The Red Queen

A Novel

By: Philippa Gregory

Narrated by: Bianca Amato

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin, Henry VI, fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret is when she discovers that her mother is sending her to a loveless marriage in remote Wales.

Listen to An interview with Bianca Amato, narrator of The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.

©2010 Philippa Gregory Limited. All rights reserved. (P)2010 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Nobody does the Tudors better than Gregory ( The Other Boleyn Girl), so it should come as no surprise that her latest—the War of the Roses as seen through the eyes of Henry VII's mother —is confident, colorful, convincing, and full of conflict, betrayal, and political maneuvering....[L]ike Margaret Beaufort, Gregory puts her many imitators to shame by dint of unequalled energy, focus, and unwavering execution." ( Publishers Weekly)

A narrative of important but often forgotten player

Very slow moving and not one of her best works. But still good entertaining read.

Disappointing

After having read The Other Bolyn Girl, The White Queen and The Queen's Fool, I found this book disappointing and somewhat annoying. Following Margaret from one bad marriage to the next was quite unsatisfying. I felt this book was not up to Ms Gregory's standards.

One of the best!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend this book because it is absolutely fantastic! Riveting in every way! A must read!

What did you like best about this story?

Everything!, I could not stop listening to this book, listened on my day's off of work.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Margaret and Henry saw each other for the first time after so many years apart. I cried!

If you could take any character from The Red Queen out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Definitely Margaret .

Any additional comments?

This is a MUST READ! You will not regret it!

An interesting view of a mother to a king

I had read other reviews about this book before listening to it. Many didn't seem to like the writing style but I found it good. The main character is designed to rub people the wrong way. She is wholly a self centered individual who only loves her son for the power he can provide. She blames everyone else for her shortcomings and her problems. Although I'm sure the author took some liberties with the character I can see how the struggles of England in the 1400s played out through the novel

Difficult to follow

The complex history of the time combined with poor narration made the story hard to follow. My interest in British history was a bit dampened by this rendering.

book2

It's slow, but covers some gaps from The White Queen. Great series so far! can't wait to finish.

Historical Fiction at its very best

I give this book my highest recommendation. Philippa Gregory is a genius. Bianca Amato is amazing. I didn’t enjoy the male narrator but thankfully his role was very limited.

good listening

I enjoyed going backwards and listening to what was before Henry VIII. Great story of how things might have gone down long ago.

Riveting from beginning to end

I loved the Red Queen. I didn't want it to end. So eloquently written. I could visualize so many scenes.

You need to listen to this book.

Yes, Anne Beaufort is obnoxious. Yes, she was completely deluded in her ambition for herself and her son. Yes, she was whiny and conniving every step of the way. I almost skipped this book due to the poor reviews, but honestly, if you're planning on listening to the entire series you need to do this one as well. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be!