A wonderfully skilled blend of factual history with the imagined thoughts, feelings, and conversations between characters, whilst also considering their known loyalties and temperaments, makes for a completely plausible and fascinating tale of their lives. This is no mean feat when it comes to Elizabeth of York. She had so many ties with so many varying persons of power and influence during her life. Whilst most of us know the facts around what happened at the end of the Wars of the Roses (and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty) we don’t often stop to think about how it impacted and affected the women involved. I loved seeing this through the eyes of Elizabeth of York (as well as her mother and sisters) as her life plays out, from childhood right the way through to her death.

The story is gripping and the writing superb. Everything I had expected from such a fantastic author. Very much looking forward to the next book in the trilogy.

The story of Henry VIII's mother - a life well lived.
Alison Weir's books are always well-researched and a joy to read. The marriage of Elizabeth of York to Henry VII signified the end of the long-running Wars of the Roses and meant relative peace for England. This fictional account of her life is moving, fast-paced and makes you want to read on through joy and tragedy. There's lots of detail about day-to-day life at court and her loving relationship with her parents and siblings, her husband, Henry VII and their children. If you enjoyed her Six Tudor Queens series, try this one. Another historical masterpiece from Alison Weir.

This was totally and utterly enthralling

🏵️I've long been a huge fan of the Tudor period but all my knowledge begins with the rein of Henry VIII, so this was a real educational journey for me.

🏵️This novel is about Elizabeth of York who was Henry VIIIs mother. It gives us a wonderous insight into Elizabeth's childhood as a Princess as the daughter of Edward lV and on to her marriage to Henry VIl.

🏵️5 years ago I went through a phase of loving this genre of historical fiction but I've not touched on it since. After a visit to The Tower of London two weeks ago I was inspired to revisit books of this ilk so I leapt at the chance to read an ARC of this novel.

🏵️I'm so grateful to Alison Weir for bringing history to life in this glorious story. This is an absolute must for an history fan. This book has left me desperate for more of the same

I love Alison Weir's books and have read so many of them over the years. I enjoyed this one too, Elizabeth is a character rich with possibility, surrounded by major players in history

Elizabeth of York always wanted to be a Queen, in fact she saw it as her destiny and right. She almost got there with an arranged marriage to the Prince of France, but tricky relations between England and France put paid to that. She did in fact marry the English King Henry VII, becoming not just a Queen but the matriarch of the Tudor dynasty in England.

Alison Weir’s historical research is meticulous and the fiction aspects of this book so neatly interwoven with fact that it becomes simply a riveting story of intrigue, backstabbing and aristocratic family life in the fifteenth century. I found the first few chapters pretty heavy going, but thereafter the book absolutely blossomed and became completely absorbing right until the end. The writing flows freely and every one of the huge cast of characters is carefully drawn and real. This is a wonderful book for all lovers of historical fiction, and also for those interested in historical fact. This is the first in a trilogy and this reviewer will be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

The spellbinding story of Elizabeth of York, the first Tudor queen. Masterfully written, this novel will reel you in and hold you enthralled as the layers of story are revealed. Highly recommended.

Another brilliant novel by Alison Weir in the first of her Tudor Rose series. I will always read books about the Tudors and Weir's are amongst the very best. She is so good at animating her historical subjects and making their daily lives so interesting and compelling, even when you know how it all ends. Thank you Netgalley for this advance read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I’ve not read any of this author’s books for a long while and the blurb for this piqued my interest. I thought this book got off to a very slow start and it took time for me to become fully absorbed in it. This book spans nearly 40 years and follows Elizabeth Plantagenet’s life, the losses she endured and the start of the Tudor monarchy. Despite the slow beginning I found the more I read the more I got into the story and it’s characters. This is a well written book and I think the author has a good style of writing, and a great way of making her characters come to life in my mind. I liked the intrigue, mystery and suspense the author gave the story and reading of court politics at that time. For me, the book got better and became more engaging after Elizabeth’s father passed away and she reached adulthood. I thought the writing was a good reflection of the time period and the turmoil the country was facing. I enjoyed reading of Elizabeth meeting Henry Tudor and her marriage and life with him. Overall, after it’s slow start I did enjoy this read. I felt it was a little too descriptive and overly long a few times though and my interest dropped a little here. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, particularly our monarchy then you’ll probably enjoy this book and I would recommend it.

