Cecily gives voice to a woman glossed over by history. Known only to most as the mother of Edward IV and Richard III, tainted by his legacy of the rumoured murdered princes in the tower. However, the beautiful delicacy of history is that it can be revitalised in the right hands and Anne takes up the mantel of giving Cecily her voice in history.

The novel begins with the burning of Joan of Arc. Cecily watches with a mix of admiration for such a fearless, powerful woman and disgust for the French commander. In that moment, Cecily learns the valuable lesson that strong women have the farthest to fall. From the outset, the novel positions itself as a lens fully focused on the women in the 15th century that were pivotal in the War of the Roses and the hundred year war in France. The novel is very ambitious in its scope but it more than pays off in the sumptuous delivery of love and loss, rise and falls, kings and queens, traitors and loyalists.

Cecily’s‘ main qualities are her endurance and ruthless determination. She endures heartbreak at the loss of children, shame at the loss of favour at court and heartache at the knowledge that her husband has a more legitimate claim to the English throne but instead has to act like the king’s lapdog. She survives the ocean of childbirth twelve times! Which in 15th century England, is a miracle. Cecily talks openly about the pressures to give birth to an heir and also the pressure to procure advantageous marriages for her daughters. Even if that means marrying them to a traitorous, aggressive, narcissist. Cecily, determined to place her husband where he belongs, fights and schemes for decades, delicately guiding her husband towards his rightful throne.

Throughout Cecily’s trials and triumphs, other women are also given centre stage in the novel such as Marguerite, daughter of France and Queen of England who holds onto the reins of England and the reins of her puppet, sickly, mad husband. She is another female force to be reckoned with, devious and sly. There are also gloriously cunning enemies at every turn but Beaufort being the main Machiavellian whisperer, whispering demands and commands in the ear of the king, steering his policies alongside Marguerite. Beaufort will stop at nothing until Cecily’s husband Richard is destroyed along with the dynasty of York.

The novel sweeps through Whitehall, Ludlow, France, Ireland and Wales, giving a real sense of the tension and fragility of 15th century England’s feudal power. The king is only able to retain his power through the loyalty, hard work and sacrifice of his men. Richard swears fealty to his king, despite being the son of a traitor to the crown. He is always treated with suspicion because of his father and cast away to maintain foreign policy in France and Ireland. Cecily dreams of a world where Richard’s soul shines at the head of the English throne – will they make it to stand side by side as king and queen? Pre-order Cecily to find out.

Cecily is the youngest daughter of the powerful Neville family and finds herself married to Richard, next in line to the duchy of York, if he can secure it for himself. This is the same Richard who served the king he later turned on in order to secure the crown for himself, by dint of being descended from an older son of King Edward III and so ahead in the line of succession, if there had not already been an anointed king on the throne.

The novel starts with the death of Joan of Arc, described from the point of view of Cecily who witnessed it with some sensitivity and some realism. taking the propaganda out of it. And so the novel progresses, in a calm manner, almost serene, due to the present tense used and the third person omniscient narrative. That means the story is told by someone other than a protagonist, relating what happens, and so there is little tension woven into the story. However, in return we know a lot of what is going on, how everyone feels, and we do feel, as a reader, we are peering into the lives of these people.

Cecily is someone who knew all the characters involved in the Wars of the Roses and we meet them as she does, and her opinion is never held back. Despite the limitations of the narration, we do get a strong sense of her character and Ms Garthwaite gives us excellent insight into those around her.

I read a proof / review copy so it is hard to comment on the detail, the anachronisms, typos and other errors that creep in - will they creep out of the finished publication? I do hope so. Either way, it is certainly worth giving it a go - a fascinating story and a thought provoking way of telling it.

Cecily Neville was part of a historic family, a leading force at the time in the country, which also played a central part in the Wars of the Roses, along with the Percy family. This book follows Cecilys’ life from when she witnesses Joan of Arc being burnt at the stake through to the raising of her son to King Edward VI. Her power was increased with her betrothal to Richard, Duke of York and she was lucky in that they did love each other, unusual in a time where children were used as pawns for power. The one drawback with Richard was that he was the son of a traitor, and this would follow him all of his life.

