This is the second part of Bowen’s [Prince and Heretic] about the Prince of Orange (1533-1584). Because I am so interested in the history, I was enthralled with the first part, giving it five stars. Perhaps the writing wasn’t up to that, but my enjoyment of the book definitely was. Here in the second part sees William up through his murder in Delft.

A few things troubled me in the two parts. (1) The use of a seer to foretell the deaths of the brothers. Even though the author had the hindsight of history, that didn’t seem to belong. Would intelligent people in that time have had anything to do with that kind of nonsense? (2) One gets to read way more about fashion at the time than any but a researcher could stand. (3) Use of the second wife’s handmaid to provide the narrative throughout the story. Whether the style of writing in the 1910s when this book was published, or just an awkward device, it resulted in sections like this:
”She walked slowly along the causeway, thinking of her own story interwoven with the great events among which she moved, of the Prince, whose life had come so near to her yet from whom she was for ever separated, of the nation coming, with throes and agonies, into being about her, of whom she was part, yet in which somehow she seemed to have no interest.” (kindle location 9961)

Overall, I found the first installment to be better written, though I very much enjoyed this second part, too. It’s the story, itself, with which I am fascinated. ( )