Thwarted Queen

The Entire Saga About the Yorks, Lancasters, and Nevilles, Whose Family Feud Inspired "Game of Thrones"

By: Cynthia Sally Haggard

Narrated by: Diana Croft

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Thwarted Queen, a frustrating tale (hence the title) of Lady Cecylee Neville who was nearly crowned Queen of England, tells the entire saga about the Yorks, Lancasters, and Nevilles, whose family feud started the Wars of the Roses and inspired Game of Thrones.

When Robert Baratheon died suddenly after a boar hunt, all hell broke loose. When Edward IV, King of England, died suddenly after a fishing trip in April 1483, another phase of the Wars of the Roses ensued, the Yorks (Starks) battling the Lancasters (Lannisters).

Thwarted Queen is told mainly in the voice of Lady Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), the thwarted queen, but other voices are important to this tale, not least those of the Londoners, who forged their own political destiny by engaging in public debate with the powerful aristocrats of the time - Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (the king’s uncle), Richard, Duke of York (the king’s cousin) and Richard, Earl of Warwick, (known as Warwick the Kingmaker) - and set the stage for American democracy.

©2011 Cynthia Sally Haggard (P)2021 Cynthia Sally Haggard

Excellent Story

I was very impressed throughout this whole book with the narrator's ability to switch accents so quickly and make them all understandable. This is a great story of the other side of the Wars of the Roses. It was interesting to hear Elizabeth Woodville portrayed as a wholly unlikable power-grasping character.

Fascinating and Entertaining

I must admit that my initial draw to this novel was that it was about the House of York - my name is York. Years ago, I read two other novels related to this subject, so Thwarted Queen felt familiar. But I found Cynthia Sally Haggard's story to be fresh, well written, and very interesting. The performance was also outstanding, causing the characters to really come alive for me. This is one of the few books that I've finished within just a few days. Although I knew how the tale ends, historically, I was still compelled to read on about the details. What a tangled web of intrigue and political maneuvering! It is interesting to see how authors and historians vary widely in their portrayals of Cecylia, Edward IV, Richard III, and Elizabeth. It explains why some of the reviews for this novel claim historical inaccuracies. It's a matter of perspective I suppose. Nevertheless, this is an excellent read and well worth the investment of time.

first book at listen to about kings and queens

I am really surprised that I enjoy this book so much I really have no interest in hearing about rule kings and queens of all of their battles but I was very caught up in the story narrations were excellent

A Complex and Compelling Story

Thwarted Queen is a fictional account of Cecylee Neville, wife of Richard of York, and Mother to two Kings, Edward IV and Richard III. It is a complex and compelling story of a young girl betrothed at the age of Nine to a man she didn't like, nor came to truly love.

She tells the tale of her life from childhood to just before her death at age 80. Using actual historical facts, Cynthia Sally Haggard, gives us a richly complex story of political intrigue, court life and circumstances involving the War of the Roses.

I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. Diana Croft's range of voices made this a beautiful performance.

Historical inaccuracies bothered me

Had to return this book after reading just a few chapters as the historical inaccuracies started to actually agitate me.

The narrator can get annoying as well though she does pretty well with the different voices.

More light romance than historical

I don’t generally write reviews, but this is my favorite genre and my least favorite book so far. The first 3/4 is silly romance novel. There’s not much history here. I would have returned it if I could do that from my phone. On the other hand, it is something very light that you don’t have to pay much attention to. Just not my thing. If you like the history in historical fiction, this one is a potential pass.