Scan barcode
melissajayne's review against another edition
4.0
Originally reviewed at Jayne's Books.
I actually quite enjoyed the book and being a fan of English history, especially the history of the period around the time of Henry VIII. Partly it has to do with the fact that the political climate in the country changed so much in such a short time and also because so much has been written about that particular time period. I suppose the TV series The Tudors had something to do with that fascination as well. But what I like about the book is that the action is quick throughout the book and it doesn't lack for any sort of slow down, a thing that sometimes makes me less engaged in a book. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed about the book is the development of Joanna. While I sometimes got the impression that she was this sort of superwoman type, you also the humanity in her actions.
I actually quite enjoyed the book and being a fan of English history, especially the history of the period around the time of Henry VIII. Partly it has to do with the fact that the political climate in the country changed so much in such a short time and also because so much has been written about that particular time period. I suppose the TV series The Tudors had something to do with that fascination as well. But what I like about the book is that the action is quick throughout the book and it doesn't lack for any sort of slow down, a thing that sometimes makes me less engaged in a book. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed about the book is the development of Joanna. While I sometimes got the impression that she was this sort of superwoman type, you also the humanity in her actions.
tgcpa's review against another edition
5.0
I read The Crown after having read the second in the series. I wish I had realized this was a series and started at the beginning as book two would have made more sense.
This novel is based in a time of religious upheaval and turmoil in England. I find it fascinating that the main character is female when the time so focused on the men AND that this character is on the periphery of the royal family AND she is a nun. This is a complex story with many characters so it took me a bit to get the names straight. The level of historical detail is also excellent.
I really can't recommend this enough if you enjoy English historical fiction.
This novel is based in a time of religious upheaval and turmoil in England. I find it fascinating that the main character is female when the time so focused on the men AND that this character is on the periphery of the royal family AND she is a nun. This is a complex story with many characters so it took me a bit to get the names straight. The level of historical detail is also excellent.
I really can't recommend this enough if you enjoy English historical fiction.
iwanttoreadallthebooks's review against another edition
3.0
I realized pretty early on into reading The Crown that it was trying too hard to be serious historical fiction. In fact, calling it historical fiction light is probably a generous term. But I was enjoying where the story was going, initially, as I have always enjoyed learning about the Tudor Period. And reading was going pretty smoothly, (although it did get a bit boring in the middle), when the author made the inexplicable decision to throw in two "shocking" and wholly unnecessary twists/reveals in the last quarter of the book. While I think the author was trying to make the story more juicy and scandalous, it just read as unbelievable and I definitely rolled my eyes aggressively and shook my head. I now have no desire to continue reading this series, which is a shame.
2.5 stars rounded to 3.
2.5 stars rounded to 3.
gmh711's review against another edition
4.0
Another Tudor story? I've already read many books and seen the movies, so why read another? Bilyeau puts a different spin on the reign of Henry VIII. In abolishing the Catholic church in England, he dissolved nearly every monastery, abbey, and priory in the land, raking in more than 1.4 million pounds (481 million in today's money). His nearly empty treasury was replenished by this huge transfer of wealth to the monarchy.
This story is told from the perspective of one young aristocratic Catholic nun who is trying to save her priory as well as her father. Woven in with the 16th century history, is the mystery of the whereabouts of the crown of the Saxon King Athelstan who died in AD 937. I love books with strong and intelligent female characters, and Joanna Stafford certainly qualifies.
This story is told from the perspective of one young aristocratic Catholic nun who is trying to save her priory as well as her father. Woven in with the 16th century history, is the mystery of the whereabouts of the crown of the Saxon King Athelstan who died in AD 937. I love books with strong and intelligent female characters, and Joanna Stafford certainly qualifies.
archytas's review against another edition
4.0
It's surprisingly unusual to read fiction set in the Tudor period that takes an overt pro-Catholic stance. From that perspective alone, the book is worth reading.
