Henry

The Tudor Trilogy #3

by Tony Riches

Would you become King of England... If you had to win the crown by conquest? Henry Tudor’s victory over King Richard III at Bosworth is only the beginning. Can he end the Wars of the Roses through marriage to the beautiful Princess Elizabeth - and unite the warring houses of Lancaster and York? Resentment, treachery, rebels and pretenders threaten Henry’s throne. It seems his prayers are answered, then disaster strikes and Henry must ensure the future of the Tudors. The third book in the international best-selling Tudor trilogy is based on actual events of courage, adventure, and belief in the destiny of the Tudor dynasty. If you like the human stories behind medieval history, this is the book for you. Finalist for the Amazon Storyteller Award "A fine end to a superbly researched and well-written trilogy, one I would recommend to anyone with an interest in this period of history." Best-selling author Terry Tyler "Henry was a hazy, cold impression in my mind, but Tony Riches fills him out, gives him intelligence, compassion, human frailty, and a consuming love of country, and I ended the book with great admiration for this man." Author Noelle Granger Henry - Book Three of the Tudor Trilogy tells the story of the Tudors in the historical fiction tradition of C J Sansom, Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Tudor Period, Medieval

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2017

About the author

Tony Riches is a full-time author from Pembrokeshire, West Wales, an area full of inspiration for his writing.

Best known for his Tudor Trilogy, Tony's other international best sellers include 'Mary - Tudor Princess, 'Brandon - Tudor Knight' and 'Katherine - Tudor Duchess'.

In his spare time Tony enjoys sailing and sea kayaking. Visit Tony's website at www.tonyriches.com, Tony Riches Author on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @tonyriches.

Reviews

[Erika Messer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite of the three books, but only because I LOVE the story of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV and their daughter Elizabeth of York marrying Henry Tudor, uniting the houses of Lancaster and York and creating a dynasty that would not last forever as far as the throne went, but DID create 2 of the most famous monarchs ever to grace the throne of England. And of course gave us the first and second Queens of England, Mary I and Elizabeth I. Henry VII was born to be King and he was raised to be King as well by his uncle Jasper. He didn't have much contact with his mother Margaret Beaufort while he was young, but when he became King of England, she was at his side for everything - to advise him, and she even had adjoining rooms in the palace. Margaret Beaufort is usually painted as a hateful and unhappy woman and of course jealous of her daughter-in-law Elizabeth, however I believe that Margaret was a strong-willed, independent and religious woman who never wavered in her belief that someday she would see her son on the throne of England. She never lost faith and she is one woman that I admire greatly.

Everything I have ever read or seen about Henry VII told me that he was a very intrepid King who bowed down to everything his mother wanted, and the story does start off that way - as Henry tells us in his own words that he didn't want to be King. He did not expect it. However he does share his mother's faith that it was God's will that put him on the throne. And his mother brokered the deal to marry him to Elizabeth of York in order to unite the 2 houses and finally bring peace to England. Little did she or anyone else know that her son and daughter in law would become legends - but not because of what THEY did - but because of what their children did. King Henry VIII is one of the most well known monarchs ever, and his daughter Elizabeth I is by far the most well known female monarch and the mother of Protestant England. One thing I noticed about Henry in this book was that in most things I have read he is not a really nice guy, he pretty much does whatever his mother wants and is ruthless. However this book paints him in a totally different light - one of vulnerability and deep feelings, of being humane and yet strong through all of this. Many sources state that his relationship with Elizabeth was tempestuous and lonely - but here we see Henry as a man in love with the woman he is married to and in awe of her beauty and charisma. She was after all a York Princess, her father was King and by all accounts she had been in love with her Uncle Richard, who was dethroned and killed by Henry's army. But she seems just as in love with Henry as he is with her. All the while I had to wonder if she was pretending to love him in order to get her mother's status and money back, but it seems as if she really did love him. After all, they had Arthur, Henry, Mary and Margaret for heirs and immediately began planning for Arthur's succession and marriage. This book takes us up through the marriages of Mary and Margaret, as well as the marriage of Arthur and his untimely death and how Princess Katheryn of Aragon was treated after his death. Henry does seem much more heartfelt towards Katheryn than history leads us to believe, much kinder.

