This book begins with Cecily watching the execution of Joan of Arc. Emphasising straight away the differences in women's power and how quickly it can be removed. Cecily is the wife of Richard Duke of York, heir to the throne but son of a traitor. His position is precariously balanced in the whims of the king and his allies. Cecily would rather her husband guarantee their safety by removing their enemies - even if this includes the king. So begins the wars of the roses.

Firstly I enjoyed this, Cecily isn't someone I was aware of. There is a new tendency to revise women's place in history and rewrite with a modern feminist perspective. I don't usually mind this but I must admit I did find it awkward in this novel. Traditionally women in positions of power held on to them by bed and birth, Cecily is fully advising her husband and brothers on rebellion and willing to lead an army herself. Is that believable? I don't know. It's a good read I think if taken with a pinch of salt.

I’m such a history nerd, but I always struggle to read biographic books when they’re very factual and drab but this book brought Cecily, a name I hadn’t heard before despite my love of the tudors and surrounding monarchy, to life. Sharing the inns to a family and heirhood well known, we see the origins of some more well known kings and lords in full action, The way Garthwaite has portrayed her story this way made it wholly fascinating to learn about, without being too confusing or overbearing in facts, but more of a story where I felt I was there looking in play by play.

This is the second book I have read about Cecily Neville recently, I very much enjoyed the first one but absolutely loved this one! The author has made Cecily come alive in this book, you see her as very much the matriarch of the York household, in tune with her husband and supporting the decisions he made (often with input from her). She is shown as a strong person who was a good judge of character who didn't suffer fools gladly but was wily and cunning in her relationships with those who threatened her husband and family. Her love for her children, with Edward IV clearly her favourite, is a theme throughout the book. I liked the way the author showed Richard as the favourite of his father - it's clearly fiction with no evidence to support it but as someone who is a supporter of Richard III it struck a chord!

This is a really comprehensive historical novel. It manages to get the balance between being factually accurate and at the same time being an enjoyable read just right, I’ve read a few books about this time period and what this novel does particularly well is make history accessible and the author really brings the characters to life. It is so good to read about a strong female character in history because it is easy to believe on the face of it that men had all the power but they didn’t. Cecily is a formidable character from history and just as powerful as any man of her time, and she deserves to have her story heard time and time again. This is definitely a recommended read for historical fiction fans.

This is a well-written historical novel with a unique perspective on the strong female protagonist, Cecily. The real-life wife of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York and mother of future kings Edward IV and Richard III, this novel shows how this ambitious woman steers the fate of her family from her position behind the scenes.

Firmly aware of her role to not only provide an heir but to strengthen her family through the birth of strong sons and develop strong allegiances through the marriage of her daughter's, Cecily seems to approach childbearing as a captain in battle with cunning strategy to pursue triumph and stoicism in her losses.

Cecily is not always a likeable character - she is completely focused on her goals, can be cold and at times ruthless, and her roles as wife and mother are central to her battle plans as opposed to tenderness and nurture. Yet, for Cecily her story is one of survival and for her the family must survive at all costs. The key to survival is to gain ultimate power through succession to the throne.

However, her adversary is an equally strong and devious woman, Marguerite of Anjou. She too will stop at nothing to see the survival and success of her family.

This fresh perspective of medieval history opens with the execution of Joan of Arc, the choice of the famous demise of one of the biggest historic heroine, a foreshadowing of the themes of the rest of the book - strong women who have just as much involvement in the battle for supremacy as their husbands. An enjoyable read with much relevance for today.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This period of history fascinates me- the first days of the War of the Roses, where the descendants of Edward III - the houses of York and Lancaster, would fight to wear the crown. Cecily, married to Richard, Duke of York, is a true politician, negotiating her family's way through dangerous times (and when weren't times dangerous for an heir to the throne, as Richard is?) until finally there is no solution but to fight for that throne, triggering a state of sporadic conflict, battle and political machinations that would roll on, fitfully, for the next 40 years. Cecily shows us these times from the perspective of a major player, yet she is, of course, a woman, so often overlooked (both then and now) but of huge consequence. The story treads carefully along the lines of fact and fiction. The lives of women were only recorded in as much as their relationships to men, so we cannot possibly know their thoughts or even their actions, but seen through Garthwaite's eyes Cecily comes alive - her motivations, her relationships, her griefs and her successes are portrayed in a way we can all relate to. A book every woman can enjoy, no matter their knowledge of history - this is the story of a woman, not a king, or a duke, but a woman of intelligence, cunning and power who knows how to get stuff done. And we all know women like that.

