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semperlunaris's review against another edition
4.0
If you liked the kind of books [a:Philippa Gregory|9987|Philippa Gregory|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1560883006p2/9987.jpg] writes but want something a little different, this was the kind of book you might like. It's about Queen Isabella (Mother to Katherine of Aragon) of Spain's life from childhood, marriage, and on to the birth of the Spanish Inquisition (If I remember right, it was many years ago that I read this!)
I remember reading this mostly at night and enjoying it very much!
I remember reading this mostly at night and enjoying it very much!
whisperwind's review against another edition
4.0
it was very informative and interesting, now will continue "Last Queen" :-)
sultanaofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
beastreader's review against another edition
3.0
This book is told in the first person by Isabella. I liked this as it helped to give Isabella a stronger voice, not that she needed any help with that. Isabella is a strong, independent, smart woman. She could come off as cold at times because of her aloofness and the fact that she did not get easily rattled but she was just processing everything before she did anything. Which I can relate to. I am a thinker. I don’t react instantly but that does not mean I don’t care. I am picturing the whole situation from start to end and a few steps beyond. So back to Isabella. Anyways what interested me the most is all of the traits I just mentioned about Isabella are things that other readers did not like about her. Sometimes I would agree with the other readers that the aloofness is a turn off but in this story and for who Isabella was it worked for her.
Again however as much as I like the fact that Mr. Gortner can bring life to any era that he writes about, it comes down to the details. There are just too many for me. Which translates to slow reading and makes me think that sometimes the book should end a lot sooner than it did. Overall though I did like this book and learning more about the Spanish royal court.
Again however as much as I like the fact that Mr. Gortner can bring life to any era that he writes about, it comes down to the details. There are just too many for me. Which translates to slow reading and makes me think that sometimes the book should end a lot sooner than it did. Overall though I did like this book and learning more about the Spanish royal court.
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
2.0
Sorry couldn't feel any sympathy or interest. Quit on page 122 having read about a quarter of the book and gotten a good idea of what would come. I am supposed to be interested in these greedy, violent barbarians who have the nerve to think themselves better than the infidel moors?
literarylover37's review against another edition
2.0
I'd probably give it a 2.5. I liked it but I felt like the character could have been developed more. It also bothered me that he said the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria at the end. Ships were named after saints. Nina and Pinta, though known more commonly, were actually nicknames for these ships given by the sailors. Why he would get the fact about having to wait 6 years for Isabel's support correct and not this is strange to me. I also agree with reviewers that he downplayed her role in the Inquisition. Still, it was well written and enjoyable to read.
lifeand100books's review against another edition
4.0
For many of us, the only information we know about Queen Isabella of Spain is that she commissioned Columbus to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to reach India. Besides this, her reign and accomplishments have been slowly forgotten over the years. C. W. Gortner aims to change that in his novel The Queen’s Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile. In this sweeping historical fiction work, Gortner lays out Isabella’s life for inspection and highlights her greatest triumphs and tribulations for all to see.
We begin with Isabella in her early years, when she is taken from her mother’s home and all that she knows and holds dear, to the home of her half-brother, Enrique, the King of Spain. Enrique is married to Joan of Portugal, who is known for her scandalous dress and manner. Although she does not want any part of the lives of Enrique and Joan, she is unwittingly thrown into a plot to dethrone Enrique, and is soon accused of treason and imprisoned. She is caught between what she believes to be the right course of action and what she must do to protect herself. She must change loyalties constantly, and in this ever-changing and dangerous world the only thing she truly wants is to marry her true love, Fernando, prince of Aragon. She is finally able to do so after successfully avoiding the other marriage proposals that are set up for her by Enrique. After her marriage to Fernando, they are both constantly tested as they try to unite Spain despite the many obstacles in their path. Will their marriage last? Will Isabella be able to be the monarch she knows that she can be?
Historical fiction can sometimes be a tricky genre to read when it’s about history that’s difficult to research. What I mean by that is the further back in history that you travel, the harder it is to find primary sources that can give you a complete picture of what that time was like. You have to become adept at filling in the gaps in an accurate and entertaining manner for your readers. Gortner clearly does this in The Queen’s Vow showing not only his depth and accuracy as a historian, but his imaginative and creative side as an author.
