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.
The medieval world could be a treacherous place to live in, especially when it comes to life in the medieval court. There was so much backstabbing and men reaching for titles and crowns that were not given to them. Take, for example, the House of York. Now, we will assume that their desire for the throne truly came to fruition during the period known as the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century. However, the sons and the daughter of Edmund of Langley and Isabella of Castile were fiercely loyal to those they served and were ruthless to those who they deemed as their enemies. This is the world that Constance of York, Lady Despenser, is raised in, but when her world is turned upside down, will she choose to stay on the sideline, or will she scheme with her family and fight for what they believe is right? Constance’s story is woven together in Anne O’Brien’s novel, “A Tapestry of Treason.”
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.”
For centuries, the brave knights of Camelot and the Crusaders have searched for the Holy Grail. The cup that Jesus of Nazareth used during his Last Supper is rumored to be a vessel that can grant eternal life or miraculous healing powers. It can be a cup, plate, or stone, but in all stories, the Grail guardians and those searching for it are predominately male. But what if the guardians were male and female and the ones searching for it were predominately female? Alais from 11th-century France and Alice Tanner visiting France in 2007 share a connection that is centuries deep and it all started with a ring, a book, and an image of a labyrinth. How are these two connected to the labyrinth and the Grail and can they protect it from those who want to use it for their dark purposes? Kate Mosse weaves the tale of the Grail and the two women connected by fate in her novel, “Labyrinth.”
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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.”
When we think about the period known as the Renaissance, we often think about Italy and the artists like painters and sculptors. However, other craftsmen made Italy their home. Take, for example, tailors and seamstresses. These skilled craftsmen and women can create art you can walk in with their hands. However, there are gender barriers between tailors and seamstresses in that only men can be tailors and only women can be seamstresses. One orphan girl from Bologna not only challenges what it means to be a woman tailor but also challenges one of the wealthiest merchants in the entire city who has a dark connection to her past. This is the premise for Glennis Virgo’s debut novel, “City of Silk.”
When we consider the issue of succession, we often imagine the crown being passed to the next legitimate heir, regardless of gender, but that was not always the case. We think about the struggles that women like Mary I and Elizabeth I endured to secure and stay on the throne, but one woman came before them so close to becoming England’s first ruling queen. She was the daughter of King Henry I and the next in line to the throne after her brother tragically died, but after her father passed away, it was her cousin Stephen who usurped the throne. The war for the crown which would last decades would be known as The Anarchy is the primary focus for Sharon Kay Penman’s novel, “When Christ and His Saints Slept.”
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Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 