It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires.

he story is told from Hannah Green's perspective, a young Jewish girl who flees Spain with her father to escape persecution. Hannah is a seer, a sought after talent during the troubled times for the Tudor court, so she is brought to court has a fool, first to King Edward, then to Queen Mary and then Princess Elizabeth. The story is full of drama, passion and disloyalty, Everyone waiting for King Edward to die, while Mary fought for her throne, and Elizabeth battles to be the next Queen. And through all this Hannah the Fool was torn between her loyalty to both Mary and Elizabeth, and her love for two men, her Master Sir Robert Dudley and her betrothed Daniel Carpenter. The Queen's Fool is a beautifully written, memorable characters that make the story come alive. Philippa Gregory's best book, I would recommend this book not just to historical fiction lover's, this book would captivate anyone

I've read The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance and now, The Queen's Fool. I must say, although I loved all, this one is one of my favorites.

The story is told through the eyes of Hannah Green, a jewish girl being pursued by the Inquisition and pushed to flee Spain with her father. She's no ordinary girl though, she has a special gift; the gift of "sight", the gift to see the future.

Once in England, where the throne is in the hands of the dying King Edward, the only male heir of Henry VIII, Hannah meets the charming Sir Robert Dudley, who takes her under his protection. Sir Robert Dudley is the son of King Edward's protector.

The story essentially develops after King Edward's death. It unfolds the rivalry between MARY, devout Catholic, daughter of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, and ELIZABETH, fervent Protestant, daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. It is Mary who gains the throne and Hannah is begged as a fool in her court. Hannah's also a spy for Sir Robert Dudley, who she's fallen passionately in love with, and who's often disloyal to Mary while he's plotting for Elizabeth's accession to the throne.

The story is rich in drama, love, passion and disgrace in an England where Mary struggles to keep her throne and offer an heir to England; Elizabeth battles to be the next Queen; Hannah is torn apart between her loyalty to both and torn apart between a life at a risky court, near her flame Sir Robert Dudley and a "normal" safe life, far from court, with her betrothed Daniel.

It is beautifully written, rich in emotion and a page turner. It grips you taking you into the English Royal Court of 1553.

I have always been skeptical about picking up a book that focuses on the Tudor period as I was afraid that the storyline would bore me. However, I was very glad that I took the chance to read The Queen's Fool. This novel is the first I have read from Philippa Gregory and it certainly won't be the last. I was immediately drawn into the story from the very first page of the novel, and by the time I reached the final page, I found myself wanting more! The Queen's Fool is filled with memorable characters and vivid descriptions that brought the story to life. The story is fast-paced, and it will never cease to amaze readers. The Queen's Fool will captivate any reader, whether a fan of historical fiction or not. I highly recommend this novel!

The Queen's fool is another entertaining and well written historical fiction novel by Philippa Gregory. The story centres around a fictional character, Hannah, who serves as a holy fool in the courts of the young King Edward (Henry VIII's and Jane Seymour's son) and Queen Mary (Henry's first child who becomes known in history as "Bloody Mary"). At Mary's request, Hannah also spends a considerable amount of time with Princess Elizabeth.

I really enjoyed Hannah as the main character. She gets entangled in the mess of the English court but also has her own problems to deal with. She has to hide her true origins/religion and is in constant fear of being discovered as a Jew. She also struggles with growing up and her role as a young woman, and with her somewhat problematic relationship with her betrothed.

If you are interested in reading Gregory's Tudor novels in order of the historical events, this novel comes after the Boleyn Inheritance and before the Virgin's Lover.

I thought it was better than The Other Bolyn Sister. I liked that it focuses on a commoner who was not a hero, but just trying to figure out which side was going to win ,in order to stay alive. It really accurately portrays the fear of living in such uncertain times.

Another gem from Phillipa Gregory, and a worthy continuation of the Tudor saga which has absolutely captivated me. Weonderfully written with characters that come alive right off the pages, this book will not let down anyone who decides to pick it up.

The story is told from Hannah Green's perspective, a young Jewish girl who flees Spain with her father to escape persecution and lands in England. Hannah is a seer and has visions, a sought after talent during the troubled times for the Tudor court, she first serves King Edward, then his sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, as a holy fool. She is also a vassal to Robert Dudley who she adores. This is a very dangerous time where every action is under scrutiny and many lives are in peril due to laws against heresy, treason and witchcraft. Hannah must choose between the safe life as a commoner or being part of the extravagant life the royal family.

This novel is fast-paced, interesting and captivating from start to finish. It is clear that Ms Gregory has a talent for writing entertaining historical fiction, with engaging narrative. Her characters are seemly woven between actual and fictional ones, with all their flaws and weaknesses. The heart of this novel is the reign of Bloody Mary, Queen of England seen through the sympathetic eyes of a young woman. This is a fresh portrayal of familiar figures and a new perspective on a dark period of England's history. Serious history buffs may not like this novel, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love Philippa Gregory. She has an amazing ability to paint a vivid and real picture of what life was like in times long past. I first read The Other Boleyn Girl and was completely swept away by it. I then read The Virgin's Lover and was disappointed with the way it dragged and repeated itself. So I was a little bit wary when I picked up The Queen's Fool.

But in this book Ms Gregory has completely redeemed herself in my eyes. There was very little dragging in this book, though there was a moment somewhere between pages 200 and 250 that I thought, "Okay, there can't be much to the story left now. Why are there 250 pages left?" But of course there was and Philippa Gregory made it fast-paced and exhilerating.

Palace intrigue, a refugee's terror over being discovered by the Inquisition, the scrapping between sisters, the fight for the throne of England, the horrors of war, the travails of young life and young love. This book has everything and deals with all in one fell swoop, all issues entangled with one another, completely inseparable.

Bringing together characters from other books, The Queen's Fool is certainly on par with The Other Boleyn Girl and I highly recommend it.

Philippa Gregory's novels are full of romanance, excitement, suspense and History. I can't wait to start the next one!

This book takes off from the Other Boleyn Girl - with Mary becoming queen and the struggle between her and her sister Elizabeth.

You can't help wanting to know everything you can about the Tudors. I have read biographies, scanned web sites and watched movies. I love books that leave you hungry for more!

I loved this book as much as I adored the rest in this sequence of novels. You must read them all! They are fabulous!

If you love historical fiction, Philippa Gregory does not disappoint. Gregory's novels excite, intrigue and inspire. After I finish one of her books, I can't help but start scanning the Internet for facts about the Tudor family.

This is an awesome book I couldn't stop reading it! I was so sad when the book was finished!! If you enjoy Historical, Fictional, Romance wow you will absolutely love this book it's simply amazing. The whole book is basically a climax. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

I just finished this book and from the time I first picked it up to start reading it, I could barely put it down! Another great book by Philippa Gregory, who has recently become one of my favorite authors! I love the twists in the storyline especially Hannah, who has the gift of the "sight"!! This book has it all - intrigue, suspense, and a happy ending for Hannah for all you romantics out there!!

Absolutely excellent book! I thoroughly enjoyed every page and so will you.

The review already given pretty much sums up the plot. But I still have to say that this is a wonderful book and I love it. I have always wanted to read a book where Elizabeth I is not so virginal. It makes a very good read. And Mary! Poor Mary! Her sister was so mean to her. Mary is much maligned, but she was really a kind person. She only burnt Protestants because she thought that she was doing the country good. Monarchs have done worse.

Great book! Philippa Gregory did very well, just like in The Other Boleyn Girl.