Sandra Worth, The Rose of York: Crown of Destiny

The Rose of York: Crown of Destiny

Sandra Worth

End Table Books, October 2006, $14.95

ISBN: 0975126482

King Edward IV secretly marries Bess, making her his queen. When he dies in 1483, Bess makes a bid to stay in power, willing to kill Edward's siblings to do so. One such brother, Richard was loyal to his liege and weary of the civil war that engulfed England. He just wants to stay home with his beloved wife Anne and their son Ned.

However, the machinations of Bess allied with another royal brother, avaricious George, leads to the murder of Anne's father, the "Kingmaker" Warwick. Richard concludes he must protect his spouse and their offspring, while also keeping the heir to the throne his nephew safe. Fate takes a new spin when Richard learns he is next in line to the throne. If he accepts his destiny, he might prevent civil war, but at the cost of his happiness; if he declines, as he so much prefers to do, a new war will ravage the country as two adversaries lay claim to the crown. History will prove whether he chose correctly rather than quickly.

CROWN OF DESTINY, the sequel to Love and War, paints a radically different picture of Richard III from that of a despicable villain to a reluctant ruler trying to be the heroic savior, and who is a firm believer in blind justice. This historical biographical fiction is well written, as readers see a caring person struggling with responsibility and revolts. Most interesting is to the victors goes the history books. Since the Tudors won the battle (Shakespeare wrote under the rule of Queen Elizabeth, a Tudor), they become heroic, and the last Plantagenet king becomes a vile villain; yet Richard's blind justice becomes a key ingredient in modern day democracy.