As Alison Weir says in her afterword to this book, 'Elizabeth's story has all the elements of high drama: suspense, tragedy, intrigue, and the dynamics that exist between strong and vivid characters.' And Weir delivers on all these fronts.

This is my first foray into Alison Weir's writing, and when I first started it, I was not all that impressed. Her writing is nothing spectacular, but once I got beyond the first few years of Elizabeth's life, I was surprised to find myself engrossed in the story. After that, it was a very quick read, and I was a little sad to find myself at the end. The story covers those events before Elizabeth becomes queen; her mothers execution, the scandal with Thomas Seymour, and her imprisonment in the tower. I believe I will definately look into more of Weir's books.