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jrandol7's review
3.0
I loved hearing about King Henry's court from the perspective of an "outsider". And it's great that the character was based on a real person- although I wish I didn't know that because now I want to kind out more historical facts about the main character!
literaryanna's review
5.0
I don't know I just have so many feelings right now and I can't get over any of them and I'm just going to go curl up in a ball and cry forever because WHY!?! WHY IS HISTORY SO CRUEL!?! Just read this it's amazing and you'll get all the feels. I swear.
danjvrobertson's review
5.0
I wrote a full review on The Young Folks, which can be read here. Here's an excerpt from that review:
Brazen takes place between November of 1533 and October of 1536, during Henry VIII’s rule. The protagonist is Mary Howard, the submissive daughter of an ambitious father and a shrill, manipulative mother. Mary is married off to “Fitz,” or Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son (and his only male heir). However: they are forbidden to consummate their marriage. As Mary and Fitz learn more about each other and begin to have feelings for one another, this rule becomes harder to follow.
Brazen is full of interesting supporting characters, each with their own traits and flaws. Mary’s best friends, Margaret and Madge, balance Mary out. Where Madge is flighty and flirtatious, Margaret is stoic and proper. The three friends communicate through writing poetry in a journal, which they pass around to convey secret messages. They are initially bonded after they make a running list of the qualities they look for in a man, which is hilarious and sweet and makes the story feel much more “contemporary.”
That’s one of the things I really loved about Brazen: Longshore is able to make the characters of a historical fiction novel feel like our modern-day friends. Her novels have been compared to “a more literary version of Gossip Girl,” and I think this makes the historical setting and characters a lot more accessible and easy to understand. For example, Hal, Mary’s sister, is a handsome (married!) poet who pines after Madge. Should he do the “right” thing and stay faithful to his wife – a woman he hardly knows? Should he follow his heart and fall into bed with Madge? These modern-day relationship problems are not so modern, as history tells us.
Brazen takes place between November of 1533 and October of 1536, during Henry VIII’s rule. The protagonist is Mary Howard, the submissive daughter of an ambitious father and a shrill, manipulative mother. Mary is married off to “Fitz,” or Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son (and his only male heir). However: they are forbidden to consummate their marriage. As Mary and Fitz learn more about each other and begin to have feelings for one another, this rule becomes harder to follow.
Brazen is full of interesting supporting characters, each with their own traits and flaws. Mary’s best friends, Margaret and Madge, balance Mary out. Where Madge is flighty and flirtatious, Margaret is stoic and proper. The three friends communicate through writing poetry in a journal, which they pass around to convey secret messages. They are initially bonded after they make a running list of the qualities they look for in a man, which is hilarious and sweet and makes the story feel much more “contemporary.”
That’s one of the things I really loved about Brazen: Longshore is able to make the characters of a historical fiction novel feel like our modern-day friends. Her novels have been compared to “a more literary version of Gossip Girl,” and I think this makes the historical setting and characters a lot more accessible and easy to understand. For example, Hal, Mary’s sister, is a handsome (married!) poet who pines after Madge. Should he do the “right” thing and stay faithful to his wife – a woman he hardly knows? Should he follow his heart and fall into bed with Madge? These modern-day relationship problems are not so modern, as history tells us.
teganbeesebooks's review
5.0
Review also published at t and a book
Title: Brazen
Author: Katherine Longshore
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Historical
Tea: Silver Needle, maybe not as popular as or well known, but equally as good.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
"Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?" (Goodreads.com)
Brazen is my second novel my Katherine Longshore and it does not disappoint! It is about the lesser known Mary Howard, betrothed to Henry FitzRoy, son of Henry VIII. I did not know much about Mary Howard before this novel, but it made me want to research her!
Katherine Longshore's novels, which historical and informative, also read like popular fiction. One of the best ways to describe it would be a cross between Gossip Girl and Philippa Gregory's Tudors series. The story line is intriguing and makes the 500 pages fly by. I liked Katherine Longshore's portrayal of Mary. She gave her a voice and brought life to a very interesting part of that time period. Mary was one of the only women that sought to have her own life, her own place to live, not surviving off a man. She's an inspiring woman that more people should know about.
Katherine Longshore admits that she takes liberties with Mary and Fitz's relationship, but in this context, that is totally fine. Also, there isn't any written information saying that she is wrong about their relationship either. This book actually made me cry, which I was not expecting. Mary is a likable main character and you want to see her succeed. I enjoyed this novel more than the first one I read by her, Gilt, for that very reason. The one of the main characters in that one, Catherine Howard (yes, they're related), was not a nice girl. I couldn't feel any sympathy for her and just kinda wanted to get it over with. I did enjoy the historical information though, and the other main character, Kitty, was someone I wanted to know more about.
