Customer Reviews

The Lady of the Rivers: A Novel (War of the Roses)

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This is the third novel in Philippa's series The Cousins' War, but chronologically (so far anyway) sets the scene and characters for the whole series. What I enjoy the most about her books is their authenticity...her characters do not use 21st century slang or mannerisms, a feature which makes me cringe with some historical novels.Philippa has clearly researched her topic and does not hide or water down how conditions were in those days...fleas, disease, death, women used as pawns in their families with no rights...it may offend our present day values but is true and honest. I highly recommend this book and all her writing...

From a young age, Jacquetta of Luxembourg has known things that other people don't. The ability to foresee future events is a gift she doesn't understand, even though it's an integral part of her family history. The women who came before her, descended from the river goddess Melusina, have been the keepers of the secret of their second sight for generations. Unfortunately, psychic awareness is a dangerous possession at a time when accusations of witchcraft, punished by painful, fiery deaths, abound.

When the book begins in France in 1430, Jacquetta is in the company of the captured girl leader, Joan of Arc. While Jacquetta develops a fondness for Joan, their friendship doesn't last long. In spite of Jacquetta's hopes for Joan's freedom, Joan is burned at the stake, an event that she is forced to witness.

As a notoriously beautiful young woman, it isn't long until Jacquetta captures the eye of the Duke of Bedford, one of the most powerful men in England. At 17, she becomes his bride and leaves France to begin a new life in England as part of the royal court of King Henry VI, where intrigue and treachery run rampant. While most men would have chosen Jacquetta to satisfy their baser desires, the Duke has loftier intentions. He encourages her occult skills and urges her to reveal his future military fate. Unfortunately, Jacquetta has not come into her own yet and is unable to help the Duke in the way that he desires, no matter how much he insists.

While remaining faithful to the Duke, Jacquetta cannot deny the feelings in her heart that tell her that Richard Woodville, her husband's squire and trusted companion, is the man for her. When her husband dies only two years into their marriage, Jacquetta is heartbroken at the thought of losing Richard when he plans to accept another post.

Not one to deny her feelings, Jacquetta finds a way to stay with Richard, and the two are surreptitiously married without the approval of King Henry VI. Ordered to pay a staggeringly substantial fine as a result of their disobedience, the two eventually regain the good graces of the King and return to a life at court. Unfortunately, their very closeness to royalty will ultimately lead to their downfall.

Set during the reign of the House of Lancaster and the times of the Wars of the Roses, THE LADY OF THE RIVERS is a fascinating novel that reflects King Henry VI's reign as though author Philippa Gregory were there herself to experience it firsthand. As you turn the pages of this lengthy book, I defy you to see that your heart remains untouched by the true love match of Richard, eventually to become the first Earl Rivers, and Jacquetta. In spite of your best efforts, it can't be done.

Reviewed by Amie Taylor

This review is based on an advanced digital copy. There is always the chance the red pencil guy was allowed to go in and fix things prior to final publication...

Nah.

**This review may be considered slightly spoilerish so enter at your own risk**

Lady of the Rivers is the third book in Gregory's Cousins' War series, and focuses on Jacquetta of Luxembourg. While staying in France with her uncle, Jacquetta *meets* imprisoned Joan of Arc and the two share some BFF time together with the tarot cards and the wheel of fortune. After Joan meets her unhappy end, the beauteous Jacquetta catches the eye of the powerful Duke of Bedford, uncle to young king Henry VI. Jacquetta's worries about being ravished by her older husband come to naught as he's more interested in using Jacquetta's virginal qualities to aid his experiments - experiments that have something to do with alchemy, the philosopher's stone and the unicorn. If you are scratching your head over this, rest assured I was doing the same thing. I didn't understand it then and I don't understand it now.

Her older husband eventually dies and Jacquetta waits for the King's councillors to choose another husband after her year of mourning. John's squire Richard Woodville has other ideas, and Jacquetta is willing to risk the king's wrath for the sake of true love. The marriage is a fruitful one and Jacquetta spends lots of time in the country producing one baby after another (yawn). The wheel of fortune spins again when the king marries Margaret of Anjou and Jacquetta is summoned to serve the new Queen, but that marriage isn't exactly smooth sailing, and one thing leads to another until a little dispute erupts between the houses of Lancaster and York.

That's about as much plot summary you'll get from me, I'd rather discuss the reading experience, starting with the repetitive text. The Melusine count exceeded twenty, and that's not counting the water/river/fishy woman references or the tally would be much higher. There are times when nothing much happens in Jacquetta and Richard's lives (making babies, cooling heels in Calais for a year waiting for the king to do something), and it would have served the story better just to fast forward a few years with a brief mention rather than more tedious detail on what isn't happening.

I don't understand the great need to repeat same words three times in a single sentence, over and over and over again (can't quote examples from the ARC, sorry). Then there are the mind-numbing reminders to the reader of who is who via the *as you know, Bob* method. Any time Jacquetta mentions her first husband in a conversation he is always my Lord John, Duke of Bedford. Margaret will mention her uncle in a conversation with an intimate friend as my uncle, the king of France (I think everyone at court would know that she was niece to the king of France). And Richard of York, reviled by all the Lancastrians is always always always (see, I can do things in threes) Richard Duke of York. Every time. I got it the first time, and did not need to be clubbed over the head with it over and over and over again.

The characters were all rather *meh*, neither good nor bad, just incredibly uninteresting. Instead of filling us in on the politics and intrigues of the court that caused these wars, we get endless exposition on the court on progress, as well as how Edmund Beaufort Duke of Somerset dotes on Margaret of Anjou, bringing her all those sweet little presents. All in all, a very disappointing read and not one I'd recommend for those wanting more background and insight into the Wars of the Roses - there are much better choices out there with Penman's fabulous Sunne in Splendor still being the gold standard. Library only, then buy it if you love it. Two stars.

*Thanks to you know who for coining the as you know Bob phrase and letting me use it :)

First off, isn't that a glorious cover?
I did not have the good fortune to read Ms. Gregory's The White Queen and The Red Queen which told the stories of Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort the two queens involved in "The Cousins' War" or The War of the Roses as it came down in history. The Lady of the Rivers is about Elizabeth Woodville's mother, Jacquetta.

Jacquetta is a woman almost lost to history in spite of her being Henry VII's grandmother and Margaret Beaufort's devoted friend and ally. I am not going to go into her history here as the book synopsis explains it quite adequately. I will tell you that what traces of Jacquetta that could be found in the historical record are woven into a fascinating tale of young woman with a knowledge of healing and a mystical family history living in a dangerous time.

Witchcraft was feared by rich and poor alike in this period of time and the hysteria that led to burning so many innocent women at the stake is only a few years away. Jacquetta has a gift with herbs and healing and she is very prescient so some think her a witch. Her supposed descent from the water goddess Melusina is well known and at times cause for suspicion.

I was enchanted by this story and found Jacquetta to be a fascinating woman. In other books from this time period she has been represented as a bit of a shrew so it was nice to see her as a fully fleshed out character. Ms. Gregory is, as always, a delight to read. She has divined a life for this woman out of very little written record and a good life it is. As always, I will look forward to her next book.

Jacquetta, Elizabeth Woodville's mother from The White Queen, has most definitely lived a captivating life. Readers follow Jacquetta through her first loveless marriage to the Duke of Bedford, who simply wanted her for her "magical" abilities. After he died, he left her as a young widow with a great fortune. Jacquetta decided to do something unconventional and marry for love as she has always had her heart set on the Duke's squire, Richard Woodville. After they marry, Richard serves the King and in turn, Jacquetta becomes a good friend to the Queen and becomes one of her biggest supporters. Jacquetta's life is filled with much love, a little bit of magic and a whole lot of suspense, which Philippa Gregory captures brilliantly in The Lady of the Rivers.

I adored The White Queen and I'd have to say The Lady of the Rivers is just as enthralling. Jacquetta's second sight, her links to the goddess Melusina, her romance with Richard Woodville and her bravery is reminiscent of a fairy tale. It's crazy to think that the character of Jacquetta is actually real! Her marriage to Richard was swoon-worthy and extremely romantic. They ended up having over twelve children (I lost track!) which is an incredible feat, especially since Richard spent a lot of time away at war.

The Lady of the Rivers inspired me to revisit The White Queen as this novel ends where The White Queen starts. In fact, I almost wish that Gregory would have published The Lady of the Rivers first. Nevertheless, I am excited to perhaps re-read The White Queen now that I have the dramatic backstory and to read her non-fiction book called The Women of the Cousins' War for an accurate account of the Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother. Thankfully this book comes out next week and I very much look forward to learning more about their true lives.

