Tudor Book Blog

History Undressed has posted the first part of a short story titled The Tudor Courtier’s Journey. It is interestingly written so that the reader is literally in the story, using the “you” form rather than the he/she form. Here’s the link to read part one.

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Author Sandra Worth has written a new novel titled The Pale Rose of Summer. It is about Lady Catherine Gordon, the wife of “Richard, Duke of York.” The story follows her as she meets and marries the young prince who miraculously escaped from the Tower of London. He is recognized as the King of England by many Europe’s crowns, including Scotland’s which warmly welcomes him. After his defeat by Henry VII, Catherine is held captive at the Tudor court. “Henry VII fell in love with the twenty year old beauty the moment he laid eyes on her, and remained besotted with her to the end of his days. Catherine never succumbed to the lure of riches and royal power…she stood by her husband so loyally, with such grace, dignity, and loving devotion, that she won the admiration of a nation.”

You can read more about this novel here.

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On The Tudor Trail has posted an exclusive interview with author Alison Weir! The two discuss all sorts of aspects of the Tudor period, including what Weir thinks was and still is the lure of Anne Boleyn as well as which is her favorite Tudor Queen. You may be surprised by the answer!

Here’s the link to read the full interview.

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Here is a nice review for a newish novel, The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham.  Don’t let the 18th century cover fool you, this is apparently a well researched and well written novel. According to the review, “Higginbotham follows Kate Woodville – younger sister of Elizabeth Woodville, wife to Edward IV – and her husband Henry (Harry) Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.  The historical research put into this novel is impeccable; anytime there is a lengthy list of characters, an in depth author’s note describing liberties and truths in the text, and a bibliography, I feel like I’m in good hands.”

Here’s the link to read more.

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Also, don’t forget to enter the Tudor Book Blog September giveaway to win a copy of Wolf Hall! More information here.

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Author Philippa Gregory talks about turning historical facts into best sellers in this new article. She also discusses The Other Boleyn Girl, her first successful novel, and her latest, The Red Queen.

Here’s the link to the full article.

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Now for Two Reviews:

Bookworm’s Dinner (hehe love the name) has done a review for Young Bess: The Girl Who Would be Queen by Margaret Irwin. The reviewer explains that “Much of the book is devoted to the Seymour brothers…The book didn’t really turn around for me until almost half way through. The fact that I enjoy reading about Queen Elizabeth and look forward to the entire trilogy saved me from abandoning this one early.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

I must admit that I had started reading this one and about 1/3 of the way through got bored and stopped. Perhaps I will pick it back up in the future since this reviewer seems to have felt the same way but ended up enjoying it anyway!

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On the Tudor Trail, a new favorite blog of mine, has posted a short review for The Early Loves of Anne Boleyn by Josephine Wilkinson. According to Natalie, ”

I would not recommend this as a staring point for researching Anne Boleyn as it focuses on her relationship with the above men and is therefore not an in depth account of her life. On the other hand, if you’re familiar with Anne’s life but are looking for some details about her relationships prior to marrying Henry VIII then you will enjoy this book.”

Here’s the link to her full review.

I have been really curious about this book, so I will be sure to pick it up. I didn’t want to read another book about The Divorce, so I think this might be a good one as it seems to focus on Anne’s early life rather than her later life.

Apparently vampires over overtaking the Tudor world! I have found another vampire book set in Tudor times titled Kiss of the Rose.

Author Kate Pearce has done an interview on the novel here. She explains that this is the first in a Tudor Vampire Chronicle which will follow the wives of Henry VIII. She states that,

“I’m a history major so I actually try to tie the real history of each queen into the story. For example in the first book, King Henry VIII really is trying to get rid of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. That is the starting point for my story too. Henry wanted a son to succeed him, and was trying to escape Katherine so that he could dally with Anne Boleyn, I added a paranormal element both for why someone wants to kill Henry and for the appearance of Anne Boleyn. I love to mix it up using the real history.

Secrets of the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan

*Warning, this review does contain some spoilers!

Synopsis:

This novel is told from the point of view of Mary Howard, daughter of Thomas Howard, the powerful Duke of Norfolk. Mary is brought to court to serve as a Maid-of-Honor to her cousin, Anne Boleyn. By serving Anne, Mary witnesses many famous events, such as Anne’s coronation, the birth of Elizabeth, the arrest and execution of Anne, the death of her brother, Henry Howard, and the arrest and downfall of her family during the reign of Katheryn Howard.

While still a young teenager, Mary is married to Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII. She becomes the Duchess of Richmond upon her marriage and is eager to start her life with her husband who, unlike her father, treats her well. His untimely death and a promise made on his deathbed influenced Mary the rest of her life. She eventually finds love again only to have it ripped away. She is also faced with the downfall of her family and a testimonial she gives at her brother’s treason trial. Despite these sad and hard events, Mary comes through and eventually lives a quite life, which seems to suit her.

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Background on Mary Howard, Duchess of Richmond:

Mary was the second daughter of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk and Elizabeth Stafford, daughter of the Duke of Buckingham. She came to court during the time of Anne Boleyn and was married to Henry’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, in 1533. When Fitzroy died in 1536, Mary had to petition and fight to keep her inheritance from him. However, since their marriage had not been consummated (by order of the King), Mary was legally not entitled to some of the lands he left her. She was finally bequeathed some lands by the King years later.

