Was Richard III of Shakespeare fame an evil hunchback? Did Richard III forcibly usurp the throne of England? What part did Richard III's Queen, Anne of Warwick, play in the assumption of the throne by Richard Plantagenet? Why did Richard III have his brother, the Duke of Clarence, drowned in a vat of wine? Did Richard III kill the princes in the tower? Why did Richard III make his fatal charge at Bosworth? These are some of the questions still being asked about the last Plantagenet King, Richard III, and answered in a unique historical novel, 'Desire the Kingdom' by Paula Simonds Zabka. Richard III, whose name is synonymous with villainy as depicted by Shakespeare, is presented in a different light. Holding to high principles of loyalty, he strives to support his king as he pursues his love for Anne. While confronting betrayals, insurrections and family strife, he continually fights his conscience after taking the throne, following the death of his brother and King, Edward IV. For Richard's Queen, Anne Neville, daughter of Warwick the Kingmaker, life becomes one of survival. As she struggles in her love for Richard, she becomes caught up in the desire of others to claim the throne of England by treachery, deceit and murder in the war between the Houses of York and Lancaster.