Rating: 
Summary: A Fresh View of The War of the Roses
Review: As with all of Ms. Penman's books, this one kept me spellbound. I've read it at least a half dozen times, and it is always as good as it was the first time. Finally, someone has written a book that portrays Richard III in a positive light instead of as a murdering, hunchbacked villain. Her theories are researched and not pulled from thin air, making her ideas about Richard's life believable. Even more amazing is the author's dedication to telling her story. The original, completed manuscript was stolen from her car, yet she was determined to tell Richard's tale, and she rewrote the entire, HUGE novel. That feat is nothing short of amazing, and serves to inspire me whenever I whine about rewriting something as short as a three page scene. An excellent novel by an outstanding author. I highly recommend this book to anyone. I've given it to several people who don't even like the time period, but it is so well written and enjoyable, that they loved it anyway. Read this book--you won't be sorry!
Rating:
Summary: Practically Perfect
Review: This is the best of the historic fiction genre. I cannot recall the last time I enjoyed a 900+ page novel so much. The Sunne in Splendour is an historic novel about the War of the Roses and its players; its about Warwick, Edward, Richard, Henry the last, Lancastrian king, Marguerite d’Anjou, the Woodvilles, the Nevilles, and the Tudors. Having read Allison Weir’s history, The War of the Roses, and having seen Shakespeare’s Richard III, I thought I knew a bit about both the story and the players. But I never quite saw them the story in this light.One reviewer described this book as daring. I agree. Unlike Shakespeare, and the histories written by Tudor sycophants, Penman (through historic fiction) portrays Richard sympathetically, and heroically. She represents his claim to the throne as legitimate and creates a plausible alternative to disappearance of the princes in the tower, one in which Richard is quite innocent. This is a story full of power struggles, warfare, greed, and avarice. It is a story full of malice, politics betrayal, murder, and yes love. Is should be hard to care about people who lived in the 15th century, but it is not. Sharon Kay Penman brings all of the characters and their many faces to life. She tells the story to the 30+ years of warfare. We all know that history is written by the victorious. Five centuries after the events, Penman brilliantly gives Richard III a voice. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Work
Review: I came across this book purely by accident at local yard sale. Being a fan of Shakespeare's "Richard III," I was intrigued by the author's assertion that Richard was not the much-maligned hunchback who killed his nephews. I ended paying 25 cents for a well-worn book with no cover, and it was the best investment I ever made in a book! The action and story catch you from page one, and the plot moves at a great pace with only a few minor bogged down areas. By the end of the book, I was a convert. I fully believed the author's assertions that Richard's history was maligned by successors who were trying to cement their control in England. I've purchased a new copy since and have passed it on to several friends. BUY BUY BUY!
Rating:
Summary: Five, Ten, ONE HUNDRED STARS! My Kingdom for this Book!
Review: Is it fair to review a book that changed your life? No, literally. At fourteen I stayed up until four in the morning, devouring this story of medieval power and politics, and have been a medieval historian ever since. Penman has done a fantastic job of turning dry historical fact into fascinating and believable historical fiction. People's motives are not simple and easily understandable in real life, and the sometimes-conflicting drives and needs and desires of the cast of thousands in this book live up to that fact. While undeniable sympathetic to King Richard the Third, it is not a cloying, simplistic, Good King Richard whitewash. Instead, it portrays the much-maligned king as an adoring younger brother left adrift when his idol dies and proves to have been less than perfect. Supporting characters are equally complex, from the self-destructive King Edward to the self-absorbed Kingmaker, Warwick, from the unlikely queen Elizabeth Woodville to the helpless pawn, Elizabeth of York, from the insane King Henry VI to the ambitious King Henry VII. Possibly the only black villain in the piece is the Duke of Buckingham; everyone else is painted in shades of grey that make them honest people, rather than props. If you can't stand historical novels because they are boring, read this. ...It's better than the tabloids!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This is a fascinating story! I am quickly becoming a big fan of Penman's books and the people of this time in history. The hardest part of the book was keeping all of the characters straight since names were commonly reused and the characters usually had two names and a title. I can't wait to read more of her books!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Work
Review: I came across this book purely by accident at local yard sale. Being a fan of Shakespeare's "Richard III," I was intrigued by the author's assertion that Richard was not the much-maligned hunchback who killed his nephews. I ended paying 25 cents for a well-worn book with no cover, and it was the best investment I ever made in a book! The action and story catch you from page one, and the plot moves at a great pace with only a few minor bogged down areas. By the end of the book, I was a convert. I fully believed the author's assertions that Richard's history was maligned by successors who were trying to cement their control in England. I've purchased a new copy since and have passed it on to several friends. BUY BUY BUY!
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Enjoyable
Review: What an awesome work this is. Since Penman's prose is a bit headier than most these days, it may take a while to warm up to her style. But once you do, this novel really sings. Makes you feel as if you knew Richard.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: This is the absolute best book I've ever read about Richard III. For once we are able to see him as human, not as the monster he's been so often portrayed as. This book was spellbinding! It is written so beautifully that as I came closer to the time of Richard's death, I found myself reading it slowly as I was dreading it. I acutally felt an attachment to this Richard and felt remorse at losing him. There are very few books that have moved me like this one did.
Rating:
Summary: Long, but gripping tragedy
Review: This is a wonderful book. It is historically accurate, following Kendall's "Richard III", but also flows. Characters are well developed, and one finds oneself caring what happens to them. One especially cares about Anne and Richard, and Richard's final end is truly a tragedy.
This is a very, very long novel. But, that is not a disadvantage. One hates to have it end.
The biggest plus in this book for me was that it made the War of the Roses much more understandable. I already believed that Richard III did not murder the princes in the tower. Actually, I think Penman's solution makes more sense than Josephine Tey's solution.
I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is the book that first led me to believe that maybe Richard didn't do it. If you've ever felt sympathetic to Richard III then you'll like this book. Sharon K. Penman blends history and fiction together so you really feel like you are getting to the know the characters and don't feel as if you are just reading a textbook. It's a very enjoyable way to learn some history and if not to learn it's still a wonderful story to just enjoy.
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