The Red Queen

The Red Queen, by Philippa Gregory
 
Readers who relish historical fiction, especially those novels set in medieval England, will rejoice with The Red Queen, Philippa Gregory's newest installment in her "Cousins War" series. Set during the Fifteenth Century War of the Roses, The Red Queen centers on the life of Margaret Beaufort, a member of the Lancaster family who is considered to be the matriarch of the Tudor Dynasty by her marriage to Edmund Tudor. That union led to the birth of the child who would become Henry VII. Margaret's life was one of constant scheming, plotting, and planning to further her son's rise to the English throne. This divisive era in English history pitted two branches of the Plantagenet family, Margaret's Lancasters (using a red rose in their family crest) and the Yorks (known for using a white rose in their crest) , against each other with each hoping to capture the prize of the English throne. Gregory does her usual wonderful job of making this complicated historical time come alive by making her characters larger than life and full of endless energy to advance their candidates to as ruler of England. This reviewer suggests The Red Queen can best be enjoyed by reading it shortly after completing Gregory's previous book The White Queen. Both are totally winning and terrific books!
-Roy