Review ~ Anne Boleyn:A King's Obsession by Alison Weir..

**Happy Publication Day**


18th May 2017

Headline
May 18th 2017

What's it all about..

Anne Boleyn. The second of Henry's Queens. Her story. History tells us why she died. This powerful novel shows her as she lived.

What did I think about it..

Alison Weir's second volume in her Six Tudor Queens series starts in 1512 when Anne Boleyn leaves her childhood home at Hever Castle to take up a position as fille d’honeur to the Archduchess Margaret of Austria. In the glittering courts of Burgundy and France, Anne discovers that charm, wit and intelligence will be her saving grace, and as she grows to young adulthood, it becomes obvious that Anne's ambition will take her in a very different direction than that of her older sister, Mary.

Beautifully written and meticulously researched, the author puts very human emotion at the heart of Anne’s life story. Anne’s early relationships with her family, her sister Mary in particular, is explored in detail, as is her later adult association with Henry Percy and Thomas Wyatt. All are contrasted against the wider significance of Anne’s burgeoning relationship with King Henry VIII.

The author writes with authority on the Tudor period and instils a real sense of personality into Anne so that you can’t help but be captivated by this young woman whose sparkling personality set the English royal court alight. I think what comes across is the very human face of a young woman who glittered and charmed her way into the affections of a King, a King whose capricious nature would be her very undoing.

After all that has been written about Anne's life you would think that there can't be much new to be revealed. However, in this fictional version of Anne’s life the Henrician court comes alive with all the gossipy intrigue, calculated scheming and deadly manipulations which are so reminiscent of this time in England's chequered history. And even though you know how Anne Boleyn’s story plays out, you can’t help but become completely caught up in her life story, which is so beautifully recreated by this talented writer.

This second volume follows the successful Katherine of Aragon. I can’t wait to see what happens in the third volume when Jane Seymour’s life will be laid bare and held up to scrutiny.

Best Read With ..Gold and jewelled goblets filled with rich, red wine..

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Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession is published today by Headline Review 

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My thanks to Caitlin Raynor at Headline for the opportunity to read and review this book

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Review ~ Six Tudor Queens: Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen by Alison Weir

Headline Review
5 May 2016

Six Tudor Queens #1

History tells us how she died. This captivating novel shows us how she lived.

Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen by bestselling historian Alison Weir, author of The Lost Tudor Princess, is the first in a spellbinding six novel series about Henry VIII’s Queens. Alison Weir lets you walk in Katherine’s footsteps and so understand this extraordinary woman as never before. History tells us how Katherine died; this captivating novel shows us how she lived.

I've read fictional stories about the Tudors since I was in my early teens,always finding something fascinating about the plots and intrigues of their lives, and none more so than Katherine of Aragon who landed in England in 1501 betrothed to marry Prince Arthur, the heir to the Tudor crown. Of course, we later know more about her marriage to Henry VIII,and the trials and tribulations of her acrimonious divorce, following Henry's tumultuous affair with Anne Boleyn.

As always, Alison Weir has given us a comprehensive look at the life of this fascinating Tudor Queen. For those who are familiar with the history of the Tudors there will be no surprises in the content of the story , as it's been told so many times, but there is no doubt that this is a very good fictional version, filled, as always, with the intrigue and machinations which we have come to expect from this exciting time in English history.

The story is very readable and spans the story of Katherine's life from 1501 when she landed in Plymouth, through to her death at Kimbolton Castle in January, 1536. There is much detail about her early marriage to Arthur, her young widowhood and her later relationship with Henry, with all the heartbreak and sadness of frequent miscarriages, all played out against the backdrop of the Tudor court, with its salacious gossip and devilish intrigue. It's far too easy to dismiss Katherine, as she is so often overshadowed by her sexier, and rather more tragic love rival, Anne Boleyn, and yet, it must not be forgotten that Katherine was such a valuable asset to England during the important early years of Henry's reign. 

The book is hefty coming in at over 550 pages, so it's not something to be read in a rush, but more to be savored slowly in order to appreciate the fine attention to detail. The way that Katherine comes alive on the page is credit to the author who has such a breadth of knowledge about this Tudor period that it's a real pleasure to read her fictional work.


This is the first of six historical novels planned which will each detail one of Henry's six Queens. Anne Boleyn is next, I can't wait !



Best Read with...Spiced wine, wafers and candied plums...



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My thanks to Caitlin Raynor at Headline for my review copy of this book.

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Review ~ The Marriage Game by Alison Weir

Random House UK
June 26 2014

The mystery which surrounds the relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley is the focus for this deadly marriage game, which entices the reader into the very heart and soul of the Elizabethan court.  With Elizabeth’s capricious behaviour at the centre of the intrigue there is much speculation as to whether the couple were actually lovers in the physical sense, but what is obvious is that there was a deep and abiding affection between them, which lasted throughout the whole of their lives, and which survived all the speculation and gossip.

What Alison Weir has done in this fictional account of the relationship between the young Queen and her courtier is to add weight to the argument that other forces were behind the reluctance of a match between them. William Cecil, Elizabeth’s chief advisor, not only insisted that Elizabeth could only be a successful queen if she had a husband by her side, but was also shown to be instrumental in keeping Dudley and Elizabeth apart. As with all speculative fiction surrounding Elizabeth’s relationship with Dudley scurrilous accusations abound, and the fact that Elizabeth continued to keep her politically correct marriage suitors at bay, only added weight to the scandal that Dudley was more than just her master of horse.

As always, Alison Weir brings the scandal of the age alive with her usual skill and fine attention to detail. The story flows well, like a well ordered romantic novel, with more than a hint of intrigue, and even though there are no astonishing revelations, what still shines through the political shenanigans is a remarkable love story, which is made all the more intriguing by the fact that we will never truly know what happened between them. And if I’m honest I rather enjoy the speculative aspect of their relationship rather more than the knowing, and feel that after all this time they are entitled to keep some of their more intimate secrets to themselves.

Well worth a read if you like Elizabethan history but don’t look for any extraordinary revelations, just enjoy the love story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my e-copy of this book.

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