth’s sister Margaret Beaufort conspires with her son Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne.
Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court, defying her Yorkist husband and her Lancastrian sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe. Bound by blood and rent by honour, Elysabeth is torn between the crown and her family, knowing that if her loyalty is questioned, she is in peril of losing everything—including her life.
Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Or did the young boys vanish for their own safety? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St. John blends her family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing story about what happened to the Princes in the Tower.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2022
422 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth St. John
13 books272 followersElizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England's kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Follow me on bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eliza...
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Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Follow me on bookbub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eliza...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 18, 2022
Elizabeth St.John has really captured the attention of her readers with The Godmother's Secret. Told in the first person we, the reader, are taken on a very personal and at times precarious journey starting with the birth of Edward V and ending with his uncle's death at the Battle of Bosworth. Through the eyes of Lady Elysabeth Scrope, the rather reluctant godmother of Edward, we experience it all.
I thought the author had drawn a very vivid setting, and she seems to have a keen sense of the history as well as the scandals of this era. The fate of the two young princes in the Tower will probably never be known for certain, but I think the author has given her readers a plausible explanation which ties in with the history that would come after.
There are several characters, besides Elysabeth, that really intrigued me and caught my attention. I came away from this book with mixed feelings about Richard III. I know his reputation has had somewhat of a makeover in the last decade or so, but there can be no doubt about his ambition - he may or may not have killed his nephews, but he certainly had no qualms about executing men he saw as rivals, and yet there is a softer side to him, he is a loving husband and devoted father, but then again so was Edward I! Those Plantagenets were a strange lot.
Lady Margaret Beaufort really made my blood boil in this story. Her ambitions are well documented in history, but in this book, she truly is a horrible narcissist, whose every action is calculated. I could not decide if Margaret was truly longing to see her son, or was longing to see him sitting on the throne. There is a very thin thread between a mother's love and a mother's ambition in this book. Or perhaps she was just a pure Lancastrian and would do anything in her power to rid the kingdom of the Yorkist rules.
The prince's plight really pulled at my heartstrings and it seemed that they never really stood a chance as the people around them begin to betray them. I thought the boys were portrayed with a great deal of compassion and they were just two very innocent children who were caught up in this ever-changing game of thrones.
There is nothing about this story that I did not like. It is one of those books that I will certainly be reading again, and it would make a brilliant TV series. Move other Philippa Gregory, it is Elizabeth St.John's time to shine. I will certainly be on the lookout for more books from this author.
*I received a copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.
I thought the author had drawn a very vivid setting, and she seems to have a keen sense of the history as well as the scandals of this era. The fate of the two young princes in the Tower will probably never be known for certain, but I think the author has given her readers a plausible explanation which ties in with the history that would come after.
There are several characters, besides Elysabeth, that really intrigued me and caught my attention. I came away from this book with mixed feelings about Richard III. I know his reputation has had somewhat of a makeover in the last decade or so, but there can be no doubt about his ambition - he may or may not have killed his nephews, but he certainly had no qualms about executing men he saw as rivals, and yet there is a softer side to him, he is a loving husband and devoted father, but then again so was Edward I! Those Plantagenets were a strange lot.
Lady Margaret Beaufort really made my blood boil in this story. Her ambitions are well documented in history, but in this book, she truly is a horrible narcissist, whose every action is calculated. I could not decide if Margaret was truly longing to see her son, or was longing to see him sitting on the throne. There is a very thin thread between a mother's love and a mother's ambition in this book. Or perhaps she was just a pure Lancastrian and would do anything in her power to rid the kingdom of the Yorkist rules.
The prince's plight really pulled at my heartstrings and it seemed that they never really stood a chance as the people around them begin to betray them. I thought the boys were portrayed with a great deal of compassion and they were just two very innocent children who were caught up in this ever-changing game of thrones.
There is nothing about this story that I did not like. It is one of those books that I will certainly be reading again, and it would make a brilliant TV series. Move other Philippa Gregory, it is Elizabeth St.John's time to shine. I will certainly be on the lookout for more books from this author.
*I received a copy of this book from The Coffee Pot Book Club for review consideration.
March 31, 2023
An interesting version of what could've happened to the Princes in the Tower. I'll start by saying the cover for this book is stunning. Beautifully written, the author writes of her ancestor who was the Godmother to one of the princes and who, along with his brother, disappeared during the reign of King Richard III. Their disappearance has caused a centuries-long mystery and much speculation. I felt the story started off really strong, but by the halfway mark, it dragged somewhat. However, the story is very well researched and I enjoyed being immersed in that time period.
October 30, 2022
“You are the one left behind, Elysabeth. Remember the inn, when you told us what women want?”.
“Sovereynté,” I say.
In the 15th century, men indeed left behind women while they twisted "facts and fate to achieve their unholy ambitions”. Most women in this period were powerless to prevent war, but they dealt with the tragic aftermath. The Wars of Roses was one such time—as Lady Elysabeth Scrope knows too well, leading her to say, “These wars. These wars that men fight, and women endure, waiting for news, for their men to return home—or not.”
The Godmother’s Secret is a remarkable, painstakingly researched, and fresh retelling of the mystery of what happened to The Princes in the Tower — one of them the uncrowned Edward V, and the other Richard, Duke of York, his younger brother. Their story has been told in fiction countless times, yet – in prose often penned in near to poetry, painting the past so vividly – St John makes it anew by skilfully crafting a wonderful and believable tale of suspense and intrigue told through the point of view of Lady Elysabeth Scrope, one of St John’s long-ago kinswomen. Commanded by Henry VI to be godmother to Elizabeth Woodville’s unborn child and be there at the child’s birth, she finds herself, from the boy’s very first breath, first committed by her vow to Edward, the presumed heir to England’s throne, and then by a love willing to sacrifice all.
In the near future, her devotion to Edward will tear her life and marriage apart by her conflicting loyalties.
This is a novel to be savoured slowly for the delight of its gorgeous poetic writing:
Across the valley, a church spire pierces the morning mist like a needle poking through fabric, and copses of moss-green trees cling to the sides of the wolds, dark and mysterious.
It also unfurls a complex and carefully paced tale, one told in first person narration by Elysabeth. Observant, sensitive, courageous, she was so well drawn, I found myself well and truly journeying with her every step of the way to this story’s satisfying conclusion. But she is only one of many three-dimensional characters in this novel. From minor to major, St John crafts all her characters with immense skill. I especially loved the young princes in this novel — who St John penned as unforgettable flesh and blood boys — so much so I trembled in fear about their ultimate destinies. Margaret Beaufort, too, is amazingly well crafted by St John. She is a complex woman, one damaged by a past that has made her determined to control the spinning of fortune’s wheel.
Ultimately, the power of this novel is its timely reminder of the tragedy of war – its human cost, especially the cost to women’s lives, and the heartbreak it will always leave in its wake. The Godmother’s Secret is historical fiction at its best.
October 10, 2022
The Godmother’s Secret, is a departure from Elizabeth St. John’s beloved 17th century, but it still focuses on one of her ancestors, Elisabeth St. John Scrope, who had the distinction of being godmother to Edward V of England, one of the two young Princes in the Tower.
The disappearance of the princes has been a centuries-old mystery that further deepened when the bones of two young boys were found in a hidden cupboard in the Tower during the 17th century. Richard III has been cast as the likely villain, but there were many more who had a greater reason to do the brothers harm.
The author tells this story from the godmother’s perspective, Lady Elysabeth Scrope, a woman who was like a blood relative to the young prince and whose vow to protect him set her against her family’s interests. It’s a story about family relationships that are tested during unsettled times. Elysabeth is a wonderful heroine. She manoeuvres the restrictions placed on her because of her sex to forge her own path. The author manages to balances this perfectly—she gives Elysabeth agency within the social restrictions of the world she lives in. I adored the relationship between her and her husband. There was love and aching tenderness, all of which were tested when Elysabeth’s vow tightened around her. The antagonists were deftly portrayed—they were human and flawed, driven by power and greed. And I can’t praise enough how throughly I found myself immersed in the era—the details, the sights and smells and dialogue, all made me feel as though I had stepped into the 15th century.
I’m in absolute love with this novel from the fantastic cover to every crafted line. It is gorgeously written, throughly gripping and I found myself deeply invested in the fate of the princes and those who cared so much for them. The Godmother’s Secret has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and is the one of the best books I’ve read in 2022.
The disappearance of the princes has been a centuries-old mystery that further deepened when the bones of two young boys were found in a hidden cupboard in the Tower during the 17th century. Richard III has been cast as the likely villain, but there were many more who had a greater reason to do the brothers harm.
The author tells this story from the godmother’s perspective, Lady Elysabeth Scrope, a woman who was like a blood relative to the young prince and whose vow to protect him set her against her family’s interests. It’s a story about family relationships that are tested during unsettled times. Elysabeth is a wonderful heroine. She manoeuvres the restrictions placed on her because of her sex to forge her own path. The author manages to balances this perfectly—she gives Elysabeth agency within the social restrictions of the world she lives in. I adored the relationship between her and her husband. There was love and aching tenderness, all of which were tested when Elysabeth’s vow tightened around her. The antagonists were deftly portrayed—they were human and flawed, driven by power and greed. And I can’t praise enough how throughly I found myself immersed in the era—the details, the sights and smells and dialogue, all made me feel as though I had stepped into the 15th century.
