Skip to main content

Isabella Unashamed: An Alternative History by Helen R. Davis and Carolina Casas: A Book Review

Isabella Unashamed: An Alternative History
Author: Helen R. Davis and Carolina Casas
Genre: Alternative Historical Fiction
Publisher: Editorial Calíope
Release Date: September 7, 2017
Pages: 144
Source: This book was given to me by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Isabella of Castile is known as Europe’s first great queen. Renowned for her marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon and birthing of modern day Spain, Isabella is also known as the queen who launched the Inquisition, completed the Reconquista and expelled the Jews from her nation. Not long after her triumph in 1492, her dynasty came apart and unraveled, and it was whispered by many that the Trastamara line was cursed.

     But, What if Isabella had been wiser and not expelled the Jews, some of the very people who ironically helped put her on the throne of Castile? What if Isabella had had more foresight and had her successor be Catalina, who, although the youngest, was the most like her and the wisest of her children? How would the power balance of 15th and 16th century Europe shifted if Catalina had been the powerful queen regnant of Spain and not one of the ‘merry wives’ of Windsor?

     A joint effort, Isabella Unashamed is written by two authors from very different cultural backgrounds who have nonetheless joined together to create a haunting portrait of Spain’s most famous queen, as well as a glimpse of what might have been had Isabella been wiser.

     My Review: Isabella of Castile is known to be Europe’s first Renaissance queen. However, she is also famous for starting the Spanish Inquisition. In this alternate history of Queen Isabella, she never launches the Inquisition and lets the Jews remain in peaceful Spain. This alternate history novel also ads another twist to the tale. Instead of letting Isabella’s mad daughter, Juana, become the heir apparent, Isabella has chosen her youngest daughter, Catalina (Catherine of Aragon), who is known in history as one of the ill fated wives of Henry VIII, to be the next queen of Spain.

   I thought that Isabella is portrayed very accurately as history portrays her. She is very religious and often prays for God’s guidance to do the right thing. Queen Isabella is also a very stubborn and, at times, unforgiving woman. She is portrayed as a good ruler with sound judgement. However, at the heart of the calculating ruler, she is still a mother. She wants her children to lead happy and prosperous lives. I could empathize with her when she experiences many tragedies that she worked hard to prevent. Thus, Isabella seemed very real and human.

  Overall, I thought this was a well-done alternate history on Queen Isabella. What I loved best about this book was the relationship between Isabella and Ferdinand. Both of them relied and depended on each other. They seemed like they were genuine soulmates. I thought it a bit far-fetched that Queen Isabella and Ferdinand would neglect the line of succession and choose Catalina based on her abilities. However, as a Tudor fanatic, I loved that it gave Catalina a more happy ending. While I was satisfied with the ending, I hope that the authors will write a sequel that focuses on Catalina’s rule. The only thing I did not like about Isabella Unashamed was that it suffered too much from telling instead of showing. Other than that, Isabella Unashamed is a treat for fans of Catherine of Aragon! I greatly recommend this book for fans of The Queen’s Vow, Reign of Madness, and The Constant Princess.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars



Comments

  1. I really appreciate this review!

    We are working on a sequel to Isabella Unashamed as we speak. It involves Juana and Catalina at war and Henry jilting Eleanor of Austria among other things!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great review, Lauralee! Thanks so much for hosting Helen & Carolina's Blog Tour!

    Amy
    HF Virtual Book Tours

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged,

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley: A Book Review

The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) Author: Lucinda Riley Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance Publisher: Atria Release Date: 2015 Pages: 463 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Maia D’Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, “Atlantis”—a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva—having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as babies, has died. Each of them is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage—a clue which takes Maia across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to put together the pieces of her story and its beginnings. Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to