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The Tudor Trilogy #1
Queen's Gambit
This brilliant historical fiction debut takes you into the heart of the Tudor court and the life and loves of the clever, charismatic Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth and last wife.
Widowed for the second time aged thirty-one, Katherine Parr finds she has fallen deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of another: the ailing, egotistical and dangerously powerful monarch Henry VIII, who dispatches his love rival, Seymour, to the continent. No one is in a position to refuse a royal proposal so, haunted by the fates of his previous wives—two executions; two enforced annulments; one death in childbirth—Katherine is obliged to wed Henry Tudor and become his sixth queen.
Committed to religious reform, Katherine must draw upon all her instincts to navigate the treachery of the court, drawing a tight circle of women around her including her stepdaughter Meg, traumatized by events from their past that are shrouded in secrecy, and their loyal servant Dot, who knows and sees more than she understands. But with the Catholic faction on the rise once more, reformers being burned for heresy, and those close to the king vying for position in the new regime, Katherine’s survival seems unlikely. Yet as she treads the razor’s edge of court intrigue, she never quite gives up on love.
A must-read for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Queen’s Gambit brings to life the remarkable story of Katherine Parr as she battles with those intent on destroying her, but also with her own heart.
Widowed for the second time aged thirty-one, Katherine Parr finds she has fallen deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of another: the ailing, egotistical and dangerously powerful monarch Henry VIII, who dispatches his love rival, Seymour, to the continent. No one is in a position to refuse a royal proposal so, haunted by the fates of his previous wives—two executions; two enforced annulments; one death in childbirth—Katherine is obliged to wed Henry Tudor and become his sixth queen.
Committed to religious reform, Katherine must draw upon all her instincts to navigate the treachery of the court, drawing a tight circle of women around her including her stepdaughter Meg, traumatized by events from their past that are shrouded in secrecy, and their loyal servant Dot, who knows and sees more than she understands. But with the Catholic faction on the rise once more, reformers being burned for heresy, and those close to the king vying for position in the new regime, Katherine’s survival seems unlikely. Yet as she treads the razor’s edge of court intrigue, she never quite gives up on love.
A must-read for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Queen’s Gambit brings to life the remarkable story of Katherine Parr as she battles with those intent on destroying her, but also with her own heart.
492 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
435 people are currently reading
10815 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Fremantle
12 books559 followersElizabeth Fremantle is the critically acclaimed author of Tudor and Elizabethan set novels: Queen's Gambit, Sisters of Treason, Watch the Lady and Times Books of the Year: The Girl in the Glass Tower and The Poison Bed, a historical thriller written under the name EC Fremantle described as 'a Jacobean Gone Girl.'
Her latest novel is The Honey and the Sting, published August 6th 2020 as EC Fremantle
She lives in London
Her latest novel is The Honey and the Sting, published August 6th 2020 as EC Fremantle
She lives in London
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 852 reviews
July 21, 2024
I was looking so forward to reading this book but alas, it turned out to be a big disappointment especially after reading so many great reviews about it too.
With book in hand I had retired for the evening, snuggling up in bed, anticipating a little time travel back to the Tudor era and the court of King Henry the 8th. Nothing better than playing Renaissance instrumental music in the background to help achieve this goal either so I was prepared to enter the world of Queen Katherine Parr - take me away Elizabeth Freemantle.
Ah yes, I was immediately delighted by the author's knowledge of all things Tudor and felt myself slipping away all earthly cares forgotten.
Suddenly I'm jerked savagely out of my reverie as my natural high is shattered...What Ho?
What is going on with Katherine Parr and why is she talking and behaving like a liberal humanist about 500 years too soon?
Could this talented author be so lacking in imagination that she's unable to create a Queen Katherine true to Tudor times but instead made Katie a Renaissance version of her own self...a politically correct Katherine Parr at that? Who does Elizabeth Freemantle think she is - Ken Follett?
I'll never know the answer to that question as I tossed the book into the dust bin.
Oh well, there's still those wonderful, older authors of historical fiction to return to once again and they have yet to let me down.
So let me restart the Renaissance music and try again with a different author.
With book in hand I had retired for the evening, snuggling up in bed, anticipating a little time travel back to the Tudor era and the court of King Henry the 8th. Nothing better than playing Renaissance instrumental music in the background to help achieve this goal either so I was prepared to enter the world of Queen Katherine Parr - take me away Elizabeth Freemantle.
Ah yes, I was immediately delighted by the author's knowledge of all things Tudor and felt myself slipping away all earthly cares forgotten.
Suddenly I'm jerked savagely out of my reverie as my natural high is shattered...What Ho?
What is going on with Katherine Parr and why is she talking and behaving like a liberal humanist about 500 years too soon?
Could this talented author be so lacking in imagination that she's unable to create a Queen Katherine true to Tudor times but instead made Katie a Renaissance version of her own self...a politically correct Katherine Parr at that? Who does Elizabeth Freemantle think she is - Ken Follett?
I'll never know the answer to that question as I tossed the book into the dust bin.
Oh well, there's still those wonderful, older authors of historical fiction to return to once again and they have yet to let me down.
So let me restart the Renaissance music and try again with a different author.
August 18, 2013
Each of Henry VIII’s wives had a personal fate to be remembered by. Katherine Parr is remembered as the matronly one who took care of Henry and attempted to further the Reformist cause (a portrayal which isn’t entirely correct) and then married the rogue Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth Femantle tells Katherine’s version of events in “Queen’s Gambit”.
“Queen’s Gambit” instantly opens with historical fluff and inaccuracies which sets the tone of a historical recreation novel versus an emphasis on accuracy. This is discouraging for those readers who seek more history than fiction in HF novels. On the other hand, Fremantle’s dialogue and text style is accurate with the times versus being modern and also carries a level of eloquence. However, this is off-put by an overemphasized effort towards flowery phrases and literary means, which falls short.
The plot of “Queen’s Gambit” is flat early on with a slow pace. The novel follows a heavy “As you know, Bob”- style meaning that pages pass with the characters merely recalling events or discussing other figures with a lack of any activity or actually “living” proceedings. This creates dull text and a slow story.
Speaking of characters; none seem properly introduced or developed which results in a thick veil when attempting to get to know them. Katherine feels far away which is disappointing as the novel is expected to reveal her inner thoughts and psyche. Fremantle’s portrayal of Katherine is tight and constrained while surprisingly, she is much more ‘loose’ with other characters such as Dot (Katherine’s maid) and even Henry. In fact, “Queen’s Gambit” is told through both Katherine and Dot’s eyes with Dot’s being more ‘real’ due to a more relaxed storytelling.
Elaborating on reality; “Queen’s Gambit” questions believability early on and suffers from development issues such as Katherine falling in love with Thomas Seymour after only one conversation with him (this is stretching it even in a world of courtly love). Fremantle therefore misses ample opportunities of event and character building, making the plot of “Queen’s Gambit” aloof.
“Queen’s Gambit” monumentally improves approximately half-way through upon Katherine’s marriage to Henry. Although there is still too much talk of activity versus partaking in it; the drama does increase. It seems that Fremantle gains some confidence as the story progresses. This strength continues as the plot thickens with a religious focus and Katherine’s reformist views. This plot focus is a refreshing take versus the romantic side of the story and encourages turning of the pages. However, Katherine is still not truly unveiled as a character and one doesn’t feel as though he/she truly ‘knows’ her.
Also positive is the historical accuracy of the smaller details such as court etiquette and decorum, sumptuary laws, decorations, etc. Although there are some errors such as the emphasis on Katherine having lice when the Tudors had fleas but lice was considered lowly and higher social classes did not generally have them.
An incident occurs three-quarters way through which is complete ludicrous and will anger readers striving for historical accuracy (sadly, general readers will believe this angle). Luckily, this is dropped rather quickly and not explored. Similarly, the ending of “Queen’s Gambit” is weaker than expected; still not truly presenting a true sense of Katherine but at least being quite accurate historically.
For less versed readers, Fremantle includes a character list and a list of important Tudor dates. Although helpful to the general reader, this would be better suited in the beginning and also supplemented with a thorough author’s note describing the historical liberties taken as this was barely addressed by Fremantle.
Extra Notes:Noticeable to readers is a lack of proper chapter breaks with each stretching far too long causing both a lag and an inability of the story to ‘breathe’. Also, the entire book addressing Katherine’s sister as “Sister Anne” is INCREDIBLY annoying.
Overall, “Queen’s Gambit” begins slowly with historical fluff but finds its footing and momentum, turning into a decent novel. Although one-dimensional storytelling and a lack of truly getting to know Katherine is maintained; Fremantle does include strong historical effects. One can see potential despite first-novel jitters so I would read Fremantle again to see how she fairs. “Queen’s Gambit” isn’t terrible but not a masterpiece, either. It is worth reading for those interested in Henry’s wives and the lesser focused on: Katherine Parr.
I was torn between 2 or 3 and went with 3 so perhaps 2.5
“Queen’s Gambit” instantly opens with historical fluff and inaccuracies which sets the tone of a historical recreation novel versus an emphasis on accuracy. This is discouraging for those readers who seek more history than fiction in HF novels. On the other hand, Fremantle’s dialogue and text style is accurate with the times versus being modern and also carries a level of eloquence. However, this is off-put by an overemphasized effort towards flowery phrases and literary means, which falls short.
The plot of “Queen’s Gambit” is flat early on with a slow pace. The novel follows a heavy “As you know, Bob”- style meaning that pages pass with the characters merely recalling events or discussing other figures with a lack of any activity or actually “living” proceedings. This creates dull text and a slow story.