Gortner’s vision of who Isabella was is a beautiful rendition, one I think Isabella herself would be proud of. It’s written in a beautiful manner, weaving the plot lines of Isabella and those surrounding her into one seamless timeline. Some historical fiction novels can be overly heavy in their vast number of characters that are present, making it hard to keep track of all the plot lines that exist simultaneously. Fortunately, The Queen’s Vow does not have this problem, as Gortner focuses on Isabella and keeps the plot moving by introducing other characters that are only essential to her development in the story. In all, it is a great work that must find its way onto any historical fiction fan’s shelf. This is definitely worth the read!
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-154
We begin with Isabella in her early years, when she is taken from her mother’s home and all that she knows and holds dear, to the home of her half-brother, Enrique, the King of Spain. Enrique is married to Joan of Portugal, who is known for her scandalous dress and manner. Although she does not want any part of the lives of Enrique and Joan, she is unwittingly thrown into a plot to dethrone Enrique, and is soon accused of treason and imprisoned. She is caught between what she believes to be the right course of action and what she must do to protect herself. She must change loyalties constantly, and in this ever-changing and dangerous world the only thing she truly wants is to marry her true love, Fernando, prince of Aragon. She is finally able to do so after successfully avoiding the other marriage proposals that are set up for her by Enrique. After her marriage to Fernando, they are both constantly tested as they try to unite Spain despite the many obstacles in their path. Will their marriage last? Will Isabella be able to be the monarch she knows that she can be?
Historical fiction can sometimes be a tricky genre to read when it’s about history that’s difficult to research. What I mean by that is the further back in history that you travel, the harder it is to find primary sources that can give you a complete picture of what that time was like. You have to become adept at filling in the gaps in an accurate and entertaining manner for your readers. Gortner clearly does this in The Queen’s Vow showing not only his depth and accuracy as a historian, but his imaginative and creative side as an author.
Gortner’s vision of who Isabella was is a beautiful rendition, one I think Isabella herself would be proud of. It’s written in a beautiful manner, weaving the plot lines of Isabella and those surrounding her into one seamless timeline. Some historical fiction novels can be overly heavy in their vast number of characters that are present, making it hard to keep track of all the plot lines that exist simultaneously. Fortunately, The Queen’s Vow does not have this problem, as Gortner focuses on Isabella and keeps the plot moving by introducing other characters that are only essential to her development in the story. In all, it is a great work that must find its way onto any historical fiction fan’s shelf. This is definitely worth the read!
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-154
kinx128's review against another edition
5.0
C.W. Gortner was written a marvelous historical novel of Spain’s Isabella I during a very tumultuous time in its history. He successfully tackled a very controversial historical figure with great passion and aplomb. Mr. Gortner was able to bring to life Isabella I who had the reputation of intolerance and zealousness. Instead, Isabella is portrayed as sympathic and, in fact, empathic with her subjects and political opponents.
Prior to reading this book, I really didn’t know much about Isabella; except for her involvement of the Inquisition and Christopher Columbus. I really never expected to appreciate what she accomplished in her life. Mr. Gortner gave me a new perspective of her, for which I am grateful. I’m, also, grateful that he didn’t completely focus on her religious feelings and the Inquisition. Her focus remained throughout the entire book was on a united Spain and the obstacles she faced trying to achieve that.
I’m completely amazed by all the research the Mr. Gortner had to have done to write this novel. All of the political intrigue and betrayal was written so well that I could imagine what Castile was truly like.
The Queen’s Vow is a wonderful book with incredible richness of Spanish history. Reading this book, you will be surprised with Isabella and will want to know more about her.
Prior to reading this book, I really didn’t know much about Isabella; except for her involvement of the Inquisition and Christopher Columbus. I really never expected to appreciate what she accomplished in her life. Mr. Gortner gave me a new perspective of her, for which I am grateful. I’m, also, grateful that he didn’t completely focus on her religious feelings and the Inquisition. Her focus remained throughout the entire book was on a united Spain and the obstacles she faced trying to achieve that.
I’m completely amazed by all the research the Mr. Gortner had to have done to write this novel. All of the political intrigue and betrayal was written so well that I could imagine what Castile was truly like.
The Queen’s Vow is a wonderful book with incredible richness of Spanish history. Reading this book, you will be surprised with Isabella and will want to know more about her.
bmg20's review
3.0
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A copy of The Queen's Vow was provided to me by Random House for review purposes.
