Cecily is back and more switched on than ever! After our introduction to her in her namesake prequel, this book imagines Cecily’s role in the wars that shaped England before the more famous and oft-studied Tudor period. In The King’s Mother, Garthwaite perfectly explores the role women have played in some of history’s greatest power struggles and the tough decisions they’ve made to protect the ones they love and themselves. The writing is compelling and pacy, and the characters complex. Looking forward to the next one!

A follow up to her earlier book Cecily, The King’s Mother bpicks up where the first book ended, with Edward as King an Cecily very much “the King’s Mother” and a dominant, if not always likeable, force behind the throne. But into the mix come three other women determined to fight for their children - not only Elizabeth Woodville, but also Marguerite of Anjou and Margaret Beaufort.

It’s a complicated if fascinating time in history but seeing it through Cecily’s eyes makes it even more compelling. It covers a lot, but the political manoeuvring, intrigue and constant unease makes for a gripping read and an unexpected tension despite knowing how things end. With some skilful handling of interpretations of events towards the end of the book, it all made for an utterly engaging blend of fact and fiction that I adored.

I couldn’t put down ‘The King’s Mother.’ It’s the partner to ‘Cecily’ by Annie Garthwaite, her re-telling of Cecily Neville, matriarch of the House of York during the Wars of the Roses. In the sequel she is now a widow, mother of King Edward IV and the dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, and still a powerhouse in a world of men.
1461. Cecily Neville’s husband and eldest son are dead in battle, a battle won by her second son Edward who becomes king. This is the story of the mother of two kings, a woman unafraid to use her power, at the heart she is driven by family. She will do anything to protect her children, even when they are weak and wrong, even if it means waging war. ‘The King’s Mother’ takes place as the War of the Roses transitions to the age of the Tudors. Edward becomes king at the age of 18, golden, feted, lusty and arrogant. No matter his mother’s plans for a geo-political marriage to benefit the country, the king falls for Elizabeth Woodville, a beautiful blonde from a lesser family. The relationship between the young queen and her mother-in-law is the spine of the novel.
The moral at the end is to never underestimate the power of maternal love and family loyalty. Garthwaite brings a new perspective to the telling of Richard III’s story, which is to be welcomed, and a bitter, grudgingly respectful, hateful battle between four mothers; Cecily, Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Marguerite of Anjou. It is a time of war, civil and European, and Garthwaite shows the role of the women behind the thrones and most powerful men in the lands. Never ignore the soft power of the wife’s voice and the strategic knowledge learned by playing chess.
So good. It’s a timeless story, totally gripping despite the fact we all know the ending.
And another beautiful cover design.
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Cecily Neville lived from 1415 until 1495. She married Richard, Duke of York, and they had twelve children together. As described by author Annie Garthwaite, Cecily was “the only major protagonist of the Wars of the Roses to live right through them from the very beginning to the very end.” Throughout her life, Cecily was one of the most powerful women in England. In Garthwaite’s first novel, Cecily, readers travelled with Cecily Neville from the burning of Joan of Arc in 1431 to the Battle of Towton in March 1461. In The King’s Mother, readers rejoin Cecily, starting with the aftermath of Towton and the coronation of her son Edward, as King Edward IV.

From 1461, readers will experience the Wars of the Roses as they have never done before, through the eyes of Cecily Neville – a mother, wife, politician, traitor, survivor and fighter. The King’s Mother is a gripping, fast-paced, brilliant work of historical fiction. It brings women’s lives to the forefront, primarily through the eyes of Cecily Neville. But, in The King’s Mother, we also encounter the other prominent female figures throughout this turbulent period in England’s history – Margaret of Anjou, Margaret Beaufort, and Elizabeth Woodville.

Author Annie Garthwaite stated that this novel has been “the realisation of an ambition” of close to “forty years or more.” Her passion for the topic and the level of historical research that has taken place to bring Cecily to life shines through on every page. In Cecily and The King’s Mother, the women of the Wars of the Roses are no longer passive bystanders but active participants. Crucially, though, they are human – with strengths and weaknesses, emotions and flaws.

