Alison Weir is fast becoming an auto-buy author for me, and this is another excellent entry in her string of recent historical fictions.

Elizabeth of York is a fascinating and often overlooked figure who was central to the end of the Wars of the Roses. As older sister of the Princes in the Tower, niece of Richard III, husband of Henry VII and mother of Henry VIII, her life ties together some of the most enduring figures in British history but its rare that her perspective is given.

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This is where Alison Weir really comes into her own. As a historian she draws on every source we have, creating a fully-fledged picture of Elizabeth. Every aspect of her was brought to life, from the fear and terror of her childhood, her strength and conviction as she became her father’s heir, and her leadership as queen. I hadn’t appreciated until this book quite how vital her marriage to Henry VII was to ending the Wars of the Roses, and by putting her at the centre, Weir has given a more complete version of this story than is usually told.

One of the pitfalls of this particular subgenre – fictionalised versions of a historical figures life – is that it can be hard to create a satisfying character arc and strong character motivations, but that wasn’t a problem here. I could root for Elizabeth from the very start, and her motivations were always clear which I really appreciated.

On top of that, Nicky Diss provides truly excellent narration, creating an immersive listening experience and a story that you can’t stop listening to. It’s a very long audiobook, much longer than I would usually go for, but it was a joy to listen to the whole time, never dragging or feeling too long.

Alison Weir continues to write the best of historical fiction, and I can’t wait to see who’s story she tells next.

I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.