3.5 stars

It's always a good day when I get a new Alison Weir novel to read. From experience I know I am going to enjoy the book and this latest in her long line of historical novels did not let me down.
Historical novels are all about the people involved, what they did, how they reacted, what they thought and what prompted their actions. The ending is already known. This is historical fact, not historical fantasy. The skill is getting inside the mind of a person who lived half a century ago and bringing them to life.
Alison Weir has mastered this technique brilliantly.
Before reading this novel I could have told you some basic facts about Elizabeth of York. I was aware she married Henry VII, and she was the mother of Henry VIII but I had no real idea about who she was. Alison Weir has fleshed out the skeleton and made Elizabeth a real live person with hopes and ambitions of her own.
This novel was a treat to read and I am already looking forward to when more books in this series are published.

Suspicion,intrigue,murder welcome to a Tudor rollercoaster ride.

A masterpiece brilliantly researched with a cast of thousands

.After being pawns in a deadly game of chess Elizabeth Woodville( junior) and Henry Tudor negotiate the post Bosworth rocks as Queen and King .in a brilliant marriage.Sadly they lose children and others along the way including their much loved heir apparent.

Alison gives a plausible solution to the princes in the tower mystery ,Elizabeths brothers, and recreates the sadness that must have brought her very sympathetically. Personally I've never bought the theory that it was organised by Margaret Beaufort.

It is the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of the Tudor period.
Elizabeth of York, The Last White Rose by Alison Weir is an enjoyable and fascinating account of a turbulent time in English history as seen through the eyes of Elizabeth, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville.

First as a child and latterly as an adult, Elizabeth knows, and furthermore wants, to marry a powerful man who will one day be King, so that she will become a Queen and have her family around her. This is not arrogance on Elizabeth’s part but what she has been brought up to expect as a King’s daughter. Alison Weir convincingly conveys this certainty in Elizabeth and I found I warmed to the character very much, as a woman who does not shy away from what is required of her.

The narrative, which covers many years, positively races along and is an evocative illustration of court politics, family infighting and the power and importance of the church in everyday life at that time. The story is atmospheric and brings to life what it must have been like for Elizabeth. I especially liked the way that, as Elizabeth grows up she starts to regard her parents, particularly her mother, in a new light.

The story of how Elizabeth survives the intrigue and battles between the feuding houses of England and abroad, illustrates how precarious the hold on the throne is during this period. All decisions made by her father and her eventual husband relate to the need to hold the throne.

The most compelling aspect for me was the inspirational nature of this book. It has really made me want to learn more about the period and whilst the names of all the characters and familial connections can be a little confusing at first, it does soon becomes clearer.

I really enjoyed this novel and can thoroughly recommend it. I look forward to more in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for allowing me to review this book

Captivating and beautifully written. As always with Alison Weir I can rely on amazing historical research and accurate facts wrapped up in a gift of a story. Absolutely stunning and I wanted it to never end.

The end of the Plantagenets and the early Tudors is a period of history which has always been a bit of a blurred mess to me. What a complicated, disconcerting and discombobulating period to have to live through.

Alison Weir picks her way through feuding nobles and potential kings with great aplomb.

Personally I found the first 10% a little ho-hum whilst we dealt with the child Elizabeth and setting the context. I felt the research and scholarship was too apparent. But then the novel really caught fire and I was engrossed.

Elizabeth of York is normally defined by her role as a wife and a mother and Alison Weir has done a good job in trying to bring her to life and establish some of her her possible motivations. It's good to bring women such as Elizabeth into the spotlight and consider what room they had for manoeuvre and what they achieved. Of course much of what Elizabeth feels is fiction but it felt credible.

