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A review by lisamshardlow
Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir
3.0
This is a fictional biography of Anna of Kleve - the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. The King is in love with a portrait, but the real Anna does not enchant him. She must win him over. Everyone knows that Henry won't stand for a problem queen. But rumours of Anna's past are rife at court - dangerous talk that could mark her downfall. Can this clever, spirited young woman reach out in friendship to the King and gain his love forever?
I really enjoyed the previous books in this series, and even though I liked this one, I felt that it was lacking and that the author took too many liberties. There was something quite shocking that happened at the beginning and kept making its way back into the story throughout, which I struggled with.
I like my historical fiction that is based on true events to be just that - to stick as closely to the historical records as possible. I’m not sure that this did. I really love Alison Weir, and I’m sure she had her reasons for portraying Anna as she did, but I just couldn’t get past it. There were some parts that I enjoyed, like how Anna did all she could to stay on Henry’s good side throughout their divorce and beyond, but I didn’t find the rest of it very realistic. It went against everything we know about Anne of Cleves from history.
I don’t think enough is known about Anne of Cleves to be able to put together a novel of this size and to make it interesting and believable. But something kept me reading until the end. Therefore, I give Six Tudor Queens - Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets 3 out of 5 stars.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is interested in Tudor history and strong, resilient women.
I really enjoyed the previous books in this series, and even though I liked this one, I felt that it was lacking and that the author took too many liberties. There was something quite shocking that happened at the beginning and kept making its way back into the story throughout, which I struggled with.
I like my historical fiction that is based on true events to be just that - to stick as closely to the historical records as possible. I’m not sure that this did. I really love Alison Weir, and I’m sure she had her reasons for portraying Anna as she did, but I just couldn’t get past it. There were some parts that I enjoyed, like how Anna did all she could to stay on Henry’s good side throughout their divorce and beyond, but I didn’t find the rest of it very realistic. It went against everything we know about Anne of Cleves from history.
I don’t think enough is known about Anne of Cleves to be able to put together a novel of this size and to make it interesting and believable. But something kept me reading until the end. Therefore, I give Six Tudor Queens - Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets 3 out of 5 stars.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and is interested in Tudor history and strong, resilient women.