I thought the Tudor court was deranged, but it's much more crazy dealing with Henry VI. I couldn't believe some of the events that transpired while he was "ruling." It was almost unbelievable and it seemed Margaret of Anjou had a mess to clean up almost daily and always involved Jacquetta, which was a good thing as she was the voice of reason. My heart went out to Jacquetta, because she felt like she had to be loyal to Margaret, but at the same time, she was worried about her family's safety.

Gregory is one of my favorite authors--hands down. She brings to life moments in history better than any other author that I've encountered. The Lady of the Rivers is the perfect mixture of history, romance, action, and intrigue. I am rarely disappointed by her novels and with this one, she has hit another home-run.

I hear that there will be two more books in The Cousins' War series with the fourth being The White Princess. At the end of the advance copy of The Lady of the Rivers, Gregory said that she is working on a book dealing with the Earl of Warwick's daughters which I believe is going to be called The Kingmaker's Daughters. All I know is I'll read anything Gregory writes. Her books always leave me in awe.

Philippa Gregory discovered when writing about Elizabeth Woodville (The White Queen) that her mother's story was little known and just as interesting. She has become the premier historical fiction writer and my favorite because she backs up her novels with meticulous and lengthy research, so much so that she has co-authored a non-fiction book on the subject. (The Women of the Cousins' War).
Jacquetta's story starts out in France where the young girl meets Joan of Arc soon before her death. She discovers that she has inherited some of her ancestor Melusina's power of sight. Because of this power and her virginity, the Duke of Bedford, 2nd in power to the King of England, choses her for his bride when his wife passes away. The older man is pbsessed with alchemy and believes that Jacquetta's gift and purity are necessary to the work. He is kind to Jacquetta and she mourns his loss when he dies. Also mourning his loss is his handsome squire, Richard Woodville. The two become lovers and secretly marry. It is thought that the young Duchess marries beneath her but she is content to live in his country home and bear his many children. Unfortunately, the young king and his bride, rely heavily on the Woodvilles during the dangerous political machinations and constant battles that mark that era of English history.

I couldn't stop reading this book and picked it up every chance I could get until I finished it. It's a bit long, but worth it. In fact, when the story ended I had hoped to read more. That's good writing. Now I want to read the next book, but I do have the non-fiction book, The Women of the Cousin's War, so I think I'll indulge in that a bit while waiting. There is just something about Gregory's writing that draws me every time. It feels so real that I forget I'm reading. She brings her characters to life.

The Lady of the Rivers was full of action, very interesting, incredibly romantic, and kept my interest throughout. The author showed the horrors of war, and the sometimes agonizing service of noblemen for a troubled royal family and their kingdom very well. Sometimes with historical fiction it feels like the author is informing the reader about history, but with Gregory's characters, she brings history to life.

I loved that Gregory showed the whole witchcraft thing not as something Jacquetta embraced, but avoided whenever possible. In fact, Jacquetta didn't want to have anything to do with it, but she had this gift as a descendant of Melusina. She had a gift that often foretold sad and tragic things. I was impressed that she resisted as much as she did considering it seemed like many times her foretelling came to pass, so most people would want to know more. But she was a loyal and faithful wife and mother who wanted the best for her family. That didn't include jeopardizing their well-being over some things that could brand her as a witch. And the way people were in those days, she was smart to tread very carefully around the subject.

I had to admire her and her husband's loyalty for so long to a queen bent on vengeance. How sad that so many people died for one woman's need for revenge. I thought it was cool how this story tied in a bit with The Red Queen, which I read a few years ago. I recalled some of the battles and the shifting loyalties from that title. This story began with Jacquetta getting to know Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake and another woman who was intelligent and trying to educate herself, but misunderstood. Jacquetta was a smart and resourceful woman (and VERY fertile) and she was a real asset to the Lancaster throne.

I found the subplot with the queen and the Duke of Somerset quite enthralling. When the king fell ill after being shocked by what he saw, I became wrapped up in the intrigue. Would he wake, and when he did, what would happen? Did Jacquetta's intervention cause his sleep. She was so worried that she had somehow caused it. I understood the queen's loneliness as well as Jacquetta's before Richard won her heart and they married. The author did a great job with creating empathy for the characters.

The best part of the book was probably the love story between Richard and his wife, Jacquetta, who married for love, but at a great risk. I enjoyed the parts of the story where she looked for him after different battles and how she waiting fitfully for his safe return. When they ran to meet each other each time it was sigh-worthy. There were good marriages even in the middle ages. The fact that they had fourteen children was proof of that. I could go on and on about this book, but bottom line is the story was so compelling and interesting that it's making my best fiction list for 2011 because it made me think and feel a connection to the characters that I won't soon forget.

