riseclare's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved this book. Had little time for reading during this time period, but really enjoyed it when I was able to pick it up. Very interesting character to learn more about and loved the point of view she took with him. Kept me entertained.
olivia_russell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
abrswf's review against another edition
5.0
I read this after polishing off Penman's superb Wales trilogy, and it's just as good though tremendously long. Once again this is history that reads as a gripping novel, this time illuminating the War of the Roses and the origins of the Tudor reign. The perspective on Richard III, around whom this book revolves, may be a bit too positive-- for example, the exhumation of his remains recently indicates he did indeed have significant curvature of the spine-- but still makes much more sense than Shakespeare's portrayal. The book also makes a persuasive case for the likely culprit behind the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. And above all this is a rattlingly good read. On to Penman's next installment!
islandkate763's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a beast at 936 pages but I loved every one. I am rarely able to enjoy medieval historical fiction as for some reason they are usually either blatant bodice rippers less focused on the history or they are strong on history but any women in the story are vessels for gratuitous sex scenes rather than well-developed characters (looking at you Ken Follett). This book struck the perfect balance between the history and the rich lives of ALL the characters and had me wishing the whole time that it wouldn't end the way I knew it must.
rasha_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely one of the best books I have ever read and still one that I enjoy re-reading. Beautifully researched and written and thoroughly engrossing.
mercipourleslivres's review against another edition
5.0
So this was amazing. I can't get over what a delight it was to finally read a book this year worthy of all the stars I could give it. I've always been a huge Tudor fan yet never ventured far into the pre-history that is the Wars of the Roses. While Philippa Gregory may have brought this time period to the light recently with her Cousins' War series and the Starz adaptation of "The White Queen" you really should take the time to dip into Penman's 900 page love song to Richard III. Her prose and characterizations make Gregory (of whom I'm a huge fan) seem stale and stilted in comparison. Plus I'm a huge fan of the underdogs of history and its refreshing to see Richard III for what he most likely was, instead of what the victors ended up portraying him as after his death.
I highly, highly recommend this book.
I highly, highly recommend this book.
topo_di_biblioteca's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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? Yes
5.0
aradeia's review against another edition
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my favorite book in high school, and I still love it dearly. Penman does a wonderful job bringing her characters and their world to life. The Sunne in Splendour is crazy long, but it's never a chore to read if you love the history. Perhaps my favorite part about this book is her depiction of Margaret of Anjou. Penman is a staunch Yorkist / Ricardian, but she doesn't take the easy route to demonize Queen Margaret (as far as I can remember). Instead, Margaret is just as complex as the rest of the characters, and I felt truly sorry for her when she met her political and personal end. That choice by Penman is a breath of fresh air after the simplistic and disappointing characterizations presented by Philippa Gregory in her series of novels about the time period.
Ultimately and unfortunately the book does fall a little flat. Penman takes a strongly and obviously Ricardian view about Richard's reign: no longer is he guilty of killing his nephews (we can blame Buckingham for that in this story), and his niece (his niece!) is in love with him. Even 17 year old me who was still learning the history behind the novel knew Penman's story didn't quite add up. To me, the obvious Ricardian argument detracts from an otherwise nuanced interpretation of Richard's life.
That said, I believe Penman wrote The Sunne in Splendour at a time when Richard III was still largely understood as a monstrous tyrant. Through its sympathetic characterization of him as a man, The Sunne in Splendour has played a large role in the recuperation of Richard's reputation. So in that way, The Sunne in Splendour reveals something of its own moment in time as it seeks to introduce a modern audience to a more distant past.
Ultimately and unfortunately the book does fall a little flat. Penman takes a strongly and obviously Ricardian view about Richard's reign: no longer is he guilty of killing his nephews (we can blame Buckingham for that in this story), and his niece (his niece!) is in love with him. Even 17 year old me who was still learning the history behind the novel knew Penman's story didn't quite add up. To me, the obvious Ricardian argument detracts from an otherwise nuanced interpretation of Richard's life.
That said, I believe Penman wrote The Sunne in Splendour at a time when Richard III was still largely understood as a monstrous tyrant. Through its sympathetic characterization of him as a man, The Sunne in Splendour has played a large role in the recuperation of Richard's reputation. So in that way, The Sunne in Splendour reveals something of its own moment in time as it seeks to introduce a modern audience to a more distant past.
straaawbs's review against another edition
5.0
This book is all the proof you could need that historical novelists do not need to resort to changing details and messing with the history in order to tell a compelling story - the actual facts of what happened are fascinating enough. I just watched The White Queen, which perfectly illustrates that point with its scores of historical inaccuracies. They should instead have made a tv series based on The Sunne in Splendour I think! I hope they do.
If you find the Wars of the Roses confusing, read this book and all will become clear. This is not just the story of Richard III, but also his older brother, Edward IV. Richard doesn't even become king until about page 900 of my 1240 page edition. The story is told from a variety of different viewpoints. In fact, the POV often shifts multiple times within a chapter, which in retrospect was a wise choice when you're dealing with so many characters, and means the action is not limited by the need to follow only one character. This is ultimately a very sympathetic portrayal of Richard III, which I still think strikes closer to the mark than the first book I read about him (The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir...).
