The King's Daughter

by Christie Dickason

Book by Christie Dickason

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, British Literature, Fiction, Royalty, 17th Century, Romance

496 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2009

About the author

I started to write at the age of three, long before I could spell. Understandably, I hid my poems and (very) short stories from my English professor father, who could spell words like ‘desiccate’ and also insisted on correct grammar. All the same, he passed on to me his delight in books and words as well as his joy in pursuing intellectual curiosity. Under his influence, I learned to relish research and value accuracy. (He also kick-started my interest in mountain climbing by putting his uncensored edition of Lady Chatterley’s Lover on the highest shelf of his study.)

While living abroad with my family for most of my teens, in Thailand, Mexico and Switzerland, I studied anywhere I could, from the International Children’s Centre in Bangkok, through home-tutoring, to an old-fasioned Swiss convent school. I went on to read English at Harvard University (BA, Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa), then earned an MFA in Theatre at the Yale University Drama School (winning a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and the Shubert Memorial Fellowship for Best Director).

From the age of eleven, I also studied dance (and performed): ballet at the Lichine School in Lausanne, modern dance with a former member of Martha Graham’s company, Robert Cohan, and Thai classical dance with a retired member of the King of Thailand’s troupe. At the age of fifteen, I once found myself teaching Thai folk dance to the Thai Women’s Culture club in Bangkok. At the age of 23, I thought writing was far too much fun to be a serious way to earn a living, so I became a director and choreographer.

After fourteen years in the theatre (with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Rocky Horror Show, Oh! Calcutta!, and at Ronnie Scott’s, among others) illness forced me to stop . While convalescing, I read a particularly dire paperback and decided in exasperation to see if I could do any better. Bed-bound and with L-plates on, I returned to my secret passion for writing and hand-wrote my first novel. This book was never published, but it brought me a commission for my ‘official’ first novel (THE DRAGON RIDERS, published by Century), which astonished me by reaching number twelve on the best-seller list. What had seemed at first like a health disaster led me ‘home’ into a new career that not only allows time to eat and sleep but also lets me do what I love most. (My illness also, when I was ready to deal with it, fuelled my historical novel, QUICKSILVER, about a supposed 17th c. 'werewolf'.)

As well as seven internationally-published novels (most recently THE PRINCIPESSA, I also write poetry, short stories, newspaper articles and works for the theatre. I particularly enjoy collaborating with the award-winning composer Cecilia McDowall on musical works ranging from conventional songs and cantatas to the huge and indescribable, all of which have been performed.

Our most recent project was a 'green cantata', FIVE SEASONS, commissioned ‘to celebrate the organic landscape in the 21st century’ by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta Choir. And we are currently (2007) setting up a follow-on community music project in Cumbria.

As a change from my computer, I enjoy extreme trekking and scrambling in Bolivia and the Western Highlands of Scotland, organic gardening, cooking, eating and recreational talking with friends and family. I don’t think writers take holidays.

Reviews

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Good Stuff

* Wonderfully written
* Intriguing characters
* Emotions deftly written, you really feel as you can understand and feel her pain and loneliness
* Fictional character of Tallie is fascinating
* Historical facts/names/places done very well and done in such a way that it is easy to understand the who's, what's and where's. Let me tell you that is not an easy thing to do during this period of history
* Very well researched

The Not so Good Stuff

* Quite dry and repetitive at times
* The small chapters done in the voices of other characters are distracting and in most cases, really unnecessary. The ones in Tallie's voice though are exceptional and add to the story

Favorite Quotes/Passages

"Everywhere I looked, I began to see how sex ruled appetites, that thing I feared, the thing I had come to study. I saw it in the eyes of the leaning women and the strolling ones, and in the heaving shadows of the side streets."


"I began to wonder if the devil would be so bad after all" I said to Tallie. "So far as I can learn, he's neither Catholic or Protestant."


