The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

[MLE]

The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner

This was an interesting book for me to read, it being the third one on Juana I have read this year, and first novelization of her life. So one might say that I was very into the book’s topic, especially as Islamic and renaissance Spain is an interest of mine.
It is difficult for me to really judge the book as I might any other historical fiction, because now that I know the topic so well, the only suspense was “I wonder what C.W. is going to do with that particular bit? And I’m happy to report that he did very well.

First, a little chiding, tho—Obviously well-researched though the rest of the book was, the opening bit at the surrender of Granada wasn’t, and though very probably nobody else will know, it nearly ruined the book for me at the outset. Granada surrendered peaceably; King Boabdil, who had spent many of his earlier years in Isabella’s court, (sometimes as a refugee, and sometimes as a hostage) negotiated a very wily treaty for Granada, in which he traded lands for himself and his nobles in the nearby Alpujarra. The Muslims of Granada were allowed to keep their mosques and practice their religion, along with many other municipal forms of government, and that all went reasonably well until Cisneros ignored the treaty some ten years later. Nobody jumped from the walls of the Alhambra, and the city surrendered more or less intact, although the surrounding vega was ravaged by ten years of war.
Okay, now that I have that off my chest, I enjoyed the book very much and those not nuts about Granada history will as well. Although the extreme religiosity of Juana’s character and her involvement with the Poor Clares was left out of this account (it doesn’t make for sympathy in today’s reading environment), many other little details were worked in nicely. The book’s pace quickens as treachery heaps on treachery, misfortune on misfortune, none of which had to be manufactured. If anything, the novel left about half the drama out, presumably to cater to the short attention span of the modern reader.
I liked the twist at the end, and for myself, think it very likely historically. In fact, I remember thinking when I was reading Bethany Aram’s ‘Juana the Mad, “I know what I’d have done if I were in her shoes.”
Gortner massages the facts a little so that you can feel empathy for the characters – the financial records show that Philip was a creep from the get-go, but it’s hard for a modern woman to understand how Juana could love him so passionately under those circumstances, so Philip’s more endearing qualities are emphasized. I liked the bit showing his abandonment by his father Maximilian and his constant seeking for a father-figure to lean on.
The character Gortner has given Juana is the one thing that enlivens a tale that history has painted in colors that otherwise might be too stark to be borne. Loved the portrayal of her upstaging Philip in the French court. The record does show that Juana made her choices for her children’s benefit, and that she had a will of iron.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about renaissance Spain. (For Moorish Spain, go read Washington Irving’s the Conquest of Granada.) The Last Queen is also quite an entertaining novel.
(I’m ditching the five-star system. This isn’t Amazon, after all.)

[Rowan]

I saw an advert for this book on another site and came here to see if anyone had read it as the wording on the advert intrigued me. Unfortunately MLE's review didn't give me much to go on in understanding what this story is about. This is a summary of the book from Amazon:

The 1492 conquest of Granada makes for high adventure and royal intrigue in this second sparkling historical from Gortner (The Secret Lion). Spanish Princess Juana, 13, watches as her parents, King Fernando and Queen Isabel, unite Spain, vanquish Moors and marry their children off to foreign kingdoms for favorable alliances: Princess Catalina becomes first wife to Henry VIII; Princess Juana, who narrates, is shipped off to marry Philip of Flanders, heir to the Hapsburg Empire. Although Juana balks at leaving Spain for the north and a husband she has never met, their instant chemistry soon turns to love. Years and children later, Juana unexpectedly becomes next in line to the Spanish crown and must carefully navigate every step of the journey from Flanders to Spain, fearful of alienating husband or parents or both. Emotional and political tensions soar as Juana's loyalties are tested to their limits. Disturbing royal secrets and court manipulations wickedly twist this enthralling story, brilliantly told.

[MLE]

sorry for the lack of story, Rowan. In the original forum, mine was the second or third review on the thread, so describing the contents of the book would have been super-redundant. Maybe the other reviewers could go salvage their reviews and re-post them.
But you seem to have remedied the lack nicely.

[Tanzanite]

I liked this book a lot.

[Rowan]

sorry for the lack of story, Rowan. In the original forum, mine was the second or third review on the thread, so describing the contents of the book would have been super-redundant. Maybe the other reviewers could go salvage their reviews and re-post them.
But you seem to have remedied the lack nicely.

