Book Review: The King’s Curse

The King’s Curse
By Philippa Gregory

Not My Edition:
Hardcover, 612 pages
2014, Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781451626117

This is the sixth book and conclusion of the Cousins’ War series, revolving around the feud between the York and Tudor branches of the royal family in England. This book is told from the perspective of Margaret of York, cousin to the late queen Elizabeth of York, who was the wife of Henry VII. Now it is Henry VIII who is taking the throne and Margaret witnesses his reign as both friend and enemy as Henry grows from boy to man and changes the foundation of royalty and the church.

I won’t say too much about this book, as it’s the last book in the series and if you haven’t read the others, this probably doesn’t interest you. But once again, Gregory has written a phenomenal book and I was hooked from page one. I love how she writes her female protagonists and Margaret may be one of my favorite voices in this series. Throughout this series, I’ve always sided with the Yorks (Plantaganets? I’ll admit, the family tree confuses me somewhat) and I think Margaret’s struggle to stay on the good side of the king and support her family was touching.

The end of this book (and series) actually brought a few tears to my eyes and renewed my love for Gregory’s work. I wish I had time to reread her other works. I’m already a huge fan of this series and her work, and I will continue to be a fan. If you’re interested in Henry VIII and his predecessors and you like historical fiction, check out this series – book one is The White Queen.