I love the way this book portrays the marriage of Henry and Elizabeth, the way they are with their children and the mutual love they share for the good of England. They of course don't know what is in store for their sons or daughters, but they work together as a team which is perfect for a King and Queen. Unfortunately their son Henry did not get that particular gene, he only believed that having a son was important. And I also love the way Henry begins to gravitate more towards his wife than his mother for advice on things. Again, totally different take on the story we have all heard. The one thing I did notice was that when the "boy" who claims to be Edward's son and heir and also Elizabeth's younger brother comes into the picture, she questions him but also stands by her man. This book also shows the ultimate sacrifice his mother made for him and her determinedness to keep him safe and keep his faith intact. The book ultimately ends with of course the death of King Henry VII. Anyone who is a fan of this history will know well what happens and there are really not spoilers in this book as it goes along with the real history very well from what I could tell. I give it another 5 stars, I think this was my favorite out of all 3 books, but I honestly cannot wait to read the other books by Tony Riches. So grab a copy of these today and read some fantastic historical fiction on the Tudor dynasty in England.

[English · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find Henry VII (Tudor) is one of the most monarchs who is much misunderstood, even (dare I say?) maligned.
This book wraps up the Tudor Trilogy, which began with the story of Owen Tudor, the Welsh Squire who married a widowed Queen, and the second instalment recounts the life of Jasper, his son and father figure of the young Henry.

I find the Tudors a fascinating family long before they got to the throne. It's interesting to note that even today, there is a decidedly xenophobic note in historical perceptions of the family. They're seen as "lesser" because of their Welsh heritage, or their Welsh royal blood "doesn't count" because they weren't Plantagenets. Ironic really- since the Plantagenets were descended from a French nobleman and the Normans.

This book recounts the life of Henry, from his ascension to his death. Henry here holds a secret- he never wanted to be King. From there we get a personal portrait of the titular figure which mostly focuses on his personal life though there are some inevitable breaks chronicling the various wars and rebellions.

Henry gets a sympathetic hearing here, from the young man who fell in love with the York Princess he was expected to marry, to the man who really just wanted stability and love and was thrust into rule by his family after his turbulent childhood.

Is it accurate? Yes, I think I it, from my (admittedly limited) knowledge of Henry I believe it does accurately represent the major events of his reign. Are there better novels about Henry that focus more on the political events? Probably, but I liked this one.

A good, short read for those who like Historical Fiction (a warning to my followers who are more used to Inspy Fiction for some sexual references and content).

[Mary Yarde · Rating 5 out of 5]

King Richard III is dead. Long live the King...

Henry Tudor has a secret. He never wanted to be king. But now, thanks to his family's ambition, and victory at Bosworth, Henry finds himself King of England.

Henry wants to bring peace to this war-torn country. The only way to do this is to unite the House of Lancaster with the House of York and thus put an end to this madness. Henry's marriage to Edward IV's daughter, Elizabeth, would unite the land. But this is a time of great uncertainty as well as unrest. Henry soon comes to realize that it is not just his throne that is threatened by the whispers of York rebellion, but his young family as well.

Henry (Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy), opens at the close of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and ends with Henry's death in 1509. I have read several interpretations of Henry's life before, but Henry (Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy) keeps very close to the history. It doesn't sensationalist Henry, for better or worse, as others authors have done. I really like the way Tony Riches has portrayed King Henry. He is a very well-rounded character and totally believable. Bravo, Mr Riches.

I thought Henry's relationship with Elizabeth was beautifully portrayed. Mr. Riches shows that what started out as a political alliance soon grew into a love match. Henry clearly adored her and his children, and this came across in the telling.

I loved the portrayal of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby. She's depicted as Henry's rock, the one he could turn to, especially after his Uncle Jasper's death. I was pleased to see that Mr. Riches didn't follow the modern trend of portraying Margaret as this power-crazed mad woman. Yes, she was certainly fundamental in her son taking the throne of England, but once Henry was crowned, Margaret became a valued member of the court and Henry's inner circle. Margaret always seemed to know what needed to be done. But as efficient as she was, Mr. Riches also portrayed Margaret as a loving grandmother, and she seemed to care very deeply for her daughter-in-law.

I think The Tudor Trilogy series is fabulous and you don't need to read them in order if you don't want to. It is a must read for readers who love the Tudor era.

I Highly Recommend.

[Sam C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find quite interesting how the approach of the story and its development changes from one author to other and from one character to other even if they're referring to the same pair of characters.

I previously read about Elizabeth and this time I read about Henry and thought with different styles and observations we still get some of the same essence of the story, I really enjoy watching the contrast and difference between the story of these characters and I like that despite of it all the love that grew between them is present in every work about them.

