The Queen’s Rival

By: Anne O'Brien

Narrated by: Elaine Claxton

The forgotten story of Cecily Neville, duchess of York. A strong woman who claimed the throne for her family in a time of war....

One family united by blood. Torn apart by war....

England, 1459: Cecily, duchess of York, is embroiled in a plot to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne. But when the Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily’s family flees and abandons her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.

Cecily can only watch as her lands are torn apart and divided up by the ruthless Queen Marguerite. From the towers of her prison in Tonbridge Castle, the duchess begins to spin a web of deceit - one that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI and to her eldest son being crowned king of England.

This is a story of heartbreak, ambition and treachery, of one woman’s quest to claim the throne during the violence and tragedy of the Wars of the Roses.

©2020 Anne O'Brien (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"One of the best writers around." (Sun)

"A terrific storyteller." (Daily Telegraph)

"This thrilling historical novel has it all - high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing.... It's a rollercoaster of a read." (Carol McGrath)

This is medieval istorie of a powerful woman

Cecille Neville the Queen that never was wow !
I enjoyed very much as ever there are liberties taking however the base is very plausible. Again a writer have taken time to write and bring to light a life of intelligent power of a true heroine.
The Plantagenet dinasty.

Living history

I love how the author brings historical figures to life and gives us an understanding of their motivations. A really good listen.

Really Enjoyed the details

I really love the way it was written. The format in the letters I thought was brilliant. So many details were brought forward that I had never heard anyone who loves medieval history will really enjoy this book

You better know your history beforehand!

If you know nothing about this time period, DONT BUY THIS BOOK!! TOO MUCH but not enough

Good

I did like the narrator & the story but much of it is correspondence back & forth. I didn't appreciate the numerous letters but this book is good & the narrator is great!

Well done!

After reading previous reviews, I was prepared for the format of telling some of the story through personal letters between the characters. I didn't know what to expect, but I loved it! The Queen's Rival spans the lives of Cecille Neville, Duchess of York, and her family during the turbulence of the Wars of The Roses; from the Yorkist disaster at Ludlow to the summer of 1483 before her youngest son, Richard of Gloucester, becomes king, you are there with this remarkable lady as if you're standing beside her.
I honestly got a great perspective on what the characters were not only thinking, but also what various persons were doing at significant moments in their lives.
There is more than letter reading so don't let that turn you aside from a very entertaining novel.

Fantastic book!

I never realized how much I overlooked in regards to what role the war of the roses truly played in Cecile's life. It's odd as I have read and seen so many different takes on that time in history but never fully appreciated the hardships and travesty's she had to bear. I found myself wishing the book hadn't yet ended. Fantastic writing and narration!

Interesting writing exercise with styles

Mix PAMELA and CLARISSA with late Victorian gossip columns, set them in mid-15th-century England, and you've got a pretty good idea about what to expect in this historical retelling. I'm not sure what O'Brian was envisioning for this, if she planned this as an intriguing writing exercise or as a very important and serious historical fiction novel, but while it didn't always necessarily work for me, I'm very impressed by a master at her craft. I greatly appreciate her sense of historical accuracy, in acknowledging the lack of actual rose symbolism during the Wars of, and I really enjoyed feeling like she had as much fun playing with narrative styles as she did telling Cecily's story. Very enjoyable!

Not a fsvorite

This story had the potential to be a good book. I did not enjoy the format. Most of the was letters and prayers, not an actual story

excellent job

Loved it. It makes you look at the women of history as a mother, wife sister, grandmother...... very entertaining 👏