I’m in absolute love with this novel from the fantastic cover to every crafted line. It is gorgeously written, throughly gripping and I found myself deeply invested in the fate of the princes and those who cared so much for them. The Godmother’s Secret has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and is the one of the best books I’ve read in 2022.
October 19, 2022
Manipulation. Uncertainty. Fear. When Elysabeth Scrope is given the role of ensuring the Queen’s baby makes it into the world safely, there is no way she could possibly have predicted the events that would occur afterwards. But, with the first cries of the baby boy, heir to the throne of England, Elysabeth’s life changed forever. Her loyalties change, and the oath she swears is sworn truthfully – she will do everything in her power to protect her godson, Edward.
As Edward grows up, Elysabeth grows more and more involved in his life. She is like a second mother to him. And so, when she is called to his side with the news of the death of his father, she leaves immediately. Her beloved Ned is now king at just 12 years old, and desperately needs her by his side to help guide him. His mother may have her own plans for him, but Ned has his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Duke of Buckingham to get him through a coronation and onto the throne safely. And, of course, Elysabeth.
With the title of godmother, Elysabeth finds herself in the midst of untruths and conspiracies. Her main goal is to keep Ned safe and well, but there are those around her who have different plans, and she learns things that suggest Ned’s well-being is not at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Everyone knows the story of the Princes in the Tower, but the truth about what really happened to the boys is something that may never come to light. All anyone can do is to speculate, or, as Elizabeth St.John has done with this novel, mix historical fact with fiction to come to her own conclusion. Something I love about this book, in particular, is that it is a personal story to the author. Elysabeth is an ancestor of the author, and the historical character provides a perfect narrator for this story.
A lot of historical novels set in this era follow the lives of those in power, or relatives of them. By choosing Elysabeth Scrope, this novel offers an interesting perspective. Firstly, while she becomes like family to the King and Queen when she becomes godmother to Ned, Elysabeth is an outsider. She is pulled between loyalty to York and to Lancaster. And, almost more importantly, while she is godmother to Ned, she is also sister to Margaret Beaufort. She is practically mother to Edward V, and aunt to Henry VII. Elysabeth is perfect for this story, for she gives the perspective of both sides. She sympathises with Margaret, but has also sworn a vow to protect Ned, and it is a vow she refuses to break.
The fate of the two brothers in the tower has been blamed on many people, most commonly on their uncle, Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester. The man they should have been able to trust the most. However, this is but speculation. There is just as little proof that Richard was the cause of their demise as there is proof that he protected them as he was supposed to. This book explored the ins and outs of these present-day accusations, while revealing a truth to the reader about what very well might be the truth behind the Princes’ fate. The historical detailing was immaculate, it almost felt like reading the diary of Elysabeth Scrope at times, for the first-person narrative gave this book the feel of a first-hand account written at the time of the novels’ events. The historical figures came back to life, they breathed life among the pages, and I felt myself a part of the story as I read.
I truly enjoyed Elysabeth’s telling of this story. She is a character who is incredibly easy to like, for she is so honest and kind. She does what she can to do the right thing by Ned as she is mixed up in politics and the ulterior motives of those around her, even if that means breaking promises and holding onto secrets here and there. She is an incredibly brave and strong woman, one who can stand up for herself and for others. There are, of course, other characters who I absolutely despised, but if I get into the characters I did not like, and the reasons why, I will give away the entire story, and this review will end up being thousands of words long.
Nearly two years ago, I read a short story by Elizabeth St.John from the collection Betrayal, which followed Elysabeth Scrope for but a short moment, and I recall absolutely loving it and longing for a longer version of that story, one that would tell the full story of Edward V’s godmother. It seems my wishes have come true, for this book is exactly that. It is an absolutely fabulous novel, and I am so glad to have had read it. I cannot praise it enough. It is simply a masterpiece of a novel, and one that I could not put down.
As Edward grows up, Elysabeth grows more and more involved in his life. She is like a second mother to him. And so, when she is called to his side with the news of the death of his father, she leaves immediately. Her beloved Ned is now king at just 12 years old, and desperately needs her by his side to help guide him. His mother may have her own plans for him, but Ned has his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and the Duke of Buckingham to get him through a coronation and onto the throne safely. And, of course, Elysabeth.
With the title of godmother, Elysabeth finds herself in the midst of untruths and conspiracies. Her main goal is to keep Ned safe and well, but there are those around her who have different plans, and she learns things that suggest Ned’s well-being is not at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Everyone knows the story of the Princes in the Tower, but the truth about what really happened to the boys is something that may never come to light. All anyone can do is to speculate, or, as Elizabeth St.John has done with this novel, mix historical fact with fiction to come to her own conclusion. Something I love about this book, in particular, is that it is a personal story to the author. Elysabeth is an ancestor of the author, and the historical character provides a perfect narrator for this story.
A lot of historical novels set in this era follow the lives of those in power, or relatives of them. By choosing Elysabeth Scrope, this novel offers an interesting perspective. Firstly, while she becomes like family to the King and Queen when she becomes godmother to Ned, Elysabeth is an outsider. She is pulled between loyalty to York and to Lancaster. And, almost more importantly, while she is godmother to Ned, she is also sister to Margaret Beaufort. She is practically mother to Edward V, and aunt to Henry VII. Elysabeth is perfect for this story, for she gives the perspective of both sides. She sympathises with Margaret, but has also sworn a vow to protect Ned, and it is a vow she refuses to break.
The fate of the two brothers in the tower has been blamed on many people, most commonly on their uncle, Richard III, the Duke of Gloucester. The man they should have been able to trust the most. However, this is but speculation. There is just as little proof that Richard was the cause of their demise as there is proof that he protected them as he was supposed to. This book explored the ins and outs of these present-day accusations, while revealing a truth to the reader about what very well might be the truth behind the Princes’ fate. The historical detailing was immaculate, it almost felt like reading the diary of Elysabeth Scrope at times, for the first-person narrative gave this book the feel of a first-hand account written at the time of the novels’ events. The historical figures came back to life, they breathed life among the pages, and I felt myself a part of the story as I read.
I truly enjoyed Elysabeth’s telling of this story. She is a character who is incredibly easy to like, for she is so honest and kind. She does what she can to do the right thing by Ned as she is mixed up in politics and the ulterior motives of those around her, even if that means breaking promises and holding onto secrets here and there. She is an incredibly brave and strong woman, one who can stand up for herself and for others. There are, of course, other characters who I absolutely despised, but if I get into the characters I did not like, and the reasons why, I will give away the entire story, and this review will end up being thousands of words long.
Nearly two years ago, I read a short story by Elizabeth St.John from the collection Betrayal, which followed Elysabeth Scrope for but a short moment, and I recall absolutely loving it and longing for a longer version of that story, one that would tell the full story of Edward V’s godmother. It seems my wishes have come true, for this book is exactly that. It is an absolutely fabulous novel, and I am so glad to have had read it. I cannot praise it enough. It is simply a masterpiece of a novel, and one that I could not put down.
January 18, 2023
The simmering conflict between Lancaster and York has just erupted into open warfare. Elysabeth Scrope has family relationships linking her to both houses. A Lancastrian herself, she is the wife of the Yorkist John Scrope of Bolton, the half-sister of Margaret Beaufort, and the cousin of Henry Stafford, the Duke of Buckingham. Her stepdaughter, Meg Zouche, is married to Will Catesby.
Now in autumn of 1470, King Edward IV is in exile and Henry VI is back in power. At Margaret Beaufort's suggestion, Henry IV orders Elysabeth to attend Edward’s queen who is in sanctuary and awaiting the birth of a child. Elysabeth is also directed to become the child’s godmother. She is troubled when she hears the king say, “She will follow my instructions, Margaret? Ensure there is no heir to York's throne?" (She also hears the king designate Margaret’s son as his heir if his own son dies) Having recently lost an infant son herself, Elysabeth takes swift action to save both mother and child when she sees the queen is having a difficult labor and the midwife gets drunk. The child born is a boy, Prince Edward, the heir of York. She takes the sacred godmother’s vow to protect him from evil, to show him the light, and protect him from all those who wish him harm. “My godson. My son from God. ‘God has granted me a son to love as my own lost boy.’” From the time she takes this vow, the prince and his family becomes her family too.
When Edward IV reclaims the throne by his victories at Barnet and Tewkesbury, Elysabeth is reunited with her beloved husband who had fought alongside Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
The story then jumps ahead to the spring of 1483. Elysabeth has remained close to Prince Edward and his younger brother Dickon who are allowed to spend some time each year at Bolton Castle with Elysabeth and John. These are idyllic interludes for the princes who are able to be just normal boys, hawking with John and joining in the dancing at the Hocktide festivities.
