I'm a sucker for anything related to the Tudor dynasty. When "The Tudors" TV show landed on Netflix I sat down for hours everyday religiously watching it from beginning to end. Not to leave out the multiple films and books I have the pleasure of enjoying throughout my life. So, when the chance came to read a book with the subtitle "Tales from the Tudor Court" I jumped at it. Just by reading the title I felt a degree of curiosity: "Prisoner of the Queen." Knowing the instability of the Tudors, I was curious to read which prisoner this referred to.
Enter the story of Katherine Grey, an innocent victim to the evils of greed, power, and lust. As a "princess of the blood" she shortly discover one thing: she has no control of her life. Kat's childhood is spent in an unstable kingdom. King Henry VIII left a weak heir, with no issue, bringing up the question of succession. Due to their linage, Katherine and her sisters are intertwined in these talks. So are Henry VIII's daughters Mary and Elizabeth, hastily added to the line of succession by their own father before his death. This creates the divide between the Tudor sisters and the Grey sisters, an unspoken battle for who will wear the crown. But, are they the ones in control or just simply pawns in a higher political/religious struggle?
Katherine herself does not want to mix herself with these political turmoils. She saw firsthand, inside her own family, what consequences coveting power could have. Instead she tries to focus her time on learning how to use medicinal plants and charity. But there is one thing she did not count on: falling in love. And it is this love that brings both her greatest joy, and her largest sorrow.
Prisoner of the Queen is a multi-dimensional story, in which topics like love, family, faith, and revenge are carefully weaved into an engaging narrative. Knight did a fabulous job in describing how Katherine felt as her life spiraled from a happy princess to being a "prisoner." As I read, I could not help but keep turning the pages to walk along Kat the struggles of being on the wrong side of the royal family.
If you like historical fiction, the Tudor dynasty, and a good love story, I highly recommend this book.
Finished on: July 8th 2015
Days reading: 4
My rating: 4/5
** I received a free copy of this book as an ARC by the author/publisher in exchange of a honest review.
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