Plain Jane

Summary: Born into an ambitious noble family, young Jane Seymour is sent to Court as a Maid of Honor to Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s aging queen. She is devoted to her mistress and watches with empathy as the calculating Anne Boleyn contrives to supplant her as queen. Anne’s single-minded intriguing threatens all who stand in her way; she does not hesitate to arrange the murder of a woman who knows a secret so dark that, if revealed, would make it impossible for the king to marry Anne. 

Once Anne becomes queen, no one at court is safe, and Jane herself becomes the victim of Anne’s venomous rage when she suspects Jane has become the object of the king’s lust. Henry, fearing that Anne’s inability to give him a son is a sign of divine wrath, asks Jane to become his next queen. Deeply reluctant to embark on such a dangerous course, Jane must choose between her heart and her loyalty to the king.

Acclaimed biographer and bestselling novelist Carolly Erickson weaves another of her irresistible historical entertainments about the queen who finally gave Henry VIII his longed for heir, set against the excitement and danger of the Tudor Court.

About:

Author: Carolly Erickson
Pages: 295
Published: 2011

Review:

Coming by December 25th, 2011!

Rating:

/5 stars

Mary, Bloody Mary

Summary: The story of Mary Tudor s childhood is a classic fairy tale: A princess who is to inherit the throne of England is separated from her mother; abused by an evil stepmother who has enchanted her father; stripped of her title; and forced to care for her baby stepsister, who inherits Mary s rights to the throne. Believe it or not, it s all true. Told in the voice of the young Mary, this novel explores the history and intrigue of the dramatic rule of Henry VIII, his outrageous affair with and marraige to the bewitching Anne Boleyn, and the consequences of that relationship for his firstborn daughter. Carolyn Meyer has written a compassionate historical novel about love and loss, jealousy and fear—and a girl s struggle with forces far beyond her control.


About: 
Author: Carolyn Meyer
Pages: 227
Published: 1999


Review:
My first read on the infamous Bloody Mary! The first time I picked this book up was in the fifth grade, way before the beginning of my obsession with Tudor England. I didn't know about bear fights, so when I opened this book up I was so horrified that I put it right back! And then after I read Doomed Queen Anne, I returned to this book out of curiosity, and did find it quite enjoyable.


It was basically a retelling of Anne Boleyn's story, except from the perspective of Princess Mary Tudor. It surprised me, really, how just by changing the point of view in the story, everything changed.When I read Anne's tale, I didn't think much about the poor Mary; I was too much a fan of Anne. This book didn't change my steadfast love for Anne at all, but it did give me much sympathy to the younger Mary, and definitely put some humanity in Mary I, now known as the monster Bloody Mary. I now understand why she could never forgive Anne; if I were in her position, I know I would feel same.


This was definitely a good, historically accurate novel for not just young adults, but anyone curious about the real Mary I, in her younger years. 


Rating:
5 stars/5 stars

The Queen's Fool

Summary: It is winter, 1553. Pursued by the Inquisition, Hannah Green, a fourteen-year-old Jewish girl, is forced to flee Spain with her father. But Hannah is no ordinary refugee. Her gift of "Sight," the ability to foresee the future, is priceless in the troubled times of the Tudor court. Hannah is adopted by the glamorous Robert Dudley, the charismatic son of King Edward's protector, who brings her to court as a "holy fool" for Queen Mary and, ultimately, Queen Elizabeth. Hired as a fool but working as a spy; promised in wedlock but in love with her master; endangered by the laws against heresy, treason, and witchcraft, Hannah must choose between the safe life of a commoner and the dangerous intrigues of the royal family that are inextricably bound up in her own yearnings and desires. 


About: 
Author: Philippa Gregory
Pages: 504
Published: 2004


Review:
Coming by the end of November!


Rating: 
/5 stars

Murder Most Royal

Summary: One powerful king. Two tragic queens.

