Beware Princess Elizabeth-Carolyn Meyer
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Owl Johnson
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Beware Princess Elizabeth-Carolyn Meyer
As I mentioned in an earlier review, I am a big fan of Carolyn Meyer, in particular her Young Royal series for young adults (which I consider for ages 11-19). This is the second book in the series (and actually the first book from this series that I've read). It's called Beware Princess Elizabeth.
XXXXXXXXXX Brief Synopsis:
This story focuses on Elizabeth Tudor of England, youngest daughter of Henry the VIII and half-sister to Edward and Mary Tudor from the death of their father until Elizabeth's coronation. During it all, Elizabeth deals with plots to force her to marry despite her earnest wishes not to and rumors that she's after her sister's throne...
XXXXXXXXX What I liked:
In my review of Mary, Bloody Mary, I mentioned that Mary is a pretty passive character. Elizabeth is her opposite. She is active but not in the traditional sense. She has to essentially learn the dangerous world of court intrigues on her own, using her wits to survive as to opposed to picking up a sword and slashing her way to victory (which, for me, is a very nice change because I'm tired of seeing characters who don't have any other personality except to pick up a weapon and charge). She learns how to speak and act like a passive character to keep her siblings from catching onto her plans. Also, she has a character arc where she grows from a frightened and orphaned teenager to a confident and independent woman.
While she doesn't need a husband, Elizabeth doesn't hate men (even though she has good reason to, considering that nasty experience with Thomas Seymour who married her widowed stepmother to get at Elizabeth) and here enters William Cecil who becomes her chief adviser and exposition to the world in London (as Elizabeth spends most of her time away from court and later imprisoned). The interactions between Cecil and Elizabeth are very well written and I appreciate that Ms. Meyer writes a warm relationship between a man and woman that isn't sexual. The same goes for Robin Dudley who she was raised with. There is a strong platonic relationship between Elizabeth and Robin.
There are also strong female relationships between Elizabeth and Kat Ashley (her governess), Anne of Cleaves, Katherine Parr (her former stepmothers) and Lady Elizabeth (a lady Queen Mary sends to spy on Elizabeth during her imprisonment) along with her tragic cousin Lady Jane Gray (also known as the Nine Day Queen). Ms. Meyer has written these characters as people first who just happen to be female and I really do appreciate that as a reader.
Above all, I would like to thank Ms. Meyer for working with Mary Tudor (arguably the main antagonist) in a way that was sympathetic and yet you were scared for Elizabeth's safety. Even though I knew how it was going to end, I was still nervous. I consider that a sign of terrific writing to heighten the sense of danger and tension between protagonist and antagonist. Mary is everything Elizabeth doesn't want to be but she still has sympathy for her older sister (at first).
Again, there is a nice sense of voice and her research into the life of Tudor England is nicely presented in a way that is entertaining and yet educational (I know it's historical fiction but it's pretty close to what actually happened).
XXXXXXXXxX The Things I didn't Like
I understand that royalty was trapped in their own little bubble but I would've liked to have seen more of the turmoil that was affecting England, in particular during Mary's reign (the Marian persecutions were literally burning the country apart, she married her Spanish cousin Phillip of Spain, ect). We get exposition (which is fine as long as you don't forget to show and not tell most of the time and 80% of this is mostly showing). But I would've loved to have seen reactions to the mass executions and sense of the country falling apart and show just how much trouble England was in and why Elizabeth is so desperate to do things differently when she survives. I didn't really get why Elizabeth wants to be a good queen. Now don't get me wrong, she is very sympathetic and a well written character, but I didn't understand her motivations quite as well as I would've liked.
XXXXXXXXXXX Rating:
Despite the issues I have with exposition, I do enjoy this book quite a bit for its well written protagonist, style of voice and fleshed out characters. I would give it Purse (I carry it everywhere, my highest rating).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Something a bit different, if you could have dinner with either Mary or Elizabeth, who would it be and why?
XXXXXXXXXX Brief Synopsis:
This story focuses on Elizabeth Tudor of England, youngest daughter of Henry the VIII and half-sister to Edward and Mary Tudor from the death of their father until Elizabeth's coronation. During it all, Elizabeth deals with plots to force her to marry despite her earnest wishes not to and rumors that she's after her sister's throne...
XXXXXXXXX What I liked:
In my review of Mary, Bloody Mary, I mentioned that Mary is a pretty passive character. Elizabeth is her opposite. She is active but not in the traditional sense. She has to essentially learn the dangerous world of court intrigues on her own, using her wits to survive as to opposed to picking up a sword and slashing her way to victory (which, for me, is a very nice change because I'm tired of seeing characters who don't have any other personality except to pick up a weapon and charge). She learns how to speak and act like a passive character to keep her siblings from catching onto her plans. Also, she has a character arc where she grows from a frightened and orphaned teenager to a confident and independent woman.
While she doesn't need a husband, Elizabeth doesn't hate men (even though she has good reason to, considering that nasty experience with Thomas Seymour who married her widowed stepmother to get at Elizabeth) and here enters William Cecil who becomes her chief adviser and exposition to the world in London (as Elizabeth spends most of her time away from court and later imprisoned). The interactions between Cecil and Elizabeth are very well written and I appreciate that Ms. Meyer writes a warm relationship between a man and woman that isn't sexual. The same goes for Robin Dudley who she was raised with. There is a strong platonic relationship between Elizabeth and Robin.
There are also strong female relationships between Elizabeth and Kat Ashley (her governess), Anne of Cleaves, Katherine Parr (her former stepmothers) and Lady Elizabeth (a lady Queen Mary sends to spy on Elizabeth during her imprisonment) along with her tragic cousin Lady Jane Gray (also known as the Nine Day Queen). Ms. Meyer has written these characters as people first who just happen to be female and I really do appreciate that as a reader.
Above all, I would like to thank Ms. Meyer for working with Mary Tudor (arguably the main antagonist) in a way that was sympathetic and yet you were scared for Elizabeth's safety. Even though I knew how it was going to end, I was still nervous. I consider that a sign of terrific writing to heighten the sense of danger and tension between protagonist and antagonist. Mary is everything Elizabeth doesn't want to be but she still has sympathy for her older sister (at first).
Again, there is a nice sense of voice and her research into the life of Tudor England is nicely presented in a way that is entertaining and yet educational (I know it's historical fiction but it's pretty close to what actually happened).
XXXXXXXXxX The Things I didn't Like
I understand that royalty was trapped in their own little bubble but I would've liked to have seen more of the turmoil that was affecting England, in particular during Mary's reign (the Marian persecutions were literally burning the country apart, she married her Spanish cousin Phillip of Spain, ect). We get exposition (which is fine as long as you don't forget to show and not tell most of the time and 80% of this is mostly showing). But I would've loved to have seen reactions to the mass executions and sense of the country falling apart and show just how much trouble England was in and why Elizabeth is so desperate to do things differently when she survives. I didn't really get why Elizabeth wants to be a good queen. Now don't get me wrong, she is very sympathetic and a well written character, but I didn't understand her motivations quite as well as I would've liked.
XXXXXXXXXXX Rating:
Despite the issues I have with exposition, I do enjoy this book quite a bit for its well written protagonist, style of voice and fleshed out characters. I would give it Purse (I carry it everywhere, my highest rating).
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Something a bit different, if you could have dinner with either Mary or Elizabeth, who would it be and why?