After the fall of the Howards in the scandal with Queen Katheryn Howard, Mary left court and lived quietly until her death in 1557.

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Review:

This novel spans from the rise of Anne Boleyn until the reign of Edward VI. Mary is witness to all of the big events in Tudor times, which the author describes well. Her descriptions bring to life the Tudor court and put you in the view of Mary, a minor figure in the Tudor court. Her being a minor figure is in no way a disadvantage in the novel. Rather, it enhances it. Many novels set in this time period focus on the main royal players, such as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, often told from their perspectives. The new perspective offered by Mary is a breath of fresh air.

A key element of the novel is Mary’s relationships with the men in her life. These relationships really drive the story. Mary’s relationship with her father is complicated and the most important in the book. Norfolk is extremely abusive, both physically and emotionally. Throughout her life she sees her father beating her mother (being born while her father is beating her mother…). Despite this, all Mary wants from him is his love and approval. She obeys him at every turn, even doing things she does not feel are right. Norfolk uses his daughter as a spy, marries her to Henry’s illegitimate son, and at one point tries to bring her to the bed of the King as his mistress. However, his abuse eventually turns to her. There are really no redeeming features of Norfolk in this novel. He is extremely cold and unlikeable. However, the author does give us a few moments of love between father and daughter, but they are rare.

Mary is married to Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond when she is about fifteen. Henry seems to love her and the two want to begin their lives together but are stopped at every turn. When Henry succumbs to disease later in the story, Mary is left a widow. She makes a death bed promise that she will not remarry. Henry, knowing if she does the lands he leaves her will be forfeit. He wants her to be able to live on her own, and get out from under her father. Mary struggles with this promise the rest of her life.

Another interesting point of the novel is Mary’s relationship with Cedric, a court musician. Though fictional, it raises some interesting problems for Mary. Because Cedric is lowly and unable to give Mary what she, as a Duchess, “deserves,” their relationship is strained. However, the two fall in love and Mary is forced to face her identity, either as a Duchess and the daughter of Norfolk, or as a woman.

The final important male relationship is between Mary and her brother, Henry Surrey. The two were close in their younger years, but as Surrey spends more and more time at court, he and Mary grow apart with his growing ambitions. Mary has some enjoyment in writing poetry and shares it with her brother who is well known at court for his. At one point, he takes a poem of hers and uses it as his own, hurting Mary deeply. He is brash and wild, and is eventually brought up on charges of Treason. Mary is forced to choose between family ambition, her lover for her brother, her own desires, and the truth.

I do not a lot of negatives with this novel. The main thing that stuck out to me was the frustration with Mary for blindly following her father. She never really breaks from him and finds herself, though she does change and grow throughout the story. I also felt like the novel focused too much on the time when Anne Boleyn was at court. Obviously this is a long period of time and an important period of time, but I felt like the author brushed over later queens and events as a result. The biggest problem to me isn’t really about the novel…rather it is about the cover. Firstly, the ladies in the image are wearing Elizabethan and Marie-Antoinette-era clothing! For a novel that did a pretty good job at sticking with history, they really flubbed there.I know one isn’t suppose to “judge a book by its cover” but I was really apprehensive when I saw this cover. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Also, I do not understand why the novel is titled Secrets of the Tudor Court. I think it should have a different title, one that really relates to the story. I feel like this title is really generic…like they couldn’t think of anything to name the novel. I especially think it should be changed considering there is another Tudor series already using this name. It is quite confusing!

Despite these small squawks, I give this novel 4 out of 5 Tudor Roses.

It was an easy and fun read, and took a bit of a twist on an old, and often told, story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Tudor fiction, but especially to those who enjoy the Anne Boleyn story, but would like a fresh take on it.

I want to thank the author for sending me an advanced copy of this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read your next one!

Robin sent me a link to a new article about Karen Harper and her novel The Queen’s Governess. According to the article, “‘It’s a story that gives a fresh glimpse into the making of Elizabeth Tudor…a touching mother-daughter story, a ghost story, a story of one woman’s rise to power in treacherous times.’” I haven’t read this one yet, but am interested in reading the “Lady Elizabeth” story from the perspective of Kat Ashely.

Here’s the link to the full article.

I wanted to point out a wonderful new site I have found called Tudor Talk. It is a podcast show where the host, Virginia, talks about Tudor movies, books, and everything else Tudor related. Be sure to listen here.

Virginia has kindly invited me to join in the discussions on an upcoming episode later this month. We will be discussing part of David Starkey’s Six Wives, focusing on part of the section on Anne Boleyn. More on this later!

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Two giveaways I wanted to mention: Scandalous Women is giving away a copy of Philippa Gregory’s The Red Queen, the second installment of her Cousins’ War Series. See details here. And secondly, The Lady Gwyn’s Kingdom is giving away a copy of The White Queen, the first installment of this series. More here.

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I found a new review for His Last Letter, the book we will be giving away this month here at the Tudor Book Blog. According to the review, “The novel is not only a recounting of two great lives, but also a look at love in middle age, when couples see each other as they once were and not as the greying, aching, wrinkled beings they have become.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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Another review I wanted to point out was one on a small, but very interesting book The Sisters of Henry VIII. I have personally read this one and enjoyed it. The reviewer did too, stating “erry paints full, rich round characters with Margaret and Mary, showing the reader every aspect of their life. Overall, The Sisters of Henry VIII helps to give a complete picture of Tudor England.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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I have a lot of great stuff to post, but am a bit busy this weekend! However, here are two quick things I wanted to point out:

I have found a short review/synopsis of Jean Plaidy’s Katherine of Aragon. It gives a nice overview of all three books. Check it out here.

