Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Independently published
Pub date: 1 March 2021
Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟

1483, Westminster. The bells toll for the dead king, Edward IV, while his rivaling nobles grasp for power. His daughter Cecily can only watch as England is plunged into chaos, torn between her loyalties to her headstrong mother, Elizabeth Woodville, and her favourite uncle, Richard of Gloucester. When Elizabeth schemes to secure her own son on the throne that Richard lays claim to, Cecily and her siblings become pawns in a perilous game.

The Yorkist dynasty that Cecily holds so dear soon faces another threat: the last Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor. Meanwhile, Cecily battles with envy towards her older sister, who is betrothed to Tudor.
The White Rose of York has turned its thorns inwards, and royal blood proves fatal…

Princess of Thorns is a sweeping tale of loyalty and treason, ambition and family bonds.

Cecily of York, daughter of Edward IV and sister to the Princes in the Tower and Elizabeth of York. Cecily is a fascinating individual in her own right that I’ve recently been trying to find out as much as I can about. Cecily is often left in the shadows of her parents, brothers or sister but Saga Hillbom has brought Cecily to the forefront in this engaging story about her life and her loyalty to her family even when she is used as a pawn.

As a princess Cecily certainly has her own problems and heartbreaks but it was refreshing to see her as a central character and events from her point of view. With events like the Wars of the Roses, the Princes in the Tower it’s not hard to see why other than Elizabeth of York, the daughters of Edward IV are often forgotten. This story shows the events from another perspective and how Cecily dealt with these events on top of the loss of her father, stayed loyal to her family and managed to stand her ground and become the incredible woman she was.

Hillbom has a very easy to read writing style with lovely prose and I was drawn in to the story from the very beginning. This is the first book I’ve read from Hillbom but will certainly be reading more in future. This is one of those books that I will read again in the future as I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the authors style.

For those with an interest in the Wars of the Roses and the ascension of the Tudors, told from a different perspective I’d recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.