Annie Garthwaite takes us back into the 15th century in this grippen historical novel. “Cecily” is indeed the perfect read for Women’s History Month as it’s main character is a woman of power and intelligence. Cecily Neville, born 1415, married to Richard Plantagenet, later the Duke of York was a power magnet in her time. She was mother to two English kings, steered her family through the War of Roses against the house of Lancaster and only narrowly missed the chance of being Queen of England herself.

This in itself is enough for a gripping story. But combined with the writing skills of Annie Garthwaite it becomes a perfect novel. Even though there are so many names, so many places and such an abundance of political and strategic talks, this novel is never boring. We get to know Cecily on her best and her worst days. Garthwaite does not shy away from descriptions of childbirth and the untimely deaths of children. Her imagination of this century is vivid in detail and a perfect background for the story of Cecily’s life.

I was almost disappointed at the end of the book as I think there is a lot more to tell about Cecily, Duchess of York and I wouldn’t have minded another hundred pages.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a reviewer’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing evocation of a woman who had such an impact on history. Brave, tenacious and a wily political operator Cecily also managed to survive having twelve children.

I'm an aficionado of historic novels and have been really enjoying the increasing number of excellent historical novels which bring important and hidden women back into the historical narrative.

The start of the novel with the burning of Joan of Arc is incredibly powerful. Cecily's relationship with her children is very sensitively portrayed and moving.

The history in the novel is more important than the 'love' interest. It's what makes the novel such a window on a past world. The important of family, dynasties and marriages. It's like human chess

I highly recommend this it is a very good read.

I really like reading fictionalised accounts of historical royal characters and haven't read one before of Cecily Neville whose two sons, Edward and then Richard, became kings of England. She lived through the Wars of the Roses. This is a great tale of a strong woman and makes history accessible. Great book.

I went into this book with high expectations. It''s safe to say that I wasn't disappointed.

It's about time I read a book with a strong female character showing the guy's who''s the boss.

I loved it.

This is a Strong book. Cecily Neville is a strong woman. A wife, a daughter, a sister, to powerful men, she weaves the thread gives strength to their web of power. Cecily creates her own chances as she navigates the political intrigues and corridors of power in the 15th century English court.
Her husband is the Kings loyal servant above all else, but the King is weak, his advisors are corrupt and devious. Her husband Richard is strong, he commands men's respect, he triumphs and battle, the kings advisors fear and despise him, and they whisper in the ear of the King.
Cecily plays a good game of chess. She is at least 6 steps ahead of the game, positioning her family for power, should the opportunity arise. Hedging her bets until it is time to strike. She is formidable, the reader is awed by her energy and cleverness.
This book is very well written, it has a style to it that draws the reader in and pushes them around, it grips hold. This author knows how to use words sparingly and effectively. It is one of those books that almost reads itself to you. It does mess about with the present tense in a way I feel no historical novel has any right to. Perhaps this is how historical novelists these days signal to us the seriousness of their intent? By stylisticly disconcerting us?
There are parallels to be drawn with Hillary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell books. This book is perhaps less labyrinthine it its plotting, but is a much jollier read.
In the earlier part of the book the story skims like a stone across the years, we glimpse Cecily as a child, a young married woman exploring her power. We never settle for long in one place, we get little more than a snapshot each time, with which to build out opinion of her, but by the second half of the book we know her well and watch her make the key decisions that will shape the future of England.
This is a exquisitely well written book. It is very well researched and brings the history to vivid life on the page. I hope there will be more from this author.

It took me a while to get into this book but after I got in to it I started to want to read further. Although as much as I started enjoying the writing style I do think one does need to have a good grasp of the history to understand what's going on. If you know anything about Cecily Neville and the beginning of the devastating War of Roses, then being inside Cecily's head is fascinating and it is brilliantly researched. I have enjoyed it and I feel it's given a far greater understanding of that time. I shall read it again to feel as though I'm 'a fly on the wall' to the twists and turns of a dark period of history.

I am usually a fan of historical fiction and was looking forward to discovering what lay beneath the character of a woman who made her mark on the royal court. But this was a long period to cover, and though there were many detailed conversations about and descriptions of events, I felt it lacked the insight into thoughts and feelings. I found it difficult to identify with Cecily, understanding only that she did fight for her bloodline, not really why. And this did detract from my desire to pick up the book, as I was not really fighting her corner. It was interesting to read another account of the War of the Roses (to compare to Jacquetta’s view of the period in Gregory’s Lady of the Rivers, but I just didn’t feel any fire this time - I found this novel a little dry and slow-going.

