The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory
(Reader's Digest edition)
Charity: Charity fighting heart and circulatory disease. The BHF funds research, education and life-saving equipment and helps heart patients
Price: £1 (actually I suppose 25p, as I got 4 books in 1)
Blurb: Set amid the turmoil and scandal of the Tudor court, this powerful historical drama tells the story of Hannah Green, a young Jewish girl with the gift of second sight. // In Tudor England it is a crime to follow the Jewish religion, and from an early age Hannah Green has learned to hide her faith. She also has the troubled gift of second sight. Both things make her vulnerable to accusations of heresy and witchcraft. In the treacherous world of the Tudor court, Hannah desperately needs to find a protector.
Expected: A very weird novel, I was expecting northern-lights esq. A girl forever running, facing danger at every turn.
Reality: An incredibly far-fetched story in an historical setting. The second sight aspect is marginal so the story feels rooted in the real world. Hannah gets into incredible positions of power despite being a very not secret spy. There are very few times where her life is in danger and she manages life quite successfully without a protector. Basically the blurb is misleading.
Main Character(s): Hannah is a very naive, lucky girl. She is very much blinded by love, and that is her motivation for much of her actions. That said, she is a girl of principles and turns down an offer to bed this man as she is betrothed. She is not willing to accept her society's expectation of a woman's role, and is at her lowest when under the control of her mother-in-law. Hannah is incredibly loyal and sees the good in all those she serves despite them being enemies and responsible for the deaths of many.
Overall Rating
It was a struggle 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Gripping page
to make it turner
It liked this book, so much so one of the books coming up is another of Phillipa Gregory's concoctions. It loses some points due to its far-fetchedness and Hannah's infuriating blindness to the flaws of those around her.
Twist Scale:
Knew the beginning, As twisty as the
middle and end 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 bendy wendy road
from the first line
Set in the turmoil of Tudor times, so lots of twists. However not entirely unexpected as Hannah is able to tell the future!
Set in the turmoil of Tudor times, so lots of twists. However not entirely unexpected as Hannah is able to tell the future!
Tear-jerker Scale:
As dry as a house 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Cried an ocean
throughout
No one meaningful to Hannah dies (I think) and the sad events happen in chaos so no time for tears.
Moral of the Story: Be nice
No one meaningful to Hannah dies (I think) and the sad events happen in chaos so no time for tears.
Moral of the Story: Be nice
***
Coming up: The last of this series of 4
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