Speaking of characters; none seem properly introduced or developed which results in a thick veil when attempting to get to know them. Katherine feels far away which is disappointing as the novel is expected to reveal her inner thoughts and psyche. Fremantle’s portrayal of Katherine is tight and constrained while surprisingly, she is much more ‘loose’ with other characters such as Dot (Katherine’s maid) and even Henry. In fact, “Queen’s Gambit” is told through both Katherine and Dot’s eyes with Dot’s being more ‘real’ due to a more relaxed storytelling.
Elaborating on reality; “Queen’s Gambit” questions believability early on and suffers from development issues such as Katherine falling in love with Thomas Seymour after only one conversation with him (this is stretching it even in a world of courtly love). Fremantle therefore misses ample opportunities of event and character building, making the plot of “Queen’s Gambit” aloof.
“Queen’s Gambit” monumentally improves approximately half-way through upon Katherine’s marriage to Henry. Although there is still too much talk of activity versus partaking in it; the drama does increase. It seems that Fremantle gains some confidence as the story progresses. This strength continues as the plot thickens with a religious focus and Katherine’s reformist views. This plot focus is a refreshing take versus the romantic side of the story and encourages turning of the pages. However, Katherine is still not truly unveiled as a character and one doesn’t feel as though he/she truly ‘knows’ her.
Also positive is the historical accuracy of the smaller details such as court etiquette and decorum, sumptuary laws, decorations, etc. Although there are some errors such as the emphasis on Katherine having lice when the Tudors had fleas but lice was considered lowly and higher social classes did not generally have them.
An incident occurs three-quarters way through which is complete ludicrous and will anger readers striving for historical accuracy (sadly, general readers will believe this angle). Luckily, this is dropped rather quickly and not explored. Similarly, the ending of “Queen’s Gambit” is weaker than expected; still not truly presenting a true sense of Katherine but at least being quite accurate historically.
For less versed readers, Fremantle includes a character list and a list of important Tudor dates. Although helpful to the general reader, this would be better suited in the beginning and also supplemented with a thorough author’s note describing the historical liberties taken as this was barely addressed by Fremantle.
Extra Notes:Noticeable to readers is a lack of proper chapter breaks with each stretching far too long causing both a lag and an inability of the story to ‘breathe’. Also, the entire book addressing Katherine’s sister as “Sister Anne” is INCREDIBLY annoying.
Overall, “Queen’s Gambit” begins slowly with historical fluff but finds its footing and momentum, turning into a decent novel. Although one-dimensional storytelling and a lack of truly getting to know Katherine is maintained; Fremantle does include strong historical effects. One can see potential despite first-novel jitters so I would read Fremantle again to see how she fairs. “Queen’s Gambit” isn’t terrible but not a masterpiece, either. It is worth reading for those interested in Henry’s wives and the lesser focused on: Katherine Parr.
I was torn between 2 or 3 and went with 3 so perhaps 2.5
January 8, 2021
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for a free review copy of this book! Opinions are my own.
QUEEN’S GAMBIT is an engrossing novel about Katherine Parr’s life as the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. I enjoyed Elizabeth Fremantle’s portrayal of Katherine as a survivor, an intelligent Renaissance woman, and a woman who longed to find true love at last. Katherine was the only wife of Henry VIII’s to make it out of marriage to him without being divorced, beheaded, or dying, which took true smarts and cleverness on her part. As a steadfast reformist and supporter of the “new religion,” she was disliked by many of Henry’s subjects, a few of whom stopped at nothing to see her arrested for treason and heresy. Katherine had a few scary close calls as Henry’s queen, ones she was sure would send her to the Tower.
Another character I loved just as much as Katherine was her servant, Dot. Though she was low-born, Katherine loved her like a daughter, and brought her to court when she became queen. I enjoyed seeing day to day life at court from Dot’s perspective, and also hearing her opinions about certain other characters, like young Lady Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour, Katherine’s true love. Dot was a strong, well-drawn character with her own intriguing story.
I listened to the audio format of this book, narrated by Georgina Sutton. Her performance was amazing! If you enjoy audiobooks and historical fiction, you must listen to QUEEN’S GAMBIT. Ms. Sutton’s charismatic voice brought the intrigue of the Tudor court to life.
Strong female protagonists, beautiful prose, and a perfect blending of historical fact and fiction made QUEEN’S GAMBIT one of my favorite listens this year. Highly recommended! ♥
QUEEN’S GAMBIT is an engrossing novel about Katherine Parr’s life as the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII. I enjoyed Elizabeth Fremantle’s portrayal of Katherine as a survivor, an intelligent Renaissance woman, and a woman who longed to find true love at last. Katherine was the only wife of Henry VIII’s to make it out of marriage to him without being divorced, beheaded, or dying, which took true smarts and cleverness on her part. As a steadfast reformist and supporter of the “new religion,” she was disliked by many of Henry’s subjects, a few of whom stopped at nothing to see her arrested for treason and heresy. Katherine had a few scary close calls as Henry’s queen, ones she was sure would send her to the Tower.
Another character I loved just as much as Katherine was her servant, Dot. Though she was low-born, Katherine loved her like a daughter, and brought her to court when she became queen. I enjoyed seeing day to day life at court from Dot’s perspective, and also hearing her opinions about certain other characters, like young Lady Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour, Katherine’s true love. Dot was a strong, well-drawn character with her own intriguing story.
I listened to the audio format of this book, narrated by Georgina Sutton. Her performance was amazing! If you enjoy audiobooks and historical fiction, you must listen to QUEEN’S GAMBIT. Ms. Sutton’s charismatic voice brought the intrigue of the Tudor court to life.
Strong female protagonists, beautiful prose, and a perfect blending of historical fact and fiction made QUEEN’S GAMBIT one of my favorite listens this year. Highly recommended! ♥
August 11, 2015
I found this novel to be a bit of a mixed bag, with parts that I genuinely enjoyed, but other parts I found bewildering or irritating. Overall I have to say I thought it was well-written. Competent use of language, smooth, flowing text… In fact the one tiny annoyance was “Sister Anne”. I immediately grasped that Fremantle did this to make sure Katherine’s sister was distinct from all the other Annes running around – Anne Stanhope, Anne Basset, and the occasionally referenced Anne Boleyn – but it wasn’t necessary with the others referred to with their surname constantly, I therefore knew that just plain “Anne” was Katherine’s sister, no need to spell it out. I did however like Fremantle’s attention to detail, painting a full picture without getting bogged down too much, although she gets a few small points wrong.
I have to say I did like the character of Katherine herself; pretty important as she’s the main character. Her calm maturity, her intelligence and wisdom – this all fit with my knowledge of the real life Kateryn Parr, and so I felt her very believable. Perhaps the only blip was how quickly and completely she falls in love with Thomas Seymour; I would’ve liked to have seen that drawn out more, developed more plausibly. But then again, we know that Kateryn did indeed find herself in a marriage of questionable wisdom with Thomas Seymour, so perhaps I have no place complaining about a little foolishness when it’s supported by history. I also rather liked the character of Huicke, his own quiet intelligence and common sense.
I didn’t like the character of Dot. She did serve a good purpose in the story at times, allowing the reader to witness events that Katherine herself couldn’t be a part of, so from that point of view she was necessary, and contrasting her life with that of Katherine was also pretty interesting; but I just didn’t like Dot’s character. I didn’t like how meek she was, how unambitious, or how she always put herself down, and presumed that she was just “simple” and couldn’t understand the things her social betters talked about. And when William Savage, Yeah, needless to say I grew very sick of Dot and her storyline.
The other sticking point was really how Fremantle filled in the gaps. Like many a historical fiction author, Fremantle fills in the gaps in history with her own invention, and it’s often a thin line trod between plausibility and the reader buying into your concoction, and absurdity and the reader rejecting it. There are quite a few in The Queen’s Gambit, and I’ll address each in turn. First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and finally, So of five big gap-fillings that Fremantle attempts, I really only bought into one of them.
Despite this, I have to say I enjoyed the novel overall. The missteps don’t outweigh the generally good writing for me, and I felt that for the most part I believed in Katherine and got drawn into her world; I just really disliked Dot’s character and didn’t agree with a few big gap-fillings that Fremantle attempts. I would try Fremantle again.
7 out of 10
July 15, 2018
Meh. OK, I'm calling it quits on this one. I picked this up as a freebie in a BOGO sale from Audible. This book will probably work for a lot of readers, but I ain't one of them.
Two major reasons:
1) There's instalove.
2) There's a love triangle.
The 3rd reason I'm giving up on this at just shy of the 20% mark is that, thus far, not a damn thing has happened aside from the main character annoying me. She is moody and bites peoples heads off one second, and then the next she's literally falling into their "blue, blue eyes" and UGH, who cares?
I like historical fiction. I picked this up thinking it would be court intrigue and an interesting story about the Tudors from a different perspective than the Boleyns. But... This is just a romance set in the Tudor period, which just happens to feature actual people. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but the fact that the romance (and a really cringe-worthy sex scene) is front and center means that another 11 hours of this book will make me want to put my head through a plate glass window.
ALSO, there keep being references to a rapist scumbag called Murgatroyd. In 19% he's been referred to like 6 times, but obliquely, because SECRETS and SHAME. OK, great. If we're not talking about him or what happened, WHY DO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT?
Finally, as a child of the 80s, every time I heard his name, I couldn't help but think of Snagglepuss.
So... yeah. That kinda took me out of the moment. All in all, not really feeling this book. So. I'll pass.
Two major reasons:
1) There's instalove.
