The Last White Rose: Tudor Rose Novel 1 by Alison Weir

Synopsis

AN ENGLISH PRINCESS, BORN INTO A WAR BETWEEN TWO FAMILIES.

Eldest daughter of the royal House of York, Elizabeth dreams of a crown to call her own. But when her beloved father, King Edward, dies suddenly, her destiny is rewritten.

Her family’s enemies close in. Two young princes are murdered in the Tower. Then her uncle seizes power – and vows to make Elizabeth his queen.

But another claimant seeks the throne, the upstart son of the rival royal House of Lancaster. Marriage to this Henry Tudor would unite the white rose of York and the red of Lancaster – and change everything.

A great new age awaits. Now Elizabeth must choose her allies – and husband – wisely, and fight for her right to rule.

Review
As historical fiction and non-fiction goes, Alison Weir is one of the most respected authors in this field. I started reading her non-fiction books in my twenties, starting with her books on the six wives of Henry VIII. From then I have gone on to read most of her works so I was really excited to be asked by Headline Review and Anne Cater to be part of the blog tour for her new book, The Last White Rose. This book is the story of Elizabeth of York, eldset daughter of Edward IV, from her childhood to adulthood, a time of uncertainty where she is the only hope of ending the Wars of the Roses which lasted for over twenty years. Told from Elizabeth’s perspective, we see how she dealt with the uncertainty of this period in history, a time infamous with treachery, betrayal and two young princes who simply disappeared.

This is one of my favourite periods in history and I never get bored reading about it. I have previously read Alison Weir’s Elizabeth of York:The First Tudor Queen quite a few years ago and found it fascinating; the story of a young woman who should have been the monarch, but as a woman she couldn’t claim that title. In The Last White Rose Alison Weir breathes life into Elizabeth of York, we are party to her feelings, hopes and dreams as she finds herself in a games of chess where the players are vying for the throne and her hand in marriage. Elizabeth comes across as a kind and caring girl and woman, and considering what she had to deal with at such a young age, from having to claim sanctuary at Westminster Abbey when her family were threatened, to being declared a bastard by her uncle, and the disappearance of her two brothers, believed to have been killed. Throught all of this she took in her stride, and continued to conduct herself with confidence and a decorum fitting of her future roll as the Queen of England.

Alison Weir has such a wonderful knowldege of this period and her knowledge and insight shine through in this book. This is a period where so much was going on, with the different political factions, the constant battle of rule of England and the threat from abroad. Alison’s writing makes the detail easy to understand and I found that with the book being from Elizabeth’s point of view, there was an innoconce to it, especially at the beginning when she was a young child. This fictional account gives the chance for imagined conversations between the characters, bringing the characters to life more than in non-fiction. I found myself draw to Elizabeth and her mother, understanding more about them and their circumstances, which were frightening and shocking for all concerned.

With The Last White Rose Alison Weir seamlessly moves from fact to fiction. Elizabeth of York is such an important figure in English history, being the matriarch of the Tudor dynasty and whose children and grandchildren became monarchs of not just he English throne but aslo those of the Scotland and France. This is an amazing read as expected from Alison Weir, she breathes life into Elizabeth and those around her and makes this such a compelling and acomplishes read. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. A stunning read, and the perfect piece of historical fiction.

I would like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Tours and Headline Books for my copy of this book in return for my honest review.