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    The Queen's Lover: A Novel
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    The Queen's Lover: A Novel
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    The Queen's Lover: A Novel
    Ebook705 pages12 hours

    The Queen's Lover: A Novel

    By Vanora Bennett

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    From Vanora Bennett, the acclaimed author of Portrait of an Unknown Woman and Figures in Silk comes The Queen’s Lover, a fictionalized account of the life and loves of Catherine de Valois, a woman of enormous courage who became a great queen of two countries. Fans of Phillipa Gregory, Alison Weir, Sarah Dunant, and Tracy Chevalier, and every reader who adores top-quality historical fiction will be swept away by this epic love story set against the rich backdrop of 15th-century England and France—and by this remarkable woman who triumphed magnificently by making her own rules.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMar 16, 2010
    ISBN9780061985362
    Unavailable
    The Queen's Lover: A Novel
    Author

    Vanora Bennett

    Vanora Bennett is a journalist and writer. She lived and worked in Russia for 7 years, writing for Reuters and the LA Times. She has been a foreign correspondent and feature writer and contributed to publications including The Times, the LA Times, the Guardian, the Observer and the Evening Standard. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. She has written two previous novels: Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Queen of Silks and Blood Royal.

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    Reviews for The Queen's Lover

    3.5/5

    83 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I found it to be fairly slow paced, and had a disappointing ending. I admire her strength in what she went through, but thought she should have been more of a Queen.
    • 5/5
      I read "Figures in Silk" and *gasp* forgotten that I had read this some years ago. I love how the characters are portrayed, from teens to adults. I like learning about historical figures this way. It was wonderful learning more about British and French history during the turbulent century of war, and better understanding the early years of this period. Women in history are fascinating and a mystery, sometimes authors must fill in parts of history to the best of their understanding. Well worth the read if you want to learn more about Catherine of Valois, Owain Tudor and more!
    • 2/5
      I picked this up cause I was really curious about Catherine and Owen, after all they spawned the Tudor dynasty!

      It was interesting how the author imagined Catherine and Owen came to be together. I like how they met in the early days of their youth and the story ended on a high note...with their marriage <- well possible time frame since no one knows for sure.

      As interesting as the author imagined the interactions between the two over the years....I honestly did not like the two of them at all! Catherine was such a pushover, and chose the most inconvenient and varied times to push her will. She was so cut-throat in making sure her marriage negotiations with Henry went through, that she threw her younger brother Charles under with the taint of bastardy upon his head. Like sure, I know you are reeling from the los of Owen and wanted some comforts but come on! So damn cruel. And when she humiliates Owen over and over again, he keeps coming back like a well trained puppy. Owen claims to only serve in her household as a promise to Henry, but really I am sure his motives are much deeper than that... beside what Catherine can bring (wealth, titles, etc), could they really have been in love? Well this story makes it seem like they genuinely loved each other, but I think it was more like Owen loved Catherine and Catherine loved the stability and protection Owen provided.

      Yeah so anyways, Catherine managed to get her way with her marriage, but she becomes to wishy washy with everything else! From deferring to her mother the Queen, to listening to the English council as to how to raise her son and the ceremonies. Like seriously, what happened to your back bone? The one that helped you land this marriage?! And when she finally spoke up for Joan of Arc, it was like whatever, took you long enough to do something but even then she was like a spoiled brat and clearly had no understanding of the political dangers she was in...despite Owen doing everything to keep her out of it.

