Isabella by Colin Falconer

Hoping that this post will be presentable! IPad posts do not seem to work very well for me

This was sent to me by Netgalley courtesy of Lake Union Publishing.

The story of Isabella just twelve years old, a princess who follows her father blindly. Terrified of what the future holds she obeys orders implicitly. She is to marry Edward and somehow gain the control of the Crown. The fact that she falls head over heels in love with her husband does not help either. He looks on her as a child whilst he pursues his interests elsewhere. Isabella has to contend with a mistress more powerful than anything seen before. Piers Galveston is the love of the king's life and he will not brook any opposition to anyone who is critical or to anyone who restricts his partiality for the young man. The King is besotted. Civil war erupts, nobles come together against the King the country torn by civil war all to no avail. When finally the King gives in, Galveston tried and killed the King becomes almost mad with grief.

The story continues with Edward then falling in love with Despenser much more dangerous to Isabella and the Crown than anything that has gone before. How Isabella has to protect herself, the kingdom for her children, and her attraction to Mortimer and how it will be used against her is all part of the story though the Isabella Roger story is not enlarged in this book.

The character of Isabella is the main part oft he story. Edward comes across as dissolute, with no real feelings for his country. He seemed totally fixated only on his partners and himself. The fourteenth century was not the best time for acceptance of homosexuality and Isabella had to face the effects of this full on.

I liked the descriptiveness of the story, the wealth of detail that went into this unusual tale. Certainly not run of the mill characters for their time.