Tag: Anne Boleyn

Book Review: “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception” by Helen Harrison

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Anne Boleyn, a queen whose story has lived on for centuries. She was the woman who stood between Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, was her greatest legacy and her pride and joy. It was her untimely death due to charges that many believe were unfounded. We all have our image of the infamous queen, but how does that change when we switch the type of media we consume? Helen Harrison explores how our idea of Anne Boleyn changed over time in her latest book, “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception.”

I would like to thank Pen & Sword Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I have enjoyed Helen Harrison’s previous books on Tudor Executions and Elizabethan Rebellions. When I heard that she was writing a book about Anne Boleyn, I was curious to see what new information she would add to Tudor studies, specifically Anne Boleyn.

So, how do you approach a book like this that is not a biography but tells how Anne Boleyn has been perceived throughout the centuries? Harrison has decided that the best way to show her readers how Anne has been portrayed throughout history is by breaking this book into sections, focusing on one source of media. We get to see Anne through portraiture/images, letters/poems, through foreign dignitaries, her views on religion, on stage and screen, both the movie and television screen, as well as historical fiction.

Harrison also includes a brief biography of Anne’s life so that we can refamiliarize ourselves with her tragic tale before taking the deep dive, which is important when it comes to understanding her legacy. My favorite part of this book is seeing the different takes historians and authors have taken towards it, including everyone’s favorite, the Victorians. It gives an overview of how different historians and authors interpret a single figure and gives us a unique take on the historiography of Anne Boleyn, including G.W. Bernard, who believed that Anne was guilty of some of the charges. The fact that Harrison decided to keep her feelings towards Anne relatively neutral allows the recent research about Anne to shine.

This book is unlike any other book about Anne Boleyn that I have read. It is a comprehensive deep dive into the research around the life of Anne Boleyn that any Tudor nerd will find a fascinating resource. If you are a Tudor nerd or a fan of Anne Boleyn, “The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception” by Helen Harrison is a must-read.

Book Review: “The Lives of Tudor Women” by Elizabeth Norton

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In each era throughout history, we see how men and women adapt to the struggles and triumphs of the age. Take, for example, the 16th century, primarily in Tudor England. It was a time of great religious changes and dynamic rulers who would change the course of European history forever. While men had the most power, except for a handful of women, the majority of women struggled to survive each stage of life. So, what was life truly like for Tudor women? Elizabeth Norton explores this topic in her book, “The Lives of Tudor Women.”

I have been wanting to read this particular book for years. I have enjoyed the previous books that I have read by Elizabeth Norton, so when I saw she wrote a book about Tudor women, I knew I wanted to read it. 

Norton begins by explaining how this book would be broken down in her preface, which has one of my favorite introductory paragraphs in any book. This book is divided into sections that correspond with the Seven Ages of Man, which was made famous by William Shakespeare. These ages are: the infant, the schoolboy, the lover, the soldier, the justice of the peace, the ageing retiree, and the infirm elder. Obviously, with the lives of 16th-century women, these ages are altered a bit, especially for the soldier and the justice of the peace, but the premise remains the same. Each section focuses on one of these ages and the different aspects of life during that period in a person’s life. Norton also features small snippets of extra information that don’t fit into the narrative of the chapter, but are fascinating. 

The main characters, who are the main focus in this book, are a collection of stories of women from royals to rebels. Two Elizabeth Tudors bookmark the book, one will die as a child while the other became one of the most important rulers in European history, Queen Elizabeth I. We also get to see the stories of Elizabeth and Anne Boleyn, a prophetess, Elizabeth Barton, a businesswoman named Katherine Fenkyll, the widow Cecily Burbage, the heretic Anne Askew, a rebel named Margaret Cheyne, and an expatriate named Jane Dormer. These stories and the other smaller tales paint a picture of what it meant to be a female in Tudor England.

This was another delightful book by Elizabeth Norton. While I did know some of the stories and the information featured in this book, other stories were brand new and thrilling to read about. Norton breathed new life into women’s history during the 16th century with this book. If you want a fresh approach to Tudor England with new women to learn about, I highly recommend you read “The Lives of Tudor Women” by Elizabeth Norton.