What I Learned

* That I am happy not to be royalty. Being a Princess really sucks!
* James the 1st of England was a royal prick and will not be winning any father of the year awards
* Tons of fascinating historical information

Who should/shouldn't read

* For lovers of historical fiction
* not for those who need a lot of excitement. Probably not a great read for the beach
* Great for those who are intrigued with minor and fascinating royals

3 Dewey's


I received this from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review

[Susan]

I got through about a fourth of this one. I should have been warned off in the first chapter, where Elizabeth, a young child at the time, switches almost without warning from prattling about fairies to very calmly and methodically plotting her escape from a would-be kidnapper. The characters spent most of their time whining about being royal, and Elizabeth's father and mother are little more than caricatures. It's a pity this novel didn't measure up, because Elizabeth of Bohemia is a great subject for fiction.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a quick read and the plot speeds right along. The beginning of the novel feels somewhat frivolous, but by the time you reach the middle of the book it gains some weight. I think this is on purpose to show how Elizabeth grows up from an innocent child to a woman. There was also a cute love story between Elizabeth and Frederick that you were rooting for by the end of the book.

This was an interesting story and one whose characters I have not encountered elsewhere. We get up close and personal with the court of James I – his wife Anne of Denmark and children, Henry, Charles, and Elizabeth. This is quite the interesting court. James I is a very paranoid king – and rightly so – but it was shocking some of the actions that he took to protect himself, even from his family. Throughout the story we find out a lot about Henry, Elizabeth, and King James, but left wanting some regarding Queen Anne. The author may have left us distant from her in order to show how she was distant to the rest of her family – however, I did want to know more about her.

This wasn’t a novel with a lot of depth, more of a surface story, but it was enjoyable. I would recommend this if you are looking for a fun read but not expecting to tax your mind too much. I came away from reading it with a sense of enjoyment, but not with too much else and the events of the story don’t stick with you for a long time.

This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.

[Brenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most positive thing I can say about this book is I finished it. The author didn't provide a lot of explanation in the author's note to know exactly what was "fiction" and fact. She did expand on the characters a bit but not enough to satisfy my curiousity. Overall, if she ever writes about a character that I would be interested in again, I'll probably use the library to read it.

[Morgan Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sort of book that I would have absolutely loved as a teenager. I wouldn’t have read this if it weren’t a gift but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

It’s immersive in the setting of England under James I, from the perspective of his daughter, Elizabeth Stuart. There’s some banter and funny moments. Also some serious troubles in the court. Treason and treatises etc.
I loved the historic setting, descriptions of attire, and watching this character grow as a young woman in a difficult and delicate situation.

There was maybe 10% more “I’m a girl and I’m on the meat market and I think this is outrageous!” than I would have liked. It was a main theme of the book, and I respect it and empathize, but some chapters were really heavy handed with the message and it got annoying.
There was also a dash of some explicit sexual content which I’m not a fan of reading.

[Cassy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel it's pretty widely known by now that I'm obsessed with Henry VIII and all of his decendents. I've sucked up pretty much every book written about Henry, his wives and his children. So I thought it might be interesting to read something about what happens after Elizabeth. After all, she and her father take the stage so often, we kind of forget that there was an England after her.

This book really didn't turn into the book that I thought that it would. I mean, I know it was fiction and therefore, the author is allowd a certain amount of creative license. However, I think that when writing historical fiction, you have to try and stay somewhat true to the people that they were.

Even in Dickason's book, Elizabeth's brother Henry was very prude and religious. He didn't even like it when people cursed in his household. I actually really liked that because that was very true to Henry. I also like that she gave the to siblings a close relationship. It was interesting to see this dynmanic because they were two siblings destined for two very different lives; Elizabeth for marriage and Henry eventually would take over the throne.

What I couldn't really accept was that, at any point, Henry would entertain incestual thoughts with his sister. He was very straight and narrow and I can't see him ever wishing for that, even in passing. I can't see him ever thinking that he wanted a sexual relationship with men, either (he denies it through much of the book but thinks it briefly when the idea is presented to him.) While, yes, there is much suspicion that James had those relationships, Henry was strongly against them. I just had a hard time coming to terms with that.

Also, I didn't like Talia's ending. Elizabeth and she were working so hard to make Elizabeth's marriage to Frederick successful and then Talia gets sent to America for her safety. I just kind of felt cheated out of her story. The reader is never really told what happens to her, if she survives, if she marries. I thought maybe at the end, when Elizabeth is finally married, we would hear something, some sort of epilogue, but it never happens. For someone who was such a major part of the plot, I really felt like there should have been more of a conclusion.

