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The Queen’s Rival cover art

The Queen’s Rival

By: Anne O'Brien
Narrated by: Elaine Claxton
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Summary

The forgotten story of Cecily Neville, duchess of York. A strong woman who claimed the throne for her family in a time of war....

One family united by blood. Torn apart by war....

England, 1459: Cecily, duchess of York, is embroiled in a plot to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne. But when the Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily’s family flees and abandons her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.

Cecily can only watch as her lands are torn apart and divided up by the ruthless Queen Marguerite. From the towers of her prison in Tonbridge Castle, the duchess begins to spin a web of deceit - one that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI and to her eldest son being crowned king of England.

This is a story of heartbreak, ambition and treachery, of one woman’s quest to claim the throne during the violence and tragedy of the Wars of the Roses.

©2020 Anne O'Brien (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"One of the best writers around." (Sun

"A terrific storyteller." (Daily Telegraph)

"This thrilling historical novel has it all - high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing.... It's a rollercoaster of a read." (Carol McGrath)

What listeners say about The Queen’s Rival

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A good narrative

I found the flow really spoilt (and rather tedious) by the repetition of each name and full title in each of the letters.

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1 person found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Queens Rival

Written in the form of third party chronicles and letters . Not my favourite of this author’s books.

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The queen's rival.

Being a history buff,I try to read between the lines,in this book,a lot of letters were written,from mother to sons.I love intrigue.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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tiresome format

the Duchess Cecile is truly one of the most remarkable woman of English history. this book is written as series of letters and prayers a format that rapidly becomes extremely tiresome and more then a little irritating.

the lady narrator does her best but there are far too many "from so-and-so to so-and-so from wherever to wherever' repetitions to keep any listener engaged

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    5 out of 5 stars

A most informative listen.

A wonderful reading of the life of Cecily, Duchess of York, mother to two English kings.
Although I was aware of Cecily due to interest in the family Plantagenet, listening to her life through some of the most tumultuous times in English history was both informative and interesting. It is so good to hear about those that play a second role, not always given their due place in our history and I found that to be true in this reading.

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