As Penman notes in her afterword, she tried as far as possible to correlate the events in the novel with contemporary sources, trying to convey people, places, and dates as accurately as she could. Although a couple of minor characters are fictional and a couple of locations have been changed, this book is a feat in historical accuracy. Of course, characters' motives often have to be conjectured - how did Richard react to the execution of Henry VI, for instance? Why was George of Clarence executed? Did Richard have a thing for his niece? Most significantly, what happened to the Princes in the Tower? Penman's interpretation of their disappearance is one of several theories posited by historians, and we'll likely never know the true answer.
My favourite part of the book were the battle scenes! The battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury especially were compelling, as was the final battle at Redmore Plain (Bosworth), with a Richard who feels he has nothing left to lose making a courageous (yet foolhardy) cavalry charge toward Henry Tudor. Richard needn't have died that day, but we come to understand, in light of the last year of his life, why he did.
This book is a feat of historical literature, with well-written characters with all-too-realistic failings and motives. It does often veer toward an overly saintly portrayal of Richard, but without contradicting contemporary sources. Richard's honour, it seems, must come at the Woodvilles' expense. They were an ambitious family and we know that they deliberately neglected to inform Richard, who was still in the north, of his brother's death in order to try to limit Richard's powers as Protector. Their actions clearly came from self-interest, as they needed control of the boy king to remain in power. However, it wasn't until very near the end that I had any stirrings of sympathy for Elizabeth Woodville, and I would like to see a more balanced portrait of her.
Female characters had good representation here. It was the nature of the times that women had little involvement in matters political and I occasionally found myself getting a little antsy that important events would be skimmed over in favour of Anne Neville's perspective, but I felt the author managed this balance well. However, the book could perhaps have benefited from a couple less chapters in 1471, and a couple more during Richard's reign.
This book was, on the whole, wonderful and I will definitely come back to re-read it. I think it's exemplary in how historical fiction should be executed - by taking real events and real people, staying true to the events of the times, and using the fiction to bring them to life.
(A few other reviewers have filed this as a book about the Tudors? Let's make clear that, although knowledge of the Wars of the Roses and Richard III's reign is vital in understanding the rise of the Tudor dynasty, this book is not about the Tudors! These guys were Plantagenets.)
If you find the Wars of the Roses confusing, read this book and all will become clear. This is not just the story of Richard III, but also his older brother, Edward IV. Richard doesn't even become king until about page 900 of my 1240 page edition. The story is told from a variety of different viewpoints. In fact, the POV often shifts multiple times within a chapter, which in retrospect was a wise choice when you're dealing with so many characters, and means the action is not limited by the need to follow only one character. This is ultimately a very sympathetic portrayal of Richard III, which I still think strikes closer to the mark than the first book I read about him (The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir...).
As Penman notes in her afterword, she tried as far as possible to correlate the events in the novel with contemporary sources, trying to convey people, places, and dates as accurately as she could. Although a couple of minor characters are fictional and a couple of locations have been changed, this book is a feat in historical accuracy. Of course, characters' motives often have to be conjectured - how did Richard react to the execution of Henry VI, for instance? Why was George of Clarence executed? Did Richard have a thing for his niece? Most significantly, what happened to the Princes in the Tower? Penman's interpretation of their disappearance is one of several theories posited by historians, and we'll likely never know the true answer.
My favourite part of the book were the battle scenes! The battles of Barnet and Tewkesbury especially were compelling, as was the final battle at Redmore Plain (Bosworth), with a Richard who feels he has nothing left to lose making a courageous (yet foolhardy) cavalry charge toward Henry Tudor. Richard needn't have died that day, but we come to understand, in light of the last year of his life, why he did.
This book is a feat of historical literature, with well-written characters with all-too-realistic failings and motives. It does often veer toward an overly saintly portrayal of Richard, but without contradicting contemporary sources. Richard's honour, it seems, must come at the Woodvilles' expense. They were an ambitious family and we know that they deliberately neglected to inform Richard, who was still in the north, of his brother's death in order to try to limit Richard's powers as Protector. Their actions clearly came from self-interest, as they needed control of the boy king to remain in power. However, it wasn't until very near the end that I had any stirrings of sympathy for Elizabeth Woodville, and I would like to see a more balanced portrait of her.
Female characters had good representation here. It was the nature of the times that women had little involvement in matters political and I occasionally found myself getting a little antsy that important events would be skimmed over in favour of Anne Neville's perspective, but I felt the author managed this balance well. However, the book could perhaps have benefited from a couple less chapters in 1471, and a couple more during Richard's reign.
This book was, on the whole, wonderful and I will definitely come back to re-read it. I think it's exemplary in how historical fiction should be executed - by taking real events and real people, staying true to the events of the times, and using the fiction to bring them to life.
(A few other reviewers have filed this as a book about the Tudors? Let's make clear that, although knowledge of the Wars of the Roses and Richard III's reign is vital in understanding the rise of the Tudor dynasty, this book is not about the Tudors! These guys were Plantagenets.)