The Favored Child: A Novel (The Wideacre Trilogy)

You've been warned, but I'll say it again...

***SPOILERS***...and great big ones.

Got that? *There.* *Are.* Spoilers.*
Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers.

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All right, then. Where do I even begin?

I love Philippa Gregory. I do. Normally.

This series? Oh, Philippa. I was able to forgive her for Wildacre, as it was, after all, her first published novel. So all the melodrama, the strange changes in tenses, the weak switching of people's personalities (too lazy to work it all into the plot, it seems), and the endless repetition of ideas she apparently felt her readers were too stupid to understand the second, third and twentieth time? All forgiven.

The second time around? Good God. Things only got worse.

The boring storyline of having Beatrice "inhabit" Julia's body and mind didn't truly cover for the fact that Julia didn't actually own a personality (or any interesting traits) herself. The predictable writing? The first time around (with Wideacre), I'm sure the publishers were all caught up in all the grotesque incest, S&M (and I'm no prude, but...really) and weird on-the-spot murders without much rhyme or reason, and they assumed the readers would be, too. And to a point, it was interesting. (When one skimmed past the repetition, anyway.)

The Favored Child tried to again shock the reader into overlooking a weak, very boring and rather predictable storyline, but what shock is there? Okay, so a brother and sister diddled. We got that the first time around, no big revelation. With Favored Child, another brother and sister were going to diddle, and yes, Philippa, we, the readers, got that...somewhere along the first chapter. We also got that you switched Beatrice's sociopathic, homicidal and incestuous tendencies directly onto Richard, 'round about the first chapter or so. Therefore, there was no shock to cover all the failings of this story.

I literally skimmed the last third of the book. We KNEW Julia wasn't going to have James. We KNEW Richard maimed the horse. We KNEW Richard killed Clary. We KNEW Richard was going to rape Julia. We KNEW Julia was going to have her brother's cross-cross-bred child (also in the first chapter...why give that repeated dream? It killed the last bit of mystery there might actually have been in the story).

Yes, we readers knew all this...as we slogged painfully through sometimes silly, usually repetitive, very predictable, and very borrowed writing. So what was left? I literally read a sentence or two on each page as I flipped through to find the last scene when I knew Julia was going to try to kill her "incestuous rape bastard" (I'm still giggling) daughter, and that she was going to give the child to the gypsies.

The only plus: I borrowed the book from the library. No waste of $2.75 on half.com.

*Don't bother, readers. There is nothing exciting, sexy, entrancing, magical, interesting, cathartic, revelatory or remotely interesting about this book.* Even the pastoral scenes were lame and one-dimensional as compared to Wideacre. I do not plan on reading the third book, about the gypsy changeling child (who saw THAT coming)?

It's sad that I felt I had to write this review. I have to say I cut my Gregory teeth on Wise Woman and was more impressed than I'd been in years with any novel. But this series -- at least the first two novels of it -- is simply a "shock fest" with strange and often silly scenes literally thrown at the reader in an attempt to get her to somehow keep dragging herself through it, much like the slut in junior high who showed one of her boobs, got a big "oooh" from the crowd of boys, but then they walked off, so the next time...she showed BOTH boobs. So what? It was really just the same boob twice. Even the most hard-up boys would walk off at that point.

And so, gentle reader, should you.

Revelatory-novel fail.

Having read every Philippa Gregory book that I could get my hands on, I decided to turn from the early 16th Century (all those “royal” books) to the 18th . The Favored Child, copyrighted in 1989, is the second book of a trilogy. Enough information is given about what happened in the first book that I did not miss it. The ending is obviously left open for another book, though the story line of the principle characters in this volume is finished.

The story is set in a bucolic village not far from London. The main characters, Julia and Richard, are followed from childhood to young adulthood. They are the joint squires, by entailment, of Wideacre, and thus are responsible for farming the land and caring for the workers from the village of Acre. The farm is not farmed at all in the start of the story because Beatrice, mother of Richard and aunt of Julia, basically destroyed it in the first book. Perhaps she was bi-polar, though the villagers seemed to see her as a witch. The children have been raised in relative poverty by Julia’s mom, and the village of Acre has been ignored and has lived in much greater poverty.

Then Richard’s father returns from abroad much wealthier, and decides to start farming again and to share profits with the villagers as an incentive to get them involved in the farm again. The children are about 16 and 17 years old and they also get involved in the farm, each in his or her own way.

It seems that Julia has the “Sight,” though she denies it much of the book. That is, until she has a series of dreams that the church tower in Acre will fall and destroy much of the village, killing several villagers. She insists on a rainy morning that the cottages be evacuated, and saves those lives. Now she is seen as the mythical “Favored Child” who will save the village. Richard is quite jealous of this. And the tale develops from here.

It is plain that even this early in her career, Gregory is capable of developing a complicated plotline with a number of well-rounded characters. I find in this book some of the “breathlessness” that carries her later books: where Gregory inhabits a character, and lays out thought after thought, speculating about what could happen and what it would mean to the character and how this would affect life as we know it!

I find this a bit annoying in the more recent books, and though there isn’t as much of it here, it was noticeable.

But I enjoyed reading the book overall. It was a bit of a commitment, with almost 600 pages. Even though we are not at Court in this book, the story is an example of good historical fiction, and worth reading.

I realize This book is the middle book of a trilogy, and I did not (nor will I) read the first or third books, but I couldn't even feel empathy for the main character, Julia, when everything bad that could happen to her did happen--mostly because she allowed it. I have to say that she was the wimpiest protagonist I have ever come across. Her cousin Richard was the stereotypical bad boy who victimized her in every way possible, and she just bowed her head and accepted it.
Part of my dislike of this book was the vacillation of Julia's voice. It drove me crazy how in one paragraph she loved her cousin so much and he could never do any wrong, and in the next paragraph she could clearly see his true character. Ugg. The only reason I finished this book is because someone gave it to me and it was the only book I had on a small cruise I was on--and the author had been recommended.
Story Summary:
It's the end of the 18th century. Richard and Julia are cousins raised by the same woman and joint heirs to the Lacey estate, Wideacre, which has not been thriving for 15 years. Richard's mother, Beatrice, went mad fifteen years before and ruined the estate. Julia's father died in the same riot that Beatrice died when the peasants revolted against them. Fourteen years later, Richard's father returns from India where his business ventures have been successful, and he begins to make changes including bringing the village of Acre, part of the estate, back to life and profit. During this time we see Richard's character deteriorating, and Julia becoming beloved in the village but more submissive to Richard.

*******SPOILER ALERT*******
After years of Richard brutalizing Julia mentally, emotionally and finally, physically in a violent rape which she believes is her fault of course, and she's pregnant from that rape, she learns that he's not her cousin--he's her brother. Not only is he her brother, their parents were brother and sister!!! So nine months later, (after their marriage so she won't be ruined socially,) on a stormy night, this 17 year old naive girl gives birth to her baby alone while all the servants and her husband Richard, (her brother!) are all downstairs boiling water and preparing for the baby's birth. She (with newborn in tow) manages to leave the house undetected (except for her bloody footprints on the carpet). She wants to drown the baby in the raging river and end the Lacey line but instead gives her to a gypsy woman. When she returns to the house, all are out searching for her except her husband, Richard. He is killed, and end of story. (Really!) Except for a letter she writes to the man she loved, a gentleman who loved her also. She tells him she is dying of a fever and asks him to find her baby and raise her.
No sympathy here. Just so happy this sorry tale is over! I assume the third book in this trilogy is about that baby and everything turns out right in the end. But I'm not going to find out.