Book Review: “The Cardinal” by Alison Weir

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During the reign of King Henry VIII, the king would elevate well-qualified men to positions of power and prestige. We all know the story of Thomas Cromwell, but it is his mentor, Sir Thomas Wolsey, whose story shows how one can rise from humble beginnings, but whose fate is ultimately tied to the mood of the monarch. The son of a butcher turned scholar who became a priest, a lover, a father, and the closest advisor to the king. His life, his loves, his successes, and his struggles are told in Alison Weir’s latest novel, “The Cardinal.”

I would like to thank Ballantine Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I am a fan of Weir’s novel, so when I saw her writing a new one about Sir Thomas Wolsey, I knew I wanted to read it. Wolsey is someone who tends to be a side character, so to have a novel dedicated to his life was an exciting idea.

Weir begins her story with Thomas (known in this novel as Tom) at the age of 11, going to school. His father, Robert Wolsey, is a butcher from Ipswich who wants his son to climb the social ladder in the church. Tom will eventually rise to the level of becoming King Henry VII’s chaplain and will begin working with King Henry VIII. Life for Tom is thrilling with the twists and turns of court life, but the one thing that is missing in his life is someone to share it with. Since he is a member of the church, he cannot marry or have his own family, but things change for Tom when he meets Joan Larke. Their love for each other is genuine, even though it is taboo in the eyes of the church and King Henry VIII, which comes across as quite hypocritical.

It was under King Henry VIII that Tom’s star rose to remarkable heights. He became a Cardinal, was the King’s right-hand man and best friend, and was able to create the architectural marvel of Hampton Court Palace. But his rise in prominence came with a cost. Tom must help the king navigate not only international affairs, such as the Field of Cloth of Gold, but also more personal matters, such as the divorce of King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, which would become known as The Great Matter. Tom would have many enemies at court, including Anne Boleyn, the future wife of King Henry VIII, who would ultimately lead to Tom’s fall from grace.

This is such an engrossing novel about one of the most complex figures of the Tudor dynasty. Thomas Wolsey’s story shows the struggle of fighting for those you love over the ambitions and prestige of the glittering court life. If you want an excellent novel about one of Henry VIII’s closest advisors and his life, I would highly recommend you read “The Cardinal” by Alison Weir.

Book Review: “Nothing Proved” by Janet Wertman

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A princess born to a king and his second wife lost her title and legitimacy when her father decided that her mother, Anne Boleyn, needed to die. Elizabeth Tudor knows the meaning of resilience as she survived her childhood during her father King Henry VIII’s reign. Now that her father is dead  Elizabeth is at the mercy of her half-siblings Edward and Mary, plus any scheming man who wants to marry her and get closer to the crown. Can Elizabeth survive her siblings’ reigns or is she destined to be locked in the Tower to await her ultimate fate like her mother? Janet Wertman explores the life of Elizabeth Tudor in her latest series Regina and the first novel, “Nothing Proved” explores Elizabeth’s turbulent adolescence. 

I would like to thank Janet Wertman for sending me a copy of this novel. I have always been a big fan of novels about Elizabeth I and so when I heard that Wertman was writing another Tudor series all about Elizabeth I, I jumped at the chance to read it.

From an early age, Elizabeth Tudor swore she would never marry, especially after seeing how her mother Anne Boleyn, and her numerous stepmothers were treated by her father. Now her father King Henry VIII is dead, her brother Edward VI is King of England, and she is separated from the stepmother that she loved Katherine Parr after several unwanted incidents with Katherine’s husband Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth never got to see her beloved stepmother again and Thomas has his eyes on marrying Elizabeth or possibly taking control of the king. Bad mistakes on both parts, but it does not mean that Elizabeth is safe from scandal as Edward’s council believes that Elizabeth was involved in the plot against the king.

