Booklist Review
Iggulden wraps up his finely wrought War of the Roses series in splendid style. All the major players are back as the seesaw struggle for royal ascendancy between two rival branches of the Plantagenet dynasty continues. As Edward IV, Richard III, Margaret of Anjou, the Earl of Warwick, and a host of other Lancastrians and Yorkists plot and plan, a stealthy Tudor waits in the wings, determined to stake his own claim to the throne. All roads eventually lead to Bosworth Field, where Henry Tudor emerges victorious, the prolonged War of the Roses is brought to a close, and the Tudor dynasty is born. Murder, betrayal, and bloody battlefields distinguish a vigorous narrative that, though ripped from the pages of history, still manages to contain a strong measure of heart-pounding suspense. Readers are cautioned to read all five volumes in order War of the Roses: Stormbird (2013), Trinity (2014), Margaret of Anjou (2015), Bloodline (2016), and this exciting conclusion and to keep a scorecard handy, as so many of the names of historical figures are similar.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The messiest period of medieval English history comes to a relatively tidy finale in -Iggulden's wrap-up of the "Wars of the Roses" quartet (after Stormbird; Trinity; Bloodline). The author takes the internecine royalist feud from the restoration of the debilitated Henry VI to the surprise victory of Henry VII. In between, Edward IV replaces Henry VI for a second time, then succumbs to indulgence, allowing his twisted brother Richard to ascend the throne. The princes in the Tower are "disappeared," so the opposition turns to a distant male heir to be its standard bearer. The female consorts do not bear on the plot as much this time, as they're eclipsed by the charisma of Edward York and the Shakespearean cunning of his sibling. Treacherous sailings, forced marches, and sword-swinging galore run through this energetic retelling. A map and some genealogical tables help tell the players and places apart. Verdict Historical fiction aficionados will relish this concluding volume. Fans of HBO's Game of Thrones will also want to see where that colossal series had much of its genesis.-W. Keith McCoy, Somerset Cty. Lib. Syst., Bridgewater, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.