Customer Reviews

Reluctant Queen

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I bought this book with a gift certificate, and unfortunately, it didn't give me much bang for my birthday buck. About two-thirds of the novel, which ends with Mary's marriage to Charles Brandon, is concerned with Mary's life at her brother Henry VIII's court before she marries the French king, and although there are a few nice scenes between Mary and her brother, the main focus--the developing love affair between Mary and Charles Brandon--just isn't that interesting. It's the usual story--the lovers get jealous of each other's admirers, have a tiff or two, realize their love, declare their love, and then are separated by mean Harry. Once Mary becomes Queen of France, the book doesn't improve much, though I had a glimpse of hope when a bratty little Anne Boleyn appeared on the scene. Unfortunately, her appearance was only a cameo one, as was Jane Seymour's. Even the lecherous Francis doesn't liven up the novel as much as he should. Charles Brandon must have been quite the charmer, but it doesn't come through here, I'm afraid. He and Mary are personable and attractive, but not much more than that, and as a result the book just never lit up for me.

I've read two other books by Haycraft, King's Daughters, about the daughters of Edward I and especially his daughter Elizabeth, and The Lady Royal, about Isabella, daughter of Edward III, and found them to be more entertaining than this one. Perhaps the difference lies in that these books dealt with relatively obscure people, and thus weren't retreading familiar ground, whereas Mary and Brandon's story has been told many times, requiring anyone who writes about them yet again to display more pizazz than was exhibited here.

All in all, a pleasant enough love story, but not something I'd recommend except for lovers of all things Tudor.

Molly Costain Haycraft is the daughter of Thomas Costain, the novelist who wrote The Silver Chalice and The Black Rose (made into a fairly dreadful movie starring Ronald Reagan).

I read this book ages ago because it told my favorite love story in English history-- the romance of Mary Tudor, sister of Henry VIII, and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Charles Brandon was Henry's close friend and his emotional relationship with Henry's youngest sister began while they were both at Court between her 14th and 19th years.

A pawn in her brother's dynastic efforts, she was married at the age of 19 to the king of France, Louis XII, who was then in his 50's. He did not long survive the marriage though. Mary was forced into seclusion in order to determine if she was pregnant by the deceased king, her English waiting women were dismissed and she began to fear for her future.

Henry sent his old friend to France to bargain for the return of Mary and her jewels, plate, etc. With this, the situation becomes even more convoluted, because it would be in the French interest to have their Dowager Queen married to an Englishman and not one of the Hapburg Princes.

While Charles Brandon is not a wholly admirable man, he was certainly an interesting one and the story of his relationship with Mary Tudor makes for some lively reading. Mary was just as determined to have her own way in love as Henry VIII, and was more successful in getting it.

I read this book several years ago. It is extremely interesting and informative. It takes a little time to get rolling, but when it does, it details love, destruction, and war, it is a royal soap opera. It is worth the effort to get through the beginning to get to the heart of the book.

I have started to love historical fiction, and this was one of the first books that got me into it.
Mary Tudor, sister of the new king Henry VIII (was it that?), has fallen in love with Charles Brandon, a knight's son, later to become Duke of Suffolk by the king. Her brother, against the relationship of his sister and him, has fixed a marriage with a "man" considerably younger than her (okay okay...about 4 yrs younger than her...) but when problems arise, she is then bound to marry Louis XII (was that it????). But, Mary Tudor is much more stubborn and strong willed then that. What will she do to let her brother be w/ her beloved? You have so got to read the book. It's worth it. (the only reason i didn't rate this 5 stars is because i hve this crazy notion that no book can be 5 stars...)