C.W. Gortner is well known for his historical fiction novels and I have been interested in reading his works for many years. This being my first one, I was impressed. His detailing of Isabella is almost sedulous with how painstaking it is. While he painted an extremely detailed portrait of Isabella, I'm not positive he painted her as accurately as she is known for being.
Isabella I of Castile was never expected to amount to anything yet she became known for greatness. Her struggle to claim her true right to the throne after her brother died at an early age is the initial focus of this novel. It also showcases first-hand the initial meeting of Isabella and her future-husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Isabella is known for being a strong, independent queen who was able to reorganize governments and unburden the kingdom of debts that had been crushing for all citizens. She is also well known for her unwavering faith and while we saw moments of faith, I think the focus on her infatuation with a boy she knew for two days is a bit off-base. It's also unfounded in history as her and her husband did not meet until they were married. The Queen's Vow focuses heavily on their initial meeting and their subsequent separation after which Isabella pines over him because she's unable to communicate with him.
I've found this to be a common trend with many historical fiction novels (the emphasis on the romance aspect whether it being grounded in history or not) and I can say it often leaves me disappointed. This is especially true when the main character is telling the story of a strong woman in a time when women were constantly impeded. What I also found disconcerting was her disassociation from the corruption and decay that was happening around her. While all this chaos was happening around her she sat silently, biting her tongue and digging her nails in her hands to maintain composure. While I believe this to be done as further proof of her unwavering faith, it actually made her to be a very bland and boring character.
While I wasn't completely impressed with the representation of Isabella, I was for the most part pleased with the writing style of Gortner and his attention to detail. It's clear that he researches his topics extensively, I just hope that he doesn't take too much artistic license in all of his stories.
A copy of The Queen's Vow was provided to me by Random House for review purposes.
C.W. Gortner is well known for his historical fiction novels and I have been interested in reading his works for many years. This being my first one, I was impressed. His detailing of Isabella is almost sedulous with how painstaking it is. While he painted an extremely detailed portrait of Isabella, I'm not positive he painted her as accurately as she is known for being.
Isabella I of Castile was never expected to amount to anything yet she became known for greatness. Her struggle to claim her true right to the throne after her brother died at an early age is the initial focus of this novel. It also showcases first-hand the initial meeting of Isabella and her future-husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon.
Isabella is known for being a strong, independent queen who was able to reorganize governments and unburden the kingdom of debts that had been crushing for all citizens. She is also well known for her unwavering faith and while we saw moments of faith, I think the focus on her infatuation with a boy she knew for two days is a bit off-base. It's also unfounded in history as her and her husband did not meet until they were married. The Queen's Vow focuses heavily on their initial meeting and their subsequent separation after which Isabella pines over him because she's unable to communicate with him.
I've found this to be a common trend with many historical fiction novels (the emphasis on the romance aspect whether it being grounded in history or not) and I can say it often leaves me disappointed. This is especially true when the main character is telling the story of a strong woman in a time when women were constantly impeded. What I also found disconcerting was her disassociation from the corruption and decay that was happening around her. While all this chaos was happening around her she sat silently, biting her tongue and digging her nails in her hands to maintain composure. While I believe this to be done as further proof of her unwavering faith, it actually made her to be a very bland and boring character.
While I wasn't completely impressed with the representation of Isabella, I was for the most part pleased with the writing style of Gortner and his attention to detail. It's clear that he researches his topics extensively, I just hope that he doesn't take too much artistic license in all of his stories.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty much everything I know about Isabella of Spain I learned from watching a Spanish tv show entitled Isabel, which charges blithely through the entirety of her life. Reading this book is like watching that TV show, but with less gore and more attempts at justifying her treatment of the Jews. It is a little frustrating to discover afterwards that, despite the just-the-facts-ma'am treatment of the narrative, the author rearranged a fair number of events. Additionally, Isabel never really felt realistic - the historic Isabel was intensely religious and undoubtedly a canny politician and ruthless strategist, whereas this Isabella is a wide-eyed naif who basically seizes control of Castile because she feels she has no choice. But she's nice, really. She doesn't want to dispossess her niece, or begin the Reconquista, or fund the Inquisition, or persecute the conversos. It just kind of happens that way. Come on. It would have been a lot more fun, and a lot more interesting, to see her as a more realistic ruler.