I liked Elizabeth's and Talia's relationship. It was interesting to see Talia tell Elizabeth what she truly thought, especially because Elizabeth often said she wanted to hear it, and then would get mad when Talia told her the truth. I liked watching their relationship develop. I liked seeing the two of them learn to trust each other. I enjoyed the different situations Elizabeth got herself into. You watched her grow. She asked Talia about sex because, well, no one told her those things and so how else was she going to find out.

Watching the scene with her mother was heartbreaking. You knew that the Queen had gone crazy, that the depression of losing her children had overtaken her, but you could also see that Elizabeth didn't quite understand that. All she saw was that her mother didn't care, that she no longer wanted a relationship with her daughter. She couldn't seem to quite grasp that her mother had lost the ability to love, lost the ability to be sane anymore.

I wasn't really fond of Elizabeth's and her father's relationship. While I did like James's paranoia, I'm not sure that the volatile relationship between his daughter and he was believable. Women were all but powerless during that era and even more so for Elizabeth because she had not one, but two older brothers. She posed little threat to him and had almost no say in her marriage, so I didn't really understand why the relationship would be so strained. Furthermore, there is nothing, historically, to indicate that they ever really had a bad relationship.

Overall, the book was medicore. I liked the characters but the execution was only so-so. If you have some extra time, then pick it up but I wouldn't put it at the top of your to-read list.

[Philae_02 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive this book as part of the Early Reviewers Program, and I must say that I learned quite a bit from this historical novel. I pride myself in knowing quite a bit about the Tudor dynasty, but I did not know so much about the Stuarts. The story is primarily about Princess Elizabeth Stuart, the eldest daughter of King James I of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The timeline of the novel covers her life from the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 to her marriage to Fredrick, the German Elector Palatine, in 1613. During these eight years, Elizabeth played the part of a royal daughter being sold off to the highest bidder throughout Europe.

There was one particular scene where Elizabeth was posing for a portrait – and her father and an ambassador duke were scrutinizing her like a prize dog or horse being sold at market – that just captured the attitude towards royal women during that time (and times preceding and following) which makes me grateful that I live in the modern period. I also felt that Dickason created a despicable villain in the attitude and persona of James I as an overbearing and unloving father-figure who had absolute control over the lives of his children.

Dickason researched the historical characters to give them a more compelling and convincing persona in her novel, which I enjoyed (although I would have liked if she would have listed her sources at the back, in case her readers wanted to learn more about Elizabeth). The author also mentioned at the end of the novel that there are not primary source documents describing who Elizabeth was as a person, so Dickason had to speculate about how the princess would have felt and acted given specific situations. This allowed Dickason to create a compelling and charismatic Elizabeth, who was able to keep her cool, even though she had to walk on egg shells constantly, given her easily-jealous father.

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction novel is about Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James VI of Scotland who became James I of England, after the death of Elizabeth I. Very much like a Philippa Gregory book in title, cover and subject matter, it is fortunately much better written, much less annoyingly repetitive, and with a more appealing heroine than most of PG's books. Unfortunately, the plot is very dull: Elizabeth waits to get married at the whim of her boorish, selfish paranoid father, the King. She has a nice brother, but since there was never a Henry IX, we know he won't make it, a whiny baby brother, Charles, and a cold bitter distant mother. That's about it. Other real historical characters like Francis Bacon play their parts, and a fictional black slave who becomes her friend pad out the story, but it became clear why most authors focus on the Tudors - interesting stuff happened!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give away spoilers in my reviews. I love books about English history and this is the first book of Christie Dickason's that I've read.
The King's Daughter starts with a family map making it easier to see the descendants. That helped me read this since it's the first book about Elizabeth that I've read.
As many English royalty, Elizabeth lives under her father/the King's say. She has reasons to fear him. I loved her growth thorought the book. I especially loved her friendship with Tallie. I don't give away spoilers so I will say this was a wonderful read and I hope to read more about her life.
Also, loved the last paragraph.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew little about this Princess before reading this book, so it was fun to enter the court of James V. Being a princess was not an easy gig . The political intrigue, the death of Henry, the marriage machinations and the whims of the King made for tricky times. I enjoyed the perspective of Elizabeth being proactive, with the help of Tallie. Her perspective was also illuminating, showing the status of women.