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Here is an interesting post where the writer discusses the many Tudor books they have read, and movies they have watched as well as their opinions of them. The list includes Innocent Traitor, Amenable Woman, The Lady Elizabeth, and the Other Boleyn Girl.  Here’s the link.

Alison Weir has done an interview on NPR discussing some of her past works. She has a short Q&A as well as reveals her upcoming works: A bio on Mary Boleyn and a novel on The Princes in the Tower. Here’s the link.

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I found a review for an older book, The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, by Robin Maxwell. I read it a while back and thought it was ok (not nearly as good as Mademoiselle Boleyn). The best part of the novel to me were the interludes which flash forward in time to Elizabeth, now Queen, receiving and reading her mother’s diary. Eve, the reviewer “liked that the author tried to humanize Anne and Elizabeth, but in doing so they lost their bite. While I believe both were capable of love, they were primarily political animals. The watered-down version of both women portrayed in this book does not do either of them justice.”

Here’s the link to her full review.

This blog also offers a lot of other reviews on Tudor books (both fiction and non-fiction) and is definitely worth a look!

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Here is another article on G.W. Bernard’s Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions. I have decided to up it on my “must read” list because each review/article I read makes me want to read it more! I doubt he will convince me Anne was guilty, but it is sure to be an interesting read! According to this article, “of the conclusions [the author] draws from this latest evidence, Bernard says, “It’s a hypothesis – not a proof. In a court of law you might not condemn her for the crime, but I don’t think you’d acquit her either.”"

Here’s the link.

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Speaking of Anne Boleyn, I have linked to an interesting article about the Swordsman of Calais at the Tudor Times Blog. Click here to see more.

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Finally, Historical Novel Review has posted a review fro Philippa Gregory’s The Other Queen. The novel focuses on the captive Mary Queen of Scots and her captor Bess Hardwick (a friend of Elizabeth I’s). According to the review, “Anyone interested in the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots, but doesn’t mind the liberties taken with Bess’s character will enjoy this book. However as a fan of Bess of Hardwick and her triumph over personal trials, it wasn’t very compelling.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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I have some pretty interesting things to share with you guys this week, now that the giveaway is over!

First off, I have decided to do some type of giveaway every month, whether it is a book or an item from the store. I am adding a spot on the right hand sidebar which will tell each month’s giveaway and the upcoming month’s giveaway. Next month’s giveaway will be His Last Letter. The author, Jeane Westin, will be doing a special author post her in August to coincide with the book giveaway!

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I discovered a wonderful site this past week  called Tudor Talk. It is run by Virginia, coincidentally the winner of our giveaway this month! Rather than simply posting on her blog, she dos podcasts. I spent all day Mon. listening to them. She does book reviews, interviews, as well as reviews movies. She also started reviewing “The Tudors,” beginning with episode one. It is very interesting and fun to listen to, so check it out here!

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The Everything Tudor Wiki is really taking off! I am very excited about it. The members and I are having a wonderful time discussing everything to do with the Tudors. Be sure to check it out here!

Also, in the Tudor Book Club we are moving on to Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in The Lady Elizabeth next week, so make sure to join in as we discuss them!

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Here are two reviews I have been meaning to post for two weeks! The first is a review is special. It is by author Philippa Gregory and is on G.W. Bernard’s Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions. In this new look at Anne, Bernard offers up the possiblity that Anne did commit adultery, as she was condemned for. According to Gregory in the review, “Bernard’s Anne Boleyn is a fool for love. There are many, many other versions of this woman, and as Bernard has powerfully demonstrated, there is evidence to suit them all, but nothing to prove any. She remains for us — as she was for the Tudors — a whore for some, a saint for others, a virago, a victim, a complex woman.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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The second is of Jean Plaidy’s To Hold a Crown. This story focuses on Henry VII, as well as looks into Richard III and the Princes in the Tower. According to the reviewer, “while I enjoyed the novel, I found it deeply disturbing–though this is no fault of the writer.  These were disturbing times (to the modern reader, at least) and I was suitably disturbed.  I was disturbed by the women who were nothing but pawns and creatures to be mated…”

Here’s the link to the review.

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I have a ton of e-mail to go through, so keep an eye out for more posts this week!

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Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace

*Warning: There are “spoilers” in this review!

Background:

Before I begin my review, I wanted to give a little background on Jane Popyncourt, the main character of the story:

Little is actually known of Jane. She was probably French and served at the English court as a lady-in-waiting and French tutor to Henry VII’s daughters Mary and Margaret. She later served Katherine of Aragon as a lady-in-waiting. It was rumored that she became the mistress of Henry VIII at some point during his early reign. After the Battle of the Spurs, she became mistress to the hostage Duke of Longueville. After his return to France, Jane followed in 1516 and it was said they began their affair again.

Synopsis:

Emerson takes all of these facts and incorporates them eloquently into her story. It focuses on Jane and her point of view in Henry VII and Henry VIII’s courts. The story begins with Jane as a young child, quickly and mysteriously leaving France with her mother after the death of the King. Once arriving in England, she is brought to Henry VII’s court and sent to live in the nursery palace at Eltham with the royal children. She teaches the young princesses Mary and Margaret French, and soon becomes like a sister to them. Margaret is eventually sent to marry the King of Scots and Jane joins Mary’s household. Henry VIII is crowned king upon his father’s death, where the story really begins to pick up. Jane and Mary come to court and begin to participate in court life. It is very different from Henry VII’s court, full of life and fun.

