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The King's Mistress

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"When had I a choice to be other than I was?"

This quote foreshadows the constant barrage of wangst in store for you when reading The King's Mistress by Emma Campion. This is a historical fiction of the life of Alice Perrers, who's regarded as one of the more infamous ladies ever to keep royal company. She was the longtime companion of Edward III, whose rule was once considered glorious but was later encompassed in fiscal and political scandal. The above statement is inserted at the start of each section of the book, reminding you how poor Alice was ever a victim of powers beyond her reckoning. Might as well have been Gwen Stefani singing, "I'm just a girl... in the world..." It would have been interesting to see her as she's been portrayed: a woman surviving by her wiles in the shark-infested waters of the royal court, instead of as a helpless leaf blown in the storm winds.

Our heroine was born Alice Salisbury, simply the bestest daughter ever. She's pious, humble, loves her father, honors her mother, cherishes her family, rescues kittens, feeds the homeless, cures the sick, negotiates peace treaties (lol)... and blossoms into such a flower that of course, her own mother is utterly jealous of her. This thing wasn't written in ink, it was High Fructose Corn Syrup.

This fairy tale is delivered in four purple-tinted segments: Part I/An Innocent Encounters The World- Where Alice comes of age and her father arranges a marriage for her to a widowed merchant, Janyn Perrers, whom its discovered has complicated ties to the scandalized Queen Mother Isabella, who helped overthrow her husband the king and set her son, Richard III, upon the throne. The Perrers family fortunes are intricately bound to the royals, but with privilege comes peril, so much so that Janyn ensures her safety by placing her in the Queen's service. What choice does she have? Her husband wills it!

Part II/The Queen's Handmaid- Alice becomes established in Queen Philippa's retinue and comes to be noticed by Edward III, king of England. As Philippa's health declines, the queen is driven to seek an amiable companion for her husband, someone she can trust... What choice does she have? The King & Queen desire it!

Part III/The King's Mistress- Alice and Edward form a deep, abiding relationship, and she even bears him children and he bestows lavish gifts of land, jewels and whatnot upon her. What choice does she have- the king made her take them! Yet the more she becomes a fixture in Edward's life, the more she is targeted by the differing factions at court. What choice does she have? She's but a commoner at court!

Part IV/Phoenix- In the wake of the king's passing, the nation is left in some difficulty from Edward's excesses and a scapegoat is needed. What choice does she have? She's but a woman alone who's blamed for leading their beloved king astray, taking the realm down with him! Yet Alice manages to rise somewhat from the ashes of her ruination.


There are two overwhelming problems with this story. One, the character of Alice is an uber MarySue- an embodiment of author's wish fulfillment whom every man must possess and every woman either admires or despises, and of course any characters that dislike this person are obviously up to no good. Alice is so much this she could almost be her own trope. The author has clearly fallen prey to what seems to be a trend in historical fiction- falling completely in love with the character and somehow trying to redeem them through fantasy instead of simply telling their story. Alice is so overflowing with compassion that at the end of the book she can even forgive everyone who's ever wronged her. Campion even goes so far as to give Alice a new life with another man while admitting to having no evidence that they ever did anything more than conduct business together- can't have a fairy tale without a happy ending, right?

Two, nothing much happens. For a person so embroiled in political scandal and panned by history Alice is spectacularly uninvolved in events; Campion always keeps Alice on the periphery, supplying the true love and support her man needs until she's swept along by the tides of fate simply because she's there. Beginning with her own arranged marriage to Janyn, we're given exposition-delivered intrigues filtered through Alice's limited perspective, all making for very dull reading. For someone constantly in the eye of the storm, she's often caught unawares despite constantly being warned about what's happening (But what choice does she have? She is unused to such manipulations, even after living at the palace for almost twenty years!). Yet with every step you're expected to cry with her pain and laugh with her joy, except you won't. You'll just want it to be over with. Despite a few insights into the social mores of the times, I suggest you don't even start.

Emma Campion states that she wrote this book to satisfy her curiosity about Alice Perrers who is painted in history as "an impudent harlot of low birth" who through manipulation finds her way into being the Mistress of King Edward III. But Campion states that she wanted to give Alice Perrers a voice in stating what really happened.

I was transfixed by the story from the opening line, "When had I a choice to be other than I was?" That line alone caught my attention. It made me want to delve into the book and find out whether or not Alice Perrers did have choices in her life, or was she the `victim' of chance.

Through the superb writing of Campion the life of Alice Perrers and the court of King Edward the III and Queen Philippa comes alive. You as the reader are drawn into the story through well written dialogue and word pictures that help you feel the pain, grief, agony and joy of each individual through the twists and turns of their lives.

