The King’s Curse (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels) by Philippa Gregory (Epub)

Description

As an heir to the Plantagenets, Margaret is seen by the King’s mother, the Red Queen, as a rival to the Tudor claim to the throne. She is buried in marriage to a Tudor supporter—Sir Richard Pole, governor of Wales—and becomes guardian to Arthur, the young Prince of Wales, and his beautiful bride, Katherine of Aragon.

But Margaret’s destiny, as cousin to the White Princess, is not for a life in the shadows. Tragedy throws her into poverty, yet a royal death restores her to her place at young Henry VIII’s court where she becomes chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine. There she watches the dominance of the Spanish queen over her husband and her tragic decline.

Amid the rapid deterioration of the Tudor court, Margaret must choose whether her allegiance is to the increasingly tyrannical Henry VIII or to her beloved queen. Caught between the old and the new, Margaret must find her own way, concealing her knowledge that an old curse cast upon all the Tudors is slowly coming true…

User’s Reviews

Unknown “Gregory’s fans will recognize Margaret from ‘The White Princess,’ but the character comes into her own in ‘The King’s Curse’ as a multifaceted, ultimately sympathetic character. . . . The book . . . moves smoothly toward its harrowing finish. It is one of Gregory’s best efforts yet.” (Roanoke Times)“The book’s greatest strength is its first-hand, fascinating yet horrifying view of Henry VIII’s transition from handsome young prince to monstrous tyrant. . . . Gregory takes us beyond the seductive trappings of historical detail and makes us feel the terror of what living through that turbulent period might have been like.”—Miami Herald“Without a doubt, Gregory has made another powerful addition to the genre (so much so that I hesitate to even call it historical fiction). This historian’s extensive knowledge of the English monarchy truly brings this famous story to life.”—The Sun-News (Myrtle Beach)“An excellent addition to the Tudor royalty genre, not only for its unique perspective, but also the easy flow of the narrative and the intriguing complexities of characters’ personalities.”—Historical Novel Society “[A] gripping and detailed chronicle, with plenty of court intrigue and politics to spice up the action . . . . Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Nobody does dynastic history like Gregory.” (Booklist)”Gregory manages to keep us in suspense as to what will befall her characters….Under [her] spell, we keep hoping history won’t repeat itself.” (Kirkus Reviews)”An illuminating portrait. . . Gregory moves confidently through a tangle of intrigue, revenge, and tyranny toward a shocking betrayal.” (Publishers Weekly)”Loyalties are torn, paranoia festers and you can almost hear the bray of royal trumpets as the period springs to life. It’s a bloody irresistible read.” (People Magazine, on The White Princess)”Bring on the blood, sex and tears! . . . You name it, it’s all here.” (USA Today, on The White Princess)“This rich tapestry brings to vivid life the court of Henry and Elizabeth. Meticulously drawn characters with a seamless blending of historical fact and fiction combine in a page-turning epic of a story. Tudor-fiction fans can never get enough, and they will snap this one up.” (Library Journal (starred review), on The White Princess)”The White Princess features one of the more intriguing theories about the possible fate of the princes.” (The Washington Post, on The White Princess)“The queen of royal fiction.” (USA Today)“Sexy…Scandalous…Smart.” (Redbook)“There’s no question that she is the best at what she does.” (Associated Press)“Philippa Gregory turns real-life historical royalty into royally entertaining novels.” (Time)“If only grade-school history books were written so vividly.” (Entertainment Weekly)“In thoroughly researched, wonderfully realized settings, she can make a period come alive.” (The Boston Globe)“Gregory … always delivers the goods.” (New York Post)”Gorgeous fun.” (New York Daily News)“Margaret’s story is shocking, deeply moving and offers an alternative view on a much-told tale. Gregory is on form here; her depiction of Henry VIII’s transformation from indulged golden boy to sinister tyrant is perfectly pitched and seems more horrific still when we are made intimate witnesses to the devastation of Margaret’s family. . . . I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed as the story reaches its tragic denouement.”—The Sunday Express (UK) “Infuses vitality into an oft-forgotten player in the aftermath of the War of the Roses—Margaret Poole, heiress to the defeated Plantagenet clan.”—Closer

