This book is an amazing collection of backstory and history. It took me months to read because I was trying to ration it out since book 6 is still nowThis book is an amazing collection of backstory and history. It took me months to read because I was trying to ration it out since book 6 is still nowhere near publication. The illustrations are stunningly beautiful. If you are even a casual fan of the Song of Ice & Fire series you will be awed by this book....more
Thomas Cromwell is quickly becoming my favorite Tudor figure. He was given such short shrift in other works like the novels of Philippa Gregory and thThomas Cromwell is quickly becoming my favorite Tudor figure. He was given such short shrift in other works like the novels of Philippa Gregory and the series The Tudors. Yet, the way Mantel describes him and his mind make it unbelievable to me that he was push into the wings of these other stories. He comes across as the man behind the curtain, moving the fortunes of Henry and England. This volume in the Cromwell trilogy moved at a brisker pace than the preceding Wolf Hall, perhaps because I was more familiar with the cast of characters after reading the first book. I am eagerly awaiting the final installment. ...more
In all the others work I have read by her, I have found Sharon Kay Penman to be a really engaging storytelling, weaving historical facts seamlessly inIn all the others work I have read by her, I have found Sharon Kay Penman to be a really engaging storytelling, weaving historical facts seamlessly in with human drama. But in this case I feel like the story was too disjointed. This book is ostensibly about Justin's attempts to figure out who murdered a 15 year old girl in the local cemetery. Justin and the his neighbors on Gracechurch street live an interesting life and are interesting characters in their own right, so I don't know why Penman felt obligated to continue the exploration of the dynamics between John and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine (which she is clearly an expert on)in this story. The mystery that Justin is exploring has nothing to do with the machinations of the court. Therefore, the two stories have no intersection except for Justin's presence in both. At one point Justin completely drops the case of the murdered peddler's daughter to run off to the siege of Windsor castle. When the siege is over the story returns to focus solely on the murder. It was like jumping from one show to another when channel surfing.Both stories where interesting, but the flow of the novel as a whole was so uneven, that it made this a much slower and less satisfying read than her other works....more
This is historical fiction, heavy on the history. But I don't want to give the impression that is a bad thing, it was in fact one of the things that IThis is historical fiction, heavy on the history. But I don't want to give the impression that is a bad thing, it was in fact one of the things that I loved most about this book. Ms. Penman does a wonderful job of working in a surprising amount of detail about political and living condition in the 12 century as well as facts about the lives of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her sons Richard and John. The story centers around Justin de Quincy, who is the illegitimate child of a Bishop. He was raised with all the education of a young knight, but suddenly finds himself without a home or direction when his parentage comes to light. As he wanders toward London he becomes witness to a murder and the dying man asks Justin to take over a mission to Queen Eleanor. From there a tale that combines both a murder investigation and political intrigue unfolds. It was a enthralling tale, that kept you wondering right up until the end. All the history made it a slightly denser read than a more pulp-fiction style mystery, but it was so worth the extra cognitive effort. Eleanor is both an amazing character and an amazing historical figure. Penman's depiction of her makes me want to run right out and get her books that center on Eleanor's life. ...more
In this installment of the Tudor court saga Gregory has 3 different characters narrate the story from their own point of view. This has the potential In this installment of the Tudor court saga Gregory has 3 different characters narrate the story from their own point of view. This has the potential to make for a very interesting story, but the book was so repetitive because each of the characters was so one dimensional. Allow me to save you the time.
Jane Boleyn: I've seen it all before. Doesn't anyone else remember George and Anne. I'm going to get back the power they used to have.
Anne of Cleaves: My brother is a crazy tyrant, the king is a crazy tyrant. I want to be free like a falcon.
Katherine Howard: I am a vapid teenage who likes boys, dresses, and being pretty.
The characters harp on these themes every time the narration shifts to them. The historical facts should have made this one of the more interesting reads as Henry grows more and more unstable, but instead this book is a tediously long read. ...more
The thing that I love about historical fiction is feeling like I'm learning something while I'm enjoying a great story. This book did not do a very goThe thing that I love about historical fiction is feeling like I'm learning something while I'm enjoying a great story. This book did not do a very good job of incorporating the history into the story, which surprised me since Gulland did such an amazing job of that with her Josephine trilogy. This book amounted to little more than a romance novel that happened to have Louis XIV as a character....more
Fans of Barron's other work might feel lukewarm about this book. The central mystery was interesting enough, but the book as a whole was far more violFans of Barron's other work might feel lukewarm about this book. The central mystery was interesting enough, but the book as a whole was far more violent than the Jane Austen mysteries. The cruelty of the central villain is a little disconcerting at times. I also found the chapters written from Queen Victoria's perspective to be redundant by the end of the book. Despite this the book is still a page turner....more
I enjoyed this so much more than The Other Boylen Girl. It was a much more nuanced story than the other. I thought that the portrayal of Katherine as I enjoyed this so much more than The Other Boylen Girl. It was a much more nuanced story than the other. I thought that the portrayal of Katherine as a determined woman sets her up as a great early feminist role model....more
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