9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hum-Drum Retelling of Elizabeth's Rise to Power, January 20, 2008
Told through the eye's of Eloise, Elizabeth's seamstress and confidante, this is a somewhat lukewarm telling of Elizabeth's road to be Queen. It begins with the death of her father, Henry VIII, and ends somewhere around her 30th year after she has cooled things off considerable with Robert Dudley.
During the turbulent years of the reign of "Bloody Mary", Eloise doubles as Elizabeth's spy by gathering information for Elizabeth while she is Mary's prisoner. Somehow a seamstress manages to keep Elizabeth informed of the goings on in the outside world. You have no idea how in the world she manages to do so. That is until one obscure sentance gives it away. It actually is an intriguing way it's done and it would've added so much more to the story if it had been examined more than just a blurb that could easily be missed.
There is a romance between Eloise and her contact, James Colby, although you'd never know it from the complete absence of any sort of passion between the two. Their clandestine meetings seem to be nothing more than gossip followed by a parting kiss.
Elizabeth is not portrayed as a the passionate, headstrong woman she was. Well, maybe the headstrong part! She was written as a self-centered brat who goes around slapping everyone. Even her elderly governess who she claims to love more than anyone.
There is no story development between Robert and Elizabeth, rather you as a reader are instructed that they were good friends who eventually may have become lovers. Their relationship is told rather than felt. In fact, it seems as though every important event that happened during that time is glossed over. The only thing really in depth is the depiction of Elizabeth's gown.
I just did not enjoy this novel much at all. It lacks passion and the ability to pull the reader into the story, at least this particular reader. The last 100 or so pages were so much better than the first 200 so that saved it from getting two stars! I can only recommend this novel is you're a die hard fan of anything having to do with Elizabeth. I give it a halfhearted three stars.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tired of Tudor Historical novels that all read the same? Try this one., January 14, 2008
These days, when I see a novel set in Tudor England -- from 1485 to 1603 -- I automatically cringe. So very much historical fiction is set in these times that it was become painful for me to read it, as most authors tend only to do the most cursitory of research, and usually, they don't get it right.
Let's face it, the life of Queen Elizabeth I of England is pretty heady stuff and a great temptation for any novelist. No one had expected Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to become queen -- after all, she had a younger brother, Edward, and an elder sister, Mary, who would inherit before she did. And this princess had a less than ideal childhood -- alternately cherished then banished by her father as the whim too him, she was barely a toddler when her mother was victim to the executioner's sword. She was highly intellectual, with a natural flair for music and languages, and a wit that could run circles around most people.
Jennifer Ashley's The Queen's Handmaiden, takes a look at the early life of this remarkable woman through the eyes of one of her attendants. Eloise Rousell is the daughter of a gentlewoman and a roving player in a theatre troop -- not exactly a birthright that will ensure stability. Raised by her grandmother, Eloise quickly displays an unusual talent, and one that will help her make her fortune -- she is an expert seamstress, able to create gowns that are beautifully made and designed. Eloise is also clever, and has learned quickly to keep her mouth shut -- a trait that will be even more valuable in the treacherous Tudor court. When still a child, she's sent to live with her Aunt Kat Champernowne, who is none other than the Lady Elizabeth's governess.
Growing up as both a servant and a confidant of the princes, Eloise quickly turns into a quick-minded young woman. Through her eyes we see the dashing, if not too bright, Thomas Seymour, and his troubled marriage with Catherine Parr, and it is both of the girls first encounter with both love and treason. There is the short reign of her brother Edward VI, who is merely a king in name while two powerful families, the Seymours and the Dudleys, who each strive to be the real ruler of England. And then, there is Mary, Elizabeth's older sister who both wishes her sister dead, and England returned to the Roman Catholic faith...
Certainly we've seen this story before, written over so many times that it has pretty much become a cliché in the world of novels. How many plucky heroines who are nobodies can the reading world put up with? But Eloise Rousel is a bit different and Ashley isn't afraid to make her so, either. While her role in the novel is that of the narrator, she is strong enough to have her own voice, and not once does the author let her slide into insipid, mawkish mooning about either -- Eloise is quite aware of the dangers around her, and not even the attraction that she has towards a courtier, John Colby, is enough for her to loose her good common sense. Too, Ashley is wise enough to keep her heroine from the usual antics found in historical novels -- Eloise is not ravishing, or brilliant, or the sort who strikes men down with her beauty. Instead, she's just a person, and leaves the brilliance to Elizabeth.
What sets this book apart is that Ashley has managed to capture the essence of this monarch, and keeps it within what is known. She throws temper tantrums, isn't above slapping her servants in a fit of pique, and an absolute peacock in wanting admiration and near worship. But she was also very loyal to her friends, had a great deal of resiliency when it came to times of crisis, and would ultimately prove to be the right monarch for England when the time came. All of these traits were fairly well documented in the queen's time, and Ashley makes excellent use of her sources.
Finally it is the amount of research about the real people and events, the details of daily life and dress, that make this novel worth it. While it does get a bit heavy with the florid prose over clothing details, Ashley keeps the story moving briskly along at a near breakneck pace. Not once was I bored with the story, nor did my attention wander, which is to me the sign that an author has really paid attention to what she is doing.
My biggest complaint is that the romance between John Colby and Eloise never really seems to catch fire -- everything is at a very cool simmer and it comes across as more of a business arrangement than any sort of love affair. Still, that too can be documented with the times, and Ashley wisely stays away from having the reader trudge through pages of erotica to tell her story. Thank goodness; it's a very welcome break in the world of historical novels these days.
Overall, a solid four stars. It's not a great novel, but it is certainly a good one, and well worth the trouble to seek out if you enjoy historical settings. For me, it's definitely a keeper, and I suspect that I'll be giving it a reread several years down the road.
Recommended.
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