The king's curse

Gregory bids adieu to the bloody War of the Roses and its aftermath as she wraps up her Cousins' War series with the ascension of Henry VIII as witnessed by the eyes of Lady Margaret Pole, Plantagenet survivor and cousin to the White Princess, Elizabeth of York. Perceived as a threat to the throne by Henry VII, Margaret is married off and living in semi-obscurity until circumstances propel her back into court life as chief lady-in-waiting to and confidante of Katherine of Aragon. With a box-seat view of the royal manipulations and machinations of Henry VIII, she has some difficult choices to make concerning her divided loyalties to Henry, to Katherine, to Princess Mary, and to the Catholic Church. Nobody does dynastic history like Gregory, and readers who have followed the exploits of the fractious York and Lancaster clans in the previous five volumes will be eagerly awaiting this concluding chapter of the saga.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2014 Booklist

Gregory adds to her Cousins' War series (after The White Princess) an illuminating portrait of historical figure Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, whose royal Plantagenet lineage was both a blessing and a curse. Gregory's carefully researched story line begins in 1499 with Margaret in mourning for her brother Teddy, who was beheaded by King Henry VII because he was a rival for the throne. Margaret has already been "stuffed into obscurity," married to an ordinary knight with whom she's had five children. When Prince Arthur, the King's son and heir, marries Katherine of Aragon, Margaret becomes lady-in-waiting to the Spanish princess. When Arthur dies, Margaret loses her position; not long afterward, she is widowed and struggles financially. Matters temporarily improve for Margaret with the ascension of the new king, Henry VIII, who appoints Margaret governess to his daughter Mary. But the moody and volatile ruler also forces Margaret and her family to jockey for favor at court. Gregory moves confidently through a tangle of intrigue, revenge, and tyranny toward a shocking betrayal that brings Margaret face-to-face with the king's ire. Agent: Anthony Mason. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Lady Margaret Pole is a Plantagenet by birth and therefore an enemy to the house of Tudor when Henry Tudor wins the throne. Margaret's husband tries to distance her from Henry's court, but after Lord Pole's death, she is summoned back to court to serve Prince Arthur and his new wife, Katherine. After Arthur dies, Katherine marries his younger brother, Henry VIII. This draws Lady Margaret into a long and difficult balancing act while Henry VIII spirals out of control-divorcing Katherine, declaring himself head of the Church of England and therefore divine, disposing of his wives when they fail to produce sons, ignoring the rule of law, and allowing Thomas Cromwell to arrest, torture, and execute anyone for any reason. Eventually, Margaret becomes a target when her son accuses her of treason to secure his own life. Gregory has written this story before (The White Princess) from other points of view. Here she once again has captured the era's tragedies and terrors and the political ups and downs of the royal court. Reader Bianca Amado brings Lady Margaret to life and to death with skill and sympathy. VERDICT Recommended to listeners of Gregory's previous work and of historical fiction. ["Gregory offers a fresh perspective on well-known British history. This gripping and detailed chronicle, with plenty of court intrigue and politics to spice up the action, will be sure to please any historical fiction fan," read the review of the Touchstone hc, LJ 8/14; see a Q&A with Amato on page TK.]-Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Libs., Providence (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In the sixth of Gregory's Cousins' War series, the last Plantagenets wage a losing and mostly subterranean battle against the unscrupulous Tudor upstarts. Lady Margaret Pole, the principal of this installment, is cousin to many Plantagenet heirs of the house of York, including Elizabeth (The White Princess, 2013), who married Henry VII, the Tudor conqueror, after he deposed their uncle, Richard III. Elizabeth and her mother, a reputed sorceress, called down a curse upon the Tudors: that they would be unable to produce a healthy male heir and their line would die out in three generations, ending with a virgin queen. As we all know, that came true. However, somehow Gregory manages to keep us in suspense as to what will befall her characters. Lady Margaret, married to a lowly knight as Henry VII punishes the Yorks, is named guardian to the Prince of Wales, Arthur, in his Welsh castle. Arthur is clearly in love with his new wife, the Spanish infanta, Katherine of Aragon. But was the marriage consummated? This question, to which only Arthur, Katherine and Margaret know the answer, will trigger the tumult that follows. In deference to Arthur's dying wish, Katherine marries his younger brother, Henry. As king, Henry magnanimously restores the Yorks, including Margaret, to their former lands and titles: She is now Countess of Salisbury and the richest woman in England. But as previous volumes predicted, the wheel of fortune keeps turning, particularly when a loose cannon like Henry rules. Ominously, Buckingham, the most powerful York next to Margaret, is executed for allegedly mentioning the curse. Then Wolsey falls. As the juggernaut of Anne Boleyn threatens to upend the English court; destroy Queen Katherine and Henry's sole legitimate heir, Princess Mary; cause countless executions; change a national religion and civilization as they knew it, Margaret and the Yorks soldier on. It would be a spoiler to recount what happens next although we already know. Under Gregory's spell, we keep hoping history won't repeat itself. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gregory bids adieu to the bloody War of the Roses and its aftermath as she wraps up her Cousins' War series with the ascension of Henry VIII as witnessed by the eyes of Lady Margaret Pole, Plantagenet survivor and cousin to the White Princess, Elizabeth of York. Perceived as a threat to the throne by Henry VII, Margaret is married off and living in semi-obscurity until circumstances propel her back into court life as chief lady-in-waiting to and confidante of Katherine of Aragon. With a box-seat view of the royal manipulations and machinations of Henry VIII, she has some difficult choices to make concerning her divided loyalties to Henry, to Katherine, to Princess Mary, and to the Catholic Church. Nobody does dynastic history like Gregory, and readers who have followed the exploits of the fractious York and Lancaster clans in the previous five volumes will be eagerly awaiting this concluding chapter of the saga. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