I enjoyed this reading a lot, I think the style of the author is very fluid and allows you to understand more about Henry but without being to loaded or heavy.

An excellent work!

[Kirsten Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good for someone who's not the biggest fan of Henry VII (though I know he wasn't entirely bad or anything). The only part I didn't like is that they made Elizabeth of York seem like she was okay with everything Henry ever did except somehow Katherine Woodville's marriage was the only thing that annoyed her? But it did make you appreciate Henry a bit more.

(Note: I'm fairly -but not entirely- certain that i read this book earlier this year. I truly don't remember)

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third and final book in The Tudor Trilogy detailing the rise of Henry VII. It was a quick and easy read however at times I did find that the book went too fast between certain events.
Overall, I enjoyed all three books in this series.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I reviewed this as a member of Rosie Amber's Review Team, via an ARC, but I'm a big fan of this author so I would have bought it anyway. I adored the second part of the Tudor Trilogy, Jasper, and was looking forward to this last part.

I love Plantagenet and Tudor history, but Henry VII is one of the characters I knew less about; I've always thought of him, I suppose, as a not very interesting link between the wars of York and Lancaster, and the great era of the eighth Henry and Good Queen Bess. This book showed, though, that the uniting of the two houses to end the Wars of the Roses, after Henry defeated Richard III at Bosworth and married Elizabeth of York, was far from the end of the story. He then had to deal with kingship itself, something that his mother, Margaret Beaufort, had always assured him was his right, though he was not one who sailed gallantly into such a role. His reign was beset by troubles with the Yorkist rebels, imposters like Perkin Warbeck, the Cornish rebellion, financial difficulties, and tragedy within his own family, with the deaths of children Edmund and Katherine and, of course, Prince Arthur ~ which gave way to the reign of the most famous of all English kings, Henry VIII.

I liked how Tony Riches has shown us the man behind the sombre portrait, and I warmed to his Henry Tudor very much. Even though some of his problems were of his own making, he seemed like an honest, self-aware, realistic person, rather humble, and very much like his mother ~ the 'Beaufort Steel' is much in evidence, though to my mind it skipped a generation, and didn't come out again until Henry's granddaughter, Elizabeth, was on the throne. Riches writes so well, and I read this book in almost one sitting. So interesting, of course, to read about the young Henry VIII, and I had forgotten the difficulties that came with his desire to marry Catherine of Aragon, his brother's widow. I couldn't help thinking that, given the events some twenty-odd years later, it might have not been meant to be.

Henry's story is not as thrilling as Jasper's, but this is a fine end to a superbly researched and well-written trilogy, one I would recommend to anyone with an interest in this period of history. And don't forget to read the Author's Note!

[Amy McElroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following the Battle of Bosworth, Henry is determined to ensure his crown is his own and not achieved through marriage to Elizabeth of York. He delays marrying her but when he finally does he falls head over heels. Theirs is such a nice relationship to read about despite the fact they are from opposing factions they unite to create the Tudor Rose.

Henry VII faces many trials and tribulations and Tony Riches brings light to the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. Faced with constant threats to his throne, his friends and family dying, I found Henry's story to be quite sad and feel he must have been very lonely following the death of Elizabeth.

His relationship with his children is strained due to his commitment to his state duties and wish to keep them safe and it's a shame he and his sons didn't have a closer relationship.

The book is a fantastic end to an excellent trilogy. In my opinion Henry VII led an exceptional life which has been explored throughout the trilogy. Tony Riches illuminates the relationship between Henry and Elizabeth as well as Henry's guilt when dying for not spending time with his family.

Most of us learn about Henry VIII at school but I was never taught the origins of his parentage which I actually find just as interesting as Henry VIII's reign.

To those interested in the Tudor's I highly recommend this trilogy. The writing style is easy to follow, the descriptions of the Tudor court are so vivid you can picture the clothes, food and entertainment.

I look forward to reading more of Tony Riches' work.

[Helen Hollick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has received a Discovering Diamonds Review:
Helen Hollick
founder #DDRevs

"The author’s quiet style is perfectly matched to the character of Henry Tudor. "

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on https://katiejudgesbooks.wordpress.co...

Henry had a secret, a chilling truth only he would ever know.