Shortly after they leave and John is off overseeing his estates, Elysabeth receives an urgent message from Richard commanding both Elysabeth and John to come to Middleham with an armed troop, reminding her of her sacred vow and warning that Prince Edward is in danger. Because John is not there, she has to decide whether she should go by herself. A theme of this book is Sovereynté. What do women desire most? Sovereynté, the right to make their own decisions. And she exercises that right and decides to go to meet Richard and she rides with him to Northampton to meet her godson, now King Edward. The first meeting between the young king and Richard is propitious. Richard promises to guide his nephew and be Lancelot to his King Arthur. “This is our chance to create history, Ned. We can show people that the old ways are not always the best and that there is always opportunity to bring new ideas to light. I favour justice and equality, fairness and fair play. Would you agree?” However, no one bothers to explain to Elysabeth or Ned the the reasons for the events leading to Richard’s accession to the crown. Elysabeth ends up damning Richard of Gloucester for what he has done to her dear boys, for both have ended up in the tower.
While Richard, accompanied by John, are on a progress, Elysabeth becomes entangled in plotting with her sister Margaret to remove the princes from the tower. Elysabeth naively believes that the goal is to send the boys to their aunt, the Duchess of Burgundy. When the attempt fails, Elysabeth acts to remove the princes herself. In the end Richard bequeaths her Sovereynté to make the decision on how to save the princes. Whether she made the right decision is a secret—a secret she keeps from Margaret and her son, Henry VII
While the history is pretty wonky in the beginning (e.g.., omitting any mention of Warwick, the Kingmaker, from the events of 1470-1471), I think I understand that the author wanted to simplify the narrative and focus attention on the relationship between Elysabeth and Margaret. This was an enjoyable read. I like to think that the princes, whatever their ultimate fates were, experienced some happy times as portrayed in this book. The themes of her godmother’s vow and of Sovereynté are nicely woven into the plot. Her estrangement from John as a result of her plotting is believable, but in the end she becomes reconciled to him as well as to Richard. “His beloved king. My beloved king. Gone.”
Now in autumn of 1470, King Edward IV is in exile and Henry VI is back in power. At Margaret Beaufort's suggestion, Henry IV orders Elysabeth to attend Edward’s queen who is in sanctuary and awaiting the birth of a child. Elysabeth is also directed to become the child’s godmother. She is troubled when she hears the king say, “She will follow my instructions, Margaret? Ensure there is no heir to York's throne?" (She also hears the king designate Margaret’s son as his heir if his own son dies) Having recently lost an infant son herself, Elysabeth takes swift action to save both mother and child when she sees the queen is having a difficult labor and the midwife gets drunk. The child born is a boy, Prince Edward, the heir of York. She takes the sacred godmother’s vow to protect him from evil, to show him the light, and protect him from all those who wish him harm. “My godson. My son from God. ‘God has granted me a son to love as my own lost boy.’” From the time she takes this vow, the prince and his family becomes her family too.
When Edward IV reclaims the throne by his victories at Barnet and Tewkesbury, Elysabeth is reunited with her beloved husband who had fought alongside Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
The story then jumps ahead to the spring of 1483. Elysabeth has remained close to Prince Edward and his younger brother Dickon who are allowed to spend some time each year at Bolton Castle with Elysabeth and John. These are idyllic interludes for the princes who are able to be just normal boys, hawking with John and joining in the dancing at the Hocktide festivities.
Shortly after they leave and John is off overseeing his estates, Elysabeth receives an urgent message from Richard commanding both Elysabeth and John to come to Middleham with an armed troop, reminding her of her sacred vow and warning that Prince Edward is in danger. Because John is not there, she has to decide whether she should go by herself. A theme of this book is Sovereynté. What do women desire most? Sovereynté, the right to make their own decisions. And she exercises that right and decides to go to meet Richard and she rides with him to Northampton to meet her godson, now King Edward. The first meeting between the young king and Richard is propitious. Richard promises to guide his nephew and be Lancelot to his King Arthur. “This is our chance to create history, Ned. We can show people that the old ways are not always the best and that there is always opportunity to bring new ideas to light. I favour justice and equality, fairness and fair play. Would you agree?” However, no one bothers to explain to Elysabeth or Ned the the reasons for the events leading to Richard’s accession to the crown. Elysabeth ends up damning Richard of Gloucester for what he has done to her dear boys, for both have ended up in the tower.
While Richard, accompanied by John, are on a progress, Elysabeth becomes entangled in plotting with her sister Margaret to remove the princes from the tower. Elysabeth naively believes that the goal is to send the boys to their aunt, the Duchess of Burgundy. When the attempt fails, Elysabeth acts to remove the princes herself. In the end Richard bequeaths her Sovereynté to make the decision on how to save the princes. Whether she made the right decision is a secret—a secret she keeps from Margaret and her son, Henry VII
While the history is pretty wonky in the beginning (e.g.., omitting any mention of Warwick, the Kingmaker, from the events of 1470-1471), I think I understand that the author wanted to simplify the narrative and focus attention on the relationship between Elysabeth and Margaret. This was an enjoyable read. I like to think that the princes, whatever their ultimate fates were, experienced some happy times as portrayed in this book. The themes of her godmother’s vow and of Sovereynté are nicely woven into the plot. Her estrangement from John as a result of her plotting is believable, but in the end she becomes reconciled to him as well as to Richard. “His beloved king. My beloved king. Gone.”
October 25, 2022
When one says “the Princes in the Tower,” a few images pop into our mind. Two young boys were killed in the Tower by their evil uncle, who would become King Richard III. At least, that is the image that the Tudors wanted the world to see, and for centuries, that story has often been told. However, as research has expanded into who Richard III was, the tale of these two boys and their ultimate fate has become even murkier with new suspects and the question of whether the boys were murdered. Elizabeth St. John decided to take on the mystery of the Princes of the Tower with her twist to the tale in her latest novel, “The Godmother’s Secret.”
Thank you, Elizabeth St. John, for sending me a copy of your latest novel. I have found the mystery of the Princes of the Tower fascinating, and when I heard that this novel had a different angle to their tale, I knew I wanted to read it.
We begin our journey by introducing Lady Elysabeth Scrope, the wife of John Scrope and the half-sister to Margaret Beaufort, going into the sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville. She is there to act as the godmother for Elizabeth Woodville’s first son, the future King Edward V, at the request of King Henry VI. Elysabeth is reluctant to help the Yorkist cause, as she was raised as a Lancastrian, but her husband is loyal to the Yorkists. She promises to keep Edward safe from harm, which would prove more challenging with the death of King Edward IV in 1483.
This should be a happy time for Elysabeth, John, and the new King Edward V, but a sermon and a coup caused everything to come crashing down. Edward and his brother Richard are removed to the Tower of London while their uncle becomes King Richard III. Along the way, Margaret Beaufort schemes to get her beloved son, Henry Tudor, to become the next king of England. Torn between her blood family and her family built by loyalty, Elysabeth must navigate the ever-changing political field of 1483-1485 to protect the princes, no matter the cost.
I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to Lady Elysabeth Scrope and John Scrope and seeing the events unfold while they weathered the political storm the best they could. St. John has created a believable and compelling story about what might have happened to these two boys whose disappearance has captured our imaginations for centuries. She attempts to answer some age-old questions, like what might have happened to the boys, did Richard III have them killed, and did Margaret Beaufort have something to do with the princes’ disappearance? Suppose you want an engaging novel that gives a different perspective about what might have happened to the Princes in the Tower. In that case, I highly recommend you read “The Godmother’s Secret” by Elizabeth St. John.
Thank you, Elizabeth St. John, for sending me a copy of your latest novel. I have found the mystery of the Princes of the Tower fascinating, and when I heard that this novel had a different angle to their tale, I knew I wanted to read it.
We begin our journey by introducing Lady Elysabeth Scrope, the wife of John Scrope and the half-sister to Margaret Beaufort, going into the sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville. She is there to act as the godmother for Elizabeth Woodville’s first son, the future King Edward V, at the request of King Henry VI. Elysabeth is reluctant to help the Yorkist cause, as she was raised as a Lancastrian, but her husband is loyal to the Yorkists. She promises to keep Edward safe from harm, which would prove more challenging with the death of King Edward IV in 1483.
This should be a happy time for Elysabeth, John, and the new King Edward V, but a sermon and a coup caused everything to come crashing down. Edward and his brother Richard are removed to the Tower of London while their uncle becomes King Richard III. Along the way, Margaret Beaufort schemes to get her beloved son, Henry Tudor, to become the next king of England. Torn between her blood family and her family built by loyalty, Elysabeth must navigate the ever-changing political field of 1483-1485 to protect the princes, no matter the cost.
I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to Lady Elysabeth Scrope and John Scrope and seeing the events unfold while they weathered the political storm the best they could. St. John has created a believable and compelling story about what might have happened to these two boys whose disappearance has captured our imaginations for centuries. She attempts to answer some age-old questions, like what might have happened to the boys, did Richard III have them killed, and did Margaret Beaufort have something to do with the princes’ disappearance? Suppose you want an engaging novel that gives a different perspective about what might have happened to the Princes in the Tower. In that case, I highly recommend you read “The Godmother’s Secret” by Elizabeth St. John.
