The Lady of the Rivers: A Novel (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels)

Summary: The Lady of the Rivers is the third book in the Cousin's War series spanning the time period near the War of the Roses. Even though it's the third book in the series, chronologically it's the first. The story is the life of Jacquetta of Luxembourg from near the time of her first marriage to the Duke of Bedford and ends near where The White Queen (the novel about her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville) begins.

I like historical fiction. I also generally like Greggory's novels (though she's also had more than her fair share of absolute bombs as well). She's kind of a guilty pleasure for me. I know that her novels are not groundbreaking works of fiction that will be discussed in literary circles for generations to come. It's "candy fiction". It tastes good, but you know there is no nutritional value. This is especially true with The Cousin's War series, where she takes many more liberties with actual historical events than she does in the Tudor novels. Granted, the Tudor family, and Anne Boleyn (obviously from The Other Boleyn Girl, her best work to date) especially, are much better documented in historical documents. So, some of this can be explained away by simply a lack of records from these times and characters. However, the fact still remains that these books are entertainment only, and not a "history reference".

There are things I enjoyed about this novel. It held my interest well enough. I liked the inclusion of alchemy and mysticism which added an interesting angle, even if it did make the already factually flawed novel even more unbelievable. I liked Margaret of Anjou! She was really the only character that I thought was truly dynamic. Her transition from the young apprehensive bride of Henry VI to a power hungry monarch desperately trying to hold on to her crown was very interesting. I kind of wish the story was from her perspective, actually. Henry VI's character was also fairly interesting, however he's very much a background character here.

The rest of the characters are all just plain "stock personalities", and this is the major problem I have with the book. In fact, this is the major problem I have with Greggory's writing as a whole. She yammers on for pages at the end of the novel something like "history doesn't represent these women well", and that's what she sets out to do; to bring their story to life. Well, friggin' do it then! She is not doing these women any service when she writes such flat boring personalities. Philippa, you have so much to work with here. Jacquetta was an immensely interesting person who lived during one of the most interesting (I believe) times in European history, and she was very much an "insider" of much of these events. Yet, the novel only briefly glances at these subjects. In the novel, Jacquetta spends the vast majority of her time having children (which is true, she had a lot), worrying about her children, and worrying about her husband. The character rarely comments on the political situation of her country. She was in charge of the lands she owned with her husband during the times he was away (which was frequent), and yet she never has anything to say about how this war is affecting her own people? I think she might have mentioned this once or twice, but the overwhelming majority of the novel is focused on her relationship with her husband.

And that brings up another reason why this novel is a failure. Why is she so in love with Richard Woodville? Obviously the real historical character was because she married him despite the fact that it could have destroyed her social life and standing in the English court. However, the book never gives a compelling reason why these two people loved each other so much. They "just do". It just sorta happens. What begins as just mild crush suddenly turns into an "I can't live without him and I'll sacrifice anything for it" love. But again, why? What did Richard do to earn that place in her heart. For this to have taken place in real life, in the time that it did, obviously the love and bond between these two people had to be pretty extraordinary, but all he really did in the novel was teach her to ride a horse and find her in the woods, which were basically duties for him, so it's not like he ever went above and beyond for Jaquetta. I just didn't feel like there was really anything to make me care about the love between these two people. It's weak, but we're told that it's epic... yet never shown why.

