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Once a Queen: A Story of Elizabeth Woodville (Plantagenet Embers) Kindle Edition
Her husband is dead, and her sons have disappeared. Should she gamble her future upon her daughter, Bess, and a Tudor exile? Or should she trust her brother-in-law who has stolen the throne from her son?
Faced with events she cannot control, Elizabeth is forced to trust others in a way she never has before, sometimes with tragic consequences. She was once a queen, but now she is at the mercy of Fortune's Wheel, which seems to be turning at the beckoning of her enemies.
Elizabeth's story is a poignant tale of love, loss, and betrayal during the birth of the Tudor dynasty.
The Plantagenet Embers Series:
Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen: The Story of Elizabeth of York
Faithful Traitor: The Story of Margaret Pole
Queen of Martyrs: The Story of Mary I
The Last Lancastrian: A Story of Margaret Beaufort (novella)
Once a Queen: A Story of Elizabeth Woodville (novella)
Prince of York: A Story of Reginald Pole (novella)
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateFebruary 25, 2018
- File size1.3 MB
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From the Publisher
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The Plantagenet Embers Series
From the Wars of the Roses to the Reformation . . . an emotive journey into the early Tudor era.
Told through the intimate experiences of historical figures Elizabeth of York, Margaret Pole, and Queen Mary I, the Plantagenet Embers trilogy transports the reader to 15th and 16th century England. This series of emotive tales includes three novels available in Kindle, paperback, hardcover or audiobook formats.
Companion Reads! Three novellas featuring Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth Woodville, and Reginald Pole are also available in Kindle, paperback, or hardcover formats.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Wilcoxson is brilliant at capturing Elizabeth, a woman who is fragile and tender and tormented, but she is also at times, cold and cruel and hard as nails. Her character is written with such a crazy depth of emotion even while showcasing her political acumen." ~ Author Stephanie Churchill
"What I admire most about her work is that she operates with the understanding that these characters are historical personalities, real people who lived and breathed as we do." ~ Knight of Angels
Product details
- ASIN : B07B3BP7SN
- Publisher : (February 25, 2018)
- Publication date : February 25, 2018
- Language : English
- File size : 1.3 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 73 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #530,673 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #689 in Medieval Historical Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #741 in British & Irish Literature
- #988 in Historical European Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Samantha Wilcoxson is an author of emotive biographical fiction and nonfiction featuring history's unsung heroes. She loves sharing trips to historic places with her family and spending time by the lake with a glass of wine. Her most recent work is a biography of James Alexander Hamilton published by Pen & Sword History. Samantha is currently writing a Wars of the Roses trilogy for Sapere Books.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book readable and suitable for middle school readers. They describe the narrative as believable, well-written, and flowing smoothly. Readers appreciate the author's empathy and compassionate portrayal of a mother torn between loyalty to her queen daughter and her son.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book easy to read and recommend it for Tudor fans. They say it's an entertaining, quick read suitable for middle school readers. The book is well-researched.
"...of the story, I was delighted to find that this book had been researched quite well, and that the author had not simply settled for the 'Richard was..." Read more
"...This novel may not be a great piece of literature but it is an entertaining, quick read that presents a number of interesting idea...." Read more
"Love anything go do with the Tudor era and enjoy Samantha books" Read more
"I very much enjoyed this book as I have for all of Samatha Wilcoxson's efforts...." Read more
Customers find the narrative quality engaging. They describe it as a believable tale that offers a possible explanation for Elizabeth. The story flows smoothly, and readers appreciate the intelligent historical fiction that embraces possibilities. However, some feel the story is rather dull.
"...It is, however, most refreshing to find intelligent and plausible historical fiction that embraces the possibilities in such an insightful way...." Read more
"...Strongly written story about a controversial figure." Read more
"...A very believable tale that offers a possible explanation for Elizabeth Woodville's actions during these crucial years...." Read more
"Rather a blah story ..." Read more
Customers find the author's writing compassionate and understanding. They appreciate the skillful portrayal of emotions, hope, and responses in the conversations. The author also shows a compassionate portrayal of a mother torn between loyalty to her daughter and son.
"...colour and depth, skilfully animating them and filling their conversations with emotion, hope, and responses that make the reader feel that they..." Read more
"...The author writes with sympathy and a different type of understanding of what it "might have been like"...." Read more
"Compassionate portrayal of a mother torn between loyalty to her queen daughter and the son who would usurp her daughter's husband." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2018'Once A Queen' is a novella that tells of Elizabeth Woodville, widow of Edward IV, from the time of the accession of Richard III until her death. Being very familiar with this period of history and with Shakespeare's version of the story, I was delighted to find that this book had been researched quite well, and that the author had not simply settled for the 'Richard was a very bad man' interpretation of history.
Instead, Wilcoxson develops her theory of events and those responsible in subtle yet persuasive ways, drawing the reader into understanding how the alternative theories could very well be true. Of course, it is impossible for us to know who was responsible for the disappearance of Elizabeth's young sons - the princes in the tower, or their eventual fate. It is, however, most refreshing to find intelligent and plausible historical fiction that embraces the possibilities in such an insightful way.