In many ways, Cecily is the perfect subject for a historical novel: she was an incredibly influential yet underrated figure. Perhaps the best thing about this portrayal is that Garthwaite doesn't try to make her likeable. She's a proud, callous and unforgiving character - and she needs to be to survive. She's fascinatingly unsympathetic, and yet you still end up rooting for her. It's a wonderful and unapologetic depiction of a medieval noblewoman, confident in both her bloodline and her abilities.

While I enjoyed following Cecily's journey over the years, other aspects of the novel suffer from its ambitious scope. Taking in such a long period of history sacrifices the immediacy you need to really bring historical fiction to life. Many of the characters end up being painted in broad brush strokes and the occasional unsubtle metaphor. Cecily's political power lies in her words, and so the dialogue is crucial. Garthwaite has an astute grasp on these pivotal conversations, and I would love to have seen a sharper focus on some of these scenes.

All in all, Cecily is a competent piece of historical fiction - with some moments of steely brilliance shining through.

An enjoyable look at the beginning of the War of the Roses, a part of history that I have not learnt much about. My school history seems to skip from William the Conqueror straight to the Tudors.

Cecily is a strong woman who is married to Richard of York and the book details their relationship alongside their issues with the king. The book is very detailed although I found the earlier parts in France a little dry.

The formatting of the book made it very difficult to engage with the characters but I imagine that is part of my proof copy!

I received an advance copy of this title from Netgalley in return for an honest review

Set in the tumultuous period of history encompassing the end of the Hundred Years War between England and France, and the beginning of the Wars of the Roses, this book focuses on the life of Cecily Neville, mother of King Edward IV and Richard III. The story begins in 1431 and gives a background to her marriage to Richard Duke of York, and his role in France in calming tensions there. Cecily accompanied Marguerite of Anjou from France to England for her marriage to Henry VI. As the years passed,
Henry’s competence as king was questioned, especially after a significant period of some kind of catatonia in the 1450s. He was also easily manipulated by the stronger members of court. This led to different factions being formed, particularly latterly the Lancastrian as led by Marguerite and the Yorkist led by Richard, who was named as heir to the throne . Richard is killed at the Battle of Wakefield as is his 17 year old son Edmund. Edward becomes heir, and is able to gather a strong army, whilst support for the queen wanes as she isn’t able to pay her army who grow hungry, and after camping outside the gates to the city of London, desert as heavy snow falls, leaving the path clear for Edward to claim the throne.

I loved this book so much. Initially, it was the cover that drew me in! But I’m a huge history fan but really know more about the Tudor period, so just a smidge later than here (so please excuse any errors that I might have made in the above!). I found the story to be really accessible and I love novels like this that really humanise these historical characters. I’ve since looked around a little bit and seen the castles, the clothes, the portraits, so it really was a gateway to further exploration. I think I would have liked to have seen more about Cecily’s life after Edward became king. She lived until she was 80 and was obviously a very strong woman, so it would have been nice to know what else she did. I would definitely recommend though. This was a book that I really savoured.

15th century England, a land where life is cheap and loyalties are fickle.
We enter this world with 16-year-old Cecily Neville, who has been married to Richard Plantagenet, son of a traitor. The marriage ceremony took place when she was only eight; a strategic marriage, not a love-match. But, once they begin their life together, they find a deep attachment to one another, building to an enduring love.

Richard has a claim to the throne, and we are told the story of his manoeuvrings, trials, setbacks and triumphs through Cecily's eyes. Long separations and joyful reunions resulting in pregnancies, many of which end with no live child to show, punctuate the tale. Richard fights many battles, which we hear of from the perspective of a wife who does not know whether she will see her husband again. Behind the scenes, Cecily is forming allegiances and making deals to try and ensure her husband's success.

This is a compelling read. A really enjoyable way to learn about a less-known period of history.

A great historical fiction read, Cecily delves into a part of history I knew little about, following a well-to-do woman and her husband at the time of Joan of Arc and the Battle of Agincourt. There is enough context that I felt that this was going over my head, and I really enjoyed the Machevellian social climber Cecily, as she initially appears. Despite being historical fiction, this is written like contemporary fiction and I raced through this book, finding it really enjoyable. I was attracted to the gorgeous cover but the inside is just as wonderful.