Okay, say what you want about crazy Beatrice...but at least she had a reason for being, well...crazy. This Richard cat? What was even his issue? He wanted to be the favourite, but then he turns around and KILLS the very people he was trying to impress? Okay...Ralph was just a strange character all around. Sometimes I felt he wanted to have his was with that insufferable wench Julia, and then I thought he was going to kill all of the Lacey/MacAndrews clan in their sleep and then the thought of him doing all of that work and walking and riding with those 2 wooden legs was just unbelievable. Celia was even more ridiculous than in the first book, she spoiled Richard into an incestuous/rapist/murderer and she sighed like 34,985 times in the book and I felt like she sewed enough dresses for the Partridge clan with all that damn sewing she was doing throughout the book. John MacAndrew had NO place in this plot...none. I felt so sorry for James, but after Julia told him all of that stuff about Richard and Wideacre, why would he not take matters into his own hands and go see Celia/John after speaking with Richard? Hmm...

And JULIA...WHAT THE H3LL?!?!?! Are you kidding me Phillipa? She spent the first half of the book going on and on and on and on and on about how much she loved Wideacre, but she just let retarded Richard take it from her. If that was Beatrice, she would've had him strangled in his sleep and fought for her land. This spineless pitiful excuse for a woman deserved NONE of my pity and she was NOT Beatrice's daughter. Ralph offered her a way out with a "fix" for the pregnancy, and for some inexplicable reason, she didn't take it. She knew that Richard killed Clary, but for some inexplicable reason, she refused to tell anybody, effectually ruining Wideacre. And somebody PLEASE explain to me what she loved Richard so much? (Even the sheep hated him!) They were cousins? Okay, I have cousins too who are pretty good looking who I grew up with, but let him knock me down on a stone step and RAPE me, it's a done deal. And here's a thought, if you didn't want them to have those feelings for each other, then why even tell them they were betrothed? All in all, I could stomache Beatrice because she had a spine and did her best to keep her land, but this broad was an insult to women everywhere...this Lacey clan needs to die out. Seriously.

The Wideacre series is unlike anything Philippa Gregory has ever written, and not all people will find this a good thing. Personally, after initially finishing WIDEACRE, I had mixed feelings. Beatrice Lacey is one of the most fascinating characters I have ever read, and the story was riveting, but undoubtedly a downer. I was so depressed afterwards that I did not even attempt to read the second novel for quite a while. But I was dying to know what happened in Wideacre after Beatrice, and so I purchased THE FAVORED CHILD even though school was about to start again and I wasn't even sure I would have time to read it.

I'm glad I did. It has turned me into a Wideacre fan. Beatrice's presence weighs heavily in THE FAVORED CHILD, though the character herself met a timely end at the close of the previous installment. And she is possibly more fascinating. References to events from WIDEACRE were often mentioned, and I felt a chill running down my spine every time one of the characters referred to Miss Beatrice's Corner. Beatrice haunts not only the readers of THE FAVORED CHILD, but also its protagonist: the likable, intelligent, and irritatingly weak Julia Lacey. For she was all three of these things at once. I am not a fan of weak women in novels, but I truly liked the character of Julia Lacey. Yes, she was annoyingly spineless, especially when it came to standing up to her "cousin" Richard. But she also had rare moments of true strength, and a hidden inner courage that was there nevertheless. Strong, cruel Beatrice might still be my favorite Lacey, but I found good-hearted Julia to be a very sympathetic character.

It should be mentioned that the writing in the novel was absolutely breathtaking. Possibly the best Philippa has ever done. When it was happy, you felt your heart warm for the characters' fleeting happiness. When it was sad, it was heartbreaking... and I really mean heartbreaking. As I said before, the Wideacre series may be the most depressing thing out there, but in some ways, that's the beauty of it. It isn't escapism. The characters suffer, especially the innocent ones, but their suffering bonds you to them. I found I could no more set THE FAVORED CHILD down than I could walk away from a friend in need when she was telling me of her troubles. If there was ever a series that hurt to read, Wideacre is it. Those looking for a little read to take their minds off reality for a second should look elsewhere. But if you can get past the lump the Wideacre series will put in your throat, you will appreciate the masterful way it was written. You cannot appreciate Gregory as a writer until you have finished one of the Wideacre books. THE FAVORED CHILD will stay with you long after you have read the last page.

The characters and the world of Wideacre are, I think, some of its main attractions and also the main reason why some people just can't stand this series. I understand where those people are coming from. The Wideacre series was meant, and I only say this half-jokingly, for a certain type of reader-- the kind of reader who will willingly sacrifice their peace of mind for a good novel. So if that's not you, then nothing I say in this review will convince you to even read past the first few lines. But if it is, then you will become caught up in the Lacey magic and the Lacey madness, and you won't be able to free yourself from the mix of light and dark that is THE FAVORED CHILD.

Ralph, Beatrice's lover and murderer from WIDEACRE, is back and he is the undoubted survivor-hero. Having disliked him in the first book, I was surprised when he became one of my favorites in this book. And you really cannot help but liking him. Nor can you help liking James Fortescue, a new character, who is the true love of Julia. I warn you, it's not a happy tale for them, but he is such a wonderful character and I hope to read more of him in MERIDON. If there was one point in the story where I was really angry at Julia, it was when she did nothing, even though she knew she was being separated from him. She realizes her mistake too late. In fact, the most tragic part of THE FAVORED CHILD is that Julia becomes everything she always should have been, but it's just too late.

THE FAVORED CHILD ends on an ambiguous note, neither happy nor completely sad. It promises the reemergence of my favorite characters in the next book, MERIDON, which I will read as soon as I get the chance for I've heard the ending is absolutely wonderful. This is good news. Once you start the Wideacre series in earnest, you are in for the whole ride, and nothing but the most perfect of closures will put my mind at rest now. If this sounds like a laborious process, it might be that Wideacre is a labor of literary love.

Julia and Richard grow up in the ruins of the Wideacre estate, believing themselves to be cousins. In reality, they are brother and sister, the incestuous results of Beatrice Lacey's ill fated attempts to rule the land with her brother, Harry Lacey, in Wideacre. Julia and Richard are taken care of by Celia and John, widows of Harry and Beatrice who wish to hide the horrifying legacy from the children.

When Julia reaches her teenage years, she learns of a village legend that states one of the two children will be the favoured child, the one to rule Wideacre and bring magic back to the land. At the same time, Julia begins experiencing odd dreams and exhibiting signs that she has the Sight while she grows to resemble Beatrice more and more, unnerving Celia and John.

Julia is torn between being the proper young lady Celia wishes her to be and giving into her inherited wild nature and obsession with the land.

While I enjoyed reading this book, I didn't find it as good as Wideacre. While Julia and Beatrice are both unlikeable central characters, I felt more drawn to Beatrice's plight as she was strong and chose her own paths where Julia was weak and let others make decisions for her. On the few occasions where it seemed she would stand up for herself, she would always back down and I kind of wanted to slap her in the face for most of the novel. I cannot recall characters I've liked less than Julia and Richard, but the writing is excellent. I just felt that without caring for any of the characters I found myself less involved in the story; for all Beatrice's evilness there was just something about her in Wideacre that had me cheering for her; this was not present in Julia. The Favoured Child ends strongly however, and I can't wait to see what Meridon will bring!