Edward IV died unexpectedly in 1483 at the age of 40, leaving behind his two sons from his marriage to Elizabeth Woodville – Edward and Richard. Edward IV’s brother (also Richard), became Lord Protector to the heir, the future Edward V. But, for various reasons, which will not be covered here, Edward did not become King. Instead Edward IV’s brother, the Lord Protector, was crowned King Richard III. The disappearance of the boys who have become known as The Princes in the Tower (Edward and Richard) is still a source of debate. Annie Garthwaite handled this highly controversial period delicately and in a manner that did not detract from Cecily’s story.

The King’s Mother is another triumph for Annie Garthwaite. It is historical fiction at its finest. I highly recommend The King’s Mother to readers of historical fiction and those interested in England’s history, particularly the turbulent period of the Wars of the Roses.

The King’s Mother will be released in paperback in the UK on the 12th of June, 2025, and in Australia on the 28th of October, 2025. But, for those who cannot wait for the Australian release, you can order a copy online from Blackwells.

I realise as I write this that I’ve read The King’s Mother before the first part of this duology (Cecily). Ah well. It hasn’t spoilt my enjoyment one bit, though. I have a fair bit of knowledge of the War of the Roses from Edward and Richard’s points of view, and it was fascinating to learn about Edward’s reign (and later Richard’s) from Cecily.

This novel explores those things that the women, in particular, would have experienced. Their lives wouldn’t have just been about waiting for their husbands, sons and fathers to come home, it would have been about the relationships with other women, their children, and in Cecily’s case, about her relationship to the throne and those in power.

Cecily was a formidable woman (as was Henry VII’s mother, Margaret Beaufort). She saw the death of her husband, sons, and regime changes. She backed her sons up, no matter her personal opinions. She was unendingly loyal - but anyone else was fair game!

This is such a well-researched, gripping read. I would have hated to have been in Cecily’s shoes, and she proved that power didn’t always bring happiness.

This was a fabulous read, and I will go back and read Cecily. If you enjoy historical fiction, then this would be a great addition to your TBR!

Richard III was a good man. I know this because my mother (she’s from Yorkshire) has told me so all my life. The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite is about Richard’s mother Cecily and is firmly in Richard’s camp. Her last book, called Cecily, followed our heroine through the Wars of the Roses as a loyal wife to the Duke of York, on the brink of victory his was killed and ultimately his son became Edward IV. We join Cecily at this point, Edward is 18, good looking and headstrong. He marries, unwisely, Elizabeth Woodville. This causes a kerfuffle and George, Duke of Clarence, his brother flounces off. All the while Richard, Duke of York (our hero) is loyal. George is executed. Edward catches a chill and dies. Richard is Regent to the young Edward V and his brother, these are the two we know as the Princes in the Tower. Richard becomes King and is then defeated by Henry VII. Annie Garthwaite tells this tale from Cecily’s point of view and the women. The wives and the mothers and the role they played in their sons triumphs and tradegies. I loved both of these books.

So good I practically inhaled it in one breath.

This is a phenomenally good sequel to ‘Cecily’, running from the seizure of the English crown by Cecily’s son Edward IV to the aftermath of Henry Tudor’s victory at Bosworth Field.

The writing is superb and perfectly suited to Cecily’s character, with slick, short sentences that contain almost unbelievable amounts of character, history, and setting with impeccable style. Exhilarating, heartbreaking, and historically hypnotic.

Cecily herself is exquisitely complicated, not always nice, but my heart went out to her. She’s dauntless, determined, formidable, and that gives her occasional flashes of vulnerability a razor sharp poignancy. Other characters - Kings Edward and Richard, George Duke of Clarence, Margaret Beaufort - are drawn with equal skill and enviable brevity.

Perfectly paced, building tension and twists that had me biting my nails even though I knew what was coming.

