This book took an inordinately long time to read. Although the subject & time in history fascinates me the book is written in a series of letters & newspaper clippings which makes for very disjointed reading. Also the author has clearly gone to a great deal of trouble to fashion her writing into the language of the time (but luckily not the spelling) which also makes for heavy going.

Also “Queen’s Rival”? I assume Elizabeth, wife of Edward IV, or Margaret, wife of Henry VI? Either way the book was about Cecily of York so I might have picked a different title which better reflects the subject of the book.

That said, assuming the history is correct, it was an educational read. Though I might not be in such a hurry to read another book by this author. 3* for all the work put in but not for “enjoyment”.

Beautifully written historical novel.
The characters are well developed and the use of a series of letters to develop the story really brings out the family relationships. The story is one that I was vaguely aware of but had never before come across in such detail. I was thoroughly enthralled and will be reading more from this author.

A thoroughly engaging story looking at the Wars of the Roses through the eyes of the House of York matriarch, Cecily Neville. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, the book tells Cecily's story from the early days of the conflict to the accessing off her youngest son, Richard III.

The Queen's Rival offers a new perspective through the narrative, which is a combination of traditional storytelling and letter writing. The letters between Cecily and her sisters, Anne and Katherine, are particularly entertaining, telling the story while at the same time giving an insight into the sisters as they share recipes, beauty tips and family news - many of which will leave the reader giggling in amusement.

The combination of the story told in narrative and letters makes reading this novel a unique experience. I love the sisterly relationship between Cecily, Anne and Katherine, especially seeing as it isn't all living and approve ask the time. The snide remarks and unwanted advice offered in the letters provides a wonderful contrast to the nationally important events of the story.

Anne O'Brien portrays Cecily and her family in such a unique and intimate way that the reader is drawn into the narrative and feels like a fly on the wall, watching the events through Cecily's own eyes.

It's a wonderful, innovative concept for a novel and give the reader an unforgettable experience. It is the best I've read from Anne O'Brien. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Anne O'Brien's gift for telling the stories of the powerful but often forgotten women in our history is continued in The Queen's Rival. Cecily, Duchess of York - the Kings Mother to two kings was a politically astute powerful woman who you normally only read about as a side character.

Anne O'Brien brings her to life not just as a political player but also as a loving and loved wife, a mother, and sister. She faced much tragedy in her families quest for the throne which they took on knowing the implications if they failed.

The letter writing format is interesting to read. The Queens Rival is one to add to the reading list of anyone interested in our history told from a different angle.

I was given a copy of The Queen's Rival by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

A new take on an old story. The Wars of the Roses have been written about in so many books as such an interesting part of history should be. Exactly what happened behind the scenes is subjective and that is where this book comes into its own. Cecily, Duchess of York and King's Mother writes to her sisters, her, children and extended family such as her nephew, the Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker. She is a true matriarch trying to keep her family strong and together. You can feel a mother's frustration when deep rifts in the family occur as this is not politics for her, this is family! She also did have a very shrewd and clever mind and would have been a major player in her own right had she been male. Telling the story in the form of letters including little details such as family recipes just added that little insight into life at the time for those in the nobility. Rich and rewarding read

Another key figure in English history brought to life by Anne O'Brien. Cecily Neville must have had nerves of steel to stay as strong as she did during a tumultuous time in history. Reading the story, one feels as one was there in the room and you can almost taste the candle smoke. Brilliant story of a sometimes overlooked strong woman in a man's world.

I have long been fascinated with the Neville sisters and Cicely in particular so I was excited to read this book. Anne O'Brien is reliably one of my favourite writers of historical fiction and took the brave decision to write the story of Cecily through letters sent largely to family members but also to some of the major players in the turbulent story of her life, Margaret of Anjou for example - who literally held the life of Cecily's family in her hands. This form must have been so hard to write but I really enjoyed it. It reinforced how hard life must have been without the immediacy of contact we are so used to nowadays. Writing letters to children and a husband that may or may not be alive or dead, knowing that your words could be the ones that help carry them to the scaffold. It reinforced the dangers and uncertainties of the times and all through the mouthpiece of a woman over underrated for the role she and her family had to play in the development of Plantagenet England. Very well done.