      Overall, it was an ok read. I think maybe if Catherine was portrayed and maybe developed in a better light, I may have been more sympathetic towards her. But as far as I'm concerned, she is a complete brat and utterly useless (when she clearly had a brain that she choice not to use most of the time).
    • 4/5
      Catherine de Valois is just a disheveled and neglected child in the crumbling French court of her father, the mad King Charles VI, when she first meets Owain Tudor, messenger for the king of England, Henry V. Though the two are very fond of each other, Catherine is still just a child, and of royal blood, while Owain is a disgraced Welshman working off years of servitude in the English court. Soon fate tears them in opposite directions. Through the ruination of her royal family and the fall of France to England’s forces, Catherine is dangled in front of Henry V as a proposed bride to unite both kingdoms. But Catherine’s brother Charles is still fighting against the English crown and will not let France go lightly. With the help of the scheming Queen Isebeau, Catherine makes her move against Charles and becomes Henry’s new bride, Queen of England. But life as a queen of England is not what Catherine thought it would be, and after much grief she finds herself in the middle of a royal uprising when Henry dies, leaving her infant son crowned the King of England. Though Catherine must brave these waters alone, it’s the constant presence of Owain that helps guide Catherine through her most turbulent times, and whose steadfastness and loyalty finally help her consolidate England and France into one kingdom. But it’s Catherine’s journey of the heart from caretaker of the mad King Charles to the queen who holds the heart of Owain Tudor that will leave readers restless for more in this solid and tight historical drama.In the past few months, I’ve had the very pleasurable opportunity to read two historical novels by Vanora Bennett. The first was called Figures in Silk, and dealt with the War of the Roses, and was actually a very entertaining and thoughtful read, though I do think it suffered a bit from having a rather loose beginning. This book, however, was much more to my tastes, and I grew quickly absorbed within the pages for many reasons. I won’t attempt to compare the two books, as I think they’re totally different vehicles with very different aims, but I’m happy to say that this book was historical fiction at its very best.Catherine was one of the most interesting characters to have read about in this incarnation, not only because the story of her life was most surprising and interesting, but because this Catherine was written with an emotional core that resonated with me personally and gave the story vivid life. She was no doubt a troubled woman. From her very early childhood, she and her brother Charles were neglected almost to the point of starvation while their wily mother kept to her rooms caught up in schemes against her older sons. Catherine’s father suffered with bouts of mental illness so debilitating that he was often shut up in private quarters, raving and tearing off his clothes. As Catherine grows older, she finally realizes just what her father is going through when she becomes his only protector and caretaker, fully realizing that France is in ruins due to the mismanagement and infighting of the royal family. Though these all sound like horrible and troublesome circumstances, Catherine remains solid, courageous and caring to the people around her. She doesn’t blame her parents for their neglect but does come to resent and accuse Charles when he goes against his royal blood. Though she is frightened, her core beliefs and resoluteness never waver.When she meets Owain, the attraction is instant and reciprocated, but Owian, the elder of the two and to my mind, the much more pragmatic, knows they will never find themselves together. Because of the care and attention that Owian gives her, he becomes Catherine’s hero, and she doesn’t understand that he is unattainable to her. When the issue comes to a painful head, it’s Owain who turns Catherine away and directly into the path of his master, Henry V, a fact that grieves his spirit mercilessly. Though Owain goes far from her and sets a different path for his life, Catherine is his north star from beginning to end. Eventually he comes to her when she needs him most and covertly rearranges a future for her in which she can be secure and unafraid. The love between Catherine and Owain was, for me, a strong motivating force in the book. Though it was often painful and fraught with tension, there was no doubt in my mind that Owain brought to Catherine the peace and gentleness that she so desperately needed amidst a court filled with danger and trickery.Much was made about the fall of France, not only to the hands of the dominating English, but their self-ruination at the hands of the vicious Duke of Burgundy and other opposing forces. This comes into play intently when Catherine agrees to marry King Henry V and unite the two kingdoms. It troubles her to no end that the royal blood, which she believes to be sacred and holy, will be tainted and that she will be leading her country to ruin and enslavement by the English. Catherine views the English court as very different than the French court in its heyday. The idea of a French court that was the most holy and sacred in Christendom was interesting to me because I’m mostly a reader of English history and have never really pursued France in my studies. There’s no doubt from Bennett’s descriptions that the court of France was once elegant and urbane, beautiful and blessed, but I came to see that although the English did much to damage the country and bloodline, it really started long ago in the French court’s power plays and political manipulations. It was a very insightful and instructive narrative that fully revealed the weaknesses and the strengths of each side and player.When historical fiction is this good, it leaves me hungering for more opportunity to relish and revel in it. I think Bennet’s take on this story and her ability to capture all the fragility and strength of each of the major players was not only expert, but damn entertaining as well. This is the kind of book I love to read because it’s not only overtly and tightly suspenseful but tender and touching as well. If you think the very unusual story of Catherine de Valois sounds interesting, I would urge you to give yourself some time to read Bennett’s excellent and expert rendering of the life of a very human and regal queen and the man she raised from far below to stand beside her.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      I was bored out of my mind and had trouble of wanting to pick it up. And why did all Lancastrian people had bulging eyes, frog eyes or something? Started to annoy me.