[Cheraya Estrada · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading historical fiction and Mary Queen of Scot’s is one of my favorite people to read about so I was really excited to find this book about her sons children. I have to say though that it was a slow book and nothing really ever happened until the end of the book. I would have loved to hear more about her marriage to Frederick and their life but just as something good happens in her life the book ends. Good historical insight into their lives though.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book is for the English translation of Suzanne Martel’s “The King’s Daughter” (Jeanne, fille du roi) which is what I read.

A romanticized story of what life might have been like for a young French orphan who married a currier du bois in 17th century New France. Language around Indigenous people is reflective of what would have been acceptable in the 1970s when the book was written but the publisher acknowledges this fact in the end notes.

[Shaz Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow starter but actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Interesting historical account of King James VI'S daughter Elizabeth brought to life with a beautiful story of a future queen trying to find herself.

[Ivi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great potential and interesting storyline. Too many sexual references even when Elizabeth was 7 or 8. Didn't feel that I was reading history, more like authors projections on it.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t get in to this book, the characters seemed to change their complete personalities suddenly mid page & there were too many random characters that didn’t help the book along.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

[Angela Prins · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read with intriguing plot twists. Great ending.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review on Storygraph

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The daughter of James I, Elizabeth, who became Elizabeth of Bohemia and the mother of Prince Rupert, has been given a first-person voice in Christie Dickerson’s novel, The King’s Daughter. Elizabeth is also the granddaughter of Mary Queen of Scots, daughter of James VI of Scotland and I of England, who signed his mother’s death warrant, a bisexual, profligate monarch who wears a padded shirt due to his pathological fear of assassins. A paranoia which extends to his children, whom he separates from himself and each other due to his fear and jealousy.

When Elizabeth’s father tells her that his philosophy is never to trust anyone, she learns quickly that this adage includes herself and her two brothers, the beautiful and popular blond, handsome heir, Henry Prince of Wales, and Baby Charles, who at this stage was not expected to become the Charles I who ultimately became The Martyr King.

The story opens with Elizabeth’s being approached by Lord Digby outside Combe Abbey, who tells her she ‘Must be Queen’. Frightened and confused, she refuses to co-operate and when the conspiracy of the Catholic Gunpowder plot to destroy King James and Prince Henry and put Elizabeth on the throne is discovered, King James suspects her of trying to usurp his throne and she is ‘examined’ by his secretary, Robert, ‘Wee Bobby’ Cecil, and is forced to watch the hanging, drawing and quartering of the plotters so her reaction can be gauged, despite the fact she is not yet ten years old.

Ms Dickason’s portrayal of James I is exactly what I have learned about this profligate, obsessive, physically unattractive man with a penchant for young boys. She writes a scene where he hurls a diamond into the Thames to show Elizabeth he cares nothing for wealth, then sends a team of servants to dredge the river to retrieve the gem. Elizabeth is warned that those close to her cannot be trusted, ‘everyone is someone’s creature’ and she has virtually no one she can confide in.

Historical biographicals are complicated to write, in that some readers like a lot of fiction to pad out the boring parts of true life events, whereas others require the author stick religiously to the known facts. There is a great deal of fiction in this story, specifically the young Elizabeth’s friendship with Thalia Bristo, the Ethiopian lute player who takes her to a brothel in Southwark to educate her on sex. She and Thalia make a list of her suitors and the slave girl is sent on a mission to obtain information and likenesses of these men so Elizabeth can decide on a favourite. I doubt any aspect of this friendship occurred, but I didn’t care and I thoroughly enjoyed delving into the two girl’s thoughts as they established a bond. A bond that Elizabeth decides must be broken to save Thalia’s life and so she sends her to the Americas.

I found no difficulty in separating the fictional aspects from the real history, and it appeals to me to think that Elizabeth was strong enough, as Ms Dickason writes, to confront her dreadful father to demand some say in whom she marries. I found it added to the romance that she and Frederick, Elector Palatine formed an immediate close bond and were both determined to marry, which finally happens after several false alarms when Elizabeth is seventeen. Their courtship is endearing and sweet and this was reputed to be a true life love match as Elizabeth and Frederick had thirteen children, including Prince Rupert of the Rhine, even though her own life as Queen of Bohemia had its own tragedies.