Firstly, I would like to say that I am not a child, I simply didn't have time to sign in and I really felt compelled to write a review.

"The Favored Child" is a fascinating piece of historical fiction. Gregory, once again, gives her readers a peek at the world in which women in the early 1800's live. A world where there is utter powerlessness for a woman, even an heir to property. She also shows us the struggles of the poor and impoverished. The juxtaposition of the separate classes enables her reader to see that each class of society in this time period embodied different freedoms and restraints. Women were not citizens in their own right. Gregory does an amazing job of delving into the mind of women of this era. As women have always been reflective, Julia Lacey, the main character of this novel reflects upon her life...over and over. This, to me, rings realistically to women across the ages. I don't know a woman who doesn't lose a night's sleep thinking over the many facets included in decisions which involve risks or at times become so lost in thought that they wonder, " What am I doing in this room?" when they realize they don't remember why they came there. I also think that the love Julia shares for the people of Acre and her land is inspiring. However, her ambitious plans to give back to the people do not manifest as she is greatly limited, because Julia is a woman in her time. When you combine the EVIL antics of Julia's brother/cousin Richard with Julia's upbringing to be a lady and her love and loyalty to her mother into the scenario, the reader should not be surprised at Julia's lack of ability to bring her dreams to fruition.

This story is spun with mysterious sightings and dreams. "The Favored Child" takes its reader to life's heights and depths. Just when you feel all is right with the world, it is not as it appears to be.

Gregory is an ~aw~ inspiring writer. Her descriptions of how characters feel are magnificent. Her writing has such profundity. If you do not like drama and wonderfully fantastic writing as well as realistic endings, then you may not like her books. Here is a short quote from "The Favored Child" to give you an idea of how wonderfully she can describe her character's intensity of feeling....

"I could fill my anxiety building up to a panic as if I were in a coffin of crystal with a glass lid coming down on me. And even if I screamed aloud for help, no one would hear and no one would know that I needed aid. The fragile shell of the lie which hid me from my mama and from my Uncle John was about to tumble down about my ears, and no skill of mine would ever mend the shattered pieces. I knew the truth was coming for me in this bright field. I could not even tell which way the cracks were running, but I could hear the structure of my life creaking and beginning to shift."

Philippa Gregory is a magnificent author. I would feel confident in suggesting this book to others.

Also I would like to add that one of the customer reviews reads "Stop this woman........" Please notice that the reviewer only read 30 pages of a 615 page book.

Hated it. I couldn't even get half way through this awful story. I began to get suspicious that this was turning into a creepy incest story after the main character's mother repeatedly assured her that she was indeed her mother when no such reassurance was indicated by the situation. I skipped ahead to the end to check my suspicions, and it looked like there was a rape in there somewhere, too. "Psychic" visions and insanity due to incest (and sexual fantasies/visions of her mother and a lover) just squicked me out completely. *shudder*

I picked this up at the library became I had sort of enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl and The Virgin Queen by the same author, and I only kept reading as far as I did because the writing itself is good. Don't waste your time.

Unlike many of the other reviewers I did like this book. I think all the 1 star reviews from people who didn't read the first book in the trilogy are unfair. This is a continuation of Wideacre and not at all a stand alone novel. That being said I hated that the daughter of the deliciously evil Beatrice Lacey was such a gullible wimp. I don't think I am giving anything away by saying that since so many reviewers before me have said pretty much the same thing. Although there were many times when I wanted to pull Julia out of the novel and smack her upside the head I think that was something Philippa Gregory wanted us to feel. It made for an interesting nature vs. nurture conflict since Julia was raised by the ever kind and good Celia. Richard came off to me as being very much a mixture of the evil that was Beatrice and the weakness that was Harry.
Although this novel is glaringly just a bridge to get you from Wideacre to Meridon, bridges are important after all! If you loved Wideacre, you will like this book as well I think. I say like not love because Wideacre was a better book. Still, I know this review seems conflicted but I did truly enjoy reading this book and look forward to Meridon.
Oh yes I also want to add do not believe the reviews that say this is "the same book as Wideacre". That is a ridiculous claim. Even though the place may be the same the two books are very very different animals and I am flabbergasted that anyone would think otherwise.

It's the sign of an extraordinary writer when we find ourselves as readers so affected by the characters that we want to yell at them, slap or shake them, or cry with frustration--and Gregory is an extraordinary writer, as she demonstrates in all three of the Wideacre books. It took me two tries to finish this story; Julia's emotional journey is truly heart-breaking. This is after all the tragic second act, when things are left in a state that seems beyond repair. But her devastated world is held together by the heroic strength of Ralph, the winning charm of James Fortescue, the courage of John and Celia, and the beautiful descriptions of the setting: of plant life, city life, landscape, and the spunky, endearing residents of Acre whose fates touch us as deeply as if they were our friends. I had to finish the story simply to discover how Gregory manages to make everything seem so real. There's an emotional power to these books that seems to be missing in the later Boleyn books, but the evocative description is Gregory's trademark, and is in great evidence here.

Having read and enjoyed the very dark Wideacre, I looked forward to the second part of this interesting trilogy. Though The Favored Child is full of the dark, gothic feel of its predecessor, it nevertheless is a weak effort in comparison to Wideacre. Set in late 18th Century, Julia Lacey becomes the new owner of the tarnished Wideacre estate. She is an excellent agriculturalist and is confident that she will bring Wideacre back to its once prosperous glory. However, villagers have called Julia the "Favored Child," named after Beatrice's prediction before her demise. The villagers feel that the estate is cursed and that Julia will suffer a fate similar to the one Beatrice went through due to her many sins, which included incest. There are various twists throughout the novel.

I love the 18th Century setting and the backdrop of Sussex, England. I also like that the characters in this offering aren't cardboard cutouts of the ones in Wideacre. The dark language and gothic feel are as enjoyable here as it was in the previous novel. However, The Favored Child did not hook me in the same way the first novel had. And while the characters in Wideacre were unlikable and despicable, the ones here are somewhat caricatured. They are not unlikeable in the good sense -- they are just unlikeable. And all of the shocking scenes were meant to be, well, shocking, instead of just moving the story forward as I had expected, the aforementioned scenes were written for no other purpose than to supply shock value. Julia is an anti-heroine in her own right, but she is nowhere near as complex or as compelling as Beatrice. All in all, Philippa Gregory did not succeed in delivering the same darkness and eery feeling of Wideacre. The novel is beautifully written and historically rich, but it lacked the unique voice I thought I would get from such a promising series. I will give Meridon a whirl. I hope it'll be better than this one.

This book had so much potential, but it’s just a disappointment. You ever wonder how two people could be related? That’s how I feel about Julia and Beatrice. Julia is undoubtedly the weakest woman to be written in fiction. Here you have a woman who has the “sight” which gives her distinctive warning signs of the bad things that happen to her and she is decidedly willfully stupid. I’ve literally thrown this book with frustration. No happy ending, just a slow drawn out story of a weak woman with a predictable ending.

