I couldn’t put down The King’s Mother. It’s the partner to Cecily by Annie Garthwaite, her re-telling of Cecily Neville, matriarch of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. In the sequel she is now a widow, mother of King Edward IV and the dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, and still a powerhouse in a world of men. Cecily Neville’s husband and eldest son are dead in battle, a battle won by her second son Edward who becomes king. This is the story of the mother of two kings, a woman unafraid to use her power, at the heart she is driven by family. She will do anything to protect her children, even when they are weak and wrong, even if it means waging war. The King’s Mother takes place as the War of the Roses transitions to the age of the Tudors. Edward becomes king at the age of 18, golden, feted, lusty and arrogant. No matter his mother’s plans for a geo-political marriage to benefit the country, the king falls for Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful blonde from a lesser family. The relationship between the young queen and her mother-in-law is the spine of the novel.
The moral at the end is to never underestimate the power of maternal love and family loyalty. Garthwaite brings a new perspective to the telling of Richard III’s story, which is to be welcomed, and a bitter, grudgingly respectful, hateful battle between four mothers; Cecily, Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Marguerite of Anjou. It is a time of war, civil and European, and Garthwaite shows the role of the women behind the thrones and most powerful men in the lands. Never ignore the soft power of the wife’s voice and the strategic knowledge learned by playing chess.
So good. It’s a timeless story, totally gripping despite the fact we all know the ending.
And another beautiful cover design.

Here’s my review of CECILY, also by Annie Garthwaite

If you like this, try:-
‘The Other Gwyn Girl’ by Nicola Cornick 
‘Winter Pilgrims’ by Toby Clements #1Kingmaker
‘A Rustle of Silk’ by Alys Clare #1GabrielTaverner

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
#BookReview THE KING’S MOTHER by @anniegarthwaite https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-89I via @SandraDanby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:-