I love historical fiction. And I do not know a lot about this period in history so was excited to get this ARC from Netgalley. I must admit, I was not immediately drawn in and almost stopped reading. But I journeyed on and was soon drawn into the worlds of Nicola, Drue, Henry Tudor, King Richard, and the entire cast of characters. Interspersed with the political drama is a love story that at times had me pulling out my hair at the stupidity of the two main characters yet I couldn’t top reading. Just as an aside, I felt the ending was satisfying and the epilogue added nothing and was totally unnecessary. Overall a satisfying read which made me want to learn more about this historical period. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really like Tudor history and this book did not disappoint! The storytelling was rich and made you feel like as the reader, you had been dropped right in the time period with the characters. While the battle for the throne between Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Henry Tudor ignites a nation, Lady Nicola Weldon embarks on a perilous road to play her part in ensuring Tudor claims the throne. The addition of the 'Symbol Maker' is a great twist to the story where the belief of heretics and witches is a constant fear or threat. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Tudor history!

A mysterious historical fiction, Gutierrez sets up the characters of the York and Tudor families, friends and supporters, but things get a bit jumbled. Although I liked the plot, the writing was a bit heavy with stagnant details and became hard to read and follow. Many scenes were a bit elementary and the writing did not flow naturally. Not a bad try but I’m sorry to say, not one I would recommend.

There's the main plot - how will Henry Tudor become king - and the myriad of subplots that keep cropping up. And will the beautiful symbol maker's fiesty daughter and handsome, smart Lord Drue ever realize they are meant for each other? There's a lot of riding through the dense forests of 15th century England in attempts to outsmart the evil enemies. Although I was quite engaged in the story, it seemed a little too long. The length does reflect the depth of people, places and ways of life during the time period. Be prepared for a lot of beheadings.

4/5 stars.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a historical fiction book and this one reminded me why I love that genre.
In my opinion, it reminded me a lot of a Lucy Worsley documentary. More specifically, like the one she did recently with BBC & PBS for Henry VIII’s six wives. It was a mini series that split the time between Lucy telling us the history in her usual entertaining way with specific scenes played out by actors. That is exactly what this book was like. It felt like it was giving me both the broad strokes of the history surrounding the end of the War of the Roses and then would give specific scenes played out. I loved it.
It also reminded me of The Princess Bride with all the sword fighting and sea battles and assassins and politics and true love. Like the Love Interest definitely hit those vibes of “I’ll burn the world down to keep her safe.” The only thing that bugged me was the Love Interest a handful of times saying, oh she used to be this scared girl and now this beautiful and strong woman stands before me. I know she was the age of maturity and barely a year passed throughout this book, but that line sounded weird and a little like grooming. Which it wasn’t. I just didn’t like that line. But I loved him and her together. They were so cute.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to a friend or anyone who loves history or even a fan of Game of Thrones since that series is loosely based off these events.
Thank you to the NetGalley and River Grove Books for providing the ARC for my honest review.

England's history comes with a great deal of tumult...murder, mayhem and lawlessness. This story is set just before the Tudor dynasty starts their reign in history. Complex characters (many of them). Told through the eyes of Nicola, whose father is a jeweler, Upon her father's death, it is her task to tell Henry what her father prophesized, that he will be the next king of England. We follow the journey of Nicola as she becomes involved with the intrigue surrounding her. Set with descriptions of scenery, event and landscapes, this book would be welcome on any historical fan's library shelf.

I'm fascinated by this time period and by historical stories in general. You could tell the author absolutely studied this time period since there was so much history in the book! I love books that make me keep my computer opened to a search engine so I can check out some of the historical facts presented. Amazing.

Having said that, I wasn't as enamored with the book on a complete story scale. A death bed request to get 'symbols' to Henry Tudor, leads Nicola on a trek. Lots of traveling, lots of different places, lots of words. This book was long, a bit tedious at times, and repetitive.

I loved the historical perspective. For me, the beginning was a bit confusing and although it kind of straightened out as I read along, the book could have been shorter without sacrificing the story.