Now that I know yours wasn't the first review, it makes sense that you only included your opinion. Still, I think the people who put together the advertisement on that other site did a bang up job of grabbing your attention! It flicked between a small box that said 'History Says She Went Mad for Love', then a new graphic says 'But History Can Lie' then the title of the book is shown.

[amyb]

I really enjoyed this book and getting to know Juana.

[Misfit]

I've got this one on preorder along with Devil's Brood and looking forward to reading it. Although, DB and The Time of Singing are going to come first :):p

[LCW]

I have this book to read and am looking forward to it!

[Julianne Douglas]

I have a review (http://writingren.blogspot.com/2008/07/review-of-last-queen-by-cw-gornter.html) of The Last Queen and an interview (http://writingren.blogspot.com/2008/07/interview-with-author-cw-gortner.html) with Christopher up on my blog.

[michellemoran]

This was such a wonderful novel! I knew almost nothing about Juana La Loca before I picked this up, and what I did know was very probably wrong. Such a a sad life... yet Christopher's writing flows so well that there's a hopefulness to it. A truly epic story.

[xiaotien]

just finished this tonight. so compelling, so interesting, so vividly written from juana's view point with beautiful prose.

well done and bravo to gortner. i loved it. and like so many others, i had never heard of juana. what a crazy tragic life she led, no wonder they gave her that nickname. she survived a lot.

i gave the book five stars on goodreads.

[cw gortner]

just finished this tonight. so compelling, so interesting, so vividly written from juana's view point with beautiful prose.



Oh, I'm blushing . . . Thank you so much, this is very sweet and high praise indeed.

[xiaotien]

Oh, I'm blushing . . . Thank you so much, this is very sweet and high praise indeed.

*standing ovation*

i hope you are working on something else
we can read soon, cw?? =D

i will try to write a review when i am less frenetic!
a proper one. my own release is today!

[cw gortner]

CONGRATULATIONS!! Champagne is a must!

Yes, I've finished a book on Catherine de Medici that is currently with my editor, awaiting final approval. And I'm percolating a fantastic new idea.

Enjoy your day! Kidding aside, it's a fantastic achievement, so bask in the glow before you join the rest of us anxiously checking our amazon sales ranking every ten seconds :)

[Erika Mailman]

Congratulations for the Silver Phoenix release today! And CW, you have only six more days to wait! Champagne is a must, indeed!

[Leyland]

And I'm percolating a fantastic new idea.

Oh, please don't forget Brendan Prescott because I'm waiting for Spymaster #2! I confess, I loved The Secret Lion a bit more than The Last Queen. And I'm very interested in reading about Catherine, so I hope she gets edited and published very soon.

[diamondlil]

As much as I love reading historical fiction that is set in England, every now and again I really appreciate a change of location and characters. If that sounds a bit like you, then you can't really go wrong with The Last Queen by C W Gortner.

Whilst a lot of historical fiction fans will be familiar with the life and times of Catherine of Aragon, I must confess that I knew very little about any of her other family members. In this book, the author focuses on the life of Juana, Catherine's older sister who married into the Hapsberg family, to Phillip of Flanders (known as Phillip the Handsome). What started out as an arranged marriage quickly turned into a passionate, loving marriage but just as quickly turns into a passionate marriage of what can be a far stronger emotion - loathing and hate.

Due to a series of tragedies that hit the Aragonese royal family, Juana becomes the rightful heir to the Castilian throne. She is however forced to fight for her birthright against not only against her husband who was determined to claim the throne for himself, but also against the church, her own remaining family members, and against the distrust of the idea of a queen reigning.

As husband and wife engage in political power plays to try and gain the upper hand, as family members betray each other, and as mother becomes separated both physically and emotionally from her children, we are left with a portrayal of a woman who many would have envied as having everything, but who is left with nothing. Some of the choices that Juana did make seem somewhat foolhardy and yes, slightly mad, and the author does not shy away from these events. The portrayal of Juana is handled with sensitivity and perceptiveness, and yet as a reader, it is quite easy to be swept up in the drama and the emotion of the story.

I am glad to have been introduced to this fascinating character who in some ways is a footnote in history for many non-Europeans. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from C W Gortner.

[EC2]

This one is next up after I finish Half of a Yellow Sun.:)

[cw gortner]

Oh, please don't forget Brendan Prescott because I'm waiting for Spymaster #2! I confess, I loved The Secret Lion a bit more than The Last Queen. And I'm very interested in reading about Catherine, so I hope she gets edited and published very soon.