Emerson does an excellent job of describing court life, including the festivities, clothes, jewels, and pageants. Jane becomes friends with some of Henry’s men and plays a big part in many of the masques that take place at court.

In 1513 Henry VIII wins the Battle of the Spurs in France and sends the Duc de Longueville to England as his captive. He is treated like an honored guest and spends much time with Princess Mary and subsequently Jane. He eventually seduces Jane and she becomes his mistress. Unfortunately, it ruins her reputation and she looses many of her friends.I got frustrated at this in the story. I suppose it is meant to show the double standard of the day. Women were expected to be virtuous and modest, while men were allowed to womanize without any damage to their reputations. Jane remains sweet through it all, however, and eventually uses this ruined reputation to her advantage.

Princess Mary, however, is ever steadfast and keeps her close. That is, until she is sent to France to marry the King of France as part of a peace treaty to end the war. Jane is told the King of France will not allow her to come to France with Mary. She does not understand this and begins to remember some about her journey from France to England. She and her mother left France in a hurry upon the death of the former King. Once in England, she is separated from her mother and soon finds out her mother has died. She begins to investigate her mother’s death by talking with women from Queen Elizabeth of York’s household who served with her mother. However, she continuously runs into dead ends.

As time passes, Jane gathers bits and pieces of mother’s past and begins to suspect that her mother may have been blamed for poisoning the King of France and eventually murdered herself. As Jane grows closer to finding out the truth, weird things begin to happen. She runs into several “accidents” which almost claim her life. She brushes them off at first, but soon begins to suspect that someone is out to keep her from knowing the truth, no matter the consequences. Jane refuses to give up, however, and soon travels to Wales to meet with her uncle, twin brother of her mother. He is able to provide her with the answers she is looking for (haha I won’t give that much away!) and sends Jane back to the English court. With the recent death of King Louis XII of France, and the accession of Francois I (who seems to have nothing against Jane unlike his predecessor), Jane finally gains permission from Henry VIII to return to France (here’s the part where she uses her reputation to gain what she wants…).

Once in France, she begins on a new journey to reclaim some property that once belonged to her family. With the help of Guy Dunois, a childhood friend and brother of her once lover the Duc de Longueville, she sets on a set of new adventures.

My Thoughts:

I must admit, firstly, that I adored this book! It never mentioned Anne Boleyn (don’t take offense, Anne lovers, I am one too, but let’s admit it, she gets a lot of page time in Tudor fiction). I loved that part of the story was set in the late years of Henry VII’s reign, and the early years of Henry VIII’s reign. I also love that the author stuck close to history, even though there was quite a bit of fiction involved (such as what Jane discovers about her mother’s past and its association with the King of France and the King of England). However, using the little bit of information known about Jane, and sticking close to it, Emerson was able to make it believable.

I did not care for how quickly the story moved in some parts. During important parts of the story time would move very slowly, and then would jump a year in the future! I prefer it to be a nice balance. There was also a lot of buildup to the huge discovery Jane makes, finally, when visiting her uncle. I wasn’t that impressed with her huge revelation, and honestly thought the author could have come up with something more original. Though Jane spends a lot of time focused on this in the novel, I think the author could have done without it. The author had a great basis for a novel with her research and Jane’s relationships, so I think the whole mystery aspect was a little much.However, this is not a deterrent for reading the story. I really enjoyed this novel and give it Four Tudor Roses. It is a great read and I recommend it for Tudor fans looking for something different, particularly something not focused on Henry VIII’s wives.

This novel is the first in the Secrets of the Tudor Court series by Kate Emerson. The Second book is titled Secrets of the Tudor Court: Between Two Queens. The Third is set to come out in Dec. and is titled Secrets of the Tudor Court: By Royal Decree.

For more on Emerson and her novels, here’s the link to her author site.

Here’s a review for The Autobiography of Henry VIII. This is a long and interesting novel written from the point of view of Henry. I really enjoyed this novel as did the reviewer who said, “The novel is strong and well-written.  Henry VIII’s narrative is fascinating and rich with him explaining everything that occurred in his life.  You almost believe that the real Henry VIII wrote this journal.  The novel presents every incident in his life in great detail from what food he ate at a banquet with Anne Boleyn to his sexual romps with Catherine Howard.  The novel presents a pious, courageous, and stubborn Catherine of Aragon, a kind and surprisingly smart Anne of Cleves, a deliciously selfish wanton with surprising insight in Catherine Howard, and a loyal, loving, and maternal figure in Catherine Parr.  Where it struggles is in the portrayal of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour.  It makes Anne Boleyn a total sinner who Henry believes a true witch with no good qualities and Jane Seymour a perfect saint.  Yes, the novel is seen from Henry VIII’s point of view where he probably believed Anne was a sinner and Jane was a saint, but it can get frustrating to read Anne as this evil person ignoring any good qualities she had.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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The Burton Review has done a nice review for David Loades’ Six Wives of Henry VIII. Marie gives great summaries on each of the wives as Loades approcahed them. She concludes that “Although I do enjoy Alison Weir’s writing, the main difference I found in this text by David Loades is that he uses less ’supposedlys’ and sticks to facts and not conjecture. Those readers wanting a more detailed account of all the events relating to the wives and the times would not get much of a good taste in Loades summary…I enjoyed the sporadic moments on when I felt I learned something new, but I would not recommend this for the very seasoned Tudor reader because of the lack of insight. Alternatively, this would be a fantastic non-fiction read for those who would like to learn a few facts about Henry VIII’s wives without having to suffer through a five hundred page account such as the books by Starkey, Weir, and Fraser.”