2) There's a love triangle.
The 3rd reason I'm giving up on this at just shy of the 20% mark is that, thus far, not a damn thing has happened aside from the main character annoying me. She is moody and bites peoples heads off one second, and then the next she's literally falling into their "blue, blue eyes" and UGH, who cares?
I like historical fiction. I picked this up thinking it would be court intrigue and an interesting story about the Tudors from a different perspective than the Boleyns. But... This is just a romance set in the Tudor period, which just happens to feature actual people. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but the fact that the romance (and a really cringe-worthy sex scene) is front and center means that another 11 hours of this book will make me want to put my head through a plate glass window.
ALSO, there keep being references to a rapist scumbag called Murgatroyd. In 19% he's been referred to like 6 times, but obliquely, because SECRETS and SHAME. OK, great. If we're not talking about him or what happened, WHY DO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT?
Finally, as a child of the 80s, every time I heard his name, I couldn't help but think of Snagglepuss.
So... yeah. That kinda took me out of the moment. All in all, not really feeling this book. So. I'll pass.
January 26, 2015
This novel is an exceptional debut that introduces the reader to a Katherine Parr who is more than others have written her to be. She is a pious nurse to older husbands, but that is far from all there is to Queen Katherine. Fremantle has created a multi-dimensional character and bravely filled in historical gaps to create a gripping story.
I especially enjoyed the development of Katherine's faith as a reformer. It is easy for us, with almost 500 years of separation, to categorize historical figures into Catholic and Reformist and not appreciate the nuances and waverings that occur in each person's personal beliefs. In Katherine's story, we see her fire for reform burn brightly, become doused by physical fear, and come under the attack of doubt. This realistic portrayal of faith formed a secret window into Katherine's inner heart without becoming preachy. I was only disappointed that the publication of Lamentations of a Sinner was overshadowed by her rekindled romance with Seymour.
Katherine's story is told in parallel with her servant Dot's, allowing readers to view both sides of the Tudor court. Through Dot's eyes, we see the endless toil that is required to provide a glittering backdrop to those who are so far above them. Dot's own lovestory is as captivating but more pure than Katherine's.
The most significant negative that I see voiced about this novel is the way that Fremantle chooses to fill in some historical gaps. Two that are very near the beginning of the book and can therefore be shared without being spoilers are that Katherine was raped, resulting the the birth of a dead baby, during the Pilgrimage of Grace, and that Katherine gave her second husband, John Neville, a lethal dose of painkiller to end his suffering. There are other literary liberties taken that may not have been as harshly judged if they were more carefully revealed in Fremantle's author's note. In my opinion, these elements of the story were bold and unique. Since there is no way of knowing if they are true, I think it is enough that the author has made them plausible to her version of events.
Tudor dress, food, castles, and landscape are all expertly recreated, making it easy to imagine the details of Katherine's life. Thomas Seymour is written just as I have imagined him: handsome, desirable, and completely manipulative. Katherine's drawn out obsession with him is the only part of this book that I could have done with less of. The beginning and end of this novel are fluffy, romantic bookends to the captivating story of England's Reform Queen.
I especially enjoyed the development of Katherine's faith as a reformer. It is easy for us, with almost 500 years of separation, to categorize historical figures into Catholic and Reformist and not appreciate the nuances and waverings that occur in each person's personal beliefs. In Katherine's story, we see her fire for reform burn brightly, become doused by physical fear, and come under the attack of doubt. This realistic portrayal of faith formed a secret window into Katherine's inner heart without becoming preachy. I was only disappointed that the publication of Lamentations of a Sinner was overshadowed by her rekindled romance with Seymour.
Katherine's story is told in parallel with her servant Dot's, allowing readers to view both sides of the Tudor court. Through Dot's eyes, we see the endless toil that is required to provide a glittering backdrop to those who are so far above them. Dot's own lovestory is as captivating but more pure than Katherine's.
The most significant negative that I see voiced about this novel is the way that Fremantle chooses to fill in some historical gaps. Two that are very near the beginning of the book and can therefore be shared without being spoilers are that Katherine was raped, resulting the the birth of a dead baby, during the Pilgrimage of Grace, and that Katherine gave her second husband, John Neville, a lethal dose of painkiller to end his suffering. There are other literary liberties taken that may not have been as harshly judged if they were more carefully revealed in Fremantle's author's note. In my opinion, these elements of the story were bold and unique. Since there is no way of knowing if they are true, I think it is enough that the author has made them plausible to her version of events.
Tudor dress, food, castles, and landscape are all expertly recreated, making it easy to imagine the details of Katherine's life. Thomas Seymour is written just as I have imagined him: handsome, desirable, and completely manipulative. Katherine's drawn out obsession with him is the only part of this book that I could have done with less of. The beginning and end of this novel are fluffy, romantic bookends to the captivating story of England's Reform Queen.
April 21, 2013
My partner has a first in English Lit, my degrees are all in veterinary medicine and I am constantly grateful for the fact that nobody tried to teach me to read. By an large, this means that we have very different tastes in books although inevitably we're overlapping more as the years progress.
Once in a while, a book comes along that I know she's going to love: some of them are entirely not her kind of thing - she spent an entire evening asking me why I'd pressed Tim Griggs' book Redemption Blues on her, and then two days later sat up half the night finishing it. (can I say, 'told you so'?)
Elizabeth Fremantle's book 'Queen's Gambit' fell effortlessly into the double-tick bracket: literary enough to please Faith's love of language, while the characterisation and sense of history are so utterly engaging that I fell into it and had to be dragged unwilling back to the day job and was left with characters not of my own making hovering over the day, clamouring for more attention.
Like Wolf Hall, with which there are obvious comparisons, this book is set in the reign of Henry VIII, although this one deals with the last of his wives, the gutsy, level-headed Katherine Parr who holds her husband's hand as he dies from (I assume) bowel cancer and then is speed-dated by Henry who wants her as his new wife on the strength, so he says, of her willingness to speak the truth to him.
There follows a touching-while-toe-curling portrait of an intelligent, passionate woman in her thirties, forced into matrimony with the aging, ulcerous, overweight, monstrously self-indulgent king. I have yet to read a sympathetic portrait of Henry and while this book does much to make him human - and there is no doubt that the chronic pain from his leg ulcer must have driven him even closer to the edge of madness than he already sailed - but the real punch in this book comes from the knowledge that Katherine Parr is sixth in a line of wives, two of whom have been beheaded, one has died and only those from far more noble families than hers have had the luxury of a divorce. She has her enemies at court, the names made famous in Wolf Hall as Call me and Gardiner. Both hate her and will do anything to bring her down, particularly after she has made such a success of her regency while Henry was away campaigning in France. But more, they hate her because she espouses the new religion and they are trying their hardest to bring Henry back to catholocisim. To lose to them will be fatal and the moments when she seems to fall out of the king's favour - once for daring to quote Erasmus to him in Gardiner's company - are terrifying. The pressure in her household, the grasping after small motes of rumour... this is what happened to 'the concubine' (Anne Boleyn), this is how it happens, the jewels are taken back first.... Her redemption is humiliating, but lightened by the sight of her enemy stepping too far across the line and finding himself banished from court.
Even so, it's an old passion that seems her final downfall and the slide towards the block seems inexorable when Henry falls ill. There's a hint that Katherine, with her knowledge of herbs, and her 'easing' of a previous husband's passage, might have seen the old monster off to save her own skin, but the plot steps back from that. If it did happen, I can't think there are many who would blame her. She fails to gain regency, and is glad of it - free from the politics of court, she can marry her love and find happiness. Or so it might seem. Men, though, do not step well from the pages of this book, and her final love, and her final betrayal seem a heart-breaking end to a life lived so close to the edge, with such striving for integrity.
So... this isn't Wolf Hall, but it bears many of the hallmarks of that book if with easier language and a plot that does not depend quite so much on everyone's knowledge of history to provide the tension. It stands head and shoulders above the general run of Tudor romance/mystery/histories and will be, I'm sure, a run-away best-seller. This is a magnificent endeavour; anyone would have been proud to have written it at any stage of their writing career: as a first novel, it's truly outstanding.
Once in a while, a book comes along that I know she's going to love: some of them are entirely not her kind of thing - she spent an entire evening asking me why I'd pressed Tim Griggs' book Redemption Blues on her, and then two days later sat up half the night finishing it. (can I say, 'told you so'?)
Elizabeth Fremantle's book 'Queen's Gambit' fell effortlessly into the double-tick bracket: literary enough to please Faith's love of language, while the characterisation and sense of history are so utterly engaging that I fell into it and had to be dragged unwilling back to the day job and was left with characters not of my own making hovering over the day, clamouring for more attention.
Like Wolf Hall, with which there are obvious comparisons, this book is set in the reign of Henry VIII, although this one deals with the last of his wives, the gutsy, level-headed Katherine Parr who holds her husband's hand as he dies from (I assume) bowel cancer and then is speed-dated by Henry who wants her as his new wife on the strength, so he says, of her willingness to speak the truth to him.