Wilcoxson brings Elizabeth and her daughters, and the other characters with whom they interacted, to life in glorious colour and depth, skilfully animating them and filling their conversations with emotion, hope, and responses that make the reader feel that they really begin to know them. The narrative flows smoothly, delivering Elizabeth's story with the occasional surprise twist to keep the reader interested and engaged. Indeed, there is nothing cliched or predictable about the way in which the author delivers this story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and will definitely read the other books in the author's Plantagenet Embers series.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024A quick read that looks at Elizabeth Woodville's life with kindness. In a world ruled by men, Woodville had few options and few supporters when her husband died. Additionally this book urges us to look at Margaret Beaufort and the Duke of Buckingham as the killers of the Princes in the Tower. The books makes a less strong case that either or both boys survived the Tower.
This novel may not be a great piece of literature but it is an entertaining, quick read that presents a number of interesting idea. Worth reading for those interested in the Tudors.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2020It was only ok.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024Elizabeth Woodville is a complex character. Did the death of Edward leave her grief to befuddle her ? Or was she as manipulative as she was portrayed? It's harder to relate to her, especially when she was strong in her thinking after her meeting with Margaret Beaufort but then changed in her thinking after her visit with Francis Lovell. Strongly written story about a controversial figure.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2018Love anything go do with the Tudor era and enjoy Samantha books
- Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2018I simple and unadorned comment on the ultimate years of Elizabeth Woodville's life.
To produce a novella it is necessary to gloss over or omit
details leaving the barest skeleton of basic information .
Not a very happy experience , but I learned to be more selective before downloading
- Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2018I very much enjoyed this book as I have for all of Samatha Wilcoxson's efforts. The author writes with sympathy and a different type of understanding of what it "might have been like".
I am very sure that Elizabeth Woodville was not the terrible person the populace made her out to be, her life was a struggle as was all caught up in this "War of the Roses. She loved Edward surely and loved her children also.
It worked well for me. Recommended for all lovers of this period
- Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2018I really enjoyed reading Once A Queen this afternoon. In this short novella, Wilcoxson covers the crucial years after the death of Edward IV until the death of Elizabeth Woodville - which include their daughter Bess's marriage to Henry Tudor and the disappearance of their sons Edward and Richard in the Tower during the reign of Richard III.
Wilcoxson does a masterful job balancing Elizabeth Woodville's interests - are her sons still alive? or were they killed? If either of her sons is alive, what will it mean for her daughter - now Queen of England and mother of Prince Arthur?
A very believable tale that offers a possible explanation for Elizabeth Woodville's actions during these crucial years.
A wonderful read - highly reccomended
Top reviews from other countries
- presterjohn1Reviewed in Canada on March 22, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars A Queen in Descent
I am no stranger to the works of Samantha Wilcoxson, having read all of her previous historical fiction, so I'm qualified to say that Once A Queen: A Story of Elizabeth Woodville shares the strengths of the former works. Once more we enter the mind of a woman who occupied an important spot on the stage of history, but this time we are meeting her after she has been cast from power: a queen whose king has died. The turbulence that follows is experienced entirely from her point of view. She has no window to view secret conspiracies or great battles and she is almost helpless to change the outcome of many of the tumultuous events that threaten her and her family. When she does have the opportunity to intervene, she is faced with the impossible choice of helping one of her children at the expense of another. Wilcoxson's strength is to make the struggle between heart and mind very real to the reader, experienced very much as the dowager queen herself would have: living in a web of messages, conspiracies and lies among different parties which each have their own interest at heart. The writing is lively and the characters are authentic, with the queen herself being suitably pious for her time, but recognizing her own shortcomings compared to others. This story of Elizabeth Woodville ties directly in to Wilcoxson's other novels and novellas in the Plantagenet Embers series and is well worth the time for the added insight into the other novels' storylines and characterizations.
- Rubens SilvaReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Another view of a medieval woman
The story of Elizabeth Woodwille has always been seen as an ambitious woman determined to do everything to promote her family but people forget that the Middle Age period was a very difficult one marked by the War of the Roses, and everybody wanted to get advantage of who was in the throne. In a certain way, I understand Elizabeth and her despair when lost her sons for the greed/struggle of power by her brother-in-law and Margareth Beaufort. She had to compromise with them for the survive of the rest of her family.
- BenmaricKindle CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars Once a Queen by Samantha Wilkcoxson
I enjoyed this novella about a small space of time in Elizabeth Woodville's interesting life. Was she a conniving, manipulative woman whose most important person in her life was herself, or has history definitely re written her life story. We will never know. I know this was a novella but I would love to have had more. A good short read.
- trixie:Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2019
3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new
Sorry to have to say this but I did not enjoy this book. Everything in has been written before, there was nothing new in it for me at all.
- DebbieReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Fan of royal history
I have yet to read this book, but I’m sure I will enjoy it as I have just finished reading another book with Elizabeth Woodville in it. I’m looking forward to getting to know this character further.