If you like the Tudors, or don't know much about them and want to, check this out! It keeps your attention and teaches you about the characters and time period without sounding like a book report.
Katherine Longshore's novels don't have to be read in any specific order (they are companion novels), but if you want to read them in order of when each queen was in power start with Tarnish (I'll be reviewing that as well), then Brazen, and then Gilt.
Can't wait to see what, or rather who, she writes about next!
Title: Brazen
Author: Katherine Longshore
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Historical
Tea: Silver Needle, maybe not as popular as or well known, but equally as good.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
"Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?" (Goodreads.com)
Brazen is my second novel my Katherine Longshore and it does not disappoint! It is about the lesser known Mary Howard, betrothed to Henry FitzRoy, son of Henry VIII. I did not know much about Mary Howard before this novel, but it made me want to research her!
Katherine Longshore's novels, which historical and informative, also read like popular fiction. One of the best ways to describe it would be a cross between Gossip Girl and Philippa Gregory's Tudors series. The story line is intriguing and makes the 500 pages fly by. I liked Katherine Longshore's portrayal of Mary. She gave her a voice and brought life to a very interesting part of that time period. Mary was one of the only women that sought to have her own life, her own place to live, not surviving off a man. She's an inspiring woman that more people should know about.
Katherine Longshore admits that she takes liberties with Mary and Fitz's relationship, but in this context, that is totally fine. Also, there isn't any written information saying that she is wrong about their relationship either. This book actually made me cry, which I was not expecting. Mary is a likable main character and you want to see her succeed. I enjoyed this novel more than the first one I read by her, Gilt, for that very reason. The one of the main characters in that one, Catherine Howard (yes, they're related), was not a nice girl. I couldn't feel any sympathy for her and just kinda wanted to get it over with. I did enjoy the historical information though, and the other main character, Kitty, was someone I wanted to know more about.
If you like the Tudors, or don't know much about them and want to, check this out! It keeps your attention and teaches you about the characters and time period without sounding like a book report.
Katherine Longshore's novels don't have to be read in any specific order (they are companion novels), but if you want to read them in order of when each queen was in power start with Tarnish (I'll be reviewing that as well), then Brazen, and then Gilt.
Can't wait to see what, or rather who, she writes about next!
lisamparkin's review
4.0
Excellent historical fiction narrative surrounding Mary Howard and the tumultuous Tudor court. I love how the author filled in the gaps of what could have taken place in history while keeping the factual structure of events and timelines.
erinarkin20's review
5.0
This book is exactly why I love historical fiction.
To say that I have been waiting impatiently for this book to get into my grubby little hands would probably be an understatement. I have always loved historical fiction and when I stumbled upon Katherine Longshore’s Gilt I was instantly a fan of hers. She mixes in a great deal of history but as a reader, I am never overwhelmed and of course, there is the swoony stuff which I love.
Brazen is about Mary Howard’s life beginning on the day of her marriage and I have to admit, I loved this book from the very first page. Mary is thrown into a marriage at the age of fourteen to Henry Fitzroy, the bastard son of Henry VIII. Once the marriage takes place, they are not allowed to be together though and in all honesty, that is the only thing either of them want once they get to know each other.
I loved Mary. She was an interesting mix of personalities and I have to believe that is because of who she is and how she grew up. I loved when she would dare to challenge the norms of society and do what she wanted. This was usually when it was something related to Fitz. Obviously, as a woman in the sixteenth century, she didn’t really have many choices but as a member of the Tudor court, she was able to bend some of the rules, with the help of her brother and her friend.
Fitz was an interesting character. He was a good friend of Mary’s brother and he knew Mary distantly when they were married. As they get to know each other better, it is clear that Fitz walks a fine line. Yes, he is the son of the King but he is also illegitimate so while Henry keeps him close, he also doesn’t see him as a “true” son. Fitz fights constantly for Henry’s respect and ultimately doesn’t really get it….which made me so sad for him. On the other hand, Fitz is swoony…no question. All he wants is to be with his wife and love her but because of decisions that Henry has made, he can’t even do that.