Henry is the last book in the Tudor Trilogy by Tony Riches. It is a great ending to great series. I was dragged into it right from the first line and I read the book in a few hours because I could not put it down until it ended. It is the tale of the third generation of

Tudor line, Henry, grandson to Owen Tudor (the main character in the first book of the trilogy), nephew of Jasper Tudor (the main character of the second book). In this one, the tale of Henry VII is told and I loved the way it was written.
It starts where the previous book ended – with the Battle of Bosworth. It describes Henry’s thoughts and I must say, that the first line was what convinced me to read the book as soon as I opened it. I wrote it in the beginning of the review because it is just so perfect. Henry never believed he could be king, yet he seems to do a good job. He relies on his consultants and his mother. I liked the portrayal of Margaret Beaufort as a mother, a rock to Henry, especially after his wife’s death. The match between Henry and Elizabeth was a political one at the beginning, yet it evolved to become a loving relationship. However, the marriage does not placate all the Yorkist supporters who continue to threaten Henry’s throne by bringing forward ‘claimants’.

The saddest moment for me was when Jasper died. It was obvious for a while, with him getting older, but I have somehow become attached to him in the previous book. He was always there for Henry and helped him survive and win the throne and was one of his chief consultants.

The book ends with Henry’s death. It did include some battles against Yorkist supporters, but most of them were very short, even though each of them weighed on Henry’s soul. In some sense, it was not as exciting as the story of Owen and Jasper, but it was still a great ending to a great trilogy and I am glad I had the chance to read all three books.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to read this by the author and really glad I did. This is the end to the trilogy and bring this to a spectacular end.

Although I love history I did not know a great deal about Henry V11. The author has carried out his research so well and attention to detail throughout this book. The story is cleverly told by the leading character.

Some historical books can be really heavy to read and the reader struggles with facts and accounts, but this author writes so well and makes it an easy read for the reader.

At the end of the Wars of the Roses- Henry defeated Richard III at Bosworth and then married Elizabeth of York- the story continues on dealing with being king - and the troubles that went with that part of history. The author brought Henry to life and I found I wanted to know more.

Well recommended and an author I want to read more from.

[Laurie Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book most of all because most of the many Tudor histories and novels I read rush through the Henry VII story to get to the far more glamorous and controversial Henry VIII chronicle. These other books give Henry VII short shrift, mostly as a miser whose claim to fame rested on winning the crown from Richard III and the establishing the Tudors as the ruling dynasty. Tony Riches, in this three-part Tudor Trilogy (all of which I have read), leaves me with a fuller, richer understanding of the foundations of the Tudor dynasty. In this "Henry" book, moreover, he managed to make this key a much more human and likeable figure than we generally get in other books. And he shows, not just tells -- so that we leave with an appreciation, for instance, that his marriage to Elizabeth, the Yorkist heir, was a real love match. Tony Riches makes this period come alive.

[Olivia Castetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion!

While I'm not generally a fan of romance....the love story carefully woven into this novel brought me to tears. The torrid tale of Henry and Elizabeth is relatable, heart wrenching, and utterly pivotal to one's view of England's peaceful monarch, Henry VII.
Additionally, the further-developed relationship between Henry and his Uncle Jasper left me longing for more information about Jasper's pride for Henry's triumph and the bittersweet nature of Edmund's absence - their family history is a story we all have felt in our own lives.
Although this story took place over 500 years ago, so many pieces of it are things we see in the modern world. This book was perfectly relatable and fantastical all at once.

[Kerryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of the Tudor Trilogy, this was the book I liked the least.

I couldn't put "Owen" or "Jasper" down, but unfortunately for me "Henry" was somewhat boring and lackluster.

I'm quite the fan of this period in British History and Henry VII's reign; so I therefore found the author's portrayal of key characters to be vanilla.

Whilst the novel wasn't a complete disaster, I think I had just developed high hopes for the conclusion of the trilogy as the previous two books in the series were highly enjoyable.

Suffice to say, I quite like Tony Riches' writing style and look forward to reading his other novels Mary, Warwick and Eleanor Cobham.

[Quinby6696 Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series on the Tudors. Henry is portrayed sympathetically, but is clearly paranoid about the succession of pretenders to his throne - especially the pesky Perkin Warbeck. Warbeck proves frighteningly convincing and persistent and Henry is afraid that his wife, Elizabeth of York, might identify Warbeck as one of the princes in the Tower and her brother the rightful king of England. By most accounts, Elizabeth and Henry has a successful even loving marriage which is remarkable since they came from the two rival factions in the Wars of the Roses. Their marriage produced two sons and two daughters - including the future Henry VIII. An enjoyable read.

[Ken Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable history lesson.

