The Blackened Heart by Alison Weir

The Blackened Heart by foremost and beloved historian Alison Weir is an e-short and companion piece that bridges the first two novels in the Six Tudor Queens series, Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick will delight in this mysterious tale, drawn together from fragments of history - and a good dose of speculation. Or is it...?

Margery Otwell, a self-made gentleman's young daughter, gets her first taste of courtly life when she takes up a position as chamberer to Lady Peche of Lullingstone Castle. Dances, music, feasting - and a seduction - follow, and Margery learns the rules of courtly love the hard way.

Saved from disgrace by the kindly Sir John Peche, Margery finds herself at court waiting on Queen Katherine. Little does Margery know that she is already a pawn in a game of power, irrevocably bound to the fall of the lady she will come to love as her mistress, Queen and friend.

Kindle Edition, 45 pages

Published March 9, 2017 

by Review

3.5/5 stars

As I continue my reading through Alison Weir's Six Tudor Queen Series, I have been reading some of her short stories that are scattered throughout this series.  Available only through Amazon UK, a pity since I would like to read them all.

This is book 1.5, during the time of Katherine of Aragon, wife #1.  Coming in at 45 pages it was a relatively quick read.  As a teen Margery Otwell enters into service for the queen and is a life long companion through all the drama.  A story of mystery, drama and romance.

My copy through kindle - it pays to take kindle while traveling, in addition to reading but also to grab through editions not available in my location.

Anna of Kleve: Queen of Secrets by Alison Weir

Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir tells the little-known story of Henry VIII’s fourth wife, as a grieving king chooses a bride sight unseen in the fourth novel in the epic and intrigue-filled Six Tudor Queens series.

Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to insure the royal succession. Now forty-six, overweight and unwell, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe’s most eligible princesses, but Anna of Kleve—a small German duchy—is twenty-four and eager to wed. Henry requests Anna’s portrait from his court painter, who enhances her looks, painting her straight-on in order not to emphasize her rather long nose. Henry is entranced by the lovely image, only to be bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. She is pleasant looking, just not the lady that Henry had expected.

What follows is a fascinating story of this awkward royal union that had to somehow be terminated tactfully. Alison Weir takes a fresh and surprising look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone in a royal court that rejected her from the day she arrived.

Hardcover, 511 pages

Published May 2, 2019 

by Headline Review

4/5 stars

This is Book 4 in the Six Tudor Queen Series, the wives of King Henry VIII. What makes this series unique is that they are told from the point of view of the Queen.

Beginning when Anna is still a teen, we get a glimpse of her earlier life in Kleve, which is a small German Dutchy. I enjoyed reading about how important her marriage to Henry VIII was, for an alliance and the steps that went into making the wedding happen. I already knew abit of what happened in Anna‘s life after she married the King, but it was nice to read the story through her eyes. I also listened to part of the audiobook, which was well done. 

What I really liked about this book was that it almost felt like a standalone given that the previous three Queens had overlapping storylines. Meaning in Catherine of Aragon‘s story towards the end has Anne Boleyn entering the picture, so we see Catherine‘s view of Anne. Then in book 2 we get Anne's view of Catherine through her narrative.  Same with Jane Seymour (Queen 3). With this book Katherine Howard doesn't enter till near the ending, so really Anna of Kleve's story.

All in all I recommend the series for historical fiction lovers and those that are fascinated with the Tudor dynasty and their queens. I have read a number of Alison Weir books and have always enjoyed them. I bought this series from book depository (oh I miss them) when they were first released, thankfully I have a matching set of covers. 

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is book #10.

Audio Review: Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen (Six Tudor Queens #3) by Alison Weir

A novel of the devout young woman who became the unwilling object of King Henry VIII's ardor - and the mother of his only son.

In this third book in the epic Six Tudor Queens series, the acclaimed historian and best-selling author brings new insight to this dramatic story, showing how pure fear for her life determined Jane Seymour's actions.

Twenty-five-year-old Jane Seymour wants nothing more than to become a nun. But her ambitious father has forced her to live at court as lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon, a fellow Catholic whom she soon comes to love and admire. So Jane is appalled when King Henry shunts Katherine aside in his lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn, but even more so when he takes Anne's life in his rush to wed - Jane herself!

Unwilling to marry but terrified to resist Henry's advances for fear she might share Anne's fate, and propelled by her family, Jane becomes queen of England a mere 10 days after Anne's execution. She knows she must produce a male heir without fail. Her very life depends on it.

Hardcover, 531 pages

Published May 3rd 2018

 by Headline Review

3.5/5 stars

Jane Seymour, the 3rd wife of Henry VIII and supposedly the one he truly loved (could it be because she gave him a son?).  There is very little historical info about Jane, she left no writings or anything behind to give a true sense of who she was.  The author notes were great on that level.

This is the 3rd book in Alison Weir's series on the wives of good old King Henry VIII and one I was really looking forward to reading.  While the story's do overlap - Jane was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine and again for Anne Boleyn, but coming from the point of view of Jane just gave another view of this time.  I enjoyed getting to know Jane through her life before arriving at court, her plans to be a nun along with her brothers (whom I am sure will show up in subsequent books).

As always I enjoy Alison Weir's writing, her knowledge of the time brings the era to life and the author notes explain some of the issues that could be up for debate. Heavily researched  I enjoyed getting to know Jane even though I felt the book dragged here and there a bit.  Definitely recommend for Tudor fans.

This book was part of my 2020 Reading of my Shelf Challenge #36

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Anna of Kleve: The Princess in the Portrait (Six Tudor Queens #4) by Alison Weir

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post to showcase upcoming releases that I am anxious to get my hands on.

Hardcover, 288 pages

 Expected publication: May 14th 2019

 by Ballantine Books

 Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir tells the little-known story of Henry VIII’s fourth wife, as a grieving king chooses a bride sight unseen in the fourth novel in the epic and intrigue-filled Six Tudor Queens series.

Newly widowed and the father of an infant son, Henry VIII realizes he must marry again to insure the royal succession. Now forty-six, overweight and unwell, Henry is soundly rejected by some of Europe’s most eligible princesses, but Anna of Kleve—a small German duchy—is twenty-four and eager to wed. Henry requests Anna’s portrait from his court painter, who enhances her looks, painting her straight-on in order not to emphasize her rather long nose. Henry is entranced by the lovely image, only to be bitterly surprised when Anna arrives in England and he sees her in the flesh. She is pleasant looking, just not the lady that Henry had expected.

What follows is a fascinating story of this awkward royal union that had to somehow be terminated tactfully. Alison Weir takes a fresh and surprising look at this remarkable royal marriage by describing it from the point of view of Queen Anna, a young woman with hopes and dreams of her own, alone in a royal court that rejected her from the day she arrived.

What are you waiting for?

Review: Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen (Six Tudor Queens #1) by Alison Weir

The lives of Henry VIII's queens make for dramatic stories and Alison Weir will write a series of novels that offer insights into the real lives of the six wives based on extensive research and new theories.

In all the romancing, has anyone regarded the evidence that Anne Boleyn did not love Henry VIII? Or that Prince Arthur, Katherine of Aragon's first husband, who is said to have loved her in fact cared so little for her that he willed his personal effects to his sister? Or that Henry VIII, an over-protected child and teenager, was prudish when it came to sex? That Jane Seymour, usually portrayed as Henry's one true love, had the makings of a matriarch? There is much to reveal ...

Alison will write about the wives in the context of their own age and of the court intrigues that surrounded these women and - without exception - wrecked their lives. She will transport readers into a lost and vivid world of splendour and brutality: a world in which love, or the game of it, dominates all.

Hardcover, 700 pages 

Published May 5th 2016 

by HEADLINE REVIEW

*** 1/2

This is the first book in Alison Weir's series on the wives of Henry VIII. Weir is a widely known British historian who writes both fiction and nonfiction, a number that I have read.

One of the things that attracted me to this series is that it is told from the perspective of the wife. I have previously read books on Katherine of Aragon but usually from someone else’s point of view, for me this was a nice change to get inside her head and get a different perspective. Always fascinated with Katherine, daughter of Queen Isabel of Castile and King Ferdinand of Spain, I took her to be strong and courageous. She is married the longest to Henry and takes her marriage vows very seriously. It was a refreshing change seeing her side of the story, while there was still political and religious strife played out here it did not overpower the story like it would have from other points of view.