I was not sure what to expect of this book but I was pleasantly surprised. The lead character was endearing and you find yourself rooting for her early on the book. I enjoyed reading this and would recommend it

The start of the war of the Rose's the House of Lancaster versus the House of York, humble starts they've grown a bit the are counties in their own right now.
Cecil the youngest daughter is married to a Duke, Richard whilst still a child but when they were of age it was a deep love they shared and indeed although Richard was the Duke of York he had to earned the title by being loyal to the King the young King Henry that is. For Richards father was killed as a traitor so it was the job of Richard to earn what he would have inherited.
So that's how our tale begins a work of fiction based on the facts. Cecily a relative unknown in history is brought to a wonderful and colourful life even before television was invented. (Sorry).
There is a lot of character assassination very blatant and not at all subtle as in the modern era. The biggest enemies of the King and England at the time were France and Scotland, the battle in France raged on the Scots were under control but ready to fight if they had an army to march with them.
This tale is very much from the Ladies side of things the battle behind the scenes in an age were its not fully seen the influence a powerful Lady could wield and they did. Specifically if they gave their husband a son and hier.
I really enjoyed this book the subtlety of the battle behind the scenes the diplomats and the war mongers. The great characters and the big families still as today running the roast and the working of sisters whose husbands were in opposite houses. I hope you enjoy this novel i did and I found the attention to the historical facts added greatly to its credit. It makes understanding history easier if you have some context and this isn't a history book but it's a great historical read.

Mother to two kings, and a woman I'd never heard of - this is the story of Cecily Neville, and the machinations between families and dynasties at the start of the Wars of the Roses. Annie Garthwaite has created a strong woman as her central character, and Cecily is always at the heart of the action, plotting, planning and managing the men around her.
With so many noble relations with county names, it can be difficult to keep track of who is who. Characterisation is a bit sparse, and I didn't get a strong sense of motivation for any of the characters, or of any real sense of an inner life. But the great strength of the story lies in the plot and the action, which rattles along at a great pace.

I tend to shy away from historical fiction about English royals. Too many Henrys and Elizabeths and Richards and Marys. Too many internecine conflicts and competing claims to the throne to keep track of. Too many near-identical front covers featuring heaving bosoms in corseted dresses. Like many readers, though, I adored Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy, which brought something entirely new to the genre. So I was tentatively hopeful when I saw this compared to Mantel (and also, intriguingly, to Pat Barker's wonderful Trojan War-set book The Silence Of The Girls), but expected to be let down.

I have to admit, the first few chapters did not immediately engage me. The reader is immediately plunged into the action, as Cecily Nevill and her husband Richard stand witness to the burning of Joan of Arc, but I found myself - without a strong knowledge of early 15th century politics - struggling to catch up on who was who and what was what, especially with the requisite cast of Henrys and Richards (I know it's churlish to complain about this when those were literally the people's names, but golly it makes for tough reading: I recommend keeping Wikipedia close at hand to help refresh your memory as you read). But I ploughed on, encouraged by the fact that I had, by coincidence, just finished Josephine Tey's peerless The Daughter Of Time and so knew that once Cecily started having children (her offspring included two kings, Edward IV and Richard III) I'd be on firmer ground.

And I am so pleased I did! I found myself rapidly going from "meh not sure" to "oh my gosh must continue reading just one more page even though it's 2am". Cecily is such a well drawn character and, while she makes a far from unbiased point of view from which to see the early beginnings of the Wars of the Roses, I couldn't help but fall completely under her spell. I began to see, too, the comparisons to Barker's book, the central premise of which seemed to be that wars - and the men who fight them - never change, and women must cope with the aftermath. A sentiment that I think Cecily would wholeheartedly agree with (although with the proviso that she would be a more capable strategic captain than most male soldiers, which is difficult to disagree with).

Cecily is an extraordinary book about an extraordinary woman: highly recommended.

Cecily by Annie Garthwaite is an excellent historical fiction novel that covers the life of one of the women that was at the heart of the War of the Roses and the House of York: Cecily Neville . This novel has it all: historical context, captivating plot, complex and well drawn out characters, suspense, intrigue, all combining into a wonderful story that kept me enthralled.

As an avid reader of history, especially in regards to English and Russian histories, I was intrigued when I saw that there was a novel about the formidable wife of Richard of York, mother to Edward IV. There is not as much known about Cecily as compared to her male counterparts, but still enough to create a captivating novel. The art is creating a story that is both interesting, appropriate, and also follows history as much as possible. This book offers all of that.