I haven't forgotten! I've got fingers crossed that my agent can sell the series to a larger publisher soon. The second book is outlined and I've got the first few chapers written, so if I can get a contract for it I'll plunge right in. Selling the series could really help me in my writing career, too. We'll see. I'm so anxious about it, I almost don't want to say anything lest I jinx it.:eek:

I heard from my editor this weekend and Catherine is slated for a summer 2010 pub date.

Diamondlil, thank you for the lovely review!

[Chatterbox]

I confess that I wasn't as enamored of Spymaster as I was The Last Queen, but then the latter set a very high barrier!! And I'm really looking forward to the Catherine novel... do I really have to wait a whole year? Couldn't you just sneak me a copy in a brown paper envelope????? I won't tell anyone, really... ;)

[cw gortner]

I confess that I wasn't as enamored of Spymaster as I was The Last Queen, but then the latter set a very high barrier!! And I'm really looking forward to the Catherine novel... do I really have to wait a whole year? Couldn't you just sneak me a copy in a brown paper envelope????? I won't tell anyone, really... ;)

Quite to my surprise, I've gotten some pretty intense e-mails from readers who took serious offense at SECRET LION, from my portrayal of Cecil as a wily schemer to having Elizabeth visit court during Edward VI's demise (she didn't) to my depiction of the late Suffolk boys as twins (they weren't). I've been somewhat taken aback, because I didn't mean for LION to be an historical novel, per se; I wanted to write a mystery/adventure based loosely on historical events, a thriller set in Tudor times. It's raw, too, as I had almost no editorial help in getting it published. On the opposite spectrum, I hear from readers who adore it and ask me when the second one is coming out, which is nice to hear.

My intention is to have Brendan mature as a spy as the series progresses; so, if it does get sold I'll definitely editorially manicure LION for re-release. I've found a couple inadvertent historical gaffes :eek: that are easily fixed and there's a pesky sentance that's supposed to convey that Elizabeth is the youngest of Edward's two sisters but can also be interpreted as younger than Edward.

As for Catherine, I'm with you. I'm not fond of the wait, either, but there we have it. If I can get advance ARCS in brown paper bags, Chatterbox, believe me, you're on the list! Thanks much for your very kind words about LAST QUEEN, too. I had excellent editorial support on that book- and I guess it shows.

[Leyland]

I almost don't want to say anything lest I jinx it.:eek:.Excellent for Brendan! 'Nuff said then. I heard from my editor this weekend and Catherine is slated for a summer 2010 pub date.
Great news and congratulations. Please head east for a summer 2010 book tour. :)

[Chatterbox]

Will take you up on the brown-bag ARC, CW! (Since I have bought the Last Queen in HC and added it to my Kindle...)

[amyb]

Here is my review:

Juana of Castile's life began amidst war, in between Spain's battle with the Moors, and her beginning would prove to be just as stormy as the rest of her life.

Born to the incomparable Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Juana is the third child and second daughter. She is raised on the battlefield with arrows flying overhead and witnesses the fall of Granada in her youth.

When the matter of marriage to Philip of Hapsburg is raised, Juana is not happy at all to have to leave Spain and her family. However, being a good little Princess and understanding how important this is to the country she so loves, she acquiesces herself to the match. Bringing her new husband Philip to the true religion, Catholicism, is her ultimate goal.
With the death of her brother, Juan, the heir to the crown and her sister and nephew, Juana is now next in line. A fact that pleases Philip and his rat of an advisor, Besancon, to no end. The tenderness and love Juana and Philip found at the start of their marriage turns sour as the scheming for the throne begins in earnest and poor Juana is caught in the middle of another war - this time between her parents and her husband. Philip scheming for a way to be named heir and her parents adamantly refusing it. Years of this craziness rage on...power struggle after power struggle, drama after drama. Nothing is what it seems and the duplicity is rampant. (Sounds like a lot of Courts we've read of huh!)

Think all this sounds great? I haven't even covered the craziest part....her 46 year imprisonment by not only one but three family members - her husband, her father and her son! And we should also touch on the supposed insanity of Juana, after all she was known as "Mad Juana". C.W. handled this perfectly I felt. To me it's the same old male attitude that still exists today - if a woman stands up for herself, she's labeled a "bitch". A bunch of men who didn't want to be ruled by a another woman decides to just call her crazy and try to lock her up. The reader sees it for what it is - complete fabrication. Yeah, she was emotional, but goodness after you read what she went through who can blame her?! Not I, said Amy!