The Lady of Rivers by Philippa Gregory

The Lady of Rivers is a well researched adventure foray into the annals of English history. Gregory is a master historian and her telling of court intrigues and betrayals make history come out of hiding and dance. While I much prefer French history and Robert Darnton's writing style I still enjoyed The Lady of Rivers from the riveting opening scenes of the chained Joan of Arc (in 1430 castle in France) to the compelling narrative that follows. I was a captive for 435 pages through uprisings, witchcraft, wars, and rebellions of that tumultuous House of Lancaster period.

It's easy to see why Jacquetta and her courage (the woman had 14 children, after all!) interested the author enough to fall under her spell and many readers will be glad she did.

In 1430 near Arras, France, in front of her great-niece fourteen year old Lady Jacquetta, Lady Jehanne asks her prisoner Joan to accept parole by reneging her vows from God and remaining at Lord Luxembourg's Castle of Beaurevoir. Though weary that she erred in crowning the king, Joan, still a country peasant at heart refuses. Jacquetta witnesses the execution of Joan declared a witch by the Duke of Bedford.

In 1433 Jacquetta has no say as she is forced to marry recently widowed John, the English Duke Bedford Regent of France. He plans to use her powers to further his ambitions but dies before he can achieve his objective. Still a teen, Jacquetta is now a wealthy widow. The king and her family choose her next spouse, but Jacquetta refuses to obey. Instead she weds Richard Woodville. They have a happy marriage with many children as he serves King Henry VI at the royal court and she serves as the queen's loyal confident while anticipating after Henry the Lancaster dynasty will die too.

The third Cousins' War historical thriller (see The Red Queen and The White Queen) is another interesting look at a strong woman who must conceal her fortitude in order to navigate the treacherous male waters. Lady Jacquetta is a fascinating protagonist as she learns from the execution of Joan and the marriage of the king's mother to a Tudor that being strong but smart is an asset even in a male only world. Genre fans will appreciate Philippa Gregory's entertaining medieval biographical fiction of an intelligent courageous woman who not only survives the War of the Roses; she observes her grandson become King of England.

Harriet Klausner

While Gregory writes with consistent quality, her novel of Jacquetta, mother of Elizabeth Woodville and confidant of Margaret of Anjou, queen of the unfortunate "Fisher King", Henry VI, fails to ignite as quickly as some of her previous historical novels on powerful women, if for no other reason than the fact that Jacquetta is not a major player on the evolving political stage circa 1430. However, given the turmoil of The Cousin's War, the looming ascendancy of the Yorkist kings and the future glory days of England under Henry VIII, Jacquetta, descendant of the fabled Melusine, is critical to the unfolding drama. Married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, purely for her potential use in his alchemic experiments, Jacquetta finds her true match in Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, loyal to the Lancastrian Henry VI and his queen, Margaret of Anjou.

While the king slides into the arms of Morpheus after an emotional shock (perhaps with Jacquetta's encouragement), Margaret pursues the warlike Lancastrian cause, wreaking havoc in the country, her actions inspiring growing support for the York's. For Margaret would be de facto king, Jacquetta a witness to the carnage of Englishman against Englishman that only ends with the joining of the daughter of Elizabeth Woodville to Henry Tudor as the circle of fate closes. Mother of a bevy of children, most notably Anthony Rivers, Jacquetta is a pivotal Lancastrian figure and gives texture to that side of the conflict and the women behind the men who battle for the throne. During her lifetime, England forfeits its domination of France through the ineptitude of its leaders, the throne controlled by a Lancastrian cult that excludes the voices of the York's from governance as a French-born queen takes revenge on her subjects, addressing wrongs with unabated fury.

Gregory paints Jacquetta as a gifted "seer" without exploiting the traits that will later earn her accusations of witchcraft when Elizabeth Woodville marries the handsome Yorkist King Edward. Her influence in court is substantive, Jacquetta perhaps Margaret's only remaining friend in defeat. This descendant of Melusina, the river goddess, fertile wife, confidant to a queen and mother to another, takes shape in this sympathetic rendering, adding yet more color to Gregory's series on powerful women near the English throne at a defining time, a history writ large by men born of women whose stories rival theirs in passion, ambition, loyalty and tenacity. Luan Gaines/2011.