The Marriage Game by Alison Weir

Final Rating: 3/5

A sequel of a Queen's decisions...or not

   "Decisions, decisions, decisions" seems to be the reappearing theme for this tale of the private and court life of Queen Elizabeth I. Being the sequel to The Lady Elizabeth, The Marriage Game spans from 1558 to 1603 and Ms. Weir takes her readers into the heart of the religious and political turmoil that consumed England during these unsettled times and places us in the mind of the woman who was seen to bring a golden light to her people and country. Instead of an unrealistic immortal view of a queen Ms. Weir shows us a mortal being that fears, contemplates and desires love during her reign on the throne. In The Marriage Game, The Court of Elizabeth I is painted in a very frantic and complicated light with whispers of scandal and impending disaster that adds to the matters of the daily life of Elizabeth I. Love is fleeting in these pages and it is sometimes hard to imagine that true love can overpower the desire for a coveted crown. And yet Ms. Weir recreates the complicated relationship that played out in this chaotic world with Robert Dudley as Elizabeth's connection to her past and endless future possibilities and that is when she lost this reader unfortunately.

   Up to this point I enjoyed the complicated shard-like view of Elizabeth I but once the many ways to say "no" "maybe" and "wait" made a rampant montage of the chapters I became a little frustrated and disappointed. I would have to say albeit repetitious, paced (especially towards the end), with debatable speculations and a surprising missing authentic flavour of dialogue; this will not be my last read by Ms. Weir. Hearing such praise and recommendations from other readers perhaps The Marriage Game better suited to another curious reader as an introduction to the reign of Elizabeth I and this reader will try Innocent Traitor or A Dangerous Inheritance in the near future. Overall, I would still recommend The Marriage Game to those that enjoy this period of history, complicated relationships and a private view of royalty.
 
*I would like to thank Ballantine Books and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and enjoy The Marriage Game: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I.

Series:

The Lady Elizabeth

by Alison Weir