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Cecily

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Cecily

By: Annie Garthwaite
Narrated by: Olivia Poulet
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Brought to you by Penguin.

1431 is a dangerous time for a woman to be defiant.

England has been fighting France for 100 years. At home, power-hungry men within a corrupt government manipulate a weak king - and name Cecily's husband, York's loyal duke, an enemy. As the king's grasp on sanity weakens, plots to destroy York take root....

It will take all of Cecily's courage and cunning to save her family. But when the will to survive becomes ambition for a crown, will she risk treason to secure it?

Inside closed bedchambers and upon bloody battlefields, Cecily portrays war as women fight it.

©2021 Annie Garthwaite (P)2021 Penguin Audio Biographical Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Medieval Political Women's Fiction Middle Ages Biography Romance Royalty England Tudor
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Critic reviews

"A startling heroine." (Sarah Moss)
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A definite must for readers who enjoy this historical period. I slowed the narration down a bit to enjoy the visualisations of the writing and the nuances in some of the dialogue - the narrator was excellent.

Great book and narration

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I downloaded this after listening to the author on the Gone Medieval podcast. I’ve immediately downloaded the second book!
Really gripping, and wonderfully drawn characters. The relationship between Cecily and husband Richard is joyously real and warm and at times tricky. So interesting to read about the way female power was wielded. And brilliant narration too.
Really great!

Wonderful central female character, brilliantly brought to life

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I thoroughly enjoyed Garthwaite’s telling of the life of Cecily Neville.

The White Queen was one of the first historical novels I read so it was difficult to put aside Phillipa Gregory’s portrayal of Cecily as an antagonist and go into this with an open mind.

Garthwaite portrays her as a powerhouse of a woman for her day, always at the centre of politics and schemes, with a sharp wit and wicked sense of humour. At times she is just plain wicked too, and more than once I was shocked by her character.

That being said, I also couldn’t help but root for her, and rejoice when things went right, and dismay when things went wrong. By the end I respected her and sympathised with her as a strong woman, a mother, and a wife.

I have only given the story 4 stars as I found the middle portion a bit heavy going with a lot of politics/talk and not a lot of movement in terms of narrative. Also I think that if you haven’t got a good starting knowledge of the main players of the period, it may be a struggle to keep up with the endless Richard’s, Henry’s, Anne’s etc. and their motives.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narration on this audiobook and found it very emotive and evocative of Cecily’s character, which certainly added to the story for me.

Must read for any WoTR fan

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I love history dramas written from an unusual perspective - this works well, with an authentic voice.

Great novel, wonderfully read

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A real treat for all fans of historical fiction, and a new perspective on the Wars of the Roses.

Gripping and fast paced

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