Review ↠ Stormbird, (#1 WOTR Trilogy), by Conn Iggulden

[Sparrow]

TITLE: Stormbird
SERIES: Wars of the Roses Trilogy, Book #1
AUTHOR: Conn Iggulden
GENRE: Historical Fiction
TAGS: Historical Fiction, Royalty, Monarchy, 15th century, England, France, King Henry V, King Henry VI, Margret of Anjou, Richard of York, The Wars of the Roses, Jack Cade’s Rebellion,
RATING (1-5): ★★★★



❧ An Advanced Reader Copy was provided to me, free, by the publisher. It has in no way impacted the content of this review.☙


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I think it's fair to say that there's been some overkill, in regards to historical fiction based on the Tudor dynasty & its predecessors. Thanks to Phillipa Gregory's trilogy on the many unfortunate wives of Henry VIII, & her Cousin's War Series focused on the Wars of the Roses- both of which spawned a mini-series & even a big screen flop, to say nothing for the litany of novels they inspired- the British monarchy has become big business. For a historical fiction fan, even if you weren't particularly fond of Gregory's liberal use of artistic license, it was a heady time. So many books! So many options! So many versions! We even saw some long-neglected fringe characters bought to life.

Publishing novels on two rather short periods in the British Monarchy, en masse, has the unfortunate consequence of quantity superseding quality. We saw the same thing happen with the reign of Marie Antoinette, after Sofia Coppola's post modern take hit theaters- so many novels, so many tchotchkes, so many kiddo's running around giggling “let them eat cake”- Madame Guillotine had lost her edge. Which is why, when I saw a young adult novel last year called Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer, I knew we'd jumped the great ci-devant shark, and thought I'd best take a sabbatical from the stuff.

Of course, there was some truly good books that came out of this whole melee- the trick is digging through the muck to find them. And in my humble opinion, those capable of writing riveting material about someone whose story has already been told and retold hundreds of times, are truly among the most talented story tellers we have. Anyone can write fiction, with no rules or constraints or time lines to interfere with plot pace- but to do it with those things, and still make me hungry to know the people they're writing about- that's something. Hilary Mantel comes to mind- and to my very pleasant surprise, Conn Iggulden has done for the houses of Lancaster and York, what Mantel did for Tudor, Inc..

Told in POV from a myriad of players, both humble and large, this is a character study, and that's what holds the brobdingnagian of Stormbird together. There is no cliché Lion & Lamb rhetoric; thee is no one-dimensional she-wolf in Margaret. These are written as real people, made of flesh and blood, with all the flaws and salt of the earth humanity that condemned them. Henri VI's madness is more of a slow, smoldering burn than it is the mania-induced insanity so many novelists fall back on for dramatic effect. Given the limitations of the genetic gene pool with respect to suitable consorts, mental illness was part and parcel of the monarchy, and no one is denying that, but you can't help but wonder how he might have fared had he not had the enormous pressures a crown held. Henry VI is presented as a sensitive, decent kid, constantly held up to the standards of his indomitable father. He is, undeniably, unsuited for the kind of aggressive machismo that the era's politics and people needed- and is aware of that fact as much as everyone else is. Enter Margaret of Anjou- not the manipulative, cold crone of lore, but a young girl, herself raised by a larger-than-life father (albeit in genteel poverty)- with an education, an understanding of political machinations, and aspirations for a happy union, however unlikely. A mere 14 years old, she is parceled off to a foreign and barbarous court to be wife to an already sinking man.

Looming over all this hubris is the ever-shifting French-English alliance, and the various lands that interchange custodial hands. In exchange for his French bride, Henry rescinds his claim on the hard won French territories of Anjou and Maine. It's a damnable choice, and there's no real win either way. The men surrounding the throne recognize that the marriage brings direly needed political backing in the face of a shaky throne with plenty of takers, but they also recognize it for what is was: one more example of how the son is not the father, and never will be. The marriage also leaves the English who settled in these French lands in a precarious position, as the French men whose lands they had seized begin to reclaim them. Though the eyes of Thomas Woodchurch & his son, we get a glimpse of the ”every man” view, in light of these stunning gains and following displacements. Iggulden's decision to include these lesser known characters helps bring the sheer breadth of issues at the king's feet into scope- showing you that there are more players on the chessboard than just the king and his men, though ultimately, it is their moves that lay out the path of the rest of the pieces. But for once, those “pieces”- those men- are examined, respected, and acknowledged too. Derihew “Derry” Brewer, spymaster, makes for an excellent anchor to the unfolding stories, (and even some comic relief) as he has his head in almost every door, and the life and political upheaval of the regular people is written out in the blood, sweat and tears of Jack Cade.

Richard Duke of York, & William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, are portrayed as ambitious men whose individual motivations are at times canny and even at odds with the way they've been sold in history books. Even Cecily Neville is fleshed out in a way that, for me at least, made me reconsider my prior impressions of her. In the midst of all this we watch as Margaret grows up very quickly, to take the reigns when her husband cannot. As a woman, and a French one at that, this is met with mistrust and incertitude, though her aim is unwavering in support of her husband's reign, and by proxy, the eventual reign of their son. It parallels in some ways her father's unending efforts to find kingdoms for all those crowns, but as a woman, her motives are always questioned and her audacity forever frowned upon. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all this is that Margaret would have made a better Henry, and Henry a much more “appropriate” Margaret, at least in the eyes of the English.

Iggulden's writing is incredibly accessible, without losing losing the tone or sounding too modern. He uses their language, but strings it together in a way that makes it flow smoothly. The opening of the novel is a prologue of sorts, by way of a deathbed scene, in which Alice Perrers is ever so briefly queen in her own right, before her position, and her lover get lost in the slipstream of time. In the end, she is left, cut down to size, and irrevocably returned to nothing by the people that remain in power. It was a beautifully woven scene out of history, and illustrates perfectly the glorious rise, violent upheaval, and rapid downfalls of the period. Stormbirds, indeed.

This is a thorough book, but it also is steeped in historical facts, battles, politics and most of all, people, many of which occurred in the years preceding the ones this book covers. Even for someone with a fair amount of knowledge about the period, it can be intimidating at times . There are some resources within the binding to help you make it through, including maps and a family tree for each of the major houses- but if you aren't very familiar with the story, I would suggest picking up a non-fiction book about the who's who and what' what of the period, just to have as a reference point to turn to when and if you get a bit lost. With that said, don't let it intimidate you or turn you off to reading it- it is more than worth a little brushing up on history.

An outstanding first installment for what promises to be one of the best series on the genre.