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gooberdawn's review against another edition
5.0
I love all of Jean Plaidy's books I have read up to this point. I feel she brings historical characters to life and makes you feel as though these could be anyone or that any person could go through the same pitfalls and triumphs as the historical figures featured in each book. Worth reading.
helenephoebe's review against another edition
4.0
Review - This book was particularly interesting because it was quite good to see the juxtaposition of Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon, and the differences in how they interacted with Henry VIII. This is what Jean Plaidy is good at - showing the similarities and differences in characters and how they interact with each other. It was also interesting for me personally because I've read a lot around the divorce, and it was eye-opening to see how fiction writers see the great matter. Many people know of the divorce but this is the first book I know of that deals with it as an individual matter, instead of as a larger whole. A great effort.
Genre? - Historical / Drama / Romance
Characters? - Henry VIII / Katherine of Aragon / Anne Boleyn / Thomas Wolsey / Thomas Cromwell / Thomas More / Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk / Francis I / Charles V / Thomas Boleyn / George Boleyn / Henry Norris / William Brereton / Mark Smeaton / Elizabeth Boleyn / Mary I / Elizabeth I
Setting? - London (England)
Series? - Tudor Saga #4
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 15/20
Genre? - Historical / Drama / Romance
Characters? - Henry VIII / Katherine of Aragon / Anne Boleyn / Thomas Wolsey / Thomas Cromwell / Thomas More / Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk / Francis I / Charles V / Thomas Boleyn / George Boleyn / Henry Norris / William Brereton / Mark Smeaton / Elizabeth Boleyn / Mary I / Elizabeth I
Setting? - London (England)
Series? - Tudor Saga #4
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 15/20
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was a good follow up to the other books in the saga. I did think it needed some more focus on Anne Boleyn but perhaps this will come in the follow up book? I will be reading more from Jean Plaidy. I find her books very easy to read and very enjoyable.
stacey987's review against another edition
2.0
I found this less interesting then the previous novels in this series. I was also disappointed that we never hear from Anne other than via other people. This seemed odd considering the major role she played in the events of the novel - it is almost as if Plaidy wants to channel the readers thoughts and sympathy for Katharine and Mary so chooses not to look at why Anne set out the path she did.Not my faviurite historical novel.
blatanthedgehog's review
4.0
Audiobook.
Delicious, delicious. Not a patch on Mantel but it's a joy to read. I especially was waiting for Cromwell's appearance and his schemings, but for that, I must wait. The writing is considerably more lyrical than the previous novels.
Delicious, delicious. Not a patch on Mantel but it's a joy to read. I especially was waiting for Cromwell's appearance and his schemings, but for that, I must wait. The writing is considerably more lyrical than the previous novels.
junelaurens's review
5.0
"She still could not believe that the gay young husband who had married her in the days of her humiliation was in truth the brutal murderer of good men. She still clung to the belief that it was those about him who urged him to these deeds. Now she feigned to believe it was Anne Boleyn, as once she had believed it was Wolsey.
Yet in her heart she knew that he was all-powerful; more so than ever now that he had cut himself off from the Pope.
John Fisher! she sighed. Thomas More! My dear friends.....and the King's! How could he murder two such men?
But she knew. And she wondered: Who will be next?
She was very fearful for her daughter.....and herself."
Ooooooh that nasty awful Henry VIII!! And that dreadful Cardinal Wolsey - who lived in even more luxury than the monarch. Henry's life revolved around women, obtaining sons, and being cruel to his lovely wife, Katharine of Aragon; whilst Wolsey took advantage of Henry's lack of focus on state matters to form allegiances with countries - sometimes behind Henry's back.
The King's Secret Matter is the seemingly endless fight that Henry puts up to confirm that he and Katharine were never truly married; he needs to prove the marriage's invalidity so he can marry the lustrous and flirty Anne Boleyn. There are court sittings, personal battles between King and Queen Katharine, executions of those who don't agree with the King, and a break away from the Catholic church. Add onto that Henry banishing Katharine to a series of unhealthy living abodes and denying her visits to/from her daughter Mary, and you have a very sad and tragic picture of the lifestyle of poor Katharine as she lives out her final days.
A great book - easy to read and a page-turner into the bargain. If you like history-of-the-monarchy novels, I would recommend Jean Plaidy's books. They do not disappoint.
Yet in her heart she knew that he was all-powerful; more so than ever now that he had cut himself off from the Pope.
John Fisher! she sighed. Thomas More! My dear friends.....and the King's! How could he murder two such men?
But she knew. And she wondered: Who will be next?
She was very fearful for her daughter.....and herself."
Ooooooh that nasty awful Henry VIII!! And that dreadful Cardinal Wolsey - who lived in even more luxury than the monarch. Henry's life revolved around women, obtaining sons, and being cruel to his lovely wife, Katharine of Aragon; whilst Wolsey took advantage of Henry's lack of focus on state matters to form allegiances with countries - sometimes behind Henry's back.
The King's Secret Matter is the seemingly endless fight that Henry puts up to confirm that he and Katharine were never truly married; he needs to prove the marriage's invalidity so he can marry the lustrous and flirty Anne Boleyn. There are court sittings, personal battles between King and Queen Katharine, executions of those who don't agree with the King, and a break away from the Catholic church. Add onto that Henry banishing Katharine to a series of unhealthy living abodes and denying her visits to/from her daughter Mary, and you have a very sad and tragic picture of the lifestyle of poor Katharine as she lives out her final days.
A great book - easy to read and a page-turner into the bargain. If you like history-of-the-monarchy novels, I would recommend Jean Plaidy's books. They do not disappoint.
krknights's review
2.0
This book was amazingly boring. Read more like a history text than a novel. No character development, no sympathy developed for any of the characters, lots of tell and not much show.
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