In the court of Henry VIII, it was dangerous for a woman to catch the king’s eye. Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were cousins. Both were beautiful women, though very different in temperament. They each learned that Henry’s passion was all-consuming–and fickle.

Sophisticated Anne Boleyn, raised in the decadent court of France, was in love with another man when King Henry claimed her as his own. Being his mistress gave her a position of power; being his queen put her life in jeopardy. Her younger cousin, Catherine Howard, was only fifteen when she was swept into the circle of King Henry. Her innocence attracted him, but a past mistake was destined to haunt her. 

About:

Author: Jean Plaidy

Pages: 656

Published: 1949, 2006 version

Review:

Coming by November 30th!

Rating:

/5 Stars

Beware, Princess Elizabeth

Summary: Imprisonment. Betrayal. Lost love. Murder. What more must a princess endure? Elizabeth Tudor's teenage and young adult years during the turbulent reigns of Edward and then Mary Tudor are hardly those of a fairy-tale princess. Her mother has been beheaded by Elizabeth's own father, Henry VIII; her jealous half sister, Mary, has her locked away in the Tower of London; and her only love interest betrays her in his own quest for the throne. 

Told in the voice of the young Elizabeth and ending when she is crowned queen, this second novel in the exciting series explores the relationship between two sisters who became mortal enemies. Carolyn Meyer has written an intriguing historical tale that reveals the deep-seated rivalry between a determined girl who became one of England's most powerful monarchs and the sister who tried everything to stop her.

About:

Author: Carolyn Meyer

Pages: 214

Year Published: 2001

Review:

Another read about Elizabeth I's early days as a princess. This book was written by the same author who wrote a book I love, Doomed Queen Anne. I was actually quite disappointed by this book; maybe it's just that Elizabeth's early days didn't really interest me all that much.

She wrote this book in a very similar style as that of her book of Anne Boleyn, and yet this novel had a more or less textbook-like feel. It wasn't much of a story, to me, but the parts that did have that 'story' element to it were very enjoyable. 

Overall, this was historically accurate to my knowledge. The 'romance' in the summary is a bit over-hyped and there would be little dialogue at some point, but it was an enjoyable enough read that I think young adults would enjoy. It's a pretty fast one, too, an 'introduction' to Elizabeth Tudor, and what lead up to her ascent to the throne.

Rating:

3 stars/5 stars

The Constant Princess

Summary: Katherine of Aragon is born Catalina, the Spanish Infanta, to parents who are both kings and crusaders. At the age of three, she is betrothed to Prince Arthur, son and heir of Henry VII of England, and is raised to be Princess of Wales. She knows that it is her destiny to rule that far-off, wet, cold land.

Her faith is tested when her prospective father-in-law greets her arrival in her new country with a great insult; Arthur seems little better than a boy; the food is strange and the customs coarse. Slowly she adapts to the first Tudor court, and life as Arthur's wife grows ever more bearable. Unexpectedly in this arranged marriage, a tender and passionate love develops. 

But when the studious young man dies, she is left to make her own future: how can she now be queen, and found a dynasty? Only by marrying Arthur's young brother, the sunny but spoilt Henry. His father and grandmother are against it; her powerful parents prove little use. Yet Katherine is her mother's daughter and her fighting spirit is indomitable. She will do anything to achieve her aim; even if it means telling the greatest lie, and holding to it

About:

Author: Philippa Gregory

Pages: 393

Published: 2006

Review:

Rating:

/5 stars

The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I, Red Rose of the House of Tudor

Summary: Daughter of a fallen queen, young Princess Elizabeth lives a complicated and dangerous life. She fears her father's famous temper but loves him dearly, noting that she would trade all her jewels just to be noticed by him. She also loves her brother Edward, heir to the English throne, but doesn't like her older sister Mary, who torments her and conspires against her. Kat, her governess, is so worried for Elizabeth's life that she spends hours checking their room for poison whenever they move to a new palace. Court intrigues swirl around her, the French are threatening an invasion, and Kat is clamoring for her to have another bath--that makes nearly six in three months! Through Elizabeth's diary, author Kathryn Lasky brings the Tudor world to life: glittering banquets of peacock, eel, and swan; palaces so stinky that "everyone goes about with their noses buried in pomander balls to hide the stench"; archery contests, where Elizabeth excels; and Latin and logic lessons... where she needs a little work. 