Although I enjoyed history while at school (a great many years ago) I now realise I didn't take very much of it in, for example, I had no idea at all where the name Tudor came from.I read about Henry V when doing English Lit. and had a good idea about Henry VIII from various films and TV., programmes now Tony Riches has filled in the gap with his brilliant Tudor Trilogy, he makes history so much more entertaining I will now start at the beginning, Owen Tudor and enjoy it even more.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I had been meaning to read the books in the Tudor Trilogy for some time and now I have read all three I am so glad that I did and finally took time to read this author's books - for any fans of the Tudor period or even those who love a good historical fiction story - this Trilogy definitely has three books for you!

As with the first two books this one had a very strong plot and I thought that the story was excellent. The characters have been brought to life by the author's writing style and I loved every page, I do know a lot about Henry Tudor, latterly Henry VII but I love reading historical fiction on the Tudor period and I loved this one!!

A very enjoyable read, 5 stars from me and a really fitting end to the trilogy!!

[Alan Veren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry VII at his finest!

While I knew he was the first of the Tudors, he was overshadowed by his powerful offspring. He rose to the pinnacle of power during very turbulent times in England. His reign began the true meaning Britannia! The Tudor period mark's a fascinating time in English history. The British Empire truly began with his reign. This book is a wonderful insight into the progenitor of the Tudor clan and I enjoyed it immensely.

[Lindsey Grewe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read at all, I just felt like it moved through Henry VII’s life way too fast. The book was basically a series of vignettes of his reign and there were some I wish could have been expanded on more. Especially since H7 already gets much less attention than his son and granddaughter! That said, I’m very glad the last seven years of his life was a quick read because those years for him were so sad! (Sorry for the 512-year-old spoiler 😅)

[The Shield Maiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have come to expect from Tony Riches books, this one did not disappoint. It is a captivating story of a young man who never wanted to be king in the first place, and yet now that he is, he does not shrink from the responsibility.

I thought Henry was magnificently depicted, and I really felt as if I knew him after the story had finished.

This series has been simply delightful and I cannot wait to read more books from this very talented author.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍🏼

As I love Tudor fiction it’s hard for me to not love this book but this entire series I haven’t been able to put down and I like the opinion that Henry and Elizabeth grew to love each other and that she was close to her mother in law as opposed to The White Princess where she starts off plotting with her mum

[Lisa Shardlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Tudor, what a guy! He won the crown at the Battle of Bosworth, brought peace to the country and defended his throne against countless usurpers. What's not to love about someone like that? I really enjoyed reading this, and the descriptions of life back then made me believe that I was actually there.

[Diane Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tudor part 3

This 3rd book in a trilogy is as good As the first two. This book centers on Henry VII and his quest to keep the Tudors as the royal family of England. It touches just a bit on his second son, Harry, who would become the infamous Henry VIII. Battles, traitorous acts, political marriages, taxing the commoner to keep appearances—it’s all here in an interesting read.

[KAREN RUTH ULLOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A STORY OF HENRY VIII FATHER WHO REIGNED WELL DESPITE THE OBSTACLES HE FACED

I thoroughly enjoyed this book since readers of English history don't often hear much about this king. Henry VIII has always been more popular than his ancestors, probably because of his many wives and his untamed personality.

[Carol R. Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating Tudor Story!

I’ve now read the entire trilogy and loved every minute of all three books! Historical facts mixed with everything their stories could very well have had happening in their lives! This is some of the best writings about the Tudors I’ve ever read! Thank you Tony Riches!

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

third in Tony Riches Tudor series, like the other two it is told by the lead character. It is interesting to read Henry's point of view, not wanting to be king. it was his pushy mother (in my opinion. not a fan of his mum. but she knew what she wanted). it was a interesting read.

[Anthea Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful read from Tony Riches, and a perfect end to the Tudor Trilogy. I thoroughly enjoy all Tony's books. He brings his characters to life, writes beautifully and researches each book meticulously. An interesting and informative read.

[charlene schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting and broaden my mind about king Henry

I feel for all that Jasper Tudor provided for Henry. That we should have found out about Jasper’s love and mother of his children. He showered gifts and has much history together.

[Lynn Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes Henry VII very human.

I have read many books about the fascinating Tudors. This one makes Henry seem very human and flawed. He never wanted to be king but tried very hard to bring peace to England. I enjoyed it very much.

[Dee King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conclusion

Henry VIII's dad. I've read Gregory's books on Queen Elizabeth but not much on the male side of this father. I've enjoyed the perspective from this different point of view.