Bilyeau's characters come vividly to life, and, as people of faith and passion for their lifestyle, are comfortable to spend the book with, exploring a different perspective on the period. EWxploring the world of the Catholic faithful, their perspective as the world around them collapses, with scant regard to the victims is interesting.
However, I found the romance aspects of the book infuriating (not least because it felt thematically dissonant), and it veers closer to spiritualism than I am comfortable with as well. Flawed, but till absorbing.
Bilyeau's characters come vividly to life, and, as people of faith and passion for their lifestyle, are comfortable to spend the book with, exploring a different perspective on the period. EWxploring the world of the Catholic faithful, their perspective as the world around them collapses, with scant regard to the victims is interesting.
However, I found the romance aspects of the book infuriating (not least because it felt thematically dissonant), and it veers closer to spiritualism than I am comfortable with as well. Flawed, but till absorbing.
allisonthurman's review
4.0
One of those where I delayed finishing it because I didn't have the 3rd in the series lined up (out later this week!)
Joanna Stafford, the protagonist, is a Catholic in the early days of the English Reformation so while I read this book knowing thather efforts to save her priory are doomed to fail , the story is no less compelling for knowing how it ends. I found Bilyeau's choice to show the Catholic perspective in this time and place a refreshing change from most historical fiction that treats Henry's reforms as a fait accompli - she really gets across that the dissolution of the monasteries and the conversion of the English people wasn't inevitable and resistance was frequent and varied.
I was on tenterhooks throughout, and the ultimate villain turned out to be a surprise, though Stafford meets plenty of antagonists along the way (her uncle the Duke of Norfolk, Stephen Gardiner, the bishop with whom she shares a common cause but disagrees with his methods). Characters are well formed without cliches and by the end of the book Stafford has several options before her, and while I know which one she'll take (full disclosure: I read the sequel "The Chalice" first) any one of these could take her interesting places.
Recommended, will definitely be getting "The Tapestery" when it comes out!
Joanna Stafford, the protagonist, is a Catholic in the early days of the English Reformation so while I read this book knowing that
I was on tenterhooks throughout, and the ultimate villain turned out to be a surprise, though Stafford meets plenty of antagonists along the way (her uncle the Duke of Norfolk, Stephen Gardiner, the bishop with whom she shares a common cause but disagrees with his methods). Characters are well formed without cliches and by the end of the book Stafford has several options before her, and while I know which one she'll take (full disclosure: I read the sequel "The Chalice" first) any one of these could take her interesting places.
Recommended, will definitely be getting "The Tapestery" when it comes out!
abookishaffair's review
3.0
I've read plenty about the Tudor era but usually its from the point of view of someone either within the monarchy or very near to the monarchy. This is Nancy Bilyeau's very first novel so going with a less standard type of character in a setting that has become so familiar for so many historical fiction readers could have been a risk. In this case, it was one that really paid off in my own humble point of view.
I enjoy reading about this era but it was nice to see sort of a different point of view. Joanna Stafford is still close to the monarchy in a way. Her mother was one of Katherine of Aragon's ladies. But as a nun, she's has a very different point of view. She's definitely a fascinating character. I wasn't sure how exciting it would to be to follow a nun but the mystery that Joanna finds herself chasing most definitely kept me reading.
This book is part historical fiction and part mystery. This is not so much of a thriller though. The excitement was definitely a little more subtle to me. The storyline was very interesting. The Dominican order is a form of Catholicism, which of course was under fire during the reign of King Henry the VIII. Remember that the King really wanted to be able to divorce his wife and divorce was not allowed to take place in the Catholic church and therefore the King wanted his own church in order to make sure that he was allowed to do what he wanted to do. It was interesting to see the changes happening in people like Joanna's life because of this.
Bottom line: This book is a scoop of historical fiction and a pinch of mystery and an all around decent read!
I enjoy reading about this era but it was nice to see sort of a different point of view. Joanna Stafford is still close to the monarchy in a way. Her mother was one of Katherine of Aragon's ladies. But as a nun, she's has a very different point of view. She's definitely a fascinating character. I wasn't sure how exciting it would to be to follow a nun but the mystery that Joanna finds herself chasing most definitely kept me reading.
