this was the first book I attempted to read that blends history with fiction romance. I truly loved this book and ran out and bought the first one "The Other Boleyn Girl" and can't wait to read it.

Released on Saturday, May 08, 2004 at post office in Rural Hall, North Carolina USA.

this book was released as a trade with fellow bookcrosser cheli-garza. Hope you enjoy the book!

Just got in the mail yesterday. :) I didn't realize this book is by the same author who also wrote Wideacre- or that Wideacre was the first of a trilogy. Wow!

4-30-2005: Okay, this is book 2 in the trilogy. Book #1 is The Other Boleyn Girl and #3 is The Virgin's Lover. This book is fantastic! It's about Hanna Green (a Jewish Spaniard who runs to England to escape the Spanish Inquisition). She ends up in the Tudor court as a "holy fool" to young, infirm King Edward, and then his sister, Queen Mary, and her ambitious, scheming half-sister, Princess Elizabeth.

I don't want to give away what's going to happen, but just have to say that when Hannah learns of Daniel's secret, my heart was breaking right with her. She was totally justified in what she does next...

Going to offer as a bookring.

Bookring order:

innae (CO)
baronreads (IL)
Sissyrun (CA)
MommyMace (MA)
DoveiLibri (FL)
dospescados (NY)
DJgib (Amsterdam/England)
MissyZ (England)
tabbystripes (England)
bluefenix211 (Brunei, SE Asia)
Bulan-Purnama (OR, prefers US)
momx3lovesbooks (US, prefers US)

Here are a couple guidelines (some of it copied from KF-in-Georgia):
Please journal when you receive the book and make a new journal entry with your review once you've read it. PM the next reader for an address, then make a new journal entry when you put the book in the mail. Please don't do a release note; earlier readers don't get copies of the release notes but do get copies of journal entries.
If you need to be skipped when the book is due to you, let me know so I can reschedule you on the list if you like. This ring will be open until it closes in case anyone else wants to join in. Please keep the book moving in a timely fashion. If you have any questions, just PM me. Have fun! :)

Mailing to innae today...

Received in the mail today!!! And as I have just finished Ice Hunt, it came at the perfect time....heading off to start reading it now :-)

I finished reading this today..and I finally started enjoying it about page 300. The political intrigue was too much -- not that I DISLIKED the first part of the book, but not as enjoyable as the last part...

Stuff I really dug: (i don't think they spoil anything, but....)

pg. 298
"It went against the grain of me. I had seen my father carry some of these books across Christendom, strapped to his heart, knowing that the secrets they contained were newly named as heretical. I had seen him buy books and sell books and, more than that, lend and borrow them just for the joy of seeing their learning go onward, spread outward." -- Sounds like a case for Bookcrossing :-)

pg. 309
"You are a very true fool. It is only a fool who trusts a king." -- or anyone in political power really. Trust is for peons.

pg. 441
"But I have fallen in love, my lord, and no one but my lover will do for me." -- isn't this what we all want?

pg. 452
"You're a man," I observed. "An men are mostly to blame for the sorrow that women suffer."

All in all, a good read. I laughed, I cried. I don't think I will purposefully seek out more Gregory books however. Glad I got the chance to read this :-)

Sending off to baronreads as the next one on the list for the bookring.

Received in mail today as part of Book Ring. I will be starting ASAP. Thanks!

I'm finished with this book. I did not like it as much as The Other Boleyn Girl. I was 2/3 done and was so frustrated with Hannah and Queen Mary. Hannah for not being true to herself and going with the tide, Queen Mary for being SO NAIVE and letting Elizabeth make the calls. UGH! I was SO GLAD when Hannah left, only to eventually go back to her old ways. It just seemed like it was never going to end. And finally it did! I am PMing the next person and will send it out ASAP. Thanks for including me in this ring!

Received in the mail today. Starting it tonight.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm glad I read The Other Boleyn Girl first. It helped with the flow of prior events. Hannah was such a strong and independent girl/woman. It was refreshing to see a strong female character. Her loyalty to the queen and princess was unfaltering most times. I was happy with the way she ended up handling her feelings for Lord Robert and how she handled Daniel at the end (trying not to give away spoilers.)
I am looking forward to reading The Virgin's Lover by this author.

I usually read fast enough to keep a bookring/ray book going, but the last two months have been an emotional time consumer in dealing with my MIL's failing health.
Thank you cheli-garza for allowing me to participate.
Book mailed today!

Received the book today. I have just started a bookring for the Other Boleyn Girl that I had finished a few months ago. I just loved it. Hope I enjoy the Queens Fool just as much. I am finishing up my current book and will be starting this week on this one. I'll be in touch....

