Faithful Traitor

St. Marget Pole is one of my heroines, so I was delighted to find this excellent novel of her life. Margaret was a Planagenit princess, the nice of Richard III. Her family was in the sights of Henry VI and later Henry VIII. Married off to a baron below her station, it became a love match and she had five children that lived to adulthood.

The book begins a few years before her youngest child's death and end with her execution in the 1540's. Her life was full of ups and downs and this book spares us little of it. Because of her York heritage Margaret and her family were a threat to Henry VIII, especially after he broke from the Catholic Church.

Margaret was ultimately imprisoned by Henry, first under house arrest and ultimately in the Tower, where she was executed without trial, the oldest of the Tudor martyrs under Henry.

The details of her life are not well-known and Wilcoxson's book does a wonderful job of bringing them to light.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

This book discusses the tragic life of Margaret Pole who was somewhat outspoken and devoted to Queen Catherine and her daughter, Princess Mary. She was to speak intemperately at times and ran afoul of her cousin, King Henry VIII.

At first, she and Henry had a close relationship. She was restored to her former status as Countess of Salisbury and her finances increased accordingly. But when Henry decided to rid himself of his first wife, Catherine, Margaret spoke up for Catherine and the cracks in her and Henry's friendship began to show. Still, when Mary was forbidden to see her mother Margaret was chosen to be her governess.

Margaret and Mary got along quite well and Margaret was certain that Henry would name her heir to the throne when he passed. However, it was not to be. Mary's refusal to acknowledge Henry's new wife, Anne brought Henry's wrath down upon her. Margaret supported her in this. Mary was ordered to atttend upon her half-sister Elizabeth, bastardized and must now call herself Lady Mary.

While two (actually three, but one died), of Margaret's sons attended Henry at his court, another son, Reginald, could not keep his counsel regarding the divorce and exile of Catherine. The aging and increasingly paranoid and wrathful Henry could not tolerate this. Reginald fled England.

Fate continued to deal Margaret Pole deadly blows.

This book was well written in a linear fashion. One event followed another in a logical progression. I like the way that Ms. Wilcoxson portrayed the women in the story as strong and capable, without needing a man to lean on. The book shows clear evidence of exhaustive research, but the story is told in a less formal manner. It is a compulsive read and I strongly suggest it to anyone who enjoys Tudor history, or just history in general.

I want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for forwarding to me a copy of this informative and instructive book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Faithful Traitor, Samantha J Wilcoxson

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Historical Fiction

I love this kind of historical fiction, with roots based in what happened, in events of the time, but taken so that the author fills in missing details. Its speculative, its fiction but well researched and very plausible. I loved the first book, featuring Elizabeth of York, mother to Henry VIII, and this book sees Henry as King, and Margaret Pole as lady in waiting and friend to Catherine, his Queen.

I know little of Margaret other than her Plantagenet connection, and its that faint thread of blood that gives her position in society as cousin to the King, yet also makes life for her and her family so dangerous.
I really felt for her, she had a tumultuous childhood, losing her father and other family suddenly due to twisting alliances, and the tenuous hold the Tudors think they have on the throne.
Its always like that in history, Kings rule by fear, ridding themselves of possible threats by harsh means. It difficult to understand from a modern viewpoint, but harsh though it was I can see that there was little else they could do sometimes. Kind of reminds me of lions, when the males win over an opponent and takeover the herd, first action is to kill all male cubs, so that only their blood flows through the herd. There's no politics there, just instinctive action, but the parallels to royal history is there, where ascendants promptly dispose of threats however they can. Even the females weren't exempt.

Margaret wants little more than to live her live in peace, to have her family and ensure their lives successful, but the Plantagenet blood keeps her always in the royal eye and under a threat of suspicion. Of course as Henry ages, discards Catherine and creates his new church fortunes and lives fall on his whims, and Margaret needs to tread a fine line. Play it safe on the earthly life and embrace Henry's new church, or keep her faith with God, her religion, the one she has known all her life and risk her and her families life? What must she do? She tries so hard to keep her faith and yet keep her family safe too.
It makes me think, what would I do? I'm just glad I didn't live in those times... Throw in Henry's lack of a male heir and you can see just how dangerous life was for Margaret and those like her.
I really enjoyed this story, bringing history to live in a readable way through fiction. I really felt there with the families, could mentally see what was happening, and the little things, clothing, buildings, plants even, really brought the period to life. Its those tiny touches that work for me, make the story feel real, I want to feel as if I'm there, a silent onlooker back in time, alongside the characters.

I
Stars: Five, liked the reminder of how Margaret is connected t the last book, I'd forgotten but when events were mentioned it all came back and it really embraced the sense of continuity in history between the two books. I'm keen to read book three now.


Arc via Netgalley and publishers

I received an ARC from NetGalley and i loved every minute of it. Margaret Pole led a fascinating life! I have always been a Tudor freak but this was a very good read. I enjoy reading what went on behind the scenes of the entire King Henry marriage fiascos and his reign. This is a very good book for any Tudor fan.

