Thursday Titles: The White Princess

Finally, a review on a recently released book! 😉  Philippa Gregory’s newest instalment of her Cousins’ War series, The White Princess just came out at the end of July, and I have snapped it up.  Here’s what I thought:

Philippa Gregory headed into more familiar territory in this latest book.  It serves as a bridge to fill the gap between the Plantagenets and her beloved Tudor Court novels.  It tells the story of Princess Elizabeth, heir to the line of York, and queen of the new conquering king Henry VII.  She is a fascinating character in history: the only queen to be daughter, sister, niece, wife, and mother of kings.  She was a peace offering to gain the support of Henry Tudor against her usurping uncle, and to bind the houses of Lancaster and York together and end the War of the Roses.

Once again, Gregory breathes life into a well-known historical figure, shedding light on her probable inner thoughts and conflict.  After all, this was the girl who enjoyed such favour in her uncle’s court, now forced to marry her enemy, and to stand by him against conspirators from her own family.  The author does a fantastic job developing this tension, never flinching away from the raw feeling and delicately drawing the reader along with Elizabeth in her transformation from York to Tudor.

I loved the book, as always, and I can’t wait to read more, and I hear there’s another book in the works, based on Elizabeth’s cousin Margaret Pole.