In this final entry in the "Cousins' War" series, Margaret Pole, cousin to Elizabeth of York, starts by hosting Arthur, the Prince of Wales, and his new bride, Katherine of Aragon, and ends up as a lady-in-waiting to Katherine as she marries her dead husband's brother, Henry VIII. A phenomenally popular series; with a reading group guide and a big push at the American Library Association conference.

Taking place after the Tudor victory at Bosworth in 1485, Gregory's dramatic conclusion to the "Cousins' War" (The White Queen; The White Princess) series is narrated by Margaret Pole, a member of the defeated Plantagenet family. To remain in safety, Margaret marries beneath her station to a knight in service to Henry VII. Her cousin Elizabeth finds a way to get Margaret a position in the household of the Spanish Infanta, Katherine of Aragon. Margaret happily serves until Katherine and Arthur, Henry's heir, wed. When a fatal illness strikes Arthur, Katherine's position in the royal hierarchy becomes uncertain. And when her own husband dies, Margaret is forced into seclusion. When Katherine eventually marries Henry VIII after his father's death, she is able to bring Margaret back into her service. But fortune changes quickly yet again for the two friends, and they are challenged by a monarch who has turned against them. VERDICT By employing Margaret as her narrator, Gregory offers a fresh perspective on well-known British history. This gripping and detailed chronicle, with plenty of court intrigue and politics to spice up the action, will be sure to please any historical fiction fan. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 3/13/14.]—Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., TX

Gregory adds to her Cousins' Warseries (after The White Princess) an illuminating portrait of historical figure Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, whose royal Plantagenet lineage was both a blessing and a curse. Gregory's carefully researched story line begins in 1499 with Margaret in mourning for her brother Teddy, who was beheaded by King Henry VII because he was a rival for the throne. Margaret has already been "stuffed into obscurity," married to an ordinary knight with whom she's had five children. When Prince Arthur, the King's son and heir, marries Katherine of Aragon, Margaret becomes lady-in-waiting to the Spanish princess. When Arthur dies, Margaret loses her position; not long afterward, she is widowed and struggles financially. Matters temporarily improve for Margaret with the ascension of the new king, Henry VIII, who appoints Margaret governess to his daughter Mary. But the moody and volatile ruler also forces Margaret and her family to jockey for favor at court. Gregory moves confidently through a tangle of intrigue, revenge, and tyranny toward a shocking betrayal that brings Margaret face-to-face with the king's ire. Agent: Anthony Mason. (Sept.)