Thursday, April 23, 2009

Book Review: The King's Grace by Anne Easter Smith



The King's Grace is a good read. I've read the two previous books in this series and enjoyed both of them immensely as well.
Smith writes about the time in British history typically called "the war between the roses"--the house of Lancaster and the house of York vie for the throne ending up with the Tudor King Henry VII eradicating the York line.
This installment is told from the perspective of Grace, one of Edward IV's bastard children, who is welcomed at court and plays an important role in this fictionalized portrayal of the mystery of the "boys in the tower" (King Edward's legitimate sons who were placed in the tower by Richard and never seen again).
The story is captivating and despite the fact that the book is so big, you really dig in and want to sit and read and read. I find myself getting to that point with each of Smith's books, and I really enjoy that I have so much to read--I can stay captivated for a long time. The characters are likable--or not when they shouldn't be--and the plot is interesting with enough turns to keep you reading, but not too many so that it doesn't seem plausible.
My only complaint is Smith's attempt at mimicking the middle English vernacular. It couldn't be done and be readable, but the "certes" and "tis" and other such words thrown in for "authenticity" don't ring true with this reader. I find myself overlooking it, though, after a few pages.

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