Cecily is portrayed as an incredibly strong woman, having very ambitious plans for her husband, although meeting her match with Queen Marguerite. A well researched book and beautifully written, it describes the tensions in and out of Court, the intrigues and the treachery. The historical events are well imagined by Annie Garthwaite and this book brings history to life. Hopefully there will be another in the series to see where Cicely goes from here.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Annie Garthwaite brings Cecile Neville alive! She stands before you - vibrant, highly intelligent, full of passionate ambition - she will do anything to make her man, Richard, Duke of York king! Henry VI is a quivering wreck of a man, manipulated by tyrants, men not worthy to rule England! Cecily is a force to be reckoned with, dismiss her at your peril! Her life, her family her children, her frustrations, her driving force is all here! Emotions run high and I was with her every step of the way! What a woman! Brilliantly written. I was loathe to finish it and couldn’t put it down. There has to be more from this author! She has started and so must finish - how would Cecily cope with her daughter in law Elizabeth? Was her youngest son Dickon really capable of murdering his nephews? These stories need to be told and Annie Garthwaite is just the woman to tell them! More please!

Description
‘A startling heroine’
Sarah Moss

"Rebellion?"
The word is a spark. They can start a fire with it, or smother it in their fingertips.
She chooses to start a fire.

You are born high, but marry a traitor's son. You bear him twelve children, carry his cause and bury his past.

You play the game, against enemies who wish you ashes. Slowly, you rise.

You are Cecily.

But when the King who governs you proves unfit, what then?

Loyalty or treason - death may follow both. The board is set. Time to make your first move.

Told through the eyes of its greatest unseen protagonist, this astonishing debut plunges you into the blood and exhilaration of the first days of the Wars of the Roses, a war as women fight it.



Review

The plotting, the politics, the bloody births and battles are all part of the exhilarating story that we take with Cecily, as she witnesses the burning of Joan of Arc on the first page through to her son becoming King of England. We are never in any doubt that the path that Cecily takes is fraught with treachery and danger for her and her family. Cecily demonstrates a fierce intelligence, perhaps more than that of her Husband Richard - Duke of York, but being a man in these times allowed him to raise an army and fight for his position. Cecily was the force, the strength and the ambition behind Richards rise in Englands noble court.

The relationship between Cecily and Richard is the strength of the book. Many contemporary marriages would not have had the strong foundations that this marriage has. It is this partnership that enables Cecily to negotiate the courtly webs, and build an enduring future for her husband and children.

The perilous position of women at court is always in our eye line, starting with the burning of Joan of Arc as the books opener. A woman's role to produce children, is to negotiate the politics of the noble courts, Cecily takes this perhaps a step further with the building of her family's fortunes through battles out on the battlefields of England, Cecily plays her role in bringing her sons to the ultimate role through her intelligence and strength at court - ending with two of her sons serving as Kings of England.

A huge level of research has clearly been undertaken, and this is clearly demonstrated in the various domestic rituals that Cecily undertakes. As a reader, we also feel the heartache of loss at childbirth. By the end of the book we know Cecily well - we revere and respect this strong women of the 1400’s. She is perhaps a woman for our times - does she have it all - the children, successful husband? Cecily lacks the recognition that she deserves for her role in history.

#Cecily #NetGalley
Score ⅘

Cecily Neville, mother of two kings (Edward IV and Richard III) and grandmother of a queen (Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII) is a strong character who clearly does not intend to live in the shadows. A very important person, but seemingly not as popular with historical novelists as her son Richard. She is clearly ambitious and does not suffer fools gladly – she frequently calls her husband (Richard Duke of York) an idiot. Despite this, theirs is clearly a love match between equals. She survived her husband, sons Edward and Richard and her granddaughter Elizabeth only survives her by eight years.

Written in the present tense, we see the action, beginning with the burning of Joan of Arc, through Cecily’s eyes. She grieves deeply over the deaths of those of her 12 children who did not survive infancy. In one heart breaking scene she grieves for her 17 year-old son Edmund, who she has sent into battle with his father, thinking he will be safe. The book ends with the accession of Edward IV, with no foreshadowing of what is to come. Perhaps that will be covered in the sequel?