I'll be perfectly honest. I didn't finish this book. I made it about a hundred pages in (of about 600 pages) and decided I just couldn't go on. Also, I did not read the first book in the trilogy. Maybe if I had the background of the first novel in the series, I would have liked this one better, but I really don't think so. Also, the library didn't have the first book, so this is the one I grabbed.

I really enjoyed a few other Gregory novels, so I picked this one up hoping for a book as solid as "The Other Boleyn Girl" or even "The Queen's Fool", which was not a brilliant book, but still really enjoyable. I was so disappointed. The two main characters are so unlikable, that this is the ultimate reason I couldn't go on. The unconditional love for such a horrid boy, Richard, is not nearly as bad as the other main character, Julia, who is so stupid and weak that she takes his abuse with a "thank you sir, may I have another" every time!

I didn't finish it, but I skimmed to the end and also read other reviews to see what others thought about it (I was trying to decide if I should finish it or not). So, I feel like I pretty much know how the story goes. Allow me to sum it up for you and save hours of your time. Richard rages out like an overgrown spoiled child and abuses Julia. Julia may or may not have a brief moment of clarity where she realizes what a tool she's being, and stands up for herself. For some unexplainable reason, she quickly gets over it and goes back to being Richard's doormat. Repeat about twenty or so times. Apparently at the end of the novel she finally figures Richard out, but it's too late. Sorry Philippa, you've already lost me. By this point I just don't care what happens to Julia.

The really annoying thing about their relationship is that there is never really a solid reason why Julia loves Richard so much. We're given the excuse that is basically "we loved each other since childhood". That's not a reason. I really don't believe this kind of love would actually take place, at any time period, between a brother and sister (or cousin, or whatever it is they are), unless there is some prior abusive behavior in a child's home. This novel is not a believable representation of a sibling-like relationship, even at that time period. That kind of love is unnatural for two people who have grown up like brother and sister. I too have a younger brother who I love dearly, but I would never take crap from him. We're expected to believe that Richard and Julia grew up together and never had an ounce of sibling rivalry until that horse came along? I'm not buying it. This novel is thoroughly unbelievable, and belongs on a very short list of books so bad I couldn't even finish them.

Now that I think of it, Philippa Gregory's female characters have a tendency to be suffering from a touch of Stockholm Syndrome. Are we supposed to believe that there are no strong women in historical times who are capable of healthy relationships? In "The Queen's Fool" we get a character who is supposedly independent with a load of shallow "ra-ra girl power" drilled into the book, but she too allowed herself to be pushed around by the men she supposedly loved, and ended up with a guy who cheated on her and insulted dignity her several times over.

I ordered this book when I first started reading Wideacre, that I initially liked and I ultimately hated. I did not like the protagonist of this book at all. I am sorry I ordered the rest of the trilogy. Unless you like, sadistic, self centered, incestuous, inherently evil people you will hate this book, nothing gave me more pleasure than to see this initial bitch die.

I have no intentions of reading Meridon or the favored child. You know they have their mothers genes, mores the pity.

I love Philippa Gregory and thoroughly enjoyed Wideacre, the first book in this trilogy. The Favored Child, which "continues" the story, is actually more of the same. As is typical of Gregory's works, the book is well-written and the characters interesting - at least the first time you meet them. However, because the plot line mirrors Wideacre quite closely and is not sufficiently different, one feels a bit like they are rereading Wideacre. Nevertheless, if you like Philippa Gregory, you will read and finish this book. However, if you are looking for fresh material and a surprise in the story line, you will be disappointed in this book.

Again, there are ugly and disturbing scenes in this book. If you are sensitive to writing that is not "pretty" you may want to skip reading this book and the others in the series.

A trilogy of books which follows the Wideacre estate near Chichester and the bold and forward-thinnking Lacey women who love it - starting with the fierce charcter of Beatrice. Story starts in 1780s and ends in 1810s I imagine. The basics of the story are excellent - good general plot with strong foundation in the love of the estate. Excellent outline of characters. However, the author fails in many areas.

The first book is absolutely full of sex - sex between a brother and sister involving S&M! It just felt wrong. The incest and violence in the story make me - the reader - feel betrayed by the author. Unless I'm reading science fiction - in which an entirely different world has been create - I want a story grounded in reality. Sure, it can be an extraordinary story with a bit of drama but no magic and no actions which are hard to believe please. Thankfully, the second and third book have much less sex.

The writing is also too obvious - no trust has been left to the reader to understand the subtext of an action or thought. Also, predictable and repetitive story lines. Too much going on and on and on about each corner of the estate in every season. I certainly skipped large sections and bits and pieces of story to jump ahead to dialogue.

The beginning of the first book is fun - easy to read. The third book is also interesting as it follows Meridon/Sarah, who was abandoned to the gypsies. She grows up on the wago and then is sold by her Da and becomes part of a circus-like act. Eventually she finds her way to Wideacre to find out she is the lost heir. She disdainfully struggles to become a lady and have a season. I enjoyed the details of gypsy and gentry life.

I would not recommend these novels. They're okay and once I started I figured I might as well finish - but there is much better material out there. Luckily, Philippa Gregory redeems herself years later with her Tudor series which I would highly recommend.

In this second book in the Wideacre trilogy, Julia and her cousin Richard have grown up together among the ruins of their family estate and have always planned to marry, despite their guardians' disapproval. When, as a teenager, Julia begins to demonstrate a talent for working with the land and its inhabitants, Richard grows resentful. After all, only one of them can be the rumored favored child, the true heir to Wideacre.

Gregory's early works are starting to remind me of V.C. Andrews' style of near-horror stories, only with richer detail and better writing. I really wanted to strangle Julia for her stupidity at times. Yes, she was confined within the role of women in her time, but had she told someone - anyone! - what was happening, at least some of the tragedy might have been avoided.

The book is called The Favored Child, due to a legend that has sprung up around the village of Acre that Beatrice's true heir will return and the land will be happy again.

That's the only interesting thing about this book. Julia is an extremly weak character, due mostly to the fact that she is raised by Celia, the late Harry Laceys wife. But her real mother, Beatrice, is hardly in evidence in her daugther. Other then her love of the land and it's people,Julia is very different. She was raised as an indoor girl, and was taught to know her place. But i still can't believe how she puts up with Richards abuse. From almost the first chapter, when see her cavng in time and again, simply because he's the boy!

Her only attempt to escape Richard, a betrothal to James,a man she meets in Bath, is thwarted by Richard.

Richard is himself a very unlikable character. i never felt sympathy for any of the charcters. Well, a little bit for Julia at the end. Thats why the book got two stars. She finally starts tro prove herself towards the end.

Read it as the middle part to the wideacre trilogy.

12 year old Julia Lacey is haunted by dreams of the past and premonitions of the future. All she wants is to see the town of Wideacre flourish again and put food in the mouths of the hungry.
She is named as joint heir for Wideacre, along with her cousin, Richard. Because he is the boy, he gets the education and the freedom. He indeed seems to be the favoured child. Meanwhile, Julia has to be content with becoming friends with the townfolk, learning the history of Wideacre and the Laceys and unravelling why she seems to have 'the sight'. Why she seems to have the power of her predecessor, Beatrice to make the crops grow.
I really enjoyed the return of Ralph in this sequel, and the struggle that Julia had to fight as a woman with virtually no rights in a man's world. Philippa Gregory is very talented at writing a story of nasty people with bad intentions.

