If you like: history, royalty, family sagas, strong female characters and a compelling narrative, this book could be for you. I love books that follow a person from childhood through life, and are told in chronological order. Occasionally this author makes strange word choices, for example, he writes of a character pandering some jewels and his name in exchange for a favor. That's not how I would use the word pander -- does he mean pawning, or trading on? But despite these odd moments, he is a great storyteller, who uses accepted historical facts to create a novel I didn't want to put down.