About the Book
1461. Through blood and battle Edward has gained England’s throne – king by right and conquest – eighteen years old and unstoppable. Cecily has piloted his rise to power and stands at his shoulder now, first to claim the title King’s Mother.
But to win a throne is not to keep it and war is come again. As brother betrays brother, and trusted cousins turn treacherous, other mothers rise up to fight for other sons. Cecily must focus her will to defeat every challenge. Wherever they come from. Whatever the cost.
For there can be only one King, and only one King’s Mother.
Format: Hardcover (400 pages) Publisher: Viking
Publication date: 11th July 2024 Genre: Historical Fiction
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My Review
Although the book is pitched as a battle between four women – Cecily Neville, Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Marguerite of Anjou – to see their sons become of King of England and therefore be in a position to claim for themselves the title of King’s Mother, the book is really Cecily Part 2 as we see events entirely from her point of view.
As in the earlier book, she’s a schemer and a behind-the-scenes fixer whose favourite game is chess and is not averse to creating her own rules in order to win. She frequently finds herself having the task of cleaning up her sons’ messes. For example, suppressing knowledge of her eldest surviving son Edward’s secret ‘marriage’ to a young noblewomen that might, if it was discovered, threaten the legitimacy of future offspring and, in the process, the succession.
When it comes to Cecily’s second son, George, Duke of Clarence, lets just say that if he’d have written his autobiography it probably would have been entitled ‘Spare’ so visceral is his anger at being continually passed over for the wealth and status he believes he deserves. It leads him to make some disastrous decisions having been manipulated by others for their own ends that see him eventually put to death for treason. An habitual drunkard, the manner of his death – possibly at his own request – is said to have been drowning in a butt of Malmsey, although the author gives us a slightly different angle on this.
Cecily’s youngest son, the man who will become Richard III, gets a flattering portrayal. He’s a skilled soldier, able administrator, loving husband and doting father who would surely never dream of doing away with two young princes.
For the first half of the book, although exerting what influence she can, Cecily is pretty much an observer of events. I’ll be honest, I found myself yearning for a little less historical detail, a bit more pace and something that would make me more invested in all the women’s stories. I did get that in the latter part of the book as Cecily jockeys for position with Elizabeth and Margaret Beaufort who, it turns out, is a pretty good chess player herself. Marguerite of Anjou, although having a key role in events, remains rather in the shadows throughout.
Even if I couldn’t be quite as enthusiastic as other readers, The King’s Mother completes the fascinating story of the life of a woman who was at the heart of events during a turbulent period of England’s history.
I received a digital review copy courtesy of Viking via NetGalley. The King’s Mother is book 4 of my 20 Books of Summer 2024.
In three words: Detailed, fascinating, assured
Try something similar: The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien
About the Author
Annie Garthwaite turned to fiction after a 30-year international business career, fulfilling her lifelong ambition to write an account of Cecily Neville, matriarch of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses and mother of Edward IV and Richard III. Her obsession with Cecily and her family began in school and never left her. Setting off in the world of work, she promised herself that, at age 55, she would give up the day job and write. She did just that, completing her novel while studying for a creative writing MA at the University of Warwick. Cecily, her debut novel, even before it’s publication was named a ‘top pick’ by The Times and Sunday Times. (Photo: Author website)
Connect with Annie
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What Cathy Read Next... 
I will be looking for this author’s books in future!
Thanks for sharing your review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and for your continued participation
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Earlier this year I finally finished reading Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman, who took a similar position on Richard III and also included the women’s point of view. Oddly, I don’t think it mentioned the Malmsey. Margaret of Anjou wasn’t given a voice because she was ‘the enemy’. That book was rather a slog, simply because it was so long and covered so much ground. The King’s Mother sounds like it would be a good book to try to cement some of it in my mind.
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I think I read that years ago and recall it was a big book. I don’t have the same appetite for chunky books these days.
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