Following on from Cecily her previous novel this story starts in 1461 when Cecily’s son Edward is now king. Now the Kings Mother and grieving for her husband and another son Cecily becomes the rock in her family who steers them through the politics of keeping the throne when so many would take it away from you. A novel that shows the role that women played in history and the support and strength they gave to the men in their lives and enjoyable read that has obviously had a tremendous amount of research done to enable the author to present these fabulous women in such detail. Manythanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review

A good historical fiction that brought me back in time and made me live in a dangerous time and meet strong and formidable women.
Compelling and intriguing
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having gone into this book having read Cecily and knowing a little more about this period of history than I did about the years running up to Edward's rise to power, I was totally surprised by the tension within the story and the fact it was a much more thrilling and urgent read than I expected. I loved the family dynamics and the portayal of the women around Cecily, especially the other mothers whose sons had a claim to the crown. I also loved the new perspective it offered of Richard and the way it reframed my understanding of him. And in fighting to hold the position she fought so hard for, Cecily as a character is unforgettable - intelligent, powerful, formidable and ruthless. From her point of view, this complex period of history takes on new life and becomes a whole lot more memorable. In a nutshell, I liked Cecily but I loved The King's Mother.

I sped through Cecily as an ARC but only remembered how much I enjoyed it when I came to read this sequel. I knew nothing of Cecily Neville or the War of the Roses and subsequent history before reading, which added a sense of dramatic tension for me personally - I had no idea what would happen but this was literally tense throughout, the stakes being literally death as traitor. The sense of time period, of society, of the motherly bond with her children (even the dreadful George) was so well told and perfectly paced that I felt I was there. I wept for Cecily at several points, she is one of the strongest historical fiction female characters I have read ever. A triumph!

I picked this up in June because I got an advanced copy from Netgalley, but I put it down about 30% of the way in because it was very dense and I didn't have the brain capacity for it. But after a summer of watching Tudor based TV shows and needing something that was both character-driven AND fast moving, I decided to get it out from the library and read it. Excellent job me, well done!

'The King's Mother', contrary to some of the copy on the back of the dust jacket, primarily follows Cecily, mother to Edward 5th and Richard 3rd, and her wheelings and dealing as 'The King's Mother' as she attempts to keep her family on the throne during the Wars of the Roses. It moves at lightning speed between battles (these guys are always at war either with each other or with France), marriages, babies, deaths etc, detailing the beginning of Edward's reign to the sudden end of Richard's and the accession of Henry Tudor (this shouldn't be a spoiler, it's literally history).

In her bio, Garthwaite talks about how much she loves this period of history and as a fellow geeker of a very specific period of English history, that passion shines through. Cecily lifts off the page and I found myself completely engrossed in this complex web of tales - even if I did get confused between who was who sometimes because the Royal name pool, like their gene pool, is rather small. The writing is rich with detail and packed - you have to concentrate particularly hard because if you don't, you'll miss something - and she expertly weaves fiction and fact so well that you just assume these are all transcripts of conversations. It's so very Shakespearean in its execution that I consistently found myself wondering WHEN this was going to be turned into an epic television series, rather than if. Is this the next Wolf Hall we've all been waiting for?

I've immediately added 'Cecily' to my TBR and I'm sort of hoping that this author's next book might transition to Margaret Beaufort and how she managed the reigns of Henry 7 and the early one of Henry 8, because she is a fascinating figure in history.

CECILY is a super strong unwielding matriarch “for my son I’d kill anyone with my bare hands”
The first half of the book shows how her son, Edward IV attained the throne and kept it.
She’s a warrior, constantly there in the background, directing, guiding and defending her family
Then Elizabeth Woodville appears on the scene and Cecily has to bow to England’s new queen.
Such a sense of place that the historical period becomes so very real - living and breathing
It’s compelling and immersive
A must for any historical fiction fan
Thanks @anniegarthwaite @penguinukbooks & @netgalley for the compelling read

The King’s Mother - Four mothers fight for their sons as the Wars of the Roses rage by Annie Garthwaite is absolutely my jam! Firstly, I loved this so much that I will need to read Cecily by Annie Garthwaite also as the primary premise for this book is the silent force that was the mother in the Plantagenet to Tudor era's