Elizabeth may have survived Edward’s reign, but her step-sister Mary’s reign is a different case. Mary is a devout Catholic who does not trust Elizabeth. She believes that Elizabeth is part of the plots to overthrow Mary and become the next queen of England. These accusations are dangerous and will place Elizabeth in the Tower. Luckily, Elizabeth is not alone as she has her ladies in waiting as well as friends like Robert Dudley and William Cecil, who is the second protagonist in this novel. It was a nice touch to add William Cecil’s point of view because he rarely gets a starring role in historical fiction novels so it was interesting to see his perspective on matters leading up to the moment Elizabeth becomes queen.

I found this an enjoyable novel that explored Elizabeth’s adolescent years which were some of her most turbulent. We can see her signature resilience and the formation of her close-knit circle of allies and friends that will become so important during her reign. If you are a fan of Elizabethan novels,  I think you will  thoroughly enjoy, “Nothing Proved” book one in the Regina series by Janet Wertman.

Book Review: “Henry VIII and His Rabbis: How the King Relied on Jewish Law to End His First Marriage – and Why He Failed” by Jerry Rabow

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The Great Matter was a defining event in the lives of King Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, and Anne Boleyn. One of the world’s messiest divorces, it saw Henry VIII trying everything in his bag of tricks to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to marry his new infatuation, Anne Boleyn. While we know that the basis for his argument that he should be able to divorce Catherine comes from the book of Leviticus in the Bible, we often see Henry’s debate through the Catholic and Protestant lenses. However, Henry relied on another group of people who had not been on English soil for centuries, the Jews. What does Jewish law bring to the discussion of the Great Matter and did it help Henry? Jerry Rabow examines this often overlooked aspect of Henry’s road to divorce in his book, “Henry VIII and His Rabbis: How the King Relied on Jewish Law to End His First Marriage- and Why He Failed.”

I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. Obviously, as a Tudor nerd, I am very familiar with the Great Matter, but when I saw that it was focusing on Jewish law and how it pertained to this case in particular. I have some knowledge of theological debates from college, so I wanted to see how in-depth Rabow would go.

Rabow begins by exploring the phenomenon known as Tudormania before diving into a brief history of the Jewish people in England before Henry VIII’s reign. He then takes the time to provide background information about the Great Matter, including discussing the Leviticus Prohibitions, which would be the base of Henry’s argument for his divorce. I have to say that the way Rabow covered the Tudor portion of this book felt like he oversimplified things or made assertions about their characters that felt generic.

When it comes to the main topic, Rabow spends a bit of time explaining Jewish law and the different Jewish traditions. This foundation is important because different Jewish traditions understand the Leviticus Prohibitions in different ways. One tradition believes in a levirate marriage, which allows a brother to marry his sister-in-law if his brother dies without an heir. So essentially what happened when Henry married Catherine after Arthur died. To say Henry was not thrilled with this branch of Jewish tradition would be an understatement. Rabow shows his audience how Henry VIII relied on Jewish scholars in Italy to help defeat the Pope’s gridlock on the matter.

I think the theological matters and the history of the Jewish people and scholars were interesting in this book. Where it fell short for me was when Rabow entered the Tudor court. Overall, it was an interesting book with a unique twist on the story of the Great Matter. If you want a book that explores the Great Matter with a twist, I suggest you read, “Henry VIII and His Rabbis: How the King Relied on Jewish Law to End His First Marriage- and Why He Failed” by Jerry Rabow.

Book Review: “The Duty of Women” by Caroline Willcocks

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The Tudor court during the reign of King Henry VIII was a treacherous place to be, even for the humble female musician. It was full of men and women vying for a position of power, and they were ready to give anything and everything for that power. This is the world that Kat Cooke finds herself in. After faithfully serving Queen Katherine of Aragon for years, she must switch her loyalties to Anne Boleyn, but when things get dangerous, where will Kat’s loyalties lie? Can Kat survive such turbulent times or sacrifice everything she holds dear? Kat’s story is told in the second book of Caroline Willcocks’ Tudor Queens series, “The Duty of Women.”