This book is part historical fiction and part mystery. This is not so much of a thriller though. The excitement was definitely a little more subtle to me. The storyline was very interesting. The Dominican order is a form of Catholicism, which of course was under fire during the reign of King Henry the VIII. Remember that the King really wanted to be able to divorce his wife and divorce was not allowed to take place in the Catholic church and therefore the King wanted his own church in order to make sure that he was allowed to do what he wanted to do. It was interesting to see the changes happening in people like Joanna's life because of this.
Bottom line: This book is a scoop of historical fiction and a pinch of mystery and an all around decent read!
thegoblinempress's review
3.0
When it comes to crime fiction, historical crime is the sub-genre I enjoy most. Shocking, I know.
I'm a big fan of C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series; as much as I do think there are way too many historical fiction books set at/around the Tudor Court (or at least too many that hog the spotlight, leaving no room for other periods of history) it's a brilliantly juicy setting for historical crime. But as much as I enjoy Sansom's books there's still something lacking in them: women. Or rather, women who stick around for more than one book who actively assist Matthew and Jack on their quests and aren't just there for one of them to fall in love with.
Enter The Crown. Female-led historical crime set during the reign of Henry VIII? Yes please!
As much as I can understand why, historical crime with female leads isn't something I come across often. They certainly do exist - Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin; Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters; The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - but it's still very much a sub-genre predominated by male protagonists, so I'm sure you can imagine just how excited I was to start reading The Crown.
Joanna Stafford, the product of a Spanish mother and an English father, is our heroine, and what makes her all the more exciting is that she's a Novice at Dartford Priory. A nun in training! Give me a story with a crime-solving nun and I'm sold.
So often in fiction set in this period of history we are met with Protestant protagonists. This is no bad thing, but just as there have always been bad Catholics there have always been bad Protestants, too. One of the things I loved most about this novel was Bilyeau's honesty concerning the Catholic themes; there were several beliefs of Joanna's, or certain opinions she had because of her beliefs, that I disagreed with, but she was no less of an engaging character, she wasn't cruel, and her beliefs only made the story all the more authentic to me.
I also loved the atmosphere of the novel. I was christened Catholic when I was a teeny tiny baby, and my Mum and I often went to church when I was little. While I haven't been to church in years now, and my own beliefs lead more towards the agnostic than anything else, I've always found churches places of great comfort. I love the smell of them, and I always feel safe and at peace when I'm in them. Joanna's love for her priory and the way Bilyeau described it reawakened those feelings of contentment in me.
There were two reasons I gave this novel four stars rather than five. Firstly, it took a while for the story to get going. The novel opens with Joanna travelling to her cousin's execution and subsequently getting imprisoned in the Tower of London, and yet the time Joanna spent in the Tower was the dullest part of the novel for me. It was only when she returned to Dartford that the story really began to take off.
Secondly, I guessed the culprit about two thirds of the way through. I don't think that was entirely Bilyeau's fault - for those first two thirds I had no idea how the novel was going to end - but I like the outcomes of the crime fiction I read to surprise me, and this didn't knock me off my feet completely.
Even so, it was a great start to a historical crime series, and I look forward to reading The Chalice!
I'm a big fan of C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series; as much as I do think there are way too many historical fiction books set at/around the Tudor Court (or at least too many that hog the spotlight, leaving no room for other periods of history) it's a brilliantly juicy setting for historical crime. But as much as I enjoy Sansom's books there's still something lacking in them: women. Or rather, women who stick around for more than one book who actively assist Matthew and Jack on their quests and aren't just there for one of them to fall in love with.
Enter The Crown. Female-led historical crime set during the reign of Henry VIII? Yes please!
As much as I can understand why, historical crime with female leads isn't something I come across often. They certainly do exist - Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin; Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters; The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - but it's still very much a sub-genre predominated by male protagonists, so I'm sure you can imagine just how excited I was to start reading The Crown.
