Take a photo of a barcode or cover
cammmiam 's review for:
The King's Curse
by Philippa Gregory
Trust me: with all of the historical fiction stories on the market about Henry VIII’s reign of terror during the Tudor dynasty, it is refreshing to find a storyline that delves into areas besides the king’s numerous marriages. The King’s Curse is narrated by Margaret Pole, a member of the Plantagenet family deposed by the victorious Tudors, and cousin to Henry’s mother, Elizabeth of York. When the book begins, it is Prince Arthur who is the hope of House Tudor now that his marriage to the Spanish Infanta Katherine of Aragon is to take place. Margaret’s husband is Arthur’s guardian in Wales, which places her in the castle during the brief marriage between the young royals before disaster strikes. The tale continues on from there, following Margaret as her loyalty to Katherine and the eventual Princess Mary takes her in and out of the Tudor’s good graces. Through it all, she must remember that her name is a brand on her person, always placing herself and her family in danger of those who feel the need to eliminate the possibility of another claim to the crown.
Margaret’s account includes the marriages of Henry to Katherine, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleaves, and Katherine Howard; as stories note about the king’s numerous marriages there is a loss of favor as death after death visits these women due to their inability to give Henry a male heir. But what is notable about The King’s Curse is that it also covers topics that I have not read about frequently. For example, the story includes the war on religion Henry begins so he can receive his way no matter what. I have always known of the way he removed Catholicism from England so he might be head of the Church of England, but I never truly knew about the extent he traveled to do so along with all of the repercussions of what happened. I’m sure the web extended even farther than the brutality and corruption covered in this book, but I was very interested in the dissolution of monasteries, priories, and religious relics, along with how people would try to defy him and fight back.
I leave this book with a greater interest in Henry’s reign in areas other than his marriages. As a historical fiction reader this is what I want.
Margaret’s account includes the marriages of Henry to Katherine, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleaves, and Katherine Howard; as stories note about the king’s numerous marriages there is a loss of favor as death after death visits these women due to their inability to give Henry a male heir. But what is notable about The King’s Curse is that it also covers topics that I have not read about frequently. For example, the story includes the war on religion Henry begins so he can receive his way no matter what. I have always known of the way he removed Catholicism from England so he might be head of the Church of England, but I never truly knew about the extent he traveled to do so along with all of the repercussions of what happened. I’m sure the web extended even farther than the brutality and corruption covered in this book, but I was very interested in the dissolution of monasteries, priories, and religious relics, along with how people would try to defy him and fight back.
I leave this book with a greater interest in Henry’s reign in areas other than his marriages. As a historical fiction reader this is what I want.