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ I loved this book.I find that very surprising, since I have been a bit tired of the Plantagenet/Tudor series and didn’t remember who this book was about before I started reading it. I apparently bought this book in 2015, but didn’t start reading it until November 2018, that should give you an idea of where it falls on my “to be read list”. I have read 4 books of the series prior to this one (The Red Queen, The White Queen, The White Princess, and the Boelyn Inheritance, in that order – I may have read more, that’s all I know for sure).I felt like Henry VIII’s story had been told so many times, and I had read Hilary Mantel’s amazing Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies recently, which covers a lot of the same time period as this book.Going in – my knowledge of Margaret Pole, the protagonist, was summed up by the fact that she was an heir (Plantagenet heir) in some way related to Reginald Pole, and what happened at the very end of her life to her and her grandson.Why did I love this book? This is Philippa Gregory writing at her best. A well developed, sympathetic female character, bringing a historical figure to life as a fully fledged person with wants, worries, and aspirations. So much of history is told from facts and events, and usually women are left on the side lines and we don’t learn much about their lives. This is another outstanding, well developed historical figure that the author has brought to life with her writing, and I enjoyed it immensely. Additionally, the author has done an amazing job of showing Henry VIII’s fall from being a joyful, happy, young boy who enjoys entertaining, dancing, jousting, friends, etc. to becoming the tyrant he was later in life, who disposed of five wives, wanting to get his way and willing to “take out” pretty much anyone who tried to stop him. Those around him are terrified to say no, no matter what his demand. I can’t help but draw parallels to people who seem to act this way in today’s time, and I’m thankful that we have (a few) barriers in place to stop most leaders from killing off people who oppose them. The character development, especially of Margaret Pole (niece of Edward IV, cousin of Elizabeth of York) and Henry VIII’s fall in to madness and tyranny made the book captivated to read and enjoy.The plot is well written and suspenseful. Much like the lives of the Pole family, I was constantly on edge about how they were going to be treated by King Henry Tudor and his son Henry VII, and what would happen to them next. And, I learned a lot of history. I like to flip between the book and Wikipedia to see who some of these characters are and what becomes of them – this enriches my experience and I don’t see it as spoiling history (plus the only thing I knew going in was the ending, so I wasn’t really spoiling myself).What I didn’t like: Philippa Gregory frequently makes controversial decisions about what is not really known (like in the Other Boelyn Girl having Anne Boelyn actually have affairs – which we don’t know actually happened, and all evidence points to Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell concocting false charges). In this book, the author has Margaret Pole and her sons plot to help Princess Mary escape from England when things are going badly for Mary. There is no evidence this happened in real life, and I’m not sure this was necessary for the story. I also feel like Princess Mary, and Katherine of Aragon’s characters weren’t that well developed compared to some of the other characters. I guess I should probably read the books that focus on these characters to get their point of view. But… these are minor nit-picky issues and I’m not the one writing the book.If you are on the fence about whether to read this book but have enjoyed other books in the series, I highly recommend this book. This is perhaps my favorite in the series so far (albeit my series reading is low), or maybe second to the The White Queen. This is well written, completely relevant with being able to draw comparisons to some of today’s tyrants, and just a great read.(I have no idea if there is an “official reading order” for these books since they seem to be published in a random order, but I enjoyed this book and haven’t read a lot of the other “Tudor” books).

