Review of Agatha the Beloved Queen
Posted: 22 Oct 2023, 17:18
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Agatha the Beloved Queen" by Fred Pilcher.]
In the small birthing room, when Queen Julia was holding her newborn daughter, her daughter's fairy godmother appeared before her to grant Agatha three precious gifts: wisdom, compassion, and perception of character. The fairy godmother promises Queen Julia an extraordinary future for her daughter, Agatha, if she nurtures and teaches Agatha to be a good monarch. She foresees the most prosperous and peaceful time in the land of Xana under Agatha's reign.
Agatha grows up to be the most beautiful young lady in her kingdom, and her soul matches her outer appearance. Her compassion, wisdom, humbleness, and sense of justice earn her a place in the hearts of the commoners of her land. However, these qualities open a great chasm between her and the aristocrats. They see her mingling with the commoners and her disdain for extravagances as non-royal qualities, and the constant support she provides for the commoners against the aristocrats only makes things worse.
Even at a young age, Agatha recognizes the injustice in her mother's regime and her bias towards the aristocrats; despite her efforts to raise the welfare of the people, her mother's decisions restrict her, which only makes her determined to change this once she is in the position of power. She vows to make all the people of Xana share its wealth, regardless of their status. But when darkness, hunger, and death plague her kingdom with the arrival of the evil wizard, Magi, she finds it hard to fulfill her promise. Nonetheless, she holds her ground for her people, gives them hope when they see none, and supports them through the dark times under the sorcerer Magi's control.
Agatha the Beloved Queen by Fred Pilcher is a fantasy-romantic novel with a strong feminine lead character. The events in this novel take place a few hundred years ago. The author skillfully describes the carriages, sword battles, archery-trained fighters, markets, simple houses, and grand castles in this era. I enjoyed the narrative writing style he uses in this novel. He introduces the events as an old legend narrated from modern people's points of view, which gives it a historical and mystical theme that I found unique.
Agatha's character was admirable; her wisdom, compassion, intellect, morals, and ambition made her a perfect queen. Furthermore, I admired her humility in admitting to her subordinates that the mistake they made was her fault for issuing an inaccurate command. There are also a few admirable lessons subtly and expertly woven within the plot. One that resonated with me more than any other: "To have a true friend, you must first of all be a true friend." Agatha was more of a mother, educating and raising her children with the correct ethics to live their lives by.
I enjoyed reading about the other influential women, such as Anya, Sylvia, and Charlotta. Their roles were as essential as the Queen's to the prosperity of their kingdom. They demonstrated how motivated women can achieve any position they desire, even without the help of a fairy godmother. On the other hand, I would have liked for Prince Olaf to have a more substantial rule, at least in consulting Queen Agatha on war strategies. I believe this professionally edited and well-written novel deserves 5 out of 5 stars, as I didn't find anything to dislike while reading it.
I recommend Agatha the Beloved Queen to fiction and romance fans. However, I believe it is more appropriate for adults due to the mature content included.
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Agatha the Beloved Queen
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In the small birthing room, when Queen Julia was holding her newborn daughter, her daughter's fairy godmother appeared before her to grant Agatha three precious gifts: wisdom, compassion, and perception of character. The fairy godmother promises Queen Julia an extraordinary future for her daughter, Agatha, if she nurtures and teaches Agatha to be a good monarch. She foresees the most prosperous and peaceful time in the land of Xana under Agatha's reign.
Agatha grows up to be the most beautiful young lady in her kingdom, and her soul matches her outer appearance. Her compassion, wisdom, humbleness, and sense of justice earn her a place in the hearts of the commoners of her land. However, these qualities open a great chasm between her and the aristocrats. They see her mingling with the commoners and her disdain for extravagances as non-royal qualities, and the constant support she provides for the commoners against the aristocrats only makes things worse.
Even at a young age, Agatha recognizes the injustice in her mother's regime and her bias towards the aristocrats; despite her efforts to raise the welfare of the people, her mother's decisions restrict her, which only makes her determined to change this once she is in the position of power. She vows to make all the people of Xana share its wealth, regardless of their status. But when darkness, hunger, and death plague her kingdom with the arrival of the evil wizard, Magi, she finds it hard to fulfill her promise. Nonetheless, she holds her ground for her people, gives them hope when they see none, and supports them through the dark times under the sorcerer Magi's control.
Agatha the Beloved Queen by Fred Pilcher is a fantasy-romantic novel with a strong feminine lead character. The events in this novel take place a few hundred years ago. The author skillfully describes the carriages, sword battles, archery-trained fighters, markets, simple houses, and grand castles in this era. I enjoyed the narrative writing style he uses in this novel. He introduces the events as an old legend narrated from modern people's points of view, which gives it a historical and mystical theme that I found unique.
Agatha's character was admirable; her wisdom, compassion, intellect, morals, and ambition made her a perfect queen. Furthermore, I admired her humility in admitting to her subordinates that the mistake they made was her fault for issuing an inaccurate command. There are also a few admirable lessons subtly and expertly woven within the plot. One that resonated with me more than any other: "To have a true friend, you must first of all be a true friend." Agatha was more of a mother, educating and raising her children with the correct ethics to live their lives by.
I enjoyed reading about the other influential women, such as Anya, Sylvia, and Charlotta. Their roles were as essential as the Queen's to the prosperity of their kingdom. They demonstrated how motivated women can achieve any position they desire, even without the help of a fairy godmother. On the other hand, I would have liked for Prince Olaf to have a more substantial rule, at least in consulting Queen Agatha on war strategies. I believe this professionally edited and well-written novel deserves 5 out of 5 stars, as I didn't find anything to dislike while reading it.
I recommend Agatha the Beloved Queen to fiction and romance fans. However, I believe it is more appropriate for adults due to the mature content included.
******
Agatha the Beloved Queen
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon