shannonmiz
Written on Mar 27, 2018
Wow, I had no idea how much I would freaking love reading about Henry VIII's wives, their struggles, and his deplorable behavior. I cheered for the women, whose lives were often hell, and I jeered Henry at every turn (seriously, most of my Kindle notes are along the lines of "why is he the actual worst?" and "who let this asshole rule a country, should have shot him instead"). And it is a sadly accurate portrayal of the awfulness that all women have been dealing with since literally forever.
First, it was freaking genius to have a different author for every queen (and Henry!), because the voices felt so very unique. Each queen was, quite literally, her own woman even in the book, and it really showed. The voices all were really well done too, each seeming quite appropriate for each queen's personality. And Henry, too- even though I loathed him at every turn, his chapters were still compelling to read.
Basically, I never wanted this book to end. Which I haven't felt about a book in a long time. It's also incredibly well researched, as I found myself down a very lengthly Henry-related Wikipedia rabbit hole after finishing the book. The authors had me so completely enamored with each queen that I found myself wanting to know about everything.
It was certainly not easy to read, as you can imagine. The time period was hell, obviously, and people died on the regular, even if Henry didn't have them killed. Reading of the deaths of the queens' children was probably the hardest part. These women were, by and large, so young, and dealt with so much trauma. But their strength was incredible, and worth every page.
Bottom Line: If you have any interest in this topic or historical fiction at all, read this book. It is one of my all-time favorites, both entertaining and informative.