Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland

This historical, romantic novel is a page turner and I loved it. It is based on twelfth century history in Scotland and Northumbria of England in a war between Norman William the Conqueror and King Malcolm (Canmore) of Scotland. Princess Margaret of England, along with her father, mother, sister and brother Prince Edgar the Aetheling, had fled to the royal court of Hungary, an extremely pious Catholic nation for sanctuary, but Margaret's father was called back to England and shortly thereafter suffered a mysterious death, for which Margaret, who was 8 at the time, blamed herself the rest of her life because she had coaxed him into eating some sweetmeats, which were poisoned. Because of her guilt, Margaret became very devout, intending to become a nun and after her father's death, her family and her were kept confined in an Abbey. Margaret followed the severe devotional life of the nuns, praying several times day and night, which, Margaret continued the rest of her life. No one could understand her, even the priests, but the novel indicates she was trying to atone for her father's death.

Her family was rescued from this abbey and fled across the channel in a boat, but were shipwrecked on the shores of Scotland. Her teen-age brother, Prince Edgar, sought King Malcolm's help to fight William and regain his Saxon kingdom. Malcolm was a warrior king and understood that Edgar would never be able to do this on his own and hesitated for several years to openly fight William, but kept raiding into Northcumbria, which had once been his.

Margaret, along with being extremely devout, was educated, beautiful, virtuous, and charitable. From the time she first saw Malcolm, she considered him a brute and totally uncouth. Malcolm, a widower, wanted Margaret and agreed to help Edgar if Margaret would become his wife and consort. Margaret was attracted and also disgusted by this man. Although Margaret was a gentle woman, rarely ever saying anything unkind or uncouth, she had a streak in her that would stand up to Malcolm in defense of others. In the beginning, she refused to marry Malcolm, but was finally persuaded that it would help Saxon England if she did. After her wedding night, which she dreaded, she found him to be gentle with her, whether in the bed or otherwise, and a part of her began to fall in love with him also. She soon found that he would accede to whatever her wishes or actions were and she was determined to bring refined culture to Malcolm and his palaces and worked many more hours than her strength allowed to bring charity to the people and gradually change their Celtic religion more under the religious rules of Rome and the Pope, although she could see the beauty of the Celtic religion. She taught and educated Malcolm, improving his Latin, French and English. She thwarted him in every way, but he recognized that she did so on his behalf and not her own and so she feared no consequences. She robbed his gold to help the poor, she released six prisoners whom she felt did not deserve to be held for ransom, she fed the people and personally fed children. Although she actually bore him six sons and two daughters, the book ends after the birth of three sons, which she almost lost because she would not eat sufficiently. No one understood this, but the book hints that she did this in atonement for her sins (her father's death.)

The character of Eva (although fictional) is inserted to elaborate more on the controversy between Lady MacBeth in the north of Scotland and Malcolm in the south, over the kingdom of Scotland.

The author says that there is more historical evidence to support Margaret than is usual from medieval times, and probably it is because she was considered a saint. I feel the book gains even more appeal after reading the Author's Note at the end of the story and I truly urge the reader to not by-pass it.

I was fascinated by the main character and then the historical information seemed to abruptly stop, and so did the author. I think the author could have found a better solution. That did not altar my overall satisfaction with queen Margaret and Malcom Canmore (the rat--that is if one roots for Macbeth).

As a reader of ancient history , I really enjoyed this glimpse of the times of Scotland's Queen Margaret; who became Saint Margaret in time. Her influence over the man she had originally dreaded possibly being forced to marry; King Malcolm, is interesting to note. Where family duty in times of turbulent change takes young Margaret from taking of vows, to attempting to bring her religious pious ways to a people who followed a more ancient faith.Into this comes a "gift" …young harpist and bard of the Kings enemy's granddaughter who soon becomes friend and confidante. I truly enjoyed this well written and well researched glimpse into one of the most powerful Kings...and Queens to hold the Scots throne. Nicely done.The ending didn't disappoint. Already reading Queen Macbeths story..

