This novel is a tour de force, as was Cecily herself if she was anything like the woman portrayed here. The mother of two kings, Edward IV and Richard III, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt and the wife of Richard, Duke of York, the Cecily Neville of this novel shapes her fortunes and those of her family with courage, steely resolve, ambition and love. From her marriage at 16 to Richard Plantagenet, a traitor’s son who must prove his loyalty to the young King Henry VI, to the crowning of her son as King Edward IV, this novel charts the role the historic Cecily may have played in driving the events that brought this about.

In the epilogue, the author talks about the ways in which ‘women exercise power in environments dominated by men’, and alongside and opposing Cecily at every turn is Marguerite, the French wife of Henry VI who was a weak, ineffectual, changeable, possibly mad and impotent king. This is the story of Henry VI’s overthrow by the house of York, and the role of these two redoubtable women in defending and promoting and fighting for their families and their lineage.

In the vein of much other recent fiction prioritising historic and mythological women’s voices, Annie Garthwaite gives glorious life to the women who undoubtedly played a pivotal role in shaping the events of their time, but whom the men writing those histories have relegated to a mere mention. She reminds us that the written accounts of historical events are just one narrative, not gospel truth. But most of all, she has created a strong, complex woman and a strong, complex novel, one which is riveting, intelligent and an absolutely compulsive read. I will even dare to compare Cecily to Dorothy Dunnett’s characters both male and female, and the complex sweep of a fraught period in history to Dorothy Dunnett’s inestimable grasp of interweaving historical events and their consequences. Cecily is a tremendous character and this is a tremendous book - both swept me off my feet.

A very good read for those interested in history be it fiction or based on factual research. For me it was not a book to read over a short space of time. I tended to pick it up and put it down over a number of weeks. Enjoyable and enlightening.

A hugely enjoyable historical novel in the vein of Phillips Gregory but not quite as polished.. I find that with historical novels like this I need to be able to flick to the tables of who is who and how they interact with each other but unfortunately reading as an ebook meant it was difficult to do this .

This is the story of Cecily, wife to Richard of the House of York and how she supported her husband’s ambitions and those of the numerous children she produced. A fabulous tactician, who seemed able to turn almost any situation to her advantage.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite Pub Day 29 July 2021
A startling heroine.'
Sarah Moss
"Rebellion?"
The word is a spark. They can start a fire with it or smother it at their fingertips.
She chooses to start a fire.
You are born high, but marry a traitor's son. You bear him twelve children, carry his cause and bury his past.
You play the game against enemies who wish you ashes. Slowly, you rise.
You are Cecily.
But when the King who governs you proves unfit, what then?
Loyalty or treason - death may follow both. The board is set—time to make your first move.
Told through the eyes of its greatest unseen protagonist, this astonishing debut plunges you into the blood and exhilaration of the first days of the Wars of the Roses, a war as women fight it.
This is the story of Cecily Duchess of York, the mother of Edward IV.
I want to thank NetGalley, Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business and author Anne Garthwaite for a pre-publication copy.

I knew I was the target audience for this book because when I saw the title I immediately thought, ‘What, Cecily Duchess of York and mother of Edward IV?’ And indeed it is her story. Having such high hopes, I was soon caught up in the sheer drama of those years. It’s well known that George R R Martin took inspiration for Game of Thrones from the Wars of the Roses. Much as I like GoT, the real thing is better.
I liked that there was no spoon-feeding of who’s who. Annie Garthwaite does a good job of explaining enough of the familial relationships (and boy are they tangled) without it taking over (there are family trees included at the back but they’re not so accessible on Kindle so I couldn’t help going down the odd rabbit hole online).
Cecily is portrayed as a shrewd operator, very much in partnership with her husband Richard, even perhaps the driving force at times. It’s not a one-sided portrait though: she is capable and loving but a darker side is shown, too – she wishes her enemies ill and protects her own at the cost of others. It was a precarious existence, one minute awarded honour and the next denounced as traitor. It seems crazy now that someone as unfit for office as Henry VI lasted as long as he did, but that’s the divine right of kings for you.
In other fiction and history I’ve read, Edward IV’s choice of bride is seen as shocking and out of the blue. Here, though, it is shown that the families spent time together in Normandy when Richard was governing on Henry VI’s behalf. Cecily’s family regularly crosses paths with Jacquetta and Golden Boy Woodville, Elizabeth’s parents, so the relationship seems much more plausible. There are only the faintest traces of foreshadowing; I admire the restraint!
As Cecily lived for more than 30 years past the events in this book, there’s definitely scope for a sequel. I’ll keep an eye out for it.