There follows a touching-while-toe-curling portrait of an intelligent, passionate woman in her thirties, forced into matrimony with the aging, ulcerous, overweight, monstrously self-indulgent king. I have yet to read a sympathetic portrait of Henry and while this book does much to make him human - and there is no doubt that the chronic pain from his leg ulcer must have driven him even closer to the edge of madness than he already sailed - but the real punch in this book comes from the knowledge that Katherine Parr is sixth in a line of wives, two of whom have been beheaded, one has died and only those from far more noble families than hers have had the luxury of a divorce. She has her enemies at court, the names made famous in Wolf Hall as Call me and Gardiner. Both hate her and will do anything to bring her down, particularly after she has made such a success of her regency while Henry was away campaigning in France. But more, they hate her because she espouses the new religion and they are trying their hardest to bring Henry back to catholocisim. To lose to them will be fatal and the moments when she seems to fall out of the king's favour - once for daring to quote Erasmus to him in Gardiner's company - are terrifying. The pressure in her household, the grasping after small motes of rumour... this is what happened to 'the concubine' (Anne Boleyn), this is how it happens, the jewels are taken back first.... Her redemption is humiliating, but lightened by the sight of her enemy stepping too far across the line and finding himself banished from court.
Even so, it's an old passion that seems her final downfall and the slide towards the block seems inexorable when Henry falls ill. There's a hint that Katherine, with her knowledge of herbs, and her 'easing' of a previous husband's passage, might have seen the old monster off to save her own skin, but the plot steps back from that. If it did happen, I can't think there are many who would blame her. She fails to gain regency, and is glad of it - free from the politics of court, she can marry her love and find happiness. Or so it might seem. Men, though, do not step well from the pages of this book, and her final love, and her final betrayal seem a heart-breaking end to a life lived so close to the edge, with such striving for integrity.
So... this isn't Wolf Hall, but it bears many of the hallmarks of that book if with easier language and a plot that does not depend quite so much on everyone's knowledge of history to provide the tension. It stands head and shoulders above the general run of Tudor romance/mystery/histories and will be, I'm sure, a run-away best-seller. This is a magnificent endeavour; anyone would have been proud to have written it at any stage of their writing career: as a first novel, it's truly outstanding.
June 18, 2013
The Queen's Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle is a Harlequin MIRA publication.
This book is scheduled for an August 2013 release. I received a copy of the book from the publishers and Edelweiss.
This book is a fictional account of the life of Catherine Parr, the last of Henry the 8th's wives.
This poor woman lived her life on the edge from start to finish. Her two marriages prior to becoming the Queen were not happy ones. However, Catherine was dignified and serene in all ways. But, shortly after her second husband died, Catherine began a torrid affair with Thomas Seymour. But, the king also was interested in her, and of course the king always got what he wanted. Catherine tried to forget Thomas, but carried him in her heart all the time she was married to the king.
The politics and scheming that takes place here is focused on France and on the reform movement regarding the church and religion. Catherine's beliefs did not match up with the king's. She was soon under attack for those beliefs and although we know through history that Catherine managed to survive the marriage, she had a couple of close calls.
This period of time is endlessly fascinating to me. I have read lots of novels set in this period, but there aren't many that give us insight into the life Catherine had while married to Henry.
The parallel story of Dot, a servant of the queen is just as insightful. Dot witnesses everything and is the most loyal of all the people in the story. She has a few close calls herself. But, it is most fitting that her voice is the last one we hear in the novel.
A very interesting take on the last years of Henry's life . Catherine was an interesting woman. She was a good person and very kind. She was also human. She did some things to set herself free and would do it again if fate had not intervened.
One thing is for certain, I am glad I don't live that time period. The treatment of women and the abuses men got away with is disgusting.
If you like historical fiction set in the Tudor period- I would recommend this book for you.
Over all a B+
This book is scheduled for an August 2013 release. I received a copy of the book from the publishers and Edelweiss.
This book is a fictional account of the life of Catherine Parr, the last of Henry the 8th's wives.
This poor woman lived her life on the edge from start to finish. Her two marriages prior to becoming the Queen were not happy ones. However, Catherine was dignified and serene in all ways. But, shortly after her second husband died, Catherine began a torrid affair with Thomas Seymour. But, the king also was interested in her, and of course the king always got what he wanted. Catherine tried to forget Thomas, but carried him in her heart all the time she was married to the king.
The politics and scheming that takes place here is focused on France and on the reform movement regarding the church and religion. Catherine's beliefs did not match up with the king's. She was soon under attack for those beliefs and although we know through history that Catherine managed to survive the marriage, she had a couple of close calls.
This period of time is endlessly fascinating to me. I have read lots of novels set in this period, but there aren't many that give us insight into the life Catherine had while married to Henry.
The parallel story of Dot, a servant of the queen is just as insightful. Dot witnesses everything and is the most loyal of all the people in the story. She has a few close calls herself. But, it is most fitting that her voice is the last one we hear in the novel.
A very interesting take on the last years of Henry's life . Catherine was an interesting woman. She was a good person and very kind. She was also human. She did some things to set herself free and would do it again if fate had not intervened.
One thing is for certain, I am glad I don't live that time period. The treatment of women and the abuses men got away with is disgusting.
If you like historical fiction set in the Tudor period- I would recommend this book for you.
Over all a B+
March 22, 2013
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I should know better at this point in my reading life. As a novel junkie and an admitted glutton for all things English history related it is a given that I know certain stories pretty well at this point. Hell, the stories of the tragedy and scandal ridden lives of the wives of Henry VIII have now been recounted so many damn times by so many people that if you've got even a passing interest in the Tudors (or Showtime) you probably know at least the gist of every single one of those tragic queens' lives.
The problem is, and obviously this is an issue with ALL historical fiction, that the stories never change. Unless you're dealing with alternate history or some whackadoo with a crazy conspiracy theory involving Queen Elizabeth's illegitimate offspring there's only so many times you can rehash the same stories.
Maybe two stars isn't entirely fair here since its not the fault of the genuinely capable Elizabeth Fremantle that I already knew this whole story. I've certainly read worse. It may have more to do with Katherine Parr's life, particularly as Henry's queen, just not being that interesting. And that's where most of Fremantle's story takes place. In the way overwritten vipers den of the Tudor court.
As a reader I'm MUCH more interested in the inner lives of these people. And Katherine Parr seems to have had a rich inner life and fascinating story beyond her limited role as Henry's last wife. Fremantle certainly hints at some of that life, but all we get are tiny little tastes before we are swept back into the end of Henry's reign, political maneuvering and literally everything that's already been rehashed nine gabillion times in other novels, television shows, and movies.
The problem is, and obviously this is an issue with ALL historical fiction, that the stories never change. Unless you're dealing with alternate history or some whackadoo with a crazy conspiracy theory involving Queen Elizabeth's illegitimate offspring there's only so many times you can rehash the same stories.
Maybe two stars isn't entirely fair here since its not the fault of the genuinely capable Elizabeth Fremantle that I already knew this whole story. I've certainly read worse. It may have more to do with Katherine Parr's life, particularly as Henry's queen, just not being that interesting. And that's where most of Fremantle's story takes place. In the way overwritten vipers den of the Tudor court.
As a reader I'm MUCH more interested in the inner lives of these people. And Katherine Parr seems to have had a rich inner life and fascinating story beyond her limited role as Henry's last wife. Fremantle certainly hints at some of that life, but all we get are tiny little tastes before we are swept back into the end of Henry's reign, political maneuvering and literally everything that's already been rehashed nine gabillion times in other novels, television shows, and movies.
August 11, 2024
Brytyjska monarchia wzbudza zainteresowanie współcześnie, ale dużo burzliwiej i zdecydowanie dramatyczniej kształtowała się jej historia za czasów Tudorów. I właśnie do XVI-wiecznej Anglii przenosi nas w swojej powieści „Rozgrywka królowej” Eizabeth Fremantle ukazując życie i zmagania Katarzyny Parr, szóstej i ostatniej żony Henryka VIII. I powiem Wam, że czyni to tak barwnie, a z drugiej strony tak dynamicznie i wciągająco, że dworskie intrygi i emocje bohaterów pochłaniają bez reszty.
Z łatwością możemy wyobrazić sobie przepych, klejnoty i barwy królewskiego dworu, pod którymi skrywa się atmosfera strachu, paranoi i zdrady. W to „gniazdo węży” zostaje wciągnięta wdowa, Katarzyna Parr, którą na szóstą już małżonkę upatrzył sobie stary, schorowany król słynący ze swego okrucieństwa. Inteligentna kobieta, wie, że w tej rozgrywce chodzi o jej życie, bo królowi się nie odmawia, a „martwe królowe są wszędzie”.
Z duszą na ramieniu śledziłam balansowanie na linie, jakim było życie u boku człowieka tak niesłychanie bezwzględnego i nieprzewidywalnego, a jednocześnie dzierżącego władzę absolutną. Jednak Autorka pozwala nam podejrzeć dworskie intrygi, społeczne napięcia i rozłam religijny nie tylko oczami Katarzyny, ale również z perspektywy jej pasierbicy Meg i służącej Dot. Obraz dzięki temu zyskuje głębi i wierzcie, że jest też dużo bardziej przerażający.
Autorka w dużej mierze opiera się na faktach znanych z historii, a wkładając w usta bohaterów tego dramatu słowa, a w ich serca wlewając emocje czyni ją jeszcze bardziej prawdziwą i angażującą. Fremantle nie tylko po mistrzowsku oddaje atmosferę epoki w tyglu przemian, ale i duszną, podszytą strachem i poczuciem ciągłego zagrożenia aurę towarzyszącą życiu na dworze.
Fremantle z wielką precyzją i dbałością o historyczne detale maluje portret silnej kobiety, która wbrew przeciwnościom losu stara się przetrwać w brutalnym świecie Tudorów. To historia o miłości, władzy, zdradzie i walce o przetrwanie, która pozostaje w pamięci na długo po przeczytaniu ostatniej strony budząc apetyt na kolejne tomy „Trylogii Tudorów”. Druga już na szczęście czeka na mojej półce.
