Customer Reviews

Virgin

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Robin Maxwell is an excellent writer who brings her flawless research and sense of pacing to the high drama that was Tudor England. Although many people know the basics about Elizabeth I and the story, better than any melodrama or soap opera, of her father Henry VIII of England and Anne Boleyn, most people haven't heard about her life as a teenage princess and the challenges she faced in the house of her stepmother and her stepmother's husband, the charming Thomas Seymour. In Maxwell's hands, this becomes the story of Elizabeth's coming of age and also of how she first learns the art of "spin" that serves her so well later on. That alone makes the novel absorbing. But in addition, Maxwell's book is engaging and sexy and brings Elizabeth alive!

Maxwell has delivered a deftly written novel that covers Elizabeth's life during the reign of her brother, Edward VI, and illustrates how Elizabeth, even in her formative years, was full or grace, dignity, intelligence and cunning. The portrait Maxwell paints is one of a young girl unsure of her position in the world, yet fiercely proud of her heritage. Elizabeth is both worldly and naive, an irresistable combination. We experience Elizabeth's first pangs of love and lust, her burgeoning friendship with Robin Dudley, and the conspiracies set against her by her own people. A brilliant concluding novel to Maxwell's trilogy. Highly recommended.

Although the author admits she may have strayed off the precise history of the events that took place before Elizabeth took the throne, the story she tells is one full of passion, love, friendship and gives a good example of what many suppose the Tudor era was like. Her descriptions of each character, although extreme at times, portrays a good example of what history show them to be like.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a deep interest in Queen Elizabeth or the tudor era who is tired of reading the facts and wishes to enjoy a nice story along with it! Informative yet interesting all in one jolly package.

This book is amazing. It gives a wonderful description of an area of Elizabeth's life that few have ever explored. You really get a good sense of the times as well as the characters. A MUST READ!!

Great Harry, England's King Henry VIII, is dead. Nine-year-old Edward is now King Edward VI, a boy powerless to stop his uncle Edward Seymour from stealing power as Regent. Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth retires to life in the country with her stepmother Catherine Parr, the Queen Dowager, and her new husband Thomas Seymour. But it is soon apparent to young Bess that a very powerful presence in Chelsea House has eyes for her, and drives nearly everyone mad with his charms. He wants Elizabeth, not bothering to hide his lascivious desires, and he'll do anything to acheive the ultimate goal: the Crown...
I read the hardcover edition of this book and found it appalling. Thomas Seymour was a cold-hearted, greedy, selfish wretch, the way he plotted to get what he wanted. Even so, this is a good read!

For a book that deals with an adult subject, I found Robin Maxwell's rendering strangely childish. I was looking forward to reading VIRGIN: PRELUDE TO THE THRONE because it deals with a formative time in Elizabeth I's childhood, when she was living at Chelsea with her stepmother the dowager Queen and her stepfather, the notorious Thomas Seymour, who, if there is no evidence of outright molestation, is known to have sexually harassed his young royal charge. Now, this is plainly not a book for children, nor was I suggesting that it was, but it is surprising to me, then, that the author should write it as if it were.

Thomas Seymour is sort of portrayed like a villain in a cartoon. He's a nasty, scheming fellow who monologues. He's very one-dimensional, and though Elizabeth keeps saying how charming he is, I'm not really seeing it. In a good novel, if a character is charming, the reader should be charmed by him, and if he's nasty, the reader should be repulsed. If he's both, the reader should be conflicted. I was none of these things. In fact, at times, I was nothing if not incredulous. Perhaps the problem lies not in the writing--I am told Mademoiselle Boleyn is a very good read--but in the general feel of the book. Perhaps Maxwell has failed to create the right atmosphere. I will say that some of the passages concerning Elizabeth have a ring of truth to them, a sort of genuineness. But when the POV switches to Catherine or Thomas, everything becomes slightly ridiculous. I was also not convinced by the conversations between Robert Dudley and his father. I can't imagine someone talking in metaphors all the time, and it came out a little contrived.

There were a few nitpicky things, like the fact that the author is not content with using the word "said" to indicate dialogue. I was irked by the use of tags such as "Catherine intoned", "Kat crooned", "Elizabeth blurted", or my favorite, "He inquired unctuously." It distracted from the flow of dialogue. Of course, there are good parts to this book as well, but in such a short story (more like a novella, in fact)these flaws consumed most of my interest. Two stars.

