First of all, oops, mistakenly started this book not realising it was number 2 in the series.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love Conn Iggulden’s books for their historical accuracy and how well he fills out the personalities of the main characters. The battle scenes were wonderfully portrayed, particularly the battle of St Albans. I plan to read book 1 next before continuing the rest of the saga

I'm not that much into historical fiction, but I actually liked this one.:)

To read or not to read: Read. I absolutely adored this book. As someone who is particularly interested in the Wars of the Roses, I am biased towards it of course but it is a gripping book for any fan of historic novels of any time period.

Full review here

Book 1: Stormbird review
Book 3: Bloodline review
Book 4: Ravenspur: Rise of the Tudors review

Upon rereading, my appreciation for this novel only grows. I'm removing my original review because I have quite a lot to add and I don't want this to end up too long. I found that, after reading this back-to-back with Stormbird, the change in writing style is actually quite noticeable. I felt like this was more mature, almost more confident. It was clear Conn Iggulden had better footing in the world/time period of the series. This novel moves into more of a starting place for the Wars of the Roses, if there even is one, where book one was more of a set up and some aggravation between York and Lancaster. Here, amidst battles between families, Iggulden's writing flourished. The battle of St. Alban's was written incredibly; then there was the defence of the Tower against Warwick, his army, and the people of London, a scene that has stuck with me since I first read it; and finally the battle at Sandal. This book isn't for the faint hearted - there are arrows through faces, cut throats, rolling heads, and rivers running red. All of it, though, very well written.

The character dynamics are very interesting. A lot of the key players were introduced in book one, and so we get to see them in more depth in Trinity. It was interesting to see York being manipulated so much by Salisbury. This whole war seems to stem from Salisbury trying to get back at the Percy family, and once there was a threat to the King what could Margaret do but defend the Lancaster family? I actually really like Warwick, he's one of my favourite characters, and I always feel like he has his own agenda, though I'm not entirely sure what it is. He's very independent, even though at this point he's working towards his father's (and York's) cause, it never seems that he's working for them, if that makes sense. Derry, as always, is in the middle of everything, and Margaret just gets stronger and stronger.

In my original review I said my only problem with this novel was that it slowed down near the end, only to go through the events at Sandal really fast. I didn't feel that the second time around. I was eager to continue reading, it never felt slow to me. The amassing armies and subsequent clashing of them flowed really well. Maybe it's because I'm reading this straight after book one, or that I read it across a longer period of time, I don't know. But my opinion has definitely changed there.

Overall, I really enjoy this series. Like I said, this one has a lot of fighting in it, and if you're wary of blood and guts this might not be for you. It's never overly bloody or graphic, but there is the presence of war throughout.

This is the second book in the War of the Roses series and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one. I felt the story lost its impetus a bit and I wasn’t as interested in what would happen. The descriptions are visceral as ever and the writing is superb though. Perhaps I’ll love the third book more. Incidentally I would have given the book 3.5 stars if I’d have had the option.

4 stars - I really liked it!

This book was certainly on par with its prequel Stormbird. So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed Iggulden's recounts of the War of the Roses, which I think he presents from a relatively balanced point of view.

The action scenes are nice. You really get to see a lot of character development of so many key players in the politics of the time. Also, you get to see a whole lot of badass women - Margaret is by far my favourite character, and she is 100% more strong-willed than any of the men she is dealing with. Literally none of them could ever reach her standard. She is god tier.

But anyway... If you enjoy medieval history, then you should definitely pick up this series! You won't regret it!

A page turner, even though the ultimate outcome is well-known. Iggulden does a marvelous job crafting a story while staying true to historical facts. Unlike most War of the Roses books which stick to telling the story from one side of the conflict, Iggulden alternates between the perspectives of York and Lancaster. As a result, the reader is treated to a more thorough understanding of how complex this conflict was. Neither side was "right," and heroes and villains exist on both sides. It's difficult to choose a side to root for, as you develop an attachment to characters on both sides. Extremely well-written. I'm looking forward to reading the third book. (Also: the 10-page Authors Note, multiple maps, character list, and family trees were greatly appreciated.)