Title: The Forever Queen
Author: Helen Hollick
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781402240683
Rating: 5 Crowns
What kind of woman becomes the wife of two kings, and the mother of two more?
Saxon England, 1002. Not only is Æthelred a failure as King, but his young bride, Emma of Normandy, soon discovers he is even worse as a husband. When the Danish Vikings, led by Swein Forkbeard and his son, Cnut, cause a maelstrom of chaos, Emma, as Queen, must take control if the Kingdom—and her crown—are to be salvaged. Smarter than history remembers, and stronger than the foreign invaders who threaten England's shores, Emma risks everything on a gamble that could either fulfill her ambitions and dreams or destroy her completely.
Emma, the Queen of Saxon England, comes to life through the exquisite writing of Helen Hollick, who shows in this epic tale how one of the most compelling and vivid heroines in English history stood tall through a turbulent fifty-year reign of proud determination, tragic despair, and triumph over treachery.
(From the publisher)
My Thoughts:
This was a very though provoking book. I enjoyed the way that reader feels apart of Emma’s story. The Forever Queen is laced with so many emotions that one wonders how any reader could not fall in love with this book. I felt as though I was witnessing the events of Emma’s life first hand. While many potential readers maybe wary at the size of this book (650 plus pages) I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction, as well as the life of English Queens or this era of history.
Being an avid reader I was surprised when I noticed that this period is often overlooked in historical fiction, many writers tend to opt for the War of the Roses and the dynasty’s that followed, so finding The Forever Queen was a complete treat. I read this book as part of Sourcebooks fall book club, I encourage readers to use The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick as their book club selection. This book will provoke lively discussions that would be highly enjoyable.
This book would also make an excellent gift for historical fiction readers.
5 comments:
Such a great book, and I am so happy I read it .)
I"m glad you enjoyed it. Make sure you read her book on King Harold - it's being released in the US in the spring (I am the Chosen King) - it's even better!!
I'm looking forward to this book -- I've heard such great things about the heroine, Emma!
Thank you for such kind words - I can't express how thrilled I am that so many people have enjoyed reading the Forever Queen!
This one sounds amazing! I haven't read anything from this period either, so I'm looking forward to it!
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