Cecily - Annie Garthwaite

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK and I am leaving this review voluntarily

"Rebellion?"
The word is a spark. They can start a fire with it, or smother it in their fingertips.
She chooses to start a fire.

You are born high, but marry a traitor's son. You bear him twelve children, carry his cause and bury his past.

You play the game, against enemies who wish you ashes. Slowly, you rise.

I should start my review by saying that historical fiction is not something I usually read, I was more drawn to the book by the strong female lead and the reviews I had been seeing.

I was impressed by the level of research that had gone into this novel. This is a complex tale with many characters (with similar names), but Annie has managed to write in such a way that the reader can follow the story. Such a powerful read, but definitely far more suited to people that have knowledge of the royal lines of succession.

Rating 4/5

I have found it hard to put this book down, very absorbing! A historical fiction following the life of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, mother to both Edward IV and Richard III, and key player in the War of the Roses. In this retelling of her life, she is a powerful player in the game, an insightful politician and an absolutely fierce and loyal partner to Richard, Duke of York.

I’ve read about this period of history several times over in different fictional portrayals, from different perspectives, but I really feel that Annie Garthwaite has done something special with Cecily’s perspective, which was beautifully written and felt perhaps more realistic than many other similar novels I have read from other points of view. There is nothing magical about Cecily, she is portrayed as a woman like many others in medieval times, married at the age of 9, having a stream of children, managing the household, but beyond that, she has a powerful intelligence, a keen interest in her husband’s cause, and garners respect from many in her own right. The period she lived through was extremely unsettled, fraught with political danger and war, and the book has a constant undercurrent of tension to it as Cecily and Richard plan, strategising how to deal with each successive threat together as a team. It’s an intriguing point in time because of the events that took place, and we will never really know what Cecily or Richard were like, but this is a fantastic imagination of their lives which felt caring towards the real history and shines a light on a much overlooked woman who just might have been integral to the rise of the House of York.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Viking, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Cecily tells the story of the 15th Century battles for crown and country through the eyes of Cecily Neville, wife of the Duke of York. She's wildly ambitious, intelligent and ruthless, refusing to be side lined.

I honestly didn't know anything about her before reading this fascinating historical novel and I've found myself learning about a few of the other major players in her story. I liked Cecily, despite her faults. She is a woman driven to ensure the success of her line and her house. Her incredible influence and desire not only to survive, but to win the ultimate prize of the throne is hugely admirable. It was wonderful to view this period of history when men battled and fought both on the field and in court, through the eyes of a strong woman.

I was captivated by the narrative from the start and although I knew how things ended up historically for the York family, I was still hooked. This is a truly gripping piece of historical fiction that I really enjoyed from the moment I picked it up. One of my favourite elements was her relationship with her husband Richard as it evolved and developed through the years.

Thank you #Netgalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For Fan’s of Philippa Gregory's War of the Roses series.
Cecily Neville is the youngest of 22 children, married to her father’s ward, the son of a traitor, Richard, Duke of York. Richard is cousin and heir to King Henry VI, a boy-king, who grows into an erratic, pious and mad king.

We follow Cecily and Richard through their long marriage, where Cecily is chief counsel to her husband and mother of his 12 children as York’s favour rises and falls.