Eldest daughter of the royal House of York, Elizabeth dreams of a crown to call her own. But when her beloved father, King Edward, dies suddenly, her destiny is rewritten. Her family's enemies close in. Two young princes are murdered in the Tower. Then her uncle seizes power - and vows to make Elizabeth his queen. But another claimant seeks the throne, the upstart son of the rival royal House of Lancaster. Marriage to this Henry Tudor would unite the white rose of York and the red of Lancaster - and change everything. A great new age awaits. Now Elizabeth must choose her allies - and husband - wisely, and fight for her right to rule.

A new book from Weir is always such a treat and this was no exception. Weir's new series focuses on three generations of the Tudor family and we begin with Elizabeth of York. This period is one of my favourites so I always enjoy books set during this time but Weir brings that extra bit of magic to her books. The people and places are captured and brought to life vividly. It is a joy to read and even though we know the ending, proves to be a tense read as well.

Weir really brings the people to life in this book, I could imagine them and enjoyed getting inside their head and thinking how they may have done. Of course, any book like this requires artistic licence but Weir's theories are plausible and well thought out. Everything was just perfection.

'Elizabeth of York' is a fantastic start to Weir's new series and I highly recommend this. I cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy.

Elizabeth of York, the Last White Rose, is the first installment in a new series for Alison Weir and a strong start.

The eldest daughter of Edward IV, Elizabeth is destined for a crown; however, rather than the queen of France, she becomes the matriarch of the Tudor destiny after a series of intrigue, conflict, and most likely murder.

From the opening chapter, the reader is plunged into the dangerous world of War of the Roses through the founding of the Tudor dynasty and the sad closing chapter. Elizabeth lived through some of the defining moments of English history, and Weir takes us through them all. She was connected to some of the most divisive figures: Elizabeth Woodville, Richard III, the Princes in the Tower, and her husband, Henry VII. These figures are well-handled, although some might object to her handling of Richard and the two princes. However, it is believable.

At times the pacing is inconsistent, and I confess I did find some of Elizabeth's relationship with Henry VII a little too sentimental. Nevertheless, this was a brilliant read and one I would recommend.

I love Alison Weir both fiction and non fiction and i Really enjoyed this work of fiction. It was enthralling and captivating. This is a woman that is rarely spoek about in history and yet one of the most famous families in history was born by her. It was a fascinating read and I cannot wait for more.

Elizabeth of York was certainly a fascinating figure: daughter of the Yorkist King Edward IV, niece to the controversial Richard III, sister to the two unfortunate Princes in the Tower, husband to the first Tudor King and victor at the Battle of Bosworth, Henry VII and mother not only to Prince Arthur but also to the tyrant, King Henry VIII. I confess I mistook this for one of Alison Weir's acclaimed non-fiction works and was thus disappointed to discover it was a novel. But it was certainly diverting enough.

Elizabeth of York , the Last White Rose by Alison Week

Eldest daughter of the royal House of York, Elizabeth dreams of a crown to call her own. But when her beloved father, King Edward, dies suddenly, her destiny is rewritten.
Her family's enemies close in. Two young princes are murdered in the Tower. Then her uncle seizes power - and vows to make Elizabeth his queen.
But another claimant seeks the throne, the upstart son of the rival royal House of Lancaster. Marriage to this Henry Tudor would unite the white rose of York and the red of Lancaster - and change everything.

Another wonderful , full of interesting history title by Alison Week . Her breadth of historical knowledge is epic.
I really enjoyed hearing about Elizabeth of York and her uncle's betrayal of the king and his family.
A brilliant read.
I

The author dives straight in, with an exciting start, where the royal family are obliged to seek sanctuary. I really enjoyed the novel and I could not put it down until I had finished it. A fantastic read, as one would expect from this author. Highly recommended. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.