The Last Queen is the perfect historical fiction novel and I highly recommend it to amateurs and veterans alike. I actually think this would be a GREAT book for someone starting out in historical fiction. Juana is a remarkable woman, fearless and strong and I think it takes a likewise remarkable person to write her story - so thank you C.W., how you write women so well I'll never know, but please don't stop!!

[cw gortner]

Aww . . . I'm blushing:o

Thank you, Amy, for being so incredibly generous.

[MedievalBookworm]

Hope no one minds if I post my review as well - I cut out the summary part to avoid repetition. =)

I have never really known much about Juana. She is just outside my time period and just outside my geographical sphere of knowledge. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have read this novel. Juana is a fiery character and I knew little about her quirks. I love how she grows from girl to woman over the course of this book. Her voice is strong and believable and to be honest, I can hardly believe a man wrote this book! Since I didn’t know what happened, I had a rare opportunity to let the plot of a historical novel really take over and I can say that this book doesn’t fail at all in that respect either. It was wonderful and I think it still would have been even if I’d known how it ended.

Knowing full well the ways in which medieval and early modern figures manipulated heirs to make their way to a throne, I had no trouble at all imagining that Juana’s madness was a convenient foil. It would be nothing new. I found the way the author used known events and cast them in a different light to be extremely creative and appealing, like her reasoning for staying outside for several days in winter and taking her husband’s coffin with her well beyond when he should have been buried. So many people let Juana down, most notably her father and her husband. She was determined to secure the throne for her son, Charles, and did not back down even when these men did their best. Is it any surprise that they attempted to cast her aside?

I’ve never been to Spain, but I could almost picture it in this book. I want to go now and I want to learn more. That, more than anything, is the mark of a great historical fiction novel for me. This is an extremely enjoyable book and one that I would certainly recommend.

[diamondlil]

Feel free to add your reviews whereever there is a thread, or create a new thread if you like for books that we haven't reviewed just yet!

[cw gortner]

Thank you again, Meghan!! It's such a lovely review, and I'm so grateful.

[LCW]

And we should also touch on the supposed insanity of Juana, after all she was known as "Mad Juana". C.W. handled this perfectly I felt. To me it's the same old male attitude that still exists today - if a woman stands up for herself, she's labeled a "bitch". A bunch of men who didn't want to be ruled by a another woman decides to just call her crazy and try to lock her up. The reader sees it for what it is - complete fabrication. Yeah, she was emotional, but goodness after you read what she went through who can blame her?! Not I, said Amy!



My sentiments exactly! They don't call is "his"tory for nothin'!

Great review! I loved the book as well! I was very curious to see how a book written by a man but from a female perspective would be. I thought it was done perfectly, however! Nice job, C.W.!

It actually brought out my review mojo which has been absent for quite a while now. I had a nice review all written up and then my cat walked across the keyboard erasing everything I had written! Figures! :rolleyes:

[cw gortner]

Thank you, LCW! I like a review with cat footprints on it . . .;)

[EC2]

Just finished this one and enjoyed it very much C.W.
I thought it was a pacey page turner and I definitely preferred it over the last Philippa Gregory I read - not that it's a contest, but I just wanted you to know.:D I knew nothing about this area and part of history - apart from recognising Catherine of Aragon. It certainly led me to want to know more about the period and read the facts for myself and that's always a sign of engaging historical fiction. Useful to have the bibliography on the back. My mum's coming over for tea tomorrow and my DIL, so it'll be a toss up who gets it to read next in the family! I think you wrote female viewpoint very well. Are there an historical novels about Fernando and Isabella? Would you ever fancy writing a prequel? I found them almost as fascinating as Juana. Did her father call her 'Madrecita?' or was that author's licence?

[MLE]

Yes, Ferdinand di call Juana 'Madrecita'. Lots of documentation there -- those Spanish wrote copiously and saved their letters!

[Misfit]

There's been some chit-chat over at goodreads about a trilogy Plaidy did on Ferdinand and Isabella. I don't know the specifics, but maybe someone else does?

[Tanzanite]

The three books are:

Castile for Isabella
Spain for the Sovereigns
Daughters of Spain

They were recently reissued in the UK (and one of the them has a baby on the cover). I recently read Castile for Isabella and enjoyed it.

