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cressida's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
shroudofthesea's review against another edition
2.0
among the better novels i've read in this genre; i wish i could give it 2 1/2 stars instead of just 2. compared to the other two novels in the series, this one sort of felt like the author was just starting to settle into her chosen medium, but it's a very cool one--letting the chronicles speak for themselves allows her to focus on the emotional inner lives of the characters. however, a couple of the margaret beaufort scenes have some quite triggering content that i thought was pretty unnecessary? it wasn't triggering to me personally, but still very uncomfortable, and i don't think the book would have suffered any if they simply...weren't there. you can guess what sort of content i'm talking about if you know anything about margaret b's early life, but it's described here in more detail than i expected.
usualjellyfish's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book from a goodreads giveaway.
I have read a few books about the War of the Roses, and I found this one refreshing because it focuses on a pair of women that are often in the supporting cast (or, in the case of Margaret of Anjou, an ominous entity in the background) rather than on the oft-celebrated brothers of York.
I enjoyed the book. I liked the way both Margaret's were illustrated as troubled young women trying to find a place in the world for their young sons, without them being overshadowed or secondary to the boys themselves. There are brief glimpses into the lives of others scattered throughout that tie in other major players from the age, both men and women, but it's not too dense on that account. The only thing I found jarring was that there are a couple of chapters interspersed where the narrative changes into the first-person, but these chapters were self-contained stories and the unexpected transition was not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the book.
The one thing that I liked the best was the use of excerpts from historical documents to progress the story. It was very refreshing, for example, to read reports of major battles as written by people who were directly affected by them. The use of primary sources in this way was clever, and something that I would not mind seeing in more historical fiction.
If you are a fan of historical fiction about the War of the Roses, or about British history in general, this is a nice read and I would recommend it.
I have read a few books about the War of the Roses, and I found this one refreshing because it focuses on a pair of women that are often in the supporting cast (or, in the case of Margaret of Anjou, an ominous entity in the background) rather than on the oft-celebrated brothers of York.
I enjoyed the book. I liked the way both Margaret's were illustrated as troubled young women trying to find a place in the world for their young sons, without them being overshadowed or secondary to the boys themselves. There are brief glimpses into the lives of others scattered throughout that tie in other major players from the age, both men and women, but it's not too dense on that account. The only thing I found jarring was that there are a couple of chapters interspersed where the narrative changes into the first-person, but these chapters were self-contained stories and the unexpected transition was not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the book.
The one thing that I liked the best was the use of excerpts from historical documents to progress the story. It was very refreshing, for example, to read reports of major battles as written by people who were directly affected by them. The use of primary sources in this way was clever, and something that I would not mind seeing in more historical fiction.
If you are a fan of historical fiction about the War of the Roses, or about British history in general, this is a nice read and I would recommend it.
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
4.0
The first in a three-volume series about the Wars of the Roses that uses Margaret of Anjou and Margaret Beaufort as its focal points, Livi Michael’s Succession isn’t like any historical fiction novels I’ve read before. It uses excerpts from the various chronicles of the fifteenth century to structure and inform relatively brief chapters that depicts the events from Margaret of Anjou’s arrival in England to the Battle of Towton.
I found it hard to get into Succession, namely because the early chapters feel a little disjointed – we’re jumping from one main event to the next with little space in between to develop the characters. Individually, I found each chapter was an exquisite jewel – I just wish they were linked together better. This issue also disappeared later in the text as the narrative settled in.
I’ve often been wary of reading fiction about the Wars of the Roses as it often seems frighteningly partisan, with the author being so aligned to one ‘side’ of the conflict that they demonise the other side. Here, I’m happy to say, Michael is neither overtly Lancastrian, Tudor, Yorkist or Ricardian. We get a range of perspectives from across the board and neither is particularly sainted or vilified, all human. The closest to being vilified is Jasper Tudor but I was also acutely aware that we’ve seen him only through the eyes of a grieving twelve-year-old and, hopefully, this will change in the future instalments.
The characterisation of Margaret Beaufort is particularly well-done – she is traumatised and confused, relying on religion when she finds there is little else to comfort her. There are parts of her character that I thought verged onto the unrealistic, such as her extreme fasting, and parts of her story that were rendered in too much detail that the scenes become very, very uncomfortable to read, such as the consummation of her marriage at age twelve or the birth of her son. I wasn’t totally thrilled with the depiction of Edmund Tudor but we see him entirely through Margaret’s POV and that, again, is unreliable – I think that’s what helped me cope with his depiction. Margaret doesn’t really know him – he’s polite and respectful, but distant, and then he does something horrific to her and then disappears and dies and she’s left alone, becoming aware she can trust no one.
I don’t think Michael characterises the other Margaret – Margaret of Anjou – nearly as well as she characterises Margaret Beaufort and that’s disappointing. Part of this is that we don’t see Margaret of Anjou’s point-of-view often, we see her through the eyes of others instead, and the other part is that it doesn’t really move away from the characterisation of her as an ignorant, arrogant blood-thirsty queen. The scenes around the birth of her son, Edward of Westminster, are well-done, however. While Michael does give Henry VI more humanity than most other writers, he still sits in the novel as a void and Michael ignores the complexity that can be discerned in the historical Henry to present him as a pious and innocent fool and madman.
I did, however, enjoy the characterisations of almost everyone else. Michael’s Owen Tudor, although only briefly appearing in the novel, moved me to tears. The one-chapter cameo of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester was also fantastic.
