European Royalty discussion

Royal Mistress
Please discuss Part Four (1483 - 1484,) the Epilogue and the Author's Note here.

I read the book as a review copy and would have enjoyed it even better had I read the very fine Epilogue and Author's Notes first ( issue I have with Kindles and finding my place again).
I blogged about it this way :"Surprising to me, the author, a staunch Richard III supporter, was somewhat disapproving of Richard's treatment of Jane Shore after his brother, Edward IV's death. Smith hopes "I have created an enigmatic personality with flaws" in regards to Richard's character and deeds.
I think she succeeds quite well and the book has twists and turns which take the reader on a journey.
"

I read this right after reading The White Queen by Philippa Gregory so I may be less sympathetic to Jane Shore. That being said I enjoyed the book but really did not love Jane or the overall character development. I agree with Kathleen's post that re: Richard's representation in the book shows a "an enigmatic personality with flaws"

well that was my quote of what the author said.. I agree with her and had been a bit puzzled by her change in perspective of him. Reading the Epilogue and Author's notes helped me to understand it much better. As I mentioned that is just my hesitancy to "flip back and forth" between author's notes and the narrative using a Kindle.

Kathleen wrote: "well that was my quote of what the author said.. I agree with her and had been a bit puzzled by her change in perspective of him. Reading the Epilogue and Author's notes helped me to understand it..."

I was interested to note how difficult it is to flip back and forth on a Kindle, and that you might have enjoyed the book more if you could have read the Author's Note first, Kathleen. I've seen ANs at the front and the back, but because mine are quite detailed and may contain spoilers (!) I like to put it at the back.
As for my Richard perspective--I have always tried to stay true to the facts, and the fact is Richard punished my protagonist quite harshly, and Hastings even more severely. I couldn't fudge those facts, but I could give him, as a person of pious morality and fierce loyalty to his house, his own justification for dealing with Jane and William. Yes, he was not the same young teenager that Kate Haute fell in love with in A Rose for the Crown, but people change and Richard was forced to change when he became the king's brother and Lord of the North. He had unswerving loyalty to both Edward and his wife (BTW, I do NOT believe he had an affair with his niece--outrageous. She may have had a crush on her handsome uncle, but he and Anne had a very successful marriage with no whiff of any infidelity on Richard's part (taking after his father, who had a very happy marriage with Cecily). But I digress!) You must remember that he spent very little time at Edward's court--preferring to remain in Yorkshire for years without showing his face in the south. You can imagine his shock at the physical change in his big, beautiful, athletic brother when he did venture south. Of course I think he was wrong to execute Hastings--but HE thought he was justified. He could not bear disloyalty of any kind and he thought Hastings had betrayed the Yorks by hiding Edward's pre-contract with Eleanor Butler. However, even believing Hastings' betrayed the country, Will did deserve a trial--and that is something I cannot reconcile with my otherwise good opinion of Richard.
I can't be any more honest than that!

I am on my way to London for three weeks to try and help my sister come to terms with a new phase of her life. Her reasoning is failing her and she has no one to care for her but me, 3,000 miles away. So I am signing off on commenting here as I will be very busy and in a non wi-fi house! I have enjoyed reading your comments and hope mine have been illuminating (or at least articulate!). Thank you all so much for choosing to read Royal Mistress, and I hope you will look on Jane Shore a little more kindly from now on. I think she was a tragic figure and a victim of her gender in an age where women had few rights. We've come along way since then--but we can go further. My best wishes to you all, and thanks again.