REVIEW: Dark Queen Rising

Dark Queen Rising
Author: Paul Doherty

The year is 1471. The War of the Roses has pitted the houses of York and Lancaster against each other. Edward of York has taken the throne, and is destroying anyone who supported the Lancasters. Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor, is forced to hide in the shadows, determined to protect her son. She and two of her men, Christopher Urswicke and Reginald Bray, are the main characters in this book, surrounded by political intrigue and upheaval, the effects of war, and lots of death and betrayal. 

I think the blurb for this book was a bit off. I expected a historical mystery.....but this book is more historical fiction. Very little mystery here. And the history is definitely fictionalized. Some facts -- like Margaret Beaufort's husbands -- are off.   In my opinion, even when writing a fictionalized account, the stories of real people should be spot on.....with only the daily occurrences, conversations, and events that can't be historically proven being fiction. it constantly pulls me out of a story when I have to go fact check when I suspect a historical fact has been altered.

Now, I'm not saying this isn't an enjoyable story. It is. There is a lot of action and intrigue. The book is well-written and moves along at a nice pace. For readers who liked the White Queen and other similar historical fiction novels, this boo is perfect. It tells the story from the point of view of the Lancasters and Margaret Beaufort. For me, I just wish it had been a little truer to actual events....and that it had actually provided a mystery component with Margaret and her minions doing some detective work behind the scenes. Instead there was a lot of political maneuvering, hiding and plotting.....which I am sure actually happened given the violence and upheaval of the time.

I would have given this five stars but for the historical inaccuracies. But it's a solid 4 star, even with that little ding. I enjoyed the intrigue, but I think this story just got a little confused. Is it historical fiction? Or a historical mystery? In the end, it sort of didn't hit either mark very well for me. But it had enough suspense and action to keep my attention.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**