Genre: Historical fiction
Series: Six Tudor Queens #4
Page Count: 490
Publication Year: 2019
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Special Notes: I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary:
“Guten tag, my name ist Anna of Kleaver and I don’t vant to marry Henry VIII. Oh but look, he ist so handsome in this portrait. Let us hope it ist as trustvorthy as mine.
“Oh no, he ist fat, old and his leg rots like the dead fish! But look at all these fine clothes and jewels, surely it vill all be vell.
“Henry does not vant me because his flawless conscience ist bothering him. At least I get so many fine castles and money and servants and Henry’s friendship.
“He is marrying some young girl in hopes of regaining his youth. It is futile and now she is dead.
“So many vile rumors surround me and financial troubles never abate. I think I shall worry myself into the grave.”
After reading this it seems like Anna really did get the best life of Henry's wives.
The author is not--in my opinion--a good writer. There's no skill in her prose and it only manages to get the story across with no effort made to enthrall you. It's what I expected since I read her previous book about Jane Seymour, but it didn't make me eager to read the book. The description of the clothes bored me because I don't know what the majority of the fabrics looked like and couldn't picture anything. Although, it is interesting to me to hear how much money went into people's clothes. I was a bit surprised to discover how much I didn't care for Anna. Sure, her situation sucked for the majority of the book, but her personality (as portrayed here) never made me feel anything more than obligatory sympathy for her. The book may as well have been written in first person, as all the other people were deprived of personalities I could get behind. I did appreciate the few sentences about Thomas Cromwell as I'm currently fascinated by him. Overall the history was there and presented in clear terms, but if you want juicy drama (and more of it) and exquisite prose that pulls you in, look elsewhere.
Bonus note: I can’t help noticing how the Catholics had Inquisitions and other heinous massacres, but the Protestants had a Reformation. Why are the Protestants bad again?
Check out my rating here.
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