The Virgin Queen's Daughter
Written by Ella March Chase
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
But Nell's heart yearns for something more, and a chance meeting with Princess Elizabeth, then a prisoner of the Tower of London, pushes her closer toward finding it. Now, years later, Nell's chance arrives when she is summoned to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth.
But a lingering rumor about nine unaccounted-for months in the Virgin Queen's past reignites when the flame-haired Nell-a mirror image of Her Majesty both physically and intellectually-arrives at court. Quickly she catches the eye not only of the cunning Elizabeth, but of those who would see the queen fail.
Engrossing and enlightening, The Virgin Queen's Daughter brings to life one of the greatest mysteries of one of the greatest monarchs.
From the Compact Disc edition.
Ella March Chase
ELLA MARCH CHASE cannot remember a time she did not want to write historical fiction. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. She lives in a house filled with books and music and is lovingly herded by a loyal Shetland sheepdog named Oliver. Chase is the author of The Virgin Queen’s Daughter and Three Maids for a Crown, a story of the Grey Sisters.
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Reviews for The Virgin Queen's Daughter
62 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Young Elinor de Lacy has spent much of her life at Calverley Hall in the country, locked away from all the scandals and intrigues of court. After a chance meeting with the young Elizabeth Tudor, at the time imprisoned in the Tower of London, Elinor develops an affection and loyalty for the princess, that develops into a burning desire to go to court. After Elizabeth becomes queen and Elinor's father dies, her sheltering mother has no other choice but to send Elinor to court to find her a suitable husband. At court, Elinor quickly finds herself as Maid of Honor to Queen Elizabeth, and, while caught in the webs of court, finds that the story behind her birth may be a lie.Newcomer Ella March Chase takes on one of the biggest scandals and mysteries in history: could Elizabeth I, the so-called Virgin Queen, have a child? Effortlessly weaving together fact with fiction, Chase presents an intriguing and enthralling "what if" scenario that offers a solution, as well as a face, for the long-standing Tudor mystery.Not only is Chase an excellent historian, but a talented writer who balances effective prose with plot and lush period detail. For me, one of the biggest pitfalls that many historical fiction novels tend to have is that they are rather slow at the beginning, but Virgin Queen's Daughter doesn't suffer from this common issue. In fact, it was so enthralling that from the beginning that I never wanted to put it down. I ended up reading the book in two days, grabbing whatever reading moments I could between work and life. With fast-paced intrigue, incredibly well-constructed characters, detailed period research and a downright fascinating premise, Virgin Queen's Daughter is highly recommended for any fan of historical fiction (though I'd warn that it's lighter on the romance, though there is a romantic subplot). One of the best genre books I've read this year. Can't wait for Chase's follow up, Three Maids for a Crown, in August.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Loved this book! Based on the longheld belief that Queen Elizabeth had a child out of wedlock prior to ascending the thrown. If you like Phillipa Gregory or Elizabeth Chadwick, then you will want to read this one!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was entertaining, as most novels containing the vindictive, petty, jealous, and headstrong Elizabeth Tudor tend to be. It contained the usual court drama and intrigue, courtiers tip toeing around the queen, being fearful of all they say, kissing her majesy's rear end, and having quiet, forbidden affairs. This book was very well written and I found it impressive as debut novels go. Nothing makes it stand out from other royal court dramas tho except the fact that one of the ladies in waiting may very well be Elizabeth's secret daughter. Nell, a well to do country girl, grows up very protected by her mother, Lady Calverly, and after the death of her beloved father, Nell blatantly brushes aside her mother's warnings and goes to court to serve Queen Elizabeth. From there, the drama ensues. A visit from her old nanny strikes fear into Nell's heart as she is informed that she is not the country girl she thought she was, but a forbidden princess. Death, scandal, secrets, and torture ensue as Elizabeth gets wind that there may be a threat to her throne. Will Nell's life be spared?
