The Kingmaker’s Daughter - Philippa Gregory

Written by Philippa Gregory
Read by Bianca Amato
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Cousins’ War Series, Book 4
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
Release date: November 20, 2014
Duration: 15:07:04

This fourth Cousins’ War novel begins with the Earl of Warwick, whose schemes turn his daughter Anne into a pawn in his political games.

The bonds of sisterhood…..The stakes are high for Anne and Isabel Neville, daughters of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick. “The Kingmaker” has no male heir, so his daughters become pawns in Warwick’s political plans to gain control of the English throne.

The earl has long mentored the young King Edward and Edward’s brothers George and Richard in hopes of marrying his daughters into royalty. But when Edward weds the commoner Elizabeth Woodville, the Kingmaker arranges a secret marriage between Isabel and George, and launches an uprising that will result in the earl’s death, leaving Isabel entangled in a dangerous political web and Anne—having recently married—already a widow.

However, Richard—a tough soldier who honors family obligations while his brothers sell out—soon comes to Anne’s rescue.

In addition to Gregory handling a complicated history, she convincingly details women’s lives in the 1400s and the competitive love between sisters. By the book’s end, Anne and Richard have ascended the throne, but the War of the Roses has yet to be won, setting the stage for a sequel showdown.

Bianca Amato navigates Anne’s circuitous journey from a 14-year-old innocent to an abused bride to a penniless widow to her rise as the wife of Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Through subtle vocal cues she illustrates Anne’s concerns, joys, and anguish as her fortunes rise and fall. Amato is simply outstanding as Anne sheds her innocence, moving through her dangerous, complex life at a court treacherous with intrigues. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012,