FAITHFUL TRAITOR by SAMANTHA WILCOXSON is the story of Margaret Pole, Plantangamet princess, friend to Queen Catherine, governess to Princess Mary, loving wife and mother, loyal to the Catholic Church, whose life was full of ups and downs. Fiercely loyal, she falls prey to her cousin, King Henry VIII's, pride and vicious temper, when she stands up for those he has cast off, namely Catherine and Mary.
It is a sad story, very well told against the background of 15th and 16th century English history.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from BooksGoSocial. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This is my second book by Ms. Wilcoxson and I really enjoyed it. You get a strong sense of just how much research the author has put into this novel and I appreciate her highlighting lesser known but very important figures from the Tudor dynasty. It is very well told and anyone who has an interest with this time period will find this book a good read. It does jump the timeline in quite big gaps but only because so much about Margaret is unknown and is speculation but this doesn’t detract from the story. There also isn’t that much of actual characters talking (with sentences in quotations) but rather a telling of the story from the author. So for me, instead of hearing the characters speak to me, it was like being told a story which put me as the reader to the outside rather than pulling me in. A minor detail but sometimes a reader wants to feel as if they are right there with the characters rather than reading a history book. Overall though, I would recommend it and found it an interesting look at Margaret’s life and that of Tudor life. Thank you to the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Faithful traitor by Samantha Wilcoxson is one of those books that draws you in and keeps you gripped, transporting you back in time to the Tudor era (of which, I am obsessed!) This is book 2 in the Plantagenent Embers series, telling the story of Margaret Pole, cousin to Henry Viii and both good friend and lady in waiting to Catherine of Aragon. I found this an emotional, well researched read, which kept me hooked all the way through. Although this is book 2, this can also be read on it's own (I hadn't read book one, but I shall after loving this one so much) I highly recommend this for all lovers of historical fiction, and I will be looking to go on and read more by the author. 5 wonderful stars. Thank you to the author, netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read.

The story of Margaret Pole, daughter to George, Duke of Clarence, niece of Edward IV and Richard III. Though she eventually found favour within the Tudor court, befriending Catherine of Aragon and later her daughter Mary I. But what of Henry VIII, her fate is in his hands.
An interesting, well-written historical fiction book concerning a person I admit I knew nothing about.

Faithful Traiter by Samantha Wilcoxson is the 2nd in a trilogy of novels concerning the Plantagenets and Lancasterians.
I have to confess that I have always had an interest and a soft spot for Margaret Pole and this is not the first novel that I have read about her.

I am impressed yet again by Ms. Wilcoxson’s accuracy and narrative concerning Margaret and I love the way she has written about Margaret’s harrowed life. (Very difficult to overcome the loss of your mother, the execution of your father and brother, and losing some of your children during your own lifetime). Still Margaret Pole was I feel a lady of class overall and carried on with her head high until her sad end by Henry VIII.

A must read 5/5.

Thank you NetGalley for this read in exchange for my voluntary, honest, and unbiased opinion/review.

What a fascinating perspective: the reign of the infamous Henry VIII from the point of view of his cousin, Margaret Pole. She was an insider, yet an outsider. She was part of the royal family by blood and also the best friend of Queen Catherine of Aragon and governess to Catherine’s daughter, Princess Mary. At the same time, she spent most of her life living apart from the royal household, creating her own life with her beloved husband and nurturing her children. So, Margaret’s perspective is composed of firsthand experience with the royal family mixed with the gossip and hearsay that she gleans during her life apart. The novel is compelling, well-written, and clean. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys accurate historical fiction about the English monarchy.

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a digital advance review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Faithful Traitor: The Story of Margaret Pole is the second installment from Samantha Wilcoxson‘s Plantagenet Embers series. I enjoyed spending my time with Margaret. I could not imagine the life she had in the lifelong fear she must have endured. The story is so well written that I found myself going to my computer to do searches to see if certain events really did happen.

This is a great read that I highly recommend and I look forward to read book 3 other series.

5+ stars.

I purchased this book directly from the author. Therefore, I was not required to write a review. This review is 100 percent my own honest opinion.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and have studied the life of Margaret de la Pole. A fascinating woman and this book did her justice. I found myself transported back to Tudor England and although I didn’t always agree with the authors interpretation I could appreciate her interpretation. Highly recommend.

For most of us, the Pole family is one of those historical entities always nagging in the background of Tudor history. I couldn’t get my hands around them until luckily Samantha Wilcoxson took their story in hand. Our protagonist Margaret, the dowager who tries to hold her family together, must tread a fine line between the unpredictable Henry VIII and her family’s prominence. Even though the king’s mother was a Yorkist, the rest of the dynasty is a constant threat to his grip on the throne. Margaret is close friends with Queen Catherine of Aragon and she even tutors young Princess Mary, but this connection, too, fails her as Catherine is cast aside. There’s nothing Margaret can do to retain the king’s favor except kowtow to him every time she is summoned to the royal presence. That works for a while. But her best efforts are thwarted by her son Reginald, whose religious stance makes him a constant thorn in the king’s side; we’ll see more of that in the next volume. Margaret is portrayed as a brave and resourceful woman buffeted by the winds of fate. Hers is a sad story but you root for her all the way to the end, hoping against hope that she’ll outlast her enemies. I recommend this well-written story.

This is the story of Margaret Pole, who falls prey to her cousin, King Henry VIII's, pride and vicious temper, when she stands up for those he has cast off, namely his daughters Catherine and Mary.
There was a lot of research put into this novel and I really appreciate the lesser known figures from the Tudor dynasty. I am impressed by the accuracy and the way this was written.

An amazing, well written book! This is the story of Margaret Pole, the last Plantaganet. She lived a hard life but stayed true to her faith and family when it wasn't the easiest time in King Henry VIII 's court. She was a staunch supporter of the Princess Mary (turned Lady Mary, then back to Princess again by the king). She never gave up even until the brutal end of her life. Like so many in this dangerous time in history, Margaret Pole didn't deserve her fate. She is a hero, in my opinion, for all she endured. If you love Tudor History, or would like to read more about this amazing lady, this book is a must! A definite must read for Tudor fans! More than five stars!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Thank you,Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!
All opinions are my own.

I found this book both infinitely readable and very sad. Margaret Pole and her family lived on a knife edge in a turbulent and cruel period. Very well written and researched.

Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.