Plantagenet historical fiction
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Most interesting; this book showed me another side of the fascinating Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, otherwise known as The Kingmaker. I liked Riches' portrayal of him as a man of intelligence and forethought, not just ruthless ambition. Certainly made me see why he was so opposed to Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, too!
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| James Frain as Warwick in 'The White Queen' ~ it's how I always think of him! |
I read this hot on the heels of the author's latest book, about Jasper Tudor; it's clear from reading this that it's an earlier book, simply because his writing has improved, as most authors' work tends to; Jasper is something of a masterpiece, whereas this is more of a very entertaining historical adventure. I do enjoy the way Riches writes. He sets the atmosphere of the time so well, and I particularly like reading about the battles. This book gave me a clearer insight into exactly why the Wars of the Roses began and some bits made me smile for personal reasons: Richard and Edward at the ancient fort of Hunsbury Hill in Northampton, for instance; I used to live on Hunsbury, a residential area now built on that site. Also, the mention of King Henry IV being cared for in Delapre Abbey, nearby ~ I was there last year with my father, taking a look at the renovations.
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| I wonder if Warwick trod the same paths on Hunsbury as I used to? |
The Wars of the Roses is such a massive subject for any novelist to take on, and Tony Riches has, once again, dealt with it very well. There were some parts of Warwick's history with which I was not familiar, and I didn't find them too confusing! Definitely worth the read, for anyone who wants to know more about this intriguing character. Oh, and you'll be as interested as I was to see who a famous descendent of Warwick was, in the Author's Note at the back :)
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| The Eleanor Cross in Northampton, near Delapre Abbey |
OWEN by Tony Riches reviewed HERE
