Two young women almost a hundred years
apart are linked by their desire to know the true fate of the princes
in the tower. Kate Plantagenet, illegitimate daughter of Richard III,
is a staunch believer in her father. Although many tales point to his
guilt, Kate cannot believe in it. Lady Katherine Grey, sister to the
ill-fated Lady Jane Grey, becomes interested in the princes when she
too is incarcerated in the tower. The link between the two is
tenuous, a series of letter discovered by Katherine in an old trunk.
Unfortunately, Weir actually made them up so while it makes a good
story, there is no historical precedent.
While the book is an interesting
historical novel, I found that it dragged. The story toggles between
Kate and Katherine and not until the end is there really a connection
in their search for the princes' fate. The ladies were primarily
observers. Neither was a mover in historical events. Their fates were
directed by others. Therefore, a historical novel on either alone
would be rather thin. The retelling of the mystery of the princes in
the tower, while interesting, is not as well done as Weir's
historical non-fiction on the same topic.
I enjoyed the book and would recommend
it for anyone who prefers historical fiction to comparable
non-fiction, but if you want to see Weir at her best, read the
non-fiction works. I've read them all and they are very well done.
I reviewed this book for the Amazon
Vine Program.
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