Well I enjoyed reading this book it did take me most of the summer to complete it. It wasn’t the type that have me begging to read but rather I would pick up and read a couple chapters throughout the week while reading other things. The author stayed true to the time period using historical documents and quoting from them throughout this book sometimes giving the feel of a history lesson. Having said that reading this has given me a new appreciation for Katherine, with all that she went through, from the death of her first husband, Arthur and the many years between till her marriage to Henry. There were many pregnancies, alienation at court while dealing with Henry’s tirades and ultimate abandonment over Anne Boleyn.  Alison Weir has written a detailed account of Katherine’s life.

Definitely a series I will continue to read.

 Hardcover copy part of my personal library.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Marriage Game by Alison Weir

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
 
   This week I am waiting for: The Marriage Game by Alison Weir

         (the sequel to The Lady Elizabeth, will be published in the U.K. on 26th June 2014)

 

 The sequel to The Lady Elizabeth

Their affair is the scandal of Europe. From the time of her accession in 1558, the young Elizabeth I – already reinventing herself as the Virgin Queen – and her dashing but married Master of Horse, Lord Robert Dudley, cast caution to the winds in pursuing their passion for each other. Many believe them to be lovers in the fullest sense, and Elizabeth soon becomes aware of rumours that she is no virgin at all, and that she has secretly borne Lord Robert children.

The young Queen is regarded by most of Christendom as a bastard, a heretic and a usurper, yet many princes seek her hand in marriage. Knowing her hold on her throne to be desperately insecure, Elizabeth encourages them in order to keep them friendly towards England. And thus she plays what becomes known as ‘the marriage game’, appearing seriously to entertain these suitors while holding them off indefinitely. The truth is that she has no inclination to marry, bear children or render herself subservient to any man. The prospect of marriage is anathema to her, and she has deep and compelling psychological reasons for wishing to avoid it. It is the game of love that is the breath of life to her - the thrill of the chase, the lure of forbidden fruit. She plays this dangerous, tantalizing game with Lord Robert Dudley – but it is a game, she realizes - almost too late, that could ultimately cost her the throne.

For Robert is the son and grandson of traitors, and his growing intimacy with Elizabeth makes him deeply unpopular: he is distrusted by her more sober ministers – notably William Cecil - and resented by her courtiers, who think him inordinately ambitious, unscrupulous – and worse.

The notorious affair between Dudley and the Queen quickly gives rise to rampant speculation throughout Christendom that she is determined to marry him, and even that they are plotting the murder of Robert's sick wife, Amy. There is universal shock when Amy is found dead, lying at the foot of a staircase with her neck broken.

In telling the captivating, tempestuous, often hilarious and ultimately poignant story of this most extraordinary love affair, and the political intrigues and marriage negotiations that surrounded it, I have delved into the various mysteries that encompass Elizabeth’s relationship with Dudley.

Did they or didn`t they? Rivers of ink have been spilt in determining the answer to this question, and as a historian I have my own strong views about it – not necessarily those that prevail in The Lady Elizabeth! In The Marriage Game, Elizabeth has reinvented herself as the Virgin Queen, but Robert Dudley is determined to overcome her fears of intimacy and become her lover, if not her husband. The other crucial issue is, of course, the fate of Amy Robsart, and this novel offers a dramatized version of my own theory.

It is a book packed with all the colour and splendour of the Tudor court – and a story played out amidst the most famous events of the Elizabethan age, culminating with the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. It is a poignant tale of love and loss, focusing on the highs and lows of Elizabeth`s long affair with Dudley and the dynamics that enabled it to last for so long. A wealth of source material has enabled me to bring Elizabeth, that feisty, formidable, witty and mercurial woman, to life – and to get inside her head and relive this most extraordinary and controversial of royal love affairs.

What are you waiting for? 

Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World by Alison Weir

Many are familiar with the story of the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry’s mother and Elizabeth’s grandmother, spanned one of England’s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman, whose very existence united the realm and ensured the survival of the Plantagenet bloodline.

