Summary: Imprisonment. Betrayal. Lost love. Murder. What more must a princess endure? Elizabeth Tudor's teenage and young adult years during the turbulent reigns of Edward and then Mary Tudor are hardly those of a fairy-tale princess. Her mother has been beheaded by Elizabeth's own father, Henry VIII; her jealous half sister, Mary, has her locked away in the Tower of London; and her only love interest betrays her in his own quest for the throne.
Told in the voice of the young Elizabeth and ending when she is crowned queen, this second novel in the exciting series explores the relationship between two sisters who became mortal enemies. Carolyn Meyer has written an intriguing historical tale that reveals the deep-seated rivalry between a determined girl who became one of England's most powerful monarchs and the sister who tried everything to stop her.
About:
Author: Carolyn Meyer
Pages: 214
Year Published: 2001
Review:
Another read about Elizabeth I's early days as a princess. This book was written by the same author who wrote a book I love, Doomed Queen Anne. I was actually quite disappointed by this book; maybe it's just that Elizabeth's early days didn't really interest me all that much.
She wrote this book in a very similar style as that of her book of Anne Boleyn, and yet this novel had a more or less textbook-like feel. It wasn't much of a story, to me, but the parts that did have that 'story' element to it were very enjoyable.
Overall, this was historically accurate to my knowledge. The 'romance' in the summary is a bit over-hyped and there would be little dialogue at some point, but it was an enjoyable enough read that I think young adults would enjoy. It's a pretty fast one, too, an 'introduction' to Elizabeth Tudor, and what lead up to her ascent to the throne.
Rating:
3 stars/5 stars
