Monday, April 11, 2011

Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain

Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain. Margaret Irwin. 1953/2011. Sourcebooks. 336 pages.

'My father has fought bulls singlehanded in the arena,' said the boy. 'He is brave as a lion. He has never been defeated. He is the Conqueror of the World. How could he be conquered--by a pirate fleet of heathen Moors?'

Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain follows Young Bess and Elizabeth, Captive Princess in Margaret Irwin's historical trilogy. Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy. I enjoyed watching Elizabeth grow up. While the politics could--at times--be confusing, it was rarely--if ever--boring. At the heart of this trilogy, of course, is Elizabeth, the second daughter of Henry VIII. And Elizabeth's heart is ambitious and patient. Does Elizabeth want the throne? YES! Does she know that she has to be careful, calm, reserved, and patient in order to see that dream come true? Yes.

Elizabeth and the Prince of Spain was probably my favorite of the trilogy. I enjoyed the story from Philip's point of view and Elizabeth's point of view. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed Philip's side of the story. (After all, I knew that England was soon to do battle with Spain!) I would recommend this one to those that enjoy historical fiction, to those that enjoy reading about ambitious politicians.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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