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A review by bahbadook
A Contemporary Asshat at the Court of Henry VIII by MaryJanice Davidson
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
<strong>This is what Mark Twin wished his book could be.</strong>
This is basically the exact same concept as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which I hated, but this was done so much better. (I suspect that this was all deliberate but I can't confirm it.) Instead of aggressively trying to change history, the main character does her best to avoid attention and begrudgingly has to fix history to make sure it happens like it's supposed to happen.
Because there's a reason why the Fates are attached to thread and weaving. Change anything in the pattern and things will not turn out the same as they would.
Every choice in the present shapes the future.
And sometimes, it's a character who is manipulating things to cause chaos for reasons.
Anyway. Time travel. It's a thing. I found the explanation for it a bit lacking but whatever. It caused that lovely scene at the end, so it's fine.
Also, I desperately need to look up Catherine of Aragon's speech at Blackfriars because if it's how it was portrayed in this book, I CHOSE SO VERY FREAKING WELL IN MY DECIDING WHICH WIFE WAS MY FAVORITE. Holy crap. As the main character says, mic drop before mics were invented.
I wasn't expecting this book to be as funny as it ended up being. It was as funny as I expected Connecticut Yankee to be but I was so thoroughly disappointed on that end that I didn't dare hope for more. Well, it was freaking hilarious.
The main character was lovely. Thomas Cromwell made me smile even when he was being a jerk. And Thomas Wynnter (don't quote me on the last name, I don't know names and there were a lot of Thomases and Catherines). I fell head over heels in love. Full blown love of him. He made me laugh. He made me squeal. Absolutely precious.
If you like Six, I have to recommend this. But fair warning because the roommate has a mouth on her and is creative in ways I haven't heard in years.
This is basically the exact same concept as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which I hated, but this was done so much better. (I suspect that this was all deliberate but I can't confirm it.) Instead of aggressively trying to change history, the main character does her best to avoid attention and begrudgingly has to fix history to make sure it happens like it's supposed to happen.
Because there's a reason why the Fates are attached to thread and weaving. Change anything in the pattern and things will not turn out the same as they would.
Every choice in the present shapes the future.
And sometimes, it's a character who is manipulating things to cause chaos for reasons.
Anyway. Time travel. It's a thing. I found the explanation for it a bit lacking but whatever. It caused that lovely scene at the end, so it's fine.
Also, I desperately need to look up Catherine of Aragon's speech at Blackfriars because if it's how it was portrayed in this book, I CHOSE SO VERY FREAKING WELL IN MY DECIDING WHICH WIFE WAS MY FAVORITE. Holy crap. As the main character says, mic drop before mics were invented.
I wasn't expecting this book to be as funny as it ended up being. It was as funny as I expected Connecticut Yankee to be but I was so thoroughly disappointed on that end that I didn't dare hope for more. Well, it was freaking hilarious.
The main character was lovely. Thomas Cromwell made me smile even when he was being a jerk. And Thomas Wynnter (don't quote me on the last name, I don't know names and there were a lot of Thomases and Catherines). I fell head over heels in love. Full blown love of him. He made me laugh. He made me squeal. Absolutely precious.
If you like Six, I have to recommend this. But fair warning because the roommate has a mouth on her and is creative in ways I haven't heard in years.