VIII

by H.M. Castor

Destined for greatness; tormented by demons… VIII is the story of Hal: a young, handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead his people. But he is tormented by the ghosts of his family's violent past and, once he rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII. The Tudors have always captured the popular imagination. In VIII, Henry is presented afresh for a new generation of teenage readers.

"Succeeds brilliantly in portraying the troubled soul of Henry from youth to old age." Bookseller Pod

"A real page-turner for older readers." Bookseller

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction, Tudor Period, Royalty, Teen

399 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

H.M. Castor is an accomplished writer and historian who had her first book published when she was fourteen years old. She studied history at Cambridge University and has always been fascinated by the story of Henry VIII. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Bristol, England.

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to think of how to sell this book I would describe it as being along the lines of the Tudor TV series but toned down to be more suitable for a YA audience. I enjoyed every page and thought it was a prime example of how YA historical fiction should be written.

I do get quite a bee in my bonnet whe it comes to YA historical fiction. I get sent a lot of it for review because I am a history teacher and I have found of late that some of the stuff out there is just too weighty and too boring to engage youngsters especially things written about historical events pre 19th century. What I loved about VIII is that it the author seems to know the age range she is writing for (which always helps) and uses story telling in an engaging and effective manner to put across historical events in a way which would be entertaining for teens.

The first thing I liked about the book is that it gave the reader a real sense of historical period and what it would have been like for the main characters to live through the time period without overburdening the reader with lots and lots of tiny and somewhat irrelevant details which can get dull quickly.

If you ask any child to tell you something about Henry VIII they will say one of two things - he was very fat or he had lots of wives which really only scratches the surface. I loved how this book looks more broadly at Henry's life as a whole and considers in more detail his earlier life when he was this gorgeous all powerful ruler. I also liked the sections where it looked in detail at Henry's younger life before he became 1st in line to the throne and showed how he was treated by his family because of this. Yes this book does go through Henry's wives and yes he does become fat but that isn't the sole focus of this book which is what I liked and the reason why I made the comparison The Tudors TV series as it is the only other thing I can think of that has also given a more broad view of Henry's life rather than the more narrow interpretations which are usually given.

Another reason why I liked this book and thought it would be engaging for teens is that it really did capture the drama of the period with all the political intrigue that would have surrounded Henry as he threw his weight around trying to get his own way in areas such as his marriages and religion, when trying to wage wars with France and at home in the way he ruled his country in the ruthless manner he did.

Definitely a book I would highly recommend both as blogger and a history teacher. A brilliant example of how Historical Fiction can be used to engage people with historical events and personalities.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, to get one’s teeth again into a Farinata, a Henry VIII, or even a Hitler! There was real crackling there; something to crunch; a rage, an egotism, a cruelty only just less robust than our own. It put up a delicious resistance to being devoured. It warmed your innards when you’d got it down.
~C.S. Lewis, “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” (emphasis mine)

A vibrant mix of historical fiction, horror, and abnormal psych, VIII is on every level a success.

Jump inside the head of little Prince Hal, hiding with his mother in the Tower of London as other claimants to the throne rise against his father. Here something goes terribly wrong, something the poor child cannot verbalize. As he grows up, he ignores red flags, gives in to paranoia, and becomes emotionally frozen as a damaged, erratic adolescent. Was King Henry VIII doomed, or did he have a choice all along?

H.M. Castor describes the sixteenth-century characters and setting in a hyper-modern style, first-person and present-tense with short chapters. The dialogue is a lot less formal or longwinded than it probably would have been back then. Yet the book never feels inauthentic—Castor clearly did her homework, and peppers the book with details of daily life then that firmly ground the story in its world. The characters sound not that different from us today, yet their mindsets are right in sync with their own era. The author has cleaned the window between the present and the past, but has not broken it.

Content Advisory
Violence: The reader witnesses a young Henry get beaten up by his brother and the brother’s guards on one occasion, and twice he is beaten by his father. As an adult, Henry can be physically abusive to anyone who catches him in a temper—he seems to save his worst strikes for Anne Boleyn, but even his darling son Edward is attacked. Henry hallucinates about having to kill a hideous dragon. Off-page, executions take place, never described in any detail.

Sex: Young Hal and his friends make a few crude jokes about Arthur and Catherine of Aragon, implying that he’s impotent and she has…er…a Y chromosome. Henry brings Anne to a treasure room and wants to make out with her, but to his great confusion, she’d rather plot against her enemies. Later he accuses her of adultery, included incest with her own brother, and makes himself believe it. Henry seduces Jane Seymour off-page. Also off-page is an affair between Henry’s gentleman-in-waiting Tom Culpepper and wife #5 Katherine Howard.

Language: There’s a few historically-accurate profanities scattered throughout. Most of the infrequent cussing is Hal and pals enjoying potty humor.

Substance Abuse: True to the time period, everyone drinks beer because the water is filthy. However, we rarely see anyone actually drunk.