October 19, 2022
Hold on to your hats because Elizabeth St.John is going to take you back in time and throw you headlong into one of England's most talked about historical mysteries. Yes, that is right, the author is taking us back to the 15th Century to discover what really happened to the Princes in the Tower.
You know what really fascinated me about this book is that the story is told from a woman's point of view, a woman that is kin to the author herself - how cool is that? It is strange that only recently people have begun to take interest in the women of this era, although Lady Margaret Beaufort may be a name one would recognise if discussing this era, but as for those who were also in the thick of it, they seem to be lost to history. So, it was really refreshing to read a book from the point of view of one of the ladies that were there, that would have been a part of it, and her position as Godmother made sure of that.
I am trying to think of an author who writes in a similar style, and all I can think of is Philippa Gregory, but this book is more honest with the historical detailing, Elizabeth St.John does not make villains for the sake of a good story, nor does she make saints. There are a lot of flawed characters in this book, which made the story really realistic. Considering the topic it is, at times, a highly emotional read, let's not forget about those two frightened little boys who were ripped away from the safety of their family - if only Edward IV had not died when he did.
Although this book is an alternative history, it does not read like one, and I would love to think that the conclusion of this book was the conclusion of what really happened, because the thought of those two boys being secretly murdered is just too horrible to even imagine.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. It ticked all of the boxes and then some.
You know what really fascinated me about this book is that the story is told from a woman's point of view, a woman that is kin to the author herself - how cool is that? It is strange that only recently people have begun to take interest in the women of this era, although Lady Margaret Beaufort may be a name one would recognise if discussing this era, but as for those who were also in the thick of it, they seem to be lost to history. So, it was really refreshing to read a book from the point of view of one of the ladies that were there, that would have been a part of it, and her position as Godmother made sure of that.
I am trying to think of an author who writes in a similar style, and all I can think of is Philippa Gregory, but this book is more honest with the historical detailing, Elizabeth St.John does not make villains for the sake of a good story, nor does she make saints. There are a lot of flawed characters in this book, which made the story really realistic. Considering the topic it is, at times, a highly emotional read, let's not forget about those two frightened little boys who were ripped away from the safety of their family - if only Edward IV had not died when he did.
Although this book is an alternative history, it does not read like one, and I would love to think that the conclusion of this book was the conclusion of what really happened, because the thought of those two boys being secretly murdered is just too horrible to even imagine.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. It ticked all of the boxes and then some.
October 30, 2022
The Godmother’s Secret
The short reign of King Richard III in intriguing for so many reasons, but I suppose the question most historians would love the answer to is what happened to the princes in the tower?
When King Edward IV died, he left behind two sons, Edward and Richard. Edward, his heir was twelve years old. The two boys were taken to the tower and never seen again. Richard, their uncle, had himself crowned instead. His rule was short and he was killed at the battle of Bosworth by the future King Henry VII.
In her telling of this story, Elizabeth St. John weaves an intricate plot around her ancestor Elizabeth Scrope and her scheming sister, the formidable Margaret Beaufort. Despite the fact that Elizabeth’s family held for the Lancaster King, she was asked to attend Edward’s queen during the latter days of her pregnancy and stand as godmother to the child, the future king.
Elizabeth takes this role seriously and comes to regard the young prince as one of her own and he in turn loves her and her husband. After the death of the king, Elizabeth is drawn into plots even as she fights to save the boys.
Well researched this inventive story will have you wringing your hands. At times the melodrama threatened to overwhelm the narrative but I really enjoyed this book.
The short reign of King Richard III in intriguing for so many reasons, but I suppose the question most historians would love the answer to is what happened to the princes in the tower?
When King Edward IV died, he left behind two sons, Edward and Richard. Edward, his heir was twelve years old. The two boys were taken to the tower and never seen again. Richard, their uncle, had himself crowned instead. His rule was short and he was killed at the battle of Bosworth by the future King Henry VII.
In her telling of this story, Elizabeth St. John weaves an intricate plot around her ancestor Elizabeth Scrope and her scheming sister, the formidable Margaret Beaufort. Despite the fact that Elizabeth’s family held for the Lancaster King, she was asked to attend Edward’s queen during the latter days of her pregnancy and stand as godmother to the child, the future king.
Elizabeth takes this role seriously and comes to regard the young prince as one of her own and he in turn loves her and her husband. After the death of the king, Elizabeth is drawn into plots even as she fights to save the boys.
Well researched this inventive story will have you wringing your hands. At times the melodrama threatened to overwhelm the narrative but I really enjoyed this book.
January 2, 2024
Plausible
This novel is a must read for anyone interested in Tudor history. While there is a fair amount that moves against the grain of accepted history, aka Richard murdered the Princess in the Tower, this book presents a case for another possibility. The author used information found in the St. John family archives combined with ideas from other sources (see author's notes) to formulate a more positive outcome. It was also interesting her examination of Duke of Buckingham and Margaret Beaufort and how they might have had a role in whatever happened to the Princes. Long winded way to say the author presented a premise that is very possible.
This novel is a must read for anyone interested in Tudor history. While there is a fair amount that moves against the grain of accepted history, aka Richard murdered the Princess in the Tower, this book presents a case for another possibility. The author used information found in the St. John family archives combined with ideas from other sources (see author's notes) to formulate a more positive outcome. It was also interesting her examination of Duke of Buckingham and Margaret Beaufort and how they might have had a role in whatever happened to the Princes. Long winded way to say the author presented a premise that is very possible.
October 17, 2022
The Godmother's Secret is a harrowing but at the same time beautiful story about the love of a godmother and the fate of a nation.
Elizabeth St.John has written a breathtaking novel that is filled with court dramas, questionable loyalties, and cold hard truths. This is a book that has been waiting for centuries to be written. And although it is very much an alternative story, for we will never really know what happened to the young princes, it is a plausible story and the author writes with such authority that one cannot help but hope that this depiction has a grain of truth to it.
The Godmother's Secret is, I think, the most intensely enjoyably and immensely enthralling novel that I have ever had the pleasure to read. It is one of those books that not only immersed me in the story but also made me stop and think about my own feelings about the historical characters depicted, especially with regard to Lady Margaret Beaufort and King Richard III. But I also felt a very strong connection to Elysabeth whose eyes we see this story through.
If you are a fan of historical fiction set during the War of the Roses, then this book is one you simply have to read. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a just deserving five-star read.
Elizabeth St.John has written a breathtaking novel that is filled with court dramas, questionable loyalties, and cold hard truths. This is a book that has been waiting for centuries to be written. And although it is very much an alternative story, for we will never really know what happened to the young princes, it is a plausible story and the author writes with such authority that one cannot help but hope that this depiction has a grain of truth to it.
The Godmother's Secret is, I think, the most intensely enjoyably and immensely enthralling novel that I have ever had the pleasure to read. It is one of those books that not only immersed me in the story but also made me stop and think about my own feelings about the historical characters depicted, especially with regard to Lady Margaret Beaufort and King Richard III. But I also felt a very strong connection to Elysabeth whose eyes we see this story through.
If you are a fan of historical fiction set during the War of the Roses, then this book is one you simply have to read. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is a just deserving five-star read.
October 10, 2022
Alternative scenario
A fascinating and probable scenario about the Princes in the Tower. Lady Scope is fleshed out in a believable manner. Highly recommended
A fascinating and probable scenario about the Princes in the Tower. Lady Scope is fleshed out in a believable manner. Highly recommended
September 9, 2022
The Godmother’s Secret is an absolutely fabulous piece of storytelling, with beautiful writing, powerful characterization, and unparalleled world building. Author Elizabeth St.John has drawn on her considerable storytelling powers and the inspiration of her ancestors to create this exquisite story of one woman’s quest to protect her godson, Prince Edward V, when he is swept up in medieval England’s royal—and bloody—power struggles.
The story is told from the perspective of the author’s ancestress, Elysabeth Scrope. Lady Scrope is a heroine for the ages: fierce, tender, ingenious, brave—and saddled with a difficult, brilliant, and scheming sister, Margaret Beaufort. From the opening pages, when Elysabeth attends the birth of Prince Edward V, I was completely absorbed by her story.
Anyone familiar with the tale of the princes in the towers knows that Richard III, their uncle, is often painted the villain. But did he truly arrange the demise of Prince Edward and his younger brother? After all, there were others who would benefit from their convenient disappearance, chief among them Elysabeth’s sister Margaret, whose ambition to get her exiled son Henry Tudor on the throne consumed her.
The bones of two children were found in the tower of London hundreds of years after the princes’ deaths—but their true identity was never determined. Now, The Godmother’s Secret offers us a tantalizing new theory as to the fate of the brothers…all wrapped up in an exhilarating, immensely satisfying read.
The story is told from the perspective of the author’s ancestress, Elysabeth Scrope. Lady Scrope is a heroine for the ages: fierce, tender, ingenious, brave—and saddled with a difficult, brilliant, and scheming sister, Margaret Beaufort. From the opening pages, when Elysabeth attends the birth of Prince Edward V, I was completely absorbed by her story.