This is a historical novel about 15th century English politics and war. I really enjoyed it. It was very fresh hearing about characters we don't hear about all the time. Good plot and Cecily is a very well-developed character.
I enjoyed it. Thanks a lot for this copy.
A quick note: The cover looks like a contemporary novel, doesn't give the cues of a historical set up according to me.

Thanks so much to Penguin for letting me read Cecily by Annie Garthwaite on NetGalley. Fifteen and sixteenth-century royal English history is my absolute favourite kind of history, and I can read about this period over and over without getting bored. If you're not familiar, Cecily was the wife of Richard, Duke of York - who was the heir to Henry VI throughout the 1440s and 50s - and the mother to the eventual Edward IV and Richard III. She was very involved in the machinations of the Wars of the Roses, and connected to all of the major power players of that period.
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Being so familiar with the history, I was more interested in the way Cecily's story was told. This is set between the early 1430s and early 1460s, and I have to say, I wish the story had been compressed into a smaller time period. For the first half of the book, there are so many incidents and so many characters, and it's all flown through so quickly that I didn't feel especially immersed in the story. Personally, these early sections didn't add much to my understanding of Cecily or her family, so I wish the whole book had been the second half: more fast-paced, more tightly focused, more detailed exploration of Cecily's life (with the appropriate flashbacks, obviously). This might sound like pure criticism, but I do think that Cecily is definitely among the higher calibre of historical novels: well-written, very well-researched, and showing a different perspective of the Wars of the Roses. I thought it ended at a very appropriate point, although I was really hoping to see Cecily's reaction when her son ends up marrying Elizabeth Woodville, the daughter of Cecily's frenemy Jacquetta (!). I really hope Annie Garthwaite keeps writing historical novels about the period, because I would definitely read more from her - and I also think my perception of this novel has been pretty skewed as I know SO much about the era. 3.5 🌟

What an amazing debut. This novel is a tour de force.
As a 'mature' MA student myself you have no idea how much your novel has helped me in my own studies.
This novel is exciting and informative, but unlike many novels based on a historical event or person it never feels preachy or 'for educational purposes' it is just a great read.
This should be a novel that is used to teach would be historical novelists how to successfully adapt a life into a story that people will want to read and will gain knowledge almost osmotically rather than have it shoved down their throats.
Bravo!

I am not someone who is obsessed with historical fiction. However, perhaps because of the uncertainty of the 2021, I have recently been drawn to it.

'Cecily', by Annie Garthwaite did not disappoint. Set in the early stages of the War of the Roses, Grathwaite focuses on Cecily Neville. She is a woman whose lineage, alongside that of her husband, brings her very close to the throne and therefore both an ally and enemy of the incompetent king. Her and her families fortunes wax and wane as they tactically pursue their ambition to rule the country, opposed by the equally ambitious Marguerite, wife to Henry VI.

Cecily is an intelligent and ruthless woman; therefore she makes for a very interesting protagonist. She loves her children fiercely, yet by modern standards makes a poor mother. She is wiser than many of the men around her, but is often too impatient. Garthwaite portrays her character convincingly and draws the reader in so that you want Cecily and her families star to rise,

I am no expect on medieval history, and this novel, set in the fifteenth century at the end of the Hundred Years War and the start of the War Of The Roses and posits that Cecily - the wife of Richard Duke Of York was a mover and shaker in all the events that took place. The extent of the truth of this reading doesn't really matter, there is more broadly a view of the kind of power a woman, and a noble wife, could hold. This is a period after all where Margaret of Anjou was basically Regent and ruled in her husbands stead, and indeed it is Margaret who is basically the villain of this piece. Not that Garthwaite wants to draw in such broad strokes as heroes and villains, she makes if very clear that the high stakes political manoeuvring women in particular are very rarely safe. But in as much as being someone opposed to Cecily's view of the world (not least a view that leaves her children as potential monarchs), Margaret is the antagonist.