Nightmare Fuel: Henry is haunted throughout his life by a grotesque creature, a human-looking being neither living nor dead, with a grey, sunken face and reddish-blond hair like Henry’s own. The being seems to grow along with him—although it stops aging at his mental age, rather than his physical age. At first he takes it for the ghost of one of his uncles, the two famous princes who were likely murdered in the Tower.

Politics and Religion: As his spirit leaves his dying body, Henry notes that there is a draft of unpleasantly warm air below him that seems to get hotter and hotter, implying quite strongly that he’s going to Hell.

Conclusions
VIII is an ambitious project. Not only does it utilize modern vocabulary and storytelling tricks to draw today’s adolescent reader close to Renaissance historical figures. It successfully makes you empathize, and sympathize, with one of the most notorious tyrants in history. The book is hardly excusing Henry’s bloody deeds, but it dares the readers to see themselves in him, that every human being has the same potential for evil.

For who among us could fail to pity a child, abused by father and brother, hiding in a dungeon with his mother (the selfsame dungeon where his mother’s brothers quite possibly met their ends)?
It is here that Henry first sees the thing that will haunt him ever after, the personification of his fears and wounds. At first he believes the being to be the ghost of one of his missing uncles, but when questioned it denies this. As Henry becomes more and more delusional and violent, the creature gets stronger.

It’s worth noting, too, that he is not necessarily a reliable narrator. The real-life man’s mercurial temper is portrayed quite accurately here, as well as his remarkable ability to shift blame onto whoever is most convenient. Towards the end of the book he is far, far adrift from reality—he speaks of Tom Culpepper and Kate Howard as if he were their peer, and while it’s obvious to the reader why teenaged Katherine preferred handsome young Tom to her corpulent, gouty old husband, it comes as a terrible shock to Hal, implying that he usually sees his trim younger self when he looks in the mirror.

This novel is as sad as it is thrilling. Castor says that the question that led to this book was “How could such a good kid turn into the monster history remembers?” (I paraphrase). And indeed, the reader watches Henry transform from a brilliant lad who just wants to prove himself to his wretched father and save his brother’s pretty widow, to an egomaniac obsessed with empire, projecting his delusional schemes onto his own puny son, who has no hope of fulfilling them. The real tragedy of Henry is his wasted potential. He wanted England to be the greatest empire since Rome, and a cultural center to rival de Medici Florence in its heyday.

Ironically, his goals were realized not by himself, nor by sickly Edward, but Elizabeth, the precocious daughter of Anne Boleyn, and the one child whom Henry never bonded with.

Fast-paced, engrossing, historically-accurate, devoid of the sex and gore so common to Tudor fiction, and with an innovative perspective, VIII is a great read for all history lovers 12 and up.

P.S. The cover model should really have red hair, but that's a nitpick.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still half asleep when I feel strong hands grabbing me.

We all know the story of Henry VIII, the man who left a string of ruined women in his wake in his quest for a son, the huge man staring out from the famous portrait, the man who caused Britain to be torn apart in religious conflict to divorce his wife. But at one point, that man was a boy. A boy who was never supposed to be king, a boy who only wanted to be a knight, a boy who loved his mother. What happened to that boy to turn him into the man known to history?

I would give the first half of the book 4 stars and the second half of the book 2 stars so I split the difference and gave it 3 stars. The first part was great. It was awesome seeing Henry as he might have been as a boy. It was very easy to see how he became the tyrant he was believed to be. The early relationship between Henry and Catherine was very intriguing and I really found myself rooting for them even knowing how their story ends. The supernatural element was very intriguing and a bit terrifying.

Sadly, the second half of the book was disappointing. I did not know the book was going to cover Henry's life to the bitter end, but it did and that is quite an undertaking for a 400 page book. As a result, the last part of the book was very rushed and disjointed (probably trying to illustrate Henry's dissent into madness, which incidentally was not explained all that well). The supernatural part was still there, but again with not nearly the explanation I would want. The narrative did not seem well-connected, the Henry in the 2nd half seemed completely different from the Henry of the first half. I would have loved some years in the chapter headers especially since sometimes years would pass between one chapter and the other. Its weird that occasionally a chapter would begin with "3 years later" or something, but most would give you no context at all.

I liked the book well enough but I don't know if it would appeal to teens, especially with the rushed 2nd half. I think I would have liked it better if it ended when he became king and then had an epilogue alluding to what happened next. It was an interesting book and I would have loved if the supernatural element had been a bit stronger. I would recommend the book to those interested in Henry VIII, just know that some parts are a little frustrating.

Scavenger hunt: ghost

[Ryn Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young Hal is the spare son, unnoticed, unloved and unnecessary beside his elder brother Arthur, who will someday be the king. Yet Hal is robust and charismatic, charming people and attracting attention wherever he goes. When as a young boy, he hears a prophecy that states York will be King, he is certain he has found his destiny. So begins H.M. Castor’s tale of Henry VIII from his innocent boyhood through his rise to power and his passion for two things: an Empire and sons. Through intensive research and careful crafting, Castor creates a believable and sympathetic young Henry and follows him through his kingship and into his degeneration into the infamous ruler the world now remembers.

