Anybody who said the Borgias had a penchant for poisons hadn't met the Castilians. In this first installation of the Isabella and Ferdinand trilogy, we follow Isabella as she grows up in a dangerous court where loyalties constantly shift between kings, queens, and heirs. Castile and Aragon are falling into anarchy and civil war while hurtling towards the great unification of their territories, symbolized by Isabella doggedly pursuing her betrothal with Ferdinand despite many plots and obstacles.

What continually surprises me about Plaidy's writing is her ability to take years of dense, historical information and to create a cohesive narrative where the reader isn't too overwhelmed while still being entertained. I knew next to nothing about Isabella of Castile before reading this book, and she's the only figure from Spanish history that I'm familiar with at all. Coming away from Castile for Isabella, however, I'm a lot more informed about what led to her ascension. It was a battle of wills and arsenic.

Readers are first introduced to Isabella at four years old, but while we grow up with her, we don't follow solely her journey. We met King Henry. We meet his first wife Blanche, his second wife Joanna from Portugal. We meet a couple of court ministers like Villena, Don Pedro Giron, the Archbishop of Toledo, and Beltran de la Cueva. While the different viewpoints helped me understand what was happening politically, from a narrative standpoint, I personally think novels work better if only a few people are chosen to narrate the story. The voice is more consistent, and it makes the scenes easier to unpack. This novel would've been strongest if Isabella, Villena, Blanche, and Henry were the narrators instead of having half a dozen people all talking at once. Because Plaidy's POV jumps from person to person, often in the same paragraph, it can cause readers whiplash, if they're not paying attention.

That said, all of these characters are really interesting, and Plaidy does a superb job of characterizing each individual. Plaidy has a distinct writing style, so once you get used to it, it's a wild ride. Highly recommend to any historical fiction lover. ( )

Una fantástica historia centrada en los primeros años de Isabel la Católica, la más extraordinaria reina de España. Su infancia y adolescencia, bajo los cuidados de una madre ambiciosa y desequilibrada, su vida en la corte de su hermano Enrique IV y, finalmente, su ascensión al trono del brazo de Fernando de Aragón.

This book covers the time period between Isabella's Father's death and her ascension to the Queen. I love the characterization, it makes the royalty seem normal and easy to relate to. ( )

This book covers the time period between Isabella's Father's death and her ascension to the Queen. I love the characterization, it makes the royalty seem normal and easy to relate to. ( )

This book covers the time period between Isabella's Father's death and her ascension to the Queen. I love the characterization, it makes the royalty seem normal and easy to relate to. ( )