Joanna Stafford, the product of a Spanish mother and an English father, is our heroine, and what makes her all the more exciting is that she's a Novice at Dartford Priory. A nun in training! Give me a story with a crime-solving nun and I'm sold.
So often in fiction set in this period of history we are met with Protestant protagonists. This is no bad thing, but just as there have always been bad Catholics there have always been bad Protestants, too. One of the things I loved most about this novel was Bilyeau's honesty concerning the Catholic themes; there were several beliefs of Joanna's, or certain opinions she had because of her beliefs, that I disagreed with, but she was no less of an engaging character, she wasn't cruel, and her beliefs only made the story all the more authentic to me.
I also loved the atmosphere of the novel. I was christened Catholic when I was a teeny tiny baby, and my Mum and I often went to church when I was little. While I haven't been to church in years now, and my own beliefs lead more towards the agnostic than anything else, I've always found churches places of great comfort. I love the smell of them, and I always feel safe and at peace when I'm in them. Joanna's love for her priory and the way Bilyeau described it reawakened those feelings of contentment in me.
There were two reasons I gave this novel four stars rather than five. Firstly, it took a while for the story to get going. The novel opens with Joanna travelling to her cousin's execution and subsequently getting imprisoned in the Tower of London, and yet the time Joanna spent in the Tower was the dullest part of the novel for me. It was only when she returned to Dartford that the story really began to take off.
Secondly, I guessed the culprit about two thirds of the way through. I don't think that was entirely Bilyeau's fault - for those first two thirds I had no idea how the novel was going to end - but I like the outcomes of the crime fiction I read to surprise me, and this didn't knock me off my feet completely.
Even so, it was a great start to a historical crime series, and I look forward to reading The Chalice!
librarianelizabeth's review
4.0
Interesting historical fiction, and a fascinating, twisting, turning mystery. Loved it!
reader_fictions's review
3.0
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
The good luck I've been having with historical fiction continues. I've seen The Crown praised everywhere, and there's a reason for that: it's really good. Though the novel got out to a bit of a slow start, by the end, I was really close to the main characters and captivated by the plot. Bilyeau writes beautifully, and made me interested in the sort of subject matter I wouldn't ordinarily care one whit about, which I take as a sign of her talent.
Though set almost entirely in Dartford Priory and told from the point of view of a nun, I didn't find the religious sentiments overwhelming. With historical fiction, I'm a bit more patient with the trappings of religion, just like I am less bothered by infidelity than usual. The author merely records, as much as possible, the historical facts, and generally isn't trying to preach one way or another. Certainly, there is no preaching in The Crown, even though Joanna believes strongly in her religion.
Sister Joanna may be a nun, but she's totally not the image I carry in my head of what nuns are like, an image which I know to be false but can't seem to shift anyway. Joanna is not elderly, stern, and quiet, nor is she like Maria of Sound of Music, though she does perhaps have more in common with Maria. In fact, Joanna is quite level-headed, stubborn, determined, daring, and has quite the temper. She also has a thirst for knowledge, loving to research and to read. These qualities made her easy for me to like, even if I'm not remotely religious and couldn't relate to her passion for Christ, which does exist, since she voluntarily gave her life to the Priory.
The Crown takes place during Henry VIII's reign, during his marriage to Jane Seymour and the period beyond her death. At this time, Henry VIII has begun closing down Catholic institutions, seizing the money for the crown and turning people to Protestantism. The nuns of Dartford Priory, like all the rest, is worried about the likely inevitable dissolution that faces them. Joanna Stafford, for she was of a noble family before she committed herself to Christ, becomes embroiled in a scheme to save the Catholic church.
At the opening of the novel, Joanna breaks her oath to Dartford so that she can go be with her beloved cousin Margaret as she is burned at the stake. Her father also turns out to be there, and they are both arrested along with an innocent bystander, because her father threw gunpowder into the conflagration to help speed Margaret's passing, thereby making it less painful. Taken to the Tower of London, Margaret is eventually offered freedom (and the ability to stop her father's torture) by Bishop Gardiner. In exchange, she must return to Dartford Priory, which he will force the prioress to accept, and locate for him Athelstan's crown, said to have powers, which he hopes to barter to the King in exchange for sparing the monasteries and priories.