⭐ I love historical fiction. It is simply one of my favorites genres. This book is a wonderful example of historical fiction, as it provides an intriguing perspective of the reign of King Henry VIII of England from one who would have known it well, Margaret Pole, the Countess of Salisbury. A daughter of the house of York, as she was the daughter of George, the Duke of Clarence, who was tried and executed for treason by his brother, King Edward IV, Margaret was no stranger to court intrigues and plots. So, it is through her eyes that the reader sees the reign of Henry VIII unfold.The reader should not lose sight of the fact that this is historical fiction. That is, the story is built around the construct of actual history, but is fictional nonetheless, as very little is known about women at that time, other than the basics, births, marriages, deaths, or gleanings from correspondence that may have survived. The author capably takes this figure from the annals of history and brings her to life, creating a believable, three dimensional character that is immersed in her 16th century life, one that is fraught with peril for her and her family by virtue of her ancestry.We see the great events of the time from Margaret Pole’s point of view, as she lives through them. It is from her perspective that these events are interpreted. I am very partial to Tudor History, and I found this book gripping, especially as there has been so little written about her. The author creates a very believable construct based upon known historical fact, and develops the story of Margaret Pole based upon what is known about her and her family, creating a fascinating portrait of a woman of royal blood living on the edge. I could not stop turning the pages! Those who enjoy well-written historical fiction will love this book.

⭐ I have read most of Philippa Gregory books and for the most part I truly enjoy them. This book was very interesting but I felt it was incredibly long. Due to the author using real names it gets a bit confusing at times because so many people had the same name so you must keep their title (Lady, Dutchess, Duke, etc) straight (but would hate for the author NOT to use the real names!). 🙂 If you love reading about King Henry VIII then you will enjoy this book which follows the life of a woman who was Plantagenet born. There has not been much written about her due to the men of that time period writing down stories about other men and not concentrating so much on the women. I found reading the book, told from her view point, to be very enjoyable because she was royal born, had many of her family members and close friends die at the hands of the Tudors, was very active at court so she witnessed many interesting things happen to the people we have all come to recognize from history, she was England’s richest woman (when many women had nothing) and yet she also knew what it was like to have nothing, and the one thing she did consistently throughout her very long life (compared to others of that time period) was fight to live and breathe. I judged her harshly many times as I read her story but once I was finished reading the book I asked myself if I would have handled things better and I don’t think I would have. I recommend this book to others who enjoy historical fiction.

⭐ In the many biographies, novels and movies about the reign of Henry VIII, the life of Margaret, Countess of Salisbury, is often overlooked or insignificantly mentioned. After all, other royals of the time— Katherine of Aragon, Anne and Mary Boleyn, Mary and Elizabeth as children who would become queens, Elizabeth of York— make for more flashy and dramatic subject matter.Margaret Pole was a Plantagenet, destined to eventually be put to death by mad king Henry VIII because of his paranoia that the White Rose would somehow reclaim the throne that his father, the equally paranoid but somewhat less murderous Henry VII, usurped.Margaret, once the richest woman in England, niece of king Edward IV and lifelong friend and courtier to king Henry VIII, ultimately met the same end as most of her family. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London with her 11-year-old grandson and then beheaded for treason. She’s primarily remembered now as the oldest person executed by Henry VIII.The author, as always, weaves these true historical facts and events with her own thoughtful and exhaustively researched fleshing out with ideas of what may conceivably have been the backstory, thoughts and actions of the women of that time period, about whom little is mentioned in historical documentation. Indeed on more than one occasion, this author’s novelized conclusions in filling in these gaps have later proven to be accurate as further writings from the era are found.

⭐ Anyone farmiliar with Phillipa Gregory knows that she writes good historical fiction dealing with the Tudors. This book was good, but largely based on guess work, as we have no facts regarding Magaret Pole’s true feelings, and there are many unknowns about her. Gregory takes what facts there are and fleshes out a good story about a woman that lived her life in the shadow of the Tudors. Born into the rival Plantaganet family, Margaret did live a life of up and down fortunes. Born a princess, lowered to be a member of a defeated dynasty, only to be raised back to a peerage in her own right, one of the wealthiest women in England. A good read, as long as you aren’t set on a fact filled account.

