1464. Cousin is at war with cousin, as the houses of York and Lancaster tear themselves apart...
...And Elizabeth Woodville, a young Lancastrian widow, armed only with her beauty and her steely determination, seduces and marries the charismatic warrior king, Edward IV of York.
The Wars of the Roses. 1455-1485
The sleeping King Henry VI was manipulated by both his powerful wife the Queen Margaret of Anjou and his over mighty nobles. A challenger to these 'evil' Councillors in the form of Richard Duke of York sparked years of conflict between the two houses of Lancaster and York as they battled for the crown.
As a big fan (and student) of the Wars of the Roses I was really excited to read this book as Queen Elizabeth (Woodville) and her husband King Edward IV were really key players in the conflicts. It is said that "Behind every great man there is a great woman" and that rings very true through this tumultuous time in history. For every King that took the throne and every challenger to his reign, there was an equally powerful woman beside them and it's from this interesting perspective that Phillipa Gregory has written these amazing books.
Elizabeth Woodville as a character instantly won my sympathy as a young widow determined to win back the inheritance of her two small boys. However she was by no means a weak character. Gregory portrayed Elizabeth as a strong woman who knew exactly what she wanted and was prepared to take any steps necessary to get it. A fiesty, determined woman who let nothing get in her way. She approached the new warrior King, Edward IV for whom her deceased husband fought against to ask for his help. From that moment on she is caught up in the danger surrounding the throne of England and is pushed to the very end of her determination to survive.
Filled with mystery, magic, love and bloodshed, history is really brought to life and the historical basis to the books makes them a gripping and valuable read for anyone with an interest in the history of England and the early-modern period.
I give this book a 5 out of 5 and would really encourage you to read it.
These books by Phillipa Gregory are incredibly easy to find at the moment thanks to the popularity of the historical drama The White Queen based on two of the books in the series (The White Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter) which is also definitely worth watching! (Although it's worth noting that the BBC iplayer suggests you should be 16+ to watch it due to some of the *ahem* scenes)
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Review// Despicable Me 2
As an older sister I babysit my siblings a lot in the school holidays and sometimes in an attempt to get us all out of the house I take them to the cinema to watch what it has to offer in the way of a cheesy animation.
After a very intense battle of rock, paper, scissors between my two siblings it was finally decided we should watch Despicable Me 2.
Ex-super-villain-turned-father Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is approached by the head of the Anti-Villain-League for help after a top-secret laboratory hidden in the Arctic Circle is stolen by a giant flying magnet. The laboratory was developing a serum to turn normal and cutesy creatures into rabid invincible monsters and the AVL fear what this mysterious new super-villain plans to do with it. Gru, along with his bumbling but endearing partner Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig) must go undercover to sniff out the criminal mastermind. But with a list of potential suspects, Margo's new 'friend' Eduardo and relationship problems of his own will Gru be able to catch the villain?
This was an incredibly cute film and what I would call a light watch, a very easy plot with not too much concentration needed- perfect for family audiences. The main characters are well developed and even the fringe characters are well formed, such as the self-imposed cupid: Jillian, desperate to set Gru up with a date.
The main characters are hilarious and each bring something individual to the film, demanding the sympathy and attention of the audience. Gru is a strong protagonist with some hilarious one-liners and a sweet relationship with his three adorable adopted girls. Lucy Wilde is hilarious in a kooky but surprisingly strong way for a supporting character for example, in the beginning of the film she abducts Gru from his home using her trusty "Liiiiiiipsitck Taaaazer!" (As my siblings now scream on an average of three times a minute). The minions are very lovable and brought a lot of comedy to the film resulting in a lot of giggles from adults and children alike in the cinema.
A giggle-worthy good versus evil film with a host of fun characters and a sweet message on the importance of family, I would recommend this film as a light watch to family audiences and fans of the first film.
As a family film I would give this film a 4.5 out of 5, so time to crack out the popcorn, no?
After a very intense battle of rock, paper, scissors between my two siblings it was finally decided we should watch Despicable Me 2.
Ex-super-villain-turned-father Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) is approached by the head of the Anti-Villain-League for help after a top-secret laboratory hidden in the Arctic Circle is stolen by a giant flying magnet. The laboratory was developing a serum to turn normal and cutesy creatures into rabid invincible monsters and the AVL fear what this mysterious new super-villain plans to do with it. Gru, along with his bumbling but endearing partner Lucy (voiced by Kristen Wiig) must go undercover to sniff out the criminal mastermind. But with a list of potential suspects, Margo's new 'friend' Eduardo and relationship problems of his own will Gru be able to catch the villain?
This was an incredibly cute film and what I would call a light watch, a very easy plot with not too much concentration needed- perfect for family audiences. The main characters are well developed and even the fringe characters are well formed, such as the self-imposed cupid: Jillian, desperate to set Gru up with a date.
The main characters are hilarious and each bring something individual to the film, demanding the sympathy and attention of the audience. Gru is a strong protagonist with some hilarious one-liners and a sweet relationship with his three adorable adopted girls. Lucy Wilde is hilarious in a kooky but surprisingly strong way for a supporting character for example, in the beginning of the film she abducts Gru from his home using her trusty "Liiiiiiipsitck Taaaazer!" (As my siblings now scream on an average of three times a minute). The minions are very lovable and brought a lot of comedy to the film resulting in a lot of giggles from adults and children alike in the cinema.
A giggle-worthy good versus evil film with a host of fun characters and a sweet message on the importance of family, I would recommend this film as a light watch to family audiences and fans of the first film.
As a family film I would give this film a 4.5 out of 5, so time to crack out the popcorn, no?
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