Title: The King’s Daughter
Authors: Christie Dickason
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Publication Date: November 23, 2010
Paperback: 480 pages
ISBN: 978-0061976278
Genre: Historical Fiction
From the Publisher:
The daughter of James I, the Princess Elizabeth would not be merely her father’s pawn in the royal marriage market.
The court of James I is a dangerous place, with factions led by warring cousins Robert Cecil and Francis Bacon. While Europe seethes with conflict between Protestants and Catholics, James sees himself as a grand peacemaker—and wants to make his mark by trading his children for political treaties.
Henry, Prince of Wales, and his sister, Elizabeth, find themselves far more popular than their distrusted father, a perilous position for a child of a jealous king. When Elizabeth is introduced to one suitor, Frederick, the Elector Palatine, she feels the unexpected possibility of happiness. But her fate is not her own to choose—and when her parents brutally withdraw their support for the union, Elizabeth must take command of her own future, with the help of an unexpected ally, the slave girl Tallie, who seeks her own, very different freedom.
My Review:
The King’s Daughter by Christie Dickason takes the reader back to the 17th century and the childhood and young adult years of Elizabeth of Scotland, Queen of Bohemia. The King’s Daughter is an intriguing tale of young Elizabeth, whose parents are James VI of Scotland/James I of Great Britain and Queen Anne marking a truly fascinating time in history and extends the House of Stuart from Scotland to England. Dickason has certainly researched this time period and brings the reader into the life of young Elizabeth from the years 1605 through 1613, while not a lot of her life is covered in The King’s Daughter, it is a richly detailed book filled with rich and vivid characters as well as an intimate look at life as a princess. Dickason captures the essence of the time period and easily draws the reader into the book, a word of caution, this is not at all a fast moving story, rather it is deliberate and while it may appear slow, it is detailed and pointed. I was most intrigued to see how King James I would be portrayed as from all accounts he was a beloved ruler, yet I learned of a new side of him from this book. Which version of James I is true I cannot say without doing my own research. Regardless, Dickason truly does justice to this period of time, where young Elizabeth is moved to England around the age of six when her father is named as Queen Victoria’s successor. After reading and reflecting upon Dickason’s version of Elizabeth’s life it is difficult to tell if she would be a person I would have wanted to be acquainted with. Naturally, historical fiction is just that, part history and part literary license and I would need to read a few more books from Elizabeth’s life to fully form an opinion of her, however, I did find The King’s Daughter to be enlightening and enjoyable. I would recommend The King’s Daughter to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Christie Dickason, Harvard-educated, is a former theater director and choreographer with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She is the author of The Firemaster’s Mistress and lives in London with her family.
For more information about the author and her books please visit Christie Dickason’s website.
For more reviews of the book, please follow the book tour.
I received a complimentary copy of The King’s Daughter by Christie Dickason from TLC Book Tours to be a part of this tour and offer my honest review of the book. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned book.
I’m fascinated by this era and by James I – it was a time of great transition and it had always intrigued me. I can’t wait to read this one myself!
It is an intriguing time period.
I love this cover!
I do as well.