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The Last Queen A Novel C W Gortner Books

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The Last Queen A Novel C W Gortner Books

Juana of Castile, more commonly known as Juana La Loca, fumes in mid-sixteenth century Spain as she is forced into a betrothal with Philip of Hapsburg. How many political ties of nations were both forged and decimated by the ever-changing vicissitudes of power-hungry monarchs throughout Europe. Outrageous and disgusting, Juana imagines, but she must cooperate with her parents' political plans!

Imagine Juana's surprise at the consuming attraction she feels toward Philip when she first meets him and he meets her. Their initial meeting is so strong that they consummate their unorthodox marriage immediately and only later suffer the formal rite for the people's joyful celebration. So lost is Juana in this glorious, lustful union that she forgets she has been groomed by her parents, Ferdinand and Isabella, to be the proud Queen of Spain.

Little by little, though, we learn that Isabella is the primordial force in ruling Spain and strong, compliant Ferdinand hides an insatiable hunger to rule in his own right. Indeed, Juana's Philip, fatherless from a young age and counseled by a greedy, rapacious cleric, has more in common with Ferdinand than one would ever imagine in the early scenes of this initially romantic story.

Juana carries a secret which occasionally lurks in her daily thoughts. Was her grandmother mad or did she become so after Isabella forced her into seclusion with only basic needs and services provided? Is there a family strain of madness or is this just more of the political machinations driving a constantly threatened monarchy?

By the time Isabella is dying, Philip has matured into a King who will ride the see-saw of politics into what he perceives to be his best shot at expanding his Hapsburg kingdom and protecting it from attack by more powerful kingdoms. The second half of this riveting story is riddled with suspense as the once intense lovers, Philip and Juana, evolve into bitter enemies through a series of planned but stunning moves. Will Philip forge a new treaty of peace with France, Italy or Spain? Watch how Juana appears to compliantly follow her husband but tenaciously plans and implements her own confrontations and loyalties!

Here is where the author truly excels, imagining and presenting a dramatic campaign for power in such a forceful and beguiling manner that the reader is totally unprepared for the conclusion.

C. W. Gortner's physical descriptions of Spain, the Hapsburg empire and the other European lands through which Philip and Juana live and travel are beautiful, even gorgeous, like a lush painting come alive that the reader is privileged to enter. The reader also receives a fine sense of the politics and history of the time which immensely adds to the fascinating plot moving forward to a captivating end!!

The Last Queen: A Novel is a superb, phenomenal read and should be on the top ten fiction bestsellers across the country! Here's to hoping C. W. Gortner will keep writing such masterful, literary historical fiction!!!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on April 23, 2008


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The Last Queen A Novel C W Gortner Books Reviews

I chose this book for an easy history lesson on Spain prior to traveling there. I got much more than I asked for. Gortner writes with an inviting voice that portrays emotions very well, allowing me to suffer through the years with Juana. The understanding I gained of the royals and their disbursement throughout Europe was wonderful. I was not aware that Isabella had planned so well for her daughters. I wish the author had spent more of her talent on the environs. With that said, this was a book that I didn't want to put down and I would definitely recommend it for anyone interested in historical fiction.
Before I read this novel, the only things I knew of Juana of Spain were that she was Katherine of Aragon's sister and that she was called "Juana the Mad." Therefore, I was pleased to learn about her life, the choices she made (and that were made for her), and about the interaction with and her feelings for her parents, especially her father. The author explores the probability that Juana may not have been "mad," that she possibly suffered from what we know of today of bipolar disorder, and that this disorder may have run in her family. All in all, a very interesting read.
I read quite a bit of European history when I was in high school and college, and all I knew of Juana of Castile was her nickname Juana La Loca-- Joanna the Mad. The nickname intrigued me because even then I knew that everyone who was referred to as mad wasn't necessarily so. If someone has something that you want, one of the best ways to get it from them is to make people believe they're crazy.

Gortner portrays Juana as a brave, intelligent, and passionate woman whose strengths were used against her. The story is told from Juana's point of view, and as I read I became her staunch defender. I kept wondering why Isabella would send her daughter off with-- basically-- no weapons in her arsenal, no champions of substance to fight in her corner. It's as though Isabella thought she had super blood that would transmit everything to her offspring that her daughter could possibly need. As my own levels of anger and frustration mounted, I kept reminding myself of my reading all those years ago, those random mentions of Juana La Loca, and I knew what would happen, but that didn't keep me from becoming emotionally involved in a centuries-old story.

It is true that winners are the ones who write the histories, but thanks to historians, teachers, and the talents of authors like C.W. Gortner, we can still learn about the losers, many of whom deserved much better than they received.
Juana of Castile, more commonly known as Juana La Loca, fumes in mid-sixteenth century Spain as she is forced into a betrothal with Philip of Hapsburg. How many political ties of nations were both forged and decimated by the ever-changing vicissitudes of power-hungry monarchs throughout Europe. Outrageous and disgusting, Juana imagines, but she must cooperate with her parents' political plans!

Imagine Juana's surprise at the consuming attraction she feels toward Philip when she first meets him and he meets her. Their initial meeting is so strong that they consummate their unorthodox marriage immediately and only later suffer the formal rite for the people's joyful celebration. So lost is Juana in this glorious, lustful union that she forgets she has been groomed by her parents, Ferdinand and Isabella, to be the proud Queen of Spain.

Little by little, though, we learn that Isabella is the primordial force in ruling Spain and strong, compliant Ferdinand hides an insatiable hunger to rule in his own right. Indeed, Juana's Philip, fatherless from a young age and counseled by a greedy, rapacious cleric, has more in common with Ferdinand than one would ever imagine in the early scenes of this initially romantic story.

Juana carries a secret which occasionally lurks in her daily thoughts. Was her grandmother mad or did she become so after Isabella forced her into seclusion with only basic needs and services provided? Is there a family strain of madness or is this just more of the political machinations driving a constantly threatened monarchy?

By the time Isabella is dying, Philip has matured into a King who will ride the see-saw of politics into what he perceives to be his best shot at expanding his Hapsburg kingdom and protecting it from attack by more powerful kingdoms. The second half of this riveting story is riddled with suspense as the once intense lovers, Philip and Juana, evolve into bitter enemies through a series of planned but stunning moves. Will Philip forge a new treaty of peace with France, Italy or Spain? Watch how Juana appears to compliantly follow her husband but tenaciously plans and implements her own confrontations and loyalties!

Here is where the author truly excels, imagining and presenting a dramatic campaign for power in such a forceful and beguiling manner that the reader is totally unprepared for the conclusion.

C. W. Gortner's physical descriptions of Spain, the Hapsburg empire and the other European lands through which Philip and Juana live and travel are beautiful, even gorgeous, like a lush painting come alive that the reader is privileged to enter. The reader also receives a fine sense of the politics and history of the time which immensely adds to the fascinating plot moving forward to a captivating end!!

The Last Queen A Novel is a superb, phenomenal read and should be on the top ten fiction bestsellers across the country! Here's to hoping C. W. Gortner will keep writing such masterful, literary historical fiction!!!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on April 23, 2008