Lovely, but for the feminist drawback
⭑⭑⭑⭑ This is a glorious book to read on many levels and irksome on one. A story about Mary Queen of Scots will always draw me in, especially if it has a beautiful cover. The UK cover is top-notch. I was sold by that alone. This novel details the time when Mary was held captive at Lochleven, a 'guest' of the Douglas clan. The Tower has all one could want from historical fiction - poetic writing style, floral descriptions of everything the eye beholds, angst, drama and tension. It was an engaging read that holds the reader fast to the small, confined life of Queen Mary and her two/three companions. All of which are characters we grow to know well as the book progresses. In this way I cannot fault it. I was a happy captive, myself. What I have grown weary of is another feminist retelling that feels more like man-blaming writ large. It is dealt out heavy handedly, here, too much to be believed. All men, save a couple, are evil and the architects of Mary's misfortunes. Queen