We spend the whole book with Cecily, kicking off with a nicely introspective moment while Joan Of Arc is being put to death. This is quite a modern narrative, there is a real sense that superstition notwithstanding, Cecily has very little time for God, and certainly doesn't see any divine right in monarchy. At the same time the book has to thread through the inconvenient narrative rapids of real life : not least the Duke Of York being sent off to look after Ireland for a big chronological chunk of the book. This is a pacey and quite short novel though, what elsewhere would be a trilogy of 800 pages is dealt with in a breathless swoop. That means we are high on incident, but very rarely have time to breath - Richard and Cecily are in love because the book says they are, history suggests they were and what more is there to crack. There are probably more nuanced conversations between Cecily and Margaret than man and wife here.

In placing us wholly with Cecily, and in whipping through twenty years of history so quickly, much of the political heft of the book is weakened. If you want to read it for an exciting precis of a complicated bit history, its all there and we certainly don't get bogged down. But by never stepping outside of Cecily we never get to see how she is seen by others - not least frenemy Margaret. Garthwaite has been sitting on this idea for years, of the power behind the throne and admits in the Afterword she blames Shakespeare for belittling Cecily, and bigging up Margaret. In restoring the balance this goes a little to far the other way - and whilst it works well as a historical romp I just wish we had a little bit more space and time to get a broader and deeper view.

Before reading this book, I must admit, I had no clue who Cecily Neville was. As someone who is not particularly interested in England’s royal lines, I was drawn to this book by its focus on an influential female who is severely underrated and left out of books/teaching.

Cecily isn’t necessarily a likeable character- she’s ruthless brutal, callous and extremely ambitious. It was interesting to see her influence and manipulation on all aspects of her life: including the children, her husband and her household.

The first parts of this book follow her and Richard as they gain and fall out of favour with the current King, and the repercussions of this. I loved reading that Richard and Cecily actually seemingly loved each other, which was rare during those times when daughters and sons were married for alliances and heirs.
This book focuses on how instrumental Cecily was in manoeuvring her family and made connections, to put her family in a place of power, and eventually own the crown.

While this was a great historical fiction novel that had clearly been deeply researched, I would say that this book is maybe not for people like me, who do not have much knowledge of the royal line. I’d recommend this book to people who are interested in the war of the roses, who already know the main players, and want to see things from Cecily’s perspective.

In addition, this is very politically heavy-handed, so if you’re looking for constant action and tension, this does not pick up until the last third of the book.

I am a newbie to historical fiction and I do struggle to keep up with it but this book is beautiful. I didn't finish it as life got in the way but what I read, Cecily is an incredibly strong woman who played a huge part behind the scenes of her husbands war. The first person style made me route for Cecily and feel like I was going through the story with her.

Cecily Neville is a highbred noblewoman and a distant family member of the weak king Henry VI via her Beaufort mother. She's married to Richard, earl of York, whose father was executed as a traitor under Henry V because he laid a claim to the throne. But the loss of France in the Hundred Years War, the bad choice of his advisors and the inability to provide an heir for the throne makes Henry unpopular with his nobles. Richard and Cecily must choose to stand with him or risk everything (their position, family and life) and start a rebellion.

Cecily Neville is one of those perfect female perspectives to talk about the Wars of the Roses. She experienced the conflict from the beginning to the very end. This makes her a popular main character. I already read about her in 'Red rose, white rose' by Joanne Hickson (I loved it!) and recently Anne 'O Brien published 'The queen's rival' which I haven't read yet. Annie Garthwaite is a new voice in historical fiction and I was curious to see what she would do with Cecily's story.

The books opens with the burning of Joan d'Arc. King Henry VI is on the throne and the Wars of the Roses still seems far away. It's always interesting to discover which starting point an author takes for this complex conflict. It's certainly so that one of England's greatest triumphs in the Hundred Years War can be seen as the beginning of the end for England in France.

This also means that two third of the book is set before the first battle and I liked that. I've read so many times about the Wars itself that we tend to forget the period before it where the seeds of the conflict are planted. We follow Richard and Cecily to France and Ireland. Learn more about the key advisors around the king that caused unrest. About the different fractions and the difficult family ties. The story really focuses on Henry VI reign and I definitely learned some new things.

