{"product_id":"0345523970-the_queens_vow_a_novel_of_isabella_of_castile","title":"The Queen's Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile","description":"\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNo one believed I was destined for greatness.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n So begins Isabellaâs story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of historyâs most famous and controversial queensâthe warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\n Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she and her brother are taken from their motherâs home to live under the watchful eye of their half-brother, King Enrique, and his sultry, conniving queen. There, Isabella is thrust into danger when she becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot to dethrone Enrique. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, torn between loyalties, until at age seventeen she suddenly finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man she loves yet who is forbidden to herâFernando, prince of Aragon.\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\nAs they unite their two realms under âone crown, one country, one faith,â Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor Torquemada even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when the Moors of the southern domain of Granada declare war, a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, one that will test all of Isabellaâs resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny.\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\n From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and the intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, \u003ci\u003eThe Queenâs Vow\u003c\/i\u003e sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"null1\"\u003eLook for special features inside. Join the Random House Readerâs Circle for author chats and more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Queenâs Vow\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\n âA masterwork by a skilled craftsman . . . Make a vow to read this book.ââNew York Journal of Books\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\n âA beautifully crafted piece of historical fiction . . . Gortnerâs vivid details blend with his deeply intensive research to re-create Isabella and Castile in a way that the reader will find compelling and immersive, bringing not just the Queen but the whole nation to life.ââ\u003ci\u003eRT Book Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n âA fascinating story . . . Through his creative and spellbinding storytelling, Gortnerâs readers come to know Isabella intimately in mind, heart and body as she lives through a tumultuous time, her intense longing to be the determiner of her own unique destiny.ââWichita Falls \u003ci\u003eTimes Record News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\n âA novel of triumph as Isabella vanquishes her enemies one by one . . . [She is] a very human and appealing character.â\u003ci\u003eâThe Roanoke Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n  \u003cbr\u003e\n âPolitically charged, passionate . . . [a] well-researched, intriguing historical.ââBookreporter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCategories:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiterature \u0026amp; Fiction\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical Fiction\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003eBiographical\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n","brand":"Ballantine Books","offers":[{"title":"Used - Good","offer_id":47425050542270,"sku":"0345523970-4","price":19.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0640\/9689\/5166\/files\/91b86EscDoL.jpg?v=1779291926","url":"https:\/\/shop.sustainablebooks.com\/products\/0345523970-the_queens_vow_a_novel_of_isabella_of_castile","provider":"Sustainable Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}