The Queen's Vow

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No one believed I was destined for greatness. Thus begins Isabella’s journey in this evocative novel about a legendary queen—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of faith whose reign led to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner explores the tumultuous early years of a woman whose rise to power transformed a monarchy and a nation. Young Isabella, barely a teenager, is taken from her mother to live under the watchful eye of her half-brother, King Enrique, and his conniving queen. She becomes an unwitting pawn in a plot against Enrique, facing danger and suspicion of treason. At seventeen, she unexpectedly becomes heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain, and is determined to marry the forbidden love of her life—Fernando, prince of Aragon. Together, they unite their realms under “one crown, one country, one faith,” confronting an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous inquisitor Torquemada while being drawn to the dreams of the enigmatic Columbus. As war erupts with the Moors of Granada, Isabella's resolve, courage, and belief in her destiny are put to the ultimate test, sweeping readers into the forging of a nation and the heart of a remarkable woman.