Elizabeth of York has the distinction of being the daughter, niece, sister, wife and mother of a King. While not the most famous Elizabeth Tudor, she is certainly well known, and most people would agree that they've heard of her. Beverly Adams' Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor dynasty tells the story of this royal Elizabeth's life.

Born to Edward IV and his controversial Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth's fortunes would rise and fall with her families during her youth. At one point, betrothed to the Dauphin of France, at another, she was hiding in sanctuary in Westminster Abbey. After her father defeats the Lancaster faction, his family is restored and though Elizabeth is jilted by the French, she lives a peaceful, privileged life until the day her father dies, and her life is once again thrown in to limbo. Her legitimacy in question, she finds herself as the spoils of war promised to the future Henry VII should he succeed in taking the throne.

Even as Tudor take the throne, history has buried the real queen behind all the stories. Was she a strong, silent defender? Or was she domineered by her mother in law through the length of her marriage?

Elizabeth of York falls flat as the focus of Adams' book, which is disappointing, but as a beginning point for those interested in Tudor history, you still cant go wrong. Adams provides solid evidence and strong narrative. I highly recommend checking this out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am not well versed on the monarchy in England, so this book was one that I looked forward to reading to broaden my horizons. Before reading this, the extent of my knowledge of Elizabeth was that she was the sister of the two princes, Edward and Richard, who went missing in the Tower of London in 1483, and also that she was the mother of Henry VIII who liked to decapitate his wives instead of seeking Ye Olde Divorce.

Elizabeth was far more than what general history has left her with, and her marriage marked the end of the civil war in England known as the War of the Roses, which was far less pleasant than the name sounds. This book gives Elizabeth a voice that has been lost to history in many ways, overshadowed by the controversies involving her brothers, uncle Richard, and her son.

Although not what I would consider an "easy" read, it is engaging and also quite impressive in its scope. It is obvious that this information has been meticulously researched.

I really didn’t know a lot about Elizabeth of York but was able to learn about this woman and how she started the Tudor dynasty. It was researched well and enjoyed how much passion Beverley Adams had about this.

‘The death of the princes made Elizabeth the true heir to the crown, in the eyes of loyal Yorkist supporters but at just 18 years old and being female her chances of ascending the throne was defunct’.

Such an interesting read that I devoured this really quickly!

A must read for Tudor lovers!

‘She had come a long way from being the scared girl in sanctuary to the young mother who stood on the threshold of true queenship’.