In this stunning novel, C. W. Gortner brings to life Juana of Castile, the third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, who would become the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her countryβs throne. Along the way, Gortner takes the reader from the somber majesty of Spain to the glittering and lethal courts of Flanders, France, and Tudor England.
Born amid her parentsβ ruthless struggle to unify and strengthen their kingdom, Juana, at the age of sixteen, is sent to wed Philip, heir to the Habsburg Empire. Juana finds unexpected love and passion with her dashing young husband, and at first she is content with her children and her married life. But when tragedy strikes and she becomes heir to the Spanish throne, Juana finds herself plunged into a battle for power against her husband that grows to involve the major monarchs of Europe. Besieged by foes on all sides, Juana vows to secure her crown and save Spain from ruin, even if it costs her everything.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from C. W. Gortner'sΒ The Queen's Vow.
Praise for The Last Queen
βThis moving tale of Juana la Loca (the Mad) vividly re-creates the passion, politics, and betrayals that drove a smart and spirited queen to the brink of insanity . . . or perhaps, as C. W. Gortner suggests, to the pretense of insanityβa pretense that baffled Juanaβ s enemies and led to triumph for her children and her country.Β The Last QueenΒ is an absorbing account of one of historyβs most fascinating women, from her never-before-told point of view.ββDonna Woolfolk Cross, author ofΒ Pope Joan
βI ached for this intelligent, one-of-a-kind queen. Her struggle and passion kept me up until the early hours of the morning. A page-turner, a nail-biter, an eye-opener: I loved being possessed byΒ The Last Queen!ββKi Longfellow, author ofΒ The Secret Magdalene
βA vibrant tapestry of love and hate . . . brings to life an extraordinary queen at an unforgettable time in history.ββSandra Worth, author ofΒ Lady of the RosesΒ
βAn exquisite evocation of a dangerous era and of a forgotten queen.ββHolly Payne, author ofΒ The Virginβ s KnotΒ
βGripping and unforgettable . . . captures Juana of Castileβs electrifying drama.ββJudith Merkle Riley, author ofΒ The Water Devil