This is a book which celebrates strong women, on whichever side of the York-Lancaster struggle your sympathies lie. The same story could have been told from the perspective of Marguerite of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI, but this is definitely Cecily’s story, and her personality shines through.

Many thanks to Viking and Netgalley for the review copy.

I loved this book! Yes, it's set in my favourite period of history and one that I know a lot about and it was so refreshing to have such a well-researched book in my hands.
Its original stance of not showing all the big events first hand is masterful. They are in the background and what you are witness to is the reactions to those events. War looms, slowly at first but its menace and tension build brilliantly throughout the book and you know it is inevitable. Even though you never see one of the great battles firsthand it's the consequences of those actions that grip you.
Cecily has always been one of my favourite historical women, she is a powerhouse. The relationship between her, Marguerite and Jaquetta is where the real power lies. The women are well-rounded characters - all silks, babies and ruthless ambition. They will defend their realms with everything they have.
I would love to see a sequel, carry on the story please!

Many thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy.

My Review
This is a period I first fell in love with as a teenager when my mother gave me Katherine by Anya Seaton. Katherine is Cecily’s grandmother and Cecily is born into wealth and privilege and understands exactly how to use her power. She becomes the mother of two Kings first Edward IV and then Richard III.

‘Cecily’ is exceedingly well written. Unlike Seaton and Gregory, Garthwaites style is not contemporary romance although there is no doubt of the devotion between Cecily and her husband. Comparisons have already been to Mantle but it’s much easier to read. The language is something else, something unique that is perfect for Cecily’s story, forthright but controlled and noble.

This is the last book I read in February and it’s my book of the month.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite tells the story of Cecily Neville, the Duchess of York during the time of the War of the Roses.

When we meet Cecily for the first time, she is in France, present at the execution by burning of Joan of Arc. Watching the execution is almost a test that she sets herself, to see if she can stomach it. Which she does.

The story is entirely told from Cecily's perspective, so we only hear reports from the battlefield, what's lost and won, dead and done as Cecily gets those reports herself. But Cecily is no simple wife, waiting at home for her husband to return and update her. Wherever possible she places herself in the centre of the courtly web, to best see for herself what is happening, and offer her husband and later her children her advice.

The story is fictional, Garthwaite has used historical facts as the scaffold for Cecily's story, but has created the character of the woman in the book on her own imaginings of what life must have been like for Cecily. For example, we know she had 12 children, 5 died at birth or in infancy and 7 lived. 2 of her living children became Kings of England, and her granddaughter became Queen of England and mother to King Henry VIII. It's often assumed that historically parents must have become inured to the loss of so many children, but Garthwaite makes it clear that Cecily grieves for each little soul. What's astounding is what Cecily manages to achieve in the teeth of that loss and the ongoing fear that she and her family may yet lose everything they are fighting for.

Cecily Neville was clearly an astonishing woman and Garthwaite makes it clear that she survives The War of the Roses through a mixture of intelligence and stubbornness. The book ends with the success of the House of York and Edward, Cecily's eldest son becoming King of England. We know that Cecily lives to see her sons turn against each other, and eventually she outlives them, it would be fascinating to see what Garthwaite's Cecily makes of all that in a sequel!

This was stunning debut novel and I hope the author is going to write more.
I was gripped by this novel and even more so that’s it’s based in historical fact. Cecily is a matriarch like no other and I almost couldn’t believe her life story. She survived in a time where life expectancy was low particularly if you stood against the King and Queen.
Annie Garthwaite brings 1500’s to full life with her descriptions of the history and characters that seem larger than life.
A fantastic read.
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#Cecily #NetGalley

Historical fiction writing has a new Queen 👸 @anniegarthwaite
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Cecily is an enthralling and gripping tale that will make you feel that you are living every moment in her history.
The most sublime writing and magnificent historical detailing makes this ambitious book a definite contender for my book of the year.
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Told through the eyes of Cecily, one of history's greatest unseen protagonists, mother to two future Kings and the wife of the Duke of York. Cecily is an intelligent and ambitious lady who had the skills to manipulate to strive and survive.
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It is so refreshing to read a novel that focuses on the women, and one who guides her husband and challenges the patriarchal society she is born too. Cecily is a force to be reckoned with and the relationship between herself and Richard Plantagenet is the true highlight of the story for me.
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Cecily is an outstanding novel, and I'm running out of superlatives to describe it. Published at the end of July and top in my 'I need a physical copy to keep forever' list.
Thank you @vikingbooksuk for this copy to read and review.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy of this book.

