Customer Reviews

Innocent

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My primary reading choices for the past two years have been in the romance genre--historical romance in particular--and I picked this book up not because I assumed it was a historical romantic novel, but because I am a fan of well written historical fiction. The romance between Anne and Edward was an added bonus to an already intriguing novel. Most likely because I have a background in the romance genre, I found the sex and the romance not distasteful, in fact finding that it drew a defter hand in concern to the characters and their motivations. And for those who complain that "The Innocent" reads like a "romance" novel, not so, nearly everything that occured in this novel, even down to the detail to the history, is not something commonly found in the historical romance genre if I may be truthful. I recommend this novel to anyone with a love for history, a female protagonist strong for her times, and a warm love story that heightens the tension of the plot. I look forward to reading the second novel.

The great thing about this book is that you smell the smells (and there are plenty of them, not all pleasant), hear the sounds, taste the food (not always so great), and experience the sensations (biting cold, strange clothing, vermin)of a period far removed from our own.
Posie Graeme-Evans is obviously obsessed with the minutiae of the period her heroine inhabits. She loves the houses and the countryside. She loves the stuff of Royalty and greatness. She loves the detail of the food and the sanitary arrangements. But above all she knows how to put it all together and tell a good story. This book rocks along. It's no Georgette Heyer shrinking violet. Here be throughly ripped bodices, here be wham-bam sexual mores, here be bloody intrigue and murder. And here be nailbiting jeopardy aplenty for a heroine with a considerable journey awaiting. I hear there are two more Anne books to come. Bring them on Posie! (What a great name for a writer of this genre!!!)

This is a truly sensational read that will transport the reader into the high drama of Edward 1V's 15th century England as seen through the eyes of Anne, a young, beautiful peasant girl.

Anne survives and flourishes despite powerful political forces who killed her mother. At fifteen, she travels to London and finds work for a wealthy merchant. Word spreads of her remarkable talents with healing and medicines. She is summoned to the palace to attend the fragile young queen. In this lonely and unfamiliar world of the palace the stirringly erotic and powerful journey swings into high gear and Anne finds herself entangled in a passionate love affair with Edward, the king.

The Innocent has it all! Definitely one for the shelves at home. The author's research into the 15th century is authoritative and convincing. This book certianly leaves you craving for the next two books in the series.

I am an avid historical fiction reader, so I knew that I would eventually read this book. Started out a little slow for me, but couldn't put it down after the first 100 or so pages. Characters were a little stereotypical - innocent orphan with a secret past; manipulative/conniving son of a rich merchant; soft-spoken, loving merchant's wife and the typical over-the-top courtiers and royalty. I do not consider myself to be prudish, but the graphic, S&M-type sex scenes in the beginning bordered on porn and I kept wondering why such a graphic approach was so necessary - may be offensive to some readers. Some of the text/words seemed inappropriate for the times (the constant referral to the lovers being "hot" or thinking another person to be "hot" annoyed me). Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book and recommend it. I may even attempt the sequel (it's a trilogy), but can't say that I'm rushing out to locate one.

This is one beautiful novel! Set in Medieval times, fifteenth century England, The Innocent tells the story of young Anne. Having survived an attempted murder when she was newborn, Anne is a peasant girl who works for English aristocrats. Anne is a beautiful young woman who would have had a much more difficult time in her workplace had it not been for her special abilities as a healer. Her gifts take her as far as looking after the queen. And then Anne meets King Edward IV. She moves into the palace to work for the royals -- where an intense, bittersweet affair with the king begins. There are various twists throughout the novel.

I loved the language of this novel. The backdrop of the struggles the royals had in Britain is fascinating and the storytelling is lyrical and beautiful. The story of Anne touched me in many levels. I couldn't keep the book down as she endured all sorts of obstacles and succumbed to her passionate love affair with King Edward IV. The historical references are marvelous and the secondary characters, though in some cases underdeveloped, are compelling. Some readers have complained that this novel reads like a historical romance. There is a romantic subplot centered on Anne and Edward, but there are so many other elements to this novel. You only have to read the synopsis to know that there is some romance in the novel. It is too bad that the aforementioned aspect of literature isn't everyone's cup of tea. I like some romance in literature. Anyway, The Innocent is one of the best reading investments I've made this summer. I recommend this novel most highly and I can't wait to pick up The Exile.