What did you love best about Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland?

I loved the fact that even though Margaret at times was a little too saintly, Ms. Fraser was able to show the humanity in her. When she starved her self, I thought her a little anorexic, but when she let the hostages go, I was laughing and saying,"You go, Girl!"

What other book might you compare Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland to and why?

Any good Jean Plaidy novel since the subject matter is similar. Historical royal fiction is a great genre that the best give you some insight on why the Royals acted like they did.

What about Emily Gray’s performance did you like?

I think she did wonderful with Princess Eva, not as great with Margaret. However she did a nice job making sure every character had a different voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Naughty or nice?

Any additional comments?

This is a good book, I didn't give it 5 stars because at times the subject matter was a little too dry for my taste. I did enjoy the book.

Queen Hereafter (A Novel of Margaret of Scotland) is Susan Fraser King's second historical fiction novel, following on the heels of her Lady MacBeth in 2008. Although there are some references to events that occurred in Lady MacBeth, Queen Hereafter is a stand-alone work of historical fiction.

Queen Hereafter commences in 1046 and covers from that date to approximately 1074. There are two point-of-views used interchangeably in the novel: Margaret of Scotland and Eva the Bard.

Exiled as a small child to Hungary, Margaret's father, is summoned to England by his uncle King Edward. Margaret's family, including her father, mother, sister and brother, travel to London only to encounter tragedy and danger when her father, Edward the Exile, suddenly drops dead within a week. Margaret's brother, Edgar, at 5 years-old, is named as king's heir. When King Edward dies, Edgar does not gain the crown. Harold Godwinson seizes the throne, but dies on the battleground against William the Conqueror.

Margaret's family separates and flee, Margaret and her sister, Cristina, to the Romsey Abby, their mother to Wilton Abbey and Edgar as William's hostage in Normandy. It is a life that Margaret seeks, one of devotion and service to God. Her desire is thwarted 3 years later when she and her sister are spirited off to be reunited with their family and sail to Scotland to request aid of the Scottish King, Malcolm Canmore. Their ship founders in the sea upon the Coast of Scotland where the people are loyal to Malcolm. Further north, the Highlanders demonstrate no such loyalty.

King Malcolm is a widower. For many months, Margaret dreads she will become his wife to seal his partnership with her brother, Edgar, to repel the hated Normans from England and Scotland and crown Edgar as King of England. Margaret is extremely pious and wishes to serve only God; not to be wife to a uncultured warrior-king. Her fears becomes reality and she weds Malcolm.

Eva the Bard (a fictional character) is granddaughter of Lady Gruadh of the Highlands and daughter of King Lulach, who was killed by Malcolm's orders. Now Malcolm demands Eva's presence at his Court to entertain his guests, a slim disguise for his true intent - to hold Eva hostage as guarantee of Lady Gruadh's good behavior. Malcolm is well aware he has enemies in the north and Lady Gruadh is influential. Lady Gruadh eventually consents to Eva travelling to Malcom's Court, but charges Eva with a mission; Eva must ferret out useful information about Malcolm's activities and report back to her grandmother.

Queen Hereafter is a story of 2 women, who have to make the best of what life has handed them. For Margaret, it's marriage to an uncouth bear of a man and, for Eva, it's banishment from her beloved highlands to the court of the man who killed her father.

Margaret's goals are to reform the Celtic church of Scotland to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, institute almsgiving, found monasteries, tame her brutish husband into a cultured man (she eventually finds contentment with her marriage and bears 8 children) and spend infinite hours on her knees praying in the hopes of a expiating a sin from her childhood. She practices asceticism to the extreme.

Eva's ambition is to return home to Northern Scotland, the sooner the better. As she becomes more intimate with Margaret, she finds herself in a loyalty dilemma. She attempts to resolve this problem with unfortunate results.