Loades’ version is the only one I have not read in this list, and I think I might pass on it for now. But if you know little about the Six Wives, this sounds like it could be a good book for you!

Here’s the link to the full review.

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Speaking of the Six Wives, here’s a review for David Starkey’s version. I have personally read this one. I would not recommend reading it straight through, but it is an excellent source for research. He leaves absolutely no detail out. The reviewer brought up a good point in the review that seems a bit biased in dealing with the wives. For example, he ”writes sympathetically about Katherine Howard. She is usually regarded as a rather stupid tecenager, but Starkey’s book shows that she really wasn’t stupid. She also had a mind of her own and spoke up for some people whose lives were in danger” while he “appeared to dislike Jane Seymour.”

The reviewer seems to agree with me that Starkey’s writing style can be a bit tedious as he leaves nothing out and does jump to some far fetched conclusions at times. However, in my opinion, for a reference book it is excellent.

Here’s the link.

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I have mentioned the Morland Dynasty series a few times on the blog, and have recently found a review for the latest book Dark Rose. According to Amy at Passages to the Past, “I gotta say that book two was rather disappointing. Set during the reign of Henry VIII, The Dark Rose takes us on a journey through the lives of the Morlands, in particular Paul (the matriarch Eleanor’s great-grandson) and his niece Nanette during this tumultuous time in England’s history. And you would think that being set in Tudor times that the book would be exciting, riveting but I found it just plain boring and sometimes a bit unbelievable. It wasn’t a bad read necessarily, just not a great one.”

I have read mixed reviews on this book. I have not read this series myself, but the reviewer seemed to really love the first book and is going to read the thrid (which comes out later this year). Hopefully she will like it better!

Here’s the link to the full review.

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 Finally, I have two interviews with author Cinsearae S., who recently released Boleyn: Tudor Vampire. In the first interview, she says that she was inspired by history and Shotime’s The Tudors. She explains that after “watching the series a couple of times, my muse smacked me in the head and said, ‘Why not let Anne Boleyn get a little revenge?’” The interview also offers a nice excerpt from the book. Here’s the link.

The second interview includes a nice synopsis of the story as well as some detail about other characters such as George Boleyn and Mark Smeaton. It also talks about some future works of the author. Here’s the link to it.

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Well, I’m back in town and finally have internet access! I was at the beach with my family so sorry no new posts! I have a ton of really great stuff to post this week including a Book of the Week on a new author, Marie Sandeford/Joy Childs.

Also, I have finished Secrets of the Tudor Court and will add my review for it, as well as The Pleasure Palace here this week. Keep an eye out for them.

Finally, the Everything Tudor Store is launching Monday, July 5th! Yay! Finally! I have lots of great stuff for the Tudor Lover, so be sure to check it out. I will post more detail and links then!

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Now to tide you over until I can get through some of my e-mail, here are two nice reviews:

The first is on The King’s Daughter by Sandra Worth. This novel focuses on Elizabeth of York, mother of Henry VIII. Here’s a snippet of what the review says:

“Methodically researched and extremely well written, The King’s Daughter: A Novel Of The First Tudor Queen will pull on your heartstrings. Sandra Worth has a magical way of combing fiction and history so the reader is drawn into the heart of the book.”

Sounds interesting to me! I have always wanted to read more about Elizabeth of York. I really enjoy reading about her mother, so I will try to pick this one up and learn a bit more about the daughter.

Here’s the link to the review.

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Another review I wanted to point out is a nice one from The Washington Times on Fatal Attractions by G.W. Bernard. One thing that stuck out to me about this review is the mention of Anne’s origins and childhood in the book. So far the focus on most reviews has been that Bernard is offering the theory that Anne was, at least partly, guilty of the crimes that sent her to the block. Here’s an excerpt from the review focusing on a different part:

“In an early chapter titled “Who was Anne Boleyn?” Mr. Bernard writes, “Anne Boleyn is often presented as a ’self-made’ woman rising from lowly origins to the top before her dramatic fall. But that is nonsense. Anne was not ‘a poor knight’s daughter’ as one Nicholas Delanoy allegedly said to a skinner of St. Omer Calais. Such talk was and is highly misleading. Anne was born into the English social and political elite. Her father was Thomas Boleyn, who as Anne was growing up was an increasingly prominent courtier-administrator at the court and in the government of Henry VIII.”

Here’s the link to the full review. It’s well worth the read!

I’m really on an Anne Boleyn kick with my reviews today!

I found a new, and quite honest, review for The Boleyn Wife today. According to the reviewer, “Purdy’s overall approach was very different than most Tudor writers.  She’s less sympathetic to the wives of Henry VIII.” It is true, she is quite unsympathetic which makes for an interesting read. However, both the reviewer and I agree that the narrator Jane is quite hard to get past and enjoy the novel. Here’s the link to the full review.