The Queen's Rival is the newest title from Ann O'Brien, who I consider the historical fiction queen. This is something a little different, told entirely through the epistolary message of letters and documents. It follows Cecily Neville, the Duchess of York and her journey as a mother of two Kings in the 1400s. Although I felt like this time period of history was quite interesting, I'm not sure I really connected with Cecily. Anne O'Brien writes strong female leads, and Cecily is certainly a strong woman with an important role to play, but I felt a great distance between her. I think this is primarily because of the telling of the story through letters and documents, which at times felt disjointed and jarring. A more traditional prose, supplemented with these personal documents would have made me care more about the characters. It felt like this telling was trying to make it more like a factual, historical supplement - but the fact is, Anne O'Brien uses historical times as inspiration and these stories are just that, stories, loosely based around historical events. I'd prefer them to be told as simple stories that allow me to care more about the characters and their journeys.

Although I didn't love this book, I did finish it and would definitely read Anne O'Brien again in the future.

I was looking forward to The Queen’s Rival, Cecily Nevilles’s story told via the letters that she sends. Unfortunately I didn’t get on with the book. I didn’t get a clear picture of Cecily and just kept on wanting to know why she would write such dangerous incendiary things in the high likelihood that they would be intercepted and all those mentioned killed.

Wow what a book! This is the first book I have read by Anne O’Brien and I will certainly be reading more.
I have to say it took a while to get into, as it is written by way of letters to and from Cecily and also to and from different people, entries into England’s Chronicle by persons unknown, prayers and the odd recipe here and there.

The book is written from the point of view of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. We begin in 1459 when Henry VI is on the throne.
We follow Cecily through family losses, the Wars of the Roses and we end with her son, Richard III being crowned king.
What a life she had, and she maintained her dignity and strength of character throughout.

Through this book which is based around actual events, my knowledge of that period of time has increased substantially!

There are a lot and I mean a lot of characters in this book and I would recommend writing them down as I did struggle a little to follow them, especially as their names and titles tend to change as the book progresses.

Loved it!

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This is a familiar story and yet it isn't. It is the story of the War of the Roses from a new perspective that of Cecile, Duchess of York and other to two kings.
During the novel the wheel of fortune turns for and against her and her family. We feel her fear, her sorry and her pride as battles rage and loves are lost.
It is clear as the story progresses how she earned the nock are of Proud Cis.
The story is cleverly told through a series of letters to and from Cecily and her family. The author presents her as a strong, independent, clever woman and I had so much respect for her by the end of the story.
Anne O'Brien has once again brought to a life a lesser known character from the past and her research is excellent as always.
Thank you to the publishers for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The story is set after The War of the Roses, when England was still on turmoil without a proficient King. I found the use of letters to tell the story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York to be very effective means to tell the history of the time. I have read all Philippa Gregory's books of this period of time and had felt the Cecily was a minor character, but this book challenges that view point. I found it easy to read although I did need to refer back to the family trees at the start of the book. Royal families at this time were very complicated with pre arranged marriages to support friendly alliances. Although a work of fiction I'm sure that Anne O'Brien had carried out a lot of research into the life and times of the period.

1450s and Cecily Neville finds herself abandoned by her husband. He has chosen to try and overthrow the weak King HenryVI but an army commanded by Henry’s wife Marguerite has appeared and Richard, Duke of York, has fled to Ireland. Cecily is imprisoned in the comfort of her sister’s house with no contact with her husband or her eldest son. The wheel of fortune turns and Richard declares himself ruler but is killed in battle at Sandal. It turns again and Cecily’s eldest son Ned becomes king.
This is change in style for O’Brien. Told in a mainly epistolatory form with episodes from ‘England’s Chronicle’ and a more standard narrative style it takes a little getting used to but it is an intriguing departure. Cecily Neville has remained an unexplored character in the Cousin’s War (Wars of the Roses) but she is central to all. Related to both houses through blood and marriage, the Yorkist matriarch was the implacable enemy of her former friend Margaret (Marguerite) of Anjou and this book builds character in the bones of history

Another 5star review for Anne O'Brien's new book. Love the epistolary format. I have read many books where the formidable 'Duchess Cecily' appears as a sort of figure on the sidelines. Now she is at the centre of her rather difficult family. I grew up reading Jean Plaidy which instilled a love for good historical fiction: great stories fulls of facts.

