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Book Review of A Tapestry of Queens: A Story of Scotland's Struggle for Independence

A Tapestry of Queens: A Story of Scotland's Struggle for Independence
missysmom avatar reviewed on + 2 more book reviews


A Tapestry of Queens is described as "a story of Scotland's struggle for independence," and to some extent that's true (more like an episode in the story). It also includes: the primary character's history as Queen's Mercer and her efforts to resume that post; three individual (but inter-related) character-level mysteries; the historical plots surrounding King Henry VIII's decision to marry Catherine Parr Latimer; as well as Marie de Guise's marriage to King James V of Scotland and her success in preventing Henry from annexing her adopted country.

All of that is a lot to fit into a book of 231 pages, many of whose chapters are very short. As a result, I felt that many of the plot lines were sketched in, rather than fully developed. There is material enough in this book for a trilogy, if the author were so inclined. The book as it is is enjoyable reading, and I liked Cordelia, the primary character. A prequel to A Tapestry covering Cordelia's early life would also be welcome.

This is Carol Milkuhn's first novel, and I look forward to her next one!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.