Anyone familiar with the tale of the princes in the towers knows that Richard III, their uncle, is often painted the villain. But did he truly arrange the demise of Prince Edward and his younger brother? After all, there were others who would benefit from their convenient disappearance, chief among them Elysabeth’s sister Margaret, whose ambition to get her exiled son Henry Tudor on the throne consumed her.
The bones of two children were found in the tower of London hundreds of years after the princes’ deaths—but their true identity was never determined. Now, The Godmother’s Secret offers us a tantalizing new theory as to the fate of the brothers…all wrapped up in an exhilarating, immensely satisfying read.
January 30, 2023
Actual vote 3.5
The Godmother's Secret tells the story of Elysabeth St.John, one of the author's own ancestress (call me crazy, but I find the notion so romantic), in first person.
The story opens in 1471, when Elysabeth is appointed by the newly reinstated Lancastrian Henry VI to act as a godmother to the upcoming baby of the Yorkist Queen Elizabeth Woodville, heavily pregnant and immured in sanctuary at Westminster. Elysabeth is herself a staunch Lancastrian and half sister to Margaret Beaufort, but she's married to the Yorkist Lord Scrope. Anyway she goes in sanctuary and helps the Queen delivering her baby, acts as his godmother and vows him to protect him always and at any cost. In the meantime Henry VI meets Henry Tudor at court and predicts that one day he will become King; of course something like that certainly never happened, and it sounds more like a later legend to try to give some credit to Henry's more than tainted pedigree with the benefit of hindsight. This part was a bit confused and semplified (Warwick is never mentioned, not even among the men at court), while Elizabeth Woodville tells to the waiting women in sanctuary that a big battle was fought at Barnet and that Margaret of Anjou and her son were vanquished (??), then she says that Edward IV took London, but in the next chapter Elysabeth tells us that he finally took it after months (??) and only after Tewksbury, while Margaret of Anjou fled in exile (??). Be that as it may, Edward IV is again on the throne, and now Elysabeth fears for her life because she is a staunch Lancastrian. I found her worries a little exaggerated since she is married to a faithful Yorkist who fought for Edward, she is his son's godmother, she saved the baby life and Plantagenets never hurt women. Of course, Edward forgives her gladly and she is soon back at Bolton Castle with her husband, leaving behind the court.
The action then moves some years forward, to 1483. The future Edward V and his brother Dickon regularly spend time at Bolton Castle with Elysabeth and her husband. A bit contrived as a plot device, but I suppose the author wanted to justify Elysabeth's attachment for the two children. Soon Edward IV dies and Richard of Gloucester summons both Lord Scrope and Elysabeth, remembering to the latter her vow to protect Edward, and she goes with him to Northampton and then on to London. Elysabeth finds Richard a just and loyal man, but when he takes the crown she starts to doubt his integrity, and soon she finds herself, rather naively, caught in the web of deception of her ever annoying half sister Margaret Beaufort and Harry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. William Catesby at one point warns Elysabeth that there are those who have more right to the throne than Gloucester, for example Buckingham (how so if Richard descended from two royal lines, both senior than that of Buckingham?), but she fails to grasp the true aim of Margaret and Buckingham's plan. Buckingham on his part is a vain peacock full of himself, and Elysabeth has no sympathy for him. Margaret is an unbereable thing too, arrogant and conceited, but I could see why Elysabeth always cared for her. She felt responsible for not having protected her little sister when she was sold in marriage as a child to Edmund Tudor. So Elysabeth finds herself in the plot to remove the princes from the Tower, while she's still enraged with Richard. Her husband, ever loyal to Richard, didn't pain to explain her the motives and means behind Richard's actions. Margaret in this book is always full of power, so much that she can obtain an immediate release of her husband Lord Stanley, after the 13 June meeting. Here I must point out that – even if the author says she tried to peel out centuries of later history from her sources – many of the episodes she recountes likely never happened (i.e. Stanley's arrest, Margaret and Elizabeth Woodville's plot, Tudor pledging to marry Elizabeth of York, Friar Shaa – here called Bishop – mention of Edward IV's bastardy, which are only mentioned in late Tudor unreliable sources and overlooked in every single contemporary ones); nonetheless the scene where Margaret manipulates Harry Stafford into releasing Stanley with the mastermind of a strategist is in my opinion one of the best in the book.
The second half of the book was sensibly better, because Elysabeth starts to trust Richard again, and understands she had been manipulated by her sister and her allies. From here she becomes one of King Richard's most trusted ally and she helps him in taking the princes to safety. I found very realistic the angst between her and her husband, who understands her naivety in the previous plots issued by her sister, yet he's also angry with her for having being led so easily and struggles to put his trust in her again, despite the great love between them. Even if maybe a couple of visit to her sister Margaret felt unnecessary and repetitive, I really appreciated Elysabeth's slow change, without losing the good qualities that made her stick out. Maybe not the best about historical accuracy (nitpicking readers will find careless mistakes also in this second part), but a nice read, and I appreciated it, if only for the strenght of Elysabeth's charachter, the good depiction of King Richard, and the charismatic and accurate depiction of the Scrope family and their wider connections.
The Godmother's Secret tells the story of Elysabeth St.John, one of the author's own ancestress (call me crazy, but I find the notion so romantic), in first person.
The story opens in 1471, when Elysabeth is appointed by the newly reinstated Lancastrian Henry VI to act as a godmother to the upcoming baby of the Yorkist Queen Elizabeth Woodville, heavily pregnant and immured in sanctuary at Westminster. Elysabeth is herself a staunch Lancastrian and half sister to Margaret Beaufort, but she's married to the Yorkist Lord Scrope. Anyway she goes in sanctuary and helps the Queen delivering her baby, acts as his godmother and vows him to protect him always and at any cost. In the meantime Henry VI meets Henry Tudor at court and predicts that one day he will become King; of course something like that certainly never happened, and it sounds more like a later legend to try to give some credit to Henry's more than tainted pedigree with the benefit of hindsight. This part was a bit confused and semplified (Warwick is never mentioned, not even among the men at court), while Elizabeth Woodville tells to the waiting women in sanctuary that a big battle was fought at Barnet and that Margaret of Anjou and her son were vanquished (??), then she says that Edward IV took London, but in the next chapter Elysabeth tells us that he finally took it after months (??) and only after Tewksbury, while Margaret of Anjou fled in exile (??). Be that as it may, Edward IV is again on the throne, and now Elysabeth fears for her life because she is a staunch Lancastrian. I found her worries a little exaggerated since she is married to a faithful Yorkist who fought for Edward, she is his son's godmother, she saved the baby life and Plantagenets never hurt women. Of course, Edward forgives her gladly and she is soon back at Bolton Castle with her husband, leaving behind the court.
The action then moves some years forward, to 1483. The future Edward V and his brother Dickon regularly spend time at Bolton Castle with Elysabeth and her husband. A bit contrived as a plot device, but I suppose the author wanted to justify Elysabeth's attachment for the two children. Soon Edward IV dies and Richard of Gloucester summons both Lord Scrope and Elysabeth, remembering to the latter her vow to protect Edward, and she goes with him to Northampton and then on to London. Elysabeth finds Richard a just and loyal man, but when he takes the crown she starts to doubt his integrity, and soon she finds herself, rather naively, caught in the web of deception of her ever annoying half sister Margaret Beaufort and Harry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. William Catesby at one point warns Elysabeth that there are those who have more right to the throne than Gloucester, for example Buckingham (how so if Richard descended from two royal lines, both senior than that of Buckingham?), but she fails to grasp the true aim of Margaret and Buckingham's plan. Buckingham on his part is a vain peacock full of himself, and Elysabeth has no sympathy for him. Margaret is an unbereable thing too, arrogant and conceited, but I could see why Elysabeth always cared for her. She felt responsible for not having protected her little sister when she was sold in marriage as a child to Edmund Tudor. So Elysabeth finds herself in the plot to remove the princes from the Tower, while she's still enraged with Richard. Her husband, ever loyal to Richard, didn't pain to explain her the motives and means behind Richard's actions. Margaret in this book is always full of power, so much that she can obtain an immediate release of her husband Lord Stanley, after the 13 June meeting. Here I must point out that – even if the author says she tried to peel out centuries of later history from her sources – many of the episodes she recountes likely never happened (i.e. Stanley's arrest, Margaret and Elizabeth Woodville's plot, Tudor pledging to marry Elizabeth of York, Friar Shaa – here called Bishop – mention of Edward IV's bastardy, which are only mentioned in late Tudor unreliable sources and overlooked in every single contemporary ones); nonetheless the scene where Margaret manipulates Harry Stafford into releasing Stanley with the mastermind of a strategist is in my opinion one of the best in the book.