I have read many novels in this time period before Henry Tudor takes the throne so I already knew the battle brewing. I love the mysterious disappearance of the princes in the tower so I thought this book would be right up my alley. This is the story of Nicola. Her father is killed and she must tell Henry Tudor that her father prophesied that he would be King. Henry must not give up the throne to his Uncle Richard. I liked the premise but the story was too long and meandering. Not much was really happening. They just kept traveling here and there. There was a lot of repetition that an editor should have caught. The reader would be told what happens to someone convicted of treason, and then a few paragraphs later we are told the exact same thing. Nicola tells Lizzie she must get to where the battle will take place because her man will not survive without her, then a few paragraphs later, she says he will survive but she still must go. Then when Nicola gets to the battlefield she asks Lizzie what she is doing there. What?! Diablo is looking for Nicola. He talks with Kelly and tells her Nicola would be traveling alone. Then a few sentences later, he tells Kelly she might be alone or she might be with someone. There were just contradictions everywhere. The story just dragged and Diablo's character was pointless and so was the romance. I cared more about the Henry and Richard chapters the most.

This is an incredible read. I was sucked into the drama and intrigue from the very beginning. It sent me to the internet several times to find out more. I was totally captivated by the ruthlessness of the quest for the crown. It would be an interesting book to read right now with students and compare and discuss the similarities and differences in our current times with those in the book. This is the first book I've read by Claire Gutierrez, but it will not be my last!

Symbol Makers Daughter by Clare Gutierrez takes you to the 1480s just before Henry Tudor becomes King. Lady Nicola Wealdon is entrusted by her father to carry a message to Henry. This is the story of said adventure. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this read is awesome! A lot of research went into this. Very accurate description of scenery, events and landscape. The characters and their thoughts and feelings are well described. I highly recommend and will look into other books by this author. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the premise of this book but the pacing was off. I think some of the plot could've been deleted ro shooter the story and it would've been easier to follow.

If you remember the War of the Roses, when the Tudor finally took the throne uniting the two families, you will enjoy the Symbol Maker's Daughter, by Claire Gutierrez. Lord Weldon saw visions and made two jewelry pieces that were to go to Henry Tudor and his mother. The symbols in the pieces were prophecies to let Henry know he would become King of England. As Lord Weldon was dying, he made his daughter Nichola promise to get the pieces delivered.

Nicola has the help of Drue and his band of soldiers to make this perilous journey and present her father's piece to Henry. Follow Nicola through 15th Century England and Brittany as she grows from a girl to a young woman, falls in love, and impacts the future of England.

Symbol Maker’s Daughter is a romance set in the time just before the emergence of Henry Tudor who will become King Henry VII. The protagonist is a young woman whose father, a jeweler as well as a lord, tasks her with delivering a message to Henry Tudor. The problem is that the message is from the occult, and witches are feared in times in which this books is set.

At 434 pages, Symbol Maker’s Daughter is far too long. There are too many repetitions of her objective. She is also a TSTL heroine—one who is too stupid to live, endangering not only herself but others as she races off to complete her task without fully thinking things through.

A large cast of characters and a distant point of view keeps the reader from establishing a relationship with any of them, including the protagonist and her love interest, the prince of a fictional country near the Papal States.

There is a wealth of historical detail, however, that sets the scene quite well.

The #SymbolMakersDaughter was a miss for me as the pacing was way too slow. There’s a lot going on in this story as Henry and Richard fight for the right to be king of England, but the large cast of characters is difficult to keep straight. The story kept bouncing around from the Yorks and their supporters to the Tudors and their supporters. I never really felt engaged with the main characters. In tone and language, it is seemed more targeted to a YA audience.

Also confused as to why Nicola is referred to as Lady Weldon. My understanding is that Lady Weldon would be a title for married woman (i.e. Nicola’s mother while she was alive). If Nicola had a title, as an unmarried daughter, it would be Lady Nicola. Maybe things were different in the 1400s.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #GreenleafBookGr for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/62327923

Symbol Maker's Daughter
by Clare Gutierrez
Pub Date: 13 Sep 2022

A thrilling historical tale of destiny set in 1400s England

Symbol Maker's Daughter takes us on the journey of a singular woman forced from the comfortable life she knows into a world of danger and intrigue that will test her will as never before. While the battle for the throne between King Richard III and Henry Tudor ignites a nation, Lady Nicola Weldon embarks on a perilous road to play her part in ensuring Tudor claims the throne.