The plot consists of the search for the crown, which involves a lot of research of legends. Though Joanna does not want to help the Bishop, who she mistrusts, she throws herself into the search, largely because she loves to know things. Added to the espionage, there's a murder mystery and some possible future romance for Joanna. Of course, she's a novice nun, but with the impending dissolution of such livings, she will have to choose what to make of herself once again, and she could likely end up either with Geoffrey, arrested with her at Margaret's death, or Brother Edmund, who will also no longer technically be a friar when the Priory is closed.
Immediately upon finishing The Crown, I'm starting The Chalice, and I'm quite excited to do so. I'm really curious to see what becomes of Joanna now that the Priory will have been closed.
The good luck I've been having with historical fiction continues. I've seen The Crown praised everywhere, and there's a reason for that: it's really good. Though the novel got out to a bit of a slow start, by the end, I was really close to the main characters and captivated by the plot. Bilyeau writes beautifully, and made me interested in the sort of subject matter I wouldn't ordinarily care one whit about, which I take as a sign of her talent.
Though set almost entirely in Dartford Priory and told from the point of view of a nun, I didn't find the religious sentiments overwhelming. With historical fiction, I'm a bit more patient with the trappings of religion, just like I am less bothered by infidelity than usual. The author merely records, as much as possible, the historical facts, and generally isn't trying to preach one way or another. Certainly, there is no preaching in The Crown, even though Joanna believes strongly in her religion.
Sister Joanna may be a nun, but she's totally not the image I carry in my head of what nuns are like, an image which I know to be false but can't seem to shift anyway. Joanna is not elderly, stern, and quiet, nor is she like Maria of Sound of Music, though she does perhaps have more in common with Maria. In fact, Joanna is quite level-headed, stubborn, determined, daring, and has quite the temper. She also has a thirst for knowledge, loving to research and to read. These qualities made her easy for me to like, even if I'm not remotely religious and couldn't relate to her passion for Christ, which does exist, since she voluntarily gave her life to the Priory.
The Crown takes place during Henry VIII's reign, during his marriage to Jane Seymour and the period beyond her death. At this time, Henry VIII has begun closing down Catholic institutions, seizing the money for the crown and turning people to Protestantism. The nuns of Dartford Priory, like all the rest, is worried about the likely inevitable dissolution that faces them. Joanna Stafford, for she was of a noble family before she committed herself to Christ, becomes embroiled in a scheme to save the Catholic church.
At the opening of the novel, Joanna breaks her oath to Dartford so that she can go be with her beloved cousin Margaret as she is burned at the stake. Her father also turns out to be there, and they are both arrested along with an innocent bystander, because her father threw gunpowder into the conflagration to help speed Margaret's passing, thereby making it less painful. Taken to the Tower of London, Margaret is eventually offered freedom (and the ability to stop her father's torture) by Bishop Gardiner. In exchange, she must return to Dartford Priory, which he will force the prioress to accept, and locate for him Athelstan's crown, said to have powers, which he hopes to barter to the King in exchange for sparing the monasteries and priories.
The plot consists of the search for the crown, which involves a lot of research of legends. Though Joanna does not want to help the Bishop, who she mistrusts, she throws herself into the search, largely because she loves to know things. Added to the espionage, there's a murder mystery and some possible future romance for Joanna. Of course, she's a novice nun, but with the impending dissolution of such livings, she will have to choose what to make of herself once again, and she could likely end up either with Geoffrey, arrested with her at Margaret's death, or Brother Edmund, who will also no longer technically be a friar when the Priory is closed.
Immediately upon finishing The Crown, I'm starting The Chalice, and I'm quite excited to do so. I'm really curious to see what becomes of Joanna now that the Priory will have been closed.