Boleyn King Book Review- no spoilers

The Boleyn King, by Laura Andersen
Book 1 Boleyn Trilogy
Star Rating- 3

I just finished this really fascinating book and I'm well into book 2. It's an alternate history, asking the question of "How would history be different if...?" This question being, "How would history be different if Anne Boleyn had never been executed and had a son and heir for Henry VIII?" The answer is 1) Not all that exciting for Henry. He, apparently, still dies fat and sick. 2) Not that exciting for Anne, either. While she well outlives her husband, she is pretty quiet in this story. 3) Pretty intriguing for her children and their friends. I'll try not to get spoilery in this review.

The story, first of three, centers around William (also known as Henry IX), his sister, Elizabeth (the real life Elizabeth I), and their friends Dominic and Minuette. Dominic is one of William's gentlemen and also childhood friend. Minuette is the daughter of one of Anne Boleyn's former ladies, born the same day as William, and Elizabeth's closest companion. I really like the friendship between these 4 at the beginning, and a good majority, of the book. Since they're all relatively young, by modern standards anyway, their bond kind of reminds me of a group of friends in high school or college. They vent to each other. They tease each other. There are times when they try to show each other up in little things. But, William is king so things are a little different and more complicated.

The story begins with William in the last year of his minority. He's 17. There's been a regency council put in place since the death of his father when he was 10 and when he's 18 he will be able to rule in his own right. But, there are issues. A courtier ends up dead, seemingly of a suicide but there are sketchy circumstances surrounding why she might want to kill herself. There is still the religious divide between Catholics and Protestants that was begun when Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn. (We all know that story and what really went down there) The Catholic citizens see Mary, Will and Elizabeth's half-sister, as the only true heir to the thrown and there is a plot to prove that either Will is illegitimate or not even Henry VIII's son at all.

So, the 4 friends band together to try and solve these issues. Chaos and intrigue ensue. Feelings change. There's a love triangle and lots of excitement and drama. I am definitely excited to keep reading.

Why did I give it the rating I did? Well, I enjoyed it but I went into it thinking it was one thing and it turned out to be not quite as I expected. I guess it's from watching The Tudors on Netflix and reading Philippa Gregory books. I thought it would be more romance novelly. The romantic tension in some scenes are fantastic. But, it's all build up or just implied or mentioned that there was sex. As a fan of Nora Roberts-type books, this was a bit of a let down. Like I said, The Tudors and Philippa Gregory are to blame for this expectation in fiction based, however loosely or speculative, on this time period. Also, the pacing is pretty slow. The writing is enjoyable. The premise is fantastic. I love the characters and the varying dynamics between them. I was interested and I'm going to continue on in the trilogy but the pacing is making it a longer reading process than anticipated.

But, if you're interested in alternate history fiction, getting someone's answer to "What if...?" then, I recommend giving this book a shot. If you have read it, let me know what you think. I'd love to discuss other opinions. Maybe you noticed something I didn't. Or, you know another book in a similar style you loved and want to recommend. I'm always looking for new reads.

Thanks!
Carey

Book Review: The White Queen

Book- The White Queen
Author- Philippa Gregory
Goodreads Rating- 3 Stars
Actual Rating- 3.5 Stars

Oh, hey! This is my 100th post on my blog! Woo!

I love Philippa Gregory books so when I saw this series, nearly the whole thing, at Half-Price Books, I grabbed it and couldn't wait to read it. Her telling of historical events, obviously embellished because it's fiction has always interested me and the facts she uses gets me interested enough to research the time period more.

This first book in the Cousins War series was no exception. I have read and watched plenty of things about the Tudors but I just sort of glossed over the people before them and the story behind their rise to power. This first book focuses on Elizabeth Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth of York who became the wife of Henry Tudor or Henry VII. It's a beautiful tale with love and court drama and huge battles with a touch of fantasy. Elizabeth's family have a tradition in her mother's side where they believe they are descendants of a water goddess and practice magic. This, of course, is forbidden during this time but they pull it off by being discrete and the high position Elizabeth eventually rises to helps shield her from question... for the most part.

I read in the author's not that in Philippa Gregory's research, this was a fact and so she capitalized on it in her story in a way you'll have to read for yourself because I don't want to give too much away.

Elizabeth Woodville is a historical figure who seems to be a footnote in a lot of sources. I'm interested to read some more about her and find out why. I like the way she is portrayed in this story. A highly passionate, highly ambitious woman. She had a great love for her husband and her family. Much mystery still surrounds the fate of her boys, known now as the Princes of the Tower. This story mixed fact with fantasy enough to peek my interest in her and her family.

There were parts in this book that did get slow and boring. It took me a while to finish it. (I also started it around the holidays so that didn't help either) But, despite that, I am still interested enough to continue reading in the series and I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store.

Story First Draft

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3145960/1/Love-from-Long-Ago

Hi, everyone! I am so excited to be posting this! I have added the first draft of my latest short story project to FictionPress for comments and reviews before editing and publishing it to Kindle by the end of April. Once it is published, I will remove it from FictionPress but I will have links to my Amazon page through my Twitter and Facebook accounts.

I actually wrote this story last summer. It was really easy for me to write and so wonderful and fun. There is a little romance, maybe some slightly spooky elements to it as well. But, then I set my notebook aside and it became buried under some stuff in my bedroom. I found it recently and typed it up in about a day so now I am ready to begin the next step. But, I need your help. So, please click on the link above and read my story. It's not very long. And then write a review. Please be honest and constructive. All out trolling will be ignored and banned.

Your comments and reviews will greatly help my editing process since I will have unbiased eyes reading the story and going into it with an open mind. I look forward to reading your comments and thank you in advance. When the story is available on Kindle, I will let you know. Thank you!

Carey