After reading Wideacre and being shocked and intrigued with it's content, I of course had to read the next book of the trilogy. I started it about six months ago but became bored and was losing hope that the book would get any more exciting. Something struck me recently to finish the book and if only I had read about three pages on those six months ago, I would not have been able to put it down.

For me it didn't really get interesting until about two-thirds of the way through. The instant it became interesting again, I found myself furiously reading anytime I had a moment. I became so wrapped up in this novel and although some things were predictable, I just wanted to finish it.

Spoilers coming up....The incredible turn that her cousin/brother Richard takes is so drastic, unbelievable and effed up, you simply cannot stop because you just want to know what the hell he's going to do next. Probably the most extreme sociopath I've ever encountered in a novel, and as I mentioned, mostly unrealistic but so closely comparable to any well-known serial killer. I found myself literally gasping, swearing and cursing his character and could not wait until he got what he deserved because we all knew it was coming; although slightly unsatisfying and quick.

This book was so infuriating solely due to Julia's inevitable helplessness after the return of Richard. Everything she touched turned to s*** because of him no matter how good her intentions. She is quite a likable character unlike the "heroine" Beatrice of Wideacre. Any small victory of Julia's was satisfying although far and few between. I honestly hope that life for women was not quite so oppressing as it was for her character, although I am regrettably convinced that it was for some women, although of course not to such an extreme.

Bottom line is, it was definitely worth reading the second book even if the start was a little slow. You'll be glad to finish it. On to Meridon....

Oh, but if you hated the first one, you definitely wont enjoy The Favored Child as it is just as much if not more twisted.

There were a lot of things that i found lacking in this book. Firstly i felt like The Favored child was a Wideacre reversed, in Wideacre Beatrice was evil and Harry was manipulated, here Richard is evil and Julia is manipulated. But what made Wideacre so facinating was that it was told from Beatrice's perspective, and we therefor got to see what made Beatrice be so evil, also it was facinating to read about a strong women, at a time when women had no power, and watch her control everyone around her.

We dont get this insight into Richard, because the story is told by Julia. Julia is a very weak character, and it is painfully annoying to watch her constantly manipulated by Richard, and worst of all, not realizing she's being manipulated!!! She doesnt even try to stop him as he ruins her life, she just resigns herself to her fate. I wanted to slap her! By the end of the book i felt like anyone as stupid as she was deserves what happened to her. Richard was a big let down after Beatrice. Whereas Beatrice's motives were stemmed from her obsessive love of the land, Richard is simply powerhungry and psychopathic.

I do feel that Wideacre should have been a stand alone book. If i had read this book before wideacre maybe i would have liked it, as it is i was disapointed.

Let me start with what I liked:

The setup of the story, with the new generation of brother and sister (thinking they're cousins) who embody, and divi up, the traits of their parents. Richard inherited Harry's interest in S&M and Beatrice's ambition and cruelty. Julia ended up with Harry's gullibility and Beatrice's talents with the land, as well as hints of her fierceness that popped up once or twice -- not nearly enough. Still, I liked the general characterizations of Beatrice's children. There is a lot of mirroring and reconfiguring of their parents' legacy, which create a great chance for new developments that at the same time satisfyingly echo the events of the first book.

Now, what bugged me:

Others have mentioned Julia's frustrating, mind-boggling refusal to grow a backbone and stand up to Richard, but I could let this pass. True, in the latter parts of the book, I wanted to slap her for her willed passivity, but she is a woman of her time, and it makes sense that (*SPOILER*) after Richard rapes her, she would feel hopeless, beg him to marry her, which inadvertently leads him to have limitless power over her person and the estate, rather than to immediately develop some modern sensibility of "it's not my fault" and condemning her rapist.

What really boggled me was RALPH. He comes across in this book as an on-the-whole good character -- a wise mentor for Julia, a champion for the oppressed and poor, and a force of Justice -- he was Beatrice's "culler," having culled/killed her because she had turned bad and tyrannical against the land and the people. Oh really, that was why he killed her? It had nothing at all to do with a little personal vendetta over his lost leg? Speaking of which, remember how Ralph killed Beatrice's father? So, the two of them share equal guilt over the murder, yet Ralph never gets any comeuppance. And he didn't kill him for Beatrice's sake -- he, too wanted control of Wideacre and was murderously ambitious and conniving, like her, in his plans to possess it. His plan would have also included cheating and bankrupting Harry, which would have destroyed the livelihoods of the Acre folks -- something that Beatrice also did, and she ended up with a karmic death. But not Ralph. He who should have no moral superiority over Beatrice is here reborn as a mysterious but good quasi-demigod representing nature, the land, and the common folk; all his sins are wiped clean and he can dish out righteous wrath against Beatrice, and ultimately (*SPOILER*) Richard, too. It's jarring.

Another element that bugged was the copious descriptions of the estate. Yes, these passages are well written and lush. It also makes sense that Julia, who loves the land, would spend so much time describing its every corner and minute changes, but focusing so much on the scenery inevitably bogs down the plot.

The plot -- quite predictable, including many of its dialogued scenes. I found myself skimming, which I never do for novels. It seemed that halfway through, Philippa Gregory was making no attempts to disguise the unravelling of events that would take up the rest of the novel. The ending was also melodramatic and a little nonsensical. That said, Julia's final footnoting letter brought a tear to my eye. I hope it does the same for you, if you decide to read the book, although you'd better be a good speed reader, because this book does not have enough value to justify the time that you would otherwise spend on it.

Another great one by Philipa Gregory. Enjoyed this book. There were two issues I had. 1st, I did't realize it was #2 in a series and didn't get the 1st one in before reading it. It did give enough background to follow, though. A tragic outcome in the line of the old style Gothic novels that did keep you on your toes.

Secondly, although I enjoyed it, and the one to follow, I was a little weary of the "sight".... it seems to be a theme with many of her books but after a while, it can be a bit bothersome.

Would reccomend... but be sure and read second.

This is a really well writen book, but the main character is completely and totally spineless and brings a lot of her misery onto herself. Her cousin was so hateful throughout the whole book that I could never see what either she or anyone else saw in him. His supposed charm was much talked of but never actually made an appearance in the book. Plus :::SPOILER ALERT::: her final illness didn't match her solid good health and connection with the land that the author emphasized through the whole rest of the book. It was really overly melodramatic. The Other Boleyn Girl was a much better book.

Sequel to Wideacre, following the exploits of the wee baby children introduced at the end of that book. It continues fully in the train wreck fashion of its predecessor in a "Dear God, can they get anymore inbred? DON'T ANSWER THAT!" fashion. Seriously. I thought Wideacre was twisted. This is worse because you see the hope and an actual, plausible way out of the madness, AND IT GETS THROWN AWAY! And I gape and shriek and wail and gnash my teeth because, seriously, how stupid can you be?!

