The Wars of the Roses

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Tue September 9th, 2008, 5:13 pm

I have House of Lanyan on my TBR pile - is it one of those books which you either love or hate?

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Tue September 9th, 2008, 5:34 pm

There's Lady of the Roses by Sandra Worth. I thought it was a decent read. Not the best I've ever read but good!

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Tue September 9th, 2008, 5:40 pm

[quote=""Vanessa""]I have House of Lanyan on my TBR pile - is it one of those books which you either love or hate?[/quote]

I've read other books by Anand and enjoyed them very much. This one I just found way too predictable I could see every plot twist coming a mile away. That, and the fact that I didn't care for any of the characters just made for a very blah read for me.

Although it could just be me. Everyone has gone gaga over Mistress of the Sun and me, well it made the list.

Juniper · Post by **Juniper** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 1:56 am

I loved the trilogy by Posie Graeme-Evans about Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville and the fictional illigetimate daughter of Henry VI. All three books gripped me from start to finish.

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 5:14 am

I really hated the first half of the first book in the Posie Graeme-Evans trilogy, then loved the second half. I liked the second book but for some reason haven't been inspired to pick up the third yet.

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 5:38 am

I lovd reading the Posie Graeme-Evans trilogy, even though the first half of the first book was a bit disturbing.

Marg, the third book is certainly worth reading too.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 8:35 am

The author plays very fast and loose with the history doesn't she? I've read and been underwhelmed by the second one - The Exiled - and was very surprised to come across a detailed scene with a prosperous Jew - 150 years after the Jews were all expelled from England. I also understand from friends who know the history of the time better than me that the actual likelihood of Henry VI having a bastard daughter are very remote and totally out of known character.

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 11:12 am

Yes, you have a point there EC2.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 10:31 pm

Henry VI with a bastard daughter! That does seem preposterous. I'm not an expert in this period, but he seems to have been (a) so mindlessly pious he would have been happier as a monk and (b) so mentally frail for most of his life that he was kept on a pretty tight rein by his wife and counsellors.

Perhaps we should have a thread on preposterous historical novels, as there are quite a few of them. One which I thought was particularly ridiculous (I don't recall the author or title) was set during the Civil War between Stephen and Matilda and based on the theory that they were secretly in love with each other.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed September 10th, 2008, 10:42 pm

[quote=""Margaret""]Perhaps we should have a thread on preposterous historical novels, as there are quite a few of them. One which I thought was particularly ridiculous (I don't recall the author or title) was set during the Civil War between Stephen and Matilda and based on the theory that they were secretly in love with each other.[/quote]

I've read that book and it's sequel. Don't forget that the author made Henry Stephen and Maude's child

I read the sequel as well and that was even worse. She had Eleanor going on Crusade and having icky sexual type stuff going on with her uncle.