Title: Queen By Right
Author: Anne Easter Smith
Publisher: Touchstone
Publication Date: May 10, 2011
Paperback: 528 pages
ISBN: 978-1416550471
Genre: Historical Fiction

From the Publisher:

From the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King’s Grace comes another masterful historical novel—the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history’s greatest love stories.

Anne Easter Smith’s novels are beloved by readers for their ability “to grab you, sweep you along with the story, and make you fall in love with the characters.” * In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet.

History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

My Review:

Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith is a detailed and fast moving look at the York family of the House of the Plantagenets through protagonist Cecily Neville, a powerful woman in her own right, mother to two Kings, and related to the current English Monarch; but I am getting ahead of myself.  Queen By Right takes the reader through Cecily’s life beginning in 1423 and ending in 1461, during those years the reader is allowed to watch Cecily grow, marry, have children and learn what events formed the woman the young girl ultimately became.  I have had the pleasure of reading many versions of the War of the Roses, a time period which intrigues me greatly and I was thrilled to be able to add Queen By Right into my collection.  Anne Easter Smith has crafted a wonderfully detailed look into the fifteenth century and for those who are unfamiliar with this historic time period or need a quick refresher, Smith provides not only genealogy charts to the houses of Plantagenet and Neville, but also the Dramatis Personae of each family, a map, and in the back, a glossary of terms one may not be familiar with.  Queen By Right is exceptionally written and a wonderful guide for those new to this time period as well as an excellent addition to the library of fans of this time period.  I would recommend Queen By Right to all who enjoy historical fiction and those who would like to give it a try, but have not been certain where to begin.

To learn more about author Anne Easter Smith and her books, please visit her website.

For more reviews and information about the book, please follow the book tour.

I received a complimentary copy of Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours as part of the tour. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.