The second half of the book was sensibly better, because Elysabeth starts to trust Richard again, and understands she had been manipulated by her sister and her allies. From here she becomes one of King Richard's most trusted ally and she helps him in taking the princes to safety. I found very realistic the angst between her and her husband, who understands her naivety in the previous plots issued by her sister, yet he's also angry with her for having being led so easily and struggles to put his trust in her again, despite the great love between them. Even if maybe a couple of visit to her sister Margaret felt unnecessary and repetitive, I really appreciated Elysabeth's slow change, without losing the good qualities that made her stick out. Maybe not the best about historical accuracy (nitpicking readers will find careless mistakes also in this second part), but a nice read, and I appreciated it, if only for the strenght of Elysabeth's charachter, the good depiction of King Richard, and the charismatic and accurate depiction of the Scrope family and their wider connections.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2022
What can I say? This novel is a tour de force, a masterpiece of historical fiction.
We are thrown right into the action when Elizabeth Woodville, former queen and wife of deposed Edward IV, gives birth in sanctuary at Westminster Abbey. Their living conditions are basic, yet she and her daughters manage to make the best of a bad situation.
Elysabeth Scrope (the author's ancestor!) has been appointed Godmother by King Henry VI. Her loyalties are divided between the house of Lancaster, to which her family belongs – she is half-sister to Margaret Beaufort – and her husband's Yorkist loyalty.
Neither the exiled queen nor Elysabeth are particularly fond of each other. The Woodville family is regarded with suspicion. Social upstarts. Yet when the birth seems to go awry, Elysabeth's decision ensures the child – a boy – is safely delivered. She instantly forms a bond with the newborn prince, and begins to care deeply for him.
This sense of duty and love weaves its way through the novel as Ned, the long-awaited son of Edward IV grows up.
When the tide turns, and Edward IV regains the throne, Ned is sent to the queen's brother for his education, and Elysabeth returns home.
Years later, the tall, handsome King Edward IV is dead, and the troubles start anew. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the king's younger brother, is appointed guardian for the 12-year-old prince and his younger brother, Dickon, but Elysabeth eyes Richard's ambition with suspicion, unlike her husband, leading to tensions between the couple.
And then there's her ever-scheming half-sister, Margaret, mother to Henry Tudor who stakes his claim to the English throne. Soon, Elysabeth is torn between loyalty towards her sister or her husband, and her task to see young Ned safe...
Poor Elysabeth never has a quiet moment in this fast-paced, engrossing story, where the politics of the day appear in a harsh, realistic way. The Godmother's Secret lays bare the scheming, the undercurrents, and the naked ambitions of the individuals involved. The author doesn't try to make one side look better, but remains firmly on the fence. There is good and bad in both houses, York and Lancaster, and Ms St.John brings the brutal realities of the times across without any hint of unnecessary, gratuitous action. She lets her characters speak and act for themselves.
I felt for Elysabeth, torn between sister and husband, and her love for Ned and Dickon. The boys’ safety is always foremost on her mind. She is conscientious and brave, but all within the limitations that applied to women in the 15th century. The author brought this lady to life, with her flaws, fears, and joys, and it was a delight to discover more about this lady whose name appears on Elizabeth St.John's family tree.
The novel focuses on Elysabeth and her task as godmother to a prince, and her plot to see the boys safe from the political machinations between King Richard III and Margaret Beaufort deserves much credit. Perhaps Ms St.John has solved the riddle of what happened to the Princes in the Tower? Her fictionalised version of events certainly made sense to me.
I liked that the author focuses on a small group of characters and their actions, and she leaves other major players of the day – Henry Tudor, Stafford, the Woodville family – on the periphery. It means the novel isn't cluttered by too many important characters, and the focus always remains on Elysabeth.
The Godmother's Secret is one of the best novels I've read in years. It's exceptionally well-researched, beautifully written, with a real sense of 'being there', and utterly gripping. I read it over several evenings, until 2am, wanting to know what happens next, but also not wanting it to end. A wonderful, engrossing reading experience.
If you enjoy historical fiction, don't miss this gem! Highly recommended.
Note: I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. I've since bought my own copy. All views expressed are my own.
We are thrown right into the action when Elizabeth Woodville, former queen and wife of deposed Edward IV, gives birth in sanctuary at Westminster Abbey. Their living conditions are basic, yet she and her daughters manage to make the best of a bad situation.
Elysabeth Scrope (the author's ancestor!) has been appointed Godmother by King Henry VI. Her loyalties are divided between the house of Lancaster, to which her family belongs – she is half-sister to Margaret Beaufort – and her husband's Yorkist loyalty.
Neither the exiled queen nor Elysabeth are particularly fond of each other. The Woodville family is regarded with suspicion. Social upstarts. Yet when the birth seems to go awry, Elysabeth's decision ensures the child – a boy – is safely delivered. She instantly forms a bond with the newborn prince, and begins to care deeply for him.
This sense of duty and love weaves its way through the novel as Ned, the long-awaited son of Edward IV grows up.
When the tide turns, and Edward IV regains the throne, Ned is sent to the queen's brother for his education, and Elysabeth returns home.
Years later, the tall, handsome King Edward IV is dead, and the troubles start anew. Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the king's younger brother, is appointed guardian for the 12-year-old prince and his younger brother, Dickon, but Elysabeth eyes Richard's ambition with suspicion, unlike her husband, leading to tensions between the couple.
And then there's her ever-scheming half-sister, Margaret, mother to Henry Tudor who stakes his claim to the English throne. Soon, Elysabeth is torn between loyalty towards her sister or her husband, and her task to see young Ned safe...
Poor Elysabeth never has a quiet moment in this fast-paced, engrossing story, where the politics of the day appear in a harsh, realistic way. The Godmother's Secret lays bare the scheming, the undercurrents, and the naked ambitions of the individuals involved. The author doesn't try to make one side look better, but remains firmly on the fence. There is good and bad in both houses, York and Lancaster, and Ms St.John brings the brutal realities of the times across without any hint of unnecessary, gratuitous action. She lets her characters speak and act for themselves.
I felt for Elysabeth, torn between sister and husband, and her love for Ned and Dickon. The boys’ safety is always foremost on her mind. She is conscientious and brave, but all within the limitations that applied to women in the 15th century. The author brought this lady to life, with her flaws, fears, and joys, and it was a delight to discover more about this lady whose name appears on Elizabeth St.John's family tree.
The novel focuses on Elysabeth and her task as godmother to a prince, and her plot to see the boys safe from the political machinations between King Richard III and Margaret Beaufort deserves much credit. Perhaps Ms St.John has solved the riddle of what happened to the Princes in the Tower? Her fictionalised version of events certainly made sense to me.
I liked that the author focuses on a small group of characters and their actions, and she leaves other major players of the day – Henry Tudor, Stafford, the Woodville family – on the periphery. It means the novel isn't cluttered by too many important characters, and the focus always remains on Elysabeth.
The Godmother's Secret is one of the best novels I've read in years. It's exceptionally well-researched, beautifully written, with a real sense of 'being there', and utterly gripping. I read it over several evenings, until 2am, wanting to know what happens next, but also not wanting it to end. A wonderful, engrossing reading experience.
If you enjoy historical fiction, don't miss this gem! Highly recommended.
Note: I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. I've since bought my own copy. All views expressed are my own.
November 1, 2022
If you thought the Roman Empire had the monopoly on power squabbles, egotistical opportunists and ruthless schemers, read this book! But as with the Ancient Romans, there are true hearts and great moral courage in the 15th century along with mysterious disappearances and unsolved enigmas.
The ‘princes in the Tower’ must be one of the most intriguing mysteries in English history. Pick your villains and victims from the circling characters: Richard of York, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville, Harry Buckingham, the Woodville/Grey brothers, Edward IV, Henry Tudor…
Ms St John has very deftly focused on one character loyal to her values and principles, but one whose compassion and courage guides her actions. Elysabeth Scrope might not have been highlighted as a prominent actor in previous stories of this period, but the author has done us a great service in telling the story of a woman at the centre of these tumultuous events.
Heroine Elysabeth is no ‘goody two shoes’; she fails and is conflicted like anybody else, but not least by her complex family relationships, so prevalent amongst the nobility of the period. The relationship – loving and hostile and exasperating – between Elysabeth and Margaret is particularly well drawn.
But why do Elysabeth’s desire to ensure her voice is heard in the maelstrom and her actions to be seen as independent, yet centred around the children’s welfare seem so important? Why do we feel compelled to follow her story? It’s the writing, of course. The descriptions are vivid and rich, the period detail thoroughly researched, yet subtly dripped in and the dialogue is authentic. Highly recommended.
The ‘princes in the Tower’ must be one of the most intriguing mysteries in English history. Pick your villains and victims from the circling characters: Richard of York, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville, Harry Buckingham, the Woodville/Grey brothers, Edward IV, Henry Tudor…
Ms St John has very deftly focused on one character loyal to her values and principles, but one whose compassion and courage guides her actions. Elysabeth Scrope might not have been highlighted as a prominent actor in previous stories of this period, but the author has done us a great service in telling the story of a woman at the centre of these tumultuous events.
Heroine Elysabeth is no ‘goody two shoes’; she fails and is conflicted like anybody else, but not least by her complex family relationships, so prevalent amongst the nobility of the period. The relationship – loving and hostile and exasperating – between Elysabeth and Margaret is particularly well drawn.