I enjoyed Eva's point-of-view best as she seemed more flesh and bones than Margaret. Margaret's portrayal of extreme piety began to feel somewhat tired and her character a bit cardboard-like. Margaret did not come across as the imperfect human being we all are, except for her own self-imposed conception of her sins. Not being a saint myself, I'm not sure exactly of a saint's thought process, but I do know many sinners became saints. There was nothing in Margaret's character that helped me make a connection with her. I was disappointed as I'd hoped to gain more insight into Margaret.

Overall, I found this a good read but, as mentioned above, had difficulties envisioning Margaret as a "real" person.

Margaret of Scotland was such an interesting medieval woman it's nice to finally have a thorough treatment and a historically accurate novel written about her. In Susan Fraser King's new novel, Margaret is shipwrecked on the coast of Scotland with her mother and siblings while escaping the Normans in the 11th century. King Malcolm of Scotland sees the advantage and offers to marry her in exchange for helping her brother fight for the Saxon cause just over the border in England. Mrgaret has to adjust to the Scottish court, being a foreigner, and does her best to help the Scots as their new queen. Malcolm brings in Eva, a Celtic bard, granddaughter of Lady Macbeth (who King wrote about in her previous and wonderful novel), and Eva is not only a hostage of the king, but sent there to spy for Lady Macbeth. Malcolm and Eva clash - he even takes away her harp as punishment for her boldness - but Margaret unexpectedly forms a growing friendship with the young female bard whose cultural ideas are very different from Margaret's. The story builds from there, covering the first few years of Margaret's reign as queen in Scotland.

King's signature style -- lyrical voice, symapthetic and compelling characters, accurate research and real life details make this a read I couldn't put down. My ony regret is that King ended the story too soon, as I wanted to spend more time with these people in this fabulous setting. I loved Lady Macbeth, what a poetic novel, and Queen Hereafter has a different feel. More gentle and sensitive in ways that suit Margaret so well. It's not as dark and that suits this character, who is such a gentle, vulnerable soul cast into a situation where she must deal with unexpected challenges in life. Margaret wanted to be a nun, but no, her brother married her off to Malccolm to suit his own agenda. Malcolm is not the evil man we might expect, but a blundering oaf that we come to genuinely like. Highly enjoyable read, and highly recommended!

I was so excited to read this book, and found it at my local library. However, 50 pages in I gave up. I was so uninterested in the characters and the story seemed nonexistent. The author spent way too much time introducing characters and giving background information that there was no action to grab your attention, other than a near shipwreck. I keep picking this up to read a few more pages and then realize why I quit in the first place. It’s just boring.

This was a beautiful glimpse into the life of Queen Margaret of Scotland. She was a Saxon princess, transplanted to Scotland for her safety and that of her family during the reign of William in England. The king, Malcolm, grants them sanctuary, thereby sealing the fate of Scotland for generations to come - as he and Margaret fall into a deep and devoted love rarely seen in a ruling class dominated by arranged marriages. They marry and Margaret bears eight children, six boys and two girls. Their sons rule Scotland for many decades after their parents' deaths and their daughter, Edith, eventually becomes a Queen of England, wed to Henry I. But this book focuses on the young life and early days of Margaret's marriage. She civilizes the rough, warrior King Malcolm and wins the hearts of the Scots through her enormous charity, piety and good works for her adopted country. She is so beloved that much is written about her, both during her lifetime by those who knew her, and afterward, giving the author ample works to research and be able to present a very plausible fictionalized account of Margaret. I strongly suggest you read the author's notes in the back. Margaret was deemed saintly by all who knew her, and she was canonized 150 years after her death. This was a great work of historical fiction which made me want to learn even more about this very important queen, Saint Margaret.

What struck me the most when I read Susan Fraser King's first novel, Lady MacBeth , was the way she was able to suck me in within the first page. Well, I can happily say that the same thing happened with her newest release, Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland.

