Queen By Right
A Novel
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4.0 • 3 Ratings
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
From the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King’s Grace comes another masterful historical novel—the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history’s greatest love stories.
Anne Easter Smith’s novels are beloved by readers for their ability “to grab you, sweep you along with the story, and make you fall in love with the characters.” In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet.
History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
All the makings of a proper medieval tale familial betrayal, political scandal, savage wars, decapitations, and licentious affairs are threaded throughout Smith's competent fourth historical novel (after The King's Grace), this one revolving around Cecily Neville and her husband, Richard of York, whose love and lovemaking offers a consistency that contrasts the perpetual turmoil and political upheaval that plagued the royal houses of England. The corruption within the court of Henry VI becomes more and more evident as members of his close circle, most notably the earls of Suffolk and Somerset, rise higher in rank; Richard, meanwhile, begins to suspect that he is being kept at a distance out of fear that he might assert his right to the throne. After the tedious beginning chapters, which cover Cecily's childhood and the early days of her relationship with Richard, the story quickly picks up momentum as Cecily and Richard become entangled in court politics, giving Smith many opportunities to showcase her knowledge of the era, though period details sometimes come across as being shoehorned in. Fans of medieval historical fiction will undoubtedly appreciate this intimate portrayal of some of the era's key players.
