Pub Date: June 12, 2012 | Ballantine Books | 400p

 It is mid-15th century Spain and with her father, the King, dead Isabella and her brother Alfonso go into exile with their mother.  Their half-brother, Enrique becomes King.  When Isabella and Alfonso become  pre-teens, Enrique sends for them to join him in life at court. 


There, they meet a second cousin of theirs, Fernando of Aragon, who is there visiting.  He walks in the garden with Isabella with loose supervision and announces to her that they will eventually marry.  She’s not sure about that but she does like him and enjoys his company.  However, he goes back to Aragon and she doesn’t think a lot on it. 

She has too many things to worry about at court.   The two young siblings soon learn how ineffectual a ruler Enrique is and Alfonso is taken by Archbishop Carrillo of Toledo and other to strike up resistance to King Enrique with the goal of crowning Alfonso.  Isabella is accused of treason and is held prisoner. 


For awhile, it looks like Alfonso will succeed in his mission but he eventually dies and Isabella takes his place.  She marries Fernando, even though Enrique forbids it.  However Isabella does make peace with her half-brother and he vows that she will rule when he dies.  He leads a very unhealthy lifestyle and soon dies.

Enrique has a daughter who in all likelihood isn’t really his but she also strikes up a fight for the crown.  However, her attempts fail and Isabella becomes Queen.  Though she is Queen she shares her power with Fernando, though she ultimately has to make most decisions on her own.  With hardly any money in the treasury and unrest all over Spain and Europe, will Isabella be able to start the healing process for her realm? 


C.W. Gortner creates a brave Isabella who, like most people is also conflicted.  With all male advisors and a sign of the times she often gives into what she thinks must be done, even though it conflicts her ethics.  It is a time where many countries all around are trying and killing people for heresy and eventual Isabella agrees to it for Spain, which we know as the Spanish Inquisition. 

Gortner paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be there in mid 1400’s Spain.  With the stroke of his pen his characters come to life and leap off the page.  This is the third book I have read by C.W. Gortner.  If it wasn’t official before, it is now, I am a fan!  I didn’t think he could top The Last Queen or The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, but I think he has with A Queen’s Vow.  I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.


5/5

I was given this book for my honest review.

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About C.W. Gortner:


C.W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and The Tudor Secret. He holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California.

In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall and experienced life in a Spanish castle. His novels have garnered international praise and been translated into thirteen languages to date. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights and environmental issues.

He’s currently at work on his fourth novel for Ballantine Books, about the early years of Lucrezia Borgia, as well as the third novel in his Tudor series,The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles (US) or Elizabeth’s Spymaster (UK).

Half-Spanish by birth, C.W. lives in Northern California.

 

Thanks to Amy Bruno of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and C.W. Gortner, I am giving away one copy of The Queen’s Vow.

This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. and ends on July 2, 2012.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.


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