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Here’s a review for The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir in which the reviewer comments on the writing style. They explain that the “most challenging aspect of the novel was its perspective. Not only did Weir use 3rd person omniscient, in which the thoughts of all characters are known, but she also applied it in atypical ways. The thoughts and view points rapidly transitioned between characters instead of being separated via chapter breaks.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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Another review I would like to post is on the novel Murder Most Royal by Jean Plaidy. In this novel she focuses on Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard. According to the reviewer, “I loved the way Plaidy mixed the lives of Anne and Catherine, making potential guesses as to their interaction and what they may have thought of each other, especially with them not knowing until the end that they would share the same fate.”

Here’s the link.

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And finally, here’s a short review for Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell. I absolutely love this novel, so I wanted to be sure to include it! According to the review, “One of the best things about this book is the fact that it focuses on Anne’s life before she met Henry, so it’s like the reader is able to see a different side of her.” I completely agree. It is one of the few (if the only) Anne Boleyn novel that does this. I think this is the main reason I love it!

Here’s the link to the full review.

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I have a few new things to post today. I have been getting really behind in my e-mail so I apologize!

First off, I feel pretty silly but I just scrolled down to the bottom of my dashboard page and saw the “Incoming Links” section where other blogs have linked to mine in posts. I just wanted to thank you to everyone who did so (Historical Tapestry, Anna’s Book Blog, Tanzanite’s Shelf and Stuff, and all the others)! I really appreciate it!

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Secondly, I have been asked to hold a book giveaway for Jeane Westin’s latest novel His Last Letter. It is about Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. It looks like it is going to be really good! I am also doing a review for it soon, as well as hosting a guest post by the author. I am super excited! It will be my first author guest post, and I have been wanting to have a giveaway again, so I will post more on this soon!

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If you like Harry Potter and the Tudors, I found a fanfic for you! Anne Boleyn: Witch Queen is a fun story where the young Anne goes to Hogwarts and learns to be a witch. Here’s the link. I always love Tudor fiction, so if you have a story please send it in and I will read/post!

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Now for some reviews:

Here’s a review for To the Tower Born. The story about Elizabeth of York and her best friend Nell Caxton. According to the reviewer, “I have read what I consider a lot of historical fiction related to the Tudors.” Many of the comments agree. I have not heard a lot about this book before, but I am intrigued now. I have a love for the Wars of the Roses ear as well, so I think this might be one for me! Here’s the link to the full review.

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The Dark Rose, part of the Morland series, has recently been reviewed at the Yankee Romance Reviews blog. According to the reviewer, “The author has given us a wonderfully rich story full of love and devotion, hate and conflict, pride and prejudicism that are vividly detailed to ensnare you right from the beginning and keep you hooked all the way to the very end. A story based on fact that is embellished just beautifully to not only give you a much needed lesson in history but to capture your emotions and wring them out like a wet rag.”

I really like that this is a series of books set in a fascinating time period, but not focused on king Henry VIII or other famous persons. It gives the reader a different perspective. I really want to read them!

Here’s the link to the full review.

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The Damsels in Regress Blog has posted a nice review of Alisa Libby’s novel The King’s Rose, following the life of Katheryn Howard. The blog will also be hosting and interview and book giveaway soon, so check it out! Here’s the link.

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I have a ton more reviews and news to post, so check back soon!

I found a new review for Secrets of the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan. The reviewer really enjoyed this novel, just as I am. Se concluded that “Ms. Bogdon is a talented author and this being her debut novel is amazing. I really look forward to her other books that will surely follow.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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According to this new review for The Lady in the Tower by Allison Weir, the reviewer states that before reading it “I believed Anne wholly guilty of the charges leveled against her but the author gives us a different take on the whole sordid affair. Ms. Weir isn’t saying that Anne’s completely innocent but she does present a very compelling case for the Queen being framed.”

Here’s the link.

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I was surprised when I read this review for The Sixth Wife. I believe the reviewer had the same reaction when reading the novel itself. According to them, “This novel will make fans of the Tudor period angry on so many levels.  Initially readers will believe they are going to read a novel about one of the most fascinating wives of Henry VIII seen through the eyes of her best friend, the Duchess of Suffolk.  Readers believe they will witness an outsider’s view to the marriage between Thomas Seymour and Catherine Parr with the Princess Elizabeth situation thrown in, but instead they get a pointless and shallow love affair between Thomas Seymour and the Duchess of Suffolk.  Catherine Brandon spends the novel bemoaning her lack of a childhood because she was a child bride and mother, pretending to feel guilt about her dalliance with Thomas Seymour, and casting judgement on everyone particularly the Princess Elizabeth.  It is eye-rolling to see Catherine Brandon judging the Princess Elizabeth when this woman is having a dangerous affair with the husband of her best friend.”

Interesting! I actually really want to read this now to see how the author spins this one! Here’s the link the the full review.

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Here is the link to a new review for House of Treason by Robert Hutchinson. According to the reviewer, “Hutchinson describes all of the intrigues and excitement that are a part of this family’s history.” I like that this book focuses not only on Henry Howard, but also some of the less known Howards like Philip Howard, Duke of Arundel who was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

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I found a “new” book the other day titled The King’s Reformation. Now when I say “new” I mean new to me. It was published in 2005. However, it caught my attention because it is by G.W. Bernard, the author of the new and a bit controversial book titled Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions.