If history lessons at school had focussed more understanding people and less on memorising dates, I think I would have enjoyed the subject immensely and would have actually learnt something. I knew nothing of the historical period written about in this book, nor of any of the characters. But this book has sparked my interest in the period and I've embarked on some research since completing it.

At the very start of the book I was a bit confused - it felt like I'd jumped into a story where something was missing. However it very quickly became a fascinating, well written story of the life of Cecily and the people around her. My lack of prior knowledge meant that the fast pace and the tension in the story made it a real page-turner and I finished the book in a couple of days.

I loved the attention to detail about Cecily's life, particularly around her pregnancies and confinement. And I loved how the story unfolded from her point of view. So when Richard went out to battle we stayed with Cecily and waited for news rather than running off with him into the action leaving her behind in the home. Cecily's power, influence and intelligence - and the respect she demanded - was a pleasant surprise.

I would recommend this book to anyone either interested in historical fiction or just interested in a great story well told.

It took me a while to get into this book but by the end I was truly gripped. Cecily is fleshed out beautifully adding colour to some of England’s bloody past.
Although by today’s standards she is a dislikable person, greedy for power and wealth, cold and full of venom, she is also powerful and wise, loving and impossible to not respect. This is not the easiest of reads but it will leave you fulfilled by the end and glad to have read it.

This was a fascinating book. Cecily is a very strong women who knows just what she wants!! I kept looking up facts and they were just as Annie Garthwaite portrays them. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

This book is great if you are a fan of historical fiction and strong badass women.

Personally, the way it was written was not for me. The story was so interesting to read and it was great to read through her journey.

It isn’t much romance based - personally, I love romance so I missed this.

Thank you for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review. It’s definitely an amazing book for the correct audience.

An absolute must read for historical fiction fans.
I would call myself a history geek, but this lady passed me by, and I am delighted to find out about her. I like how Garthwaite has gone against the norm and not chosen one of Henry's 6 wives, or another strong Queen. She proves that just being in the royal circle needs enough resilience, strength of character, trust and wisdom.. all whilst making heirs and having many many children.
The relationship between Cecily and her husband is written so tenderly and beautifully in what is such a cut throat world they are in.
Its written beautifully and flows with clear chronological timeframes and places.
A lot of historical research packed into this- not disputing its fiction but still clearly a lot of research was done, as it feels really authentic for a time period it usually seems not enough is known about.
Really enjoyed.

PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION:
'Rebellion?'
The word is a spark. They can start a fire with it, or smother it in their fingertips.
She chooses to start a fire.
You are born high, but marry a traitor's son. You bear him twelve children, carry his cause and bury his past.
You play the game, against enemies who wish you ashes. Slowly, you rise.
You are Cecily.
But when the king who governs you proves unfit, what then?
Loyalty or treason - death may follow both. The board is set. Time to make your first move.
Told through the eyes of its greatest unknown protagonist, this astonishing debut plunges you into the closed bedchambers and bloody battlefields of the first days of the Wars of the Roses, a war as women fight it.

NO SPOILERS
Is it possible to have no spoilers with a book about real historic events? No matter.

My first impression of Annie Garthwaite’s Cecily was uh oh, short, often only three word, sentences and I thought it was going to irritate me; but those short bursts soon set a rhythm of gentleness which drew me in. They were like little asides.

Garthwaite’s style is flowing and easy to read without being “lite” (I hate “lite”) and the language evokes the era without being of that era…no mean feat. The book is written in the present tense, from a third person perspective with such skill that I felt I was in Cecily’s head. There are small details which cleverly express her relationship with the other players without the need for long explanations with even the weather being relevant.

Historically, all is correct from a what happened and when it happened aspect and I like how the reader knows only as much a Cecily knows. However, I would have liked a little more social detail beyond napkins on shoulders, though perhaps with such a vast story to tell, more detail may have necessitated a second volume. I do have a small criticism…there was much netting of fingers and fingers were always long, so a little too much repetition of some phrases and actions for me.

