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bookworm1909's review against another edition
3.0
One of the better series from the time period of Elizabeth I I have read... this book is probably the best well-written of the series; the later books she doesn't have the consistency of the support of minor characters as she does in the earlier books.
bethany_t's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a sucker for historical murder mysteries. This ranks up there with the Canterbury Tales mysteries by Paul Doherty. The best parts of the book are when Ursula Blanchard, a member of Queen Elizabeth I's court, actually starts sleuthing and piecing together the circumstances surrounding the murder of a servant, John. (Unfortunately, I found the first death in the book, that of Robert Dudley's wife, Amy, to be a bit uninteresting.)
Ursula is such a brilliant, driven, and capable character. I best liked the moments in which she was able to utilize her skills for more than being a well-mannered member of the court and declaring fealty to Queen Elizabeth I. Her interactions with William Cecil in the end of the book and his admiration of her were just wonderful.
Here are some of my critiques...
1. Let’s talk about those sex scenes.
The post-marriage sex scene was not as laughable as most, but it was pretty ridiculous and unnecessary. (Let me explain: I’m not prudish about sex scenes. I just don’t find them highly enjoyable or interesting, and authors have a tendency to describe sex and sex drive in ways that aren’t true to real life.) I wish the book had nixed the romance between Matthew and Ursula because it seemed inconsequential in the end.
2. A bit too long.
The book seemed too long. I was starting to lose interest around the time of the wedding between Matthew and Ursula. However, the moments near the end in which Ursula speaks with Cecil and later Lady Katherine Grey were the best parts of the book. Ursula confronting Lady Katherine answered a lot of questions regarding Amy (Robstart) Dudley and offered an interesting insight into how people in the queen’s court likely did act and handle emotions.
Verdict
It's a solid start to a series and an enjoyable book. I'll likely read more in this series.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who has read and enjoyed books by Paul Doherty (I found the writing styles to be similar) or anyone who likes works of fiction set in the Elizabethan era. The murders are fairly tame, so this won't be too intense for those who aren't quite fans of murder mysteries. I might not recommend it for those who are used to the bodice-ripping drama of some Tudor period fiction -- this story is more cozy than titillating.
Ursula is such a brilliant, driven, and capable character. I best liked the moments in which she was able to utilize her skills for more than being a well-mannered member of the court and declaring fealty to Queen Elizabeth I. Her interactions with William Cecil in the end of the book and his admiration of her were just wonderful.
Here are some of my critiques...
1. Let’s talk about those sex scenes.
The post-marriage sex scene was not as laughable as most, but it was pretty ridiculous and unnecessary. (Let me explain: I’m not prudish about sex scenes. I just don’t find them highly enjoyable or interesting, and authors have a tendency to describe sex and sex drive in ways that aren’t true to real life.) I wish the book had nixed the romance between Matthew and Ursula because it seemed inconsequential in the end.
2. A bit too long.
The book seemed too long. I was starting to lose interest around the time of the wedding between Matthew and Ursula. However, the moments near the end in which Ursula speaks with Cecil and later Lady Katherine Grey were the best parts of the book. Ursula confronting Lady Katherine answered a lot of questions regarding Amy (Robstart) Dudley and offered an interesting insight into how people in the queen’s court likely did act and handle emotions.
Verdict
It's a solid start to a series and an enjoyable book. I'll likely read more in this series.
So, who would enjoy this book?
Anyone who has read and enjoyed books by Paul Doherty (I found the writing styles to be similar) or anyone who likes works of fiction set in the Elizabethan era. The murders are fairly tame, so this won't be too intense for those who aren't quite fans of murder mysteries. I might not recommend it for those who are used to the bodice-ripping drama of some Tudor period fiction -- this story is more cozy than titillating.
jlynnelseauthor's review against another edition
4.0
As a fan of Arianna Franklin, I was excited to find this book at our local used bookstore. Same type of story idea, different author. After reading Fiona Buckley’s narrative style, I felt it worked! What I love about this book is the complete immersion into the time period. The way the characters talked, references made, setting details, it all fit with the times. The main character, Ursula, is a strong independent woman but not unrealistically so for the time period. There was no dressing as a man, overtly breaking social boundaries (Ursula rides her horse sidesaddle as was common for that era), or defending herself with weapons. Buckley provided strength of character despite social constraints.
I truly delighted in the casual observation of Ursula’s dislike of the “new fashion” of using Mrs. instead of Mistress or Mr. instead of Master. Who knew our modern abbreviations were once a new fashion of Elizabethan decorum! I love those details of daily life that Buckley expertly wove into the story.
I also very much enjoyed that the focus was not on late-night escapades. I am always a bit shy of reading novels set within this time period as I've encountered too many details about physical pleasuring. I don’t like to read that. Buckley is never graphic about personal affairs. Character emotions were emphasized in their subtlety (in a look or a gesture) rather than physical acts in bed.
