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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars - Thought provoking. The characters were very well written, although I wasn’t completely involved with them. The plot was quite gripping and I liked how the point of view changed between characters each chapter as it kept it interesting. The pace was very good and the ending sufficient. The novel made me question what I would have done to survive with Henry VIII in charge and it definitely made me look at Henry differently. I now see him as much more of a madman and tyrant than I did before.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I’m not going to pretend that Gregory is some sort of highly intelligent master of literature, but this book was gripping and fun to read. You can tell which of these three women she thinks is the stupidest (this was an issue with The Other Boleyn Girl too) and I would normally find that deeply obnoxious, but unfortunately I really want to read more of her books!
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think I might be ready to be done with this series...but there's like 3-4 more to go.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The three perspectives of this book provides an interesting insight to the events of the time. Each of these ladies shows a different part of the court of Henry VIII and how the standing someone has with the King can change everything. Anne of Cleves starts the book desperately wanting to be Queen of England and ends it thankful that she has escaped Henry VIII with her life, something that few of his wives managed. Jane Boleyn attempts to convince herself that she has done what was necessary to save her family and that her punishment afterwards is unjust, that people simply hate her for other reasons. Katherine Howard is a silly girl who is indulged far too often, those that allowed this are just as guilty of her later actions as she was.
Anne of Cleves was stuck in a horrible situation, both at home in Cleves and once she arrived at the English court. She was completely unable to be herself until the King had released her, even then she had to be careful not to anger him. Anne was unfairly set aside by the King. But her agreeableness is what saved her life. By not insisting that their marriage was valid and allowing him to set her aside, she escaped his wrath and was able to live a comfortable life outside of the court. Only when the King was truly gone was she able to relax, she lived in constant fear that he would change his mind about her and decide that he must kill her as he had done with other wives.
Jane Boleyn is a curious person to follow, especially seeing how her mind worked. The author chose to make her mad from the beginning, at least in my opinion. It appeared that Jane was delusional from the start of the story. She genuinely believed that she was trying to save her husband, George, and her sister-in-law, Queen Anne, when she gave witness against them. She insists upon this whenever she is questioned about her past. That stays with her until the very end when she refuses to acknowledge her own fault in the events that occurred with Queen Katherine.
Katherine Howard is a sad woman to follow, especially if you know the outcome of her life. She was allowed to run wild as a child and teenager, never seeing any real punishment for her mistakes. This was only worsened when gained the King's favor and later became Queen. She was every bit the spoiled child that Jane Boleyn describes her as. She should have been surrounded by ladies that could teach her grace and decrease her wild behavior. Instead her ladies were similar to her, that is what ultimately led her down a bad path. She is one of the few Queens who caused her own downfall and was not unjustly accused of crimes.
All of these women were dealt unfair hands because of King Henry VIII. Katherine may have caused her own downfall and was genuinely guilty but she was a product of her upbringing. She was raised without a guiding hand and allowed to become a spoiled brat, something Henry enjoyed until it turned her into an adulterer. Anne was a bartering chip for her brother and treated as such, she only found true freedom in her life once Henry was dead. But she was lucky in escaping his ire when she wisely agreed that their marriage was not a true one. Others would have argued and gotten themselves killed on whatever charged he could imagine but she managed to survive. Jane was lucky to survive the deaths of George and Anne by giving witness against them but she still found herself caught up in an actual plot this time. She was so blinded by proving that she could be useful to the Howards that she damned herself.
Reading about the Tudor court always brings a little sadness. So many of these women were stuck in situations that they did not want and were actively trying to escape. But they were women and were at the mercy of the men in their lives, especially their family members who often used them as pawns. That is how this entire book felt, like a chess game between Thomas Cromwell and Norfolk. They were just using the women of the court as their pawns instead of treating them with the respect they deserved.
Anne of Cleves was stuck in a horrible situation, both at home in Cleves and once she arrived at the English court. She was completely unable to be herself until the King had released her, even then she had to be careful not to anger him. Anne was unfairly set aside by the King. But her agreeableness is what saved her life. By not insisting that their marriage was valid and allowing him to set her aside, she escaped his wrath and was able to live a comfortable life outside of the court. Only when the King was truly gone was she able to relax, she lived in constant fear that he would change his mind about her and decide that he must kill her as he had done with other wives.
Jane Boleyn is a curious person to follow, especially seeing how her mind worked. The author chose to make her mad from the beginning, at least in my opinion. It appeared that Jane was delusional from the start of the story. She genuinely believed that she was trying to save her husband, George, and her sister-in-law, Queen Anne, when she gave witness against them. She insists upon this whenever she is questioned about her past. That stays with her until the very end when she refuses to acknowledge her own fault in the events that occurred with Queen Katherine.
Katherine Howard is a sad woman to follow, especially if you know the outcome of her life. She was allowed to run wild as a child and teenager, never seeing any real punishment for her mistakes. This was only worsened when gained the King's favor and later became Queen. She was every bit the spoiled child that Jane Boleyn describes her as. She should have been surrounded by ladies that could teach her grace and decrease her wild behavior. Instead her ladies were similar to her, that is what ultimately led her down a bad path. She is one of the few Queens who caused her own downfall and was not unjustly accused of crimes.
All of these women were dealt unfair hands because of King Henry VIII. Katherine may have caused her own downfall and was genuinely guilty but she was a product of her upbringing. She was raised without a guiding hand and allowed to become a spoiled brat, something Henry enjoyed until it turned her into an adulterer. Anne was a bartering chip for her brother and treated as such, she only found true freedom in her life once Henry was dead. But she was lucky in escaping his ire when she wisely agreed that their marriage was not a true one. Others would have argued and gotten themselves killed on whatever charged he could imagine but she managed to survive. Jane was lucky to survive the deaths of George and Anne by giving witness against them but she still found herself caught up in an actual plot this time. She was so blinded by proving that she could be useful to the Howards that she damned herself.
Reading about the Tudor court always brings a little sadness. So many of these women were stuck in situations that they did not want and were actively trying to escape. But they were women and were at the mercy of the men in their lives, especially their family members who often used them as pawns. That is how this entire book felt, like a chess game between Thomas Cromwell and Norfolk. They were just using the women of the court as their pawns instead of treating them with the respect they deserved.
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No