An Anglo-Saxon Queen

There’s a trend that has been en vogue for the last few years and I’m just going to say it, it’s really annoying. What is this trend, you ask yourself? It’s the objectification of women! Yay! Alright, that’s a bit melodramatic, but I’m tired of front covers with beautiful women in gowns.  Every YA, historical fiction, and inspirational fiction book aimed at women features some billowing skirt and a tasseled hairdo. I miss artistic covers instead of overly sexed women. Save it for romance covers.

Where did that come from?! Well, the book Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell features a blonde woman walking towards a gate. Typically, I’d avoid this kind of a book because of the reasons listed above, but it intrigued me (damn marketing). So my quest into 11^th century England began!

Emma is the daughter of the late Duke Richard of Normandy. She is an intelligent, lovely, moral young woman who must wait on her brother, the current Duke’s, leisure as to when and whom to marry. To Emma’s surprise, her brother makes a very fortuitous marriage arrangement between her and the widowed King of England, Ethelred. This marriage will bring Richard money and stature, and Ethelred a union with Normandy and the promise that the Normans will stop allowing Danish, Viking, ships to shelter their boats in Norman harbors. Emma is coroneted and becomes Queen of a land whose people she doesn't know and who mistrust her because of her foreign allegiances. The story unfolds as Emma discovers the hardships of a loveless marriage, gaining and losing power and influence, and caring for her people and her newly inherited lands. But the Danish threat always lingers.

Sometimes historical fiction delves too much into detail and I find myself pushing to get through a book. However, Shadow was a compelling novel. With what little detail there is about Queen Emma and this period in time, Bracewell created a stunning array of characters that catch the attention and a plot worth sinking your teeth into. The major characters all get first person time in the novel, so the reader gets some one on one time with Emma, Ethelred, the King’s son, and Emma’s rival. It can be messy to write in this fashion, but Bracewell made it enjoyable to get in the head of major characters, see their perspectives, motivations, and feelings. It makes it harder to hate the bad ones. Emma is the anchor of this novel. She is a compassionate, strong woman who knows what she must do and takes steps to gain power and influence in her new kingdom. This novel really struck home with how abhorrent the gender roles were in the 11^th century. Women were truly looked at as baby makers and servants. They had to shut up and put up. Although her main role is to have a male heir, Emma wants to be influential. She wants to be a Queen worthy of her crown.

This is, I believe, the first book in what is to be a trilogy. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of the Anglo-Saxon rule prior to the Norma Invasion, outlines some of Emma’s life, but almost nothing about Emma’s marriage to Ethelred is stated in the chronicle, so Bracewell could get creative. I truly enjoyed getting to know an era that has very little written about it in fiction. Although the novel could be dark because of the way people were treated, especially women, the warring, and the mores, it was a compelling read. Emma is an intriguing and admirable Queen, and I look forward to the remaining books in this series. If you are a historical fiction reader, I highly suggest you give this one a gander.

The Plantagenets

Philippa Gregory is known for her historical fiction. Many people know about her because of “The Other Boleyn Girl” a book that became a movie, but she found her nitch in the historical fiction arena, with a focus on English monarchs, more accurately, the women behind the crown.

In The White Queen, Gregory explores the Plantagenet’s, an extended family of English royals and wanna be royals who fought for the crown for years on end, brother against brother and cousin against cousin. In these civil wars known as the War of the Roses, the Lancasters, the red rose, and the Yorks, the white rose, both claimed their family should inherit the throne. Thus begins a war for power.

The White Queen refers to Elizabeth Woodville, a widow who becomes the queen of England by marrying Edward of York. Elizabeth is a descendant of a water goddess, Melusina, and the story weaves this tale throughout it. The magic and Sight that Elizabeth and her mother have are a big part of who they are and their power. It makes for two very independent, for the time, intriguing women. At a time when being called a witch could easily get you killed, Elizabeth, the queen, was proud of her magical lineage and her mother was a proclaimed witch. These are some ballsy women! If you don’t know the myth/legend of Melusina, there are some interesting poems and stories about this mermaid-esque woman who gave up her magic and essence for a mortal man she fell in love with, and this story makes a beautiful juxtaposition with Elizabeth's story.

Elizabeth is a strong woman willing to fight for the man she loves, her family, and her children’s inheritance. Throughout the book you see her grow in ambition and courage, even while she loses and is shamed.

Plots, murder, and war are central to the story. The reader gets a sense of the unease and rockiness of the time period when family cannot be trusted and even in times of peace and harmony, someone is plotting to overthrow the king.

Gregory is a historian. She does her research and weaves as much of the “reality” of the situations in with her own style. Seeing as these events took place over 600 years ago, the records are a bit hazy and there isn’t much information. Gregory admits that she fictionalized a lot of it, but based many of the plots, overthrows, and speculations off of popular theory and what records indicate.

I dove into this book with gusto. The storytelling is beautifully done and engaging. Gregory writes healthy sized books (400 pages), which can be intimidating to me, but I enjoyed reading about the drama and plots. However, I found that around page 300, I started slacking a bit. The plotting, overthrow, and instability during this period becamet overwhelming. Why can’t we all just be friends!? The ending left the book open for sequels, and guess what, there are currently four books in what has come to be called, "The Cousins’ War" series. I look forward to reading the next book, The Red Queen, but think I’ll give myself some time in between.

If you are into historical fiction, you should certainly check out Philippa Gregory. She has made a name for herself with this genre and for good reason.