We get an insight into the relationship between Cecily and Richard. She bore him twelve children. Seven would survive and make great marriages. Two would become king. Cecily is set as a formidable and highly intelligent woman who is a central character in the political game and a true advisor to her husband. I understand this feministic choice and I do believe that Cecily was a smart and cunning woman. However, this forces Richard into a more passive and weak role. Towards the end, Cecily even loathes him for it. This irritated me a bit.

You also learn about Cecily's family (her mother, uncle and brother), her relationship with Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Isabel of Burgundy and of course queen Margaret of Anjou. I really appreciated that Garthwaite chose a human Margaret of Anjou which can't have been easy when you write from the perspective of her enemy. Margaret is so demonized during history, I'm still waiting on a book from her viewpoint (let me know if you know of such a book).

The writing is bit rational and descriptive. For me, it lacked some emotion to really get me involved in the characters. I also would have liked to read from different perspectives. Cecily was so strong a character, that she needed to stay strong even in times of peril. I wasn't engaged in this book as I was with First of the Tudors (both books cover more or less the same period but from a total different viewpoint).

Still, I would recommend Cecily to every history buff or to people who want to discover the early days of the Wars of the Roses.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

As an avid fan of the Plantagenet period of history, I have come across Cecily Neville, Duchess of York often appearing in minor roles in many fictional accounts of this time. Annie Garthwaite has creatively and very successfully, woven fact with fiction to portray a woman who had political nouse, a tactical brain and a strength of character that equalled if not exceeded many male contemporaries. A mother to two kings, Cecily Neville lived a long, often challenging and finally, triumphant life whilst bringing twelve children into the world, burying 5 of them.
Annie Garthwaite's debut novel brings depth, context and power to this lady's voice and whose very existence was pivotal in the change of our history..
For those that enjoy historical fiction based on real events and peopled by many those that lived those times, this is a true gem of a read and Garthwaite most definately joins the ranks of fictional authors such as with Sharon Penman, Reay Tannahill, Phillipa Gregory and Anya Seaton.

Historical novel about 15th century English politics and war. Very good stuff.

This is the fictionalised story of Cecily Neville, wife to Richard, Duke of York and mother of the future king, Edward IV. It's an enthralling story, nicely told, full of interesting characters. It covers the period from the burning of Joan of Arc to the crowning of Edward IV and the beginning of the War of the Roses, pitting the strong characters of Cecily and Marguerite of Valois against each other for the power behind the throne. It depicts the strength of these women and their influence on the leaders of the day. The story moves along at a good pace and the whole experience is well worth it, especially if you're interested in historical novels. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Considering this is a part of history that is well-known, I found this novel to be new and different, with a fresh perspective and fresh style. Highly recommended, particularly for fans of historical fiction.

I liked this book because it offered a new feminine perspective. But sometimes I felt like there were too many details, hence only 4 stars. Still overall it was well written and people interested in history may like it if they want to see another view, another side of the history.


I have to thank to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

As a fan of the Tudor period (who isn't right now?) I'm always on the look out for new books on the subject. I've read all the usual authors and am now keen to find new ones and move further back into history - so this book was ideal for me!
Cecily was a well written character who I have encountered before, but never knew much about, this book really brings her story to life, we completely understand the very very high stakes, the real emotion and tumultuous danger these people lived through.
The author had a very stark and sparse style which I enjoyed, historical fiction can be either too flowery or so detailed it almost becomes realism, whereas Cecily felt more immediate and real thanks to the delivery. There was also an appreciated trick of giving the players descriptive nicknames which helped when so many of them are all called the same!
I understand some poetic licence has to be allowed but it felt very close to the truth of the history and I was thrilled when more familiar names started to appear... but now as a new voice for this era I would really love for this author to use the same style to tell the stories of the other major female players such as Margaret of Anjou, Margaret Beaufort and Jacquetta Woodville, so we can see the same time from different perspectives.

If you're a fan of Historical Fiction, you're bound to love 'Cecily'. This novel is fully engaging, beautifully written, and incredibly well researched, it is clear that Annie Garthwaite has devoted so much time and effort to this narrative and it really does pay off. I'm definitely going to be looking out for whatever this author comes up with next - if it's half as good as 'Cecily' is then I'll be sure to love it!