Above all, the story is well-researched. Castor’s lifelong personal fascination with Henry VIII has allowed her to wrestle with the difficult questions of how a bright and energetic young man could become a paranoid, despotic tyrant. Castor handles this story with sensitivity and believability, including a suggestion of spectral madness that adds the mildest thrill of horror to this historic tale. A must-read for fans of Tudor history and a strong addition to any historical fiction collection.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess a lot of readers are fascinated by the Tudor family, myself included. This is a great way to get an insider view of the dramatic sixteenth century in England, when one man's megalomania changed history. Castor starts with Henry in his youth, when he was a handsome, skilled warrior, frustrated in his role as the second son. Henry believes fervently that he is destined to rule as one of England's greatest kings. At seventeen years-old, he gets his chance.

The focus on his youth, filled with jousting and jovial friendships, is fresh. Castor establishes a character basis for Henry's later outrages, such as his break with the Catholic Church and his infamous six marriages. There is just enough detail to really educated young readers without getting bogged down. Castor says that her next book will focus on the rules of Henry VII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Lots more intrigue ahead!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book,not only for the wonderfully woven story but also for all it taught me of a period of history that I love. The story was so accessible and the characters so well drawn. The visions Henry kept seeing gave the book a real sinister and spine-tingling tone which really captured the imagination. A real page turner that I really didn't want to put down-a fabulous read!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book free at ALA Midwinter.

I have to say that I whipsawed back and forth and back again with this book. When I first picked it up I was giddy, elated, crazy to have it in my hand. I'm a bit of a Tudor fan, you see, and this sounded so wonderful I could hardly wait to get home and crack it open.

Then I started it and it was... first person? Present tense? Really? Ack. (I'm going to hate this book, I think.)

But there was Elizabeth of York. And that precious boy, talking in a voice that rang true. Okay, maybe it will be all right after all.

Then there were GHOSTS? Are you kidding me with the ghost of the princes in the Tower? and I thought oh, I hate this book.

But there was Catherine, complex and interesting followed by Anne, even more complex and interesting. And poor Jane, ahh, poor sweet Jane. And so on. The ghosts continued to reappear, but after Anne they started to almost make sense.

The last half of the book went like a whirlwind, which some reviewers have taken issue with. I suspect they are young readers, though, because from where I sit, I can state with full authority that the last half of all our books goes like a whirlwind.

Ultimately, despite the (see spoilers, above) and the pacing and the present tense, I loved this book. Historically accurate yet fantastically imagined, I recommend it to Tudor fans of every age.

[Kristin Taggart]

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“Hal is a young man of extraordinary talents, astonishing warrior skills, sharp intelligence, and a fierce sense of honor and virtue. He believes he is destined for greatness. His father wishes he would disappear. Haunted by the ghosts of his family’s violent past, Hal embarks on a journey that leads him to absolute power—and brings him face to face with his demons.”

I have an odd fascination with British history, and especially with the Tudor era. So much was changing in the world at that time that much of the historical record reads like the most fantastical novel you could ever hope to pick up. Unfortunately, there are a lot of gaps in our knowledge where documentation is slim or nonexistent. One of those periods is the childhood of King Henry VIII. Never meant for the throne, he was forced into the role of ruler due to the death of his older brother Arthur.

I’ve read many novels about this time period, most notably ones by Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir. Most of what I’ve read has also focused on the women, so outside of the non-fiction that I’ve also read, I didn’t ever get a feel for what we do know about Henry’s early years. Castor attempts to imagine some of those details, extrapolating from what we do know, and also tries to account for how a shining paragon of English royalty turned into the tyrant that we all know and love to hate.

The author’s success at this endeavor is mixed, to say the least. Castor set herself a hard task: show Henry as a bright, intelligent child and get us to care about him despite what we know he will do, and then show his descent without losing the characterization that she already set up. In this, she succeeds. Henry as a boy is shaped by those around him and by the circumstances in which he finds himself. Castor takes an interesting tack in painting Henry VII as a cruel and domineering father, and although there’s no evidence of this historically, it does play pretty well into Henry’s character makeup.

The author also excels at giving readers a sense of the world as it existed in the late 1400s to mid-1500s. The author has obviously done a ton of research, and even state in an author’s note that just about everything she described in the novel was found in the inventory of Henry’s possessions at his time of death. Knowing that lends a strong air of historical reality to the narrative.

What I didn’t think worked all that well was the pacing. Henry’s life before his father’s death takes up just a few pages shy of half the book. Another 120 pages cover from his coronation to his divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. His tempestuous marriage to Anne Boleyn lasts for around 50 pages. The final 52 pages cover his last four wives and his death. By the end, the author is omitting major chunks of time, and wives three through six are hardly mentioned.

