Book Review: This Son of York by Anne Easter Smith

Author: Anne Easter Smith 
Title: This Son of York
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: ebook
Publication Date: November 10th 2019
Where I Got It: My shelf (Given to me by the author/publisher for my honest and unbiased opinion)



Richard III. A man. A king. A legend.

He ruled England for only two years, but the legacy of Richard III remains both fascinating and divisive.

From his childhood in the intensely loyal and close-knit York family to his rise as a thoughtful but troubled ruler, This Son of York is a passionate and deeply personal account of the life of Richard III. A man who loved his family and his country. A king who struggled to overcome the challenges not only of a turbulent time but his own human frailties. A legend whose true life is only now coming to light.

Inspired by the discovery of Richard III's grave and its revelations, award-winning author Anne Easter Smith brings together her decades of intense research, five celebrated novels on the Wars of the Roses, and her sustained passion for Richard III in this culminating book on the last Plantagenet king.


Been an eon since I read a book by this author and this came out about Richard...so I couldn't resist giving this a try.

This follows Richard from childhood until his death on the battle field. This is inspired by the discovery of Richard's grave recently, so we get to have little glimpses of the team who uncovered the body. 

I have always been back and forth about Richard. I never believed he was the monster that is portrayed but was he a saint? Absolutely not. He was a man of his time for sure, but I don't really believe he killed his nephews...but did he know the truth? Probably. Who knows? 

The author is really good and I enjoyed the other book by her. I really must read more. She has such a way of bringing these characters to life and absorbing you into the story and the drama. She makes these characters complex and human. Love it!

Even though I have my doubts about Richard, I really enjoyed his story here. She didn't butter him up to be a hero or a villain. He felt real to me and this version is my favorite of him. I did even pity him at the end there. Poor guy. Lost everything. He was so disrespected in his death. Darn that Henry. BUT you can understand why Henry just wanted to bury him and forget about him. 

At first I wasn't a huge fan of the glimpses of the modern day uncovering of his grave. As we did get closer to the end I appreciated it then. 

Overall, I really did like this story. I was completely absorbed into the story and our characters. Richard felt so real and this was my favorite version of him. This is a must-read if you have any sort of interest in the War of the Roses. I'll stamp this with 4 stars.  

Book Review: Queen By Right

Author: Anne Easter Smith
Title: Queen By Right
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance,
Pages: 494
First Published: 2011
Where I Got It: My Shelf (I won it!)

"In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet.History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour."




This is first book I've read by Anne Easter Smith and concerning the York side of the War of the Roses. Well, to be technical, this book mostly covers events before the bloody War of the Roses and it lightly touches the Civil War England was forced to endure. I was blessed to have won this novel, so I didn't have to buy it with my own money and I'm glad Lady Luck blessed me with this, because I simply adore this book.


I found it intriguing to see Cecily Neville's view of the world. Too be honest I didn't know much about her or her family, so this was an eye-opening experience. I loved how Anne Easter Smith sucked me into the story and showed me this world rather than just telling me. Even though it took me a while to finish reading this, it wasn't because it was huge or I didn't want to read it. It was because this book is like a fine wine. You can't drink it all at once, you have to savor and enjoy every little bit. I will admit, however, I didn't start savoring the book until Part 2, but once that was read and done I could barely put the book down.


I really like Cecily Neville, because she was a strong-willed and opinionated lady. Even though you might be a Lancastrian sympathizer, you can't help but like the Duchess of York. Even Queen Margaret of Anjou really adored Cecily, because she's just one of those people, I guess. Anne Easter Smith made it really hard to pick sides; she showed everyone with strengths and weaknesses. No one side was completely right or completely wrong. I really loved that aspect of the book, because I do tire of books trying to make you pick a side. Anne Easter Smith mostly focused on Cecily and Richards love story and I really cherished that love story. Unlike a lot of couples back in that time, they had true love and pretty much married for love and friendship. 


It was really also interested to see Richard before he became an overly ambitious man. Richard seemed really level-headed and lived for his family...at the beginning, but near the end he became just like his father: he put his ambitions before his own family. The way Anne Easter Smith showed this change was fantastic! At first, Cecily had a small taste for ambition, while Richard just wanted to be respected and be nothing like his "treasonous" father, but after a time Richard did become like his father and Cecily's small amount of ambition turned into sand. 