According to the product description, “Bernard…demonstrates that Henry’s reformation of the English church involved more complex motives and methods than his desire for a new wife and an heir…[offering] a magisterially exhaustive account of Henry’s religious reforms, his opponents, and his supporters, as well as the ways that Henry’s policies led to the political and religious reformations of Thomas Cranmer and Oliver Cromwell. This is a first-rate account of a controversial king and his role in the development of the English church.”

Here’s the amazon link for more info.

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As one who is almost done with their Masters Program in Library and Information Science, I found this short article quite appealing. A librarian from the Tulsa Library has written a short bit on some of her favorite Tudor Books. The lists includes those by Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory.

Here’s the link to check out her recommendations.

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I found a new article on the new novel No Will But His, following the tragic tale of Katheryn Howard. When discussing her new novel, author Sarah Hoyt explained that “I got the idea while having an email argument with my editor about whether Kathryn Howard was just a dumb slut or not.” In this new article I found discussing the novel, the author goes into some detail about her ideas on Katheryn and the work that went into the novel.

Here’s the link.

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Here’s the link to a nice review for Alison Weir’s Innocent Traitor. This novel is told from the point of view of Jane Grey as well as those around her. For the most part the reviewer seemed to like the book, though she could tell Weir had a background in non-fiction, making some parts a bit “stiff.”

Here’s the link for the full review.

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Well, Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions has finally been released (May 25th) and is getting some interesting reviews. Here is one from Herald Scotland which concludes that, even after reading Bernard’s new theory, “Boleyn was thrown to the wolves. At the very least, her tendency to shine a seductive eye on Henrician courtiers was blown out of all proportion in the interests of political advantage (be it Henry’s or his attendees). What I’ll never do again, thanks to Bernard’s book, is treat that suspicion as an article of historical faith. Bernard is getting bolder as he gets older. He opines, tongue in cheek, that the serious historian “might envy the historical novelist” who can just invent things about the Tudor age.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

If you want to read more about Anne Boleyn’s fall, the Confessions of a Ci-Devant Blog has done a lot of nice posts on the events as they happened day by day. Here’s the link to the first one.

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The Gerbera Daisy Blog and the Amused By Books Blog have joined forces to make it through Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Each Wednesday they get together and discuss their thoughts on what they have read so far.

Here’s the link to the first post which explains it in more detail. To read later posts, check the side menu.

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Sorry I’ve been silent the last few days. I haven’t been feeling that great, but I’m better now so I thought I would get some stuff posted. I have a lot to share, and a lot of e-mail to still go through, so just keep an eye out!

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I recieved an e-mail a few weeks ago asking me to review a new novel titled Boleyn: Tudor Vampire by Cinsearae S. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical but I agreed to do it. It seems like a new and interesting take on a much written about period! I haven’t actually read the book yet, I’ve had a few other reviews I agreed to do before it, but it is next on my list after Secrets of the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan (which I’m so far really enjoying!). Anyway, I have found a few reviews for this novel which you might find interesting. I have enjoyed reading over them to get an idea of the novel.

The main one I want to share with you is from the Insert Book Title Here Book Blog. The reviewer stated that “I only have one word…WOW. Boleyn Tudor Vampire is unlike any other vampire novel I have ever read. It is sexy, action packed, thrilling, and leaves you on the edge of your seat until the very end.” The reviewer gives a nice synopsis of the book as well as a few things they really liked about the book.

This review is worth a read if you are interested in more about this twist of a “historical” novel! Here’s the link to it. I am really excited to read it now, so keep posted for my review! I haven’t ever read a vampire novel before. I have always thought they were interesting, but never got into them. We shall see how it goes!

Also, here’s the amazon link which also offers a few reviews and more info. on the novel itself.

Before I begin my review I would like to thank Allie at Hist-Fic Chick for sending me this novel. I won a giveaway there and the chance to review it. Thanks Allie! She also sent me a copy of David Starkey’s Six Wives which I will be giving away on this blog shortly! More on that later.

The Boleyn Wife by Brandy Purdy

Synopsis:

The Boleyn Wife (known as The Tudor Wife in the UK) follows the story of Jane Parker, Lady Rochford. She marries George Boleyn early in the story, thus becoming sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife. She eventually gives Thomas Cromwell the information he needs to condemn Anne and George, stating that the two knew each other on an intimate level not natural for a brother and sister. She eventually serves Katheryn Howard when she becomes queen and aides her in her affairs. Both are condemned and executed for it.

Review:

This is the basic story of the real Jane Boleyn. The plot of this story follows the real story well, hitting all the key events. However, as with all historical novels, the author takes some liberties. Since it is written in first person, Jane must be witness to all the events in the story to tell the reader about them. This leaves the character constantly hiding behind bushes and tapestries, eaves dropping on conversations. The story works well being written in first person, as it is told strictly from the point of view of Jane, allowing the reader to understand why she made some of the choices she did. However, I must admit that I got tired of her hiding behind tapestries and eaves dropping on everyone. This is why I personally prefer third person.

Some historians believe this to be a portrait of Jane Boleyn nee Parker.

However, I did like how Purdy incorporated some of the myths about Jane, such as her mothering a son. In the story, Jane sleeps with Cromwell. He wants information on Anne to condemn her while Jane just wants some loving human contact. Both get what they want in the beginning, but Jane is soon left alone once Cromwell has what he needs. She finds herself pregnant and eventually gives birth to a son. She couldn’t stand to look at the child, knowing who the father was. In history, there is some evidence that Jane might have given birth to a son, however he does not appear in any later records, leaving one to think that she either didn’t, or the child died young. There is no evidence that she slept with Cromwell, however she did give him some of the information he needed to condemn Anne and her supporters. This episode, though mostly fictional, allowed the reader to see just how much Jane wanted love, and just how dirty Cromwell was to get what he needed.

