The Boleyn Deceit

I received a Net Galley ARC of The Boleyn Deceit which is a sequel to The Boleyn King

Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Showtime’s The Tudors, The Boleyn Deceit is the captivating new novel set in the imagined Tudor court of King Henry IX, son of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who must navigate a terrain rife with palace intrigue, impending war, and unbridled passions. The regency period is over and William Tudor, now King Henry IX, sits alone on the throne. But England must still contend with those who doubt his legitimacy, both in faraway lands and within his own family. To diffuse tensions and appease the Catholics, William is betrothed to a young princess from France, but still he has eyes for only his childhood friend Minuette, and court tongues are wagging. Even more scandalous—and dangerous, if discovered—is that Minuette’s heart and soul belong to Dominic, William’s best friend and trusted advisor. Minuette must walk a delicate balance between her two suitors, unable to confide in anyone, not even her friend Elizabeth, William’s sister, who must contend with her own cleaved heart. In this irresistible tale, the secrets that everyone keeps are enough to change the course of an empire. -summary from amazon The Boleyn Deceit

 In the Boleyn Deceit we begin with two major events, an eclipse and the arrival at court of John Dee who has done astrological charts for the four main characters. Laura Andersen uses this to set up the primary conflicts in the novel, desire versus duty, loyalty versus personal happiness.

She also skillfully integrates real history and characters into this historical what if. Including a flirtation between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley. This was a wonderful follow up to the Boleyn king which takes the initial story and progresses it to the next step. I enjoyed reading about the characters navigating the politics at court while each having their own secrets and desires.

This is a very strong sequel that keeps the reader interested and anticipating what will come next. I thouroughly enjoyed this book and am now anxiously awaiting the conclusion to the trilogy.
I give The Boleyn Deceit a solid 4.5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Tudor historical fiction.

Tudor: a family story

                   

Tudor

By: Leanda De Lisle I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review of the book.

  Disclaimer: I am not being in any way compensated for this review outside of getting to read the book before it's released on October 8, 2013. 

Beginning not with Henry VII taking the throne but with the death of Catherine of Valois and the history of her marriage to the squire Owen Tudor, Leanda De Lisle takes the accepted story of the Tudor dynasty and gives the reader a more complex and detailed history.

 She goes on to discuss Margaret Beaufort and her role in the Tudor ascendancy, as well as the more well-known elements of the Tudor history, such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

 She then proceeds to write a fascinating and factual book that reads like a novel. While Ms. De Lisle provides the dates and details of the history of the Tudors, she also gives life to the events and people that keep the story interesting.

 I've read many books on the Tudor family, and this is definitely one of, if not the best. It is well researched and referenced while remaining accessible to someone new to reading historical nonfiction

The Boleyn King

written by Laura Andersen the premise is simple and intriguing; what if Anne Boleyn gave Henry VIII a son instead of having a second miscarriage

As the story begins it is 1536 and Anne Boleyn gives birth to a healthy son saving herself from disgrace and death.

The story then jumps ahead seventeen years and is told through the eyes of  Minuette, Dom, Elizabeth Tudor, and of course Will (Henry IX). 

Minuette and Dom are friends of Will and Elizabeth after having been brought into the royal household as orphans.

They are a close group which becomes important as the regency ends and Will takes the throne amidst old rumors that threaten his position as King.

I absolutely loved this book. It is a interesting and fun what if history novel with a very good mystery  that keeps you guessing.

It was a book I had a hard time putting down and reading the last page left me wanting to know what comes next.

While obviously some historical facts have been changed others are cleverly worked into the plot in different ways which is interesting,

If you enjoy Tudor historical fiction this is a must read in my opinion.

I give this book 5 stars.The Boleyn King