“She had been unable to open that door when she tried before. Today, the door was cracked open. There was no sound coming from inside. Looking cautiously around behind her, Nicola pushed open the door and stepped in. She had already tiptoed deep into the room when she saw Garrett and Drue. Drue was leaning over Garrett’s lifeless body, which was slumped against the wall. Nicola gasped, and Drue spun around to find her staring at him. 'Nicola, come here,’ he ordered, straightening himself up.

Terrified, Nicola began to back away, slowly, step by step, keeping her eyes on Drue. She kept her hand over her mouth to silence a scream as she continued to back away. Drue walked slowly toward her, wiping his hands on a cloth tied around his waist. 'Nicola,’ Drue spoke again as he continued to move toward her, “come here.’”

a wonderful historical story that is witty and unpredictable and filled with interesting complex characters. Lady Nicola Weldon becomes entrenched in mystery and intrigue upon the death of her father, being taken by guardians who claim to be doing her fathers' bidding. Murder and mayhem ensue and this is one of those books you cannot put down! A real page turner and a must read!

Symbol Maker's Daughter takes us back in time to the world of King Richard's court and all the intrigue that occurred. The journey of a young woman by her father forces her into a life of danger to deliver the symbols he has dreamed to Henry Tudor. The battle between Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and Henry Tudor divides a country as to who will be the King of England. Lady Nicola Weldon endeavors to follow the request of her father to ensure the Tudor dynasty.

Nicola will be tested to the depths of her beliefs and strengths as Drue fights to keep her safe and in order to do his duty to his brother, the King of Vieneto. These two will have many challenges to ahead of them as their future is changing before their eyes.

I really enjoyed this book. I am drawn to stories of the past involving this time period. The addition of the 'Symbol Maker' is a great twist to the story where the belief of heretics and witches is a constant fear or threat. The writing is wonderful, and the characters are well developed as well as strong. They would have to be during this time period. The story is rich with details of history but woven with fiction to make it a wonderfully believable story.

Lovely story set before the reign of Henry VII.. The many characters can be confusing at times, mostly at the beginning. They progressively fall in place and make it easier to follow the story. The author created a strong main female character. Overall it was a good read.

Excellent historical fiction, set in the time of Richard of Gloucester and Henry Tudor, and their battle for the English Crown. Lady Nicola Weldon is a strong character fighting for her place in a swirling court of intrigue.

'The Symbol Maker's Daughter' by Clare Gutierrez weaves an interesting spin on English history following the death of King Edward IV. His sons vanish within the walls of the Tower of London. His brother-in-law Lord Rivers is murdered. His brother Richard usurps the throne to become the infamous King Richard III. His reign is short-lived, ending in his own death on the battlefield at Bosworth Field. The victor, Henry Tudor, becomes King Henry VII, thus starting the ever fascinating Tudor dynasty.
Gutierrez's spin is to add the characters of Lord Weldon, his daughter Lady Nicola, and Prince Drue, among others. Weldon and then his daughter have the mission of giving Henry Tudor a very important symbol, proving that he will be king. It's a treacherous road Nicola and Drue travel, full of death and destruction.
Despite knowing from my own personal reading that there was no symbol maker, the story drew me and held me captive. The idea of this one young woman being the person that gives Henry the resolve to stay the course and fight for the throne was quite appealing. However, there were times that Nicola and Drue were too stubborn for their own good, particularly Nicola. Something I've noticed is that too many authors, particularly female authors, think strength in a woman means be overly hard-headed. That's not strength to me...that's unnecessary foolishness because the female character is trying too hard to "an independent woman".
Aside from this, I enjoyed the book. It was a good mix of factual events and fictional characters that the reader can connect with. Definitely a keeper for fans of historical fiction deal with the last phase of the Wars of the Roses.