I want to thank Atmosphere Press and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this novel. While I have not read the first book in this series, “Of Aragon,” I did want to read this book because the premise sounded intriguing, and I have seen this book floating around on social media. I have not read any books by Caroline Willcocks, so I was looking forward to seeing what her writing style and approach to the Tudors was like.

Kat Cooke is an adopted foundling living in the court of Henry VIII. She is a married woman, and throughout she tells her story to her daughter. It should be noted that Kat is not an ordinary adopted foundling; she is the daughter of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, who was believed to have been born stillborn, which was revealed in book one of this series. Having Kat in the court as the unknown child of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII adds depth to her character as Kat is both inside and outside the court circle. We enter the story with Queen Katherine of Aragon away from court and Anne Boleyn starting to create her influence over the court. It is at the height of the Great Matter, and we get a chance to see Thomas Cromwell working with Kat’s husband, Will, to put Anne Boleyn on the throne while dismantling the Catholic church in England.

It is through Kat’s story to her daughter that we get to see how the court interacts with one another during this tumultuous time. Willcocks portrays the relationship between Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour as a Mean Girls situation. We also get to see the relationship between Anne and Henry, Anne and Cromwell, and Sir Thomas Wyatt’s affection for Anne. Although Sir Thomas Wyatt and Anne Boleyn never were a couple, Kat and Thomas do develop quite an interesting relationship that will shape her entire future and shake her relationship with Will forever.

Overall, I think this was a decent book with a unique take on the story of the Great Matter, the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, and the short reign of Jane Seymour. The story of Kat and Will Cooke is fresh and welcoming when compared to other Tudor novels. I am interested in reading the first book in this series and the other books in the series when they are published. I think if you want a fresh take on the Great Matter, “The Duty of Women” and the Tudor Queens series by Caroline Willcocks should be something you check out.

Book Review: “The House of Echoes” by Alexandra Walsh

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A love that can get through any obstacle even when the couple is married to other people is considered very rare. However, star-crossed lovers at court were practically unheard of, especially multiple couples from the same family. Anne Brandon knows how rare these matches are as her father Charles Brandon married the sister of King Henry VIII. Now she must figure out her feelings about romance while navigating court life. In the modern day, Caroline Harvey has relationship problems while she navigates the loss of her famous writer, grandfather Dexter Blake. How are these two women from different centuries connected and can they fight for who they love or are they destined to be alone? Alexandra Walsh tells both women’s stories in her novel, “The House of Echoes.”

I want to thank Boldwood Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. The concept of this novel and the cover were what pulled me into the story. I know about the children of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor, but when it comes to Charles’ other children, I don’t know much. I wanted to learn a bit about Anne Brandon and have a good time with the story of Caroline Harvey.

We begin with the story of Caroline Harvey as she returns home to England from America after a bad break-up with her former fiance Travis Hibbert. She is the personal assistant to her grandfather, the recluse writer Dexter Blake, the author of the Ether Heracles book series. Dexter Blake is dying and it is up to her and her family to announce it to the rest of the world while releasing the last book in the series and making movies about the books. While the world mourns Dexter’s death, Caroline is given the gift of Dexter’s home and she begins researching the history of the house, which will lead her to an old fling Gideon and his book store Ten-to-Midnight. It is through Caroline’s research that she discovers the story of Anne Brandon and the truth about her life.

Meanwhile, in Tudor England, Anne Brandon is getting used to being the step-daughter of Mary Tudor, the sister of King Henry VIII. She is not used to court life, but she has friends who will become famous like Anne Boleyn and Margaret More Roper. As a young girl, Anne falls head over heels in love with Randall Hanworth and she believes that she is destined to marry him. However, fate and her father have someone else in mind; Edward Grey 3rd Baron of Powis, which made Anne Baroness of Powis. That doesn’t mean it was a happy marriage as the couple never had any children. Anne lived throughout the reign of Henry VIII, saw two of his wives beheaded including her friend Anne Boleyn, and had a great falling out with her father Charles Brandon before he died, which meant that she was left out of his will. Anne was willing to fight for the lands that she believed rightfully belonged to her and the love of her life Randall.