The greater missed opportunity here lies in what the author said was her goal: to not only explore Henry’s younger years, but to show his progression from favored youth to cruel dictator. And if you know anything about history, you know that it’s not just his treatment of his wives in which he shows his colors. Castor missed some golden opportunities to delve into his general callousness. The executions of Bishop Fisher and Thomas More only get a brief mention, and yet they shook the world when they happened. The Pilgrimage of Grace, the Northern rebellion in which Henry promised to pardon the participants and then executed the leaders, isn’t even mentioned specifically—just a few words about the north being filled with rebellion that needs to be constantly put down. Henry’s cruelty cut across all aspects of life, and confining it to his treatment of his wives is, in my opinion, too narrow.

I could have done without the supernatural element, because it wasn’t handled very well. From a young age, Henry sees visions of a boy with straw-colored hair who is often crying with pain and obviously suffering. Henry continues to see this specter throughout his life, usually right before some of his most traumatic losses. Its first appearance is in the Tower of London, where young Henry has just found out about the “Princes in the Tower”, the young princes who were imprisoned there and vanished, presumably murdered. The story sort of leads you to believe that the apparition is one of the princes, but that doesn’t turn out to be the case. Since the author said that she wanted to show how Henry was haunted by the demons of his family’s past, the way things play out didn’t make sense to me.

There was a lot to like in this novel, especially the attention to historical detail. I did, however, feel that the author could have tightened her pacing and really explored Henry’s character. He’s a deliciously cruel, terribly controlling man, and his actions form a tale that could give a sensitive reader nightmares. I went through this book in a single day, but I kept having the nagging feeling that it could have reached even higher. VIII might be a good introduction to Henry’s character, but the meat of his reign is ignored.

This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on September 3, 2013.
http://www.owlcatmountain.com/viii/

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Castor takes the currently popular theory that Henry VIII was insane and runs with it to tell Henry’s whole life for Henry’s own POV.

What is here is good – put overall it feels as though it is missing some pieces. The story skips over a few significant parts of his story in order to cram all 55 crazy years in there. On the one hand, it makes sense towards the end as he really starts to go over the deep end, but on the other hand, it feels rushed and again, like parts were left out.

What was good was showing Henry was very much of his time when people were always on the lookout for signs of God’s favor or displeasure and it becomes understandable, from Henry logic, at least, why he was so convinced he and God where so tight.

Throughout the story Henry is haunted by a vision that serves as a thick highlight of his madness, but it really could have been fleshed out more. It was annoying to be left with that same but-what-does-it-mean? feeling like when you finish watching ‘Lost’.

So, overall, a fresh new take on the life of Henry VIII, but could have used a few more chapters, especially at the beginning during young Henry’s formative years.

[aprille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wandered into Big W tonight, with 20 minutes to find a book.

After wading through the miles of wasted paper in their book section, I came up with this:

Dear Big W,

YA fiction does not automatically mean 'paranormal romance'.

Sincerely,
I want to read something GOOD.

Finally I found VIII (which, I've now figured out, is the number 8). I picked it up, read the blurb, flicked open a few pages and decided to buy it.

I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this book. I finished this in a few hours, accompanied by a beer and chinese food.

VIII follows the story of Henry VIII, and documents his decent into madness. The story begins with him as a small child, and the author managed to convey the voice of a child through first person, which I always feel is an achievement.

From there, we follow him through adult hood, and the changes he has to grow accustomed to. I won't give too much away, but you really do feel as though you're right there with him.

Meticulously researched and well written, I recommend this book to anyone thinking of reading it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forget the Henry VIII that you know, king and tyrant this is Henry VIII the spoiled brat.

[Cindee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book an interesting story of Henry the VIII from the time he was a child to the monster he became by the end of his life. Hal's voice telling the story is really interesting because it tells how a boy became something so very horrible. The was interesting the beginning flowed very but the later parts of the story were rushed because there is over 50 years of history to put in it. So overall I thought this was a likable book.

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks

"VIII" by H.M. Castor tells the story of a young boy named Hal who is haunted by the ghosts of his family's violent past. Though his older brother is next in line to become king, Hal is planning his own course to restore the glory of England. And he is destined to become one of England's most notorious kings---King Henry VIII.

