This series has six books that cover the War of the Roses in England, from the perspective of six different women involved over a period of about 75 years. You see three different generations of women coming of age in various stations of life, but all circled around the great throne of England. The War of the Roses was a 30 year civil war of sorts between the Lancaster and the Yorks - two houses that descended from Edward III. Both the York and the Lancaster families felt truly that they had a right to the throne, and the Tutor family felt their claim was divine.
Philippa Gregory is a decent writer and an actual historian. She has taken her background in history and spun some fabulous tales about what could have happened given what we actually know. She refers to real places and times and battles and characters, but fills in the details with fiction making it a fabulous read without being pure brain candy.
Unlike The White Queen TV series, on which is based on the books, the novels are not overly sexual but they are romantic in nature. There is love, there is lust, there is heart break and deception, but it isn't dirty and over-the-topic graphic. The TV show is very sexually graphic so be forewarned!
I love the interplay between the books as they refer to many of the same events, but from a completely different perspective. A character that is minor or even incidental in one book may be main character in another book. Information and situations that are hinted at in one book are given full attention in another. Reading the books from the perspective of various characters one can see how really difficult this time was for the whole of England. I recommend reading them in order published as listed below. You can click on the titles directly and it will take you to Amazon.
Maybe it is because I was just in England, maybe it is because I am a romantic at heart, maybe it is because I love reading a good story and learning about real stuff at the same time... for whatever reason I have really enjoyed these books and I hope you will too!
Happy reading and thanks for stopping by!
