The Sunne in Splendour

A good novelization of the life and times of Richard III. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Update February 2019: This book continues to stick in my mind. What a story. I am changing my rating to 4.5 stars rounded up.

Richard and Anne had everything against them, but through all odds they managed to make it, and have some happiness together.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, also King Richard III of England, was one of the most ill fated, and unhappy kings of England. He lost his son, and then his wife. No man had started out with more promise, only to fall to the traitors at the end. He was betrayed by self-seeking men who sought to put someone on the throne that they might have better control over. Richard has been smeared through the ages, accused of anything that could possibly stick to his name, including the murder of the Princes in the Tower.

While the disappearance, and probable death of the boys will unfortunately remain unsolved for eternity, Tudor propagandists grabbed onto this and ran it through the history pages. With history being written by the victor, the real Richard has been lost to us. The enigma that was Richard, however, will shine through the few lines that we have left, and the dedicated historians who are determined to clear his name. The Richard that lived, loved, and ultimately lost, will someday be rediscovered.

The Richard that is met within the pages of this book is one that draws the reader in, and refuses to let go! As you walk through the adventure with the York family, you celebrate the triumphs, cry at the loss, and grumble at the double dealers. You forge links with each of the characters that at the end of the book, you are left crying and wondering why, how and for what!?



This is one of the best books that I have ever read, and will forever remain on my shelf of favorites. Sharon Kay Penman brings one of the most vilified men to life, and gives him new purpose. She re imagines Richard as he should have been remembered, and brings him out of the grave with new life breathed back into his shadowy past.

I've been avoiding this book. I shouldn't have because it is freaking compulsive. I'll see you all in about 900 pages . . .

I think this book could have used some more input from an editor, there were definitely some scenes that could have been cleaned up, for example towards the end of the book the need for characters to internally debate a point for 3 or 4 pages, and then have other characters bring up the same point 3 or 4 times got tedious. We know Richard won't marry Bess, why labour the same point with the same argument in 4 different instances within such a short amount of pages? At least the other repetitions - Elizabeth Woodville's cunningness, Edward's getting fat and unhealthy, the Princes in the Tower - were all spread out a bit.

Some of the anachronisms in descriptions annoyed me (one character thinking about something as ‘newfangled', one description of ‘static electricity' etc).

But, minor criticisms. Overall it didn't suck (because I finished it), but I don't think I would read again.