    • 3/5
      I am truly sad with this book. Having recently become hooked on Tudor era novels and loving them, I was excited about this novel. But, it just didn't hold up to my expectations of this style of book. Please don't get me wrong when I say that. I did stay up reading this novel late into the night. I was very interested in seeing how Catherine and Owain's story played out. And, well, frankly, it just wasn't full of the historical, rich details that I was hoping for. While I thought this book to be just okay, I do hope that others will give this 3 star novel a try. Maybe I'm overlooking something that someone else will see and be completely captivated. Because I love the Tudor era and other historical novels, and because I've heard a great many good things about Ms. Bennett, I will not let this one lacking novel keep me from trying her other books.
    • 4/5
      Over the last few years I've read a large number of historical fiction books about some of the most strong women in history. Queen Catherine can proudly take her place among them.Although I knew some of the other names in this story (Joan of Arc) this story was one I was unfamiliar with. Catherine, the grandmother to King Henry VII, led a life that was - quite expectedly - filled with its fair share of misery. But she was blessed with one bit of goodness, the friendship of Owain Tudor.Owain, as a Welshman, is living the life of a defeated person. It's interesting reading this book and knowing what I know about the war that defeated the Welsh, because I felt some of the history behind the character. Vanora Bennett did a fantastic job portraying just how difficult it would have been to be a Welshman during that time as well.I thought The Queen's Lover was written well. It isn't a fluffy, filled with romantic notions sort of book, but rather a book that comes off as well researched, filled with interesting facts not only about Catherine, but her son and the issues that were prominent in England and France during the 15th century.
    • 3/5
      I love historical fiction, and I chose this book because I know almost nothing about the Tudors before Henry VIII. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have noted, there are too many outlandish ideas presented to make the story credible. I don’t expect absolute historical accuracy – this is fictionalized – but I do expect believable descriptions. As a Princess, Catherine had far too much freedom (even within such a dysfunctional family) and I found it farfetched that she would have any opportunity to be alone with the young Owain Tudor, even as a girl. Even more outrageous was that she would be allowed to have sex with Henry V before they were even betrothed, before negotiations had truly begun. And lastly, it was ridiculous to think that the Earl of Warwick would be allowed to physically abuse the child-king Henry VI when he was the only living heir to the throne. These inconsistencies often jarred me out of the fantasy a good story should weave.Also, the title and blurb are misleading and I almost felt cheated. Though this is billed as a love story, fully a third of the novel describes Catherine’s life at the French Court as a child. Catherine and Owain spend most of the book apart, and do not even become a couple until the last few pages! The blurb describes her as “being terrified” of marrying the rough soldier and enemy, Henry V, yet the story has her conniving to bring it about so she can escape her horrid family. This would have been better described as just a fictionalized account of her life, with a more appropriate title. The brief epilogue explains how the Tudor dynasty actually began (with Catherine’s grandson, Henry VII) but we do not see how they got there.However, despite the many flaws in the book, I cannot deny that it was a real page turner which is why I gave it three stars. I finished most of the book in day, eager to see the fallout from the various political machinations and conniving of the royal families. This could have been an outstanding novel if the author had focused more on Catherine and Owain as a couple, and kept the ideas more grounded in reality.
    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction about Catherine de Valois and Owain Tudor, both of whom are people I knew of, but not a lot about.Ms. Bennett does a superb job of bringing the time period to life. Her characterizations are deft and sure. She has the courage to allow even a French princess and her Welsh commoner lover to be ordinary and that speaks volumes about her as a writer because sometimes people are just that - ordinary - and that's the extraordinary thing about them, eh?I was particularly touched by the early parts of the book depicting young Catherine and her younger brother, Charles, wandering through the Hotel de Paris - neglected, filthy, and hungry - while the adults around them spiral into out of control violence. In many ways this is a book about being powerless and surviving anyway - even about stealing back some of that power for yourself.It would have been easy for this to be a cliched historical romance, instead it is a richly drawn and well written story of its time and the people in it. Quite lovely.
    • 4/5
      "The Queen's Lover" is a retelling of the story of Catherine of Valois, who was a Princess of France, wife to Henry V, and mother of Henry VI. The novel begins when Catherine is a neglected teenager at the French court. Her only friend is her younger brother Charles and the older Christine, an author and widow. Christine introduces Catherine to young Owain Tudor, who will eventually become her lover. As the story moves from Catherine as a child to her marriage to Henry V and her rule as Dowager Queen Mother, her relationship with Owain grows and develops. Will the two end up together in the end, or will their fates ultimately keep them apart? "The Queen's Lover" is an uneven historical romance at best. Their are long passage of the novel that drag (which is really a drag in a nearly 600 page novel!), and parts that don't feel right for 15th century England and France. Catherine is an extremely wishy washy and weak heroine, even for a woman in this period. There were times, as the reader, that I just wanted to shake her for her improbable actions and stances. After reading "Figures in Silk", which I really enjoyed, I was dissapointed by this offering from Bennett.