A really interesting book and I loved the style used (letters to each other) to tell the story. Full of really good historical information too! Thanks netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This period of history told from the point of view of Cecily, Duchess of York in the form of letters to and from her to her family and through proclamations. The story is very simplistic but it works. I have read the history of this period before but not just following the history just with regards to Cecily and her sons and how she was the King's Mother twice! The order of the Kings during that period has become so much clearer when described from her point of view.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Anne O'Brien/HQ for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Queen’s Rival by Anne O’Brien is a historical fiction book following the events of the Wars of the Roses, specifically through years 1459 to 1483, encompassing major battles during the Wars and continuing up to the beginning of Richard III’s reign. The book is written in the form of letters and the narrative revolves around Cecily, Duchess of York, wife to Richard, Duke of York, and mother to two Kings, Edward IV, and Richard III. Themes of scandals, family loyalty and the dynamic between aristocracy and the monarchy dominate the narrative, most notable through these personal letters written by and for the Duchess.
I immediately wanted to read this upcoming book because I am a history student who is always interested to see how fiction combined with real life play out in a novel. Despite historical fiction being one of my favourite genres, I am never able to recommend a favourite because, unfortunately, I never seem to find them accurate or interesting and leaning too far into either the fact or fictional side of things. Maybe I’m too pedantic, who knows?
One of the weakness I found with the book, and this is only a personal matter, but the diary entry-style of the book is definitely not for me. While it does have the advantage of feeling like the reader truly gets to know the characters, that also means that it creates a very character-centred novel, blurring details of description, scenery, and overall drive. On the plus side, the reader gets a very clear picture of the character arch’s and their motives, but if you’re looking for vivid descriptions or a very historic-feeling novel, I’m unsure you’ll find it in this.
Despite this, I only have positives to discuss! As mentioned, the level of historical accuracy is second-to-none, with immense research having gone into this by the author. It’s clear that not only has she researched the timeline and the characters, but there is a strong attachment to the lives of these nobles. This is also evident from the sheer number of books the author has written surrounding this time period. Her level of work is quite outstanding and to constantly be receiving praise for her works is indicative of her talent.
To add to this, the way she writes about the characters makes them feel very real, raw, and relatable, which I find rare in historical fiction, specifically pre-1800 writing. It is rare that people of the modern world would be able to read the words of a monarch or aristocrat from the 1400s and feel they understand all their problems, but O’Brien’s writing allows that connection to happen. The Duchess of York’s unique position, having lived through 5 monarchs, two of those being her son and two of them being usurpers, (depending on whether you acknowledge the Act of Accord or not)makes her a very interesting character. O’Brien’s ability to make the King’s Mother’s troubles feel tangible to anyone in the 21st century is a worthy skill.
Even more plausible is her ability to create a narrative that, despite having an already known ending, still feels new and enticing. As a history student, the Tudor period and the Wars of the Roses is a very common topic to study, and after taking a ‘Monarchy and Aristocracy’ module last year for university, I was worried this book would feel more educational than relaxing, but I was wrong. The story doesn’t present itself solely as a historical timeline of events, rather the letters serve to convey the worries, concerns and fun recipes shared between sisters, allowing for humanity to seep through the fabric of tragedy, war and death. The turbulent time period of the Wars of the Roses is heightened and lessened in importance where O’Brien pleases, and her pace is masterfully done. Adding the layer of a female protagonists gives a rare space to the female perspective of war, rivalry, and family drama in a male-centred world.
Overall, if you’re interested in learning about the Wars of the Roses in a tangible manner, I would highly recommend this book. Even if the diary-style isn’t for you, it is a quick and educational book that anyone can read to expand their knowledge of English history.

These sweeping novels of historical fiction blow me away, and THE QUEEN'S RIVAL was no exception. Loved it of course.!

Never did I think that I'd warm to Cecily Neville, but this book had me admiring a woman who was clearly a force to be reckoned with in a time that women were very much expected to be seen and not heard. I was a bit put off by the way it was written at first (in letters to and from Cecily) but soon got used to it. It's a brilliant book and one I'd read again.

As a huge Wars of The Roses nerd, The Queen’s Rival has been a much-anticipated book on my TBR for ages. Needless to say, it did not disappoint!

The book is told in epistolary format (with the occasional recipe and prayer!), with letters Cecily Neville sends to various people throughout her life. Although it might be difficult to adjust to the belief that Cecily would have written everything down – it’s historical fiction! So as a fictionalised account of events, I found it highly enjoyable. Moreover, because of this format, O’Brien’s style does take a little getting used to. But once you do, the book is an amazing read!

It is evident that O’Brien has put an incredible amount of time into researching the era – something that I really appreciated. Each character is developed from Cecily’s perspective – making for a unique but realistic take on such a well-known era of history.

My only flaw with this book is that I felt the epistolary format could have been broken a little bit more than it was – just to get the perspective of other characters a little more. But overall this is a thrilling read – perfect for any History lover!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an ARC of this amazing book!