About:
Author: Kathryn Lasky
Pages: 240
Published: 1999


Review:


This is a fictional diary of Elizabeth I, before she was the great "Virgin Queen." In this story, she starts eleven-years-old, probably around the age appropriate for readers of this diary.


I enjoyed it, and found it to be quite, quite accurate. I actually have little problems about it, as, one has to bear in mind the audience/age group it is meant for. I also really enjoyed all the background information in the back of this book. There are biographies about her mother/stepmothers, her father Henry VIII, ancestors, and a bit about her reign. I found this very helpful/resourceful.


My minor issues with this book come with some short, unnecessary entries, like "Rained again... something, something..." They seemed quite pointless to me. Also, Elizabeth's voice seemed a bit childish. I suppose she was eleven-thirteen throughout the years this story took place, but her childishness was more modern, a bit too modern for 1544-1547, in my opinion. Still a good, informational, and entertaining read, though, and I would recommend it to any curious young adult.


Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Nine Days a Queen

Summary: I had freckles. 
I had sandy hair.
I was too short.
Would my feet even touch the ground if I sat on the throne? 

These are the words of lady Jane Grey, as imagined by celebrated author Ann Rinaldi. Jane would become Queen of England for only nine days before being beheaded at the age of sixteen. 

Here is a breathtaking story of English royalty with its pageantry, privilege, and surprising cruelty. As she did in her previous novel Mutiny's Daughter, Ms. Rinaldi uses powerful, evocative writing to bring to life a teenage girl caught in the grip of stirring times.

About:

Authors: Anne Rinaldi

Pages: 228

Year Published: 2005

Review:

I was quite impressed with this novel, my first about the life of Jane Grey. To my knowledge, historically, it was quite accurate - maybe even a bit too accurate. She was portrayed in a sympathetic light, naturally, because after all she was an unwilling queen, a pawn in her parents' game and beheaded at sixteen for it. 

This is a good read particularly for young adults, though maybe not adults. It was a very good fact-based 'summary' overview of important events in her life, her relationships with real characters/figures like Thomas Seymour, Elizabeth I, Catherine Parr, etc.

My only problem is with the storytelling of this book; it almost had a bit of a history textbook feel, only in the first-person point of view. This took away, a little bit, although I don't think it was such a large problem, or one that will ruin your reading experience.

Rating:

3 stars/5 stars

Brief Gaudy Hour

Summary: The enigmatic Anne Boleyn comes to life in this charming, brilliant portrayal by acclaimed British novelist Margaret Campbell Barnes. 

The infamous love of King Henry VIII and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn undertook a rocky journey from innocent courtier to powerful Queen of England. A meticulous researcher, Margaret Campbell Barnes immerses readers in this intrigue and in the lush, glittery world of the Tudor Court. The beauty and charms of Anne Boleyn bewitched the most powerful man in the world, King Henry VIII, but her resourcefulness and cleverness were not enough to stop the malice of her enemies. Her swift rise to power quickly became her own undoing.

The author brings to light Boleyn's humanity and courage, giving an intimate look at a young woman struggling to find her own way in a world dominated by men and adversaries.

About

Author: Margaret Campbell Barnes

Pages: 383

Year Published: 1971

Review:

I found this novel to be historically accurate from what I know; I, myself, am far from a master historian. I just had a minor issue with the year of birth this book used for Anne Boleyn: 1503. Historians are thinking it to be 1501 or 1507 (my personal belief is 1507). However, I didn't count this against the book. 