This was a fun novel with so many twists and turns, including one at the end that I did not see coming. I especially love the little details that Walsh included especially coming up with blurbs for each of the Dexter Blake books as well as the inner workings of the Brandon household. As someone who reads a lot about the Tudors, it was refreshing to read about Tudors that were new to me. If you want a fresh take on the Tudor with a modern twist, I greatly recommend you read, “The House of Echoes” by Alexandra Walsh.

Book Review: “Mary Tudor: Queen of France” by Amy McElroy

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The life of a 16th-century princess is not all that it is cracked up to be. You can have jewels, and glamorous dresses, attend the glittering yet treacherous court, and have numerous homes. You must marry the person the king says you should marry to create strong alliances for the kingdom, so the concept of marrying for love is not in your vocabulary. You had to ensure your opinions were kept in line with the monarch’s views so you didn’t meet a disastrous end. In other words, the closer you are to the throne, the more scrutiny is forced upon you. No one understood this advice better than Mary Tudor, the daughter of King Henry VII and the younger sister of Henry VIII. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a queen, a duchess, and a mother. Her remarkable story is told in Amy McElroy’s book, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France.”

I want to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I have read Amy McElroy’s previous books, “Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era” and “Educating the Tudors,” and I enjoyed both books. When I heard that she would write her first-ever biography on Mary Tudor, I jumped at the chance to read it because Mary is my favorite of the children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

McElroy begins with a quick overview of the conflict that brought the Tudors to the throne, the Wars of the Roses. The marriage of Mary’s parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York united the kingdom and started the Tudor dynasty. Like any dynasty, it was important to have heirs, spares, and daughters who could be used essentially as pawns in the marriage market to create strong alliances. Mary’s eldest brother Arthur married Katherine of Aragon to form an alliance with Spain and her older sister Margaret married James IV of Scotland for another alliance. From a young age, Mary Tudor was a proposed bride for Charles of Castile, the son of King Philip the Handsome and Queen Joanna of Castile and Aragon, who would become Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Unfortunately, this marriage plan fizzled, but another bride groom was waiting in the wing, King Louis XII of France.

Mary’s marriage to King Louis XII of France and her time as Queen of France did not last long because Louis died mere months after their wedding. Now Mary could have returned to England or stayed in France and waited for another royal match to happen, but Mary chose option number three. Mary’s heart belonged to her brother Henry VIII’s best friend Charles Brandon, and the two devised a plan to marry in secret. It was out of the ordinary and it did create quite the scandal, but at the end of the day, it was a love match. Charles and Mary had a family and were involved in court politics including the Great Matter, before Mary died on June 26, 1533.

I think what has impressed me about McElroy’s books, including this one, is her ability to reveal something new to the subject material. While I knew quite a bit about Mary’s life, it was the marriage negotiations and her inner circle that truly fascinated me. If you want a new book about the sister of Henry VIII with new insight into her life and the politics of marriage, I highly suggest you read, “Mary Tudor: Queen of France” by Amy McElroy.

Book Review: “Elizabeth I” by Margaret George

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The stories of queens have been told in numerous ways for centuries, but one of the most famous queens in human history is the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. The daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII who famously decided not to marry any man and instead devout her entire life to serve England’s people. That does not mean she was subservient to others she demanded respect and adoration from her subjects. Most stories of Elizabeth I begin in her golden years, but what could a novel about the queen’s silver years tell us about her personality, her reign, and the people who choose to follow or rebel against the famous queen? Margaret George gives her readers an innovative look at the titular queen in her novel, “Elizabeth I.”

This is only the second novel I have read written by Margaret George, the first being the brilliant “The Autobiography of Henry VIII.” I knew that she had written a novel about Elizabeth I, but I had not had the chance to read it until I saw it at a used bookstore. It was an instant buy for me even before I read the description, but the blurb made me even more intrigued.

