Friday 24 February 2017

Cephalopod Coffeehouse: February 2017



Cephalopod Coffeehouse: February 2017


Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the works they enjoyed most over the previous month.  Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.  If you wish to add your own review to the conversation, please sign on to the link list at the end of my post

http://armchairsquid.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/cephalopod-coffeehouse-february-2017


I’ve read many books by Philippa Gregory and in my opinion she is one of the best writers in historical fiction and she really is a 5* writer. 

I love her Tudor series and my 5* review for 



The Boleyn Inheritance
(The Tudor Court Series Book 3)

By

Philippa Gregory

531 pages

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION FROM Amazon

From the bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory, comes a wonderfully atmospheric evocation of the court of Henry VIII and his final queens.
The king will decide who will live and who will die; he has the power of God now.
1539. Henry VIII must take his fourth wife and the dangerous prize is won by Anne of Cleves. A German princess by birth, Anne is to be Henry’s pawn in the Protestant alliance against Rome, but the marriage falters from the start. Henry finds nothing to admire in his new queen, setting himself against his advisors and nobles to pay court to young Katherine Howard.
The new queen begins to sense a trap closing around her. And Jane Boleyn, summoned to the inner circle once more by her uncle the Duke of Norfolk, finds a fractious court haunted by the Boleyn legacy of death and deceit.
Nothing is certain in a kingdom ruled by an increasingly tyrannical king.

MY REVIEW

Philippa Gregory is one of my all time favourite writers.  Her books are always well written.  You feel as though you are part of the times she is writing about.  Her characters come alive as real people and not just some dusty person from past times.

Henry VIII is coming towards the end of his reign and becoming more and more tyrannical.  In 1539 he takes Anne of Cleves as his wife and then his eye is taken by one of her maids, 15 year old Katherine Howard.  He annuls his marriage to Anne of Cleves. Jane Boleyn, lady-in-waiting to first Anne of Cleves and then Katherine Howard is young and impressionable.

We hear the stories of these three women from their own perspectives of their lives trying to please Henry.

This is a brilliant book, well written and well told, fantastic.

Don’t let the length of the book put you off – it really keeps you gripped and 500+ pages will just disappear very quickly as you are quickly immersed in to  life at the Tudor court. 



6 comments:

  1. This is the sort of book I love. I read something by Gregory once but I can't remember what. It was good though!

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  2. Definitely heard only good things about this author but never read any yet. I like a longer book if I can become totally engrossed in the story; then I don't want it to end!

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  3. The royals are big right now. Both The Crown and Victoria are very popular in the States, and my own home, at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised to see this series turn up on my own coffee table. Thanks for the review!

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  4. Great review! I'm not sure I'll get to it--though I do love great historical fiction. I just have a thing against Henry VIII stories--because I"m so creeped out by him, and that's my issue. I own it.
    Still, it's good to know that the female characters were well-written, even if they had little control over their destinies in this horror court.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Veronica :)

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  5. Nice review. I always feel like such a newbie when it comes to historical fiction books. I find I enjoy the films without considering to read the books first, but I'm working on it. This one sounds pretty good.

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