The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile [Hardcover]

C. W. Gortner (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 12, 2012

No one believed I was destined for greatness.
 
So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
 
Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their mother’s home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragon.
 
As they unite their two realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.
 
From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

Praise for The Queen’s Vow
 
“A masterwork by a skilled craftsman . . . Make a vow to read this book.”—New York Journal of Books
 
“A beautifully crafted piece of historical fiction . . . Gortner’s vivid details blend with his deeply intensive research to re-create Isabella and Castile in a way that the reader will find compelling and immersive, bringing not just the Queen but the whole nation to life.”—RT Book Reviews
 
“A fascinating story . . . Through his creative and spellbinding storytelling, Gortner’s readers come to know Isabella intimately in mind, heart and body as she lives through a tumultuous time, her intense longing to be the determiner of her own unique destiny.”—Wichita Falls Times Record News
 
“A novel of triumph as Isabella vanquishes her enemies one by one . . . [She is] a very human and appealing character.”—The Roanoke Times
 
“Politically charged, passionate . . . [a] well-researched, intriguing historical.”—Bookreporter

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Guest Reviewer: Michelle Moran on C.W. Gortner's The Queen's Vow

Michelle Moran is the international bestselling author of Nefertiti, The Heretic Queen, Cleopatra's Daughter, and Madame Tussaud. Her fifth novel The Second Empress will be published in 2012. Michelle’s experiences at archaeological sites around the world inspired her to write historical fiction.

I love how C.W. Gortner chooses maligned women in history and re-examines them in his novels within the context of their era. In The Queen’s Vow, he has done it again, creating a mesmerizing and unforgettable portrait of Isabella of Castile. For all her fame, Isabella is often misunderstood. She’s either revered as a near-saint or despised as a religious intolerant. Of course, most of us know she sent Christopher Columbus to America, but few of us have been told the amazing story of her youth, when Spain was a broken kingdom and she just a forgotten princess, whom no one expected to rule.

It is the mid-1400s. In Europe, most countries are united under one ruler. But in Spain, ancient divisions between the kingdoms of Castile and Aragón, and violent feuds between nobles, have created anarchy. Isabella is the daughter of an exiled widow, and she and her younger brother Alfonso live far from court in the countryside. Their royal father is dead; their mother haunted by the past; and their half brother, Castile’s new king, barely reigns, dominated by his favorites and his conniving, beautiful queen.

Then Isabella and Alfonso are sent to court, where they soon become pawns in a vicious struggle for power. Accused of treason, Isabella is held a prisoner, while her brother leads a rebellion. But when tragedy strikes, Isabella suddenly is named heir to the throne, though no woman before her has successfully ruled for long. As she embarks on a perilous path toward the throne, she indulges a forbidden desire for Prince Fernando of Aragón— a desire that pits her against her half brother the king and his ruthless nobles, all of whom seek her downfall. Can she marry the man she loves and still remain a sovereign queen? And how will she win over all her sworn enemies and restore peace in Spain after centuries of intrigue and discord?

Gortner vividly recreates the turmoil of Isabella’s youth and the striking contrasts of the country she knew, where the last Moors cling to their faded realm in the south and different cultures merge in uneasy alliance. Isabella’s stormy rise to power and quest to become a worthy queen are stunningly described, but what makes Gortner’s Isabella so unique is that while she is brave and daring, she is also conflicted— a fallible woman exercising her power in a traditionally male-dominated world. In her, we can see ourselves. She is like us: passionate and hopeful, proud yet doubtful, compelled to fight for what she believes in. Though The Queen’s Vow doesn’t shy away from the terrible decisions she chooses to make, it reminds us that in the end, Isabella was human, a woman of conviction and strength in a time of upheaval, who forged her destiny despite every odd, to become Spain’s most beloved queen.

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Review

“A masterwork by a skilled craftsman . . . Make a vow to read this book.”—New York Journal of Books
 
“A beautifully crafted piece of historical fiction . . . Gortner’s vivid details blend with his deeply intensive research to re-create Isabella and Castile in a way that the reader will find compelling and immersive, bringing not just the Queen but the whole nation to life.”—RT Book Reviews
 
“A fascinating story . . . Through his creative and spellbinding storytelling, Gortner’s readers come to know Isabella intimately in mind, heart and body as she lives through a tumultuous time, her intense longing to be the determiner of her own unique destiny.”—Wichita Falls Times Record News
 
“A novel of triumph as Isabella vanquishes her enemies one by one . . . [She is] a very human and appealing character.”—The Roanoke Times
 
“Politically charged, passionate . . . [a] well-researched, intriguing historical.”—Bookreporter

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 12, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345523962
• ISBN-13: 978-0345523969
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

C.W. Gortner holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis on Renaissance Studies from the New College of California. In his extensive travels to research his books, he has experienced life in a Spanish castle and danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall. Half-Spanish by birth, he lives in Northern California.

