Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Two women separated by time but linked by twin destinies investigate the mysterious, tragic fate of the young princes in the tower in this engrossing novel, "a juicy mix of romance, drama, and Tudor history" (Ladies' Home Journal).
"Alison Weir's strong suit as a fiction writer is making her novels living history."--The Courier-Journal When her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, is executed in 1554 for unlawfully accepting the English crown, Lady Katherine Grey's world falls apart. Barely recovered from this tragic loss she risks all for love, only to incur the wrath of her formidable cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who sees Katherine as a rival for her insecure throne.
Interlaced with Katherine's story is that of her distant kinswoman Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III. In 1483, Kate travels to London for Richard's coronation, and soon hears terrible rumors about him that threaten all she holds dear. Like Katherine Grey, she falls in love with a man who is forbidden to her.
Then Kate embarks on what will become a perilous quest, covertly seeking the truth about what befell her cousins--two young princes--who may have been victims of Richard III's lust for power. But time is not on Kate's side, or on Katherine's, who has been imprisoned. What secrets will be revealed in the notorious Tower of London?
In this rich and layered story set within a framework of fascinating historical authenticity, Katherine and Kate discover that possessing royal blood can prove to be a dangerous inheritance.
About the Author
1. The title of the book is
A Dangerous Inheritance. Discuss the significance of this as it applies to each character’s journey.
2. The author has interwoven the stories of two young women who are linked by marriage and supernatural events. Do you think this works well?
3. When writing historical fiction based on real characters and events, do you think it is acceptable for an author to invent fictional threads or distort historical facts, such as creating supernatural elements or making up the heroines’ quests for the truth about the Princes in the Tower?
4. Do you agree with the author that historical novels based on real people and events should always have an Author’s Note explaining what is fact and what is fiction?
5. Do you think the author has dealt fairly with Richard III in this novel? Why would she have found it challenging to write about him from the viewpoint of his daughter?
6. Do you find the heroines likable characters? One editor described Katherine Grey as “self-obsessed”—would you agree with that assessment? If not, how would you describe her?
7. How do you think Jane’s fate affected Katherine’s decisions and outlook?
8. In your opinion, could either Katherine or Kate have avoided their fates? If so, what do you think their lives would have been like?
9. Whose story resonated more with you, Katherine’s or Kate’s? Why?
10. Queen Elizabeth has been portrayed in many different ways over the years, both on the page and on the screen. What did you think of her character in A Dangerous Inheritance? Did you find her position at all sympathetic?
11. Do you think that Elizabeth I was right to view Katherine Grey as a threat? Was Katherine at least partially responsible for that? If so, in what way(s)?
12. Aside from the invented quest and love affair, do you find the au- thor’s fictional construction of Kate Plantagenet’s story convincing?
13. Getting the language right is always a challenge in historical novels. Do you think the author has succeeded here?
14. Were you convinced by the novel’s resolution to the mystery of the Princes in the Tower?