I found the beginning of the book captivating, the middle of the book very slow, and the end a race towards her destiny: Cecily, the King’s Mother. Indeed, in the end, she is the mother of two Kings, the Grandmother of a Queen and the ancestor of all subsequent English/British monarchs.

I would love to see a follow-up where Cecily experience her sons as monarchs her thoughts at sharing grandchildren with her frenemy Jacquetta, her middle son and nephew rebelling against, the fate of her grandsons in the Tower, the rule of Richard III, and the marriage if her granddaughter to Henry VII.

A very enjoyable account of one of the few significant women in the Wars of the Roses who has *not* been the subject of a novel by Philippa Gregory. I had heard of Cecily Neville - in fact for anyone who has read The Daughter of Time she is memorable for the wrong reasons. She is generally known as the wife of Richard of York, mother of Edward IV and Richard III, and uncle of Warwick the Kingmaker. I knew enough history to know this story would not have a happy ending, though Garthwaite is perhaps wise to end her novel on the temporary high point following Edward's crowning after Mortimer's Cross. Cecily is portrayed as a very practical character, ruthlessly seeking the best for her family, but with a sympathetic focus on the details of her everyday life which reminded me of the superb historical writing of Zoe Oldenbourg. Richard her husband is rather more fairminded, and I can't help wondering, if he had really been so patient, would the disaster at Wakefield have been avoided? The story starts on a moment of real drama (the burning of Joan of Arc) and then after some quiet passages in the first half (though with suspense because the storm is coming) the action builds once armies are raised and battles are fought. Her protagonist not being present at any battles, Garthwaite makes her an observer of the scene via letters she receives. This generally works quite well, possibly better than Gregory's approach of moving the point of view from one person to another. The writing is very concise and well-edited, though possibly a little dry. However there was much to enjoy in this book and I would be glad to see Garthwaite's next historical novel.

"Cecily, you could talk your way out of Hell's mouth."

This is truly a special novel - I can easily see it being in my top five of the year. With a nail-biting narrative, fierce characterisation, and a spectacular stylisation, Cecily will have you hooked from the off and with her every step of the way as her life plays out across the pages.

Cecily Neville begins her story in 1424, aged nine, when she is betrothed to Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York. While Richard is an outsider to the court due to his father's struggle for power, he is born with royal blood; and it is in Cecily's interest to raise herself, her husband and all of her future children as high as she can within circles of power to secure their future. As the Duchess of York, Cecily uses her power in any and all ways she can: from securing marriages for her children into Duke's homes to befriending members of powerful French households to back their peaceful negotiations under the guise of a turn around the grounds, 'women's activities' become an opportunity to suggest an idea and influence an outcome. All the while continuing to give birth and maintaining her religious virtue - how did she have the time?

Ultimately, this is a story of women, their power and agency. While not every moment is a success, and certainly Cecily feels the pain of her losses deeply, she is conniving, intelligent and always preparing her next move in the war of politics. I particularly liked how Garthwaite writes about motherhood, Cecily's lack of maternal instinct and how that impacts her relationship with her children. I also really enjoyed the moments away from the politics, between her and Richard where Garthwaite wrote this very loving marriage that will probably surprise most readers given the setting.

The devil works hard but Cecily surely works harder. I'm truly smitten with this character that Garthwaite presents on the page and I'm sure to be reading more about this woman in the future while eagerly awaiting to see what Garthwaite writes next.

This book was a wonderful read! Our main character, Cecily, felt like a fully realised character, with complex relationships with both other characters and the sprawling historical world around her. The narrative was also beautifully done; the historical world felt realistic, but the author didn't let it get bogged down in too much detail which could've impeded the effectiveness of Cecily's story.

I've read books based in this period before, so when certain familiar historical names popped up I could draw on what I already knew to help me remember who they are, which I would say is the only potential drawback of this book - there are a lot of names, places and events to keep track of - so I would say it's definitely helpful to know a little bit about the time period before diving in!

