If you’re a fan of historical fiction, I’m sure you’re familiar with the name Philippa Gregory. As someone who has always been interested in the English Wars of the Roses, her series have been on my to-read list for a long time. But also as someone who is easily confused by names and dates in history, I was never sure where to start with the two series that I was always interested in: the Tudor Court and Cousins’ War series. Luckily, as of August 2016, Gregory combined these series into one giant series (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels) and released a list for how they are to be read in chronological order rather than publication order.
Start with The Lady of the Rivers, which is about Jacquetta of Luxemborg, who was married to the Duke of Bedford, the uncle of King Henry V. When her first husband died, she married Richard Woodville, shifting her alliance from the House of Lancaster to the House of York after the Battle of Towton. After Edward IV took the throne, Jacquetta’s daughter, Elizabeth Woodville, married him and became Queen consort to the new King of England. Don’t forget the dashes of witchcraft and magic! The novel is a historical fictionalization of one of the prominent, if often overlooked, figures in England’s civil war, known as the Wars of the Roses. The book opens in 1430, right after Henry VI is crowned King of England at only nine years old after his father, King Henry V, is killed in battle during the Hundred Years’ War.
If you’re interested in reading The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels series in chronological order:
If you’re interested in reading the series in publication order:
The Tudor Court:
The Cousins’ War:
This particular section has always interested me, but I always get so confused trying to keep track of names and dates. Luckily, Gregory provides a link to the family tree of the historical figures of her books on her website, or I would be lost.
Happy Reading!
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