    • 4/5
      Though sure to please those who love to curl up with a big thick historical romance, The Queen’s Lover may frustrate some with its meandering plot lines and shifting points of view. Too long, too detailed and yet somehow never managing to clarify the political contexts the characters find themselves in to a reader unfamiliar with the early to mid fifteenth century. Vanora Bennett describes much of the life of Catherine de Valois a young princess struggling to survive the neglect of her father’s war ravaged France. Her father is mad and her mother is too self absorbed to care. When her cherished younger brother declares war on what is left of the royal family, Catherine vows to escape at all costs, and her best option seems to be marriage to the enemy, the English King Henry V. Only she finds her greatest challenge will be to fight her feelings for the handsome Welshman, Owain Tudor, who depends on but offers her a love that can never be. Bennett fails to cash in on the spirited heroine stereotype, but instead portrays a rather bland and ineffective princess. She seems more concerned about her honor, happiness and political survival then that of the ones she claims to love. She is continuously upstaged by other historical figures Queen Isabeau, her Father Charles VI, her brother Charles, Johanne of Arc, Warwick, etc… The bones of the story are grounded in fact which is fascinating as any in history, but the meat of the story and motivations read at best highly fictionalized and at worst far fetched. Recommended only for Bennett fans interested in her take on the time period and events, or those whose definition of a great read is a period romance with a love conquers all theme.
    • 3/5
      The first half of this book was pretty exciting. Taking place in France and following the teenage life of Catherine de Valois, the story is about the princess, her grotesque and selfish mother, her father (the king) suffering bouts of madness, and of course, miscellaneous dukes fighting constantly for control of the kingdom. Catherine is much like many a modern day teenager. She wishes to marry in order to escape her dysfunctional family. However, the man she has fallen in love with, is not of royal blood. He is a welshman named Owain Tudor. I almost fell in love with him myself. Fabulous so far! But then something rather farfetched occurs. In a time when princesses practically wore chastity belts, Catherine is permitted to have relations with King Henry V in his tent before marriage negotiations are even final? Hmmm... My eyebrows almost popped off my head they flew up so high. The plan works of course and Catherine is married to Henry if only for two years. Meanwhile, Owain is mourning the love of his life and writing poetry about it. Catherine's brother arrests their mother. War breaks out again. After Henry's death, there is much debate over who Catherine will marry again and even a case of child abuse. Will Catherine realize her happiness lies with Owain and thus, birth a new dynasty? Loved the first half and laughed till I cried over Henry digging up the patron saint of hemorrhoids and piles only to afflicted with the runs himself. That was a funny addition. However, I fell asleep on the second half. I think it could be cut back about a hundred pages. I also thought the tent tryst with Henry was too farfetched and Catherine's mother was over exagerrated. I enjoyed Figures in Silk more, so three stars.
    • 5/5
      Vanora Bennett’s newest historical novel, ‘The Queen’s Lover’ brings fifteenth century France and England to life.Catherine of Valois, daughter of the mad French King Charles VI, and his dissolute wife Isabeau, leads a lonely life at the besieged French court. Neglected by their parents and ignored by their often quarreling siblings, Catherine and her brother Charles, learn to fend for themselves. Their only friend and sometime tutor is Christine de Pizan, a noted poet and scholar. And it is Christine who introduces Owain Tudor into their lives. The three young people become close friends for one magical summer, until Christine realizes that Owain and Catherine have fallen in love. Owain is returned to his duties at the English court and Catherine solaces her grief in caring for her increasingly mad father.Owain and Christine’s story is romantic and touching, heart-rending at times, in this highly fictionalized account. This is a powerful story which Bennett handles deftly. Owain is charismatic, Catherine multi-faceted. Both mature and change as their lives are driven by the demands of their rank and their pasts. Catherine, of course, marries Henry V of England and is briefly Queen of England and France. This is a fascinating time period - the cast of characters is filled with recognizable names - England’s Henry V, the greedy French queen Isabeau and her mad but loving husband Charles VI, Jeanne d’Arc and Charles the Dauphin, Warwick the Kingmaker and Bishop Beaufort - all are carefully drawn by Bennett.‘The Queen’s Lover’ will satisfy those who are seeking a well-written, fast paced, multi-dimensional novel. However, the novel places entertainment over historical accuracy. Read and enjoy and get information elsewhere. After all, it is fiction.
    • 3/5
      A roll-call of the greatest names in Chick Lit would fill a library catalogue because Women’s Literature – well-written books by, for or about women – is abundant. Chick Fic on the other hand, while just as prolific, is almost never literature and seldom well written yet – alas – has the frighteningly addictive qualities of cigarettes or crack cocaine. I began my journey into the genre with the fictional biography of a long-dead royal: Blood Royal was the story of Catherine of Valois, wife of Henry V, mistress of Owain Tudor, descendant of Charlemagne and queen of England. Mother of the unfortunate Henry VI, Catherine led a mild and low-key life, despite the most earnest attempts of the author to spice it up a bit, significant only because of her relationship with the Welsh Owain and the future role the Tudor usurpers were to play in the history of England. Lords and ladies, costumes, customs, castles and cuisine from the courts of 15th century French and English royalty are all well and good, but the story is in dire need of maps and family trees: however, if undemanding and somewhat inaccurate historical romance is your thing, Blood Royal is good stuff.