All-in-all, I loved this book! The only thing that I didn't like was how slowly paced Part 1. Other than that, I couldn't get enough of Anne Easter Smith's writing. I will be defiantly checking out her other books ^.^. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history, a good love story, or just a fantastic book. Out of five stars I grant this one 5 stars. 


Favorite Character(s): Cecily Neville
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Margaret of Anjou, Somerset, and the ambitious Richard, Duke of York.
Favorite Quote(s): The poem at the beginning of the Epilogue:
"What can I do? It's not surprising that I
Weep and sigh, with my dear lover dead.
For when I look deeply into my heart and
see how sweetly and without hardship I
loved from my childhood and first youth
with him, I am assailed by such great 
pain that I will always weep for his death."
~Christine de Pisan, One Hundred Ballads

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<3CaroleRae

This Gift I Give To You: Giveaway Time!

It's been a LONG time since my last Giveaway and I apologize, but the time to announce the gift I giving away has finally arrived. And the Gift is......'Queen By Right' by Anne Easter Smith! *squeals*

For the longest time I couldn't decide what I wanted to give away, until Fate struck again! Remember when I won this book for myself? For some reason, I received two copies of this and I had my answer. Thank you Fate! Are you wondering how you can enter into this Giveaway? Just scroll down a little and I'll tell you how:

1. Comment below, because it makes me feel loved.
2. Send me an email at:carolerae4488@yahoo.com, so I can add your name to the hat (aka Random.org to help me pick randomly)
3. If you're a follower or become a follower you'll get your name added twice to the Hat of Random Picking.
4. If you share this Giveaway and this blog to a friend you'll get your name added again to the Hat of Random Picking.
5. Just sit back and relax.
6. Open to everyone! Even if you live in space...well...maybe not the last part.

That's it! How simple is that? I'll announce the winner on September 18th. The last day to submit your name into the Hat of Random Picking is September 17th. On the 18th I'll send an email to the winner to let them know! Good luck everyone! ^.^


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<3CaroleRae

Sunday Ketchup...

~'Sunday Ketchup' was inspired by The Muse in the Fog's 'Suddenly Sunday' postings. However, mine are going to be a little bit different. Also when I went to spell 'Catchup' I accidentally spelled it wrong and put 'Ketchup'. I thought it was cute, so I kept it. Also, I'm addicted to ketchup! I want one of those ketchup shirts that says "I <3 Ketchup". Wouldn't that be cute? Every week, or whenever I remember, I'm going to post events that happened this past week, things coming up next week, updates, and news. You can join in and post your own 'Sunday Ketchup' postings, just make sure to mention me...if you want ^.^ ~




Happy Sunday! The week is done, but a new week is on the horizon. It's been a crazy week for me! I worked countless hours, so my free time was limited. Oh well. Besides for that mine was a pretty decent week. How was your week?




Past Week Posts:

• Movie Review: Anne of the Thousand Days
• If There is a Will There is a Way: Music Monday
• Top Ten Tuesday: Why I love to Blog
• Wildcard Wednesday
• Blog Hop

What Came in the Mail/Store?:

A million dollars... nah, I wish though! Nothing this week. =(

Tim Horton News:

Nothing. I just felt like I was living there.

Anything New For the Blog?:

Now that you mention it, I might be changing the background and altering the coloring a little bit. I had a sudden urge to mix things up. I get that urge a lot, I love change. I love to move furniture around and color the walls different colors, so I guess I'm just that type of person. But yes, there will probably be a background and coloration change. That's it though...

What's going to posted this week?:

I'm not quite sure. I just have the usual stuff planned out and the announcement of the next Movie of the Week. You might see a book review or two, but the future is uncertain as it is complex. ^.^

Anything Else?:

Yes! Just yesterday I was informed that I won something! And no it wasn't one of those spam messages or phone calls saying I won a free trip to Mexico but I have to pay $100 to become a member first type deals. I legitimately won a something! At Books, Belles, & Beaux I submitted in her giveaway for 'Queen By Right' by Anne Easter and I won it! I was surprised! I can't wait for it to come in the mail, so I can read it. ^.^  Click HERE to go and see the posting of my victory! I guess I maybe a ninja after all. Ha. As you can tell, I'm really excited.  

~~What's new with your blog?~~

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<3 CaroleRae