Katherine Of Aragon The True Queen

Katherine Of Aragon The True Queen by Alison Weir, 602 pages

“A princess of Spain, Catalina is only sixteen years old when she sets foot on the shores of England. The youngest daughter of the powerful monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, Catalina is a coveted prize for a royal marriage--and Arthur, Prince of Wales, and heir to the English throne, has won her hand. But tragedy strikes and Catalina, now Princess Katherine, is betrothed to the future Henry VIII. She must wait for his coming-of-age, an ordeal that tests her resolve, casts doubt on her trusted confidantes, and turns her into a virtual prisoner. Katherine's patience is rewarded when she becomes Queen of England. The affection between Katherine and Henry is genuine, but forces beyond her control threaten to rend her marriage, and indeed the nation, apart. Henry has fallen under the spell of Katherine's maid of honor, Anne Boleyn. Now Katherine must be prepared to fight, to the end if God wills it, for her faith, her legitimacy, and her heart.” I like Weir’s writing, both in fiction and nonfiction.  This is an excellent story about Katherine.  People who like historical fiction, especially about the Tudor era, will want to read this.

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession by Alison Weir, 541 pages

“In this second novel of Alison Weir's epic Six Tudor Queens series, the acclaimed author and historian weaves exciting new research into the story of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's most infamous wife, a woman ahead of her time whose very life--and death--forever changed a nation.  Born into a noble English family, Anne is barely a teenager when she is sent from her family's Hever Castle to serve at the royal court of the Netherlands. This strategic move on the part of her opportunistic father also becomes a chance for the girl to grow and discover herself. There, and later in France, Anne thrives, preferring to absorb the works of progressive writers rather than participate in courtly flirtations. She also begins to understand the inequalities and indignities suffered by her gender. Anne isn't completely inured to the longings of the heart, but her powerful family has ambitious plans for her future that override any wishes of her own. When the King of England himself, Henry VIII, asks Anne to be his mistress, she spurns his advances--reminding him that he is a married man who has already conducted an affair with her sister, Mary. Anne's rejection only intensifies Henry's pursuit, but in the absence of a male heir--and given an aging Queen Katherine--the opportunity to elevate and protect the Boleyn family, and to exact vengeance on her envious detractors, is too tempting for Anne to resist, even as it proves to be her undoing. While history tells of how Anne Boleyn died, this compelling new novel reveals how fully she lived.” I’ve always loved both fiction and nonfiction about this time period in history.  Weir is a fantastic writer and researches her books thoroughly, such that even her fiction is historically as accurate as possible.  This is a great choice for people who like historical fiction, especially about the Tudor era.

The Other Boleyn Girl

The OtherBoleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory, 664 pages

“When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of the handsome and charming Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane, and soon she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. With her own destiny suddenly unknown, Mary realizes that she must defy her family and take fate into her own hands.” Even though I knew the inevitable outcome of the book, I really wanted it to be different for Mary’s sake.  This was a wonderful fictional account of what Mary might have been feeling and thinking during her own time with the king, as well as her sister’s rise and fall.  People who like historical fiction will love this book.

The Marriage Game

The Marriage Game by Alison Weir, 402 pages

This is a fictional account of Elizabeth I and the games she played throughout her life to keep potential suitors interested without actually marrying any of them.  The author took an interesting possible point of view, that Elizabeth was terrified of the idea of childbirth and so refused to marry because of it.  Her court favorite, Lord Robert Dudley, was the man that many people expected she would one day marry, and Weir played up that relationship as much as possible.  She toyed with the idea that Elizabeth would have married Robert if it hadn’t been for her fears.  Most non-fiction accounts imply that Elizabeth never really had any intention of ever marrying anyone, so this was a fun take on the situation.  I can’t say that this was one of my favorite stories about Elizabeth or the time period but it wasn’t bad.  People that are big fans of this time period will probably want to read it but I wouldn’t give it to people who are lukewarm fans.

Anne Of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride

Anne Of Cleves: Henry VIII’s Discarded Bride by Elizabeth Norton, 191 pages

This was an interesting biography.  I admit that from this time period, Anne of Cleves is probably the wife that I knew the least about.  Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn are the two that I would have known most about, of course, but I’ve read quite a lot about the Tudor dynasty, so knew a fair bit about the other three wives also.  However, Anne of Cleves was actually pretty interesting.  She had very good family connections and, while not a major player, still was considered a pretty good partner for a marriage contract.  I had always been under the impression that she wasn’t very attractive and that was the reason that Henry VIII rejected her, but, according to this writer, that probably wasn’t the case.  For whatever reason, Anne didn’t appeal to him, but by many accounts, she was an attractive woman, probably more attractive than his sixth wife, Katherine Parr.  I found lots of interesting tidbits in this book that seemed to be a fairly good summary of Anne’s life.  Anyone wanting to find out more about this era and Anne of Cleves specifically, would probably like it.

Brazen

Brazen by Katherine Longshore, 524 pages

This is the fictional story of Mary Howard, who married Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII.  The author has used as much factual history as possible, but only a small amount is known as fact about Mary so some of the story is completely made up.  This is more about Mary’s feelings, her love and anger at her father, her hopeless anger at her mother, her love and worry for her brother and her friends, and her ambivalent feelings towards her husband.  Theirs was an arranged marriage and the two barely knew each other.  Even after they were married, the King said they were too young to consummate the marriage and never legally did.  However, the author presumes that they did end up loving each other.  Whatever the truth, this was a fascinating story told from a minor character in the Tudor saga and teen fans of historical novels will probably like this book.