Plot

England, 1459: Cecily, Duchess of York, is embroiled in a plot to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne. But when the Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily’s family flee and abandon her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.

Cecily can only watch as her lands are torn apart and divided up by the ruthless Queen Marguerite. From the towers of her prison in Tonbridge Castle, the Duchess begins to spin a web of deceit – one that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI, and to her eldest son being crowned King of England.

Review

My little historian heart has been empty of late not being allowed into the archives thanks to The C Word, so this novel has come along at the right time. I’m sure most of us are familiar with the ever bloody Wars of The Roses when there were more changes to the throne of England than hot dinners in a Toby Carvery but this one is a little different. 

Told though letters, prayers, documents and diary entries it focuses on the life of Cecily, Duchess of York who at the heart of this is simply a mother watching her family rip each other to shreds and anyone who stands in the way. 

It’s refreshing to read a historical novel that takes this approach as it felt, for me at least, like I was in the archives looking through these old pieces of paper and enjoying myself. 

Of course, as with any historical fiction there are a few liberties taken but in the majority the book remains faithful to what we know of the Yorks and Lancastrians. A very enjoyable read which quelled my little history loving soul. 

Rating

4 stars 

Recommend 

Yes - especially if your history deprived right now. 

This book was kindly gifted by the publisher in exchange for a honest review as part of a blog tour.  All opinions are my own.

Centuries before women's lib or the suffragettes there existed powerful women who played a significant role in a male-dominated world.
In the second half of the fifteenth century as the Wars of the Roses made enemies of the House of Lancaster and the House of York, and their supporters it was these powerful women, including Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Marguerite of Anjou, who have provided those titans of historical fiction, Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir and Jean Plaidy with such appealing heroines.
Now Anne O'Brien tells the story of Cecily, Duchess of York, who went from being homeless, penniless, powerless, and the wife of a traitor to the mother of two kings. She narrowly missed being queen consort herself but throughout her long life was undoubtedly the keeper of the Yorkist flame.
A fine novel, written with confidence and style.

<i>The Queen's Rival</i> tells the story of Cecily Neville, the Queen that never was, and the woman at the very heart of the War of the Roses, one who lived through one of the most tumultuous times in English history.

The story is told in a epistolary format - letters, documents, prayers, recipes, diaries, notes compile and build up to create this story. This does have mixed results. Inclusions of recipes for things like favourite meals and poultices are a nice touch, but I'm not sure they add much depth to the story. Perhaps part of the issue is that the characters confess a bit too much in writing - a very dangerous time to be committing so much to letters that could well be intercepted. Other than the Kings becoming more removed, there is little sense of characters holding back and having double meanings or complexity. This I think is that missed opportunity with the recipes. Even something so simple as 'All is well in this house, my sister is hosting me kindly, by the way do you have a poultice for a near constant headache?' might have added a touch more depth.

I also wasn't sure of the role of the English Chronicle. Its intention it seems was to provide something of an outsiders view and an extra piece of historical context, but it reads too much like a tabloid newspaper in tone to be effective and comes across instead as anachronistic. 

All that said, O'Brien does capture the characters well. Cecily is quite a tour de force as the ultimate matriarch, but one who gradually realises she does not understand her sons quite as well as she thought she did. The book explores nicely her power and influence behind the scenes, how it conflicts with the influence of other women, her complicity in some of the tragedy, and how she is ultimately impotent in a world dictated by men. 

The women who surround her are mixed. Queen Elizabeth is complex and it is clear we only see her from Cecily's biased view. Cecily's sister Anne is wonderfully bitter but also demonstrates caring. Her sister Katherine is a bit more vague, hidden as she is on the peripherals of the action. 

The strongest part of the novel I think is Cecily's relationships with her sons, as they grow increasingly independent, hiding their true desires from her and essentially prove willing to throw her under the bus to achieve their aims. The novel is a gradual realisation that they are their own men, and very different from the boys she raised.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in The War of the Roses and the Plantagenets. 

Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for providing a free eARC of this book.