C.W. enjoys talking to book groups. To schedule a chat or find out more about his work, visit: http://www.cwgortner.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate historical fiction. May 5, 2012

By Julie Lovisa VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Being a huge Tudor-phile, I was excited for the chance to read a novel about Isabel of Castile, the mother of Catherine of Aragon. Portrayed in history as a warrior queen who ruthlessly set the inquisition upon her Jewish converso subjects, this book took a slightly milder tack, showing her as a woman as concerned for her people as she was for her children and reluctant to allow Tomas Torquemada to unleash the inquisition among the Jewish people that she relied upon.

The novel starts with Isabel's childhood in exile as her ineffectual half-brother allows noblemen to have their way in the realm and is swayed by the influence of his lovers. When she meets her eventual husband, Ferdinand of Aragon, her steeliness begins to exert itself as she swears she will marry no other, regardless of what her brother has in mind for her. When her brother dies, she becomes queen of Castile and thus begins her battles with a would-be usurper and to unite all of the surrounding kingdoms under the banner of Spain. This includes an extended crusade to bring the Moorish infidels of Granada finally under their rule where many others had failed.

As Isabel and Ferdinand borrow money from their Jewish moneylenders to finance their wars, they are confronted by Torquemada who requires that they expel all Jews from Spain and burn the heretic conversos who claim to have converted to Christianity yet continue to celebrate their Jewish faith. Isabel feels great reluctance in bringing this upon her subjects, but her solid Catholic faith convinces her that doing so will save her and her kingdom from eternal hellfire. Toward the end of the novel Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus) entreaties her for money and blessings to cross the Ocean Sea and discover alternate trade routes for the Spanish.

This is historical fiction at its best with a strong and fascinating queen and a storyline that combines tactics and war with the human story of its protagonist with all of her fears and loves. Some liberties were taken with the history and are listed in the author's afterword, but as I wasn't familiar with Isabel's story, I wasn't bothered in the least. This novel did what it was supposed to do: it entertained me with the fictionalized story of a major historical character and made me want to do further nonfiction research about her so that I could get to know her even better.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellently written novel with a gripping storyline April 29, 2012

By Jennifer Rothwell VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I loved every part of this novel. It's one of those books that has you turning page after page, so absorbed in the story that you lose all track of time. C.W. Gortner has a very smooth writing style, and the crafting of his central character is wonderful. He makes it easy for the reader to establish a connection with Isabella, whilst at the same time maintaining a distance that allows us to keep historical perspective. He has inspired me to look at all the things I previously knew about her in a different light.
I was initially intrigued to read this novel as I recently read Julia Fox's wonderful dual biography 'Sister Queens', about Isabella's daughters Catherine of Aragon and Juana 'the Mad'. Reading about their mother has granted me a much wider perspective of both her and their lives. Such fascinating women! I especially enjoyed reading Gortner's depiction of Isabella's decisions regarding the Reconquista, the expulsion of the Jews, and also her patronship of Christobal Colon (Christopher Columbus).
Truthfully, I have been somewhat surprised by Gortner's portrayal of Isabella. In many minds one of the things she is primarily known for is the introduction of the Spanish Inquisition, and thus may be regarded as a monster who inflicted torture upon her own people. Whilst showing that she did possess an immense feeling of righteousnous, this novel also shows Isabella to be a woman who did feel sorrow for her actions. Gortner has portrayed a Queen who is not quite as black and white as history would have us believe. Prior to the Alhambra Decree, the expulsion of the Jews, Isabella had showed leniency to the Jewish people and had promoted coexistence amougst her people. Gortner gave the impression that she finally came to the decision to expel the Jewish people due to the increasing spread of hostility towards them. She feared civil unrest, and so took severe action to prevent it. Also, she hoped that many of them would instead convert to Christianity. There is a part of the book (which I won't quote due to the fact that I have an uncorrected proof) where she references that she feels responsibile for the souls of her people, aswell as their lives. Although not necessarily portrayed as fanatical as some would say she was, Gortner's inclusion of this concept does allow the reader to see a basis for why she acted as she did. In many ways it reminds me of the way her granddaugher Mary Tudor behaved when she came to the throne of England.
One of the best aspects of this novel was the descriptions of the towns across Spain. The map at the front really helps, and I do feel much more familiar with the land now than I did before. Also, I have a better understanding of which areas were controlled by whom. The separation of Castille and Aragon was something I was aware of, but I didn't realize quite how separate they were even under the rule of Isabella and Ferdinand. It was their grandson Charles (Holy Roman Emperor) who held more of a united Spain.
As a couple Isabella and Ferdinand are shown to have truly loved one another. Gortner has fictionalized an earlier relationship between them, as many historians believe they only met the day before their wedding. The inclusion of this earlier meeting allowed the reader to see the couple as a united pair who fought for their marriage, and for their throne, relying on each other absolutely. In some ways though it did make Isabella seem more dependant on her husband than I had previously been led to believe, but towards the end of the novel she came into her own as a Warrior Queen. Ferdinand granted her more repsect as Queen Regent as the novel went on. It probably is a fair assessment to say that Isabella had to proove herself more than most, as there had previously been no sucessful female monarch in Spain. As a woman she had to fight harder for respect, but eventually Gortner shows her emerge as a strong and capable Queen, admired by her people. The expulsion of the Jews occured at the end of the novel, and so Gortner does not write of how this did or did not affect her reputation. Perhaps he chose to end his novel with Isabella at the height of her reign. Nonetheless, he has created a truly remarkable character and I am so glad to have read this novel.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ISABELLA OF CASTILE, A QUEEN IN HER OWN RIGHT (4.5 Stars) May 16, 2012