Her birth was greeted with as much pomp and ceremony as that of a male heir. The first child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth enjoyed all the glittering trappings of royalty. But after the death of her father; the disappearance and probable murder of her brothers—the Princes in the Tower; and the usurpation of the throne by her calculating uncle Richard III, Elizabeth found her world turned upside-down: She and her siblings were declared bastards.

As Richard’s wife, Anne Neville, was dying, there were murmurs that the king sought to marry his niece Elizabeth, knowing that most people believed her to be England’s rightful queen. Weir addresses Elizabeth’s possible role in this and her covert support for Henry Tudor, the exiled pretender who defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth and was crowned Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth’s subsequent marriage to Henry united the houses of York and Lancaster and signaled the end of the Wars of the Roses. For centuries historians have asserted that, as queen, she was kept under Henry’s firm grasp, but Weir shows that Elizabeth proved to be a model consort—pious and generous—who enjoyed the confidence of her husband, exerted a tangible and beneficial influence, and was revered by her son, the future King Henry VIII.

Drawing from a rich trove of historical records, Weir gives a long overdue and much-deserved look at this unforgettable princess whose line descends to today’s British monarch—a woman who overcame tragedy and danger to become one of England’s most beloved consorts.

Kindle Edition, 592 pages

Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Ballantine Books

I received my copy free from published for an honest review

 

Coming on the heels of reading The White Princess by Philippa Gregory (and the release of The White Queen by BBC - I didn't watch it) I wanted to know more about Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville.  Having read only a couple nonfiction in my time I wasn't sure what to expect and for some reason feel nonfiction can be a tad boring. That wasn't the case with this book. 

 

Alison Weir is a well known historian and it shows.  This book is full of meticulous details, all backed up to show authenticity. The author has done an amazing amount of  research for this book and I can only imagine how long it has taken to write it.  She starts the book off by allowing the reader to see monetary values (by conventing to today's values) this gives the reader an idea of the cash flow in Elizabeth's time and I found this so very helpful.  Yes some might find it boring to read from her ledger and see what Elizabeth spent money on, but I found it fascinating.  It shows her to be a very generous and a caring queen, and also shows what was expecting of a her. 

 

Most of my history lessons are gleamed through historical fiction, this book was an eye opener to show that non fiction is just as interesting.  I learned a lot about Elizabeth of York, court life, the struggles that Henry VII sent through during his reign, their children and much more.  I found it very interesting that Elizabeth had a better claim to the throne then Henry VII, which is something that I never realized before.  I learned a lot from this book and am glad to have read it.

This book will appeal to those interested in the War of the Roses, Elizabeth of York, Henry VII and Henry VIII.

Other books by Alison Weir that I have enjoyed are A Dangerous Inheritance and Innocent Traitor

Waiting on Wednesday - Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover, 608 pages

Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Ballantine Books

Many are familiar with the story of the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry’s mother and Elizabeth’s grandmother, spanned one of England’s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman, whose very existence united the realm and ensured the survival of the Plantagenet bloodline.

Her birth was greeted with as much pomp and ceremony as that of a male heir. The first child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth enjoyed all the glittering trappings of royalty. But after the death of her father; the disappearance and probable murder of her brothers—the Princes in the Tower; and the usurpation of the throne by her calculating uncle Richard III, Elizabeth found her world turned upside-down: She and her siblings were declared bastards.

As Richard’s wife, Anne Neville, was dying, there were murmurs that the king sought to marry his niece Elizabeth, knowing that most people believed her to be England’s rightful queen. Weir addresses Elizabeth’s possible role in this and her covert support for Henry Tudor, the exiled pretender who defeated Richard at the Battle of Bosworth and was crowned Henry VII, first sovereign of the House of Tudor. Elizabeth’s subsequent marriage to Henry united the houses of York and Lancaster and signaled the end of the Wars of the Roses. For centuries historians have asserted that, as queen, she was kept under Henry’s firm grasp, but Weir shows that Elizabeth proved to be a model consort—pious and generous—who enjoyed the confidence of her husband, exerted a tangible and beneficial influence, and was revered by her son, the future King Henry VIII.

Drawing from a rich trove of historical records, Weir gives a long overdue and much-deserved look at this unforgettable princess whose line descends to today’s British monarch—a woman who overcame tragedy and danger to become one of England’s most beloved consorts.