Now, here’s the thing. Any single-figure-focused historical fiction has to involve supposition and imagination and to avoid unlikely suppositions and wild imaginings, vast amounts of research beyond recorded events are essential. I believe Hilary Mantel is the absolute master of this and casts a long, deep shadow but Annie Garthwaite is no dim light in that shadow.


Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the complimentary copy of the book, which I have voluntarily reviewed.

Anyone who loves 15th Century History will thoroughly revel in every chapter of this Book. Also it shows what many of us know many strong powerful women such as Cecily Neville have been hidden from us ,is this because many men who at one point in time wrote most of our history Books did not want to declare that things would have been so different if it were not for such women! Life even for wealthy women at this time was often fraught with so many dangers ,from being married off when they were still children ,to childbearing with all it's normal dangers but far more because of the conditions in which they lived , to rivalries , Political intrigues of which they were privy too but not expected to act upon ( but through which they often manipulated ) their menfolk. I think what also personally intrigued me reading more about this amazingly strong & resilient woman was that she is linked way down the genealogy line to the maternal side of my husbands family through the maternal line on the Mortimer side .
It is a truly wonderful Book full of fact and fiction .& at the heart of it all spanning Eighty years of her life is this amazing woman Cecily ,whom we should all salute as she plays the powerful of England & of France like she does a game of Chess , & she is no ones Pawn . #FB, #Goodreads,#NetGalley,#Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/c566f42be23a0e25d120e78a3454e2d427c4beee" width="80" height="80" alt="50 Book Reviews" title="50 Book Reviews"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

‘The Rose of Raby’ is Cecily Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, the Earl of Westmorland. This well written and carefully researched historical fiction tells the story of strong women of late medieval times with the central focus on Cecily who marries Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Their story is of love and talk as they navigate the treacherous waters of the mid fifteenth century. The book covers a thirty year period from 1431, starting with the death of Joan of Arc where Cecily demonstrates her strength of character and finishes when her son is crowned Edward IV in 1461.

I really like that the focus is on strong women, there are plenty of them in the Middle Ages but history (written for much of the time by men 😁) has chosen to ignore them until recent years. Here we have Cecily as the centrepiece, also Jacquetta who is married to Richard Woodville the first Earl Rivers and Marguerite of Anjou who marries the hapless (or is that hopeless?!) Henry VI. The characterisation is really good. Cecily is very astute politically, she’s nobody’s fool, is unafraid, she can be very ruthless when she needs to be and has earned her place in history as the mother of two kings - Edward IV and Richard III. Her marriage to Richard is strong, they have respect for each other and Richard is worthy of it. The historical backdrop takes the storytelling to France where English power is waning and Cecily guides and assists Richard in playing ‘French chess’, to England under a weak king who blows with the wind and the last voice who has hissed in his ear and also to Ireland. The turbulent times are captured well with the ruthless political machinations, greed, treachery and the politics of survival as it becomes dangerous for the couple in the form of the Beauforts and Marguerite. The beliefs such as religion and superstition, the difficulties and danger of childbirth are vividly portrayed as Cecily bears 12 (yes 12!) children. There’s treason and humiliation as ambition rises and falls, palpable grief but hope as Edward raises his ‘Sun in Splendour’ banner.

My only reservation lies in the quantity of the characters which I fully appreciate is the nature of this particular historical beast and that this is a very complex period so some historical background knowledge is really helpful although not essential.

Overall, this is a good, well written, meticulously researched and enjoyable read. I admire this strong wise woman who as the author points out in the really good epilogue that Cecily gives a good lesson in how to operate as a woman in a man’s world! I’m hoping there will be a second book as her story is not yet over .......

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK, Viking for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This was a mostly enjoyable book, although it did feel like a bit of a mission to get through in places. There was a nice mix of historical context and a slightly modern feel to the main character. I can only assume that there’s a sequel being lined up, because it ended in the oddest of places otherwise, I really do take issue with the claim that Cecile Neville is a forgotten character - she most certainly isn’t to anyone with even a passing knowledge of medieval history. Nor is this the first historical novel I’ve read about her. Overall, not bad, just a little saggy in places.