Margaret, the daughter of an exiled prince and granddaughter to Edmund Ironside, was raised in the strictly religious Hungarian court. Her father is called back to England, but dies shortly after and following a series of events she and her family leave England and travel to the court of King Malcolm III of Scotland for protection. However safety comes with a price that only she can pay with her hand in marriage. As dutiful as Margaret is, she is less than thrilled at marrying this rough, brutish man who ignores and disgusts her but resolves herself to the inevitable and vows to be the best queen possible. It's hard to think that with the rocky start to their relationship and given that they seem to be total opposites, Margaret and Malcolm have one of the most successful (with all of their eight children living to adulthood)and happy marriages in royal couple history. And though the people of Scotland did not want a Saxon queen, they come to love her for her charity and kindnesses. After reading about the innate goodness in Margaret, it comes as no surprise to me that she is now known as a Saint.

In Queen Hereafter we also reunite with Lady MacBeth and meet her granddaughter, daughter of the murdered King Lulach, Eva. Eva, an accomplished bard, knowing her destiny lay elsewhere, she leaves the court of her grandmother and answers Malcolm's summons that she come to his court as a royal hostage to keep Lady MacBeth in check and behaving. As Malcolm is Lady MacBeth's enemy she is loath to send her beloved granddaughter to the lion's den, but word has come to her that Malcolm has commission a historical account which would not paint MacBeth and Lulach in very glowing terms and Eva could be in a position to secretly find out more about the document. But when Eva and Margaret grow close she begins to feel bad about betraying her new friend and when she gets caught its Margaret who will seal her fate.

Wonderfully written and hard to put down Queen Hereafter is a fantastic read that I highly recommend to any lover of historical fiction!

Though I didn't think this novel had quite the wow factor that Ms. King's Lady MacBeth did, I still enjoyed it. Queen Margaret of Scotland's life is rarely explored in historical fiction, so it's refreshing to read of this remote time and place in British history. Set around the time of the Norman invasion of England, the story tells of Margaret, a Saxon princess, being shipwrecked on the shores of Scotland (considered highly uncivilized at the time) along with her family, as they escape the turmoil in England. Ultimately she marries King Malcolm - unwillingly, since Margaret has the soul of a nun and longs to return to the convent. But she goes along with the alliance and becomes an excellent queen and mother - giving birth to eight healthy children who survived to adulthood, which was astonishing at the time. At times Margaret's piety can wear on the reader's patience: the constant praying, penances, and fasting seem over the top for even that more religious era; however, we are given a plausible explanation concerning her father's death that helps explain her excessive religiosity. The addition of Lady Macbeth's granddaughter Eva, a female bard, to Malcolm's court, adds an element of intrigue to the story. This is a great addition to the collection of any historical fiction fan.

Margaret lived during a brutal and tumultuous time in Britain's history. Not long after arriving in England, her father died. No one was certain of the cause, but Margaret knew she was to blame. Her burden of guilt lasted a lifetime, and may be what molded her into who she became. As warring grew increasingly violent, the princess, along with her mother and sister, sought safety with the sisters at Romsey Abbey.

Shut away at Romsey....Margaret had discovered unexpected peace amid turmoil...Outside, her sole purpose would have been as a political bride, a living alliance expected to produce heirs.

At the abbey, Margaret found a happy existence. Despite greatly missing her brother Edgar, taken hostage by the English King William, she still had her sister Cristina with her and a pleasant sense of security among the nuns. A royal princess, she nonetheless wished to join the convent, positive that that was her destiny. Also, in devoting her life to God, she hoped to find forgiveness for that dark secret from deep in her past.

Then one day, Edgar, having escaped King William's clutches, sends for his two sisters, spiriting them away from the growing peril in England. Fleeing north to Scotland, they find sanctuary with Malcolm Canmore, the Scottish king. Malcolm III fought his way onto the throne and can sorely use Edgar's talents. And then, to Margaret's dismay, King Malcolm turns his eye on her, desiring her hand in marriage. Refusing at first, Margaret finally --- and reluctantly --- agrees, realizing the value of such a pairing: a Saxon and a Scotsman. It may go far in helping to soothe some long-standing angers and could possibly unite even more regions of Scotland. Now Margaret's dreams of becoming a nun are gone forever. But her devotion remains.