Throughout the story, I almost wanted to feel sorry for Jane. However, I feel that most of her problems she brought upon herself. She completely gave herself to loving George Boleyn when it was obvious he didn’t nor ever would love her in return. Because of her desperate need to be loved by him, she makes herself despicable in his eyes as she constantly tries to harm his friends and Anne so she could have him all to herself. Of course, this did not work and backfired on her, leaving him hating her. This leads her to giving Cromwell the information on Anne, hoping to get rid of her and her friends so she would have George all to herself. I found myself often siding with George, looking with disgust at how desperate and manipulative Jane was.

The grave of Anne Boleyn. The graves of her brother George Boleyn and the other men condemned with them are nearby, as are those of Jane Boleyn and Katheryn Howard.

Though this story follows Jane serving both Anne Boleyn and Katheryn Howard, it focuses more on the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. Of course, this was a longer stretch of time than that occupying Katheryn’s reign, however I found myself feeling rushed when discussing Katheryn. Jane loves Katheryn, feeling almost motherly to her. However her life is again shattered when she discovers that Katheryn is not as innocent as Jane thought. The one main feature of the Katheryn Howard section is that she sleeps with Anne of Cleves and makes Jane sit in the room as it happens. Yes, Katheryn Howard was a bit of a wild child, but really? Sleeping with Anne of Cleves? Come on! I understand that Purdy wanted to show how wild and sexual Katheryn was, but make her have sex with someone she really did have sex with!

The real Anne of Cleves

Despite this, the story rushes to the quick fall of Katheryn, leaving Jane alone in a prison cell with the ghosts of her past. Here Purdy incorporates some of the contemporary evidence about Jane. Records show that Jane went insane while in the Tower, talking to “ghosts” that no one else could see. Henry had to have a special law passed to execute the insane so he could have her executed. In the story, Jane sees the ghosts of Anne and George in the Tower. They taunt her and follow her. She is terrified of them, knowing that the evidence she gave condemned them to this place. Now they are only waiting for her to join them. You feel Jane’s fear and are drawn into her insanity. It makes the reader wonder if she is really seeing these things or just gone completely mad. The story ends in third person with the execution of Jane, whom contemporary sources say talked to these specters all the way to the scaffold.

Overall I enjoyed this story, and give it three and a half Tudor roses out of five.

It was entertaining, however as I stated before it had a few problems. I did not like Jane. She was extremely desperate and, in my opinion, pretty dumb. Her character is not sympathetic, failing to convince the reader that her actions were justified. The story itself suffers from being written in first person, constantly having Jane hiding to eaves drop to keep the story going. And, in my opinion, the last part of the novel focusing on Katheryn Howard could have been given more time (minus the Anne of Cleves thing…).

Katheryn Howard

However, I think that it is entertaining and worth a read if you are interested in Jane and her life. Though it is a fictional account, Purdy stays pretty close to the main events, spinning a few tails to fill in the gaps and keep the story going. As I stated earlier, I really liked some of the explanations she had for some of the stories surrounding Jane (like her having a son), though they were mostly fictional. The best part of the novel to me was the beginning and the end where Jane is in prison surrounded by the ghosts of her past. Purdy does a good job of showing Jane’s insanity and drawing the reader into it.

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If you want to know more about Brandy Purdy and her novel, check out her website here. She currently has a new novel out with excerpts on her site.

The Poyson Garden by Karen Harper has been reviewed at Historical Tapestry. This novel focuses on the young Elizabeth Tudor (before she becomes Queen) who receives a letter from her aunt Mary Boleyn (thought to be dead) to help solve the mystery of who is out to kill all the Boleyns, including Elizabeth herself. According to the review, “the whole book is plot driven so we don’t really get to know the characters all that well, they are too busy running around detecting - I suppose we may know more in future books - and we don’t have a real sense of the period for the same reason.” It seems like an interesting idea, but the reviewer didn’t care much for the novel.

Here’s the link to the review.

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Katherine the Queen by Linda Porter

This new biography on Katherine Parr has raised a lot of attention. Most historians focus on Henry’s first two marriages, not so much on his last. However, according to the review linked below “Porter’s lively and detailed account gives us a revealing and reinvigorated image of Katherine…a beautiful, intelligent and graceful woman whose abiding legacy was the creation of Elizabeth I, England’s most glorious monarch.”

Here’s the link.

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The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory.

I keep hearing a lot about this one. I read The Other Boleyn Girl and was pleasantly surprised, so I think I will try this one out soon. I found a nice review about it where the reviewer seemed to really like this novel. She explains that “Gregory has a way with characters.  It’s like you get to see into their souls and travel inside their heads with them.  Anne of Cleaves was by far my favorite character in this story, but all three women were beautifully illustrated.”

Here’s the link to the full review.

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I have begun reading Secrets of the Tudor Court by D.L. Bogdan. So far it is interesting, taken from the point of view of Mary Howard. I will be finishing it up soon and posting my review. For those interested in it, you might want to check out the giveaway Passages to the Past is having!

Here’s the link for more info.

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