But why do Elysabeth’s desire to ensure her voice is heard in the maelstrom and her actions to be seen as independent, yet centred around the children’s welfare seem so important? Why do we feel compelled to follow her story? It’s the writing, of course. The descriptions are vivid and rich, the period detail thoroughly researched, yet subtly dripped in and the dialogue is authentic. Highly recommended.
November 7, 2022
This is such a great story, and I love that the author has a personal family connection to it. I also loved that I could imagine what happens in this book fitting right between the lines of Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen: The Story of Elizabeth of York! While neither of us knows what really happened to the princes in the tower, I could tell that this author and I have some of the same ideas.
St John ties together some complicated family lines and loyalties for this story, showing a deep understanding for the era and the different theories about the missing princes. Her Margaret Beaufort is just as single-minded and ruthless as I tend to think she was, but maybe she doesn't always have the upper hand as much as she thinks she does. Kudos on creating suspense in parts of the story where I knew what was going to happen.
The main character, Elysabeth Scrope has a fun, unique point of view as Edward V's godmother. I loved the story from this angle, even if I did want to scream at her sometimes. She wants so badly to trust and believe the best of people, especially those she loves. And the author, after all, could not change history. Bummer.
A great read that all Wars of the Roses obsessed readers will appreciate!
St John ties together some complicated family lines and loyalties for this story, showing a deep understanding for the era and the different theories about the missing princes. Her Margaret Beaufort is just as single-minded and ruthless as I tend to think she was, but maybe she doesn't always have the upper hand as much as she thinks she does. Kudos on creating suspense in parts of the story where I knew what was going to happen.
The main character, Elysabeth Scrope has a fun, unique point of view as Edward V's godmother. I loved the story from this angle, even if I did want to scream at her sometimes. She wants so badly to trust and believe the best of people, especially those she loves. And the author, after all, could not change history. Bummer.
A great read that all Wars of the Roses obsessed readers will appreciate!
September 6, 2023
As an author, it is often difficult to read novels set during the same era (or close to the same era) as your own. I often find myself musing over how I might tell the story differently or wandering down research rabbit holes trying to confirm some historical detail. With the Godmother's Secret, I was so entirely engrossed in the prose, I lost myself in the story. And what gorgeous prose it is. St. John's skill in crafting the most perfect turn of phrase is nothing short of awe-inspiring. This is the kind of writing I consistently strive for, though I don't think mine can compare! The Godmother's Secret is detailed and atmospheric without ever being heavy-handed. I was utterly absorbed through the reveal of the very last secret. Many scenarios have been vaunted as to the disappearance of the princes, but this is a fresh and imaginative take. This may tarnish my cred as a Lancastrian, but I firmly believe the princes were secreted out of England prior to Bosworth, and I found St. John's story not only plausible, but possible. This is the best book I've read in a long time, and my top read for the year. Well-deserving of all the praise and awards it has earned thus far. I eagerly await the next great story from Liz St. John.
October 22, 2022
A 5⭐️ masterpiece this has to be one of my favourite historical fiction reads of 2022 a great storyline and great characters exquisitely written as all Elizabeth St John books are but then I’m biased
December 12, 2022
Excellent spin on the theory of the fate of the " Princes of the Tower". While we will mostly likely never know. it's genuinely thought that king Richard had his nephews killed. This novel paints very different story.
fast pace, and the characters were fleshed out very well
fast pace, and the characters were fleshed out very well
November 11, 2022
The Godmother's Secret by Elizabeth St John has received a Chill with a Book Readers' Award
www.chillwithabook.com
www.chillwithabook.com
September 15, 2023
Such an interesting take on the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this story kept my heart gripped throughout. I loved Elysabeth. Her loyalty was unmatched despite everything. Honestly, it was quite inspiring. This made my history-loving soul very happy!
October 20, 2022
Having recently become interested in the War of the Roses, The Godmother's Secret was the perfect novel to cap off my recent historical obsession. It's also exceptionally apt that there is discussion about testing the DNA of what is to be thought to be the skeletons of the lost princes with King Charles III's permission.
In terms of the novel itself, I loved the fact it was told from a female perspective and someone who cared deeply for the princes. It must have been exceedingly frustrating for Elysbeth to continually come up against so many barriers when she simply wanted to make sure these two young boys were cared for. I felt a great deal of sadness for her and anger on her behalf, especially at the Duke of Buckingham.
Another fantastic historical read for anyone interested in this time period. I'll definitely be looking for other titles by Miss St. John in the future!
In terms of the novel itself, I loved the fact it was told from a female perspective and someone who cared deeply for the princes. It must have been exceedingly frustrating for Elysbeth to continually come up against so many barriers when she simply wanted to make sure these two young boys were cared for. I felt a great deal of sadness for her and anger on her behalf, especially at the Duke of Buckingham.
Another fantastic historical read for anyone interested in this time period. I'll definitely be looking for other titles by Miss St. John in the future!
February 1, 2023
What an utterly fascinating take on the events surrounding the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower!
I was enthralled by the very plausible plot and would so love for this to all be found true!
Well researched and thought out, with superb writing, which skillfully portrayed the thoughts, emotions, and turmoil, that Elizabeth Scrope went through. Drawing connections between people and places, events that were fact, and those that are fiction (or are they??) was gripping.
I enjoyed the author's stance on the personalities and actions of characters such as Richard III, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville and the Princes themselves, it certainly gives you a lot to think about and consider.
A very enjoyable read and a fresh perspective on the Prince's story.
I was enthralled by the very plausible plot and would so love for this to all be found true!
Well researched and thought out, with superb writing, which skillfully portrayed the thoughts, emotions, and turmoil, that Elizabeth Scrope went through. Drawing connections between people and places, events that were fact, and those that are fiction (or are they??) was gripping.
I enjoyed the author's stance on the personalities and actions of characters such as Richard III, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville and the Princes themselves, it certainly gives you a lot to think about and consider.
A very enjoyable read and a fresh perspective on the Prince's story.
Read
December 13, 2022Princes in the Tower!!!
By far, the absolute best interpretation I have ever encountered!!! I wish I could give it 10 stars**********
Please write more!!!
By far, the absolute best interpretation I have ever encountered!!! I wish I could give it 10 stars**********
Please write more!!!
December 1, 2022
The best book of 2022 came near its end. It is a rare thing indeed that I am so moved by a book. It has everything and I can identify with every aspect of the flawlessly portrayed protagonist. She is original, clever, emotional and capable of a vastness of love. She is a mother, a friend, a lover and a strategist. And nothing in history can be taken for granted without incontrovertible proof. I thank the author for the brilliance of this book. Sovereynte!
December 12, 2022
Written by Kay's friend, this book was historical fiction about the two princes in the tower that Shakespeare talked about in Richard III. I enjoyed the settings of the different scenes, the romance of the main character and her husband, and the history of the battles. Kay invited Elizabeth St. John to speak at our book club before Covid hit, and we all got to meet her. She talked about her novel, The Lady in the Tower. I liked The Godmother's Secret even better than The Lady in the Tower.
November 7, 2022
Through provoking
A very interesting and unique look at what might have happened to the princes in the tower. The author writes a compelling story that just possibly could be plausible. Definitely worth a read.
A very interesting and unique look at what might have happened to the princes in the tower. The author writes a compelling story that just possibly could be plausible. Definitely worth a read.
October 24, 2022
Book Title: The Godmother’s Secret
Author: Elizabeth St.John
Publication Date: 4th October, 2022
Publisher: Falcon Historical
Page Length: 350 pages
Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction / Historical Mystery
Twitter Handles: @ElizStJohn @cathiedunn
Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub
Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot...
Blurb:
What if you knew what happened to the Princes in the Tower. Would you tell? Or would you forever keep the secret?
November, 1470: Westminster Abbey. Lady Elysabeth Scrope faces a perilous royal duty when ordered into sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville–witness the birth of Edward IV’s Yorkist son. Margaret Beaufort, Elysabeth’s sister, is desperately seeking a pardon for her exiled son Henry Tudor. Strategically, she coerces Lancastrian Elysabeth to be appointed godmother to Prince Edward, embedding her in the heart of the Plantagenets and uniting them in a destiny of impossible choices and heartbreaking conflict.
Bound by blood and torn by honour, when the king dies and Elysabeth delivers her young godson into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Margaret conspires with Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne. Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court, defying her husband and her sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe.
Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Was the rebel Duke of Buckingham to blame? Or did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St.John, best-selling author of The Lydiard Chronicles, blends her own family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing alternative story illuminating the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.
Buy Links:
This title is on #KindleUnlimited.
Universal Link: https://geni.us/GodmothersSecret
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B9YM4JF5
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9YM4JF5
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B9YM4JF5
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B9YM4JF5
REVIEW
A tantalizing tale of the two Princes in the Tower, and while the boy King, Edward V, is the historical focus, it is the story of Elysabeth, Lady Scrope which steals the show. An emotional rollercoaster, Lady Scrope is caught between her fealty to the Royal House, and her blood relations. A difficult path is laid before her; one that changes with every turn of events in the struggle for dominance and the kingship. The author has given the reader little opportunity to relax ,or to to put the book down. A thoroughly entertaining look at the political chicanery of Plantagenet versus Tudor, and the strength of one woman to fulfill the seemingly impossible oaths thrust upon her. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
October 4, 2022
“This is treason, Margaret.”