The only criticism I would have, other than that the plot is a padded out at times with lots of introspection so could do with some editing, is that Elizabeth’s character doesn’t change much during the course of the novel, so the nine-year-old girl has the same inner voice at the seventeen-year-old bride.

Elizabeth’s love for her elder brother Henry was touching, although the poor young man seemed to have no faults at all, but then he died young so probably had no time to develop any. But then, when a Prince of Wales dies in his teens, I doubt any court recorder would dare to speak ill of him! Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth shows some of her Father’s paranoia, in that she believes the King may have poisoned Henry, whom she adored and wouldn’t balk at killing her too.

Ms Dickason's concept of Anne of Denmark, Elizabeth’s mother, was of a cold, emotionally damaged woman who tells her daughter that having her babies removed from her to be raised by someone else prevented her having any feelings for them. She goes on to display this with crushing detachment in that she cannot spare a kind word or look for her only surviving daughter. However, history also says that Elizabeth herself was a disinterested mother, being more interested in her monkeys and pet dogs than her large brood of children

If you don’t mind a large dose of imagination mixed in with recorded history, The King’s Daughter is a lovely story to escape into. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it kept my attention so even with 468 pages I completed it in two days.

[Mirella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason is a biographical novel about Elizabeth of Scotland who later became Queen of Bohemia. She was the eldest daughter of James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, and Ireland, and Anne of Denmark.

Christie Dickason has written a fascinating first person narrative told through the eyes of a lesser known princess of the 17th century - a pleasant reprieve from the over abundance of Tudor novels currently in the market place.

Princess Elizabeth was born at Falkland Palace, Fife. At the time of her birth, her father was King of Scots and he was estranged from his wife. Their marriage was not a happy one. When she was six years old, Elizabeth I of England died and her father succeeded to the thrones of England and Ireland. When she came to England, the Countess of Kildare became her governess until she was consigned to the care of Lord Harington, with whom she spent the happiest years of her childhood at Combe Abbey in Warwickshire.

When Elizabeth was nine years old, aristocrats secretly plotted to kidnap her and put her onto the throne of England and Scotland as a Catholic monarch after assassinating her father and the Protestant aristocracy. The plot became known as the Gunpowder Plot. Elizabeth managed to evade the kidnapping. When the plot was discovered, the guilty parties were swiftly executed. This made her father suspicious as to her own involvement, setting a course for conflict between father and daughter throughout the novel.

James is a weak and unpopular king, despised for his debauchery, poor manners, and sodomy. Paranoid of his two children, Henry and Elizabeth, he keeps them at arms length not only from him, but from each other. Yet, Henry and Elizabeth have a strong bond of love and trust as they strive to protect each other from their father's machinations. The King toys with Elizabeth by continually threatening to marry her to numerous suitors. Elizabeth, however, is resilient and she keeps a wary eye on her father, outsmarting him at every turn.

An interesting sidestory is the fictional character, Thalia Bristo, a black slave who becomes Elizabeth's eyes and ears in a court fraught with suspicion and deception. It draws a parallel between the two women's lives because they are neither free to conduct their own lives and are both bought and sold in accordance with the whims of men. The novel also introduces many fascinating characters such Francis Bacon, the Earl of Salisbury, and even the future King Charles 1.

Filled with charming scenes, one of the most memorable is the one where she encounters her betrothed, Frederick V, Elector of the Palatinate in Germany. With wit, Elizabeth sets out to secure his father's approval to choose him as her husband. Well written, this aspect of the novel is humorous and heartwarming and depicts Frederick and Elizabeth's genuine love for each other throughout their marriage.

I thoroughly enjoyed Christie Dickason's depiction of Elizabeth. The story is uncomplicated, easy to read, and full of interesting twists and turns. For anyone who has had their fill of the Tudors, this is an excellent story of a woman who used her wits to keep her head on her shoulders while fighting to find happiness and love.