I really enjoyed this book! My expectations were lowered since many people I spoke to seemed to prefer The Other Boleyn Girl. I did think the book really picked up toward the end, and I stayed up late many nights trying to see what would happen. I loved the educated, Hannah -- so unlike women of her time. But I was surprised at the power Lord Robert had over her. I kept thinking she'd smarten up Despite her intelligence, she was really a pawn, wasn't she? I loved the ending so much. Great story! Now I will seek out The Virgin's Lover.

Thanks for including me in this ring. PMing the next person. Thanks! --Ellen

Wow! It's HERE! Thank you all! It's third on my "To Be Read Soon" list, as opposed to my GENERAL "To Be Read" MOUNTAIN!!! So, I guess it will be about three weeks before it's ready to go! Hope that's OK. I am *DYING* to get at this one! Yaay! One more book to cross off my "wish list" so I can get off of Cliff1976's Bad List!

Place Your Pin On My GUEST MAP! Click Here!

Edited 10-29-05 to add: Started the book several days ago, but haven't had much time to read. So far, I'm loving it, just like I thought I would! Will finish it quickly and send it along!

Also: PMed "DosPescados" who was next on the list. She replied that she has already read the book. Will PM the next person.

October 30, 2005: 129 pages done, 371 to go! Really, though, I'd only need three more days like this one, but not every day is so beautiful and cool to sit at the pool and read quietly! It should only be like that EVERY DAY!

November 8, 2005: Halfway through! I am *LOVING* this book! Still no response from DJgib. Will PM again.

I'm sorry, this arrived a few days ago and I hadn't got round to journalling.

I'm in a bit of a bookring frenzy at the moment, they're all arriving at once, argh. I'll read it as soon as I can.

I had a lot of pleasure reading this, it was really easy to get through and hard to put down at points. I did have trouble believing that Hannah didn't get executed at any time, with all the shifting of alliegance going on.

I have no way to judge how realistic the book is, but it did teach me to see Queen Mary in another light. I had always seen her in a totally negative light, but now think she may have been more sympathetic. In that respect it was very interesting, but most of all it was just a very readable story.

MissyZ said she's found a copy of the book so wants to be skipped, so I'll now PM tabbystripes.

The book went off in the post today!

This book was waiting for me when I got home from work last night (books are so much better than junk mail!). Thanks for posting it on, DJqib. I'm reading another book-ring at the moment but as soon as I've finished that one I'll start on this. I'm really looking forward to it.

I've really enjoyed this book - it's got a bit of everything... history, romance, action, people getting their heads chopped off (if you like that kind of thing), and I couldn't put it down at times. I'll definitely be checking out other books by the author.
Now PMing the next person on the list for their address.

Posted to bluefenix211. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

omg ogm omg it's finally arrived XD

I finished reading this book a week or so ago and really much enjoyed it ^_^ Gotta love stories from that era. I would have journalled it earlier but I am having computer problems at the moment so it's hard to journal about it -_-" I have contacted Bulan-Purnama and I be posting the book soon to her. hope she enjoyed it like I did. ^_^

Thanks again ^_^/~~

I knew I forgot something for the past few days. It's posting an entry here saying I've posted the book to the next reader in the ring last thursday ^_^ Safe journey dear book ^_^

I have the book, arrived today in Oregon. I see this book has been around quite alot. Its spine fell apart, so I taped it and now is readable again. Currently, I am reading a bookray, will start this one soon. Thanks bluefenix211 for mailing the book.

A wonderful story, beautifully written throughout. Adventure, intrique that made this story so interesting. I read the Virgin Lover, I thought it was not as good as this one. Thanks Cheli-garza for sharing. I have the next participant address to mail the book.

Caught today. I have 2 rings in front of this one and will get to it as soon as I can. :)

A young woman caught in the rivalry between Queen Mary and her half sister, Elizabeth, must find her true destiny amid treason, poisonous rivalries, loss of faith, and unrequited love.

In the winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a 14 year old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of *Sight*, the ability to forsee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a *holy fool* for Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy, promised in wedlock but in love with her master, endangered by the laws against heresy, treason and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricable bound up in her own yearnings and desires.

I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" a year or so ago, and loved it. And this book was just as good! Im usually not one to pick up historical fiction, but the way Gregory writes, you can't help but get drawn into this era. Im looking forward to reading more books by this author.

cheli-garza does not want this book back, so I will wild release it per her request in the very near future!!

RELEASE NOTES:

I am going to leave this book around one of the seating areas, if possible near Santa.

I just wanted to thank everyone for taking part in this ring. It was a lot of fun. Thank you! Hope you all have a happy new year. :)