The Lady of the Rivers (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #1)

Jacquetta of Luxembourg, a descendant of the water goddess Melusina, possesses the second sight, allowing her to glimpse the future through card readings and visions. Following the death of her first husband, the Duke of Bedford, she defies social hierarchy by secretly marrying Richard Woodville, a man of lower birth. Her life becomes a sequence of political survival as she serves Queen Margaret of Anjou during the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses. Jacquetta manages the volatile English court while raising a large family, eventually witnessing her daughter Elizabeth's rise to the throne.

Readers of historical fiction and light fantasy choose this book to witness the internal mechanics of the Lancastrian court through a female lens. It appeals to those interested in the overlap between medieval politics and pagan folklore. The narrative provides a detailed look at the Woodville family’s rapid social climb and the risks associated with wartime loyalty. Readers walk away with a specific understanding of how noblewomen exercised influence through marriage alliances and personal counsel during the chaotic transition between the Plantagenet and Tudor eras.

Contemplative and escapist; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?