Not many authors of historical fiction focus on Henry VIII. Most authors focus on the six wives or people who surrounded Henry. The reason probably is due to the fact that Henry VIII is a complicated man to understand. There's no real proof why he behaved in the manner that he did. What H.M. Castor does with this book is to explore Henry's early life, explore his relationship with his mother and father. Castor also sets up Henry's obsession with two things: empire and sons. Henry believes he can't bring England to glory without these two things.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, which primarily focuses on Henry, or Hal, as a child and then a teenager. I loved the exploration of Hal's relationship with his parents. There's his father, Henry VII, who is a tough man to love, a man who took the crown because his predecessor, Richard III, was killed in battle. There is no love between Hal and his father. To his father, he is just the spare, while his brother Arthur is groomed and prepared to be the next king. Then there's Hal's relationship to his mother, a mother who loves him. Elizabeth grew up during the War of the Roses, she experienced the civil war firsthand, and she even lost her brothers who mysteriously vanished, their fates unknown. The marriage between his mother and father had nothing to do with love, but with stopping the civil war and uniting their two families. So Hal learns early of his family's violent past and that they walk a very thin line, facing rebellions and pretenders to the throne. Hal believes it's his grand destiny to restore England. I wish the whole novel had been entirely about young Henry. I found the first half of the book the most interesting, and in some way, something unique and different to read about since so many books explore the old, hateful Henry VIII. There was so much that Castor could have explored further, so much potential to just stick to young Hal and allow the reader to feel in the rest of the blanks. Because after Hal's childhood, once he's crowned king, it just feels like a textbook of events as the novel introduces each wife and Henry's increasing mania over begetting sons. Seriously, each wife has a few chapters, if even that, and none of them are particularly exciting. I guess what I would have like Castor to have explored more would be things like Hal's relationship to his brother, Arthur. Arthur is barely in this book. Would have been a great opportunity to showcase Arthur. And even though the book does explore quite heavily Hal's relationship with both his mother and father, I still feel like there was so much more there to deal with that could have provided for plenty of material.

I think one of the most interesting things Castor does with this book is having Hal tormented by the image of this boy. No one sees this boy but Hal, and the boy plagues Hal through his entire life. As the reader you are constantly questioning the identity of this boy and you pick up that the boy appears every time something bad is about to happen. Probably one of the most unique and original story elements Castor does in the whole book.

Overall, I did like the book. Nothing outstanding about it. The writing is a bit subpar on occasion. This is a book written for younger readers, or teenagers (there are instances of langauge and violence, but nothing overly graphic or sexual). I think the target demographic is for those who know little to nothing about the Tudors and this is a nice starting point before heading into more mature, detailed books on the Tudors by authors like Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, Jean Plaidy or Margaret George. So I don't recommend this for die hard fans of the Tudors, because this will probably be disappointing and dull on occasion. But then again, if you want to see a perspective of Henry as a child/teenager, then by all means, pick this up, because those parts are definitely worthwhile.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5-the ending really lifted this one.

Source: Received an e-ARC through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

The Tudor period is one of my favorite times in history and once about which there is a plethora of material. And yet this look at Henry VIII from childhood to death still seemed unique enough to stand out and be worthy of a read.

After finishing, I feel like I received a lot from this book. It is interesting to see how Henry's childhood shapes his future particularly with this first-person narrative guiding us through his life. Though he was born a second son, he does end up succeeding to the throne. He absorbs his father's lesson of having heirs to secure continuity but ignores the warning about practicing thriftiness as he pursues the crown of France. He sees the death of his beloved mother hurt his father but goes on to divorce or kill 2/3 of his wives. Henry is such a complicated, multi-faceted character-it is easy to see how he and his continue to enthrall us after all these centuries.

As usual, Anne Boleyn is pretty much my favorite character. I just want to bring her to our present-I bet she could do great things when her worth isn't based on her ability to produce a son with a particular man. I adore her cunning and ambition and though this isn't my favorite version of Anne, I still enjoyed her.

Some important historical events seemed to be missing to my mind: for instance his affairs with Bessie Blount, resulting in Henry Fitzroy, and Mary Boleyn before his romance with Anne. I think the former would have been especially useful to the narrative, which focuses in large parts on Henry's attempts to ensure the succession and to carve out an empire for his heir. The birth of a son to a mistress gives further proof to Henry that he can father sons and the fact that none are legitimate is the fault of his wives. My memory also brings to mind Charles Brandon, Henry's best friend, who runs off with Henry's sister Mary. This pisses Henry off but the situation is never mentioned in this book, perhaps because Brandon does ingratiate himself again.

I also personally am not very familiar with the War of the Roses and the beginning of Henry's life, having tended to read more about his wives and children; thus I found the early chapters very difficult though a bit of googling helped to clear of some points of confusion. They took a long time to get going. Additionally I thought the later chapters were compressed, missing some of the detail of the Catherine/Anne years. This maybe because it covers fewer years but it felt rushed to me.

SPOILER:
I'm not sure this should be classified as a spoiler as people probably know the history but since it occurs in the final pages, I figured I'd keep it secret just in case. Throughout the book Henry is plagued by visions which he assumes mean that he will be an amazing ruler, but which he later interprets as being the fate of his son. At the time of his death though, he discovers it is his second-born child, Elizabeth, who will be the great ruler of England, to his surprise. I just thought it was so cool how this was done although I was also predicting that was the case based on my superior knowledge of British history :)

END SPOILER

Overall: A different take on Henry VIII that should interest fans of the period. Pleased to see that Castor is working on a sequel of sorts, tracing how Henry VIII and other factors impacted the shaping of the personalities of his daughters as well as looking at the complicated sister-sister relationship of Mary and Elizabeth.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The copy for VIII states that it will do "for Henry what Hilary Mantel did for Thomas Cromwell - VIII is Wolf Hall for the teen and crossover market." I don't dispute that VIII most certainly introduces the life of VIII, but I have definite misgivings about the novel.