Further is Greggory's very annoying habit of trying to shove a feminist angle down our throats in each and every novel. I'll tell you why this is so annoying. I feel like Greggory prides herself as doing some great service to these women by "telling their story" and showing the importance of women in history, yet all of her female characters (seriously, ALL OF THEM (except maybe Margaret of Anjou... which is why I liked her so much here)) are written as meek and spineless and never question being used as pawns for "their men". History has given us multiple cases were this is not true, including women she, herself, has previously written about. It's not true of Anne Boleyn, but she's presented that way in The Other Boleyn Girl (Anne Boleyn was independent almost to a fault). It's not true of Anne of Cleve's, yet she's shown as being a scared little girl with a victim mentality in The Boleyn Inheritance (in face, Anne of Cleve's made out pretty darn well in her marriage to Henry VIII and handled her divorce with a lot of confidence and strength). It is ABSOLUTELY not true of Mary I, but she's totally meek, lacking in confidence, and watery in The Queen's Fool. And I am very certain that an independently wealthy widower who MADE THE CHOICE HERSELF to marry beneath her, defy protocol, and threaten all that she had, and then was the "right hand woman" of the Queen of England, was most certainly an independent thinking woman with very strong opinions and the guts to stand up for her own interests. These are not the actions of a woman who mopes around and whines "it's a man's world, so what can you do". This was most likely not a woman who would settle for just anything that was handed to her. She most likely had very strong opinions about things, and probably expressed them pretty frequently as well. Greggory talks a big talk about traditional history doing these women a disservice by putting them on the back burner, but the personalities that she actually gives these characters is much more "weak" than that of actual historians which she complains of. She does more of a disservice to them than anyone. This faux-feminism thing is a constant theme with her, and it's very irritating. It makes one wonder if Philippa herself has this victim mentality and feels the need to press that onto every female character she has ever written.

The male characters aren't even worth talking about. Once again, with the exception of King Henry, every male character in the entire book has the same voice/personality. Greggory cannot seem to handle writing from a male perspective. I thought she was getting better with Edward IV in The White Queen (I liked him in that book. He was more than just another stock personality), but now I realize that was probably just a lucky fluke for her because in this books he has none of that ever-so-slightly cheeky charm that he had in the previously mentioned book. He's yet another flat stock character, and I couldn't care less about him.

Lets talk about the writing. I am not writer (I was a science major), but even I can recognize the writing here as weak. Rather than making the actual story more compelling, there are a lot of "tricks" employed to keep the reader reading. Are we really supposed to believe that Jacquetta was "BFF's" with Joan of Arc? Are we really supposed to believe that it's plausible that a unicorn led Woodville to Jacquetta's rescue. How many times do we have to "anxiously await news" of Richard Woodville's fate in battle before it gets old (because that's pretty much all Jacquetta seems to do in the book)? Is he dead? Is he okay? Find out in the next chapter! If you've read the previous novel, or know the history, it actually gets old really fast. Using hokey story lines and superficial cliff hangers is just a lazy effort to keep the reader hooked. I want to be hooked because the characters are compelling and the plot is interesting, not through the use of contrived plot devices.

In summary, I'm giving this book two stars. A very "weak" two stars. Yeah, it was entertaining enough to hold me through till the end, like most of her novels I've read, but it really feels like Greggory "phoned it in" on this one. There's nothing new here, which is disappointing given how much could have been done with this character and setting. It's the same thing she always writes but with new characters in a new setting. Greggory took no risks here. She did nothing to expand on what she's previously done. It's very "safe", and so what were left with is something very predictable, bland, devoid of passion, devoid of care, and ultimately a real let-down. Yes, it's "readable", but who cares? I want more from you Greggory!

Loved this book, and all series. The friendship between Jacquetta and Margaret makes the situation in the Kingsmaker's Daughter and The Red Queen even more touching, thinking back to all they went thru together. I suggest reading starting with the Lady of the Rivers, then the Red Queen, the White Queen, the Kingsmaker's Daughter and the King's Curse. Each of the books can be read by itself and you can still follow the story.
I now own and have read almost all books by Philippa Gregory. The only author who compares to her as an impressive historical fiction /court drama writer is the super profligate Jean Plaidy. If you haven't read her books too, you have "work" to do :)
Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful work of historical fiction of a woman of historical significance but about whom little has been written, Jacquetta of Luxembourg, who marries John of Lancaster, the Duke of Bedford, who brought her to England. They also brought with them Margaret of Anjou, who would marry King Henry VI. When the Duke died, Jacquetta would make a love match, secretly marrying Richard Woodville, the Duke's squire. Both would weather the storm that followed the disclosure of their marriage and would be loyal supporters of the Lancastrian court. In particular, Jacquetta would become a fast friend to Queen Margaret.