⭐ Loved the first few books of this series, and it is very interesting learning about the women involved with the kings of the Cousin’s War and time of Edward IV – Henry VIII and beyond. However, although it was interesting to learn about yet another woman of the Plantagenet line, this story is such a side story to the women involved with the kings themselves that I am not sure it needed to be an entire novel. The story gives yet another look at what it was like to be a woman from one of the powerful families of royal blood during these turbulent times, and how much in fear everyone was living of Henry VIII; but by this point in the series there are so many characters and so many references back to earlier characters who had died that it was difficult to keep track of them all and who was related to whom. The book was suspenseful as far as any historical novel about well-known people and events can be, and since the main character is not well known herself, there were some unexpected twists to the story; but there was not really enough going on to fill the pages of an entire novel, and the pace tended to be slow. I definitely had the feeling that this book was written as much to sell another book as to inform readers about another interesting historical person. The stories in this series seem to really be reaching for something new.

⭐ Another Great Story surrounding the court of Henry VIII. This story views this period of history from the view of a Plantagenet, Margaret Pole who was the cousin of Henry’s mother, also a plantagenet. It reflects the insatiable thirst and greed for power held by many courtiers in the Court of Henry Tudor who will stoop to any depth to ensure their favor with the king. It immerses you in the fear and depravity of human beings who rise and fall at the whim of a tyrannical king. Henry was not a romantic charming man, he was cruel, fickle, a monster who cared nothing other than his own selfish appetite for power and wealth. He showed no mercy for anyone, even those who served him loyally, he would order their death on a whim or a notion. The only life he honored was his own even the lives of his children could be sacrificed if it served a purpose or his desire…..Another great Phillipa Gregory book

⭐ The King’s Curse a novel by historical fiction writer Philippa Gregory takes you into the world of Margaret Pole who is the cousin of Elizabeth of York who was forced to marry the Father of Henry the 8th the infamous King of England who had the bad habit of divorcing his wives or chopping off their heads. Margaret has the misfortune of being the member of a family who is an old ruling class in England and who has been part of an war to see who will become the ruling family; while watching her brothers; uncles; and loved ones get murdered around her she has done her best her entire life to stay in the background and protect those she loves most from the axe and from the kings roving mood swings and temper.As she protects her beloved princess, children, sons, husband and family in general she learns what family loyalty really means, this book gives the leader a new and isightful perspective to tudor England and into Henry the 8th’s cruel psyche and how sometimes even when you do your best in the end it is not always enough. The main character was an amazing caregiver, wife, and Mother, and the end results were honestly heartbreaking. The characters, religious viewpoints, and plot lines in this book for me were amazing.

⭐ Terrific read.I became interested in Margaret Plantagenet Pole, the last of the Yorks, after reading–and watching the adadaptations on STARZ–THE WHITE QUEEN and the WHITE PRINCESS. It’s a sad story, especially if–as I did–you know how her story ends.As far as I know, it’s never been addressed before as historical fiction, and Ms. Gregory tells it beautifully.Among my favorites of Ms. Gregory’s TUDOR/PLANTAGENET works, along with THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL (of course), and THE KING’S FOOL,

⭐ Philippa Gregory is a master at bringing historic women to life, taking her readers by the hand transporting them back in time and making them feel as if they know these women personally. True to her style, Gregory has done it again with The King’s Curse.Gregory offers another captivating page-turner as she guides readers through the life of Lady Margaret Pole. Her account of the woman, born of the House of York, effortlessly recounts how intricately the threads of Pole’s life were woven through the House of Tudor and ultimately how her fate was tied to Henry VIII.Margaret Pole knew Henry VIII from the time he was an infant. Her story stays with the reader and leaves one wondering how he could have transformed from the happy Prince Harry to the tyrant he became.Pole’s rise and fall and repeated rise and fall; her faith and fearless determination make her a fascinating historic figure. The King’s Curse is another gripping tale told only as Philippa Gregory can – through the eyes of the woman who lived the story.

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