Key amongst these is the pacing of the novel. Over half of VIII tackled the early life of Henry and his marriage to Catherine, after the death of his brother. The remaining half showed the rest of his reign and the other five wives. In a novel that only just tips 300 pages, that is far too much to try and squeeze into the final half of the book. It made for a very rushed narrative, where Castor was unable to really showcase the way in which Hal changed from charming young man to absolute tyrant. When this came after such a leisurely opening, it caused me to catch my breath. It also meant that whole swathes of Henry's reign were not even touched upon - the whole monasteries malarkey wasn't even mentioned, and I believe this could and should have been added to the narrative.

The other facet of VIII that I didn't enjoy much was the ghost story/horror element. You have here one of the most famous personalities of all time; one of the most horrific tyrants; one of the most boisterous and downright larger-than-life monarchs - VIII didn't need any embellishments of this sort. It could have stood on its own two feet simply telling the crazy story of this King who beheaded two of his wives and divorced two others; destroyed the monasteries and introduced himself as the Head of the Church. Who needs ghosts when you have all of that actual material?

Lastly on the negative front, I found the style of writing a little odd - first person, but in a present tense e.g. "It's a beautiful morning, and the sunlight makes a halo around my mother's figure as she walks." Because this is such an unusual narrative choice in the novels I read, I found it jarring and that feeling never entirely left me.

Despite this failings, I still found myself entertained enough to read through VIII. Skipping the 'boring' bits and focusing on the soap opera style relationships and tensions of Henry's life definitely made it an interesting read. Castor has a nice flair for narrative (aside from the POV choice) and, for younger readers, it provides a good stepping on point for historical fiction. It has enough historical accuracy to appeal, and presents a decent perspective of Henry and how he became the tyrant we all know.

VIII is a decent stab at historical fiction for younger readers - and, in fact, one of the main failings was not being longer, so that Castor could do justice to the life of Henry VIII. Having said that, through personal preference I'm not sure I could read a longer novel from first person present tense perspective! Castor effectively showcases the monster that Henry is believed to have been, from arrogant young boy through to a man who truly believes he is God's hand on earth. An effective, although rushed, novel.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know much about Henry VIII, apart from that he had six wives and he was fat. I didn't know the order of the wives, only that they were divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Now that I've read VIII though, I feel like I know a lot more.
I haven't read many historical novels, but I love them so much. It doesn't matter what time period, any time will do for me! VIII was probably one of the better ones I have read, because it was so informative and I learned so much about Henry VIII while still making it feel like I was reading a story. Some historical novels I've read in the past have been so full of info that it feels like reading a text book, but not once in VIII did I feel like it was slipping into textbook territory.
The book is split up into parts, and in each part Hal is at a different stage in his life. In the first part, he is the six year old son of the king. He's a very believable six year old. He asks lots of questions about things he shouldn't, says things he shouldn't, and finds himself in places he shouldn't be. I was expecting him to be a child with impeccable manners, as I'd always thought that royal children would have been, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading about a six year old with a sense of adventure, instead of a boring little boy who does exactly what he's told.
In the next part however, Hal becomes a little big headed, and I think that it's then that his arrogant self starts to emerge. Castor effortlessly changes Hal from a silly six year old into a sensible ten year old, and then throughout the book he gets older and more arrogant. It was really interesting though, because as a person looking at him he seems full of himself, but if you look at him as he looks at himself, you see that he is just trying to be a person that people look up to and admire, and that the things he does are what he believes to be right, because he sees himself as ultimately a good person, and God's chosen one, and therefore every one else must be evil.
Even though I knew where the story was going with his six wives, it was still my favourite part of the book. I loved reading about all his different wives, and finding out why he married each one, and what he saw them as. It interested me far more than the jousting and fighting scenes, which got a little repetitive, but I'm pretty sure that's just me...
Overall, I really enjoyed VIII. I think it's great for all historical fiction fans, whether you're a young or old or in between. It's a great way to subtly learn about Henry VIII in a fun way. It's interesting, gripping, and one of the best historical fiction books I've read this year.

Originally posted at www.cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com

[~Bellegirl91~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had this weird fascination with King Henry VIII's story for some reason and loved to learn about his era and the Tudor family. I'm finally getting hooked on the Tudors on Netflix and also had already read three out of six of Philippa Gregory's Cousins War series (White Queen) so I was glad I was already familiar with some names at the beginning of VIII.
I really enjoyed reading in Henry's point of view in first person and neat to wonder what he was probably thinking and how he became who he was and why he did what he did. Now, we'll NEVER know what he was thinking but it was interesting to put this in his point of view and have him tell his story. So this is what I got out of it.

To me I saw a young scared boy of his father and older brother and knowing he's a backup and if Arthur had sons he's off the line for the throne. But of course we know his brother dies and he is next in line but I think personally that Henry was so hellbent on becoming this GREAT king and wanting a son/sons he let his ego get in he way and let his human nature side take over and became this ruthless King.
I did feel for him and he was deceived by Anne Boleyn but I think after Jane's death and having his son finally, he was too cautious and too protective of his son that he didn't want anything bad happen to Edward and didn't love his daughters as much.

