The Winter Queen

Rating:
Summary: Interesting story, writing too complex
Review: I love historical fiction and found the premise behind this book compelling enough to want to read it. The plot was easy enough to follow: an exiled queen befriends a recently freed slave (once a prince in his own country) and the two secretly marry and have a child together. This part of the story was interesting and compelling enough to make me want to read on, but the long religious dissertations and never-ending references to upcoming war and the complexities of European politics at the time often left me confused and bored. A geneology chart and a short explanation of the time's politics at the beginning of the book would have been extremely helpful. In addition, the author seems to have a strong preference to elaborate details and conversations with huge, fancy words. I can't imagine that these people would actually use them in daily conversations and it only added to the tediousness of trying to get through the story. Simpler wording and language would have made for an easier and more pleasant read and would not have taken anything away from the storyline.
This book was immediately sold to a used bookstore when I finished it. I would have loved to continue on reading the rest of the trilogy, but don't have the time to be so taxed in my reading efforts.

Rating:
Summary: This Winter Queen isn't Frigid ...
Review: Stevenson has crafted an interesting novel for those who are interested in history - with unexpected twists. This is fiction laid on top of historical figures and in the case of Elizabeth, The Winter Queen, her lineage and descendants are important. (Elizabeth was the daughter of James I (1566-1625) of England and sister of Charles I, King of England, during the period of the story.) Yet it is difficult to untangle the characters; a Stuart/Hanover family tree would help a great deal. A listing of the characters would also be very useful. The story takes place when Charles I is king of England; Louis XIII is king of France and Philip IV is king of Spain - and the Netherlands is enormously wealthy by virtue of trade. Set in the Netherlands, the novel hinges on Elizabeth's intimate relationship with an African prince, abducted by Portuguese traders and sold into bondage who "ends up" at the Dutch Court. The well-educated Protestant - and African - prince, Pelegius van Overmeer, becomes a confidante of Elizabeth and from their shared loneliness, love blossoms. There's a fair amount of reference to Pelegius's tribal traditions but it is not clear where the Oyo were located - Nigeria? Pelegius is an interesting character and since this is the first book of a trilogy, Stevenson will undoubtedly clarify the complex history of this period and the role these characters play in history in the next two books. At least, the book had me scurrying to the Internet to try to locate more information!! It's very difficult to locate info on the Yoruba tribe ...

Rating:
Summary: Compromising Positions make strange bedfellows¿
Review: The quality of Stevenson's scholarship is immediately evident, the substantial historical research key to the author's success. A love story set in 17th C. Holland, the widowed Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, begins a friendship with African prince and former slave, Pelagius van Overmeer, now a Calvinist theologian. As the sister of Charles I and daughter of James I, Elizabeth's primary obligation is the protection of her children's positions, maintaining good relations with the Crown, in the person of Charles I, currently engaged in the Thirty Years War that is tearing the country apart.

For his part, Pelagius is a unique man in this country riddled by war, but also undergoing a cultural renaissance, a resurgence of art and culture. Brought to Europe as a slave, Pelagius achieves his freedom, then dedicates himself to the scholarship of the exotic plants of East Asia and their potential use in the healing arts. An erudite man, Pelagius becomes a seer as well, able to sustain his meager subsistence in this manner.

Receiving some notoriety in his capacity as seer, in which he uses ancient African methods to give godly advice to his patrons, Pelagius first awakens the Queen's interest. Engaging in casual conversation, they discover an affinity for one another, having complementary sympathetic natures. While both approach middle age, they are blindsided by their passion and marry in a clandestine ceremony. Once night falls, they are able to give reign to their mutual affection, free of artifice or pretension. As a precaution, Pelagius poses as Elizabeth's Latin tutor and physician, their secret known only by her ladies-in-waiting. Elizabeth's warmth and good humor act as a catalyst to Pelagius' reserved demeanor, deluging him with unexpected joy. Love truly is blind for this extraordinary couple.

When Elizabeth becomes pregnant, she is able to conceal her condition, feigning illness during the dank winter months, a time when she regularly suffers from poor health. After their son, Balthasar, is born, Pelagius transports his child in the deep of night to a couple that has agreed to care for the infant. Although the baby must be safely hidden from gossip or unwarranted curiosity, Pelagius is uncomfortable after leaving the child with strangers.

It is with considerable distress that Elizabeth and Pelagius consider the future parameters of their relationship, having already tempted fate with the birth of their son. Whether or not they can live as man and wife is the most difficult landmark in this fascinating romance, but the couple cannot ignore the danger to their son should his birth be discovered. Pelagius struggles with a deep affection for his wife and small son, offering solutions, but Elizabeth cannot forget her other children's futures. Both vow to make peace with their painful circumstances, yet each choice is fraught with pain, Elizabeth's options restricted by a royal bloodline, hostage to her royal fate.

In prose that transcends the boundaries of race and position, Stevenson lifts her two central characters to a higher plane of existence, joined in marriage with the added bounty of mutual respect. This novel is the first of an intended trilogy. As such, The Winter Queen sets the tone for all, with a tale of clandestine romance between The Queen of Bohemia and her African prince. Their son, Balthasar, is the fruit of the union, their gift to the future and the subject of the second book of the trilogy, The Shadow Prince. Luan Gaines/2003.