Alice finds herself as a wife, mother, widow, confidante to the Queen and eventually the Mistress to King Edward III. But unlike what you expect of a mistress who shares the bed of the King and nothing else, Alice finds herself becoming the full-time companion to the King and someone that he comes to rely upon for her expertise in business affairs.

The story is written in the time frame of 1350 to 1380. During this time England experiences a season of "the plauge" and many people succumb to the deadly disease. The King's court is not immune to this illness nor is Alice's family of origin. All experience the heartbreak of death, some more than others.

What impressed me through this novel was the fact that I came to see Alice Perrers in a very good light. She impressed me as someone who fell in love easily, but never waivered from that love. She was loyal to those she loved. She was faithful through the good times and the bad.

I think I found myself as Campion did, if Alice Perrers was such a bad person (according to some historians), i.e. just an opportunist, then why did she stay with King Edward until the end when she could have formed any number of other unions that would have benefited her.

I wish all of history was written in such an intriguing fashion. It would certainly make learning about past times much more enjoyable.

Thank you Emma Campion for your research and excellent writing skills and bringing such a wonderful story to life.

Enjoy reading this great novel!

The book jacket suggests Campion seeks to put a more human face on the reviled commoner, Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III and lady-in-waiting to Philippa of Hainault. Although the author makes a valiant attempt to flesh out a figure spoken of with disdain in nearly every historical account, I found it difficult to empathize with this protagonist and her endless rationalizations for behavior that led to court gossip. As the wife of wealthy merchant, Janyn Perrers, Alice is content until she learns that her husband's family has entered into an agreement with Edward's mother, Isabella, the dowager queen. It is the unfolding of this mystery that propels the novel, the threads of Janyn's family promise binding Alice to the royal family for protection after her husband's mysterious disappearance.

A woman of great appetite and beauty, it is not surprising that Alice becomes Edward's mistress, even with the tacit permission of an ailing Philippa. While it is unusual that a commoner should enjoy such elevated status, rather than a lady of royal blood, Campion's Perrers seemingly has only the best interests of her children at heart when accepting the king's lavish gifts. Court life is never easy for the fairer sex, their lands and titles ripe for plunder by ambitious noblemen and Perrers is no exception. Protected by Edward while he is alive, the raptors close in to get their revenge on the woman who has risen above her status and served as the right hand of the king after the death of the queen. Alice is suddenly vulnerable, made to wed William Wyndsor after the king's death, a most unhappy and strife-riddled union.

While Campion adds emotional texture to Perrers' tale and turn the memory of a courtesan into a lady of elegance and grace, there is no way to ascertain the truth of the matter. Did Perrers bear Edward three children? Yes. Did she wear the dead queen's jewels in public, outraging the crowds and inciting her detractors? Yes. Did she seek to secure property for her daughters by Edward? Most certainly. Alice's commoner status brought her grief a more royal concubine might have averted through well-placed friends in the court. Unfortunately, I found this novel one of the most tedious historical fictions I have read of late, from Alice's confusion at the loss of her beloved husband to her stunning naiveté in Edward's court, not to mention the endless scenes of lovemaking with the decrepit king and her willingness to hide his increasing frailty from the public. No doubt Perrers resorted to what any woman might to insure her protection after the king's death, used cruelly by his royal offspring and the nobles with their own agendas. The 14th century was not kind to women, Alice trading on her youth and beauty to secure her fortune. Luan Gaines/2010.

This novel took me by surprise. I was engrossed in the plot, the characters and the descriptions of the clothing. I read a lot of historical fiction, but this book stood out.

The King's Mistress is a fictionalized retelling of Alice Salisbury, a young girl who gets married at 14. (Young, but keep in mind that life spans were much shorter back then!) She is in love with one of her father's friends, Janyn Perrers.He is older than her, but she adores him anyway. (Sorta like the crush I had on Anthony Hopkins when I was growing up) Alice leaves behind a difficult and competitive relationship with her mother by marrying Janyn, but adapts quickly to living a life of wealth and luxury. Her household is even visited by the former Queen Mother, Isabella!

After tragedy strikes, Alice goes to live in the household of Queen Philippa, the currently reigning Queen. There, she attracts attention of the King. She tries to remain loyal to her Queen, but her feelings for the King are very strong.

This novel was like a fairy tale, but in a good way. I loved reading about the young girl who gets everything she has ever wanted and then looses it again. She becomes rich and famous. It's easy to imagine yourself back in those times and living the life Alice does.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants to escape from real life and live in a fairy tale, just for a day or so. This is a distractingly good read!

