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3.74 AVERAGE


I enjoyed this as much as the other books I've read of hers - - maybe even a little more as I had heard of the people in this book and not the previous series I had read (her newest).
informative tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Another good book by Philippa Gregory but I didn't enjoy it as much as The Other Boleyn Girl. I felt more detached from the characters. I don't know if I liked that each of the three main characters narrates her own story. I still plan to read the other books in the series when I can get a hold of them.

Good historical fiction about the unfortunate wives of Henry VIII - #4 (Anne of Cleves) and #5 (Katherine Howard).
dark emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

I loved the changing perspectives in this story, the innocence, the jaded views, the longing for freeeom. My favorite Phillips Gregory novel so far.

Well written, well researched and VERY well narrated.

This book alternates between the voices of 3 interesting women: Henry VIII's 4th and 5th wives (Anne of Cleves & Katherine Howard) and Jane Boleyn, the lady-in-waiting who serves them (as well as Henry VIII's previous 3 wives). The book focuses on the differences between the women and their relationship to one another, as well as Henry VIII's decline into tyrannical madness. Of the 3 women, Anne of Cleves is definitely the most admirable. Occasionally Katherine Howard's chapters annoyed me, since of the 3 she was the most shallow and naive in some ways, but somehow managed to make perceptive insights. But I pitied her. Jane Boleyn was definitely the most complicated -- I did pity her, but in this book, she also shows a malicious and evil streak. And both Henry VIII and the Duke of Norfolk emerge as villains (who seem to go basically unpunished, especially the latter). And I loved how each woman consciously dealt with her Boleyn inheritance.

Ultimately, I think I sympathized with all 3 women -- as fascinated as I am with this period, I would not have wanted to live through this time! Although you could read this book without having first read The Other Boleyn Girl, I strongly recommend reading The other Boleyn Girl first.

First, as always, the narration: the narration on this book gets 5 stars. Three women, and they each did a fantastic job.

This is like every other Philippa Gregory book I've read. I learned stuff about the Tudors, and it's fun to hear about what everyone is wearing, and what CRAZY shit actually went down. The writing itself is only mediocre. She repeats herself like CRAZY.

Although now that I'm thinking about it, it might be the best of her writing so far. It isn't too bad. And the narrator guilty of the most repetition (Jane Boleyn) was supposedly mad. So you know.

Recommended if you're into this sort of thing.