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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
4.5/5
I have to say this is my favourite book of the Tudor side of this series that I have read so far (The White Queen and the Kingmaker's Daughter will always be my favourite Plantagenet novels). I believe this is the first Philippa Gregory novel I have read that is split into more than one POV and I actually liked that because I felt that some of the other novels were too one-sided.
I took .5 away from my rating because of the repetition, which I'm now used to when I read Philippa Gregory. I put up with it for most of the novel, but by the end, "Now let me see, what do I have now?" got sooooo annoying. I also got sick of the characters calling her "Kitty"Howard, but then again, Gregory is also known for adding in the weird nicknames (anyone else remember Marianne and Annamaria? Ugh).
Speaking of Katherine Howard, I found her portrayal in this book to be very similar to how they portrayed her on the tv show The Tudors. She was annoying the hell out of me and was completely childhish (I don't know how accurate this is, but she's one of those characters you love to hate). On the show, I found her much bitchier, while in this book, she was more of a naive kind of annoying. In the end, I felt a little bad for her when she didn't understand that she was actually going to be executed.
I liked the character of Jane Boleyn, though. I liked how she was constantly wrestling with her betrayal of Anne and George throughout the entire novel. I also liked how she believed that the Duke of Norfolk was actually going to set up a match for her. To me, it was completely obvious that he was using her, but that chapter
I also really liked Anne of Cleves, although I found her chapters less interesting towards the second half of the book, when not much was going on for her. I think she was the most aware out of the three main characters and I liked how the book ended with her outliving the King.
Overall, it was a great read and I preferred it over The Other Boleyn Girl!
I have to say this is my favourite book of the Tudor side of this series that I have read so far (The White Queen and the Kingmaker's Daughter will always be my favourite Plantagenet novels). I believe this is the first Philippa Gregory novel I have read that is split into more than one POV and I actually liked that because I felt that some of the other novels were too one-sided.
I took .5 away from my rating because of the repetition, which I'm now used to when I read Philippa Gregory. I put up with it for most of the novel, but by the end, "Now let me see, what do I have now?" got sooooo annoying. I also got sick of the characters calling her "Kitty"Howard, but then again, Gregory is also known for adding in the weird nicknames (anyone else remember Marianne and Annamaria? Ugh).
Speaking of Katherine Howard, I found her portrayal in this book to be very similar to how they portrayed her on the tv show The Tudors. She was annoying the hell out of me and was completely childhish (I don't know how accurate this is, but she's one of those characters you love to hate). On the show, I found her much bitchier, while in this book, she was more of a naive kind of annoying. In the end, I felt a little bad for her when she didn't understand that she was actually going to be executed.
I liked the character of Jane Boleyn, though. I liked how she was constantly wrestling with her betrayal of Anne and George throughout the entire novel. I also liked how she believed that the Duke of Norfolk was actually going to set up a match for her. To me, it was completely obvious that he was using her, but that chapter
Spoiler
where he completely destroys her spirits and tells her the truth that her reputation is ruined was fantastic!I also really liked Anne of Cleves, although I found her chapters less interesting towards the second half of the book, when not much was going on for her. I think she was the most aware out of the three main characters and I liked how the book ended with her outliving the King.
Overall, it was a great read and I preferred it over The Other Boleyn Girl!
Nicely-woven tale of what was left after the Boleyn family was torn apart. Expert retelling of what facts we know from history.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to this book at work over the past two days. While I was aware that there would not be a happy ending, I found that I was actually relieved when the end came and all of the main characters except for the once queen Anne were beheaded or died.
This book was filled with loathsome characters and yet it remained captivating throughout. Once again, I am guilty of enjoying a book by Philippa Gregory.
This book was filled with loathsome characters and yet it remained captivating throughout. Once again, I am guilty of enjoying a book by Philippa Gregory.
medium-paced
not as good as the other boleyn girl, but i enjoyed this one, actually i think mostly for the history. I wasn't thrilled with the was that phillipa gregory wrote some of the sections but oh well. I just skipped them :-)
An interesting representation of Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard of whom we know little about. The idea that Anne Boleyn was present in the lives of all of Henry’s wives’ lives and marriages.
This book was interesting, and I enjoyed the different perspectives of the various characters. However, compared to The Constant Princess and the Other Boleyn Girl, I was not as interested in these particular characters.
I have to admit a slight addiction to these "historical fiction" books! The Other Boleyn Girl is my fav so far.