The Royal Game by Anne O’Brien

Description

England, 1444. Three women challenge the course of history…

King Henry VI’s grip on the crown hangs by a thread as the Wars of the Roses starts to tear England apart. And from the ashes of war, the House of Paston begins its rise to power.

Led by three visionary women, the Pastons are a family from humble peasant beginnings who rely upon cunning, raw ambition, and good fortune in order to survive.

Their ability to plot and scheme sees them overcome imprisonment, violence and betrayal, to eventually secure for their family a castle and a place at the heart of the Yorkist Court. But success breeds jealousy and brings them dangerous enemies…

An inspirational story of courage and resilience, The Royal Game, charts the rise of three remarkable women from obscurity to the very heart of Court politics and intrigue.

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Review

The Royal Game offers a fascinating insight into the world of the Paston family during the Wars of the Roses. Told through the eyes of three strong and enterprising women, based on their insightful letters.

We learn about the many struggles these women and their Paston family faced, the ways they had to adapt and play their parts whilst also being highly courageous, powerful, and influential within the spheres of their world and time. Each with their own ambitions, whether in support of their husband and future for their children, to escape an abusive mother and have a life of their own, or make an advantageous marriage – hopefully with love or in the least a mutual connection and understanding.

The Pastons are a family from a lowly beginning but through hard work and dedication are climbing the ranks in society. However, they find building links with the established nobility and securing a patron to support them difficult, they face opposition and claims to their property at every turn. You can feel the range of emotions they experienced through the author’s writing, the pride, the trepidation, the heartbreak. But also the stoicism, resilience, and the unwavering will to protect their family’s assets at all costs.

The author’s writing is highly descriptive and vivid, transporting you back in time effortlessly. The flow and pace of the novel works well with the back and forth perspectives of the women involved. From the clearly dedicated and thorough research, the author weaves a fascinating and intricate picture of the Paston family’s lives within the backdrop of the political turmoil during this period. Anne’s writing never fails to make history come alive and captivate with every page.

Ending on a perilous (and I’m sure decisive) moment in the Paston’s story has left me impatient for more! I absolutely cannot wait for the second Paston novel to find out what happens next!