[cw gortner]

Just finished this one and enjoyed it very much C.W.
I thought it was a pacey page turner and I definitely preferred it over the last Philippa Gregory I read - not that it's a contest, but I just wanted you to know.:D I knew nothing about this area and part of history - apart from recognising Catherine of Aragon. It certainly led me to want to know more about the period and read the facts for myself and that's always a sign of engaging historical fiction. Useful to have the bibliography on the back. My mum's coming over for tea tomorrow and my DIL, so it'll be a toss up who gets it to read next in the family! I think you wrote female viewpoint very well. Are there an historical novels about Fernando and Isabella? Would you ever fancy writing a prequel? I found them almost as fascinating as Juana. Did her father call her 'Madrecita?' or was that author's licence?

Hight praise, indeed, coming from you!;) It means a lot to me. Thank you! I'm delighted the bibliography proved useful; unfortunately, some of those books are hard to find. The only historical novels on Isabel and Ferdinand in English that I know of is the Plaidy trilogy, Schoovner's The Queen's Cross and Norah Loft's Crown of Aloes. There are a few in Spanish, but all are quite dated. I think they're due for a new look; actually I have a proposal for a book on Isabel of Castile with my agent, and a few chapters already done. I plunged into a prequel after finishing the first version of The Last Queen, years ago. Now, I'm hoping to write it after the current one I've started, though you never know: my editor might want one over the other.

Yes, Fernando did call Juana 'madrecita', much to Isabel's consternation.

I'm so glad you liked it! I was worried . . .:o I hope whoever gets it next enjoys it, too.

[Carine]

C.W., I just started The Last Queen yesterday, I'm now only about page 70 so far but I'm really enjoying it very much ! Great story and very well written !!

[cw gortner]

Thank you, Carine! I hope you enjoy it:)

[Carine]

Yesterday I was surfing the internet for Juana and what I didn't know was that in 2001 a movie has been made about her !

Click here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270480/)for info on IMDB

and here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-akwz24LPJA&feature=related) is a trailer of the film on YouTube

[zsigandr]

I picked up a copy of The Last Queen from my library last month and loved it!

It was definitely a page turner and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Prior to reading this novel, I too, knew little about Juana. The only child of Isabel and Ferdinand that I heard much about was Katherine of Aragon, so for me it was not only entertaining but educational!

Anyone who hasn't read it, should!
Andrea

[cw gortner]

Thank you, Andrea!!:)

[SonjaMarie]

I really enjoyed this book, I only knew some bare bones about Juana, and now I eventually want to read a biography on her (maybe C.W can suggest the best one). I really really hated Philip and was so thrilled Juana murdered him (even if she didn't in real life), too bad she couldn't have done the same thing to Don Manual, Cisneros, Villena and her father, they really needed the arse's kicked!

It's too bad her life didn't have a happy ending, if anyone deserved it, she did.

I look forward to your book on Catherine C.W!

SM

[cw gortner]

Yesterday I was surfing the internet for Juana and what I didn't know was that in 2001 a movie has been made about her !

Click here (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270480/)for info on IMDB

and here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-akwz24LPJA&feature=related) is a trailer of the film on YouTube

It's a beautifully made film, Carine, with an excellent performance by the lead actress. It does stick to the popular legend, but the locales and ambiance and costuming are well worth seeing. I have it on DVD and I've watched it several times.

[cw gortner]

I really enjoyed this book, I only knew some bare bones about Juana, and now I eventually want to read a biography on her (maybe C.W can suggest the best one). I look forward to your book on Catherine C.W! SM

Thanks, Sonja! I'm delighted you enjoyed it. As far as biographies go, the only one in English that's currently in print is Bethany Aram's (http://www.amazon.com/Juana-Mad-Sovereignty-Renaissance-University/dp/0801880726/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244349706&sr=1-3).

[SonjaMarie]

Thanks, Sonja! I'm delighted you enjoyed it. As far as biographies go, the only one in English that's currently in print is Bethany Aram's (http://www.amazon.com/Juana-Mad-Sovereignty-Renaissance-University/dp/0801880726/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244349706&sr=1-3).

Thanks, it's a bit much then I'd want to pay though, oh well!

SM

[Miss Moppet]

Just finished this today...

I think TLQ does what PG's books are supposed to do but don't - reimagine a female historical figure from a feminist POV.