Brief Gaudy Hour definitely gave Anne a further sense of 'humanity,' which I enjoyed. After all, no matter what people say about her today or even in her time period, she was only a human being. I enjoyed reading the way she was portrayed in a more sympathetic light, as I personally believe she was a good person.

My only issue with this novel was that at times the writing style was 'old' and could be boring. Parts and thoughts of characters could sometimes ramble on, which I did not enjoy, and I often would skip a couple redundant sentences here and there. However, minor flaws did not ruin the book for me; I still found it an enjoyable and suspenseful read about the tragic Queen Anne. 

I would recommend this book to any Tudor England novel readers, or perhaps fans of Anne Boleyn like myself.

Rating:

4 stars/5 stars

Doomed Queen Anne

Summary: Though born without great beauty, wealth, or title, Anne Boleyn blossomed into a captivating woman. She used her wiles to win the heart of England's most powerful man, King Henry VIII, and persuade him to defy everyone--including his own wife--to make her his new queen. But Anne's ambition was her fatal flaw. This is the true story of the girl everyone loved to hate. 

About:

Author: Carolyn Meyer

Year Published: 2004

Pages: 230

Review:

Obviously, this was a young adult novel written for children of about 12-12+, and so you can't expect an incredibly complex vocabulary or a story dripping with intense drama and ridden with sex scenes. However, I do think that given the intended age group, this book was wonderfully written. I found it easy to follow and well-written; it was a great overview of Anne's live from 1520-1536, and, unlike a Philippa Gregory novel, I found it to be quite accurate. This novel is great for anyone interested in Anne Boleyn and looking for some truth about her, or any first-time Tudor England novel reader. 

There isn't much to say about this novel, really. It got me started/hooked on Tudor England historical fiction works, and started my obsession with Anne Boleyn in the seventh grade. I think it's a great read for anyone interested in the time period, especially if you don't know where to start. Start here, maybe?

Rating:

5 stars/5 stars

The Boleyn Inheritance

Summary:

Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance 

Anne of Cleves: She runs from her tiny country, her hateful mother, and her abusive brother to a throne whose last three occupants are dead. King Henry VIII, her new husband, instantly dislikes her. Without friends, family, or even an understanding of the language being spoken around her, she must literally save her neck in a court ruled by a deadly game of politics and the terror of an unpredictable and vengeful king. Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witnesses.

Katherine Howard: She catches the king's eye within moments of arriving at court, setting in motion the dreadful machine of politics, intrigue, and treason that she does not understand. She only knows that she is beautiful, that men desire her, that she is young and in love -- but not with the diseased old man who made her queen, beds her night after night, and killed her cousin Anne. Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe.

Jane Rochford: She is the Boleyn girl whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to their deaths. She is the trusted friend of two threatened queens, the perfectly loyal spy for her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, and a canny survivor in the murderous court of a most dangerous king. Throughout Europe, her name is a byword for malice, jealousy, and twisted lust. Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul.

The Boleyn Inheritance is a novel drawn tight as a lute string about a court ruled by the gallows and three women whose positions brought them wealth, admiration, and power as well as deceit, betrayal, and terror. Once again, Philippa Gregory has brought a vanished world to life -- the whisper of a silk skirt on a stone stair, the yellow glow of candlelight illuminating a hastily written note, the murmurs of the crowd gathering on Tower Green below the newly built scaffold. In The Boleyn Inheritance Gregory is at her intelligent and page-turning best.

About:

Author: Philippa Gregory

Published: 2006

Pages: 518

Review:

This was the first fictional novel I've ever read centered around the queens Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, and Lady Rochford. I actually enjoyed it, unlike The Other Boleyn Girl.

I found everything pretty believable - the way life at Henry VIII's court was portrayed in the early 1540's, long after Anne Boleyn. I enjoyed the way the author often tied in the 'legacy' of Anne. Overall, this was an enjoyable enough read, but I did have some problems with it - not on historical accuracy, but the way it was written.