If you're a follower of my blog, then surely you know that of all English monarchs, Elizabeth I is in No way my favourite...Sorry- but that's just the way it is. There's just something cold, calculating and non-feeling about her- for me..yet, I keep reading more and more books on her. There's something intriguing about her that's for sure. Or maybe, I just won't allow myself to believe that what you see is what you get-- and nothing so far has really moved me to change my opinion of her...

Until... Virgin: Prelude to the Throne, by Maxwell. This is the story of Elizabeth from about the age of 13 to 15- don't kid yourself, this is not children's literature. Major things happen to Elizabeth and England within these two years to spur England into a series of dramatic turnabouts that it would be impossible to write-off this important time period.

Elizabeth is being raised by her step-mother, the Dowager Queen Catherine and her husband, Thomas Seymour. With Kat as her guardian-lady-in waiting, you would think that Elizabeth had a dandy 'ole time with this wonderful mom and dashing dad...Poor Elizabeth, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Elizabeth endures such traumatic episodes that no child of that age should ever go through. The abuse, betrayal, confusion and major incidents that happened to her would for sure leave a mark on her forever. For me, this book helped explain so many things. The poor child was torn between guilt, so-called love, shame, loss, confusion and almost treason- with the risk of death.

I think I've never despised a character more than Thomas Seymour. And- what a change of heart for me to say that Elizabeth endeared me to no end! Her story literally broke my heart. I felt so much tenderness for this young girl who had her innocence cruelly taken away. What more could she experience aftet having lost her mother in the harshest of ways, her father rejecting her when she needed him most, and then this cruel man luring her heart and young blossoming passions in such a pedophilic way...all for his own glory. Poor, poor Elizabeth!

She trusted and loved this slime ball and felt guilty for thinking that she may have been the one to lure him on! These are the typical feelings of youngsters who go through abuse of this sort. Yet, after all she went through, horrible damage to her soul and person, our beautiful young royal, came out standing tall, proud and more majestic than ever, and I rooted for her all the way!

I must say that I am utterly surprised that after reading so much history, I've never read anything in such detail about this particular time in Elizabeth's life. There's always bits and pieces alluding to this horrid period- but never in such detail and never so real. Even Catherine Parr's death solved a few questions I had. this book is a must read.

Virgin, is a must read for all Elizabethan fans and historians who feel there is a missing link in Elizabeth's life. Robin Maxwell has helped put the pieces together for me and now Elizabeth appears as a whole new different person. Her depth in character, her choices in life, her destiny and her ruling have roots from a far deeper place. I understand her so much better.

I highly recommend this beautiful, heart-wrenching and enlightening read to all. Fantastic book- Thank you so much Robin Maxwell!

Wonderful book! Great writing. And wonderful story telling. It wasn't until I was almost done with this one that I found out it had two books before it.But that was still okay. This book stands alone perfect well for a Tudor fan.A wonderful story of the turmoil of young Elizabeth's life. I highly recommend this one.

I have for a while now, been fascinated by the early years of Elizabeth I. What created this great woman who was one of the greatest rulers of England ever, the queen who refused to marry though her suitors included some of the most powerful monarchs of Europe at the time.

It has been theorized, that the Elizabeth, whose mother was branded a whore and executed when Elizabeth was only three years old, and a few years later a similar fate meted out to her young stepmother Katherine Howard, never married because she associated marriage with death.

In this exciting and moving book, Robin Maxwell explore the young princesses life at Chelsea House where she was sent to live with her stepmother the Queen Dowager Katherine Parr, after the death of her father Henry VIII, and the ascension to the throne of her younger brother
Edward VI.
While the Queen dowager gave Elizabeth love and was the only mother Elizabeth was known, Queen Katherine's husband Sir Thomas Seymour, charismatic and irresistible to women, sets his sights on the vulnerable and innocent young princes Elizabeth.
Seymour lures the young princess into sexual interplay, and in a strange twist there are incidents where the Queen Dowager herself, driven mad by the evil of Seymour, helps him to abuse Elizabeth.
Through suffering Elizabeth is strengthened, into the great ruler she will be, but as an abused pawn, it seems at the time far off her ever being the most powerful person in England.

An insight into Elizabeth,s painful early life, her mother butchered on
Henry VIII's orders, the little princess ignored and bastardized by her father, the mother figure she had trusted and loved she saw turned into a mad woman, and the man who had beguiled i her into giving him all her heart and soul, tried to rape and destroy her.

A fleshy, moving and evocative novel of the life of the young princess Elizabeth, who would be one of the greatest figures in England's history.

A well-written and interesting book on a little-known part of Elizabeth's life. I would also reccomend David Starkey's "Elizabeth: the Struggle for the Throne" for a non-fictional account of this same period.