Sorry kids, no feet.

After an incredibly slow start, Iggulden managed to finish his first novel of the Wars of the Roses on a fairly high note.

After about 100 pages into Stormbird, I started wondering if Iggulden was going to be an author for me. My previous experience with Iggulden's work was [b:The Gates of Rome|601303|The Gates of Rome (Emperor, #1)|Conn Iggulden|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348603547s/601303.jpg|1808829], which I was unimpressed with. At the end of Stormbird, I still find Iggulden's writing style to be slightly juvenile and at times slow but Stormbird redeemed itself enough to make me curious about [b:Trinity|22468475|Trinity (Wars of the Roses, #2)|Conn Iggulden|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402756293s/22468475.jpg|41908196].

What do I know about Margaret of Anjou? Not much outside of her being referred to as a she-wolf. The only other novel I have ever read featuring Margaret of Anjou[b:The Queen of Last Hopes: The Story of Margaret of Anjou|7889845|The Queen of Last Hopes The Story of Margaret of Anjou|Susan Higginbotham|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1290742886s/7889845.jpg|11114540]. This novel featured a "human" version of Margaret of Anjou. She was just a woman who needed to protect her family. Iggulden's Margaret has enormous potential. Her character is one of the few reasons I will more than likely pick up Trinity. Another reason being Richard, Duke of York.

I found myself annoyed with the all of the side stories at the book's opening. There was the story about the royals and nobility. There was a story about the king's spymaster. There was a story about various British peasants in France and England. I was annoyed with all of the jumping around Iggulden did. Tell one story! For a while it seemed like each story line would have made a find stand alone novel. At one point I considered not even finishing. The stories managed to all come together and the book saved itself.

If you are looking for a novel about the Wars of the Roses that isn't all about the noble House of York and it's warrior men or Elizabeth of Woodville's legendary beauty and fertility, I would recommend making an attempt at this novel. It tells the story of the beginnings of the Wars of the Roses that many people are probably unfamiliar with.