Customer Reviews

Isabel: Jewel of Castilla - Spain, 1466 (The Royal Diaries)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Isabel is trapped between bitter family feud. Both of her parents are dead, and she is in the middle of a silent battle occuring with her older brother, King Enrique, and her younger brother, Prince Alfonso. Alfonso wants to overthrow his brother Enrique from the Spanish throne, though Enrique is not willing to give it up. Who will Isabel side with? Enrique? Or Alfonso?

Isabel does indeed secretly support her little brother Alfonso as king. Isabel wishes dearly for Enrique's reign of terror over her to stop immediately. But also, Isabel wishes with all the loving deepness in herheart that she could marry the handsome young Prince Hernando. It was love at first sight. But Enrique forbids the marriage. And now, can Isabel find a way to be with her one true love?

Carolyn Meyer has done a fine job narrating the story of a Spanish princess would one day be Queen Isabel of Portugal, and, with King Fernando, would authorize Christopher Columbus to travel to the New World, thus founding America.

Highly recommended!

When I first got this book, I was really excited because I love almost all of the Royal Diary books. Once I read this though, I was sorely disapointed. It was a very boring read which talked only about the people Isabel was going to marry and how she had to go to church everyday. I found myself skipping pages at a time and not missing anything important. The book could have been interesting but I think Carolyn Meyer did a poor job portraying the Spanish royalty culture. I wouldn't buy this book unless you wanted to have all the RD, because there's always the library to borrow it from.

when I first saw this book I grabbed it because It looked cool. It was, but not at first because at first it was all "el scorpian is in love with el minio" or watever. Other then that I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isabel, Jewel of Castilla is a fictional biography. This book is compelling with drama. The book takes place in Spain where Isabel lives. She lives in the palace along with her annoying, quite wicked brother, King Enrique, Enrique's wife, the most annoying Queen Juana, and her spoiled niece, Princess Juana. Isabel has another brother, King Alfonso, whose enemy is his own brother King Enrique. Of course, she has servants, the finest food, clothes, and luxuries. Isabel has a nice life, except for the fact that King Enrique is trying to find a husband for her, and she hates everyman that Enrique gets. But, will she marry the one she hates most, or the one she loves best?

I love this book because of all the detail and dialogue. You can feel what the character is feeling because it is written as the character's diary. All the detail and dialogue just takes you away to another place.

Now you might be thinking what the weaknesses are. But I think this book was so well written, all it has is strengths.

I think that the author, Carolyn Meyer, did a good job writing this book. Meyer kept you hooked to the book. She develops all of the main characters so much, that you feel like you know them really well.

I would definitely recommend this book to girls ages 10 and up. This is because I think boys would find it boring and girls under 10 wouldn't understand it a bit. I am very sure you won't be able to put this book down after you start reading it.

I am a huge fan of YA historical fiction, especially international historical fiction. Having lived in the lands that Isabel once ruled (Castilla y León), the novel was a pleasant reminder of the many castles, monasteries and medieval buildings I visited while living in northern Spain (Burgos). When I attended the Universidad de Burgos I took Spanish history as a requirement, and we learned about many of the events covered in this novel: the Moorish conquest in 711, the centuries of the Reconquista (the attempt to retake Spain and drive out the infidels), the final victory at Granada in January 1492, the later expulsion of Jews and Moors that year, and most fateful, Cristobál Colon's discovery of America, as well as the political intrigue surrounding Alfonso and Enrique, Juana La Beltraneja, and later Juana La Loca.

Isabel strives to follow the instruction of her confessor (later the head of the brutal Spanish Inquisition) Tomás de Torquemada, but is spirited, not content with the answers she is given. With her father dead and her mother having lost her senses, Isabel is left to fend for herself and to follow her heart.

Isabel's diary reads like exactly that: a diary, with long stretches of time glossed over, full of the tedious details that filled her confined life until her marriage. The extended cast of characters numbers near forty, and at times the book feels like a memory exercise. However, the author makes a brave attempt to bring to life a lost period of time when Spain was divided between Christian and Moor, and the Christian provinces were dangerous, full of outlaws and warring factions, each ruled by a separate king. Isabel's life is constantly at risk, caught in a war between her brothers, and it is her marriage to Fernando of Aragón that finally produces the beginnings of a unified España.

Although some information is inaccurate, "Isabel: Jewel of Castilla" is full of historical details about life in Spain, the political climate of the time, popular beliefs, court life and more, and various Spanish names/phrases are used (there is a handy glossary in the back). There is an abridged family tree, photocopies of maps, engravings and statues, and a list of characters provided at the end of the book.

Another amazing addition to the Royal Diaires! Isabel was AMAZING! When the book begins Isabel is a timid, negative, a christan fanatic, and often feels helpless while others decide her future. But by the end of the book she is a confident, strong spirited person who destained to become a great queen (and she does). Also you can also expect a great thing between her and her future husband Fernando. You just need to remeber one thing... in the very begining (meaning the first five pages) all it seems like she does is pray but once your past those first few pages an exciting story unfoldes and you'll be begging (NOT praying) for more!

Great start to a great series. I thought this book was excellent.

This was the first book I read(without knowing it was part of a series) I've read&have everyone of them that has come out. Considering this was one of the first in the series I thought it was excellent. Some of the books had a few dull spots, but it was so rare to find a dull spot in this book. I felt so sorry for Isabel living with people like Enrique&Queen Juana who kept setting up betrothals to horrid men. She sounded like an interesting person, a person who it might have been interesting to be. I am now awaiting 4 books that should be coming out eventually(Elisabeth of Austria:The Princess Bride; Kristina:The Girl King, Sweden; Weetamoo:Chief of the Poccasetts, Massachusetts; and one coming in 2004 by Kristian Gregory-Catherine the Great). Keep reading!

I liked Isabel Jewel of Castilla a lot. The characters were well developed and the plot was pretty interesting. I liked hearing what Catholics were like over five hundred years ago and I am glad I live now instead of then. The book kept me pretty interested, but sometimes it was a litlle boring. The book was great and I recommend it to anyone!!

I should revisit whatever i learned in school about Isabel la Católica. Much of what i remember is not what this book explains. I understand that history goes through many phases of revisionism, but i have a feeling that the author dwelled a bit too much on those parts that portray Isabel as a fanatic. This book then opens for me a lot of windows, as i am now more curious about history than i was in fifth grade. Hooray!