I was beyond impressed with the research that clearly was undertaken to create a narrative that not only felt current and present-day, but also followed actual historical events. The author's ability to create a story that felt relevant and accurate is indeed impressive and difficult to do. This is the first book regarding Cecily that I felt did both. The prose and pace were smooth, easy to follow, and captivated me. I found myself flying through the pages wanting to read more, despite the fact that I knew the events and how it would all play out. If anything, this book has cemented my knowledge of names and events even more so. This book covers Cecily’s life into 1461 where her son, Edward, becomes Edward IV. I would love for there to be a second book that continues onward. What a dream!

The author presented Cecily as a strong, independent yet loyal, intelligent, and capable woman that held her own. She was a pillar of strength for her husband and her family, and she made no excuses for it. She made difficult decisions when needed. Was she perfect? Nope, but she did what she needed to do for her family and to survive. I felt as if I was literally there with her experiences her wins, losses, and feeling the highs and lows with her as the wheel of fortune turned.

The author also did an excellent job describing landscapes, locations, nature, and also the emotions/descriptions of each of the characters of the extensive character cast. I am beyond impressed.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Author’s note at the end to read her own thoughts, history, and inspirations. I would love to read her recommendation of Joanna Laynesmith’s own captivating biography of Cecily. I think it would be right up my alley.

I was in a slump in regards to historical fiction lately, but I have to say this has given me renewed interest and hope. I loved everything about this book and would love to read more from this author. She most certainly gave this larger then life woman of history her due justice.


I cannot recommend this book enough. It is everything that historical fiction should be.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Penguin General UK for this stunning arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub (as of 2/17/21 no BB listing has been created),, and Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 7/29/21.

I very much enjoyed this.
Cecily (the book and the character) definitely holds your attention.
I know very little of this time in history,but if this book is anything to go by,I need to learn more.
Cecily is a vibrant character,who often gets her own way,but is also treated as all women back in the day seemed to be,as a baby making machine,with the one aim of providing a son and their.
The life of a noble woman had many sides it would seem,
This book opens with a bang,on the burning of Joan of Ark,and it doesnt ever really stop.



Review to be posted at later date

An amazing story of battle and bloodshed. This is well written and well researched bringing the life of the 1400s to life.
The shocking reminder of the subservient life of women in those times but the huge influence that they could wield if clever and informed is fascinating. The story follows Cecily as she marries and builds a family. Tragedy follows her and her children as some are lost and some survive. It moves to the dramatic conclusion in the midst of battles, treason and betrayal demonstrating how nothing in that time can be safe and secure.
This woman is brave and strong as she deals with power and it’s loss - and gain.
Recommended

Now this is a historical novel.

Cecily is an outstanding and increasingly gripping story that follows the life of the Duchess of York who lived in the 15th Century. We have many stories that focus on the the heroics of battle, the victorious exploits of kings and masculine politicking through the ages, but these stories usually gravitate towards the men. Here, Garthwaite presents us with a new kind of story and a new kind of heroine. It is a detailed read with echoes of Mantel, but much more engaging.

What is the life of a noblewoman in the 1400s? We are treated to a thorough insight: from the perils and pressures of childbirth, to the political interests of delusional kings, bitter queens and greedy noblemen, to the day-to-day running of a 15th Century household - through Cecily we experience it all. Battles occur but we hear the tales from messengers and deal with the fallout accordingly. Women, and how they negotiated the world they existed in, are at the centre of this novel. It is insightful, fascinating and just as engrossing as any other historical novel I've read (if not more so!) It is refreshing to read of a strong woman who speaks into a patriarchal society, who pushes and pulls her husband in the direction of greatness, who demands respect in places where women are not usually given it. The unfolding relationship with her husband, Richard, is a highlight and a key part of this story.

Cecily is a force to be reckoned with throughout. She dominates every page of this book with her commanding presence. Shrewd, wise, decisive and with a ferocious passion for her house and the promotion of her family's interests. She is not an invulnerable character but deals with the volatile realities of her time with conviction. We watch her confront the pain of the experiences of life in the 1400s, we see her carry her grief, we stand with her on the rare occasion she is mistaken, we feel the frustration when gender restricts her due to the societal norms of the time.

Once it gets going this is a delightful read and one of the best books I have read for a while.