[Andrea Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. I was gung ho for a book about a royal that wasn't a Tudor. Elizabeth's story seems to be dragged out. There were times when I had to look up information about her so I had an idea of how old she was.

The first part is the slowest dealing with Elizabeth's unknowing part in the Gunpowder Plot to assissinate her father. Christie doesn't spare her readers from the gruesome outcome. Elizabeth witnsses the execution of Fawkes and his conspiritors. They were hung, drawn and quartered.

This was definitely an age were punishments were gruesome.

But the book isn't bad. It really paints a good portrait of what James I was like and the relationship between Elizabeth and her brother Henry and her younger brother Charles. I often found Baby Charles was portrayed a bit unfairly. He seemed to be a spoiled brat, yet all accounts of him that I found said he emulated his older brother Henry.

I appreciated the historical accuracy, but the fictional characters Christie added didn't enhance the story. In fact, they detracted from an otherwise interesting story. I would have liked to know more about Elizabeth than the battle between her and her father over marriage. The slave girl, Tallie, didn't even seem necessary as a character, since she didn't make an appearance until Elizabeth was presented in London. There were some scenes that just didn't seem plausible for a princess to be doing, particularly when they snuck out to a brothel so that Elizabeth could learn about lovemaking, via a peephole in a wall.

Elizabeth wasn't very interesting. I found myself more interested in the intrigues of the court. Her father's preference for men. The religious beliefs of her brother, who had his men pay a tithe when they swore. All were more interesting than Elizabeth and her desire to choose her husband. It is because of the rest of the family that I finished this book. Had Christie not brought those characters to life, I probably would have abandoned this book.

[Lydia Presley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I love to read historical fiction and gravitate toward the stories of the British Royalty, every time I finish one of these books I have one single thought: I am so glad this wasn't me.

Intrigue, betrayal, murder, lust and more are held within the pages of The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason. While some historical fiction books can get bogged down with names and make it difficult to follow (due to the constant use of the same names), the only thing confusing about this book was the name. Which King's daughter? So let me answer that for you: Elizabeth II, daughter of James I of Scotland, or James VI of England, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots.

King James I was.. not a nice man, and Dickason paints him as being coarse, petulant and spoiled. When I picked up this story on the 5th of November and noticed the corresponding date on the inside, granted 1605, I had to laugh a little - because the treason of those actions played a central part in this book and the relationship between Elizabeth and her father.

I admittedly do not know much about Elizabeth II or her brother, Henry, so it was interesting reading a story that was unfamiliar to me. I think Dickason did a beautiful job of telling the story of what her life would have been like, feeling as if she were gems or wealth to be bandied about, offered to this prince or that prince - whichever would make the best match for England.

This book is told in the first person, from the perspective of a young, Elizabeth Stuart, but never once did I feel as if the book was a young adult novel, or meant to be one. Elizabeth is portrayed as having a young sort of wisdom, but still behaves without thought and, in some ways, very much resembles her father.

... and Christie Dickason? I'll be keeping my eye on this author. She did a beautiful job of writing this story and I look forward to seeing what else she has to offer.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult one to rate. Overall, I did like this book for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I found the subject matter refreshing. The early Stuarts are not a common subject for historical fiction, with the majority of retellings focusing on Charles onwards. Thus, the very act of choosing Elizabeth for this story made it a worthwhile read. Also interesting was the perspective of the slave turned freedwoman Thalia Bristo. The conversations between the two young women seemed highly realistic in their emotional depth. The representation of a young, sheltered woman's first foray into the world of sex and sexuality is almost painfully innocent, and by doing so Dickason really humanises the character of Elizabeth for me.

However, there is a reason this novel only has three stars. For one, it is very plot-light. I have no problem with novels that are more introspection than action, but it seems as if there are some missed opportunities here. It is true that the lack of action reflects Elizabeth's position as the caged Princess Royal, and I certainly don't expect a swashbuckling adventure, but the fact of the matter is, I wanted to follow other characters instead of her. In addition, I felt that the character of Henry was underwritten and underdeveloped. I read a considerable amount of books, historical fiction in particular, and I found it difficult to grasp exactly what subtext we are meant to infer form his characterisation. Is this a Flowers in the Attic situation? A young man struggling with accepting his sexual desire for men, perhaps? I have no issue with ambiguity when I feel it is intentional, but here I think it is the effects of poor writing.