Juana la Loca has always been 'Catherine of Aragon's sister' to me so it was great to find out more about her and refreshing to read about a C16 woman who wasn't a Tudor. I did meet her via A-level history but got the stereotypical portrait. Following her through the book, she seemed pretty sane to me! In fact I thought she didn't go far enough - I kept wanting to tell her, "go long, seize the treasury!"

The fairly complex political situation was very well explained while keeping up a fast pace. You understand how hard it was for Juana to know whom to trust or what exactly was going on. I specially enjoyed the bit at the French court as I find Anne of Brittany a fascinating character.

The description was just right, enough to create an atmosphere but not too much. I don't know Spain apart from a short visit to Madrid, long enough to see the Escorial and a few other sights, but this book has definitely made me want to revisit Spain.

And also, this is minor but the map in the front was very clear and good, always helpful!

[cw gortner]

Thank you very much, Miss Moppet. I'm honored that you liked the book and that it inspires you to re-visit Spain. And my friend Billy will be really happy to hear his map was so useful:)

[Muse in the Fog]

Juana of Castile, daughter to the revered King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, wife of Phillip heir to the Habsburg Empire, and a mother of six. She was used as a pawn to further greedy ambitions, then viewed as a threat to those ambitions. Her enemies warped her image, leaving history to remember her as Juana la Loca...but what would she want history to remember her as?

Juana is only thirteen in the beginning of this story. Through her we witness the fall of Granada and what it is like to be the daughter of the strong Queen Isabella. Her stubborn and determined character is quickly apparent, and we see that this is no ordinary princess. Juana defiantly refuses her mothers demand to wed her to a foreign betrothed until her indulging father gives her a choice in the mater. She can either forgo the betrothal and marry a Spaniard or she can help protect Spain by honoring the betrothal. The choice is clear to Juana, she would do anything for Spain...

At sixteen Juana is sure her future is doomed to be bleak as she sails to Flanders and the court of her soon to be husband, Phillip heir to the Habsburg Empire. What she finds in Philip is more then she could ever have hoped for. A love forms that is so strong, Juana feels nothing could tear them apart. They are blessed with children and Juana is more content then she ever thought possible, until tragedy strikes...

Juana soon learns no one is to be trusted. Greed and ambition is in the heart of everyone around her and sinister plots become abundant. Even as Juana's world is crumbling around her, she never looses her strength or desire to help Spain. She is now the chosen heir of Castile, and she will never stop fighting to claim what is hers and save Spain from its enemies....


This was am excellent book! It grabbed me right from the beginning and never let me go. While reading the book, it is obvious how much time and effort was put into it. It did not matter that I have not read many books set in Spain, because the authors vivid detail took me there in person. The characters were extremely three dimensional; they were so real I found myself wanting to jump in and tell some of them a thing or two. The last page of the book was a perfect and beautiful close to Juana's story...I read it twice! I absolutely loved this novel; its a lovely and heartfelt story of a woman whom history should know more about.

Read my full synopsis & review here (http://muse-in-the-fog.blogspot.com/2010/02/book-review-last-queen-by-cw-gortner.html)

[Vanessa]

I have this on my TBR pile. Glad you enjoyed it so much, Muse.

[Muse in the Fog]

It is definitely one you should keep on your TBR list! Here is a link to an interview I did with the author, C.W. Gortner, today on my blog! http://muse-in-the-fog.blogspot.com/2010/02/author-interview-cw-gortner-talks-about.html

[Vanessa]

Thanks for that, Muse.

[parthianbow]

Good interview, Muse. Thanks to you and to C.W.!

[Jemidar]

I would rate this book as my best read last year. And the most surprising!

I picked it up because I loved the cover (the US one with the gorgeous red dress) and bought it because it was about Katherine of Aragon's sister--so tenuously related to the Tudors. I had no idea who the author was and was more than a little worried when I found out it was a man writing in the first person from a woman's perspective. Not many men can do this with much authenticity, but boy C.W. can!!

I didn't know much about Spain or Juana, so came to this book without much background information, which posed no problems at all, and I was enthralled from almost the first page! I actually read it in one sitting, staying up all night to do so, because I just couldn't put it down :p.

I really can't recommend this book highly enough and believe it is what all good HF should strive to be. And I am really looking forward to C.W's next book on Catherine Medici, who also is not in my usual area of interest, but there's no way I'm missing out on what promises to be another pure delight.

BTW, it's summer 2010 here in the southern hemisphere, so can we have it now, can we please? PLEASE? :D