The StoryThe 6th book in Plaidy's Georgian series, Perdita's Prince deals with the brief affair between the actress Mary Robinson (known as `Perdita' for her most famous role, in The Winter's Tale) and George IV, then still Prince of Wales. The GoodPlaidy's fluid, easy-to-read style are on display here, and there are some memorable characterizations and vignettes.The BadThe storyline is pretty thin. I got the impression that Plaidy had little affinity for her main character, finding her a bit of a vain and self-centred poseur.Maybe because of this, the story goes off on too many tangents - one minute we're reading about Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the next about Charles James Fox, the next about Queen Charlotte, the next... well, you get the picture. And nobody is up to much.The same can be said of the epilogue, which covers - in a very few pages - the rest of Perdita's life after the end of her most famous affair. It feels like a Cliff's notes summary of the action and could have been eliminated entirely. Historical AccuracyThere are a number of little inaccuracies (for instance, Banastre Tarleton didn't become a general until quite late in his relationship with Robinson) and one very odd choice. Plaidy has Elizabeth Armitstead serving as Perdita's personal maid through most of the book. It's well attested that Armitstead started off as a courtesan, was very successful at it, made a fortune, had a brief career as an actress, and ended her life married to politician Charles James Fox. Although there was a rumor to the effect that she had begun her career as a dresser either to Perdita or the actress Frances Abington, by the time Perdita became the mistress of the Prince of Wales she was already well-established in her own right as a high class courtesan /actress/political-hostess-of-a-sort. Plaidy's decision to have her as a sly, conniving lady's maid is therefore bizarre, and serves the sole purpose of adding an unnecessary and implausible secondary character to the story.