By Anne VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Most of us are aware that Isabella was the Queen of Spain when Columbus discovered the new world. Many know she is the mother of Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. You may also know and that she and Ferdinand fought a long war to expel the Moors from Spain. However, I did not know how the events from her childhood might have shaped her. Since reading Julia Fox's SISTER QUEENS, (also published by Ballentine) I wanted to read more about their strong-willed mother. In reading C.W. Gortner's, THE QUEEN'S VOW, I was able to look at her life from the death of her father until she gives Columbus permission to make his first voyage.

The novel begins with the death of Isabella's father when she was three. Her mother, Isabel of Portugal was hated by the people and feared for her life and those of her children. Isabel escaped to Avila to reside in the drafty castle, Arevelo. The heir to the throne was King Juan's son from his first marriage Enrique. At the time of his father's death, he did not have any children and so Alfonso was the next in line until he had a son of his own. It was customary for the heir to the throne to stay in the capital, but Isabela knew that she and her children were in danger and must leave immediately. She remains there with her mother and brother until her brother, King Enrique, summons her back to court. At court, she must tread carefully until she learns whom she can trust.

The author gives us a meeting between her and Ferdinand when they were children and from that, moment she knew that would marry him and only him. Anyone who has studied any history of her time know that royal women were never allowed to choose whom they would marry, this was done by their parents or by the King. Isabella's determination and refusal to accept any other was highly unusual for a woman of her time.

I feel the author tried to whitewash her role in the Inquisition. When they were fighting the war to unite their country and expel the Moors who had been there for years they gave them the chance to stay if the converted to Christianity. Monarchs in the middle ages felt like ruled because it was God's will and that it was His will that they show the people of their lands that they only true religion was the Catholic one. After all, most of us are aware of what Henry VIII did when the Catholic Church refused to annul his marriage to the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand; he put himself as the head of the church in England instead of the Pope. While Talavera, Father de Hojeda, Torquemada and others may have helped fuel the fire Isabella was determined to present a united Catholic front to forge alliances and keep enemies at bay and the Inquisition helped her to do this. She had made conversion a condition for the Moors and Jews to remain in Spain and when the church decided to go after those they suspected of converting but still secretly following their religion Isabella allowed it so their title as the "Catholic Majesties and their strong, united Catholic front would remain firm. Pope Innocent VIII applauded their decision to expel the Jews from their kingdom. While the doctrine of anti-Semitism was ubiquitous throughout Europe at this time, but no institution supported for vigorously or effectively as the Catholic Church.

Anyone that enjoys reading fiction that is based on history as I do will enjoy this book. If you are a Tudor-phile as I am, you should read this and the book I mentioned earlier to learn more of Katharine of Aragon and her parents.

4.5 STARS ** Receiving this book through Amazon's Vine Program did not influence my rating or review of this book**.