Wars of the Roses

Stormbird

By: Conn Iggulden

Narrated by: John Curless

Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's Summary

In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. Named "The Lamb," Henry is famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father's famous battlefield exploits; already, his dependence on his closest men has stirred whispers of weakness at court.

A secret truce negotiated with France to trade British territories for a royal bride - Margaret of Anjou - sparks revolts across English territory. The rival royal line, the House of York, sees the chaos brought on by Henry's weakness and with it not only opportunity in the monarch, but also their patriotic duty in ousting an ineffectual king. As storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. Who or what can save the kingdom before it is too late?

©2014 Conn Iggulden (P)2014 Recorded Books

100% Fiction and 0% Real History

I think most people read historical fiction because they want to be entertained and they want to learn about a time period or a place. At least this is what I want. Thus historical fiction writers have a duty to present things accurately as they can, or they should just call it fiction. This is just fiction. Sure the author got the timeline right, mostly, but not a thing else. Rather than reveal the causations of events he invents a fifteenth-century MacGyver to create them the way the author thinks they should happen. This is a complicated period that should only be taken on by someone who is an expert in Medieval England, This guy is an English professor, which means the book is written well, but it resembles the Game of Thrones more than it does the real War of the Roses.

Needs much more historical accuracy

Would you try another book from Conn Iggulden and/or John Curless?

No

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Meh

Have you listened to any of John Curless’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nope

Could you see Wars of the Roses being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Nope, too inaccurate

Any additional comments?

He fictionalized the Cade Rebellion way beyond poetic license. The citizens of London did the fighting, no Knights or King's troops. Margaret went with Henry too, she wasn't in the Tower during the rebellion. That kind of error shows lack of research and you shouldn't do that in Historical Fiction. It makes me question the whole book and those other he's written.

Excellent!

As ever, Iggulden is a master of research and of embodying characters, both real and imagined. Curless' voices are nuanced and satisfying, like salt to the roast!

War of the roses

The author is a great writer. Leaps and bounds better than anything I could write. My only complaint is I got lost from time to time jumping from different characters. I’m sure it was reader/listener error more than writer error. For me that was my issue. I got lost. Other than that was good story.

Great Book for Game of Thrones War of Roses Fans

Would you listen to Wars of the Roses again? Why?

i really liked this book own the whole series and listen to these many times. The story is well known and told so many times that this series brings some new dimensions that gave the story a depth that includes POV characters for the major players , these are well read and entertaining, especially after a first listen.

What other book might you compare Wars of the Roses to and why?

All of the details engaging military and political history are just great.

If you could take any character from Wars of the Roses out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Richard III

BORING TO THE MAX

Would you try another book from Conn Iggulden and/or John Curless?

Doubtful

What could Conn Iggulden have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Yes, he could have given it a narrative and a plot. I listened to the first hour and it seemed to be mostly a bunch of researched history pasted together with a few scraps of narrative. I couldn't stand the thought of listening to 10+ more hours so I returned it.

History with an interesting twist

If you could sum up Wars of the Roses in three words, what would they be?

broken system power

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dairy, and the queen both wanted the same thing to see Henry V1 same his people

Which scene was your favorite?

Storming of the tower, and the kaos of London under attack

Who was the most memorable character of Wars of the Roses and why?

The king for he was a good hearted man, just had a feeble body

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the story that added interest in dry historical facts, although the author admits some slight errors to make the story more interesting

There are better options

I love historical fiction and particularly like British history. I really wanted to like this and was set to dive into the series.

Conn Iggulden is Solid

Leads as my favorite historical fiction author, and every one of those is in great company! Performance well done.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre

A little gruesome at times. We are reminded that people have shown brutality thru the ages. May not be the best selection of you're offended by historical fiction being a work of fiction, but if you can, enjoy.