After the Scarlet O'Hara meets Rebecca feel to Beatrice in Wideacre, Juila Lacy as a character is loveable and innocent, yet another creature of the land. Her failings, however, can make the book a very frustrating read. Every time you expect this girl to step into her own she allows herself to be overshadowed, manipulated and wronged. While the strong writing and compelling political/societal commentary make this book a fabulous historical fiction (because when we get past the romantic customs of our heroins we see the horror and injustice that the social system causes)the weakness of Julia's personality for the middle section of the book is quite difficult to swallow. Her cousin Richard, the anti-hero, is a truly hateable character, and yet his often transparent manipulations work on many of the characters we would like to think better of -- including John and Celia, who had endured the era of Beatrice and should have known better. I suppose no true resolution could be come to in this, a middle book of a trilogy, but the more decisive ending only just made up for the long pages of misery and suspense beforehand. For that, in my estimation, it loses a star. But overall, I am happy to have read it and shall continue onto Meridon, hoping that some peace may come at last in the third novel of this trilogy...

This is the second book in the Wideacre series and follows Beatrice's daughter, Julia. Out of Beatrice's two incestuous children, Julia inherits her 'good' side (in tune with the land and a natural with animals) whereas her son Richard encompasses Beatrice's worst traits. The Favored Child lacks the eery, shocking, almost disturbing quality of Wideacre, and the more lively (and likable) characters of Meridon. However, I didn't regret reading it- it still has the typical Gregory descriptions and historical traits, and is not a boring story.

I was eager to read the second book in the Wideacre trilogy, and I found it just as well written and excellent as the first book. The heroine, Julia, is a tragic figure and any reader would easily feel sympathy for her and her life. In the wake of Beatrice's destructive path, Julia and her cousin/brother Richard grow up in the ruins of Wideacre. Both are determined that the estate should be restored to its former glory, but Julia is the 'favored child', the one with Beatrice's gift for healing the land. Being the favored child is a blessing and a curse. The people of the village love her, but Richard, her cousin/brother is consumed with jealousy and ruins their lives by destroying everything Julia loves. The ending is riddled with mystery as Julia gives her only daughter to the gypsy's so that she may grow up to escape the Wideacre curse. I cannot wait to read the third book!!

I have become a fast fan of Philippa Gregory, starting first with The Other Boleyn Girl before beginning the Wideacre trilogy. I cannot put them down. In this second work I find myself sad for Julia Lacey but infuriated with her at the same time. I want to jump into the book and strangle her for her stupidity and weakness but then check myself on the time which her character lives. You cannot help but pity little Julia and hope that she will summon the strength of her mama/aunt Beatrice, the Wideacre witch, and break from the intolerably cruel rule of her cousin/brother/husband Richard and give him his just desserts. I cannot wait to learn how it all ends. This trilogy makes great summer reading. A MUST READ!!!

The book opens with both Beatrice's illegitimate children living together as cousins. John MacAndrew is away trying to get his fortune back after Beatrice stole it all in an effort to keep Wideacre for her children. Julia and Richard early on seem to represent the good and bad Beatrice. Julia resembles Beatrice, and she has her excellent horse riding skills, plus the ability to farm and work the land. All those were "the good Beatrice." Richard only has the insatiable hunger to keep Wideacre for himself and pass it on to his heir. He doesn't care about anything or anybody else. This represents "the bad Beatrice." At the end of Wideacre all Beatrice could think about was raising enough money to secure Wideacre for her heirs, and she turned a blind eye to the poverty and sickness that she was causing. I like how Philippa Gregory weaves historical facts into the story, such as how the poor had to live in order to survive, and how the landowners made such unfair laws, and how they controlled the courts. The parts of the book that were really aggravating to me were the ones where Julia had absolutely no backbone whatsoever.... especially after Richard rapes her. I think Celia and John would definitely have believed her, not Richard.

I have really liked every Philippa Gregory book, whether from the Other Boleyn Girl series or the Wideacre series. I'm looking forward to reading the last book, Meridon.

I've read many of this author's more recent novels & loved everyone of them. I read Wideacre earlier this year & fell in love with the story. I just finished the Favored Child and while I absolutely could not put this book down & I found myself dreaming & crying over Julia's situation. I became so upset at times with John & Julia because I felt they could have avoided all of this saga if only they had told the truth in the beginning to the children. I loved the complexity of Ralph and the other characters. Julia is one of my favorite characters. She is so flawed but yet struggled so hard to be good.

With all of this said, I did not think this book was as good as Wideacre. I ended up hating all of the characters save Julia at the end. Well, I hated Richard from the time Julia left for Bath.

If you want to read a book about the unbreakable traditions of the 18th century English wealthy versus the poor, this is your book. It does make a colorful picture of the vast difference which existed b/w the 2 classes & the slow wave of change that gradually began to occur near during this time period.

All in all, a good book for those who love English history.

In light of the fact that I was reading this book out of order and having several years pass before I read each book, it's hard to give a true evaluation. But I will try. I found it to be a sad story. But I already knew the end of the story. But it did answer so many questions from the end of Meridon. The stories told in these 3 books is so compelling, it hard to stop reading. so I rate all these books as outstanding.

This story is full of emotional ups & downs. Julie is a more likable character than Beatrice (Wideacre) so that was a nice change. Though her innocence and gullibility are frustrating & irritating at times at least you are rooting for her. The ending is satisfying although extremely sad. I couldn't wait to get the third one in the mail.

I am sorry to see so many negative reviews, for this is such a unique story. This trilogy is not for the narrow-minded reader (I don't mean to offend anyone) for the subject matter may be difficult to stomach. Young Julia and Richard are brought up as cousins, both heirs to the legacy of Widacre. Although they are not fully aware of their incestuous family history, it seems that it runs through their veins.

Get ready for more scandal, deceit and murder folks! Because the Lacey Legacy lives on!

I've read a lot of Philippa Gregory and always wonder afterward why I do. "The Favored Child" is just awful! It's dark, depressing, incestual, demeaning, violent, abusive to animals as well as people, and just plain terrible. Do NOT waste your time or money. Luckily I got this at our library, but plan to put the same review on their website. Read Karen Harper for really GOOD historical fiction.

I have to say I couldnt finish this book, mostly because i threw it across the room a few too many times. The abuse and willingness to take the abuse the heroine endures is not only impossible to read, you cant even feel sympathy for her anymore. I'm insulted as a human that an author would think i would enjoy reading about a character who is so spineless and stupid as to let herself be treated this way. It is well written, but you will hate the 2 main characters. Its hard to empathize with a heroine who cant stand on her own 2 feet and get a life, and a villain who has no depth or subtlety to him whatsoever. I will say I loved the queens fool and the other boleyn girl, that is why i picked up this book, so beware!

I read Wideacre and could not put it down. This second book was as good, or better. I can't wait to buy Meridon and finish the triology. I have read most of this author's other books and I find her gifted. She writes in such an impelling way and I can't get enough of her.

I have never actually thrown a book across the room in frustration - and I love books, so this is drastic! Spoilers ahead - please don't read on if you haven't read the book. I managed to (somehow) get through the first book, 'Wideacre', which I disliked - whilst I adore the rest of Gregory's novels, so this was hard for me - and grit my teeth and tried to read this book, the sequel as I'd bought it and it looked more promising. It was 'marginally better' as one reader put it, than the first, but a very depressing and frustrating book indeed.

I was getting very angry and frustrated after the second half of the book - as many other readers have highlighted, Julia's consistent inability to stand up to Richard made it impossible for me to like her anymore. I quite honestly wanted to slap her to wake her up from that dreamy state she was in! Because I wanted so much for Julia to be with James - who I liked a great deal. I was so depressed after everything went wrong and she didn't marry him... ah, because I was expecting the usually very clever Ms Gregory to surprise me and have a twist at the end and say, aha! She does get her true love in the end and she and Ralph get rid of Richard and although it's not happily ever after she learns to grow a backbone and be the very first female heir to Wideacre.