One thing that was absent for me was the lack of physical evidence. Ursula presented many theories, but she had no physical evidence to substantiate her claims in the end. Maybe this was commonplace in the 1500s? My knowledgebase on the time is limited. However, I was hoping she would have some document to help prove her story. As such, I felt Ursula made connections to the perpetrators without firm foundations (i.e., her uncle’s mysterious donation noted in his accounting book).
While I didn't find the mystery in this novel to be an edge-of-your-seat page turner, it was the characters and settings that made me want to continue reading. This was an intriguing jaunt into a stressful time in English history where religious turmoil and politics threatened to destroy a nation. I will definitely go back to my local bookstore to get the other novels of this series! I felt the character voice was compelling and the plot well narrated.
I truly delighted in the casual observation of Ursula’s dislike of the “new fashion” of using Mrs. instead of Mistress or Mr. instead of Master. Who knew our modern abbreviations were once a new fashion of Elizabethan decorum! I love those details of daily life that Buckley expertly wove into the story.
I also very much enjoyed that the focus was not on late-night escapades. I am always a bit shy of reading novels set within this time period as I've encountered too many details about physical pleasuring. I don’t like to read that. Buckley is never graphic about personal affairs. Character emotions were emphasized in their subtlety (in a look or a gesture) rather than physical acts in bed.
One thing that was absent for me was the lack of physical evidence. Ursula presented many theories, but she had no physical evidence to substantiate her claims in the end. Maybe this was commonplace in the 1500s? My knowledgebase on the time is limited. However, I was hoping she would have some document to help prove her story. As such, I felt Ursula made connections to the perpetrators without firm foundations (i.e., her uncle’s mysterious donation noted in his accounting book).
While I didn't find the mystery in this novel to be an edge-of-your-seat page turner, it was the characters and settings that made me want to continue reading. This was an intriguing jaunt into a stressful time in English history where religious turmoil and politics threatened to destroy a nation. I will definitely go back to my local bookstore to get the other novels of this series! I felt the character voice was compelling and the plot well narrated.
kentcryptid's review against another edition
5.0
It's so satisfying when you read a book, love it, and then realise it's the start of a series and you've got so many more books to read and enjoy.
To Shield the Queen (or The Robsart Mystery as my version was actually called; To Shield the Queen is a better title) follows a young widow named Ursula who takes up a place as a lady in waiting at the court of Elizabeth I. Needing extra money to provide for her daughter, she accepts an assignment from Robert Dudley - scandalously, the queen's paramour - to guard his estranged wife, who fears death by poison.
This book is under 300 pages, but the author still manages a complex plot with a lot of moving pieces and a ton of great character development. On page two Ursula describes her sadness at having to dismiss a man who's worked for her during her entire life, and who she obviously regards as family, because she can't afford to continue paying him. When I found myself getting choked up, despite literally having just met both these characters, I knew the book was going to be a winner.
There's also a lot of delicious detail about clothes, the speed a group of horse riders can travel in a day if one of them isn't very good rider and keeps falling off their horse, court politics and the social divides caused by living in a country which has spent the last thirty years seesawing dangerously between Catholicism and Anglicanism, which is absorbing rather than distracting.
To Shield the Queen (or The Robsart Mystery as my version was actually called; To Shield the Queen is a better title) follows a young widow named Ursula who takes up a place as a lady in waiting at the court of Elizabeth I. Needing extra money to provide for her daughter, she accepts an assignment from Robert Dudley - scandalously, the queen's paramour - to guard his estranged wife, who fears death by poison.
This book is under 300 pages, but the author still manages a complex plot with a lot of moving pieces and a ton of great character development. On page two Ursula describes her sadness at having to dismiss a man who's worked for her during her entire life, and who she obviously regards as family, because she can't afford to continue paying him. When I found myself getting choked up, despite literally having just met both these characters, I knew the book was going to be a winner.
There's also a lot of delicious detail about clothes, the speed a group of horse riders can travel in a day if one of them isn't very good rider and keeps falling off their horse, court politics and the social divides caused by living in a country which has spent the last thirty years seesawing dangerously between Catholicism and Anglicanism, which is absorbing rather than distracting.
dcm7918's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Classism
davidreyno's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An interesting historical whodunit, but a slow read due to the rather flowery speech of the time.
thinblueyankee's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. There were too many characters that I had to try and keep track of, and it ruined the mystery behind it all. I wouldn't read another book like this, but it is well written.
libraryowl's review against another edition
4.0
Good novel. I am looking forward to reading the next in this series. Ursula is a widowed lady serving Queen Elizabeth. She is dispatched to aid Amy Dudley, the dying wife of the Queen's romantic interest, Robin Dudley. Amy does pass on and the reader is involved in the 2 mysteries surrounding this death.
kbaxter21's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
laurena's review against another edition
4.0
A good story with the right amount of humor, suspense, and intrigue. Not too stressful :)