This is Jacquetta's story, and what an amazing life she had! She managed to survive those tumultuous times, have many children, enjoy a happy marriage, and live to see the court transfer its power from the House of Lancaster to the House of York. She would also see her daughter, Elizabeth Woodville, widowed with two children, catch the eye of Edward, the newly crowned king of the House of York. The rest is history.

The author brings Jacquetta's story to life with vivid imagery. It is so interesting to read, made more so by her place in the annals of history and the author's deft writing style. I could not stop turning the pages. Usually woman of this era end up as mere footnotes in history with marriages, births, and deaths recorded and little else. Now, this little known woman has been resurrected, and what is known has been fleshed out, making for a three dimensional woman who lived life to the fullest at a time of great unrest in England. Jacquetta's life is truly the stuff of legend.

Those who enjoy historical fiction should find this book noteworthy. The author has pulled out all the stops with this well-researched, skillfully written characterization of a woman that time had but all forgotten.

I love this book which is Phillips Gregories historical fiction of Margaret of Anjou and King Henry ( who had some issues mentally 😔) AND about Jacquetta Woodville and her Squire husband, and the
mother of Katherine Woodvill. Very well written and intriguing and I couldn’t put it down. I would love to read even more about Jacquetta Woodville as I haven’t found much at all in the way of the women of this time periods stories however difficult I’m sure that is . Phillips Gregory is on of my favorite writers of historical fiction so please take that into account also when reading my review . Because, of course , there is NOT much information on the women’s stories Ms. Gregory had to fill in the narrative etc. I thought she did a pretty good job with imagining the story line as close as she was POSSIBLY able to do . I do recommend buying this book especially if you are interested in these particular people in history or historical fiction rather

I read several of the books by this author, and I'm really impressed with this one. It's probably my favorite next to the other Bolyn girl. I definitely recommend it, and think that she makes a really interesting connection between the 12th-century myth of th I read several of the books by this author, and I'm really impressed with this one. It's probably my favorite next to the other Bolyn girl. I definitely recommend it, and think that she makes a really interesting connection between the 12th century myth of Melusina, and the Plantagenet women. Philipa Gregory is also a wonderful author. I had just finished graduate school to get a degree in literature, and this is the first book that I chose to read as a book of pleasure, and it was a great choice

You always know what you're going to get with a Gregory book: easy to read HF set against the background of mostly accurate historical events as seen through the eyes of her characters. This one retells the romance of Jaquetta of Luxembourg and her lifelong love affair with Richard Woodville. These nobles were the parents of Elizabeth Woodville, later bride of Edward IV, but their story ends here long before their daughter's ascent to the throne of England. Most of the narrative relates to their years in the court of the monarchs they served: addled Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, she deserving of the moniker "she wolf." The fact that Jaquetta had 14 children also gives you an idea as to what a good bit of the story is about. This work is very typical of the romance historical fiction so popular right now. Unfortunately, it suffers from the same problem rife in so many of these books, namely, horrible English grammar. I began dreading running across such sentences as these taken directly from the text: "I was only a head taller than her now." "I was younger than her when I first did that." "The queen may not be as lucky as me." Is it unreasonable to expect professional writers to be proficient in their own language? Are there no longer editors and proofreaders? Did everyone fall asleep during English class? Granted, this is a personal gripe on my part, but I have little patience with published works littered with elementary grammar errors. It is discouraging that such mistakes in print only serve to exacerbate the problem of our eroding knowlege of and interest in proper English. If this is an issue for you too, be forewarned.