Z łatwością możemy wyobrazić sobie przepych, klejnoty i barwy królewskiego dworu, pod którymi skrywa się atmosfera strachu, paranoi i zdrady. W to „gniazdo węży” zostaje wciągnięta wdowa, Katarzyna Parr, którą na szóstą już małżonkę upatrzył sobie stary, schorowany król słynący ze swego okrucieństwa. Inteligentna kobieta, wie, że w tej rozgrywce chodzi o jej życie, bo królowi się nie odmawia, a „martwe królowe są wszędzie”.
Z duszą na ramieniu śledziłam balansowanie na linie, jakim było życie u boku człowieka tak niesłychanie bezwzględnego i nieprzewidywalnego, a jednocześnie dzierżącego władzę absolutną. Jednak Autorka pozwala nam podejrzeć dworskie intrygi, społeczne napięcia i rozłam religijny nie tylko oczami Katarzyny, ale również z perspektywy jej pasierbicy Meg i służącej Dot. Obraz dzięki temu zyskuje głębi i wierzcie, że jest też dużo bardziej przerażający.
Autorka w dużej mierze opiera się na faktach znanych z historii, a wkładając w usta bohaterów tego dramatu słowa, a w ich serca wlewając emocje czyni ją jeszcze bardziej prawdziwą i angażującą. Fremantle nie tylko po mistrzowsku oddaje atmosferę epoki w tyglu przemian, ale i duszną, podszytą strachem i poczuciem ciągłego zagrożenia aurę towarzyszącą życiu na dworze.
Fremantle z wielką precyzją i dbałością o historyczne detale maluje portret silnej kobiety, która wbrew przeciwnościom losu stara się przetrwać w brutalnym świecie Tudorów. To historia o miłości, władzy, zdradzie i walce o przetrwanie, która pozostaje w pamięci na długo po przeczytaniu ostatniej strony budząc apetyt na kolejne tomy „Trylogii Tudorów”. Druga już na szczęście czeka na mojej półce.
September 11, 2013
Giveaway @Let Them Read Books! Ends Sept. 22, 2013.
After finishing Elizabeth Fremantle's debut novel, Queen's Gambit, I'm feeling quite sad, as I always do after reading about Katherine Parr. She is my favorite of Henry's queens, and not just because she's the one who got away, but because she was such a grand lady, so smart, so poised, and so tragic. I go into each novel knowing how it's going to end, but I still get swept away, much as Katherine does; I still hope for that happy ending, and then I get so angry when the people she cared about most end up ruining the last months of what should have been the happiest time in her life. (Two other solid 4-star reads about Katherine: The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd and Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir.)
Fremantle begins the novel with the death of Katherine's second husband, Latymer, and captivates the reader with her poetic narrative and fantastic description as she touches on the key points in Katherine's life: her infatuation with the dashing Thomas Seymour, her marriage to an aging and ailing Henry VIII, her relationships with her stepdaughters Meg, Elisabeth, and Mary, her relationships with the reformists and the martyr Anne Askew, and her own close call with Henry's desire to be rid of yet another wife. Katherine manages to accomplish quite a bit in her thirty-five years, not the least of which includes bringing Henry VIII's children together in the only semblance of family they've ever known, serving as regent of England, and publishing two books of her own writings. And Fremantle portrays all of this mostly through the eyes of Katherine herself and through her devoted servant Dot Fownten, and in doing so she has created two rich and compelling heroines for the reader to get attached to as they navigate the perils of the court and of the heart. I was hooked from the first page and could not put the book down as Henry's Catholic cronies cast their net around Katherine.
There's not much to complain about in this novel, other than some awkward sex scenes, but I can't justify a higher rating because this novel really doesn't contribute anything new to my understanding of Katherine Parr. I was very intrigued early on by a couple of things that were definitely new to me, but then the author admitted they were fictions in her note. (Nothing wrong with that--I can appreciate dramatic license with the facts when it's acknowledged.) For me, the best aspect of this novel, and the one that I will remember most, is the way Fremantle brought the underworkings of the court to life. Because Dot was an actual servant and Katherine was such a hands-on queen, the enormity of what it took to keep Henry's court running, from the lowliest kitchen boy to the noblest lady-in-waiting, comes into exquisite focus. I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes glimpses of feasts and festivals, occasions of state, the court on the move, and the day-to-day duties of the army of servants required to make everything seem so effortless and easy in Henry VIII's court. It's little details like that, coupled with giving voice to the people who worked so hard to make it happen but who have been forgotten by history, that really bring a time period to life and remind me why I love historical fiction so much.
After finishing Elizabeth Fremantle's debut novel, Queen's Gambit, I'm feeling quite sad, as I always do after reading about Katherine Parr. She is my favorite of Henry's queens, and not just because she's the one who got away, but because she was such a grand lady, so smart, so poised, and so tragic. I go into each novel knowing how it's going to end, but I still get swept away, much as Katherine does; I still hope for that happy ending, and then I get so angry when the people she cared about most end up ruining the last months of what should have been the happiest time in her life. (Two other solid 4-star reads about Katherine: The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd and Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir.)
Fremantle begins the novel with the death of Katherine's second husband, Latymer, and captivates the reader with her poetic narrative and fantastic description as she touches on the key points in Katherine's life: her infatuation with the dashing Thomas Seymour, her marriage to an aging and ailing Henry VIII, her relationships with her stepdaughters Meg, Elisabeth, and Mary, her relationships with the reformists and the martyr Anne Askew, and her own close call with Henry's desire to be rid of yet another wife. Katherine manages to accomplish quite a bit in her thirty-five years, not the least of which includes bringing Henry VIII's children together in the only semblance of family they've ever known, serving as regent of England, and publishing two books of her own writings. And Fremantle portrays all of this mostly through the eyes of Katherine herself and through her devoted servant Dot Fownten, and in doing so she has created two rich and compelling heroines for the reader to get attached to as they navigate the perils of the court and of the heart. I was hooked from the first page and could not put the book down as Henry's Catholic cronies cast their net around Katherine.
There's not much to complain about in this novel, other than some awkward sex scenes, but I can't justify a higher rating because this novel really doesn't contribute anything new to my understanding of Katherine Parr. I was very intrigued early on by a couple of things that were definitely new to me, but then the author admitted they were fictions in her note. (Nothing wrong with that--I can appreciate dramatic license with the facts when it's acknowledged.) For me, the best aspect of this novel, and the one that I will remember most, is the way Fremantle brought the underworkings of the court to life. Because Dot was an actual servant and Katherine was such a hands-on queen, the enormity of what it took to keep Henry's court running, from the lowliest kitchen boy to the noblest lady-in-waiting, comes into exquisite focus. I was fascinated by the behind-the-scenes glimpses of feasts and festivals, occasions of state, the court on the move, and the day-to-day duties of the army of servants required to make everything seem so effortless and easy in Henry VIII's court. It's little details like that, coupled with giving voice to the people who worked so hard to make it happen but who have been forgotten by history, that really bring a time period to life and remind me why I love historical fiction so much.
February 2, 2013
This stunning historical masterpiece captures the fervent intensity and passion of the Tudors with such remarkable effortless ease.
The dazzlingly dangerous Tudor court is brought to life with such acute detail as only a painter would capture in this vividly evocative, exquisite debut novel. Stripping back and shedding new light on Katherine Parr;
Henry VIII sixth and last wife, this enthralling tale of passion, loyalty and betrayal is truly astonishing as to amaze. The combination of rich period detail and well-written, captivating prose is exceptional, encapsulating perfectly the atmosphere and electric tension of the times. Full of intrigue, ambition and heated rivalry amidst an intense backdrop where romance blossoms this is such an impressive tale of substance and scope. Profoundly affecting, outstanding and truth-drawing I was unable to tear my eyes away from the pages as I lost myself within such sublime storytelling.
A riveting account of one woman, who married four men and outlived three of them including Henry VIII, whose intelligence and astuteness aids her in avoiding that terrible fate which befell the King’s former wives. Unexpectedly finding herself in the middle of a forbidden passionate affair with Thomas Seymour, she ultimately focuses on her role as wife to one of the greatest monarch’s who sat upon England’s throne rather than dwelling on unrequited love. Focusing on significant aspects such as religious reform, the catholic ascendancy and the succession of the throne this book captures the terrifying, turbulent time flawlessly. Thrilling, absorbing and fabulous Elizabeth Fremantle’s exceptional novel I envisage as this years bestseller. Fans of the popular BBC television drama ‘The Tudors’ and ‘The other Boleyn girl’ and also authors such as Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir will love this!
*I would like to thank ‘Real Readers’ for sending me an ARC of Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle to read and review.*
*Also reviewed for GoodReads, as part of a first-read giveaway*
The dazzlingly dangerous Tudor court is brought to life with such acute detail as only a painter would capture in this vividly evocative, exquisite debut novel. Stripping back and shedding new light on Katherine Parr;
Henry VIII sixth and last wife, this enthralling tale of passion, loyalty and betrayal is truly astonishing as to amaze. The combination of rich period detail and well-written, captivating prose is exceptional, encapsulating perfectly the atmosphere and electric tension of the times. Full of intrigue, ambition and heated rivalry amidst an intense backdrop where romance blossoms this is such an impressive tale of substance and scope. Profoundly affecting, outstanding and truth-drawing I was unable to tear my eyes away from the pages as I lost myself within such sublime storytelling.