I feel as though this story moved a bit too fast; Anne of Cleves arrives in England, Henry is disgusted by her, and after a few conversations with maid-in-waiting Kitty Howard, he declares that he is in 'love' with her. Just as soon as she became queen, Anne of Cleves and the king are divorced, and she is sent to live in the country. Honestly, I feel as though from the start, Jane had little to do with the story, and was just there for the author to make references to Anne Boleyn, who the book was titled after: The Boleyn Inheritance. And then, when Anne of Cleves is divorced and goes to live in the country, she has almost nothing to do with the story, and is quite meaningless to it. 

The story continues to move to fast; in fact, right after Katherine Howard and Henry are married, in a flash, it's over: her adulterous rampages are discovered, the king won't see her, and it's off to the tower for little Kitty Howard, her lovers, and Jane Rochford. Also, I was surprised that this book did not include Katherine running in the Long Gallery to try and see the king before her arrest.

It's hard to say where the climax of this story is, or the resolution, and, again, I feel it went a bit too fast. Perhaps it's because not much is known about Kitty Howard and her reign as queen, other than that, like her cousin Anne, she was beheaded for adultery. While I was left wanting more from this book, I did find it enjoyable, and more accurate than The Other Boleyn Girl, and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys Tudor Era novels, and, of course, has some prior knowledge to 16th century Europe (or you'd be lost as to what is going on!).

Rating:

3 stars/5 stars

The Virgin's Lover

Summary:

As a new queen, Elizabeth faces two great dangers: the French invasion of Scotland, which threatens to put Mary Queen of Scots on her throne, and her passion for the convicted traitor Robert Dudley.

But Dudley is already married, and his devoted wife Amy will never give him up, least of all to an upstart Protestant Princess. She refuses to set her beloved husband free to marry the queen; but she cannot prevent him from becoming the favorite and the focus of the feverishly plotting, pleasure seeking court.

Others too oppose the marriage, but for very different reasons. William Cecil, the queen's wisest counselor, knows she must marry for policy; her uncle hates Dudley and swears he will murder him first. Behind the triangle of lovers, the factions take up their places: the Protestants, the priests, the assassins, the diplomats and the moneymakers. The very coin of England is shaved and clipped to nothing as Elizabeth uncertainly leads her bankrupt country into a war that no-one thinks can be won.

Then someone acts in secret, and for Elizabeth, Dudley and the emerging kingdom, nothing will be as planned.

Blending historical fact with contemporary rumor, Philippa Gregory has created a dark and tense novel of Tudor times, which casts Elizabeth I in a light no one has suggested before. Passionate, fearful, emotionally needy, this is a queen who will stop at nothing.

About:

Author: Philippa Gregory

Year Published: 2004

Pages: 441

Review:

My first novel about Queen Elizabeth I. I've read at least five novels of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and one biography about her, but I've never tried at a historical fiction novel of her. For the most part, I did enjoy this book; I liked the writing style and my attentions were caught early on. Beginning this story, I had high expectations for it, and they were mildly let down.

Firstly, what I disliked about this story. I still feel the author's grudge over Anne Boleyn; I feel it carried on to her daughter, Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I is known for her strength from childhood to queenhood. I don't feel that this novel captured that; it portrays Elizabeth as a dependent, needy, and emotional brat. Also, there is no protagonist in this novel; no antagonist (other than the French, perhaps?). I feel almost as though the author wants you to hate all the characters. Elizabeth, the marriage-destroyer and brat, Robert Dudley, the over-ambitious cuckold, Amy Robsart, the annoying, emotional, and clingy 'inconvinient' wife - while I adore the historical figure of Elizabeth I, I disliked her in this novel, nor did I like Robert Dudley or his wife.

Beyond character portrayals and what not, this book had no plot whatsoever. It was simply a friendship-turned-romance between Elizabeth and Robert, which excited me at first, with some historical events in the background, and it just continued like that. More progress on the war with the French, more progress in Elizabeth's and Robert's relationship: nothing solid really happening. I did enjoy the flirtation between the queen and her master of horse, but after a while, the same sequence of events got pretty boring. Nothing really changes until the end, which I don't want to spoil for you.

