"THE LAST QUEEN"
Details: Paperback, 400 pages
Isbn: 0345501853 (Isbn 13: 9780345501851)
DESCRIPTION (from Goodreads)
Juana of Castile, the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne, has been for centuries an enigmatic figure shrouded in lurid myth. Was she the bereft widow of legend who was driven mad by her loss, or has history misjudged a woman who was ahead of her time? In his stunning new novel, C. W. Gortner challenges the myths about Queen Juana, unraveling the mystery surrounding her to reveal a brave, determined woman we can only now begin to fully understand.
The third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, Juana is born amid her parents’ ruthless struggle to unify their kingdom, bearing witness to the fall of Granada and Columbus’s discoveries. At the age of sixteen, she is sent to wed Philip, the archduke of Flanders, as part of her parents’ strategy to strengthen Spain, just as her youngest sister, Catherine of Aragon, is sent to England to become the first wife of Henry VIII.
Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her handsome young husband, the sole heir to the Habsburg Empire. At first she is content with her children and her life in Flanders. But when tragedy strikes and she inherits the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, her intelligence and pride used as weapons against her, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it could cost her everything.
A BIT ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Half-Spanish by birth and fully bilingual, C.W. GORTNER was raised in southern Spain, where he developed a lifelong fascination with history. After holding various jobs in the fashion industry, he earned a MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies. He has taught university seminars on powerful women in history, as well as workshops on writing, historical research, and author marketing.
Acclaimed for his insight into his characters, he travels extensively to research his books. He's slept in a medieval Spanish castle, danced in a Tudor great hall, and explored library archives all over Europe. His debut novel The Last Queen garnered international praise and has been sold in twelve countries to date. His latest novel, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, is now available, with rights sold in five countries to date. In the US, he is published by Ballantine Books and St Martin's Press; in the UK, by Hodder & Stoughton.
He's currently at work on a novel about Isabella of Castile and his second novel in the Tudor suspense series,The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles. C.W. lives with his partner in Northern California.
MY THOUGHTS
This was the first book I have read by C.W. Gortner and it will not be the last. I do love a good Historical and this was a great one. The author had me caught up in this from the beginning. He has such great details of everything you feel as if you were there. Even details such as the bats when they were children, it just gave me a feeling like I was there just the sense that you could feel them. The details on how they really lived and what they went through and saw were magnificent. I love the fact that he gives you a good solid feel for the characters and background on them, it really holds your attention. I was very impressed by how well it is written and how good the story is told and all the research that must have been done to write this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical and even if you haven't read one yet you should start with this one. We have a list of 12 books a year at our library that we as patrons can request be read in the book club and I have requested this one be one for this coming up selections. I feel that this would make a great selection because of the content and it also has a Reader's Guide.
I would like to thank the author C.W. Gortner for supplying me with this great book to read.
I was provided this book from the author C.W. Gortner and Ballantine Books to review. This review is of my own honest opinion on the book that I have recieved from this author free of charge to do this review and that in no way influences the way I do my reviews. I am under no obligation to give a positive or negative review. All reviews are of my own thoughts and should not influence a non-purchase on any item soley based on my reviews as these are only my own opinions.
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