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lindseysparks's review against another edition
4.0
Great historical fiction series that perfectly blends real people and fictional characters. It covers a fictional family from the 1400s to the 20th century. This is the second book and takes place during the reign of Henry VIII.
on_amys_shelf_'s review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Dark Rose has always been my favourite of the early Morland Dynasty novels. Nan is such a strong, determined character who pulls her family forward where she can and moves forward alone when she needs.
rhosynmd's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Was not expecting all the incest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Incest
Moderate: Rape, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
magdon's review
3.0
Like the other one, I had a hard time agreeing with the author's interpretation of history and manipulation of characters, but I did find it interesting and a page turner.
tarana's review
5.0
This is a great story. Hard to stop. Learning lots about English history as well.
shanbear16's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this series is like reading the Forrest Gump of Historical Fiction novels. The Dark Rose saw the Morelands in the life and times of King Henry VIII. We get up close and personal with Queen Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Parr. Definitely and interesting concept that Cynthia Harrod Eagles handles pretty well. I like this series despite parts of this novel feeling a bit dry in places. Sometimes I feel that she is just writing to get us to the next place in time she needs to deliver us to, and I don't feel it was necessary to take us through Henry's WHOLE reign. The book could have ended much earlier than that and left our imaginations to fill in the rest - or she could have filled us in somehow in the next novel with just a few lines between characters. Even still, her novels are quality reads for the genre.
redheadedjen1's review
Once I got over the shudder of the thought of an uncle/niece marriage (never mind first cousins marrying each other), I enjoyed the story and the history that CH-E gives.
ladyhighwayman's review
3.0
The second novel in the epic Morland Dynasty series. The Dark Rose takes place during the reign of Henry VIII. Most of the perspectives in this book are from Paul (Eleanor's great-grandson), the current master of the estate and his niece Nanette, who becomes maid-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.
I found myself zipping through this faster than its predecessor. There was no setting up, here; we got right into the story.
While in The Founding, we mostly followed the perspective of Eleanor, and it was rather hit and miss with her, in my opinion. Sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn't. With The Dark Rose, we were following around Nanette and I really liked her. She's probably my favorite of the Morlands, thus far. She was very strong and resourceful and among all things: loyal. She never wavered from what she believed in. I was happy with her ending at the end of the book.
Nanette's uncle Paul is the current owner of the Morland estate. His son is his heir, but Paul has another son, an illegitimate one. This leads to problems, and I'm not talking inheritance problems. Paul's illegitimate son causes many changes, both and good bad, through the years of the family.
The Dark Rose is only my second Tudor book. It's not my favorite time period. However, I enjoyed The Dark Rose, nonetheless. It was interesting to see Anne Boleyn from a different view. And we saw a lot of her in The Dark Rose, seeing as how Nanette was one of the closest to her. The other Queen we saw a lot of was the final one: Catherine Parr. Nanette has known Catherine since they were children and Nanette becomes her maid-in-waiting, as well.
I'm looking forward to the next book, which looks to take place during the reign of Elizabeth I. So far, this is a solid historical series.
I found myself zipping through this faster than its predecessor. There was no setting up, here; we got right into the story.
While in The Founding, we mostly followed the perspective of Eleanor, and it was rather hit and miss with her, in my opinion. Sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn't. With The Dark Rose, we were following around Nanette and I really liked her. She's probably my favorite of the Morlands, thus far. She was very strong and resourceful and among all things: loyal. She never wavered from what she believed in. I was happy with her ending at the end of the book.
Nanette's uncle Paul is the current owner of the Morland estate. His son is his heir, but Paul has another son, an illegitimate one. This leads to problems, and I'm not talking inheritance problems. Paul's illegitimate son causes many changes, both and good bad, through the years of the family.
The Dark Rose is only my second Tudor book. It's not my favorite time period. However, I enjoyed The Dark Rose, nonetheless. It was interesting to see Anne Boleyn from a different view. And we saw a lot of her in The Dark Rose, seeing as how Nanette was one of the closest to her. The other Queen we saw a lot of was the final one: Catherine Parr. Nanette has known Catherine since they were children and Nanette becomes her maid-in-waiting, as well.
I'm looking forward to the next book, which looks to take place during the reign of Elizabeth I. So far, this is a solid historical series.
lnatal's review
5.0
This is the second book of the The Morland Dynasty and I loved it more than the first book of this huge family saga made of 35 books.
Nanette is another strong character as Eleanor in The Founding. Through this unforgettable personage, we know all Anne Boleyn life's from another point of view; the birth of her child Elizabeth; and the Catherine Parr's life. A great overview of Henry VIII's reign is provided by the author in this magnificent book.
The sequel of this book and the third book of this series is The Princeling.
Page 52:
When at last the weather softened and the roads became passable again, the King’s former almoner and present chief advisor, Thomas Wolsey, came north to be invested as the new Archbishop of York.
Page 69:
In the autumn of 1515 Archbishop Wolsey, Chancellor of England, was made a cardinal.
Page 103:
That summer was hot, and wet, and the Sweat – that dreaded disease brought to England by the mercenary soldiers of Henry VII and never since eradicated – struck London and spread outwards to the provinces.