Be aware! Spoilers are marked!

After many years of delving into Tudor history, I've recently been exploring the years during the Wars of the Roses. I find the advent to the Throne of the House of York quite fascinating. These were tumultous years, when indeed a "nobody" whose only claim to the throne came from a tenuous, illegitimate Plantagenet connection, could found a dynasty and become grandsire to one of Britain's greatest monarchs.

Unfortunately, we are all aware that it has recently become the fashion to use this fascinating history as mere backdrop for blazing bodice-rippers which have a closer connection to "Sweet Savage Love" than to anything written by Alison Weir. Without the psychological verisimilitude of SSL, that is.

I can understand a well-written historical novel which chooses to speculate about the lives of characters during that era - creating characters, creating theoretical romances, etc. And while I am not a big fan of the titillating sex scenes, they don't necessarily have to put me off.

Here are some of what I consider the main problems of this book which I can describe without spoilers:

1. The book gives absolutely NO "scaffolding," so to speak, to the so-called "true love" between Edward VI and Anne (the protagonist). Their relationship, for most of the book, consists of a few soulful looks and some breast grabbing. Rather, the content of the book made ME more aware of what a good match Elizabeth Wydville was for Edward. Both were strategists and both had been around the block a few times. How could Edward find a soul-mate in an untried, innocent teenage girl? Edward was, in the words once used to describe a former President of the United States, "a hard dog to keep on the porch." Why would a so-called sensible girl think that, of all the comely young maidens in the land, SHE was the king's truest love?

2. The characters were two dimensional. How disappointing to be able to predict what would happen to whom. And the entire role of the doctor in the book was very confusing. Supposedly he was a bad person who deserved to be punished, but for what? Sure, he pandered a bit to the king. So did they all. And his medicine was more dangerous than helpful. Also typical of the time.

3. The "love scenes"(read "sex scenes")don't read as true. In my eyes, they all seemed to start when he'd grab her and pull her into a bedroom, molest her a bit, then he'd get distracted and she'd escape. Even at the conclusion of the book, when she supposedly has a "reason" to deny Edward, her feelings of loyalty to someone who was a complete stranger to her seem misplaced. And after all this, when she does make her final decisions about what to do with herself and with Edward, her decision is thrown off with a quick and inexplicable phrase.

4. Not only are the characters shallow in and of themselves, but they are anachronistic. They make decisions based upon 21st century reasoning. True 15th century Britons would find this book very perplexing.

5. I personally did not find the "historical" details so well researched. I myself could create a better ambiance set in the 15th century off the top of my head.

If you wish to read an exciting, titillating book in which a young woman finds love at first sight and discovers a secret which gives her the power to challenge kings as their equal, you may enjoy this book. If you think that reading about characters who are "just like you" but live in the past makes good historical fiction, this book is probably for you.

***SPOILERS NOW***
In my opinion, the main premise of this book, which is that a young woman finds "true love" with Edward IV (and this deep understanding of each other comes from a few soulful glances while she serves his wife) but must give up this love because the secret of her birth has been exposed. The secret? That she is the "love-child" of Henry VI and one of his wife's waiting women.

(During this period of the Wars of the Roses, there were two anointed Kings who battled for the throne: Henry VI who lost the throne and Edward IV who was the son of the Duke of York and who won the crown in battle.)

Graeme-Evans reveals this secret to us as a deus ex machina so that Anne will be forced to deny her love with Edward and go into exile. Why must she go into exile, you wonder? After all, not only is she illegitimate and a woman, but even the proof she has as to her identity and birth are flimsy and basically depend upon the word of two women, one lowborn.

Well, according to Graeme-Evans, this dubious ancestry puts her teenage protagonist on a par with Edward IV and any other ruling monarch! As soon as Anne and her cohorts become aware of her birth, an aura of regal bearing envelops this callow girl so that she is endowed with the inborn power to make Dukes cower and a reigning, anointed king to view her as his equal. So much his equal, that in order for him to keep his throne, her existence is a threat which must be diminished one way or another.