Be that as it may, The King's Daughter certainly held my attention the whole way through, even if a degree of that attention was only held in hope that certain elements would be better explained. There are better historical novels out there, but very few on this same subject.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The King's Daughter is the story of Princess Elizabeth. Growing up, Elizabeth knew she may not be the prettiest but that that did not matter as she was known as the King's daughter. She could guarantee that she would be married to whomever her father wished upon her. Every time that Elizabeth was seen to prospects she always felt like she was at a cattle drive. Elizabeth knew she had to please her father but Elizabeth is smart and has ideas of her own. When Elizabeth meets the German Prince, Frederick of Bohemia, she feels a connection with him despite him being a Protestant. Unfortunately, when the King changes his mind about marrying Elizabeth to Frederick, she must decide what she really wants for her future.

Mrs. Dickason did a wonderful job telling the story of Princess Elizabeth in The King's Daughter. I have read many books about Elizabeth and what I find about the other books is that they don't fully focus on Elizabeth or that they insert sexual innuendos. Don't get me wrong as I am not a prude but there is a time and pace for certain elements in books. While there was some sex, it did not take away from the story. It was nice to really get to know Elizabeth and to experience things through her eyes. It is not easy being the King's daughter. I knew women back than did not have much say in anything but to actually hear Elizabeth's thoughts voiced on this was nice. It was easy to see why Elizabeth became a good Queen. She was very observant and learned what traits she did not like in people and vowed to not to be like them. Mrs. Dickason explains that she tried to stay as accurate to historical facts as she could. I thought that she did a good job with this and her research. In The King's Daughter the only things you will find is great story telling and intriguing and engaging characters which equals a book that you will want to treasure forever.

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

The King’s Daughter is a story about the “First Daughter of England” Elizabeth Stuart. The only surviving daughter of James I of England and VI of Scotland, Elizabeth was third in line to the throne and seen by her father as a potential threat. At the age of 9 she foiled a kidnap attempt by the ‘Gunpowder Plotters’ who intended to murder her father and elder brother and put her on the throne in their place. Unfortunately, that did nothing for her relationship with her father who suspected her of collusion with the traitors. From then on he kept a close eye on her and made sure she knew nothing of his plans for her, except, as with so many other princesses of times past, that he wanted simply to marry her off to the most advantageous suitor without compassion for her feelings. He kept her in uncertainty for years so that finally she wondered whether in fact her wouldn’t marry her off at all but just wait until she was desperate enough to marry secretly so that he could lock her up in The Tower for treason.

Having had my (temporary) fill of the Wars of the Roses and The Tudors, I picked up this book about the Stuarts, of whom I knew next to nothing. The character of Elizabeth was completely new to me and I found her to be quite sympathetic, she wasn’t overly ferocious nor excessively timid. And despite her father’s aversion to educating females, she wasn’t empty headed either. I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the events in the book but I enjoyed (if that is the right word) the author’s portrayal of a lewd, hedonistic King James and the lovable baby Charles, who wasn’t expected to reach adulthood, turning into a spoilt brat when he became first in line to the throne.

I found The King’s Daughter to be a light, easy and entertaining read and a good opener to the reign of the Stuarts, leaving me eager to read more.

[Kelley C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I'd try something new by branching out into a novel about the English monarchy that doesn't involve the Tudors. This one's about James I of Scotland's daughter, Elizabeth. And...yep, not too much interesting stuff happened to her, apparently, cause this book was booooooring. She never really...did anything. It was mostly just her whining that her father was going to make her marry someone horrible.

The other characters in the book were actually more fun to read about than Elizabeth. Her mother was crazy and her father was cruel and gay. She had an older brother who was expected to be England's saving grace when he took the throne...but then he died. Her younger brother, Charles, was eventually beheaded after being removed as King, so it was interesting to see him as a mean, spoiled child. And for some reason, Elizabeth had a friend who was a slave who was the most interesting thing about the story, but I couldn't understand why she needed to be in the book at all.

