"Her skin was rather sallow, Anne thought as she studied herself in the silver mirror, and she had too many moles, but at least her face was a fashionable oval. At eleven she had no womanly figure to speak of, but that hopefully would change in the next year or so. "
The young woman who changed the course of history.
Fresh from the palaces of Burgundy and France, Anne Boleyn draws attention at the English court, embracing the play of courtly love. But when the King commands, nothing is ever a game.
Yet Anne has a spirit worthy of a crown - and the crown is what she seeks, at any price. And as she embarks on her perilous course, a kingdom risks being torn apart.
The second of Henry's queens. This is her story.
History tells us how she died. This powerful novel shows her as she lived.
***
I have previously read the first in this series of books, Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, which I enjoyed very much. Therefore, reading this second book in the series was a natural progression.
History tells us so little about women. However, as one would expect from a fine writer such as Alison Weir, she has drawn heavily on the primary sources and has made some very educated interpretations regarding the wives of Henry the VIII in this marvellous series of books.
Her extensive research is evident throughout. The level of detail makes the story wholly credible. It is fiction that reads as if it were fact whilst never losing it's easy readability.
One thing that I really liked is the way that she describes the happenings from the differing perspectives of Henry's queens. I really admire the way that each of the stories seamlessly introduces the next queen into life at court. In the first book, we see the arrival of Anne Boleyn as one of the ladies in waiting to Queen Katherine. Similarly, Jane Seymour is installed as a lady in waiting to Queen Anne, as per the actual historical situation.
However, because the reader already understands the significance that the introduction of these women will have on history, I found becoming really involved in the novel and wanting to warn the queen. Such was my involvement that there were frequent occasions throughout my reading of this book when I wanted to say to Anne Boleyn, "don't do that" or "don't say that" as I understood the future significance of her words and actions.
Writing this series is a hugely ambitious undertaking on the part of the author and she manages, through her writing, to make history a living, tangible experience for the reader.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history or historical fiction. I will be getting my order placed for the third book in the series, Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen, immediately as I can not wait to read about Henry's third queen.
ISBN: 978 1472227669
Publisher: Headline Review
Alison Weir is a British writer of history books and has sold over 2.7 millions books worldwide. She has published eighteen history books, including her most recent non-fiction book, Queens of the Conquest, the first in her England's Medieval Queens quartet. Alison has also published several historical novels, including Innocent Traitor and The Lady Elizabeth.
Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession is her second novel in the Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, which was launched in 2016 to great critical acclaim. Alison is an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces.
*Disclosure: I only recommend books I would buy myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains an affiliate link from which I may earn a small commission.
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