The Cousins’ War Books

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The Cousins war is a historical series of novels from Philippa Gregory. The War of the Roses is one of England’s most popular periods to explore in fiction. That particular term The War of the Roses refers to a series of dynastic wars that waxed and waned over the years and decades, driven by a desire to take control of the throne of England.

Chronological Order of Plantagenet and Tudor Series

The Cousins War series takes place in the years spanning 1455 to 1487, thus placing them within the sporadic outbursts and episodes of the War of the Roses.

There are six books in the series each of which explores the life of a single powerful woman from that period of England’s history. The series first kicks off with Elizabeth Woodville. Her ties to fame revolve her around her status as the commoner who married Edward VI, the first commoner to accomplish such a feat.

Events then shift to the life of Margaret Beaufort who gave birth to Henry Tudor. With Jacquetta of Luxembourg, Anne and Isabel Nevil, and Elizabeth the oldest daughter of Elizabeth and Edward all getting their time to shine, not to mention Margret Pole, the child of the Duke of Clarence, the Cousins War shines light upon some of the lesser known corners of the conflicts that were raging at the time.

And it could be argued that an exploration of the period of the War of the Roses isn’t quite complete without an understanding of the events of the Cousins War.

History enthusiasts are also likely to notice that the final book in the Cousins War series strays into the territory of The Tudor series and even includes a narration of the events that befell the church and eventually saw Henry VIII rise to take his place as the leader of the Church of England.

The Cousins War Books into Movies/TV

The most notable adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s Cousins War books has to be The White Queen, a 2013 ten-episode television series that covered the events of The White Queen, The Kingmaker’s Daughter and The Red Queen.

While the show wasn’t particularly critically acclaimed, it garnered enough of a following to warrant a sequel in 2017 titled The White Princess.

Best Cousins War Books

The Cousins War books are recommended reading for anyone with even a passing interest in English history, with some of the best books in the series including:

The White Queen: Elizabeth’s greatest asset has always been her extraordinary beauty, so much so that she is able to use it to ensnare the attention of a newly crowned boy king. Elizabeth’s ambition and guile are such that she gets the boy king to marry her in secret and quickly attains the title of Queen.

It doesn’t take Elizabeth long to realize that attaining royalty status is much easier than keeping it, though she steps up to the plate when her exalted position calls for it. Philippa Gregory tells Elizabeth’s story with artistic narration and masterful accuracy.

She also brings to light the mystery of Elizabeth’s sons, two princes whose fate has remained unknown for all these years.

The Kingmaker’s Daughter: There was no more powerful a magnate in 15th Century England than Richard Nevile. The Earl of Warwick earned the title The Kingmaker. Richard had no son and, thus, no heir. So his daughters Anne and Isabel grew up knowing full well that they were pawns in his political games, and their engagement and interaction with powerful political players drove them to mature into influential players.

Anne grew up with Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. As she progressed through her teens, Anne’s world crumbled, having lost her father and husband. With no one to look to, neither her mother nor her sister, Anne married the Duke of Gloucester in a last ditch effort to escape disaster.

The decision costs Anne even more than she bargained for and continues to echo throughout history. Many remember Anne as the woman she became. Philippa Gregory tries to shed light on the woman that Anne was and the events that drove her to change and to take so many drastic measures.

Other Book Series You May Like

“The Remnant Chronicles” by Mary E. Pearson is another great read. These books chronicle the exploits of Lia, Daughter of the House of Morrighan. When tradition forces Lia to marry a man she has never met, she chooses to run away instead, a decision that shakes her life and that of the kingdom at large.

If you like this, you’ll probably like “The Lord John Grey” Series by Diana Dabaldon. These historical novels tell the story of Lord John Grey, a secretly homosexual individual that first appeared in the Outlander series as a secondary character before Diana Dabaldon saw fit to give him his own series.

What Is The Next Book in The Plantagenet And Tudor Series?

There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Plantagenet And Tudor Series. The newest book is The Last Tudor and was released on August, 8th 2017.

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