Now isn't it funny that a few short years later the children of Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydville are disqualified from ruling because his pre-contract with Eleanor Butler taints them with illegitimacy? It was very common for kings to keep their illegitimate children within the family structure, ennobling them and ensuring their futures; while these children were never seen as serious heirs to the throne.

And the British were very opposed to the idea of a Queen Regnant. They had had some unpleasant experiences with Queen Isabella and Queen Marguerite (Henry VIs wife), thank you very much.

In addition to this, in order to gain the throne, it was basically necessary to raise an army and champion them to victory. NOT skills taught to a young girl raised in a forest by a "wise woman." It's hard enough to think of Anne de Bohun speaking to Edward IV as an equal while looking in his face - but as Joan of Arc? Not likely.

I find the reviews written by people who said that they "learned a great deal about history from reading this book" very sad.

I picked up this book on a recommendation from a fellow book publisher, and I couldn't put it down. Not only is the writing phenomenal (I had to delve into my bedside dictionary on numerous occasions), but the plot positively bursts with secret affairs, court politics, and and vivid descriptions of fifteenth century London.

The story is bold, sexy, and vibrant; one of the best I've read in quite a while.

My only critcism would be that the characters are a bit larger-than-life and therefore difficult to relate to. Many of them seem overly one-dimensional: Elizabeth is superficial and ridiculously high-maintenance, Piers is a horrific cad, and Margaret is always dignified and composed. We never see a variation in their behavior, and the same could almost be said of wholesome Anne and playboy Edward.

I've just begun the sequel, and I'm hoping to see new sides of the characters, and a bit more raw emotion.

Bottom-line: if you enjoy intelligent historical writing and tales of forbidden love, this book is a must!!

In 1450, no place in England can be considered safe as the War of the Roses soaks the country in a bloody conflict. A group of soldiers are attacked in a forest. One of the escorted females Jehanne helps a pregnant woman obtain relative safety. However, the woman dies giving birth to Anne. Out of no where, Deborah appears to escort Jehanne and Anne to a haven. Over the next fifteen years Deborah raises Anne like she is her own daughter within the sanctuary of the forest. The youngster learns about herbs and healing while living a pleasant peasant life.

After a scything, Deborah takes Anne to London where her radiant holy-like smile obtains her a servant's job in the household of Mathew Cutifer. Not long afterward, word spreads through the streets of the city about this extraordinary healer living in the Cutifer household. When her skill saves the life of the queen, King Edward IV moves her into his place as a royal healer. However, Edward and Anne fall in love, but both know nothing beyond clandestine trysts can happen between them because his monarchy remains shaky though the civil war is over and he cannot afford a scandal.

THE INNOCENT is a magnificent medieval love story starring a fabulous protagonist who readers will cherish. The story line has plenty of royal intrigue, but focuses on the star-crossed taboo relationship between the married monarch and the heavenly healer. If this delightful fifteenth century relationship drama is any indication, sub-genre fans have a treat as Posie Graeme-Evans owes two more tales in this trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

This book isn't bad but it's not really good either. It's just a light bit of fluff. Aside from the historical inaccuracies mentioned by a previous reviewer, the main problem is that the book is predicatable and the main character is a "Mary Sue". She's talented, good-hearted, virtuous and irrestible to all men. Note the lack of realistic and interesting flaws. To the reader, she's just dull. But if you just want a quick romance, you could do worse.

Before you start reading, note that there is a sequel to this novel. I read this book not realizing there would be a sequel, and when I came to the end hoping to have all my questions answered and to have some sort of "closure," I was at first dismayed to realize it was merely the beginning. However, it couldn't have ended in a better way (I wont spoil anything) and leaves you hungry to read the next installment. The stage is set for so many possibilities, that its exciting to see where The Exhile will take us....

If you even remotely like historical fiction, you will LOVE this book! Its brilliantly researched, very plausible and true to the times. The character development and story-telling ability is first-rate. The court-intrigue is not overly done as in other novels. Additionally, the author has a wonderful ability to write time-appropriate dialogue.

If you enjoy Philippa Gregory, you'll LOVE Posie Graeme-Evans!