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I thought it was an interesting take on the life of Queen Elizabeth and the "what if" scenario. It never occured to me that such a thing could have possibly have happened. Who knows? this book explores it well and what I loved the most about it was the realistic account of court life during that specific time period. There was no romanticizing court life, it's more cutthroat, like being in a lion's den and no one is really safe from anybody. One little rumor and everything could fall like a pack of dominos lined up one after the other. It was certainly a very intriguing and interesting book I couldn't find myself to put it down. It was well written, wonderful descriptions and to the point, court life was realistic and there is LOTS of intrigue. There is so much plotting going on you start feeling like Nell, and you feel you can't trust anybody with any of your secrets in the court. It was an absolute fun and interesting read. I liked Nell from beginning to end. She was so strong and although a bit headstrong and naive at times, she's mature enough to learn from her mistakes and continue to stay strong. Her traits were admirable and inspiring. I liked her relationship to Gabriel as well. They did suit each other and although it was obvious he was trying to help her, you couldn't help but mistrust him at the same time. He may seem very immature at first, and you share a dislike in him as Nell did at first, but as their relationship develops, you eventually accept him, and like him too. I also loved Nell's friendship with Mary Grey although an odd pair at first, and probably friends because they were "outcasts", Mary was probably one of the very few decent ladies in court (you'll find the maids of honor are rather catty and hard to deal with).Queen Elizabeth wasn't the nicest Queen either in this book, and I liked how the book portrayed her. Sometimes it does get tiring of reading on how great she was, I'm sure she has her evil bad days as well. In this book you'll find a much more mean, catty, jealous side to Elizabeth and not the wonderful regal Queen we're so used to reading about. The only criticism I can give to this book is, a little more historical information should have been given in the Author's note. It might help to have a bit more of an introduction for those that aren't too well versed with the history behind the Tudors. Overall, a wonderful exciting intriguing book about life in Queen Elizabeth's court, I definitely recommend this book to fans of Tudor England.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Virgin Queen's Daughter by Ella March Chase is a wonderful tale of a favorite legend from the reign of England's Queen Elizabeth I. For many centuries it has been told that Elizabeth I had a child although most legends say that it was a son. I find it interesting that Ella March Chase changed the traditional son to a daughter. The story was realistic, it was believeable that Nell was Elizabeth's daughter and Ms. Chase did her research thouroughly. The descriptions of the time period are accurate and Nell does remind you of Elizabeth, herself. This is a fascinating novel and I recomend it to Tudor enthusiasts and everyone, alike.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5There are rumors that Queen Elizabeth had a child in the years that she stayed with Catherine Parr as a young adult. This story imagines what might have happened if Elizabeth had had a daughter in secret. Nell de Lacey grew up knowing nothing of the terrible circumstances surrounding her birth. Elizabeth thought her daughter had been killed after birth to destroy the damning evidence of her affair. In secret, the midwife had taken the child and delivered her to a mother unable to have children of her own. Now years later, Nell has become a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth and old secrets are starting to unravel. This is an engrossing historical romance full of intrigue and suspense. I enjoyed the storyline and the well-drawn setting. However, the writing could use some improvement. Often times, the author would reveal something that she wanted the reader to know about the characters by simply having another character ask a pointed question. This was used far too often and it seemed like a cheap literary device. She would also refer to one thing or another in a way that was inappropriate to the storyline in order to introduce a subject. For example, Nell kept referring to a scar on her hand that she had had since birth. Most people do not constantly think of old wounds they have had their entire lives, so it stood out in the story. Later, bother Nell and the reader learn that there is significance to the scar. Examples like this brought me out of the story that I so desperately wanted to be caught up in. Overall, the novel was enjoyable, but it could use some work.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A pleasant little historical confection working from the premise that Queen Elizabeth I had a daughter.Court intrigue, romance, torture - a nice, fluffy read.As historical fiction goes I prefer Sharon Kay Penman, but the Tudors are always fun & this one kept me occupied on BART.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Somewhat convincing argument in favor of Elizabeth having given birth, to a child by Thomas Seymour.
I still don't believe it, but it was a good illustration of how it may have happened. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/53.5 stars really. The story was definitely slow to begin with, but did feel like more of a 'thriller' towards the end. I had no idea what would happen and did care more about the characters and story by that point! The ideas were good, but so much of it was just so difficult to believe, even small details. However, it's obviously a work of fiction and not meant to be taken seriously, and I did enjoy some of the more shocking events. The second half, when I reached it, was very entertaining. Recommended, but may take a little while to get into.