Robin Maxwell

Set early in the life of Elizabeth, Daughter of the Great Henry VIII, this is a part fictionalised version of her life and the scheming that she gets involved in. She is still only 15 by the book's end, so we dont see the woman who eventually ascends the throne to rule in an almost manly fashion for over 40 years. She is in fact young and immature, and infatuated with her step mother's plotting new husband.[return][return]I did find the book a little too modern in some of the language that the characters used (wont pick out examples right now), and because this is a part fiction account, the second part of the book - where Maxwell admits in the post script to taking certain liberties because she is now working without public record - I do think the book was running the risk of become a little absurd.… (mais)

Al alcanzar el trono de Inglaterra, la joven Isabel I recibe en secreto el diario de su madre, que acaba de ser ejecutada en la Torre de Londres. Este diario revela los entresijos de la relación que Ana Bolena mantuvo con Enrique VIII.
A medida que Isabel descubre a la madre que nunca conoció y comprende la infamia que se cometió con ella, el lector se adentra en la intimidad de la reina para desvelar uno de los misterios más ocuros de la historia: por qué Isabel I, apodada "la Reina Virgen", decidió no casarse ni tener descendencia, acabando así con la dinastía más poderosa que jamás haya gobernado Inglaterra, como la propia Maxwell desarrolla en "El bastardo de la reina", publicado en esta misma colección.… (mais)

Everything an adventure should be. I love Jane's character: her ambition, her determination, her intelligence. Seeing her wild journey throughout the trials she faces and how she works through and triumphs over them was...so freeing for me as a reader, actually. It was immensely satisfying.

I cannot praise enough the description and complexity in this book. There are many character arcs and plotlines that converge and move each other along. The paradisaical "Eden" is portrayed so well that I felt like I was there and getting the same awed inspiration that Jane does. I got completely swept up in some of the scenes, like the fire dancing. So powerful, so enticing.

I had some minor quibbles with some of the story arc framing (e.g. a flashback from Tarzan's perspective somehow delving into another character's thoughts); the "I'm not like the other girls and therefore better" aspect Jane takes on (though she does work through this slightly); and a couple instances of sex happening after the characters are angry. However, none of these things last long, happen often, or detract from the excellent aspects of this story.

Note that I have not read the original Tarzan stories so I cannot make any comparisons, but this retelling from Jane's perspective is brilliant.… (mais)