Amazing book by Philippa Gregory, this time she writes in the narrative of Jacquetta, Lady of the Rivers. The mother of Elizabeth Woodville, who ends up marrying Edward IV. The ending leads right up where they meet and into the next book. She does a nice job of introducing Margaret Beaufort and the other leads in the other books.
The love between Baron Rivers and Jacquetta reminds me of my own marriage with my husband. With Baron Rivers, she conceived 14 children, predicting her own and her daughters’ Elizabeth’s. One of my favorite passages was when she was talking with her daughter about her gift of magic and how they relate to prayer.
She was very loyal to Margaret of Anjou and Henry VI, the House of Lancaster. She saw how the king deteriorated over time. Everywhere the Queen went she followed. She acted as an intermediary for the Queen and the aldermen of the city. I love how she took us through the different houses.
She does an amazing job of leading into the next book which is called, “The White Queen, which is about her daughter. I absolutely love this series and how they started off with Jacquetta’s story. I would totally recommended this book series to those who like historical works.

WHY? Why does the author subject us to little mini lectures? When the voice of the author (not the narrator) pops through the narrative again and again, in a non-ironic and unintentional way, I feel cheated. Philippa commits the unpardonable sin of "telling" instead of "showing" throughout the manuscript. Every few chapters, there will be a break in the story where the author's voice lectures the reader about how men controlled, manipulated, and feared women back in the dark ages. Women are feared! Wise women who know how to use herbs are not tolerated! It is a man's world and women must know their place! Witches will burn! Okay. Let's start there, erase that paragraph, and SHOW that through great character development and intelligent dialogue. OR DON'T. Maybe the readers are just too stupid to think "the right thoughts--the thoughts that the author wants them to think." In this book, Philippa leaves me with two possible conclusions: 1-She does not trust and respect the intelligence of the reader, or 2-She does not possess the literary skill necessary to lead us to deeper truths through the lives of her characters. Okay, maybe there is a third choice--she is rushing to beat a deadline.

The book feels kind of like a lecture from a history professor, complete with her intrusive interpretation of events. She tells an imaginative story about real life characters in the "War of the Roses" era, and she adds some supernatural elements that create a fun mystical feel. The main character actually was accused of witchcraft at one point in real life, so that makes a great premise for the fictional element. The story really does have a lot of potential. The problem is that the characters are kind of shallow and unsympathetic. I don't actually like any of them. I don't really feel drawn into the story of the protagonist. The love stories lack depth and complexity. Jaquetta's second husband is "all perfect, all the time." Her attraction to him seems to be mostly that he was cute, but I didn't feel the development of their relationship until they jumped into bed. It was like, "He's cute. He's cute. He's cute. Sex." Okay. I guess he didn't fear her woman power or her magical secrets.... Anyway, I could forgive a lot more if the romance had been more compelling and the characters more three dimensional.

I feel like the author did a very thorough job of research. I always enjoy learning something about history, imagined through the eyes of characters that I don't know much (or anything) about. In this, the book was satisfying. I did develop a sense of what life must have been life during a fascinating period of history. I immediately recognized how similar it was to Game of Thrones. I didn't love it, though, perhaps because it stays a little too close to the historical narrative. And the feminist perspective was awkwardly inserted in a way that did not really add to the story.

If you want an authentic feminist prospective that does not channel 21st century author voices, you should read George Eliot. "Middlemarch" is a good place to start.

Other than the earliest writings of Philippa, this has to be one of THE most boring! I can't believe I even finished this book! The author's note in the back was more interesting than the actual book.

I don't understand the popularity of Gregory, so far the novels I have tried were nothing great and I found that many portray women in an unflattering light.
I don't expect historical accuracy from novels and TV shows, but I find poor taste the insinuation of witchcraft, adultery etc...
Let's not forget these were real people, and even if that is what was said in the propaganda of the times there were no proven accusations.
This whole series distort these women as if they were creatures of fantasy, and not taking into account some of the historical facts we actually know about some of them.
This particular book rewrite old french legends as well (when Melusine was ever a Goddess?)

Anyway after what happened with books like "The Da Vinci code" or the TV shows like "The Tudors",when a great number of people started to believe what they read or saw as facts, I think authors should take care what they write and make it crystal clear that a work of fiction is no history.