Plot-wise...well, nothing happened! Elizabeth lived most of her life away from court with some super-religious guardians. When she did move to court to find a husband, she didn't really every participate in anything. There was a horrible attempt at a conspiracy theory, some fabricated involvement for her in the Gunpowder Plot, and flimsy motivations for everyone doing anything, ever.

The book ended with Elizabeth's marriage. Seems to me that what happened after that might have been a better topic for this novel, since her husband reigned as King of Bohemia for a few months before it was taken away from him.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great historical fiction read for me. I do not know much about James I but he sounds almost as horrible as Henry VIII! I felt so sorry for his daughter, Elizabeth who this story centers around. How can two parents be so detached and cruel to their children? I know part of it is the time as royal children tended to be raised by others but at least on visits, they would be kind of happy to see each other. Not Elizabeths's parents - a father who fears her power to ascend him to the throne and a mother who literally could care less about her children. Horrible! I was also mad at the treatment of Tallie the slave. I know in modern society we are much more "enlightened" but how could people have ever thought someone was not "human" simply because of the color of their skin? I am glad in the book Elizabeth was kind to Tallie. I also felt so sorry with Elizabeth's plight and marriage - how horrible! At least in the end, she was matched to a seemingly wonderful man in the book. Hopefully, she and her husband were able to find some happiness together - especially since they continued the royal line. Baby Charlie was a horrible, spoiled brother in the book and I was so sad when she had to give her favorite dog to him on his silly 10 year old whim. I was also so sad to read about Harry's fate and the intrigue of his being poisoned to death by his own father! Eek!

[Suzanne Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been hitting the jackpot on books lately. This is another book I picked up on a whim and fell in love with the author's writing style. Thankfully, Christie Dickason, author of The King's Daughter, has more books for us to read.

The most surprising part of this novel for me was how involved I became in the story of the slave Tallie. Elizabeth initially rejects Tallie, especially since the slave is a gift from the queen, whom Elizabeth feels has rejected her own daughter. The story is wave upon wave of human emotion and psychology of court relationships. Christie Dickason has captured these relationships with a keen eye and dug deep underneath the surface to reveal motives and desires.

From the very first page, where Elizabeth is being examined as a prospective bride, much like one might examine a horse, to the end when she finally escapes the tyranny of King James, I was deeply engrossed in this tale.

Well written, crisply paced, this story is one to read and relish.

I'd love to pass this book along to one lucky reader. If you'd like my paperback copy, just leave a comment with a way for me to contact you. If you sign up for my newsletter at the TeacherWriter website, you'll be entered to win something every time I send out book related news.

[Cassandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

First thing to note - if this was a movie, it would be rated R for violence and sexual content.

That aside, what an interesting to read. Like many of my other books, this one was picked up on a whim. I don't usually read secular historical fiction so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was a bit put off by the sexual content but tried to gloss over it in order to finish reading the story.

If most of this book is true, King James I was a scary king. Ruled by his passions, rather than his intellect, he kept his children at arm's length and toyed with their lives. Some of the other reviews criticized this book as being all about Elizabeth waiting for a husband, but I can easily see how that would be her entire life. Her father was determined to use her marriage as a political pawn and she had to wait until he decided which country he wanted to create an alliance with. In that aspect, I pity her. Her father was intent upon forcing Elizabeth to marry as part of his scheme, rather than because she loved a man. So sad.

Overall, it was a pretty good read. I could have done without the violence and sexual content but it made the book more realistic with its attention to nitty gritty detail.

[Bettie]

Description: The daughter of James I, the Princess Elizabeth would not be merely her father's pawn in the royal marriage market.
The court of James I is a dangerous place, with factions led by warring cousins Robert Cecil and Francis Bacon. While Europe seethes with conflict between Protestants and Catholics, James sees himself as a grand peacemakerΓÇöand wants to make his mark by trading his children for political treaties.
Henry, Prince of Wales, and his sister, Elizabeth, find themselves far more popular than their distrusted father, a perilous position for a child of a jealous king. When Elizabeth is introduced to one suitor, Frederick, the Elector Palatine, she feels the unexpected possibility of happiness. But her fate is not her own to chooseΓÇöand when her parents brutally withdraw their support for the union, Elizabeth must take command of her own future, with the help of an unexpected ally, the slave girl Tallie, who seeks her own, very different freedom.