Otherwise, this book was a really satisfying read, huge thanks to Netgalley and Penguin General UK for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was a really good debut novel. I enjoy reading about this period of history, in particular different authors takes on the events and personalities involved. Annie Garthwaite gives the reader a very strong willed, intelligent, ambitious woman in Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, a woman who is willing to take risks in the fight for the crown. She comes across as a fascinating character and while Cecily does dominate the narrative, the other characters are also very well developed. I found her take on Richard, Duke of York, and Jacquetta Woodville particularly interesting. There were odd bits of repetition that irritated slightly but not enough to spoil my overall enjoyment if the story. Overall, a really good historical novel and an author to watch.

‘It is no easy thing, to watch a woman burn.’

This novel opens on 30 May 1431, with Cecily watching the execution of Joan of Arc in Rouen, France. Cecily is sixteen years of age, the wife of Richard, Duke of York, heir to the English throne and son of a traitor. His position is precarious, subject to the whims of Henry VI and those who advise him.

In this novel, Ms Garthwaite covers Cecily’s story between 1431 and 1461, when her son Edward defeated his enemies at a battle in Yorkshire (thereby becoming Edward IV). It is a fascinating story, told from the perspective of a noble woman, covering the early part of the period we know as the Wars of the Roses. The history is readily available for those who are unfamiliar with this period but is most often recounted either from the perspective of powerful men, or of fictional characters.

Cecily Neville (3 May 1415 – 31 May 1495) was an English noblewoman, the wife of Richard, Duke of York (1411–1460), and the mother of two kings of England, Edward IV and Richard III. Ms Garthwaite brings Cecily to life in this novel: her family history, her involvement in politics, and the joys and heartbreak she experienced associated with childbirth.

‘When it is impossible to do a thing, you must simply find a way to make it appear to be done.’

While I do not think you need to know the history to follow this novel, it does help to understand the intrigues of the period and the (at times precarious) roles of Cecily and her husband. This is a well-written historical fiction which captured my attention and held it from beginning to end.

I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in historical fiction set in the fifteenth century.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air. It is just so nice to have a narrative that flows unhindered through the 15th Century. No, I am not being ironic, I found Cecily and the "goings on" that surrounded her to be delightfully written about, almost "fly on wall", and I loved it. So much historical fiction feels cramped in its style, Cecily is a real exception and exceptional as it is a first novel.

Enough from me other than to say buy this book, lock yourself away from the world and escape into the world that was Cecily.

A very well written historical tale, told from a truly unique point of view. Intriguing and emotional, a really interesting look at court politics, civil war, and the people who lived through it.

I didn't really know a lot about Cecily of York until I read this book and I'm so glad I found it. She is such a fascinating, strong, intelligent woman and her story is beautifully fleshed out within these pages. The period leading up to the War of the Roses is not one I'm very familiar with, but this was so informative and accessible I couldn't put it down. I'm so glad that Cecily has been brought out of the shadows of history because her story is certainly worth telling. A great read. Highly recommended.

Cecily Neville was, as a child, promised in marriage to the son of a traitor but this son of a traitor has a claim on the English throne and Cecily is determined to see him in his rightful place. However, the English court is a dangerous place in the 1500's and anyone threatening rebellion had better watch their back. Cecily is a remarkable woman, mother to a dynasty and deserves her place in our history.
I have to be honest, I knew nothing about Cecily Neville until I read this book but it has whetted my appetite to find out more.

In one of his most famous plays about one of England’s most famous kings, William Shakespeare doesn’t give a lot of time to Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. Her part in the play Richard III is small and easily forgettable in a story that involves such great villainy and bloodshed elsewhere. But Cecily was Richard’s mother, and although Shakespeare depicts her as an old and bitter woman, she had to be young once. And she had to have ambition; in the medieval world of the 1400s, women in fact had more power to influence politics than their later counterparts, and Cecily was married to a man who spent much of his adult life in conflict with King Henry VI’s counsellors and who did – eventually – die in pursuit of removing the crown from Henry’s hands. There could be virtually no way that she wasn’t involved somehow.