I do however have different opinions on his feelings. Like with Jane Seymour, I believe she was the only one he ended up truly loving since Catherine of Aragon and when she died in childbirth a part of him died. But he was glad he had a son but I still think he had a soft spot for Jane Seymour. He married Kathryn Howard too young so duh she's going to have lovers. She's what, 19 and he's like almost or is about 50? Gross. And in my opinion I think when he finally married Katherine Parr, he was just getting old and tired, his leg was bothering him and just losing his health. I also think even though he had Catherine divorced and Anne killed he still loved his daughters because they were his. I mean, he did let me have the throne after Edward if anything happened to him after all. That's one thing I wasn't happy about at the end. But who really knows what he was really thinking right? It's our own opinion.
But I did enjoy reading this book and getting a little more perspective on Henry VIII and what it was probably like for him. So if you like these kinds of books and historical fiction you'd really like this. Worth reading.

[Kamryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first became enamored with the story of Henry VIII when I read a book about one of his daughters, Elizabeth, in the fourth grade. And yet, the only real mental picture I had of this notorious king was that infamous painting of him standing there in four hundred pounds of robes. Not exactly charming.

I read this novel in one sitting after my friend–who has an opinion of books that I greatly trust–told me, “I have never gone from cheering for a character to wanting him to have a slow, excruciating death so quickly before.” I can agree with this statement, even if I have a few problems with the book.

Goodreads summarizes it as follows:

Destined for greatness; tormented by demons… VIII is the story of Hal: a young, handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead his people. But he is tormented by the ghosts of his family’s violent past and, once he rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII. The Tudors have always captured the popular imagination. In VIII, Henry is presented afresh for a new generation of teenage readers.
If I hadn’t previously cared for Henry and my friend’s opinion so much, I probably would have abandoned this book in the first part. I understand why Castor wanted to expand upon his childhood, but that’s not why I picked the novel up! Why is Henry so famous and why do we still talk about him? The wives.

When Catherine of Aragon first entered the scene, things immediately picked up for me. Here is what I had wanted! Hal’s spiraling descent into absolute madness was fascinating. Even if it was despicable, I would understand how he clamored from wife to wife in the hopes of getting a son. It takes true talent for a reader to understand the wickedest of motives.

One of the most fascinating things about Hal’s narrative was how he justified all of his despicable actions because he was the “chosen person of God.” How he was bent upon believing that one of his later wives was a devil, conjured up purely to attack him.

In the end, I would have changed a few pacing tactics, but overall, the narrative was personal and I adored seeing a first-person glimpse into one of the most notorious historical figures of all time.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning really captured me; it was mystical, medevil but at the same time relateable. In fact, I've got no problems whatsoever with the first half, or the first book if you will. But once I got into the second half/second book, I felt as though it would have functioned far better as a sequel, and if I had the option of borrowing them separately, I may have been entirely satisfied with the first and not bothered reading the extension. As it was, I found the second half to be less captivating than the first; I feel the unravelling of Henry's character was too swift and inhumane in regards to the development built up in the first book - I had trouble believing them to be the same character. The ending especially was a little anticlimatic too in retrospect, as if the author was attempting to tie loose ends of the story together as fast as possible. It might seem odd, because while I feel he over-extended by attaching the second book to the first instead of separating them out, I would have liked to see more time taken to flesh out the character unravelling. It was after all in first person POV, so as a reader I had only Henry's POV to rely upon.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all the history involved in this book about Henry the 8th. I was fascinated to see how he grew up since we know what he did when he was king and how many wives he had. I loved seeing how he was treated by his mother and father who both were affected by the War of the Roses. The way him and his brother Arthur treated each other growing up and the love Henry showed Catherine after Arthur died really caught my attention. If only Henry would have been happy with Catherine in the end and not so hell bent on having a son. In the end his daughter Elizabeth became a fierce and powerful Queen. I guess things had to happen the way they did for things to be the way they are now. Overall 4 out of 5 stars. The beginning of the book receives a perfect 5 stars. The end of the book receives 3 stars because I wasnt impressed with the same story of his multiple marriages.

[Laura Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book. I enjoy the topic, but the premise was a little odd, that being that Henry VIII was haunted/tormented by something only he could see, and which only appeared at certain significant times of his life. But these times were significant in odd ways, not so much what history remembers about Henry VIII (or what he might have wanted history to remember about him). The significance is revealed at the very end of the book, and has the result of a cliff hanger. Not enough history to be quite historical fiction, and not enough of this "something" to put it in the paranormal genre.

