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Author: Laura Andersen
Series: The Boleyn Trilogy (Book #1)
Series: The Boleyn Trilogy (Book #1)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Length: 358 pages
Published: 2013
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The Boleyn King is the first novel in an enthralling new trilogy. Re-imagining history in sumptuous detail, Laura Andersen takes readers back to the deadly intrigue, turbulent affairs, and treacherous passions of Tudor England - and answers the compelling question What if Anne Boleyn had given Henry VIII the son he so desperately wanted?
Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William's mother, Anne Boleyn.
Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king's desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England's fortunes forever.
Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William's mother, Anne Boleyn.
Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king's desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England's fortunes forever.
My Review:
I give this book a 5 out of 5.
Admittedly I do not know much about the era that Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn lived in aside from the basics: Anne Boleyn failed to bear him a son and she was executed for treason, freeing him to marry another. So when I saw this alternate history on Goodreads as a giveaway, I had to enter to win because the idea that it posed was too fascinating not to explore. Needless to say I was excited to find the copy in the mail sometime later. (Let me add here that I just found out that I won a copy of the sequel, The Boleyn Deceit, and am now anxiously awaiting its arrival.) It's been sitting here waiting for me to read it for a few months and now that I've finally read it, I can't believe I waited this long!
This is an alternate history novel. The "what if" in this instance being "What if Anne Boleyn bore a healthy, living son to Henry VIII and never been executed for treason?". That's what drew me in. Think how different things in England and even throughout the world would be if this had happened. This is why alternate historical fiction novels fascinate me so much.
Once I started reading The Boleyn King, I really could not put it down. The characters were instantly likeable. The four main characters are the children of Anne Boleyn: Princess Elizabeth and King William; as well as Dominic Courtenay and Genevieve "Minuette" Wyatt. Minuette was born within the same hour as William, and both Elizabeth and Dominic are older than the younger pair. Dominic has long been a close friend of William's and the group's destiny has always seemed to intertwine.
Where there is royalty, there is always some devious plot underfoot to take over the kingdom. And so naturally, there is a plot here. The four friends are drawn into a plot which seems to be leading towards the Catholics trying to take over the throne of England and place the dispossessed princess Mary (William and Elizabeth's older half-sister) on the throne. The plot centers around a document called "The Penitent's Confession" which states that William is not Henry's son but a son borne of incest.
Through all of this, William must find a way to make peace with the French against the Spanish and keep England under his control. Minuette is by far the character whose point of view we see these events from. It is mostly her journal entries which are found throughout the book, and her life that is in danger. And it is her heart and virtue that are laid bare. Because of course, there is romance lacing through this novel of intrigue.
I really could not recommend this book more. The author weaves a grand tale of royal intrigue and romance that draws together at the end leaving the reader wanting more. Thank goodness there are two more books in this trilogy!
You can purchase The Boleyn King through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format.
Have you read The Boleyn King? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.
Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.
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