Annie Garthwaite certainly thinks so, and in her debut novel Cecily she has brought Cecily Neville back to life with bright and bold strokes. Historical fiction of any kind is a popular genre, but I always think that there is something really special about novels that set out to examine a long-forgotten life, casting it into new light and really taking the time to consider the possible motives, thoughts and feelings of a person long dead. We all know the plot, how things turned out and their far-reaching consequences, so it allows the author and the reader to really focus on character, and the character driven version of the historical narrative.

Garthwaite really embraces this concept. We meet Cecily as a young woman, newly married to the Duke of York, and wondering what her new life will hold for her in the upper stratosphere of English society. As the years go by, she shows herself to be a capable and devious person, comfortable talking to queens and nursemaids alike. She is excellent at reading people and planning ahead. She is devoted to her husband and his cause, and therefore to their children too – although definitely to some more than others. The portrait of Cecily that Garthwaite paints for us is so perfectly balanced; she is not a good person. Not really. But the reality of her life, and the things she is trying to achieve, and the fierceness with which she loves the people she loves means that we like her anyway, despite her many flaws. It is very skilled writing; we know all too well how a strong woman character like Cecily can be twisted in the minds of the reader into something much worse than she really is. But Garthwaite doesn’t really give us a chance to do that.

I mentioned Shakespeare earlier and I have to return to him now briefly. There are times in Cecily when she is debating the next move with her husband, making suggestions and planting seeds of ideas in his mind, and I found the moments to very Shakespearean in nature. Almost Lady Macbeth worthy, except of course this is Cecily’s story and so we know her mind inside and out, and understand why she is doing the things that she is. Cecily and Lady M share more than just this penchant for politics; they’ve both lost children and heirs for their husbands, but where Lady M remains childless, Cecily has gone on to have healthy and beloved children and therefore feels as though she has done the duty she is bound to do. She is content in that, where Lady M never was. I might be making too much of the comparison, but it just struck me, and I couldn’t shake off the idea as I was reading.

There are moments in Cecily when a reader not well versed in the tangled history of late medieval England might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters and how their shifting loyalties to one another make and break the political dynasty that they are a part of. It doesn’t help that so many of them are named John and Anne. But the focus is always firmly on Cecily, and although there may be times when the history becomes too much, we can rely on Cecily – and Garthwaite’s firm hand on the tiller – to drive us once more into calmer waters.

As a fan of Historical Fiction, I am always keen to read about strong female characters, and when I found out that the protagonist in this book is also one of my ancestors I knew I HAD to read it.

I had a little background knowledge of Cecily from things I had read online when I discovered her during my genealogical research into my family tree, but, I knew nothing of the intricacies of her life.

Through Annie’s writing, I felt that I was there alongside Cecily through all the ups and downs that life threw at her. The imagery Annie paints in the text is so vivid, the places and people really are brought to life. Cecily was formidable, intelligent, driven, ambitious, and loyal. She had an incredible talent for manipulation and being able to talk her way both into and out of situations. She held her own in a world dominated by men, and in her sphere were the most powerful men in the country. A ruthless and resilient wife, mother, and leader.

The writing is unabated, exciting, and powerful. With each chapter, I couldn’t wait to read on further. Sometimes with Historical Fiction, I can get a little lost with names, places, and dates but Annie has managed to capture a complex tale in an easy to read and highly enjoyable way. You can see how well researched not only the major events in her life were, but those other details (often overlooked in history, particularly when it comes to women) of friendships, family, the effects of the loss of her children, and her love for Richard, how all of these interacted with the decisions she made and the repercussions for both herself and those around her, from this.

I am so incredibly humbled to have been given the opportunity to read the arc of Cecily and am very proud to descend from such an amazing woman. I have already found myself in situations where I tell myself ‘you are a daughter of Cecily, you are strong and can handle this’, it really helps!

Thank you again to Penguin Random House for the arc.

I urge everyone to buy a copy!