The Stats
📖 BOOK REVIEW⠀📚
BOOK: Princess of Thorns
AUTHOR: Saga Hillbom @writing_history_
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: March 1st, 2021
The Review
✨ The Title/Cover Draw:
- This is a lovely cover, drawing up images of Princess Bride. I immediately made the connection between the title and the subject matter of British royal succession.
💜 What I liked:
- This book isn’t just based on historical events. It’s saturated in them. It jumps into the context of the War of the Roses, often times speaking as if the reader knew about the times and styles. It doesn’t talk down to the reader, and often includes tiny details that, should you look them up, will lead you down a rabbit hole of discovery. For example, bits of fashion, diseases, arranged marriages, and the skirmishes that form the backdrop of the plot. If you want to have a solid understanding of events and the life of nobles during the tumultuous war for British succession, this book belongs in your hands.
😱 What I didn’t like:
- In the early parts of the story, our viewpoint character of Cecily is mostly narrating events, with a large amount of time skipped as she moves from Edward IV’s death to the actual action between Elizabeth and Richard. I had a hard time with this portion, as I would have liked more time to get to know the large cast of characters before time-skips and voice-overs begin. This early portion reads more like a history book with occasional interjections than a story told first-hand.
💁♀️ The Characters:
- Hey, it’s a princess, and she’s neither a mewling, demure flower or a rebellious firebrand. Cecily has a reserve of strength to her that allows her to endure the hardships around her without defaulting to either of the two tropes. As far as the other characters go, however, they are numerous. I had a bit of trouble telling any of them apart.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
📘 Summary:
1483, Westminster. The bells toll for the dead king, Edward IV, while his rivaling nobles grasp for power. His daughter Cecily can only watch as England is plunged into chaos, torn between her loyalties to her headstrong mother, Elizabeth Woodville, and her favourite uncle, Richard of Gloucester. When Elizabeth schemes to secure her own son on the throne that Richard lays claim to, Cecily and her siblings become pawns in a perilous game.
The Yorkist dynasty that Cecily holds so dear soon faces another threat: the last Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor. Meanwhile, Cecily battles with envy towards her older sister, who is betrothed to Tudor.
The White Rose of York has turned its thorns inwards, and royal blood proves fatal…
Princess of Thorns is a sweeping tale of loyalty and treason, ambition and family bonds.
Saga Hillbom is the author of four historical novels. Her other work include A Generation of Poppies (2018), Today Dauphine Tomorrow Nothing (2019), and City of Bronze City of Silver (2020).