This was a time when women were chattel and largely silent, or so they seemed and the King's mother taps into that to create a novel of treachery, cunning and maternal ferocity to rival the most powerful of Kings, Lords and generals of the time

The prose and pace are on point, the historical facts add a strong framework and the characters are uttely compelling. Oh yes, oh yes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business | Viking and Annie Garthwaite for this fantastic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I loved Cecily, and so I had to come back for the second installment in the story. Garthwaite really brings the Wars of the Roses to life from the perspective of the King's Mother and delves into what it takes to hang onto power rather than win it. Garthwaite's writing is sparse but powerful and really takes you into Cecily's mind for the many decisions and manipulations she needs to make to protect her family. If you loved Wolf Hall or any of Philippa Gregory's novels from this era, you'll love this!

When I reviewed Cecily, the precursor to this volume, I mildly complained that it was often a breathless rush through twenty years of history where political machinations and near-constant war gave us little time for introspection, We were stuck with Cecily Neville's viewpoint, with fingers in many pies but rarely on the battlefield. Well hold on to your hats because here come the next thirty-five years where Cecily continues to wield her political might on behalf of her sons: this should more strictly be called The Kings's Mother, as she was both mother to both Edward IV and Richard III (she was also still alive when Richard was overthrown by Henry VII - though its OK, because her grand-daughter Elizabeth married Henry VII. As you can see through birth and marriage Cecily remained connected throughout this whole period.

It is another, even more, breathless romp of stuff that we know happened, and behind-the-scenes wrangling (and don't worry, Cecily's foil Margaret Of Anjou remains in the mix). Garthwaite is judicious in her time jumps, though it is often quite jarring to see the book only slow down when something else bad is about to happen. But with three sons jockeying for position, grand-children ending up in the tower (it posits a bit of a mid-ground for the Princes In The Tower which probably won't please anyone), and a whole bunch of daughters and grandchildren being married off for security. Indeed despite being the mother of kings, and certainly both being the chief adviser and sometimes Regent, the overwhelming theme here is survival, as opposed to the accumulation of power that drove Cecily.

The King's Mother is a pretty seamless continuation of the previous novel, and is a very entertaining if still quite one-sided attempt to claim an increased legacy for Cecily Neville. As before, you wonder how any of the other characters would get out of bed if it wasn't for Cecily, and whilst it certainly isn't a hagiography, it does make her almost an all-seeing Machiavelli. That's not a problem, indeed it makes it all the more entertaining, and I certainly don't begrudge a stab at the Great Woman Theory of history.

The Kings Mother is a tumultuous history of the war of the roses shown through the eyes of Cecily Neville, mother to King Edward IV. I loved Annie Garthwaite's first novel Cecily but this one did not fly for me. Cecily Neville is a fascinating figure but I found the figures around her less nuanced.

After enjoying Cecily I was delighted to be offered a review copy of the sequel The King's Mother. Although it's a sequel it would work fine as a standalone book as it takes over the historical story from the start of Edward's reign.
This is a great historical fiction told from Cecily's perspective. Even though I knew the historical conclusion it kept me reading like a thriller.
Not spoilers if you know English history but I'd never fully thought through the enormity of outliving a husband and ten children despite this being a historical fact. Love the author's interpretation of the Princes in the Tower and the more rounded portrayal of Richard too.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A different perspective on the War of the Roses. Mostly told from the point of view of Cecily, the King's Mother, who is intelligent and politically savvy, in the days when women did not officially have any real power. The author has interpreted her version of the relationships between the women of the time, such as Elizaboth Woodville and her mother, and also Margaret, the mother of Henry Tudor. It is all the letter writing and talking behind the scenes, such as convincing the Mayor of London to hold out against Warwick, and regular talks with the King to shape his thoughts. A lot of this may have happened, as we know Cecily was deeply involved in intrigue and close to her sons. An interesting point of view and well told.

The continuing story of Cecily Neville, mother to two kings and witness to some of the most tumultuous years in English history. A stunning work of literary historical fiction that vividly brings the era to life, delving deep into the complex political machinations and humanising some of history's most hated figures. Annie Garthwaite is up there with the heavyweights of the genre.