A review by alexisdpatt
Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession by Alison Weir

emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

“Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession” by Alison Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Anne Boleyn” is the second book in Weir’s Six Wives series and follows the rise and fall of Anne as Henry VIII’s second wife, the one he moved heave and earth and broke with Rome with to marry (and in my personal opinion, the love of his life). 

This review is rather tricky for me to write because Anne is my favorite wife, however I felt her to be a bit wanting in this book. There were some moments where I needed her to be smarter and less “woe is me.” Idk. Maybe I just have Natalie Dormer’s portrayal of Anne ingrained into my mind too much. To me, Anne is an incredibly intelligent woman who became drunk on her own power and lost sight of the plot. Idk. I feel like something is missing here and I think I’ve finally figured out why. 

We (I) have an expectation of Anne as being this incredibly intelligent woman who knew how to play the game of politics. However, once she achieved her goal of being queen, she stopped playing the game and that seals her fate. This book has shown me just how little Anne knew Henry nor did she make the effort to play the submissive role. She usurped her predecessor and yet learned nothing from her at the same time. So when her fall from Grace finally happens, it feels both like a gut punch when the rug is pulled out from under her and yet still like something you could see coming from a mile away. 

The last third (especially the last 50 or so pages) really shines for me. Anne (and the reader) being kept in the dark on the trumped up charges that were later against her really does feel like a shock even thought you know it’s coming. I was SOBBING the entire time through the last three chapters. Weir’s writing is poignant here and oddly makes me wanna read her novel on Henry VIII just so I have get his POV on everything that has happened so far (even when in reality I really don’t need/want to read it 👀).