A riveting account of one woman, who married four men and outlived three of them including Henry VIII, whose intelligence and astuteness aids her in avoiding that terrible fate which befell the King’s former wives. Unexpectedly finding herself in the middle of a forbidden passionate affair with Thomas Seymour, she ultimately focuses on her role as wife to one of the greatest monarch’s who sat upon England’s throne rather than dwelling on unrequited love. Focusing on significant aspects such as religious reform, the catholic ascendancy and the succession of the throne this book captures the terrifying, turbulent time flawlessly. Thrilling, absorbing and fabulous Elizabeth Fremantle’s exceptional novel I envisage as this years bestseller. Fans of the popular BBC television drama ‘The Tudors’ and ‘The other Boleyn girl’ and also authors such as Hilary Mantel, Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir will love this!
*I would like to thank ‘Real Readers’ for sending me an ARC of Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle to read and review.*
*Also reviewed for GoodReads, as part of a first-read giveaway*
August 20, 2023
Wunderschön und gut recherchiert. Absolute Leseempfehlung!
November 15, 2015
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A copy of Queen's Gambit was provided to me by Simon & Schuster/Edelweiss for review purposes.
'One day, hundreds of years from now, people will tell stories about the court of King Henry and the romance of it all - the Eighth King Henry and his Six Wives. But will they tell of the terror that came with it, she wonders, or will it be made to seem a golden age?'
Queen's Gambit opens with the eminent death of Katherine Parr's second husband, John Neville, Lord Latimer. While still in mourning, she is requested by the King's daughter Mary, a childhood friend, to visit her at court. Shortly after her arrival she meets and falls in love with Thomas Seymour, the man who will leave an indelible mark upon her. The idea of a life with Thomas is snubbed out when King Henry VIII offers her a marriage invitation where no is not an option.
The story is ultimately told from the POV of Katherine, however, we are also given glimpses from the POV of her lady's maid and of her doctor Huicke. It portrayed how it was like to live in this time period as royalty and as a low-born. Unfortunately, the change in POV felt very jarring when you're absorbed in the story of the Queen and I think I would have enjoyed it much more if it was solely Katherine's story.
Towards the middle-part of the story the pace slowed down and it became infinitely less interesting to me mainly because it became less about the characters and more about the politics and strife going on in England at the time. Considering I know quite a bit about the history in England during the Tudor time period this was a bit redundant for me, albeit still somewhat interesting. I understand that this of course needs to be included some-how but I felt that the characters ultimately got placed on the back burner while the refresher course on 'The History of England' was taking place.
Queen's Gambit managed to maintain historical accuracy to a degree without overdoing the embellishing in areas that are less known. It's a well-told story of one of the lesser known queens, yet she's still without a doubt one that has the greatest story to tell: the story of how she managed to survive.
A copy of Queen's Gambit was provided to me by Simon & Schuster/Edelweiss for review purposes.
'One day, hundreds of years from now, people will tell stories about the court of King Henry and the romance of it all - the Eighth King Henry and his Six Wives. But will they tell of the terror that came with it, she wonders, or will it be made to seem a golden age?'
Queen's Gambit opens with the eminent death of Katherine Parr's second husband, John Neville, Lord Latimer. While still in mourning, she is requested by the King's daughter Mary, a childhood friend, to visit her at court. Shortly after her arrival she meets and falls in love with Thomas Seymour, the man who will leave an indelible mark upon her. The idea of a life with Thomas is snubbed out when King Henry VIII offers her a marriage invitation where no is not an option.
The story is ultimately told from the POV of Katherine, however, we are also given glimpses from the POV of her lady's maid and of her doctor Huicke. It portrayed how it was like to live in this time period as royalty and as a low-born. Unfortunately, the change in POV felt very jarring when you're absorbed in the story of the Queen and I think I would have enjoyed it much more if it was solely Katherine's story.
Towards the middle-part of the story the pace slowed down and it became infinitely less interesting to me mainly because it became less about the characters and more about the politics and strife going on in England at the time. Considering I know quite a bit about the history in England during the Tudor time period this was a bit redundant for me, albeit still somewhat interesting. I understand that this of course needs to be included some-how but I felt that the characters ultimately got placed on the back burner while the refresher course on 'The History of England' was taking place.
Queen's Gambit managed to maintain historical accuracy to a degree without overdoing the embellishing in areas that are less known. It's a well-told story of one of the lesser known queens, yet she's still without a doubt one that has the greatest story to tell: the story of how she managed to survive.
April 28, 2013
This wasn't a bad début novel by any means and it seems that lots of people really enjoyed it. I didn't dislike it, I actually found it a pleasant read, but it was also fairly undemanding. You might want that from a book sometimes or you may want something a bit more challenging. It may be that there are so many historical novels out there and of these ones about the Tudors top the leaderboard by a mile, so for me, a Tudor historical novel needs to really outstandingly good to make it stand out from the crowd. I also read a fair bit of 'proper' history (i.e. non-fiction books), so perhaps I know too much for there to be any surprises awaiting me? I do tend to get riled by bizarre deviations from historical fact.
Anyway, the novel deals with part of the life of Katherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII, starting with the death of her second husband and continuing just past her own demise. I suppose an historical novel will give the author more leeway to explain real events and there is a sort of expectation that a book should be a nice tidy package, explaining everything within its covers. I don't really feel that Fremantle does this with the Parr/Seymour relationship. It's not easy to see why an intelligent woman could be taken in by a man like this anyway, but in the book it was as if Katherine actually was attracted to him against her will, so the relationship never sat quite happily for me. The other main protagonist is a woman called Dorothy (Dot) Fownten, who acts very much as a maidservant to Katherine, and her stepdaughter, Meg Neville. I was interested to learn that Dot was a real historical character, but so little is known of her that Fremantle has had the liberty of embroidering her story.
As I said, not a bad book. Good if you want something fairly undemanding, such as a beach read. I suspect it will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, but those who prefer Penman may find it a little lacking.
Anyway, the novel deals with part of the life of Katherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII, starting with the death of her second husband and continuing just past her own demise. I suppose an historical novel will give the author more leeway to explain real events and there is a sort of expectation that a book should be a nice tidy package, explaining everything within its covers. I don't really feel that Fremantle does this with the Parr/Seymour relationship. It's not easy to see why an intelligent woman could be taken in by a man like this anyway, but in the book it was as if Katherine actually was attracted to him against her will, so the relationship never sat quite happily for me. The other main protagonist is a woman called Dorothy (Dot) Fownten, who acts very much as a maidservant to Katherine, and her stepdaughter, Meg Neville. I was interested to learn that Dot was a real historical character, but so little is known of her that Fremantle has had the liberty of embroidering her story.
As I said, not a bad book. Good if you want something fairly undemanding, such as a beach read. I suspect it will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, but those who prefer Penman may find it a little lacking.
November 7, 2013
This was a Tudor period novel that irritated me mightily. This time the queen is Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth wife, and the one who survived him. We first meet Katherine as she arrives in London, with devoted servant Dot and stepdaughter Meg Latymer in tow. She rejoins the royal court as one of Lady Mary's ladies, and gains the attentions of King Henry VIII. There's another suitor waiting, Thomas Seymour, and the story is filled with much to-ing and fro-ing and plenty of anachronisms -- Kerfuffle, tapioca and the dreaded potato. Not to mention lack of underwear, again. Yes, they were wearing something close to bloomers underneath all those skirts.
Got that? Alright, pet peeve calmed for the moment. This one gets just three stars from me, and a somewhat recommended. Depending on how much you know about the Tudor period will probably determine if you will like this or not.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/queen_...
Got that? Alright, pet peeve calmed for the moment. This one gets just three stars from me, and a somewhat recommended. Depending on how much you know about the Tudor period will probably determine if you will like this or not.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/queen_...
August 16, 2025
I cannot express how boring this book was, but it's worse than that. It made me genuinely furious by the end.
Okay, so let's start with the fact this book has a shockingly slow and uneventful plotline. We all know history and despite multiple sources cited, this book is largely... inspired by history, yes, but it doesn't care about accuracy. And it's not a bad thing! I loved how the author used this opportunity to take the liberty of including queer characters. But why, oh WHY everything is so slow? There were so many missed opportunities. Meg and Dot's relationship initially made me think there's some subtle girl love subplot involved which i would have loved. But no. Everyone in this book is boy crazy. Characters portrayed as smart and opinionated lose their braincells once they meet a man. Heck, the main character's infatuation and her maid's romance were identical in wording, development and, worst of all, stupidity. I can't believe reasonable characters would become pathetic whiny b*tches because they had a good d*ck once. I got beat over the head with Seymour's eye color, I GET IT, SHUT UP.
And now to the very ending. Throughout the book we get reminded every 3 pages Meg, Catherine's stepdaughter, was brutally assaulted. Since then she's withdrawn, quiet, anxious and, dare i say, developed eating disorders. This intriguing, complex character vanishes halfway through the book (the only character i cared about, yeah!) and she is, according to the book, a victim. Catherine is also a victim and the reader is reminded of that often. How, HOW can this book portray Elizabeth, a 13 year old girl, as a seductress responsible for a 40 year old man's atrocities? My god, the victim blaming in the last chapters was so disgusting and horrible it completely overrode my marginal enjoyment of some other parts of this book. To have Elizabeth ask Catherine forgiveness for being preyed upon is unimaginable to me.
Meg and Elizabeth were the only characters who sparked my interest. So was Dot until she lost all personality after meeting a guy. I swear everything mildly intriguing was being so meticulously spoiled or removed it's actually kinda impressive.
All respect to actual historical figures. You would have hated reading this.
