The Kingmaker's Daughter is the story of Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick (named the Kingmaker) who successfully survived a forced marriage and subsequent widowhood, then navigated the deadly politics of the time; which included changing allegiances and the execution of her father.
Anne Neville became Queen of England in 1483, but even knowing the historical outcome in advance didn't stop me from being gripped by her journey to the throne as told by the author.
The Kingmaker's Daughter is the fourth book in the Cousins' War series, however it can easily be read out of sequence and as a stand alone novel.
In a period where parents named their children after their fathers or the king, many of the characters share the same name. But don't panic, Gregory always manages to keep the characters separate in the reader's minds. This is a difficult feat and not one easily achieved by other historical fiction authors I've read; and I've read quite a few!
If you have even the slightest interest in the history of the period (mid to late 1400s England) then you are in the safest of hands with Philippa Gregory. She has a natural gift for making any period in history relatable and easy to follow despite the complexities of the times. Whenever I pick up one of her novels I'm thoroughly transported, entertained and educated without even realising it.
The Kingmaker's Daughter is outstanding, I loved loved loved it!
My rating = *****
Carpe Librum!
My rating = *****
Carpe Librum!
(The only reason this won't feature in my top 5 books of 2016 list is because I've already included a Philippa Gregory novel in the list).
