A review by ana3333
The Queen's Bastard by Robin Maxwell

4.0

I wasn't expecting much from a speculative historical fiction novel with randomly unnecessary erotic scenes. But it was surprisingly well researched, and author really paid a great deal of attention to the daily aspects of life in Elizabethan England. The entire chapters in italics were annoying, the plot was maybe a bit silly, and the eroticism seemed misplaced, but I still really enjoyed this book. Maxwell's real strength was in her characterization and worldbuilding. I was left feeling like the characters were all actual people with plausible actions and emotions, and they seemed distinctively Elizabethan, instead of being modern personalities forced into a historical setting (my biggest pet peeve in historical fiction.) I'll definitely be reading more by this author.