Page 126:
In the winter of the year 1521 England was once more at war with France – and this only a year after the enormously ostentatious meeting of friendship between Henry of England and Francis of France,…
Page 156:
The arrangement had been suggested by Sir Thomas Boleyn, for he was preparing to return his daughter Anne to Court – she now having been forgiven for her misconduct in the Percy affair – and he thought Nanette would make a suitable companion for her.
Page 159:
‘Yes, the Cardinal, the most powerful man in England, that great swollen spider! Powerful he may be, but I have one thing he has not – I have blood in my veins!
Page 172:
And my governess always used to say that Kings are like wild tigers – you must never let them see you are afraid of them.’
Page 175:
Whichever way he turned, the King never took his eyes from Anne’s face, and she, laughing happily and tilting her lovely face back on her slender neck did not avoid his gaze. They danced as if they were the only two people in the room.
Page 196:
In the spring of 1527, just after Nanette’s nineteenth birthday, the King arranged with the Cardinal to be called before an ecclesiastical court and tried on a charge of fornication with Queen Katherine on the grounds that she was his brother’s wife and therefore not his.
Page 221:
Cardinal Wolsey, the great prince of the Catholic Church, was dead.
page 256:
The difference had been made by one Master Thomas Cromwell, who had been secretary to Cardinal Wolsey who had changed to the King’s service just before the Cardinal’s death…
Page 257:
The King should be the supreme head of the Church, and anyone who thereafter acknowledged allegiance to the Pope would therefore be guilty of treason, and could be dealt with by the law.
Page 298:
‘Because a girl-child cannot inherit the kingdom,’ Amyas said.
Page 343:
‘I have come, with the other members of the Privy Council, on the King’s warrant, to arrest you, Madam, for high treason,’ Norfolk said harshly.
Page 346:
‘You know that a person accused of treason cannot come into the King’s presence until cleared of the charge. You must come with us now to the Tower, where you will await your trial.’
Page 358:
‘He will let me go. He has no wish for my blood. A Queen of England has never been executed before. It would be too shocking. The people already complain in the streets that I am unjustly condemned. No, they will let me go.’
Page 359:
I failed to give the King a son, that was my crime. He had his duty, and I mine.
4* The Founding
5* The Dark Rose
TBR The Princeling
Nanette is another strong character as Eleanor in The Founding. Through this unforgettable personage, we know all Anne Boleyn life's from another point of view; the birth of her child Elizabeth; and the Catherine Parr's life. A great overview of Henry VIII's reign is provided by the author in this magnificent book.
The sequel of this book and the third book of this series is The Princeling.
Page 52:
When at last the weather softened and the roads became passable again, the King’s former almoner and present chief advisor, Thomas Wolsey, came north to be invested as the new Archbishop of York.
Page 69:
In the autumn of 1515 Archbishop Wolsey, Chancellor of England, was made a cardinal.
Page 103:
That summer was hot, and wet, and the Sweat – that dreaded disease brought to England by the mercenary soldiers of Henry VII and never since eradicated – struck London and spread outwards to the provinces.
Page 126:
In the winter of the year 1521 England was once more at war with France – and this only a year after the enormously ostentatious meeting of friendship between Henry of England and Francis of France,…
Page 156:
The arrangement had been suggested by Sir Thomas Boleyn, for he was preparing to return his daughter Anne to Court – she now having been forgiven for her misconduct in the Percy affair – and he thought Nanette would make a suitable companion for her.
Page 159:
‘Yes, the Cardinal, the most powerful man in England, that great swollen spider! Powerful he may be, but I have one thing he has not – I have blood in my veins!
Page 172:
And my governess always used to say that Kings are like wild tigers – you must never let them see you are afraid of them.’
Page 175:
Whichever way he turned, the King never took his eyes from Anne’s face, and she, laughing happily and tilting her lovely face back on her slender neck did not avoid his gaze. They danced as if they were the only two people in the room.
Page 196:
In the spring of 1527, just after Nanette’s nineteenth birthday, the King arranged with the Cardinal to be called before an ecclesiastical court and tried on a charge of fornication with Queen Katherine on the grounds that she was his brother’s wife and therefore not his.
Page 221:
Cardinal Wolsey, the great prince of the Catholic Church, was dead.
page 256:
The difference had been made by one Master Thomas Cromwell, who had been secretary to Cardinal Wolsey who had changed to the King’s service just before the Cardinal’s death…
Page 257:
The King should be the supreme head of the Church, and anyone who thereafter acknowledged allegiance to the Pope would therefore be guilty of treason, and could be dealt with by the law.
Page 298:
‘Because a girl-child cannot inherit the kingdom,’ Amyas said.
Page 343:
‘I have come, with the other members of the Privy Council, on the King’s warrant, to arrest you, Madam, for high treason,’ Norfolk said harshly.
Page 346:
‘You know that a person accused of treason cannot come into the King’s presence until cleared of the charge. You must come with us now to the Tower, where you will await your trial.’
Page 358:
‘He will let me go. He has no wish for my blood. A Queen of England has never been executed before. It would be too shocking. The people already complain in the streets that I am unjustly condemned. No, they will let me go.’
Page 359:
I failed to give the King a son, that was my crime. He had his duty, and I mine.
4* The Founding
5* The Dark Rose
TBR The Princeling
More...