All the Queen's Players

by Jane Feather

Book Overview

At Queen Elizabeth's palace, intrigue abounds. And when a naive girl with a gift for keen observation enters the court, she can hardly imagine the role she will play in bringing England--indeed, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416525548
• ISBN13: 9781416525547
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Spend an afternoon curled up with this book

Rosamund Walsingham comes from a notable family in Tudor England, motherless, she grows up in her father's household until she is whisked away to go to London, and by a chance encounter she is sent to court, but for a reason. She is sent to court to spy for her Uncle Francis Walsingham, and when that assignment doesn't go well, she goes to spy on the Catholic Queen Mary who is jailed. I found the plot to be compelling the writing style will whisk you through the book, there were very little periods where the book was slow for me. If you are a strict period person, this book may not fully appeal to you, forks are used a little too early, but many of the atmospheric descriptions are wonderfully compelling, and you will feel as if you are right there, as descriptions of sights, sense, and smell are all described. I loved the way you get a sense of the environment and where these characters lived. While this may not be a straight forward bodice ripper, this book is definately worth reading, and is a wonderful way to spend an afteroon curled up with this book.

Good historical fiction

I read tons of historical fiction, especially those relating to the Tudor time frame, and sometimes I get tired or reading about the same characters over and over. This book pulls in characters like Christopher Marlow and Francis Walsingham, and gives a really great view of what spying and being a female in those times was like. I enjoyed the main character a lot and thought the author did a great job giving us an historical fiction that was slightly a different view of the norm. If you enjoy other books about the Tudor time frame I think you'll enjoy this one too.

One of Jane Feather's best

Jane Feather is a very good writer. Usually she writes romance books, and usually they are a little edgy and controversial. I like her books, in general. I think they are better written than most of the offerings in the genre. I find her books interesting, because she doesn't stick to the established formulas. For example, some of her books contain rape scenes, which makes them off-limits for a sizable minority of romance readers. But the biggest thing I like about her is she hasn't bowed to the pressure and taken up writing paranormal romances. There are no vampires in Jane Feather's books and I admire her creative independence, even if her books don't have the mass market appeal that some of those silly vampire books have. This latest book is not a romance book at all. There is some love and lust involved, but it doesn't follow the formula. There is a heroine, but no clear hero. Instead of love triumphing over insurmountable odds, we get love briefly stolen and forever lost. I would call this a story of court intrigue, and also a coming of age story. Rosamund is a very young woman thrust into the inner circle of Queen Elizabeth's court. The people who should be protecting her are not doing a very good job. Her brother is gallivanting with the theater set. Her other brother is simply not interested. Her uncle is using her for purposes of espionage. The Queen's ladies are vicious in the extreme. Various courtiers are trying to catch her alone so they can debauch her. It's a hostile environment for such a young person. But Rosamund is intelligent and resourceful, and she manages to hold her own. She snatches bits of pleasure for herself, and manages to be more than a pawn in other people's conspiracies. When she is caught and banished, she faces her fate with dignity and compassion. This is a complicated story, richly told. I enjoyed the fictional references to historical characters, especially the Elizabethan playwrights, Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd. The characters Francis Walsingham and Ingram Frizer are also well-painted. You could tell Jane Feather did quite a bit of research into the characters and settings, and then let her imagination take over. The result is a very good story, well written, and captivating.

terrific Elizabethan Era thriller

Forced to watch the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, Rosamund Walsingham look forward to when she can leave the royal intrigue behind. Rosamund muses on happier times before her royal entanglements. That ended when, through her brother Thomas, she met the writer Christopher Marlowe, who brought her to Queen Elizabeth's attention where her relative secretary of state Sir Francis Walsingham demands her loyalty to him or else. Her Highness appreciated Rosamund's fine drawings. However, Rosamund understood her role was being an espionage agent ferreting out Catholic intrigue against the Queen. When she met courtier Will Creighton, they fell in love; but that is an emotion an undercover agent cannot afford to embrace. This is a terrific Elizabethan Era thriller starring a heroine who wants out, but understands the only way out of spying is death. Readers see through Rosamund's eyes and somewhat that of Kit too, the court of Queen Elizabeth. In many ways Marlowe is the fascinating player on the Elizabethan stage as he brings freshness to the mix especially with his gay lover. Historical fiction reader swill welcome Jane feather into the fold as All the Queen's Players understand death is one stroke away. Harriet Klausner