THE STOLEN CROWN

THE STOLEN CROWN by Susan Higginbotham was read for the What's in a Name 4 Challenge (jewelry or gem).

From Publishers Weekly:

Higginbotham's latest historical novel is set during England's turbulent War of the Roses.  The title refers to King Edward IV's secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which serves as catalyst to the exploits of the main characters, Woodville's younger sister Katherine and her first husband, Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.  Great artistic license is taken in fictionalizing their marriage as a mostly happy one.  Those without a strong knowledge of the period will find the book daunting, due to ever-changing alliances and the sheer number of characters, but more knowledgeable readers may find the fruits of Higginbotham's imagination more difficult to swallow.  Higginbotham's Henry seems to wander through his life making impolitic outbursts to King Edward, hero-worshipping Richard, and, later, innocently led by Richard's machinations.  The majority of the book is narrated by Katherine, whom historians know very little about; she makes an appealing heroine, and those who can suspend disbelief will sympathize quite strongly with this character and the plight of a noble woman in Medieval times.

I've read a few books about the War of the Roses, beginning with Sharon Kay Penman's epic THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR.  In that book, the Duke of Buckingham was an evil man who planned the murder of the young princes in the Tower of London.  In that particular book, Richard was a "good guy" who had nothing to do with the murders.

In this book, however, Richard wore the black hat and ordered the death of the princes, confessing this crime to Buckingham.  Buckingham was a nice guy who made a lot of wrong choices and put his faith in the wrong people.

The question of whether Buckingham was good or evil aside, I enjoyed this book.  It was interesting to follow the actions of the characters, seeing their loyalties change at the drop of a hat.  I can't say if my thoughts on Richard and Buckingham changed after reading this book, but it did re-kindle my interest in the War of the Roses and make me want to read further.