I won’t speak of historical accuracy, as I don’t know enough about the Wars of the Roses to do so properly. I did note that the chapter dealing with the arrest of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester was staggeringly inaccurate and seemed more based on Shakespeare’s depiction than the work of historians. I also noted that Michael’s characterisation of Jasper Tudor doesn’t seem to mesh well with what I know of him. Perhaps a reader more familiar with the Wars of the Roses will find more serious issues as far as the historical accuracy is concerned.
I found it hard to get into Succession, namely because the early chapters feel a little disjointed – we’re jumping from one main event to the next with little space in between to develop the characters. Individually, I found each chapter was an exquisite jewel – I just wish they were linked together better. This issue also disappeared later in the text as the narrative settled in.
I’ve often been wary of reading fiction about the Wars of the Roses as it often seems frighteningly partisan, with the author being so aligned to one ‘side’ of the conflict that they demonise the other side. Here, I’m happy to say, Michael is neither overtly Lancastrian, Tudor, Yorkist or Ricardian. We get a range of perspectives from across the board and neither is particularly sainted or vilified, all human. The closest to being vilified is Jasper Tudor but I was also acutely aware that we’ve seen him only through the eyes of a grieving twelve-year-old and, hopefully, this will change in the future instalments.
The characterisation of Margaret Beaufort is particularly well-done – she is traumatised and confused, relying on religion when she finds there is little else to comfort her. There are parts of her character that I thought verged onto the unrealistic, such as her extreme fasting, and parts of her story that were rendered in too much detail that the scenes become very, very uncomfortable to read, such as the consummation of her marriage at age twelve or the birth of her son. I wasn’t totally thrilled with the depiction of Edmund Tudor but we see him entirely through Margaret’s POV and that, again, is unreliable – I think that’s what helped me cope with his depiction. Margaret doesn’t really know him – he’s polite and respectful, but distant, and then he does something horrific to her and then disappears and dies and she’s left alone, becoming aware she can trust no one.
I don’t think Michael characterises the other Margaret – Margaret of Anjou – nearly as well as she characterises Margaret Beaufort and that’s disappointing. Part of this is that we don’t see Margaret of Anjou’s point-of-view often, we see her through the eyes of others instead, and the other part is that it doesn’t really move away from the characterisation of her as an ignorant, arrogant blood-thirsty queen. The scenes around the birth of her son, Edward of Westminster, are well-done, however. While Michael does give Henry VI more humanity than most other writers, he still sits in the novel as a void and Michael ignores the complexity that can be discerned in the historical Henry to present him as a pious and innocent fool and madman.
I did, however, enjoy the characterisations of almost everyone else. Michael’s Owen Tudor, although only briefly appearing in the novel, moved me to tears. The one-chapter cameo of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester was also fantastic.
I won’t speak of historical accuracy, as I don’t know enough about the Wars of the Roses to do so properly. I did note that the chapter dealing with the arrest of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester was staggeringly inaccurate and seemed more based on Shakespeare’s depiction than the work of historians. I also noted that Michael’s characterisation of Jasper Tudor doesn’t seem to mesh well with what I know of him. Perhaps a reader more familiar with the Wars of the Roses will find more serious issues as far as the historical accuracy is concerned.
girlwithherheadinabook's review
5.0
It is not hard to contract medieval fatigue particularly concerning The Wars of the Roses. I enjoy historical fiction but even I do find it repetitive on occasion. Either it's the frothy and ultimately nauseating Philippa Gregory-esque frolics through the boudoirs of the court or we have the bloodied battlefields of Conn Iggulden and his ilk. Now and again though an author is able to offer an entirely fresh perspective and that is what Livi Michael offers here. Succession was a riveting read and breathed new life into the more ignored moments of the conflict - this is historical fiction with an emphasis on the history and a clear eye for the minds and motives of the people who lived through it.
Michael focuses on the experiences of the two Margarets of the conflict; Margaret of Anjou, queen to Henry VI and then Margaret Beaufort, mother to Henry Tudor who went on to be Henry VII. The narrative shifts between the two but also steps into the shoes of many of the other major players of the era. What truly sets Succession apart however is the way it weaves in contemporary chronicles between each chapter. The action is portioned into fragments, each section no more than a single scene from the drama, giving a vivid and far-reaching impression of the disintegrating Plantagenet empire. As Henry VI's authority crumbled I was reminded of Edward Grey's famous comment on the outset of World War I, that the lamps were 'going out all over Europe'. Succession gave a similar impression of the beginning of a war which also ended peace. The Plantagenets had ruled Britain Henry II. After the fall of Henry VI, they were wiped out within a generation. That crucial issue of succession was no longer about the birth of a new heir but became instead the eradication of a bloodline.
My full review is posted here: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/review-succession-livi-michael.html
Michael focuses on the experiences of the two Margarets of the conflict; Margaret of Anjou, queen to Henry VI and then Margaret Beaufort, mother to Henry Tudor who went on to be Henry VII. The narrative shifts between the two but also steps into the shoes of many of the other major players of the era. What truly sets Succession apart however is the way it weaves in contemporary chronicles between each chapter. The action is portioned into fragments, each section no more than a single scene from the drama, giving a vivid and far-reaching impression of the disintegrating Plantagenet empire. As Henry VI's authority crumbled I was reminded of Edward Grey's famous comment on the outset of World War I, that the lamps were 'going out all over Europe'. Succession gave a similar impression of the beginning of a war which also ended peace. The Plantagenets had ruled Britain Henry II. After the fall of Henry VI, they were wiped out within a generation. That crucial issue of succession was no longer about the birth of a new heir but became instead the eradication of a bloodline.
My full review is posted here: http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/review-succession-livi-michael.html
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