I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles

Title: I, Elizabeth
Author: Rosalind Miles
Published: March 2003
Pages: 656
ISBN: 9780609809105
Source: Personal Copy

Description: Publicly declared a bastard at the age of three, daughter of a disgraced and executed mother, last in the line of succession to the throne of England, Elizabeth I inherited an England ravaged by bloody religious conflict, at war with Spain and France, and badly in debt. When she died in 1603, after a forty-five- year reign, her empire spanned two continents and was united under one church, victorious in war, and blessed with an overflowing treasury. What’s more, her favorites—William Shakespeare, Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Walter Raleigh—had made the Elizabethan era a cultural Golden Age still remembered today.
But for Elizabeth the woman, tragedy went hand in hand with triumph. Politics and scandal forced the passionate queen to reject her true love, Robert Dudley, and to execute his stepson, her much-adored Lord Essex. Now in this spellbinding novel, Rosalind Miles brings to life the woman behind the myth. By turns imperious, brilliant, calculating, vain, and witty, this is the Elizabeth the world never knew. From the days of her brutal father, Henry VIII, to her final dying moments, Elizabeth tells her story in her own words.

I Give This Book 3.5 Stars!

 I picked this book up because Queen Elizabeth I fascinates me.  I've read many different historical fictions about her.  I really liked the first part of the book.  Most things I've read start were her half-sister Queen Mary has her in the Tower of London.  So, I haven't read much concerning her childhood and when her father was still alive (at least were she was the focus of the story anyway).   I felt that reading about that time period helped me better understand some of her actions as an adult.  I also liked reading about her relationship with her half-brother, Edward.  But, sadly the later part of the story started to really drag down.  I found myself skimming parts.  But, I don't blame it on the book really.  As stated above, I've read a lot about her.  This book really just did not have anything new to add.  It focused on the facts and more on Elizabeth the Queen, not Elizabeth the person.    So, if you haven't already read some historical fiction about Queen Elizabeth, you might like this one.   But, if you already have a lot of information concerning Queen Elizabeth I, you might want to find something else.