1/5
Okay, so let's start with the fact this book has a shockingly slow and uneventful plotline. We all know history and despite multiple sources cited, this book is largely... inspired by history, yes, but it doesn't care about accuracy. And it's not a bad thing! I loved how the author used this opportunity to take the liberty of including queer characters. But why, oh WHY everything is so slow? There were so many missed opportunities. Meg and Dot's relationship initially made me think there's some subtle girl love subplot involved which i would have loved. But no. Everyone in this book is boy crazy. Characters portrayed as smart and opinionated lose their braincells once they meet a man. Heck, the main character's infatuation and her maid's romance were identical in wording, development and, worst of all, stupidity. I can't believe reasonable characters would become pathetic whiny b*tches because they had a good d*ck once. I got beat over the head with Seymour's eye color, I GET IT, SHUT UP.
And now to the very ending. Throughout the book we get reminded every 3 pages Meg, Catherine's stepdaughter, was brutally assaulted. Since then she's withdrawn, quiet, anxious and, dare i say, developed eating disorders. This intriguing, complex character vanishes halfway through the book (the only character i cared about, yeah!) and she is, according to the book, a victim. Catherine is also a victim and the reader is reminded of that often. How, HOW can this book portray Elizabeth, a 13 year old girl, as a seductress responsible for a 40 year old man's atrocities? My god, the victim blaming in the last chapters was so disgusting and horrible it completely overrode my marginal enjoyment of some other parts of this book. To have Elizabeth ask Catherine forgiveness for being preyed upon is unimaginable to me.
Meg and Elizabeth were the only characters who sparked my interest. So was Dot until she lost all personality after meeting a guy. I swear everything mildly intriguing was being so meticulously spoiled or removed it's actually kinda impressive.
All respect to actual historical figures. You would have hated reading this.
1/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2024
El juego de la reina comienza con la eminente muerte del segundo marido de Katherine Parr, John Neville, Lord Latimer. Mientras aún está de luto, la hija del rey, María, una amiga de la infancia, le pide que la visite en la corte. Poco después de su llegada conoce y se enamora de Thomas Seymour, el hombre que dejará una huella indeleble en ella. La idea de una vida con Thomas se desvanece cuando el rey Enrique VIII le ofrece una invitación de matrimonio en la que el no, no es una opción.
Hacia la mitad de la historia, el ritmo se ralentizó y se volvió infinitamente menos interesante para mí, principalmente porque se volvió menos sobre los personajes y más sobre la política y los conflictos que ocurrían en Inglaterra en ese momento.
Lo que realmente me encantó de la novela es que hay historias paralelas. Aunque Katherine es la protagonista, también tienes la historia de Dot, que había servido a Katherine desde su primer matrimonio y que fue rehén de ella y de la hijastra de Katherine, Meg, y luego, en menor medida, las historias de Meg y Huicke, el médico del Rey. Dot es un personaje maravilloso y me encantó ver los eventos en la corte a través de sus ojos y ver lo que le sucedió cuando su lealtad a su amante la puso en peligro.
En conclusión, un libro que he disfrutado por comentarlo con las chicas de la lectura compartida pero que esperaba mucho más. No tiene mala documentación ni malos personajes pero en ocasiones se me hacía lento , en general una lectura sencilla.
Hacia la mitad de la historia, el ritmo se ralentizó y se volvió infinitamente menos interesante para mí, principalmente porque se volvió menos sobre los personajes y más sobre la política y los conflictos que ocurrían en Inglaterra en ese momento.
Lo que realmente me encantó de la novela es que hay historias paralelas. Aunque Katherine es la protagonista, también tienes la historia de Dot, que había servido a Katherine desde su primer matrimonio y que fue rehén de ella y de la hijastra de Katherine, Meg, y luego, en menor medida, las historias de Meg y Huicke, el médico del Rey. Dot es un personaje maravilloso y me encantó ver los eventos en la corte a través de sus ojos y ver lo que le sucedió cuando su lealtad a su amante la puso en peligro.
En conclusión, un libro que he disfrutado por comentarlo con las chicas de la lectura compartida pero que esperaba mucho más. No tiene mala documentación ni malos personajes pero en ocasiones se me hacía lento , en general una lectura sencilla.
May 15, 2013
This treat for historical fiction fans has just come out in the UK and comes out on 11th June in the US. It is the debut novel from Fashion editor Elizabeth Fremantle and Fremantle is definitely one to watch as the book is a wonderful read.
The novel follows the story of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, from 1543, when she is nursing her dying second husband, to her death in September 1548. It is a novel covering just five years, but it was an action packed five years in Katherine's life - she lost a husband, fell in love with another man but had her hopes dashed, married a king who had executed two of his wives, survived a plot against her, lost her third husband and then married for love, only to be betrayed and then die. Phew! You'd think it was far-fetched if it wasn't true!
Many people still think of Katherine as the woman who was nothing but a nurse to Henry VIII during his final years, but that's not the Katherine of this book or the Katherine of history. Katherine was an intelligent woman, a committed reformer and published author. She survived a rebellion which saw her taken hostage, she built good relationships with her stepchildren and ward, and Henry chose her to act as regent while he was at war in France. That is the Katherine of the Queen's Gambit, a strong character who survives the intrigues and corruption of the Tudor court and who leaves the world a better place for her having lived. The Katherine of the novel has a way with people, she is loved and respected, and from the start you can't help but empathise with her and the situation she finds herself in, when she has to sacrifice her dreams for the greater good.
Of course, there are blanks in Katherine's story. We don't know what happened to her when she was held hostage with her stepchildren during the Pilgrimage of Grace, we don't know her feelings towards Henry VIII, we don't know her relationship with Anne Askew and other reformers, and we don't know the full nature of Thomas Seymour's relationship with the young Elizabeth. It is an historical novelist's job to fill these blanks in using their imagination, but to make their choices make sense. Although the filling in of the blanks regarding Katherine's experiences during the rebellion, Elizabeth and Seymour's relationship, and Latymer's death didn't sit comfortably with me, it did work for the story and who knows what happened? Fremantle's author's note explains some of the liberties she took, but not all of them, so I would have liked some more detail here.
The thing I really loved about the novel is that there are parallel storylines. Although Katherine is the main character, you also have the story of Dot, who had served Katherine since her first marriage and who was held hostage with her and Katherine's stepdaughter, Meg, and then, to a lesser extent, the stories of Meg and Huicke, the King's physician. Dot is a wonderful character and I loved seeing the events at court through her eyes and seeing what happened to her as her loyalty to her mistress put her in danger.
The Queen's Gambit really is a riveting read and will be enjoyed by all those who love historical fiction.
The novel follows the story of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, from 1543, when she is nursing her dying second husband, to her death in September 1548. It is a novel covering just five years, but it was an action packed five years in Katherine's life - she lost a husband, fell in love with another man but had her hopes dashed, married a king who had executed two of his wives, survived a plot against her, lost her third husband and then married for love, only to be betrayed and then die. Phew! You'd think it was far-fetched if it wasn't true!
Many people still think of Katherine as the woman who was nothing but a nurse to Henry VIII during his final years, but that's not the Katherine of this book or the Katherine of history. Katherine was an intelligent woman, a committed reformer and published author. She survived a rebellion which saw her taken hostage, she built good relationships with her stepchildren and ward, and Henry chose her to act as regent while he was at war in France. That is the Katherine of the Queen's Gambit, a strong character who survives the intrigues and corruption of the Tudor court and who leaves the world a better place for her having lived. The Katherine of the novel has a way with people, she is loved and respected, and from the start you can't help but empathise with her and the situation she finds herself in, when she has to sacrifice her dreams for the greater good.
Of course, there are blanks in Katherine's story. We don't know what happened to her when she was held hostage with her stepchildren during the Pilgrimage of Grace, we don't know her feelings towards Henry VIII, we don't know her relationship with Anne Askew and other reformers, and we don't know the full nature of Thomas Seymour's relationship with the young Elizabeth. It is an historical novelist's job to fill these blanks in using their imagination, but to make their choices make sense. Although the filling in of the blanks regarding Katherine's experiences during the rebellion, Elizabeth and Seymour's relationship, and Latymer's death didn't sit comfortably with me, it did work for the story and who knows what happened? Fremantle's author's note explains some of the liberties she took, but not all of them, so I would have liked some more detail here.
The thing I really loved about the novel is that there are parallel storylines. Although Katherine is the main character, you also have the story of Dot, who had served Katherine since her first marriage and who was held hostage with her and Katherine's stepdaughter, Meg, and then, to a lesser extent, the stories of Meg and Huicke, the King's physician. Dot is a wonderful character and I loved seeing the events at court through her eyes and seeing what happened to her as her loyalty to her mistress put her in danger.
The Queen's Gambit really is a riveting read and will be enjoyed by all those who love historical fiction.
January 18, 2013
This story of a queen -- Henry VIII's last wife -- had me from page one, in which we experience the death of Katherine Parr's second husband from his point of view. It's remarkable to be invited into a book through the eyes of a dying man. After that we move among characters gracefully, each perspective true and engaging, with most weight given to the queen herself and her maid. We see the two women grow into their interconnected realms of power -- for the maid, the queen's household, for the queen, the nation itself. The growing intensity of the maid's desire to learn to read, and her sense of isolation in a world increasingly demarcated by the written word, was one of the more powerful of the book's many resonant chords. Ultimately this is a complicated portrait of many women, including the young Elizabeth, and I love the novel for its constant attention to the role of women and girls in the workings of political power. Beautifully researched, gorgeously written -- historical fiction at its best.
