Scan barcode
edressa's review
4.0
This made me feel a lot of things - I can't think of a single novel that's Anne Boleyn adjacent that felt so... loving? On one hand, it's Katherine Carey's coming of age story, and on the other hand, it's about a side of Anne Boleyn we don't see often - one who loved Elizabeth very much, one who treats Kate like a daughter while she's far away from Mary, who just has so much love within her and who ends up having her life cut tragically short. And really, the ultimate revenge on Henry VIII is not just that Elizabeth grows up one day to be Gloriana, but also that just like Mary Boleyn, Katherine Carey, despite many trials, also ends up marrying for love, and she's one of the people who, without the shadow of a doubt, helped Elizabeth remember her mother.
(Seriously, though, don't go for The Other Boleyn Girl, read this instead)
(Seriously, though, don't go for The Other Boleyn Girl, read this instead)
irinak's review
4.0
This made me feel a lot of things - I can't think of a single novel that's Anne Boleyn adjacent that felt so... loving? On one hand, it's Katherine Carey's coming of age story, and on the other hand, it's about a side of Anne Boleyn we don't see often - one who loved Elizabeth very much, one who treats Kate like a daughter while she's far away from Mary, who just has so much love within her and who ends up having her life cut tragically short. And really, the ultimate revenge on Henry VIII is not just that Elizabeth grows up one day to be Gloriana, but also that just like Mary Boleyn, Katherine Carey, despite many trials, also ends up marrying for love, and she's one of the people who, without the shadow of a doubt, helped Elizabeth remember her mother.
(Seriously, though, don't go for The Other Boleyn Girl, read this instead)
(Seriously, though, don't go for The Other Boleyn Girl, read this instead)
soulwinds's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Almost Exclusively Plot
First off, let me say I love just about any book that is Tudor related, so this book was right up my alley. Kate Carey is the niece of Anne Boleyn. She is unhappy with her life with her mother, her new (and in Kate’s opinion) beneath her husband Will Stafford, and her step brother and sister. She finally get permission to go to court to serve her aunt Anne, who is Queen of England. Upon arriving, however, she quickly learns just how perilous court life can be with treachery and lies available at every turn. One wrong move or one slip of the tongue could spell disaster. Kate also learns that Anne is also in a very dangerous position, having thus far failed to produce a male heir.
Kate witnesses the last 5 months of Anne’s rule, and her ultimate downfall.
In Conclusion
I loved this book. What else is there for me to say?
Almost Exclusively Plot
First off, let me say I love just about any book that is Tudor related, so this book was right up my alley. Kate Carey is the niece of Anne Boleyn. She is unhappy with her life with her mother, her new (and in Kate’s opinion) beneath her husband Will Stafford, and her step brother and sister. She finally get permission to go to court to serve her aunt Anne, who is Queen of England. Upon arriving, however, she quickly learns just how perilous court life can be with treachery and lies available at every turn. One wrong move or one slip of the tongue could spell disaster. Kate also learns that Anne is also in a very dangerous position, having thus far failed to produce a male heir.
Kate witnesses the last 5 months of Anne’s rule, and her ultimate downfall.
In Conclusion
I loved this book. What else is there for me to say?
anyakinsl's review
5.0
We are all probably familiar with the story of Anne Boleyn. However, this a retelling if that story through the eyes of a young woman at court, Anne’s young niece Catherine Carey. We meet her at the young age of 13 and see her introduced to court life. The rich historical descriptions in this lovely novel transported me back to Tudor England. I became another lady in Henry the Eighths court. Our protagonist, Kat, learns the ways of the court and we see Anne Boleyn fall from grace, tragically. If you are a fan of Tudor history or just looking for a beautiful and touching story of familial love and loyalty in even the most desperate circumstances, please check this great book out.
This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
natyjaeger's review
3.0
More reviews and other bookish posts on: https://natysbookshelf.wordpress.com/
I have received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this book in the Read Now section of NetGalley, I just had to get it! I am a sucker for a Tudor historical fiction, and I have been very interested in Young Adult historical fiction lately, it’s a subgenre I haven’t read much of, but I really like it!This is the story of the fall of Anne Boleyn, told by the point of view of Kate Carey, daughter of Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary. Raised in the countryside by her mom and her stepfather, Kate dreams of going to court with her aunt, the Queen of England, her image so full of glamour and majesty. When she finally gets the chance to do that, Kate finds herself immersed in the political drama and all the gossip of court, a labyrinth of fake smiles, strict rules and secretive plots.
This book was very entertaining! Kate starts out as an innocent, very spoiled and angsty girl who resents her mother for having re-married low and not be living at court with her glamorous aunt. As the book goes on, she matures quickly, as the court demands that she turns from girl to a careful woman. I was mad sometimes at how innocent she was, but she was thirteen and living in the country, so I was not surprised by that at all. It felt to me that the other characters were done in a black-and-white manner, without as much complexity and grey character and I would expect from a Tudor story. Cromwell was basically a caricature villain and Anne Boleyn and sweet woman who wanted nothing else than to be loved by her husband. That I thought was too simplistic for a woman who was surely a victim of circumstances but I also believe was very intelligent and scheming – we didn’t get to see that side of her, really.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book! Kate is not a very common character to show so much in Tudor stories, so it was nice to see her side of the story. The story does get gruesome at some parts, as it builds tension.
I have received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this book in the Read Now section of NetGalley, I just had to get it! I am a sucker for a Tudor historical fiction, and I have been very interested in Young Adult historical fiction lately, it’s a subgenre I haven’t read much of, but I really like it!This is the story of the fall of Anne Boleyn, told by the point of view of Kate Carey, daughter of Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary. Raised in the countryside by her mom and her stepfather, Kate dreams of going to court with her aunt, the Queen of England, her image so full of glamour and majesty. When she finally gets the chance to do that, Kate finds herself immersed in the political drama and all the gossip of court, a labyrinth of fake smiles, strict rules and secretive plots.
This book was very entertaining! Kate starts out as an innocent, very spoiled and angsty girl who resents her mother for having re-married low and not be living at court with her glamorous aunt. As the book goes on, she matures quickly, as the court demands that she turns from girl to a careful woman. I was mad sometimes at how innocent she was, but she was thirteen and living in the country, so I was not surprised by that at all. It felt to me that the other characters were done in a black-and-white manner, without as much complexity and grey character and I would expect from a Tudor story. Cromwell was basically a caricature villain and Anne Boleyn and sweet woman who wanted nothing else than to be loved by her husband. That I thought was too simplistic for a woman who was surely a victim of circumstances but I also believe was very intelligent and scheming – we didn’t get to see that side of her, really.
All in all, I really enjoyed the book! Kate is not a very common character to show so much in Tudor stories, so it was nice to see her side of the story. The story does get gruesome at some parts, as it builds tension.
More...