For the most part I enjoyed this historical fiction novel about Alice Perrers, the notorious mistress of King Edward III. It's told in first person narrative, a format that I don't normally enjoy, but the subject is compelling enough to overlook that.

Alice is reviled by history, but in this novel the author takes the interesting stance that Alice was simply misunderstood and treated horribly by historians. To a degree, she has a point. Alice was, after all, a commoner and would have had no say so in the matter if the King decided he wanted her for his mistress.

But I think it goes a little to far: Alice comes across as so innocent and good that it starts to grate on the nerves. No one, after all, is completely saint-like. And based upon the trails Alice had to face after the King's death, there had to have been some grain of truth in there somewhere. (Not a spoiler, but history tells us that Alice was prosecuted for her control over the King in his last days.) So while the premise rang true for a while, it was just taken too far in this novel.

I found the writing compelling, despite the storyline flaws, and it was never a chore to pick up the book where I left off. If you don't know a lot about Alice or this part of history, I'd recommend the book.

Different primary colors are associated with the lifestyles people choose to live. For example, red is a color often associated with women who are living so called sinful lives. Hester Prynne wore an embroidered A on her clothing because she had a baby out of wedlock. Scarlet O'Hara wore a bright scarlet gown to a ball. Her husband, Rhett, chose the gown for her to wear that particular night to prove she was less than a lady and no lady's friend. She was a Scarlet Woman because she chose to love a married man. The woman on the book cover of Emma Campion's novel, The King's Mistress is Alice Perrers. She lived during the Fourteenth century. Alice Perrers lived many lives while living her one life in England. If I were asked what I would liken Alice Perrers life to in a word association game, I would say she reminded me of clay. Soft clay easy to manipulate and mold in to a bowl, a bust, an eagle. Why? Because all of her life she was a pawn in the hands of men. I have chosen to think this was not Alice's fault. She gave long thought to the actions of other people and she pondered deeply her past, present and future. Alice had one problem. She was a female. In the Medieval era men were more like rulers than husbands. Too often Alice could only bow to their wishes. At different times her jewels, her land and her children would become the property of a man. Alice Perrers lived life as a woman without a voice.

I really liked Alice Perrers. Perhaps, my feelings about her have slanted my view point. While reading the book, my mind shaped a woman who loved to love a man and wanted to be loved in return. She was a woman who loved nurturing her children and she loved the rest of her family deeply. One man who loved her was King Edward. He loved her with the sanction of his wife and queen, Queen Phillippa. King Edward and Alice Perrers passions included: the intimacy of the bedroom, falconry, horse riding, laughter while drinking a mazur of wine and most of all the ability to love one another so much that they produced more than one child. Alice Perrers loved King Edward and he loved her until his death. Before he died Edward told Alice his signet ring was to be hers after his death. In other words, he gave her his lasting protection and his power. When he took his last breath, with different emotions running through her body she lovingly pulled the ring from his finger. Knowing her life would change for the worse Alice gave the ring to her lover, Robert, to keep as a legacy for her son, John.

Sadly after she gave all of herself to each man in her life except for the wicked liar William Wykeham, she would live a life of hell. She lived that life with grace and dignity. When King Edward died, she lost all earthly protection. People of the King's court respected her or pretended to honor her because it fulfilled the desires of their beloved King Edward. When he died, Alice Perrers had no more rights as the King's Mistress. She became the Scarlet Woman to be lied about, denounced and again controlled by the desires of the men around her. "I am powerless! How can you fear me? Why do you need to encase me in walls six feet thick? I have never had a choice except to do what I could to protect my chicks."

This is a story about not judging another person until you have worn another person's moccasins. Alice Perrers was a strong, kindhearted woman that deserves to be remembered not as The King's Mistress but as one woman who truly loved and gave King Edward a love to be remembered. One he would hold on to until his death. She was a woman who appreciated life in the good times and the bad times. I will remember this quote in the book showing her playful side. "The days were warm and sun filled. I felt blessed to be surrounded by young ones, being coaxed out to search for a wandering kitten, to see a strange-looking egg, to marvel at the water fowl." Emma Campion

At first when i saw "The King's Mistress" i thought - really? Do i REALLY need to read yet another historically-inspired novel about the mistress of an English king? I obviously expected it to be much like all the others of the same type that I had read. But i decided to give it a chance and just read the first few pages. I was instantly hooked! The character of Alice is drawn so beautifully, and she is unique among her other "novel mistress" counterparts, in her personality, circumstances, and skills. I was also a little put off by the time period, as it is set in a much earlier era than I am used to, revolving around a history that I am not very familiar with. However, everything was so well constructed, so well researched, and so interesting, that I was quickly engrossed. "The King's Mistress" is a gorgeous piece of work, and though the author takes many liberties with the historical aspects of the novel, it is still a completely enjoyable and believable story that i Highly recommend.

