Originally published on my blog at therelentlessreader.comAll I want to do is squeeee and gush and tell you to READ THIS BOOK! I'll try to contain myself.You may already know that I'm a big fan of historical fiction. I'm always on the lookout for a book that can take me back in time. It's been a long while since I read a smashing good royal historical fiction. Until now.The Queen's Vow is about Isabella of Castile. You know Isabella. She's the gal that sponsored Columbus's voyage to the New World. If that's all you know about her you are missing out. I've read other accounts of her life. She's been painted as the cruel queen behind the Spanish Inquisition. There is so much more to her story. Her motives for supporting the Inquisition aren't as cut and dried as it would seem. Gortner did his research and he clears up many misconceptions.Isabella was a women who took matters into her own hands. She married who she wanted to in a time when that was slightly frowned upon. She took control of a country that was in the hands of crooked noblemen and under constant enemy threat. She fought for her beloved country, she fought to retain her crown. She was a strong, fascinating woman.C.W. Gortner brings Isabella to vivid life. His rendering is lush, opulent, and absolutely scrumptious! I'll say it again: READ THIS BOOK.