[Caesar · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Mother kindly gave this to me when I was on a history kick, literature wise. It's the story of King Henry VIII, who's life is well known to anyone who paid attention in basic History. This book is simply retelling his life with an added twist called a prophecy. I'll be honest, I didn't care for this book, I enjoyed it and the end was ok but Henry descent into how he is brutally known was less than interesting. I'll probably donate this instead of adding to my read-shelf

[Beth (bibliobeth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of the infamous Henry VIII, known as "Hal" for the YA market. I didn't realise this was a YA novel but it did not prevent my enjoyment of it and it would probably be a three and a half star rating if I could. Quite an entertaining account of Henry although I did feel it was slightly rushed at the end with the wives. But hey, he did get through a fair few of them!

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new, haunting take on the familiar story of Henry VIII. The first half was excellent covering Henry's early life but I felt as though the second half tried to cover too much ground and I'd have preferred more detail of his later marriages even if it meant a sequel!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just realised this was an accidental re-read when I came to add it to Goodreads after finishing it - whoops! Oh well.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid historical fiction with a fresh look at Henry VIII's younger years. Well written and engaging, with Hal at the center of a dangerous and power-focused court.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got 200 pages into this and just had to set it aside. I found the story repetitive and plodding. Only for those who are fascinated by Tudor England and Henry VIII.

[Martica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars... Interesting but not particularly riveting. I also felt that it was a bit rushed, and wish more time had been devoted to details and transitions.

[Aurele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll start off by saying that I really, really wanted to like this book-- I liked the concept, I really enjoy reading about Henry VIII usually, and I feel like strangely he's one of those figures that has become so larger than life that he's almost become erased, in a way? Or at the very least definitely caricaturized-- so I was really excited to read a fiction book about him that does, actually, start at his beginning: his childhood. No one is born a tyrant, and as Antonia Fraser has stated in her work, while we know that Henry will go on to have six wives, it is important, especially as we examine his early life, to remember that ~he~ did not know that.

The prose in itself was good, not stilted and the pacing and was decent (although, I think maybe this should have been made a series-- Henry's childhood and marriage to COA before the Great Matter are really worth a whole book; there's enough material there for one certainly). I liked the choices made for Anne Boleyn's character later on, his inner thoughts (as this is first POV) were believable to me usually. I enjoyed the inclusion of the anecdote concerning the incident related to Wyatt, Anne's ring and the bowls, and it read as believable to me.

The suggestion that he may have had what he believed to be divine visions was a compelling one, and the description of these visions was beautiful.

On to why I did not give this book more than 2 stars:

I know historic fiction will take license. I know that. However....I really didn't like so many of the choices made here, early on. Historic fiction does not have to be the truth as we read it from documents, but it should be, I think...at least half the truth.

The motivation behind many of these was, I imagine, to make Henry a more sympathetic figure. But even if these were true; it would not justify or excuse much of what he did later in his life. And as there is no reason to believe they are even half-true, this dark, turbulent, troubled childhood of abuse just felt hollow and unecessary-- gratuitous, even.

Elizabeth of York slapping Henry on the mouth is not believable to me.

Henry VII and Arthur Tudor ordering servants to beat Henry constantly is not believable to me, and insulting to their memories. While his relationship with his father was strained, and he may have felt smothered by some of the restrictions he placed on him by him, there is no evidene that it was abusive. And no reason to believe his older brother was abusive to him as well...the Chantry to hold Arthur's tomb at Worcester was finished in 1516, under Henry VIII! If Arthur had been half this abusive towards him, Henry would not have had it finished at all.

In reflection, I'm left wondering (although I have read some YA books about the Tudor era as a teenager and remember enjoying them) if Tudor fiction is really a subject matter that shouldn't be left to adult fiction. I'm torn, because on one hand I know teens and kids like the full immersion in a setting so long ago it feels unreal...and I think they can find things to relate to within the era-- power struggles with parents is timeless, as is sibling rivalry, crushes and flirtations, and having to follow a set of rules.

However, this was an era full of executions and treachery as well as pageantry, and much of courtly love was sexual in nature or at least by implication. The Tudor court was not an all-ages-appropriate arena, and after reading a YA book about it that doesn't do it justice as an adult myself...I wonder if any truly can, based on the limitations it inherently must have to be appropriate for a younger audience.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honesty would give this novel a 2.95 out of 5 stars. I recently just got a promotion at work, so I haven’t been reading as much as I would like. I bought this novel a while back in a Bookoutlet book-haul. I have always been very interested in history since! Henry the 8th has always fascinated me, he’s cunning, ruthless, his marriages and their endings are all so interesting. I bought this novel because first it’s history and second it’s YA. I’m not sure if I just had too much hope for this novel; and that is why I didn’t like it as much as I could have, or maybe just because I know so much about Tudor history. In any case this novel was interesting in the fact that the author jammed as much of Henry’s life from young adulthood to his death in fewer pages than you would think possible, is a feat. All of his marriages are present within the latter half of this novel. This novel became interesting for me once Arthur died, but I would have liked to see more of their conflict played out. I really didn’t enjoy the phantom portion of this novel, and it was a large aspect of it. If someone isn’t too familiar with this portion of Tudor history it would honestly be a great stepping stone to get a glimpse into Henry’s life.