Almost immediately, to her utter surprise, she finds herself caring for the brutish king and anxiously awaiting his return whenever he goes away. During his absences, she puts her time to good use. A savvy woman, aware that many people aren't happy with her marriage to Malcolm, Queen Margaret cleverly begins a campaign to win them over with kindness, generosity and alms. Her good deeds earn her much praise, yet some remain resentful.

Among her worst detractors is Lady Gruadh, and with good reason. Gruadh and King Macbeth were once well loved by their people, right up to the time that Malcolm killed Macbeth. Now Gruadh harbors a grudge so bitter that she sends her granddaughter Eva into peril, with a command to spy on Malcolm and his court.

But Eva the bard does better at her music than at spying. Despite her predisposition otherwise, Eva discovers that she likes and admires the queen. More and more, she is torn as to where her allegiance should lie. She loves her grandmother, but Queen Margaret is honest and kind. Eva has some hard decisions to make. Does she dare do as Gruadh asks? If she is found out, would the queen stand up for her? More importantly, could she escape a terrible punishment? The unlikely friendship between the two women proves how strong their bond is.

While many authors tend to romanticize their historical characters, by all accounts, Queen Margaret and King Malcolm's life was one of passion and ultimately true love. Susan Fraser King tells their story with her poetic prose and beautiful period detail. With the enchanted setting of medieval Scotland, a beautiful princess and a warrior king, the author has all the ingredients for a winning story. Even better, this fictionalized account of Queen Margaret's life with King Malcolm shines with realism.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

The story of Margaret of Scotland is told through the eyes of fictional female bard Eva. It can sometimes be a challenge to place a fictional main character into a world in which all other essential characters are historically based but Fraser King seamlessly moves Eva through the Scottish court life without ever hinting that she doesn't truly belong there. You could really believe the struggles that Eva faced being torn between the court in the North and the true royal court of Scotland. Another strength of the author was the ease of explanation and integration of the "wild" Scottish court's ways and the Scottish traditions.

The two women that Eva's loyalties are torn between are Margaret and Gruadh (Lady Macbeth). These two women were absolute foils of each other. Margaret was very, very pious (almost to the point of the unbelievable) while Gruadh was more out for her people and loyalty to Scottish traditions. As a reader, you are able to respect what both of these women are trying to do without pitting one against the other.

This was a quick read that introduced me to a new court and a new country and historical setting. I think that this is a great companion novel to Helen Hollick's The Forever Queen and the soon to be released I Am the Chosen King. Hollick's books are set one generation prior to the events of Queen Hereafter. Events are referenced in Fraser King's book that took place in Hollick's book. It was great to already be set into the time and have a knowledge base from which to build off of. I can't wait to read Lady Macbeth, also by Susan Fraser King, which is set during the events just prior to Queen Hereafter.

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for a review and this was also posted on my blog.

I won this book in a blog giveaway by Musings of a Book Junkie. I was not required to give a review in exchange.

Queen Hereafter is about the saint queen Margaret, who is required to marry King Malcolm although she desires only to become a nun. Her historical figure is intertwined with a fictional character, Eva, who is a female bard who comes to court and hides a secret.

I'll admit, this book greatly frustrated me. There are lyrical moments where I would get swept away with the rich descriptions and intricacies of court life. There is something magnetic about the figure of Margaret, and I was fascinated by her and her relationship with Malcolm. Margaret is such a flawed but saintly creature, and battles with anorexia and guilt. I thought previously that this disease was a recent invention by our developed world society, but I learned differently.

