Book Review: A Dangerous Inheritance

Title:  A Dangerous Inheritance
Author:  Allison Weir
Where I got it:  From NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Amazon Summary:

In this engrossing novel of historical suspense, New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir tells the dramatic intertwined stories of two women—Katherine Grey and Kate Plantagenet—separated by time but linked by twin destinies . . . . involving the mysterious tragic fate of the young Princes in the Tower.

When her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days’ Queen, is executed in 1554 for unlawfully accepting the English crown, Lady Katherine Grey’s world falls apart. Barely recovered from this tragic loss she risks all for love, only to incur the wrath of her formidable cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who sees Katherine as a rival for her insecure throne.

Interlaced with Katherine’s story is that of her distant kinswoman Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king. In 1483, Kate travels to London for Richard’s coronation, and her world changes forever.

Kate loves her father, but before long she hears terrible rumors about him that threaten all she holds dear. Like Katherine Grey, she falls in love with a man who is forbidden to her. Then Kate embarks on what will become a perilous quest, covertly seeking the truth about what befell her cousins the Princes in the Tower, who may have been victims of Richard III’s lust for power. But time is not on Kate’s side, or on Katherine’s.

Katherine finds herself a prisoner in the Tower of London, the sinister fortress that overshadowed the lives of so many royal figures, including the boy princes. Will Elizabeth demand the full penalty for treason? And what secrets will Katherine find hidden within the Tower walls?

Alison Weir’s new novel is a page-turning story set within a framework of fascinating historical authenticity. In this rich and layered tapestry, Katherine and Kate discover that possessing royal blood can prove to be a dangerous inheritance.

My Thoughts:
I really hope I’m not the only person who finds tales of the English monarchy to be completely fascinating…  Please tell me I’m not!  Because I seriously love the scandal and intrigue and general mayhem that exists within the royal court.  It’s amazing, astounding, and simultaneously interesting and disturbing.

Kate grew up knowing that she was baseborn, but loving her father, Richard Plantagenet, with all her heart.  Until he somehow ends up with the English crown and the rumors start flying about the Princes in the Tower and the lies he told to become king.  Kate can’t help but doubt everything she’s known, but she may not be able to find the truth before time runs out.

Alternately, Katherine Grey is known primarily for being sister to the “Nine Days Queen” – Jane Grey – who was executed in the Tower by Queen Mary.  As Katherine’s life continues to fall apart around her, she risks everything to be with the one she loves – but in the English court even relationships are grounds for treason.

I absolutely love fictional stories around the English monarchies – however I’ve never really dug into the facts of the matter beyond what I learned in 9th grade history.  What really gets me in this type of book is a sense of historical realism that is believable given the time, which this book has in spades.  The rules that govern women in this time period are restrictive, and seriously hard to contemplate as a modern woman, but they are so interesting, and when they’re just a fact of life of the book, they’re completely believable.

A Dangerous Inheritance follows two daughters of royal blood on their journey of discovery and growth during two perilous times in English history.  This isn’t an overly dramatic book, but it’s completely enthralling because of the fantastic cast of characters and the ridiculous level of intrigue in the courts.  I loved every page and can’t wait for more!