The Kingmaker's Daughter

by Philippa Gregory

One of the Gregory's Cousin's War series, The Kingmaker's Daughter takes up where The Lady of the Rivers leaves off, only the point of views are in juxtaposition.  In Lady of the Rivers we follow the story of Jacquetta Woodville who becomes a close and loyal friend to Margaret, King Henry VI's wife.

Jacquetta falls in love with her husband's squire and, after the Duke dies, she marries the squire.  They share a strong love and devotion to each other that melted my heart.  Richard and Jacquetta Woodville have ten children, the first being a beautiful daughter who will eventually reign as the Queen of England.  A beautiful and touching story that had me supporting the Woodvilles every step of the way.

The Kingmaker's Daughter is told from the perspective of Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England.  The Earl has no sons so he uses his daughters as pawns in his pursuit of power.  Sadly, not an unusual fate for women of the court.  Anne is forced to serve her rival for power, the beautiful Elizabeth Woodville.

The switch in perspectives, from Jacquetta Woodville's to that of Anne Neville, created in me a weary caution to like Anne, since I had previously cared so much for the character of Jacquetta.  It was far into the book that I came to respect and appreciate both viewpoints.  It was powerful to see through two different sets of eyes of two very similar women - both pawns and susceptible to the whimsical rise and fall of fortune;  both greedy; both desiring to satisfy their parents' grand plans.

I thought both books were exceptionally good and I recommend them highly.  I don't know how I missed reading The White Queen and The Red Queen but I will not let that be the case for long.

 ** I received a free copy of The Kingmaker's Daughter  from Kaitlyn McCrystal and Simon & Schuster in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.