This book has the underpinnings of a great novel, but then makes such odd missteps. First and foremost is the beginning. It is a whirlwind of changes from first person to third person and then perspectives from Margaret and Eva, many times without warning. I almost put down the book at that point, but Margaret's character grabbed my attention, so I stayed with it. Second, Eva seems like such an unnecessary character. I do not see what she adds to the novel. Her character and her side plot are uninteresting, and I found myself speeding through her thankfully shorter chapters to get back to Margaret. *SPOILER ALERT* A third issue is the decision to make Tor a spiritual love interest. As we get to the author's note, we find that apparently Margaret and Malcolm's great love story is paramount in the history books. I thought to myself, why make the decision to sully that relationship unnecessarily. Their relationship was one of the most interesting things about the book and focusing on the surprising love between two royalty that were initially matched for politics and not love, is very fascinating in its own right. Fourth, I felt that it was too simplistic for Margaret to become so religious because she blames herself for her father's death. She's a grown woman and should realize it was not her fault (at least in part). I feel like this is another fictional decision, but the fact that she feels the need to be the perfect queen is reason enough (and makes infinitely more sense) for her anorexia. Fifth, I agree that the author's note is more fascinating in a lot of ways than the book itself. I was interested to see that Cristina, Margaret's sister, has a lot more potential to be her own character (and who knows, may spawn her own book), but we only see minute glimpses of this.

I am torn because there are certain places in the book that I was sucked in and greatly enjoyed it, but the aforementioned issues shadowed my pleasure in reading this book.

Fraser King couches her 11th century tale of Scotland's Queen Margaret in the perspective of three personalities: Queen Margaret, Lady Macbeth and the northern queen's granddaughter, Eva. Trained as a bard, Eva is brought to the south as a hostage of Malcolm Canmore, the king, potential spy for her grandmother but, in time, intimate companion of the royal English princess whose generosity on behalf of the poor becomes legendary. Margaret influences the warrior Malcolm's court for the better; more surprising is the love that grows between king and queen. Fleeing William of Normandy sweep of England and the crown, Margaret is shipwrecked on the shore of Scotland with her mother, sister and brother, Edgar the Aetheling, his expected crown a hostage to fate. Desiring only a life of seclusion and prayer, it is Margaret's lot to wed Malcolm, joining England to Scotland.

Through her three dominant female characters, Margaret, Eva and Lady Macbeth, the author reveals the difficult world of a royal princess in a warrior's court, as Eva the bard mediates between her grandmother and the pious young bride who reshapes Malcolm's image and extends her charity to the suffering poor. At issue for Eva and Lady Macbeth is a book Malcolm has commissioned, a history of Scotland likely skewed favorably towards his actions in gaining the throne. Vigilant at Malcolm's court for any mention of the book, Eva becomes enamored of the ethereal queen, who quietly observes the offices of the convent, seeking penance for her faults, real and imagined. Both Eva's and the country's fascination with Margaret hints at the potential popularity of the Marian cult, but Margaret heeds her own dialog with God, rigorously fasting, feeding orphans with her own hand, giving away her cloak and shoes to the less fortunate.

A complex and educated woman, Margaret is not unaware of her image as queen, or the necessity for Malcolm's less barbaric appearance to the world. But she is clearly inclined to the fanatical asceticism of other such women anointed as saints (early practitioners of anorexia nervosa), appearing otherworldly, wraithlike from fasting, yet harboring a will of steel. Nor does the queen underestimate her mission on behalf of the True Church to tame the superstitions of the wild Scots. Given Margaret's unexpected passion for her husband, her slavish devotion to prayer and fasting suggest a good deal of pride in the service of her conviction and an ongoing conflict between flesh and spirit.

The spirited Eva and Lady Macbeth provide the face of the old culture, the warrior Malcolm seduced by the golden-haired beauty that shares his throne and softens his nature. The marriage of Saxon to Scot is dictated by fate, but Margaret's subtle influence suggests historical inevitability, an iron fist in a velvet glove and a willing marriage partner that she rewards with a dynasty of six sons and two daughters who survive into adulthood. The use of fictionalized characters Lady Macbeth and Eva suggest a young woman forced to make peace with circumstances and inclinations, her charisma and devotion winning the hearts of those who might resent and resist the English queen. Still, no matter how Fraser King seeks to soften and humanize Margaret, her religious fanaticism, cloaked in virtue, speaks to other forces at work in the life of a princess bound to honor family expectations. Luan Gaines/2010.

