Plot: following Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, from 1431-1461  throughout the buildup & early stages of the Wars of the Roses. 

Review: this was a brilliant piece of historical fiction & debut novel. Clearly thoroughly researched and full of intimate historical details which my inner historian really enjoyed. 
Cecily was a historical figure I knew little about, except that she was the matriarch of the York line & lived to the age of 80!
The Cecily that Garthwaite depicted was ambitious, ruthless, intelligent and formidable. 

I loved reading this as part of #herstoryathon and seeing a different side to the Wars of the Roses, as most fiction focuses on post 1461 (such as the famous Philippa Gregory novels, which I loved, dont be a snob). Cecily lived from 1415-1495 which is insane for the time period and outlived nearly all of her children. I thought Garthwaite depicted her motherhood with such ferocity and raw emotion. The complicated family relationships & marriage alliances really hit home the 'Cousins War' part of the Wars of the Roses - this was personal & ruthless 

I loved how Garthwaite weaved medieval kingship theory and political commentary (so many uni essays on this) throughout, as Cecily ruthlessly assesses Henry VI's kingship and finds it wanting. Her ambition for her husband and her family proves to be treasonous, though arguably in the best interest of the country. 

I adored this novel and I can't wait to see what Garthwaite writes next!