I have a big soft spot for historical fiction, especially stories set in medieval England. I can never get enough of the court intrigue, backstabbing royal courtiers, and the excesses of the kings and queens. I have a particular fondness for stories that are told from the point of view of an outsider, someone who manages to get pulled into the royal orbit and has to adjust to a life they don't want to live and were never prepared for. In this case, Alice Perrers is that outsider. Debut author Emma Campion takes a little known mistress to a king and elevates her story --- with a lot of embellishments for the fiction lovers, of course --- to one that is really fascinating.

Alice Salisbury is a young girl when she meets and falls in love with her future husband, Janyn Perrers. It's an arranged marriage, but Alice and Janyn do find much love together, and Alice, young and naive as she is, thinks herself blessed and content, happy to live out her days married to a wealthy merchant. Unfortunately for Alice, Janyn's loved ones harbor a secret that will tear the small, happy family apart and cause a lot heartache that will not end even when the secret that was kept from Alice is revealed.

Janyn's family has connections to the Dowager Queen Isabella, mother of Edward III, and a woman full of secrets, lies, and the ability to ruin lives. For Alice, this relationship that entranced her and then quickly scared her becomes a shackle. When her much loved husband disappears, she finds that a price has been put on her head and soon becomes a pawn of the royal household. A daughter and wife of a merchant, she is lost at court unable to decipher small gestures that mean so much and not able, and sometimes unwilling, to make and keep friends. She does, however, manage to foster a relationship with Queen Philippa, the wife of Edward III, which becomes her grounding force in the hectic court.

Alice's relationship with the Queen keeps her safe, but she is unprepared for the role for which she is being groomed --- she is to become the mistress of Edward III. Alice doesn't go willingly to the King's bed and finds that her attraction and love for the King scare her. She eventually gives in fully and becomes lost in her all-consuming love for Edward. The relationship, which she had hoped would stay quiet, puts her in even more danger than she ever imagined. She decides that while she may not have control of her own life, she will use her position to make a stable and safe life for her children, and in the process, becomes a rich landowner, a position that many people at court do not care for. After the death of the King, Alice finds no reprieve but only more fight ahead of her, and, all pretenses of naivety gone, she starts once more to claim her life.

It is obvious that Campion knows her subject and time period extraordinarily well. The details she sprinkles throughout the novel are rich and draw you into the world that Alice inhabits. The court scandals, murderous plots, love affairs and extravagant parties move the story along, making you wonder how one person could find so much love and pain in the same life. While THE KING'S MISTRESS is fiction, the real-life Alice Perrers would probably have been entertained by the tale Campion weaves.

This is a heavy read, though. While Campion has obviously done her research, there were times when the details felt too overwhelming and slowed the story down a bit. The excesses of the royal family and descriptions of cloth and clothing sometimes brought the novel to a halt. Fortunately, the plot has more than enough going for it to overcome the details, and Alice makes a fine character to follow. For lovers of historical fiction, this has a bit of everything to enjoy.

--- Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski

This book is very exciting. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Reading this has made me want to look up more information about Alice Perrers and this time period.

[My friend Kate Stout grabbed this book from me, ripped through it, and told me not to bother. So this is her review.]

There are several ways an author can create a successful historical novel. The novel can

- Tell a good story, even if a few of the historical facts are wrong
- Recreate a time and place so well that the reader feels as if he understands it
- Be titillating and tell all

This book, about Alice Perrers, mistress of Edward III, fails in all three categories. Historical accounts describe Alice as a greedy woman who accumulated great wealth for herself and her friends, and was eventually tried and convicted by Parliament of numerous crimes. In this first person narrative she is a victim, again and again, and again.

The story itself is unsatisfying. There is a complex and unbelievable back story that robs her of her much beloved husband, forcing her to the protection of the Royal Court, and eventually into becoming the King's mistress. She frequently proclaims herself innocent - the gifts the King gives her, the lands she acquires, the things she does are all because the King made her do them. She is shocked when people misinterpret their relationship and think her greedy and self serving, when all she has done is to serve her king.

The book also fails to provide a satisfying sense of the time period, the late 1300's in England. Most of the historical elements are mere window dressing. And the author even trots out Geoffrey Chaucer as Alice's best friend since childhood!

And if you're looking your fix of historical fiction soft porn, which is such a popular category these days, this isn't it. There a whole lot of limbs entwining, but nothing more erotic than the description that "we had a night of passion".

Overall a disappointing book