NOTE: THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE UNABRIDGED AUDIO VERSION

Leisurely paced, character-driven novels can be as riveting as action-packed mysteries. However, this book fails to achieve that and instead is so slow and empty that it tested my patience. At more than 12 hours, it is twice as long as it could have (should have?) been to tell the sparse tale of a period in the life of Scotland's Saxon queen, Margaret. The lengthy descriptions of Margaret's gowns, her pious devotions, her generosity, etc., become repetitive and boring.

In addition, like most overly pious individuals, she is tedious and tiresome. For most of the book, she does almost nothing except pray, fast, plead with her husband king to be more charitable, redecorate the castles, and mope around in a guilt-ridden stupor. This is NOT the description of a powerful or vibrant queen. Perhaps that's really how she was, but it doesn't make for good reading.

The other characters were more alive, though they too did little throughout the book and I was left with a "who cares" feeling toward them all.

Finally, the narrator really did a poor job on Margaret. Her voice was weirdly halting and robotic ("I ... am ... a ... queen"). It was an annoying distraction. She did far better on the other characters.

I have read a number of historical novels set in this same era and this doesn't live up to its promise.

Queen Hereafter is a well rounded, nicely written sequel to Lady Macbeth with Margaret of Scotland as the main protagonist.

Susan Fraser King is a good storyteller who explores the friendship between two very different women skillfully while showing us the change in the traditions, habits and tastes of a society as it leaves the Dark Ages behind and enters the High Middle Ages without lecturing or boring the audience.

Another thing I like about this novel is that Susan Fraser King does not use the clichés of the "historical romance novel". I can imagine the lure of creating a bodice ripper for a writer when it comes to medieval Scotland, and Susan Fraser King does not fall into this trap. Her romantic relationships and marriages are realistic, not idealized.(Still, she could have developed the possible romance between Edgar and Eva)

In short, Queen Hereafter is an engaging, interesting book that you can curl up with - the perfect pastime for this year's awful winter weather-

This was a god read, and a well-written tale about a fascinating woman. I could not put it down and learned quite a bit about this particular era in Scottish history. I also felt that Eva was a nice counterpoint to Queen Margaret.

Heartwarming tale of an interesting time in the boarder lands between England and Scotland and the various societies living shoulder to shoulder at the time of formation of what has now become England and Scotland.

This book appeared to be right up my alley, but, once I got into it, it wasn't quite what I expected. I'm not sure why, except that I never felt very connected to the characters. The book was supposed to be about Margaret, but there was also the connected story line of Eva, the bard and also a woman who came to be Margaret's close friend. While I liked the character of Eva, I guess I just wanted to know more about Margaret, since the story was supposed to be about her.

Margaret's issues with her faith--namely her self-reproach and feelings of unworthiness, really humanized her character, although at times she was a bit extreme. I expected more kindness from her, but at times she came across as cold, which did not endear her to me.

I also felt like there was a lack of tension in certain parts of the story. Some developments in the story just fell a bit flat for me. I think the book could have been a bit longer too.

I did like how the author handled the setting and how well she explained the political state of Scotland during that time and also the history behind the current events in the story. I felt very informed, and I love when I can learn from my favorite pastime.

I recommend this primarily for fans of historical fiction.

I really enjoyed reading this book about Queen Margaret as well as the previous book about Lady MacBeth. They are both my ancestors. I remember seeing St Margaret’s Chapel at Edinburgh Castle. I am glad I got to know her through thus book.

I was referred to Lady Macbeth by a friend and loved the book. So of course I was waiting anxiously for the Queen Hereafter to be published. Unfortunately I can't honestly brag that I had pre-ordered the book, however my best friend knew I was eagerly awaiting its release and bought it for me for Christmas. I had it read in less than a week and, like Lady Macbeth, I was very sad when I had to come to the end. The characters and the writing were such that I could have continued reading this book happily for much longer. It has joined my list of favorite books that will be reread countlessly in the years to come and will always be sad when it ends. I loved the characters and respected them all. Being a woman, I find books about women in earlier centuries to be especially fascinating, especially when the author so clearly does her research on the time and place and builds her characters on historical figures. While I know not every detail can be historically accurate, I like learning about these women and learning about how women in general may have actually lived during these times, especially when the women show strength in their roles. Since most of history is written by men and is about men, I often feel like women are left out of the story because we haven't done anything "important," so I love books where the women are still fulfilling the expected roles of the time and still are able to display strength and even defiance. I loved this book so much and can't wait for another book to be written by her that I can devour just as eagerly as I did this one!!