The rape scene with Julia and Richard was very violent and far too detailed and I think it may be difficult to stomach for anyone who has ever been in an abusive situation like that, in fact, for anyone at all. I don't want to get into the tricky area of abortion too much, but I really did feel strongly that Julia should have gone to Ralph for help when she concieved the child with Richard. This was a child of incest and rape - and she knew in her heart there should be no heir for Wideacre - they were all simply too inbred and it needed to end somewhere for nothing was going right. Clean slate, so to speak. Yet she gives the child away - then in her final letter asks James to find the child?! What?! And I was expecting perhaps a deformed child, after all this inbreeding (I mean this child is the product of parents who are brother and sister AND grandparents who are brother and sister!!!) but she was perfect and beautiful. I was hoping the gypsies would keep her and she'd never be found again.. but alas, the Lacey madness will live on...

The perfect end to this book would have been a nice twist. Gregory could have made her very good point about inheritance rights and the lack of power women of Beatrice and Julia's era had by Richard being killed by Ralph, then Julia inheriting the land - baby Sarah is adopted out to the gypsies and never seen again and Julia either lives as a widow and runs the land or (this would have been lovely - I bet all the girls have sighed over James a little, didn't you? he was a little like the handsome romantic leads in Austen's books) James forgave her - for they had both made mistakes and Julia's was not intentional nor her fault (I was practically screaming at her that it wasn't her fault - and she gets it in the end, when it's too late!) and they marry and have 'normal' children - or perhaps none, they just learn from their mistakes and respect each other, and make a fresh start for Wideacre.

There were so many allies that Julia had - she was a sweet girl and I liked her - I wish that I could have shaken her though, I got so mad. So many people in the village offered their help - this trap she was caught in with Richard could have been avoided - ahhh... SO frustrating. I will not be reading the third book in the series. I shall go back to reading Gregory's more historic novels (A Constant Princess is one I haven't read yet and it sounds excellent). I wouldn't recommend this one.

I am a huge fan of Phillipa Gregory, but I am also very disappointed that many of her books are missing from the electronic version. Particularly, the Wideacre Trilogy has the first and the last books in the Kindle version, but where is The Favoured Child? I'm not sure is this is an issue with the publisher or with the store... but seriously, guys, get it together. You don't publish a trilogy in the wrong order... even if it is electronic.

After reading Wideacre I expected this book's heroine to be evil and manipulative. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Phillipa Gregory had created a good, yet incredibly deep character. Julia Lacey is definately not a one dimensional herione and is no carbon copy of Beatrice. I can't wait til I read the third book, Meridon!

Unfortunately for me in this case, I am unable to put a book down once I start it. I grabbed this book quickly in an airport bookstore, because it was a long flight and I liked "The Other Boleyn Girl". Once I was about halfway through the book and flight, I realized what a mistake it t was. A previous reviewer compared this series to V.C. Andrews, and while I didn't pollute my mind with reading either of the other books in this trilogy, I was forcibly reminded of reading "Flowers in the Attic" as a youngster by this book. Being a tiny bit familiar with English mythology, I could see the denouement coming from a hundred pages away, but thought that it would be too trite for Gregory to actually use such an obvious plot device. Use it she did.

I found this book to be misogynistic, and even worse-annoying. I was mad at myself for having read it, and mad at Gregory for writing it. I threw this book away rather than chance anyone else picking it up at a used book store or library.

The one fatal flaw in this book is its characters, ecspecially richard. What drove me to hate the novel was that the one bad guy, who i hated from the very first pages of the book, consistently got away with his evil deeds without being punished or killed until the end. I don't mind telling this audience that he dies...all though potentially good the author made me hate it. In my opinion an author is able to make the reader dislike a character for a short period of time, but for a novel as long as this one, a character cannot be despised as much as richard is for the whole novel without driving the reader insane, and as in my case does not drive the reader to totally and utterly disliking the book.

It's bad.
It's painful to read.
I think Gregory enjoys torturing her characters a little TOO much.
I read pretty well until about page 450 or so, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I skimmed the rest. I HAD to see what happened but I didn't want to actually READ it.

The Favored Child is the second book in a 3-book series by Phillippa Gregory. The series focuses on three generations of Lacey women who fight for a right to inherit, own, and manage their family estate called Wideacre, at a time in English history when women had no property rights. All three books in the series were interesting beach reads, and Phillippa Gregory is skilled at weaving in period details and language that bring that timeframe in England to life. I found the fact that the Lacey girl married her brother and had healthy children somewhat unbelievable in this book. But, never-the-less, I enjoyed the book because I wanted to see if a Lacey women ever gained control of the Wideacre estate.

This book has many twists and turns in the book. There is a lot of irony and sinful secrets. It has a great plot although Richard, the male antagonist of the book, was so hateful and evil. I really despised how he treated and stole away Julia's life. He toyed with her feelings and destroyed everything she worked for. Julia has a lot of flaws, but in the end she always wanted to make everything right. Personally, this book made me cry and felt miserable but at the same time loved the book.

If you love English history, and the difference between social class, I assure you that you would find this a unique and hard-to-put down novel.

I swear, I just can't stand it. I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" and really liked it a lot -- I was so pleased to find Philippa Gregory and looked forward to reading all her books.

But I just tried to read "The Little House: A Novel" (read 1/3 of it) and then THIS stinker (read the first 30 pages) and I have decided that P. Gregory just got lucky when she wrote her historical fiction about Anne Boleyn.

The plot of "The Favored Child" is unbelievably trite and ridiculous. The characters seem to have been kidnapped from a Victoria Holt novel (gag). The dialogue is stilted and goofy. My only wish is that I could give this zero stars.

What I find so troubling about many of Gregory's books is her failure to present a heroine who isn't insipidly weak. This book, "The Favored Child," and "The Virgin's Lover" both spring to mind. "The Favored Child" had great potential in terms of Gregory's beautiful writing, but Julia's consistent inability to stand up to Richard ruined the book for me. I found the characters neither realistic nor sympathetic. After 400 pages of drama, I quickly flipped to the last page and read Julia's letter to James. I immediately threw the book down because I was so disgusted. I would ask Gregory to write a book where the heroine actually has a backbone.

I understand that the modern mindset greatly colors my thinking when it comes to a woman's role in society, but no one expects that degree of historical accuracy from 'pleasure' reading such as this.

I'll throw one bone to Gregory - her descriptions of Bath were marvelous.

After reading the first book in this trilogy (Wideacre), I was not too excited to read this one but I wanted to find out what happens to the Lacey family. I have to say this book is much better than Wideacre. I am now reading the third book (Meridon) and I believe it is even better than the second book. So, if you got through the first book and are wondering if you should venture into the other two, it is definitely worth your time.

I had bought the trilogy together, so when I finished with the less than stellar Wideacre, I debated about reading The Favored Child. However, I must admit that I am glad that I decided to give this one a shot.

Unlike the first book which picks up fast and lags near the end, this book is quite the opposite. This book lags somewhat in the beginning, and the end is quite hurried and rushed. I really felt myself wanting to read more about Julia's life, and even Ralph.

