The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory

With this novel starts a new series about the Plantagenets, the english kings that came before the Tudors, and the bloody War of the Roses.

The War of the Roses was fought between two branches of the english royal family: the Lancasters, whose symbol was a red rose, and the Yorks, who had a white rose. Both houses descended from king Edward III, and fought between themselves for the english crown.

At the time this book starts, the king is Henry VI (Lancaster), but he has a feeble mind, and many have sided with his cousin Edward of York, a young man of 19 who seems to never lose a battle.

Is this young pretender whom Elizabeth Woodville addresses to have her dowry back. Elizabeth is a commoner, 5 years older than Edward, and a widow with 2 small kids whose husband died fighting for Lancaster, leaving her penniless. She is also descended on her mother side from the house of Burgundy, and as the legend says, from the water goddess Melusina.

They fall madly in love and marry in secret. After Edward beats old King Henry and is proclaimed king, he announces their marriage to the world, but Elizabeth problems are only beginning.

Throughout Edward's reign the plots and rebellions to put another king on the throne flourish. First is old King Henry, then his son, then Edward's own brother, George. It seems like the throne is a free prize that the strongest can claim.

And when King Edward dies, leaving his 12 year old son as the new king, the boy's uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, seizes this opportunity to imprison his nephews in the Tower and proclaim himself the new King of England.

Elizabeth has to plan and ally herself to the most unlikely friends to try to save herself and her children, but when the little princes in the Tower dissappear, no one knows who is the culprit. Is it King Richard III? The Duke of Buckingham, who wants to overthrow Richard and become king himself? Or Lady Margaret Beaufort, the last of the Lancastrians, who wants the throne for her only son Henry Tudor?

Philippa Gregory has some interesting theories about it...

Next book in the series is "The Red Queen", which continues the story from Margaret Beaufort's part.