The Queen's Rival tells the story of Cecily Neville, the Duchess of York during the Wars of the Roses, from the sack on Ludlow Castle to the coronation of her son King Richard III. 
This is my absolute favorite period of history to read about both in fiction and non-fiction and therefore I could not wait to get my teeth sunk into the Queen's Rival. 

The story does not have a consistent narrative. The story is told through letters, prayers, small bits of story, and even recipes. I understand what O'Brien was trying to do but it did not work. For a woman, even a powerful one, in this period writing letters would have been their only communication with what was happening on the battlefield, and also a chance to voice their own feelings. However, we also get letters from other people other than Cecily to people other than Cecily. The reader is therefore ripped quickly from one narrative and into another and then back again from page to page. 
The letter theme of the book also makes the book very repetitive. Once again I understand what O'Brien is going for here by displaying this nature of how information was transported at this time but for a reader, it does not work.

I love a historical novel, and was quickly immersed in this retelling of the story of Cecily, Duchess of York, mother of the men who were to become Kings of England - Edward IV and Richard III. With her husband and sons engaged in bloody battles against the Lancastrian monarchs, she lived dangerously under the eyes of her enemies, not least Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI. To survive in the strife-ridden 15th century kingdom that was England at this time, she needed all her wits and courage about her, Her story here, told mostly in a series of letters to and from her husband, sons, sisters, and fellow nobles, brings her vividly to life, portraying a woman who cared deeply for her family and her country and who did what she had to do in order to survive.. The writing is atmospheric, the plot can't help but be exciting, and the historical characters become living flesh and blood under Anne O'Brien's skilful pen. It may take you a little while to get into the narrative, as the War of the Roses is a complicated affair, and even with some knowledge of the period, I found myself strugglng to remember who was who and which side they were on. Fortunately, there are famiily trees to refer to at the front of the book, and a handy glossary at the back, and you  become so immersed in Cecily's story that things do become clear quite quickly.

This is an interesting period of history, and the story is told through a mix of narrative, letters, recipes and chronicles.

I really wanted to enjoy the story, but the frequent switching between narrative, letters and chronicle prose meant I found it difficult to engage with the characters. This must have been a stressful and emotional time for Cecily, Duchess of York, but the style of the story didn’t portray that for me. 

As a result, I wasn’t hooked by the book and I’m sorry to say I gave up 40% of the way through. 

I’m sure there are many who will like the unusual style of story-telling, and I did enjoy the recipes. Therefore I give it ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.  This is my unbiased review.

When I started this book I really didn't think I was going to finish it; solely because of the writing style.  It is presented as letters to and from Cecily Neville, wife of Richard of York, interspersed with prayers and an odd bit of narrative.  The element I had most problem with was the 'Chronicle' - a first person narrative that reads like a modern newspaper - totally ridiculous in this historical book.  

However, I persevered, and the book tells the tale of the rise and fall of the House of York, how Richard almost became king, how his sons fought and betrayed the family, how they too became monarchs and the dynasty continued.  The power play between the Neville and Woodville families, and the machinations of the king's wife Margaret of Anjou (and his sad mental decline) are really interesting and well portrayed, so it reads well apart from the silly Chronicle bit that could perhaps have been better handled as straight narrative to bring the reader up to speed about events not directly experienced by Cecily or to indicate public opinion and rumour.

A shame, as the Wars of the Roses is a fascinating era, and the author was clearly well informed about the period (I had to keep a family tree to hand to follow who was whom).  Overall I did enjoy it, Chronicle notwithstanding.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid fan of Plantagenet/Tudor history I have read many books and articles on the history of those times.   After reading Anne O’Brien’s book, I can say without doubt it is one of the best.  The perspective is unusual and so well done.  I couldn’t wait to read the next letter, causing a couple of very late nights!  The addition of the Chronicle tied things together very nicely without lengthy explanation.  The hope and ambition of all the main players is well put forward, as is the tragedy that resulted from the actions taken.  There were very strong, ambitious women who are often forgotten in history, but Anne takes their stories and shows how vital these women were.  The interaction between Cecily and her sisters was amusing and bittersweet, just like families everywhere. 
All in all, an excellent read, thoroughly enjoyed.