Beatrice may have been a villian, but her child Julia is not at all. In fact, she is a well-liked and well-developed character. In this installment, it is the boy child, Richard, who seems to be the villian. Julia develops into warm-hearted, compassionate, smart, and brave woman who is torn between her love of her land and the love for her people. Making a huge (if somewhat unbelievable) sacrifice, she decides that her responsibility and commitment to the people of Acre matters more than anything in the world - including her flesh and blood.

I would be doing a diservice to you, if I did not mention that there are times where Julia is extremely annoying, and her poor, and hasty choices, will leave you incredibly infuriated. However, even still, there is a sense of admiration in what she is trying to do, and eventually, the biggest choices she has to make.

I was disappointed that the book did not explore more of James, Julia's love. However, truthfully, this story was not about James, or James and Julia, and it is probably best that the character of James be explored at length.

I was also disappointed with Celia's and John's relationship, but again, the book wasn't intended to be a story about their relationship. I did feel though, at times, that John's character was not the same throughout the two books. I think he deserved a little more continuity.

This book did not live up to Gregory's later book, Meridon. I don't know about Wideacre because I haven't read it yet but reading The Favored Child made me not want to go back to the first book.

Julia is just an idiot. I felt really bad for her but she kind of just screwed herself over throughout the entire story. And nothing good ever came out of all of her struggles.

It left me with a really disturbed, and unsatisfied feeling. I do not recommend this novel.

Ugh...I am utterly disgusted, and not by the incest. I really wanted to like this book, and for about 400 pages, I was on board. While I didn't think any of the characters are either believable or reliable (same went for Wideacre), I was hoping there would be a plot twist and that maybe Julia would have another one of her unpredictable bouts of courage. I was nearly finished, but I became so furious with the plot (and not in a good way) that I flipped to the back and read the last few pages, only to toss the book across the room in a rage. I hate Julia, I hate Richard, and I hate how the novel ends. I can't even go back and finish the pages I skipped. I've read many other Gregory books, but this one makes me want to write her off forever. Ugh...

Unfortunately I bought the trilogy after reading The Other Boleyn Girl thinking that all of this authors works would be good. I was wrong. I read this book and the start of the next, The Favored Child, and it is all disgusting. Honestly, I don't know who would enjoy this kind of rag.

This is my 2nd book in the trilogy and I am not a bit disappointed. When an author has its reader getting in very deeply into the characters , they are a very good writer.. I look forward to the last book of the trilogy and hope to enjoy it as much...

This book was one of the few that I hated to put down and couldn't wait to pick up. I was most impressed at Ms. Gregory's ability to put forth the same quality of writing at the end as she did at the beginning. Books this long often are either slow getting started, or fizzle out toward the end. This one just kept on going - one unexpected turn of events after the other, all in a most refreshing style. I have since ordered both her previous and her following novels in this trilogy - most unusual for me.

so i just finished reading this book and my stomach is still in knots. philippa gregory is a puppet master and with every word she will tug on your emotions with this book along with her many other masterpeices....simply amazing. there were times when i was afraid to continue reading it because i was actually scared of what would happen next. it is beyond powerful. truly spectacular. i cant give this book or this author enough praise.

After reading Wideacre, I quickly purchased the second book of this trilogy. This was better than Wideacre, the characters were very well developed. Interesting struggles between the roles of women during that time. Be prepared to be disgusted at some of the events, but it makes the book move quickly and at the end you will be so happy to know that there is still a book left to read in the trilogy.

I'm not one to place a book down, especially after reading more than half of it. But after reading page after page, waiting for this intelligent yet ridiculously stupid girl to wake up and realize what's going on, it's a bit annoying. Save yourself and don't even START the series. It kind of sucks you in, making you read all the novels even though you know you'll regret it.

This book made me angry. Very angry. I don't like people who let themselves be victimized and thats exactly what Miss Julia did. After the rather incestuous first book, this book was just another disappointment. I had had high hopes for this trilogy. Happily, though, the third and final book, Meridon, has a genuine, strong female lead instead of either a crazy, plotting witch, or a pathetic, weak country miss. Jst skip this one and read Meridon.

I bought this book because I had read and enjoyed some of Phillipa Gregory's historical novels. This one did not fill the bill for me. As a supposedly independent-thinking woman of spirit, I found Julia to be incredibly naive. Love is not an emotion that any female could possibly feel after being raped - especially after suffering abuse since childhood at the hands of her brother / playmate / husband. I found her characters to be either psychotic or dazed by all that laudunam (sp) they took. After reading THE FAVORED CHILD, I have no desire to read the first or the third in this trilogy.

Unfortunately I can not give this book no stars. This book seems to be a rehash of the first. Within the first 20 pages or so the incestuous relations between the two kids who think they are cousins already begins. I don't even want to finish the book. The book annoys me to no end. Servants will really stay on with no pay out of loyalty? They allow the spoiled boy rule the roost? Has the author no imagination to think of a better plot? I wish I had never bought the trilogy based on reading a couple of her other books.

Whilst Wide acre was captivating and exciting the favoured child makes a more pleasent and enjoyable read. With Beatrice Lacey one couldnt put the book down and she was capable of anything!!! julia is more subtle, the quality lady of the times and better reared by celia and outgrows her inborn passion for wideacre. I think the story would have been better if said through Richard.

WideAcre and Favored Child are a huge waste of time. I finally decided not to pollute my mind with even finishing Favored Child. The subject matter with all the incest is just sick and wrong. Phillippa Gregory, please stick with historical fiction on the likes of Queens Fool, and the other period books of King Henry VIII.

After enjoying the first novel in this series I was really looking forward to this sequel. It started out pretty well but soon went downhill. The plot is barely believable and the "woe is me" and handwringing gets old. I don't think I'll even bother with the third book - wish I hadn't already bought it.

This book was better than the first. I don't hate either of the books and I dont regret reading them but the first ones sexual content is disturbing. The fact that in each book the charactes get more and more inbred and that the author tends to write hundreds of pages of nothing tends to bring the story down. The book is not horrible but I was disappointed.

I can only say after reading these books that I am glad that I read "The Queen's Fool" and "The Other Bolyn Girl" first. If I hadn't, nothing could have inspired me to pick up another of this author's books. This book was marginally more enjoyable than its predecessor, "Wideacre."
Although they are beautifully written, the characters are thoroughly unlikable and unbelievable. The story lines are trite and predictable. In this trilogy, the author has seemed to forget the tales' integrity and instead gone for shock value. Most of the characters in these books just need to be slapped or put out of their misery.
If you like drama-queen stories intended to shock, I would suggest reading any book by V.C. Andrews rather than this trilogy. At least most of the characters in the V.C. Andrews books cannot do anything to improve their situations merely by standing up and being human.
I have always said that no book read is a waste of time. I am sad to say I was wrong. These books have wasted valuable time that I could have spent on something more worthwhile.
I would recommend to ANY reader two other books by this author, and those would be the aforementioned "The Queen's Fool" and "The Other Boleyn Girl." Both are great reads and worth 5 stars--more if it were possible to rate them that highly.

I read the Wildacre trilogy and was very disturbed by the sexual content and discriptions. You NEVER see this in other books depicting this era - except in trashy romance novels. If you want to read classy historical novels try Taylor Caldwell.