“This is destiny, Elysabeth.”
The King is dead — Long live the King. But the Wheel of Fortune is forever turning and family rivalry, jealousy and ambition threaten to destroy the fragile peace that occurred in the final years of Edward IV's reign. Edward's young son is expected to inherit the crown, but there are forces at work which will ensure he never becomes king.
The Godmother's Secret by Elizabeth St.John is the harrowing story of the final years of the Plantagenet reign.
Told in the first person from Elysabeth Scrope of Bolton's perspective, this is the story of one women who is determined to save her godson and his brother from all the horrors of the world, and if she has to defy her king to do so, then so be it. Elysabeth is a character that I instantly connected to. She is a gentle and exceedingly loving person who has had her own share of grief, but when she is commanded to be the godmother to Elizabeth Woodville's son, she cannot help but fall in love with him and from the day of his birth she vows that she will protect him from all who may wish him harm. It is a vow she takes very seriously and is one she is willing to risk everything for.
The recurring theme in this novel is somewhat surprising, for within these pages we witness the rise and fall of the fabled Camelot. Arthur's role is taken up by Edward (son of Edward IV) and Lancelot's role falls to his Uncle Richard (Duke of Gloucester). Elysabeth carves out her own role as she seeks her own sovereynté. Even if you do not know the history behind the story, one can still sense the fated doom. Arthur must fall, and it must be because of Lancelot's betrayal. However, there is another lurking in the shadows that will bring the Plantagenet House crashing down around them. One might immediately think that Henry Tudor would be cast as Mordred, but I think that in this story, Mordred is Henry's mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Margaret is such a cold-hearted and calculated woman and yet she somehow makes the victims of her ambition seemingly compliant to their own destruction. Elysabeth must be careful, even thought Margaret is her sister. Margaret's ambition for her son, Henry Tudor, knows no limits. The author has portrayed Margaret as a woman who hides her true intentions behind a mask of piety. And yet, there is a darkness in her soul, a relentless aspiration, an obsession, that torments everyone she meets. Her inability to see past her own wants and desires is a stark contrast to Elysabeth, and although there are similarities (they both love their sons deeply) Elysabeth is more concerned with ensuring the boy's safety, whereas Margaret, under a veil of motherly concern and wants, is determined to see her son crowned king. Elysabeth has a very open heart and even though she is a faithful Lancastrian at the beginning of this book, her love for the boys, especially Ned, is absolute and she will do everything within her power to ensure he has a future, even if it is vastly different to the one he had been promised. Margaret's love for her son is tempered by her ambition for his future. For a woman who loves so deeply, it is difficult to decipher where Margaret the mother begins and where Margaret the mother of the would-be king ends. As sisters Margaret and Elysabeth could not be more different, and yet, family ties and obligations mean their lives run parallel to each other - what happens to one, affects what happens to the other. I thought Margaret's portrayal was fabulously depicted, she is a very complex character who does nothing if it does not advance her goals.
Richard III is always a difficult character to get to grips with. His reputation in life and death was sullied by Tudor propaganda, and the truth behind those two years of his reign is darkened by stories of corruption and murder. St.John has given her readers a Richard who is ambitious but also generous of spirit — at times I really liked him, but then I remembered that this was a man not above killing those he saw as rivals. He fears the Woodville's ambitions and so crushes them with an unforgiving fist. He even has Edward's half-brother executed. He is no innocent party, and as soon as Bishop Shaw declared Edward's children bastards, then Richard willingly takes up the mantle and becomes king. Elysabeth is left with a sense of confusion and fear. Who is this Richard? Is he a man to be feared or a man to be revered? I thought Richard's depiction was very honest in its delivery. He is both a righteous king, but is also ruthless. There is an underlying current of malice to his nature, but there is also a tender side to him. Richard is a flawed character who is filled with contradictions. His character came across as very believable.
The historical detail in this novel is outstanding. The hours of research that have gone into this book shine through in this utterly enthralling story. Having read many a story on the rise and fall of King Richard III it was refreshing to read a new take from a different angle on the events that led up to Richard becoming king and then finally dying at that ill-fated battle at Bosworth fields.
This book does not threaten to mesmerise, it really does and although this is no short read, I was so enthralled with it, that I read it in one sitting - I stayed up very late in the night to reach the final, almost fatalistic, full stop. This novel captured the very essence of this era and was simply unputdownable. In all ways, this book is an absolute triumph.
“This is destiny, Elysabeth.”
The King is dead — Long live the King. But the Wheel of Fortune is forever turning and family rivalry, jealousy and ambition threaten to destroy the fragile peace that occurred in the final years of Edward IV's reign. Edward's young son is expected to inherit the crown, but there are forces at work which will ensure he never becomes king.
The Godmother's Secret by Elizabeth St.John is the harrowing story of the final years of the Plantagenet reign.
Told in the first person from Elysabeth Scrope of Bolton's perspective, this is the story of one women who is determined to save her godson and his brother from all the horrors of the world, and if she has to defy her king to do so, then so be it. Elysabeth is a character that I instantly connected to. She is a gentle and exceedingly loving person who has had her own share of grief, but when she is commanded to be the godmother to Elizabeth Woodville's son, she cannot help but fall in love with him and from the day of his birth she vows that she will protect him from all who may wish him harm. It is a vow she takes very seriously and is one she is willing to risk everything for.
The recurring theme in this novel is somewhat surprising, for within these pages we witness the rise and fall of the fabled Camelot. Arthur's role is taken up by Edward (son of Edward IV) and Lancelot's role falls to his Uncle Richard (Duke of Gloucester). Elysabeth carves out her own role as she seeks her own sovereynté. Even if you do not know the history behind the story, one can still sense the fated doom. Arthur must fall, and it must be because of Lancelot's betrayal. However, there is another lurking in the shadows that will bring the Plantagenet House crashing down around them. One might immediately think that Henry Tudor would be cast as Mordred, but I think that in this story, Mordred is Henry's mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort.
Margaret is such a cold-hearted and calculated woman and yet she somehow makes the victims of her ambition seemingly compliant to their own destruction. Elysabeth must be careful, even thought Margaret is her sister. Margaret's ambition for her son, Henry Tudor, knows no limits. The author has portrayed Margaret as a woman who hides her true intentions behind a mask of piety. And yet, there is a darkness in her soul, a relentless aspiration, an obsession, that torments everyone she meets. Her inability to see past her own wants and desires is a stark contrast to Elysabeth, and although there are similarities (they both love their sons deeply) Elysabeth is more concerned with ensuring the boy's safety, whereas Margaret, under a veil of motherly concern and wants, is determined to see her son crowned king. Elysabeth has a very open heart and even though she is a faithful Lancastrian at the beginning of this book, her love for the boys, especially Ned, is absolute and she will do everything within her power to ensure he has a future, even if it is vastly different to the one he had been promised. Margaret's love for her son is tempered by her ambition for his future. For a woman who loves so deeply, it is difficult to decipher where Margaret the mother begins and where Margaret the mother of the would-be king ends. As sisters Margaret and Elysabeth could not be more different, and yet, family ties and obligations mean their lives run parallel to each other - what happens to one, affects what happens to the other. I thought Margaret's portrayal was fabulously depicted, she is a very complex character who does nothing if it does not advance her goals.
Richard III is always a difficult character to get to grips with. His reputation in life and death was sullied by Tudor propaganda, and the truth behind those two years of his reign is darkened by stories of corruption and murder. St.John has given her readers a Richard who is ambitious but also generous of spirit — at times I really liked him, but then I remembered that this was a man not above killing those he saw as rivals. He fears the Woodville's ambitions and so crushes them with an unforgiving fist. He even has Edward's half-brother executed. He is no innocent party, and as soon as Bishop Shaw declared Edward's children bastards, then Richard willingly takes up the mantle and becomes king. Elysabeth is left with a sense of confusion and fear. Who is this Richard? Is he a man to be feared or a man to be revered? I thought Richard's depiction was very honest in its delivery. He is both a righteous king, but is also ruthless. There is an underlying current of malice to his nature, but there is also a tender side to him. Richard is a flawed character who is filled with contradictions. His character came across as very believable.
The historical detail in this novel is outstanding. The hours of research that have gone into this book shine through in this utterly enthralling story. Having read many a story on the rise and fall of King Richard III it was refreshing to read a new take from a different angle on the events that led up to Richard becoming king and then finally dying at that ill-fated battle at Bosworth fields.
This book does not threaten to mesmerise, it really does and although this is no short read, I was so enthralled with it, that I read it in one sitting - I stayed up very late in the night to reach the final, almost fatalistic, full stop. This novel captured the very essence of this era and was simply unputdownable. In all ways, this book is an absolute triumph.
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