George does not begin with Elizabeth’s coronation in 1558, like many novels about Elizabeth, but in the year 1588, which was arguably the queen’s most difficult challenge, fending off the Spanish Armada. To start at this most pivotal moment in Elizabeth’s reign is a bold choice that pays off because it sets the tone for the rest of the novel. Nothing is stable for the queen even after victory is won. Shortly after the Armada is defeated, the love of Elizabeth’s life, Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester dies. It is a huge loss for the queen, but she is not the only one who loves Leicester. He leaves behind his wife and cousin to the queen, Lettice Knollys, however, the two women cannot share their grief as the queen banished her cousin from court after she heard about the marriage.

The only one who can connect the two women at this point is Lettice’s son the Earl of Essex, who desires to be a great man, so he becomes a favorite of Queen Elizabeth. The arrogant young up-starter soon finds out that court is not all that he dreamed it would be and that to be a great man, he has to follow every rule of his monarch, which goes as well as you would imagine. What I appreciate about this novel is that George does not gloss over Elizabeth’s reign and instead chooses to show how muddy the political landscape was during the late Elizabethan age. We also get to see events that are not often featured in other novels about the Elizabethan age, such as Roanoke, Grace O’Malley, the return of the Armada, diplomats from farther countries, and the connection between Lettice Knollys and William Shakespeare. She fought every second of every day to keep her crown because she never knew who was the threat and when they would strike next until her dying breath.

I think this novel does an excellent job of showing George’s readers what Elizabeth I was like further into her reign. It balanced both the harsh reality of the Tudor court with plenty of intrigue with Elizabeth the person who had her heart broken on more than one occasion and had to be harsh to fight for what she loved, the English people. If you want an unforgettable portrayal of the Virgin Queen and her court towards the end of her reign, I highly recommend you read, “Elizabeth I” by Margaret George.

Book Review: “Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn” by Estelle Paranque

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A young woman catches the attention of a king already married to a princess from a faraway kingdom. The king desires the young lady and divorces his wife to marry her. However, there is a catch. The young lady spent some time in the French court of Francis I and Claude of France, whereas the king’s wife was the daughter of the Spanish King and Queen as well as the aunt of the Holy Roman Emperor. The Great Matter of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Catherine of Aragon is considered one of the messiest divorces in English history and rightfully so when you consider the diplomatic consequences that this divorce would have across Europe. Estelle Paranque highlights the connection between Anne Boleyn and the French court in her latest book, “Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn.”

I want to thank Hachette Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I heard that Estelle Paranque was writing a new book about the 16th century, but when I heard that it dealt with Anne Boleyn’s connections with the French court, I jumped at the chance to read it. While I do know quite a bit about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, it is her connection with the French court that I have never really explored in depth.

Paranque begins her book by examining the meeting between King Henry VIII and King Francis I with Anne Boleyn at Calais between October 25th and 27th, 1532. This was a significant meeting as it was right before Henry and Anne married in secret and they desired that Francis would support their side in the Great Matter. But how did they get to this meeting in Calais? This is where this book shines as Paranque takes the time to show her audience what life was like for Anne in the French court and the connections that she forged with women like Louise of Savoy, Claude of France, and Marguerite of Angouleme Queen of Navarre. It was fascinating to see how the Boleyns were able to use their connections to forge alliances with the French court that would prove useful in the future.

Possibly my favorite part of this book was seeing how the diplomatic channels across Europe interacted with one another during the Great Matter, the queenship of Anne Boleyn, and the fall of the Boleyns. I think we so often overlook that there were diplomats who were working on the sidelines to convey messages between kings and emperors to form or strengthen alliances. While many might consider the way Paranque wrote the correspondence and dialogue between diplomats and the monarchy as hard to get used to because she does insert emotions, I believe it adds depth to the story because they were human beings not in a vacuum. They had feelings about what was happening around them, passionate feelings in fact, and that should be displayed to readers.

While the actual events of this book were not new to me, the way that Paranque was able to present the information and show the men behind the scenes was fascinating. It presents the relationship between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in a different more complex light. If you want a different angle to the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, I recommend you read, “Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn” by Estelle Paranque.