I loved Fitz and Mary together. Both of these characters are being used by their families but despite that, they end up loving each other and even though they can’t technically be together, they find ways to get to know each other and ultimately fall in love. I’m not going to lie here…things don’t necessarily go as they would hope but I was glad to see that these characters had a bit of happiness together. I honestly wish they had had more time together but I suppose that wouldn’t be accurate.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this story was the way Longshore tied the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII back into this book. It was done well and I was able to see how their relationship deteriorated while still focusing on the story of Mary and Fitz. It was definitely frustrating to see Henry blame everyone else for his issues in having an heir. The things he got away with just make me cringe.
I am in no way doing this story any justice – I know this and it is mostly because there was so much to this book that I don’t even know where to start. Unfortunately this happens to me with books I love. All you really need to know about this book is that I loved it and couldn’t put it down…literally. I think the only reason I did put it down was because I had to get off the plane. Regardless, this book was exactly what I wanted to read. It has love, betrayal, friendships, and some fantastic characters. If you love historical fiction, definitely check this one out when you can.
Thank you to Viking/Penguin Group for the review copy.
To say that I have been waiting impatiently for this book to get into my grubby little hands would probably be an understatement. I have always loved historical fiction and when I stumbled upon Katherine Longshore’s Gilt I was instantly a fan of hers. She mixes in a great deal of history but as a reader, I am never overwhelmed and of course, there is the swoony stuff which I love.
Brazen is about Mary Howard’s life beginning on the day of her marriage and I have to admit, I loved this book from the very first page. Mary is thrown into a marriage at the age of fourteen to Henry Fitzroy, the bastard son of Henry VIII. Once the marriage takes place, they are not allowed to be together though and in all honesty, that is the only thing either of them want once they get to know each other.
I loved Mary. She was an interesting mix of personalities and I have to believe that is because of who she is and how she grew up. I loved when she would dare to challenge the norms of society and do what she wanted. This was usually when it was something related to Fitz. Obviously, as a woman in the sixteenth century, she didn’t really have many choices but as a member of the Tudor court, she was able to bend some of the rules, with the help of her brother and her friend.
Fitz was an interesting character. He was a good friend of Mary’s brother and he knew Mary distantly when they were married. As they get to know each other better, it is clear that Fitz walks a fine line. Yes, he is the son of the King but he is also illegitimate so while Henry keeps him close, he also doesn’t see him as a “true” son. Fitz fights constantly for Henry’s respect and ultimately doesn’t really get it….which made me so sad for him. On the other hand, Fitz is swoony…no question. All he wants is to be with his wife and love her but because of decisions that Henry has made, he can’t even do that.
I loved Fitz and Mary together. Both of these characters are being used by their families but despite that, they end up loving each other and even though they can’t technically be together, they find ways to get to know each other and ultimately fall in love. I’m not going to lie here…things don’t necessarily go as they would hope but I was glad to see that these characters had a bit of happiness together. I honestly wish they had had more time together but I suppose that wouldn’t be accurate.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this story was the way Longshore tied the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII back into this book. It was done well and I was able to see how their relationship deteriorated while still focusing on the story of Mary and Fitz. It was definitely frustrating to see Henry blame everyone else for his issues in having an heir. The things he got away with just make me cringe.
I am in no way doing this story any justice – I know this and it is mostly because there was so much to this book that I don’t even know where to start. Unfortunately this happens to me with books I love. All you really need to know about this book is that I loved it and couldn’t put it down…literally. I think the only reason I did put it down was because I had to get off the plane. Regardless, this book was exactly what I wanted to read. It has love, betrayal, friendships, and some fantastic characters. If you love historical fiction, definitely check this one out when you can.
Thank you to Viking/Penguin Group for the review copy.
iamqueenfal's review
5.0
Katherine Longshore succeeded in what she set out to do – write characters that will live on with me. I've loved her books following women in KHVIII's court and Brazen was the perfect end to the trilogy.
sc104906's review
3.0
This is your stereotypical retelling of the reign of Henry the VIIIth. Mary is married to Fitz, IIIth's bastard son, both are around the age of 13. The two do not interact as a typical married couple would, basically because the King has forbidden it (based on some ridiculous preconception or something). This novel lays out various intrigues and interactions between popular historical figures like Anne Boleyn and Henry the VIIIth.
I finished the novel. I felt like it took me forever to read it, but it wasn't that it felt like it overwhelmingly dragged. Ehn! I have read better about this subject, but I have read worse.
I finished the novel. I felt like it took me forever to read it, but it wasn't that it felt like it overwhelmingly dragged. Ehn! I have read better about this subject, but I have read worse.