June 17, 2013
3.5 I keep telling myself that I have read more than enough books about Henry VIIIth and his wives. Than I see this one about Katherine Parr, who is not written about as much as some of the other wives, and I had to read it. The author does a great job with the description of the time and the places, the court intrigue and the phoniness of the same, and I loved that she started the book when Katherine's second husband was dying. It provided a little more background on her instead of just starting the book when she reluctantly wed Henry. The writing is graceful, clear and the way the story alternates between Katherine and a young servant in her employ gives one two different views of many of the events. I now believe that I can read many many books written about Parr and I will still never understand why this smart, intelligent woman, who managed to keep her head and outlive Henry, ever was taken in by Thomas Seymour. One of the many mysteries that will never be solved. LOL
ARC provided by Publisher.
ARC provided by Publisher.
February 27, 2013
I recieved this through a giveaway through penguin and im glad I was lucky that I got it! I enjoyed it from start to finish. I am a great lover of historical fiction. Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII is probably one of the lesser known or documented wives. In ‘Queen’s Gambit’ Elizabeth Fremantle tells the story of Katherine’s life, from the death of her second husband Lord Latymer, her marriage to her third, Henry, then to her fourth and final spouse, Thomas Seymour. The way in which the book is written is a joy and takes the reader through this story not realising that it is nearly 500pages. The characters are well developed and not left with out back bone. The writing style is great and draws you in. Im told Elizabeth Fremantle plans this to be a trilogy and I cant wait for the next book. Well done!!!!!!
November 5, 2024
As I’m Tudor obsessed, I knew I had to read this book before I saw the movie.
Out of all the Tudor books I’ve read (and there have been many!) and movies and shows I’ve watched, I knew the least about Katherine Parr, King Henry VIII’s 6th and last wife.
I thought this version was one of the most interesting and probably the most realistic as to what Katherine really went through.
After reading the book, I watched the movie that released this year and I found their depiction of King Henry absolutely grotesque although, again, probably pretty accurate. Ugh. What his wives had to endure.
Thanks Simon Books for the gifted copy of Firebrand!
Out of all the Tudor books I’ve read (and there have been many!) and movies and shows I’ve watched, I knew the least about Katherine Parr, King Henry VIII’s 6th and last wife.
I thought this version was one of the most interesting and probably the most realistic as to what Katherine really went through.
After reading the book, I watched the movie that released this year and I found their depiction of King Henry absolutely grotesque although, again, probably pretty accurate. Ugh. What his wives had to endure.
Thanks Simon Books for the gifted copy of Firebrand!
May 13, 2019
I quite enjoyed this.
The storyline surrounded Elizabeth as a girl being molested by Seymour is unsettling.
The storyline surrounded Elizabeth as a girl being molested by Seymour is unsettling.
March 27, 2021
Well-characterized, lots of interesting historical details, intrigue, not boring! I loved the side characters too. Made it all very believable. A delightful read!! You can find full review on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...
June 9, 2020
Leider nicht das, was ich gerne gelesen hätte... ich konnte einfach keine Verbindung zu Katherine aufbauen.. oder grundsätzlich zu den Charakteren.
August 18, 2024
on se fait juste chier sorry
May 5, 2021
Elizabeth Freemantle is my favourite female author - no question.
As E C Freemantle she astounded me with The Poison Bed, but this is simply stunning.
Queen's Gambit is a fictional account of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, and keeping to timelines offers much more than just a story.
I fell in love within the first fifty pages and never stopped loving it.
Now for the second in the series: Sisters of Treason 😁
As E C Freemantle she astounded me with The Poison Bed, but this is simply stunning.
Queen's Gambit is a fictional account of Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII, and keeping to timelines offers much more than just a story.
I fell in love within the first fifty pages and never stopped loving it.
Now for the second in the series: Sisters of Treason 😁
May 6, 2015
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads but all thoughts on the book are my own opinion based on reading it.
Katherine Parr comes to Court as a widow and is surprised to fall for the charms of the notorious player Thomas Seymour, who seems to return her feelings. Finally, Katherine has the chance to be with a man for love not duty-until King Henry VIII decides that he wants to have Katherine as his sixth wife, and saying no is not an option. Katherine is heartbroken but faces her destiny with dignity.
I've read a few novels about Katherine Parr and this is certainly one of the best. It's focus is on Katherine as a person, her hopes and fears and her passion for her stepchildren and the new religion. You actually feel as if you know her really well after reading this which says a lot about how how well the character is written. She goes to Court with her stepdaughter Meg, who is a timid young woman, and her feisty servant Dot. I really liked how the two young women from totally different social standings were so close to each other. Dot's own love affair is very much a background thread in this story but it was just as interesting as the main story.
Tudor writers can usually bend the story a bit to try and add new interest to a well known story and I really liked what the author chose to do. It is known that Katherine's second husband was accused by Henry of being a traitor during the Pilgrimage of Grace despite his insistence that he was forced to join the rebels for fear of their reprisals. This book talks of Katherine and Meg being raped by rebels at Snape Castle in the north, which greatly affects how they react to situations faced through the book. Meg's post traumatic stress is so sad to witness and I thought it was handled beautifully. The author also chose the twist of Katherine having to give birth to the baby of the rapist which died soon after. Her inability to get pregnant to Henry brings back thoughts of that dead baby and the trauma of the rape. It was a fascinating storyline which was used to show how this event shaped the lives of the three women. I really liked that.
The other female characters are excellent-Cat Brandon is feisty and loud, Anne Bassett jealosly trying to catch the King's eye while he is wooing Katherine, Katherine's devoted sister Anne who is loyal to her through all the troubles, Anne who is Edward Seymour's bitchy wife, and the martyr Anne Askew who dies for her beliefs. The great range of female characters with different virtues and vices is one of the reasons that I love Tudor books, and this book delivers big time on strong women.
The men are suitably bad! We see the portrayal of Henry slightly differently, having him confess to Katherine that the pain in his leg causes his uncontrollable rages. I liked seeing the manipulative Henry as a little more human in flashes through the book as I think it is a fair representation of what he was probably like at the time. Thomas Seymour is the slimy suitor who lurks in the background, waiting to get his hands on Katherine but by the time he does, his eyes are already on her stepdaughter Elizabeth. This book shies away from any indication that Seymour was poisoning his wife, like other books have. I have never believed this, as it would have meant poisoning a potential son which every man wants as an heir to his estates.
I found the style of writing to be easy to follow, entertaining and it flowed well. There is a build up of tension as Katherine's enemies seek to depose her and this made the plot quite gripping. It was an excellent example of a Tudor novel. I have already got a copy of the next book that the author has written featuring the Grey sisters at Queen Mary's Court, and I look forward to reading it.
Highly recommend this book to Tudor fans!
Katherine Parr comes to Court as a widow and is surprised to fall for the charms of the notorious player Thomas Seymour, who seems to return her feelings. Finally, Katherine has the chance to be with a man for love not duty-until King Henry VIII decides that he wants to have Katherine as his sixth wife, and saying no is not an option. Katherine is heartbroken but faces her destiny with dignity.
I've read a few novels about Katherine Parr and this is certainly one of the best. It's focus is on Katherine as a person, her hopes and fears and her passion for her stepchildren and the new religion. You actually feel as if you know her really well after reading this which says a lot about how how well the character is written. She goes to Court with her stepdaughter Meg, who is a timid young woman, and her feisty servant Dot. I really liked how the two young women from totally different social standings were so close to each other. Dot's own love affair is very much a background thread in this story but it was just as interesting as the main story.
Tudor writers can usually bend the story a bit to try and add new interest to a well known story and I really liked what the author chose to do. It is known that Katherine's second husband was accused by Henry of being a traitor during the Pilgrimage of Grace despite his insistence that he was forced to join the rebels for fear of their reprisals. This book talks of Katherine and Meg being raped by rebels at Snape Castle in the north, which greatly affects how they react to situations faced through the book. Meg's post traumatic stress is so sad to witness and I thought it was handled beautifully. The author also chose the twist of Katherine having to give birth to the baby of the rapist which died soon after. Her inability to get pregnant to Henry brings back thoughts of that dead baby and the trauma of the rape. It was a fascinating storyline which was used to show how this event shaped the lives of the three women. I really liked that.
The other female characters are excellent-Cat Brandon is feisty and loud, Anne Bassett jealosly trying to catch the King's eye while he is wooing Katherine, Katherine's devoted sister Anne who is loyal to her through all the troubles, Anne who is Edward Seymour's bitchy wife, and the martyr Anne Askew who dies for her beliefs. The great range of female characters with different virtues and vices is one of the reasons that I love Tudor books, and this book delivers big time on strong women.
The men are suitably bad! We see the portrayal of Henry slightly differently, having him confess to Katherine that the pain in his leg causes his uncontrollable rages. I liked seeing the manipulative Henry as a little more human in flashes through the book as I think it is a fair representation of what he was probably like at the time. Thomas Seymour is the slimy suitor who lurks in the background, waiting to get his hands on Katherine but by the time he does, his eyes are already on her stepdaughter Elizabeth. This book shies away from any indication that Seymour was poisoning his wife, like other books have. I have never believed this, as it would have meant poisoning a potential son which every man wants as an heir to his estates.
I found the style of writing to be easy to follow, entertaining and it flowed well. There is a build up of tension as Katherine's enemies seek to depose her and this made the plot quite gripping. It was an excellent example of a Tudor novel. I have already got a copy of the next book that the author has written featuring the Grey sisters at Queen Mary's Court, and I look forward to reading it.
Highly recommend this book to Tudor fans!
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