This novel was good enough that I finished it, but just barely. Margaret and Eva are one dimensional women who seem to have no interest in the events of the day, including actions of King Malcolm on which their very survival depends. Nor do they have any interests in the economics upon which their well-being depends. No hobbies. Not really interested in men. Eva's very pretty but never gets flirted with or pestered by anyone but Prince Edgar.
Silk and wine, surely extremely expensive luxuries in 11th century Scotland (imported from far away and just what did the Scots produce to trade?), seem unrealistically plentiful. And finally, there just isn't any action, even though Malcolm is contending with all kinds of undefined problems off-stage. These women aren't interested. The little bit of action where Malcolm attacks a peaceful meeting of his wife and the Lady of Moray (well, the arrows all fall to the ground and apparently no one is hurt), seems contrived; the Lady of Moray is his vassal after all and hardly one he should attack and ask questions later. So much just doesn't feel real.

this was an ok read. I felt like the author just told the story but did not add any excitement to the storyline. The lack of excitement made it very hard to connect to the characters. Normally I do not read different books by authors who write about the same king and queens, but in this case I am going to read another book to fulfill my interest in who Margaret of scotland was.

King whisks readers back to eleventh-century Scotland in this atmospheric historical that interweaves the stories of Margaret of Scotland and Lady Macbeth. When Margaret, a Saxon princess, and her party are shipwrecked on the Scottish coast, she becomes a pawn in an elaborate game of political chess played between her brother, Edgar of England, and Malcolm Canmore, the Scottish warrior-king. After accepting and adapting to her fate, the duty-bound Margaret strikes up an unexpected friendship with Eva, a mystical female bard with suspicious ties to the king's enemy, the infamous Lady Macbeth. When Eva is accused of treason, it is Margaret who is charged with deciding the fate of her friend. Although you might think that Saxon-era England has been done to death, King's move north pleasantly reinvigorates a period rife with political, religious, and social tensions and turmoil. --Margaret Flanagan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

I absolutely loved this Book, I didn't want to put it down, I would give it 5+ Stars.

What an amazing historical fiction account of King Malcolm and his Queen, Margaret. Susan Fraser King brings this couple and their marriage and reign to life inside these pages. I sit in awe of Margaret and probably always will. She brought so much to Scotland and to Malcolm. This book quickly found it's way as one of my favorites. A tale of faith and love that lives in history as one of the greatest.

I got through this book, barely. Most of my reading is historical fiction,and i was interested in the author[lives in my home state of maryland]. Good subject, poor character development.Parts of the story fall flat. And really, how many times do i need to be told 'how pale' Margaret is. I get it. And the manuscipt pages that fell into the river, oh brother! The last pages where a blur for me. The authors notes are better than the book.

Cultural and religious practices of Celts, Normans and Saxons come into conflict after the death of Macbeth in early twelfth-century Scotland. A foreign princess emerges from exile in Hungary to become the Queen of Scotland. Her husband, a course and violent ruler succumbs to her saintly virtues. She leads her husband, King Malcolm, toward refinement. A fictional character, a female bard of some note, becomes a hostage to the king and a bond develops with the queen. The bard, Eva, is expected to serve as a spy to Gruadh, her grandmother, queen of a northern area. The bond between Margaret and Eva presents some soul-searching for both women as rivalries, both new and old, impact Margaret’s pursuit of saintliness.

I enjoyed this account of Margaret, even though I tired of her piety (can't relate). The description of the times, the politics and customs were very interesting. I have just ordered the author's prior novel about Macbeth. I hope it's as good.