I am a huge fan of Tudor and Plantagenet historical fiction so I was really excited to read The Queen's Rival by Anne O'Brien and I wasn't disappointed. This book tells the story of Cecily Neville the 'Queen that never was.' Wife of Richard of York and mother to the 3 'suns' of York, Edward IV, the Duke of Clarence and Richard III. 
This book is written in the form of a series of letters from Cecily to different relatives and vice versa. I have to admit that at first I thought I wouldn't like this approach to storytelling. However, it worked and I loved the book. Cecily Neville is most definitely worthy of a book being written about her. What a strong and formidable woman who experienced so much loss, death and betrayal in her lifetime, even by her own sons. Yet as any mother would, she remained loyal to each of them to the end of each of their lives. Cecily outlived all of her sons such was her strength and endurance. 
At the end of the book, the author explains why she chose to begin and end the book where she does. The book ends with the coronation of Richard III and not the death of Richard at the battle of Bosworth as I expected it to, but in terms of Cecily's role in the aggrandisement of the house of York it is appropriate. 
I would recommend this book to all fans of Tudor/Plantagent history and especially those of you, like me, who love the writing of Phillippa Gregory and Alison Weir. This is not the first book I have read by Anne O'Brien and it most definitely wont be the last. Thank you for enabling me to read this great book.

I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction set in a medieval court but until now I haven’t explored the works of Anne O’Brien. ‘The Queens Rival’ is a very solid entry into the genre but not my favourite. 

The book tells the story of Cecily, Duchess of York and mother of Edward IV and Richard III. Covering some of the most intriguing events during the Wars of the Roses there’s plenty of good material here and it was interesting to consider how it all unfolded from Cecily’s perspective. Cecily was often put in difficult positions, being left behind to face the victorious Margaret of Anjou as her husband fled to Ireland, facing the fall out of her sons marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, acting as mediator between her sons and seeing her youngest son usurp her grandson. Cecily led a fantastic life and makes for a great centre for this tale.

The weakest point of this book was the way Cecily’s story was told. Letters sent to and from Cecily make up the bulk of the narrative, with recipes, prayers and short sections of basic prose making up the rest. While the inclusion of letters can be a great added layer to any story, I felt this one relied too much on them. This framework made it seem like Cecily spend an awful lot of time talking and hardly anytime doing, unlike the other people in this book. This impression really doesn’t do Cecily any justice. Additionally, I’d find it hard to believe that Cecily and the others would have committed their deepest, inner most personal thoughts to paper, so I felt as if we were being held at a distance and Cecily’s character was never fully developed.

Despite this, I did find myself drawn into the book. The writing is a little more in the modern side than other authors of the same genre, this felt a little jarring to me initially but after a while I got used to it and it became a very easy read. I’d recommend this for anyone wanting to dip their toes into this area of history.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was very interested to read a book about Cecily Neville, which gives a rather different perspective on the Wars of the Roses.  However, this wasn't really my sort of book.  It is essentially a rather romanticised story, with an attempt to portray Cecily and her sisters as very much modern characters, which doesn't really work.  I liked the epistolary style, although this does give rise to clunky statements such as "your husband Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham".  The inclusion of the recipes was just irritating.  On the whole I think this is a good and easy-reading beach book.

I really enjoyed this book. The quirky way that the narrative was told appealed to me. Told by ‘ letters’ between the main characters and ‘newspaper’ accounts from the English Chronicle it was a refreshing change. Highly recommended!!

I have read many historical novels about the War of the Roses but this is a first. It is written solely from the female perspective through a mix of prose, correspondence, newspaper articles and private diary/prayers. The story line, which focuses on Cecile of York (Mother to King Edward IV, King Richard III and grandmother to the princes in the tower) is a fascinating read. An extremely powerful and wilful woman who lived a turbulent life through the actions and political career of her husband the Duke of York and three son’s who all aspired to be crowned King of England. I love reading historical fiction depicted through the eyes of the wives and mother’s of the men who became household names. 

This book is unusual to read as many of the events are depicted through the correspondence of the female characters left behind rather than through narrative of the male perspective. More often than not, historical fiction of this nature is centred on the battles and action, this books shows the anxiety of those left behind to wonder the outcome. Although I very much enjoyed the prose and letters, I did find the prayers became repetitive. 

