Review: The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason

Book Info: The King's Daughter by Christie Dickason

Author Extras: Website

Publisher: Harper Collins

Source: TLC Book Tours, Publisher for Review

Rating: 4/5

Summary from the Publisher:

The daughter of a king – on sale to the highest bidder. As First Daughter of England, Elizabeth seems to live a life of privilege and luxury. Yet she is imprisoned by duty; a helpless pawn in the political machinations of her father, James I. She trusts only her beloved brother Henry until she is sent a slave-girl, Tallie, who becomes her unlikely advisor. As their friendship grows, the innocent Elizabeth must learn to listen to dangerous truths about her louche father and his volatile court. Can she risk playing their games of secrecy and subterfuge in order to forge her path to love and freedom?

Review:

It's been a little while since I've read any historical fiction, but this genre is one of my favorites when I just want to escape into a book.  So many HF books these days focus on the Tudors, and I was initially drawn to this book because it didn't.  I enjoy reading about different historical figures and time periods, instead of focusing on just one era.

Dickason really brought the Jacobean court to life.  The King's Daughter was rich in detail, but it wasn't overpowering.  I could really picture the clothes, the lifestyle, and those are the details that make a book special. 

I really liked Elizabeth, though I found myself feeling sorry for her for much of the book. Especially when it came to her father, she was simply a pawn to be used and manipulated.  King James was particularly unlikable, which made me that much more sympathetic to Elizabeth.  At times though, she did seem a little modern in her thinking.  It wasn't enough to be unbelievable, but just enough to make me pause.

The King's Daughter is a very enjoyable book, and a found myself staying up late to finish the book.  I will be reading more of Dickason's work, especially if she continues telling Elizabeth's story.

About the Author:

 Christie Dickason was born in America but also lived as a child in Thailand, Mexico and Switzerland. Harvard-educated, and a former theatre director and choreographer (with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at Ronnie Scott's among others), she lives in London with her family.