What did I like about this novel? I enjoyed the writing and the strong romantic dynamic. I like how the English battles with the French were described in a non-textbook sort of way, and how, since this novel wasn't in first person, you could get inside all the characters' heads! What also interested me was the idea that the Virgin Queen Elizabeth had sexual relations with Robert Dudley. Now I've never even considered Elizabeth having sexual intercourse with anyone, so this was a very interesting theory to me.

Overall, this was an entertaining read with a surprising ending (though not a very strong one - I was left wanting a lot more) and romantic elements. My only problem was that it seemed to just drag on. It didn't follow a plot. But, I would recommend it to anyone curious as to the early years of Queen Elizabeth I's reign.

Rating:

2.5 stars/5 stars

The Other Boleyn Girl

Summary:

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of 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 she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.

A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart.

About:

Author: Philippa Gregory

Year Published: 2001

Pages: 661

Review:

All that I took away from this book, was that Philippa Gregory hates Anne Boleyn (although I can't imagine why), and so to write a book that makes a kind, benevolent, beautiful and purely innocent woman appear a shallow, petty, selfish, stuck-up, and desperate adulteress, she put aside fact and created a work of utter fiction.

I hated this book, honestly. I adore who the Queen Anne Boleyn truly was (not the dark, Hollywood-ized versions of her), and the history of Tudor England, which this book had none of. Another flaw of this novel (one of many) is that Mary Boleyn wasn't such a huge part in Anne's life; sometimes they went years without seeing the other. Henry and her did have a quite infamous affair, but he never acknowledged that Catherine and Henry Carey were his bastards as he did Elizabeth Blount's Henry Fitzroy.

Mary wasn't all that sweet. She was the mistress of two kings (Henry VIII and Francis) after all. When banished from court, she wasn't happy to live the modest life of a farmer's wife - give me a break! She sent a letter begging to be allowed back to court.

Gregory also strongly implies in this book that in Anne's desperation to produce a male heir for Henry, she slept with her own brother and others. This was so untrue. Here are just a few reasons why Anne would never commit adultery:

1) Anne was very religious and did not want to ruin her chances at a happy afterlife by sinning so terribly against her husband and God.

2) She loved Henry and was faithful to him from when they were young and courting, to older and unhappily wed.

(Also, one has to take into account that Henry was desperate for a male heir, and for the younger and perhaps prettier and sweeter Jane Seymour: he would do anything, including charge Anne for adultery, to get rid of her, make Jane his wife, and have sons. Whether Anne was guilty or not, he didn't care. For all we know, he knew Anne was innocent, but he was so terribly desperate for a boy, and perhaps even a touch mad.)

Back to the book though, of course.

Now for the few things I liked about this book. While her portrayals of the characters were terrible and totally inaccurate, I did enjoy her style of writing. (No one can deny Gregory is a fine writer and storyteller). If there was a hint of truth in it, I would have liked this book, I honestly would have. She seemed to write about events happening well enough, although really all this book was, was sex scenes, talk of 'whore tricks,' and other crude things.

I wanted to like this book; I really did, considering it's sadly the most famous, iconic novel of Tudor England/related to Anne Boleyn. It honestly grieves me that, because of this book, so many have the wrong idea that Anne was a bitch and a whore, which she wasn't.

So, to conclude, who would I recommend The Other Boleyn Girl to? Perhaps those who already have their minds made up about hating Anne Boleyn. This book would be perfect for you. But, to those with common sense and who enjoy real historical fiction, I would recommend not reading this book. Especially to Anne Boleyn fans; it would really just be too painful to read how she was portrayed in this book. I know it was painful to me.

Alas, this book was more fiction than historical fiction.

I am very sorry to those who liked this book; I actually didn't.

Rating:

1 star/5 stars