The book is a superb mix of the political and personal history of the house of York. You are drawn into understanding the family’s feuds and sympathising with all sides.

Historical read based on the story of Duchess of York Cecile Neville during the War of The Roses.

This is a very good read based on the war over the throne between Lancaster and York which was known as the War of the Roses..  It is not technical on battles but more on the politics of the battle.  It tells how much the Duchess of York Cecily Neville had her say and take on everything to with putting the York’s on the throne.  I was intrigued at how intelligent the noble women of this time were as they were not educated like the men were. 

An intriguing read and thoroughly enjoyable.  Will look for more by this author.

Anne O’Brien’s writing brings the 15th century vividly to life. We follow Cecily Neville during this tumultuous time in English history, known as the War of the Roses, as she fights for her family’s survival and their rightful claim to the throne.  Anne O’Brien’s writing makes history so accessible with brilliant writing and extensive knowledge of English history.  This book reminds you quite starkly of how turbulent those times were, as you follow the twists and turns of the politics of the time.  The story is quite repetitive but only in such a way that brings home how life was, as they survived from uprising to uprising, threat to threat.  I wasn’t a fan of the way the story swapped between Cecily’s story to letters and documents between the family as I felt it effected the flow of the story but overall it didn’t effect my enjoyment of the book.  Definitely a recommended read for history fans.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book. I don’t normally read many history books but having read a few recently and having heard good reviews about this one I thought I would give it a go. 
For me, the style of how it is written, in the form of letters, I just couldn’t get into. 

I’m sure, for someone into their history, who likes the writing style, this will be a very good book, it just wasn’t for me.

This novel chronicles a fascinating period in English medieval history, the Wars of the Roses, told mainly through the perspective of Cecily Neville Duchess of York. I love that much of the focus is on strong, ambitious female characters such as Queen Marguerite and Elizabeth Woodville, as history is still overly male, and I enjoyed reading about the constant scheming, plotting, rivalry and mistrust during this period of heightened political battles. However, despite the high stakes, conflict and drama going on, the narration was oddly dry for the most part so I didn’t feel that gripped by the story. Trying to straddle between history and fiction is challenging nonetheless and the novel is well researched, well written, and the use of letters for much of the narration very effective. I would recommend the printed copy, rather than kindle edition, for this book as the useful family trees at the start of the novel would have been much easier to read and refer to in printed format.

Set in the 1400s, The Queen's Rival follows the story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York and mother to two future kings of England. Author Anne O'Brien skilfully weaves together her story through the inclusion of various chronicles, letters, extracts and prayers, and the result is a very interesting historical account of Neville's life, including the period of The Wars of the Roses. O'Brien sets the scene well and readers are able to get an insight into the life of a fascinating and strong woman. However there does come a point in the book where the epilstolry style gets too repetive, and it's hard to gain and understanding of Cecily's emotions and therefore warm to her. 

Nevertheless The Queen's Rival is a fascinating book that would appeal to any history enthusiast, and I'll definitely be checking out O'Brien's other novels!

DNF at 16%

Unfortunately this book isn’t for me. I really wanted to love it, and was so interested in the storyline. Usually I love historical fiction books, but this one was just a little too complicated for me. There are too many characters introduced right at the beginning, I kept having to flick back to the family trees included, but that’s so difficult on a Kindle! I think this book would be much easier read as a physical copy. While O’Brien’s writing is gorgeous, I couldn’t get on board with the style of the book (all written in letters). I don’t usually like this style anyway as I always feel like I’m missing something.

I think this book would be so enjoyable for someone who likes this style of writing in historical fiction, and I would recommend it to them, but it’s just not for me. I’ve given it three stars because I love the premise and the writing is, as I say, beautiful, but it’s just not my kind of book.

I've always thought Cecily Neville to be a fascinating historical character and I loved reading her point of view.  What a tragic life she led, losing so much, yet continuing to be so strong and supportive.  How awful to have one son have another executed - I wonder whether he really did die in a vat of red wine at his own choice!  I though the epistolary style brought the times to life and loved this.