The Royal Road to Fotheringhay by Jean PlaidySeries: Stuart Saga
Genre:Historical Fiction
Page: 337
My rating:Save It
Jean Plaidy reveals her steadfast grasp of historical storytelling in this engaging account of the first half of the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Can you imagine being named a Queen at the age of a mere 6 days old. It's a short, eventful read with a large cast of sinister characters who'll do anything in their power to manipulate the queen for their own ends.
As I know next to nothing about Mary's story, I used this as a kind of educational novel to help teach me about her.I wanted to read this book because of Cw's Reign, in which I love this show. It works a treat in this respect, providing historical details and a real air of authenticity along with plenty of entertainment along the way. It shows not all history book are a bore.
Plaidy is particularly good at creating larger than life characters, from Mary's ultra-sleazy uncle, a Cardinal, to the swaggering Borderer, Bothwell. Such characters are hugely enjoyable to read about, and Plaidy's writing style makes them all the better. She has a way of writing that feels courtly and understated - it may be a product of the era in which she was working - so that even the most outrageous scandal takes place almost matter-of-factly.It was overall a great book.
I have a bunch of Plaidy's, but I still haven't read her. Another project for some point!
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