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Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Elizabeth -The Virgin Queen And The Men Who Loved Her

19 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by samanthaimperiatrix in Book Reviews

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Elizabeth I, The Tudors, Wives of Henry VIII

Elizabeth I of England is an icon among icons. Her public image of “Good Queen Bess” has long since survived her, elevating her to almost immortal status. Numerous books are sold about her, her legend, and her life. We know the English court was her universe, and “Gloriana” was its Sun.
But what of the planets of the court? The men who served as her ministers, advisers, and friends? They orbited around her, hoping for as much time in her rays as possible. Those men are the focus of the book, “Elizabeth – The Virgin Queen And The Men Who Loved Her” by author Robert Stephen Parry. Mr. Parry is the writer of other historical novels, such as, “The Arrow Chest” and “Wildish”. I read “The Arrow Chest” a couple years ago, so I jumped at the chance to read his takes on Elizabeth I, one of my all-time favorite historical figures.
The book has an interesting structure. It’s set up as a series of short lectures on the various personalities the dominated the Elizabethan court. Each section starts with a short bio on the men being presented, who include, Henry VIII, Thomas Seymour, Robert Dudley, John Dee, the Duke of Alencon, William Cecil, Walter Raleigh, Christopher Hatton, and Robert Devereux. As I stated, each section starts with a short biography of the figure, with the basics of who they were, and how they were an integral part of the solar system of Her Majesty’s universe. The non-fiction section is then followed by a short fictional story, relating to the man being profiled. The stories vary between private, emotional moments with a young Elizabeth, to facing the full rage of the Tudor temper, and how that might have played out.
I don’t read much fiction these days, but I couldn’t be happier that I read this book. I have read considerable amounts on Elizabeth, so the majority of the information was not new to me, as it won’t be for many people interested in this period. But the fictional short stories were a great addition, and Mr. Parry has the ability to describe the events in such a way, that you’re immediately engrossed and emotionally invested in the story. If you’re new to the Elizabethan period, this book can be a great starting point, for learning more about court life, and the central courtiers who surrounded the legendary Queen. I think that if you’re a seasoned Tudor fanatic, you’ll still enjoy the easiness with which the book flows, and the different perspectives that the author brings to life. I’m currently just starting another book of Mr. Parry’s on Elizabethan life, and I’m bursting with excitement!
You can read more about the author and his work at http://www.robertstephenparry.com
All his books are for sale in Kindle and paperback on both Amazon US and UK.

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Katherine Howard: A New History

01 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by samanthaimperiatrix in Book Reviews

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The Tudors, Wives of Henry VIII

I always get slightly excited when I see that I have email, so you can imagine how much more excited I was when I was asked to review this book. “Katherine Howard: A New History” is the first book by young Tudor Historian Conor Byrne. Katherine is often portrayed as the vapid teenaged fifth wife of the indomitable Henry VIII of England. Her time as Queen was cut short, and her life ended with the stroke of the axe, after her alleged infidelity. Modern day TV and movies show her as just a girl who wanted nothing more than to “party” and have fun, unconcerned for anything but herself, to the point of having an affair with one of Henry’s most trusted courtiers. Like many people misaligned from this time period, I can’t help but wonder… How much of that is true, and how much is made up?

While we will never be able to answer many of the questions we have about Katherine, Mr. Byrne has gone to great lengths to make us rethink our positions. By referencing a wide variety of sources, the writer seeks to repaint the image of Katherine from that of the silly girl who was in over her head and just looking for a good time, to that of a young woman, abused throughout her early life, and used as a pawn by her status-seeking family. Mr. Byrne sets the stage for Katherine’s rise to fame by starting with the politics of the Henrician court, and how after the tumultuous reign of her cousin, Anne Boleyn, the Howard family looked for a way to once again emerge as the top dogs in the palace.

The author starts before Katherine’s birth, describing the world she was born into. He tells us of the proud Howard family, humbled by the scandal of Anne Boleyn’s execution, because of her Howard lineage. The noble family sought to gain the King’s ear and trust again, and thrust Katherine forward as a means to do just that. Mr. Byrne believes that Katherine was the true victim of her story, as a young woman who was used by ne’er do well men for her entire life. Her life was one of continued sexual abuse by the likes Henry Manox, Francis Dereham, and Thomas Culpeper. His further analysis even looks into portraits of Katherine and their identifications, and re-examines her reign, pointing to evidence that shows she was not a frivolous party girl, but took her duties as Queen seriously.

If you are a tried and true Tudor-holic, I highly recommend this book. It’s chock-full of details, and Mr. Byrne does his absolute best to rehabilitate the reputation of the ill-fated consort. I always enjoy new perspectives of historical figures, so for me, this was a pleasure to read, and it definitely turned what I thought I knew of Katherine on its side.

“Katherine Howard: A New History” by Conor Byrne is available on Amazon US and UK in both Kindle and Paperback formats. You can follow the authors blog here.
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George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat

06 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by samanthaimperiatrix in Book Reviews

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The Tudors, Wives of Henry VIII

George Boleyn is quite the enigmatic character. Often misaligned with his sister, Anne Boleyn, as they suffered the same fate in 1536 when they were executed on trumped up charges, stemming from Henry VIII’s wish to have a son- which seemingly he could not with Anne. But were the siblings guilty of incest? Was the lesser known brother homosexual or a womanizer? Who was George Boleyn?!
Clare Cherry and Claire Ridgway sought to try and answer these questions as best they could with the information available. There are no known portraits of George, but they’ve been able to compile an outline of his life, based on letters, diplomatic cables and state papers.The writers really strive to separate fact from fiction. As with many historical figures from that time, there are gaps in George’s life and details that we will never know, but with this resourc, we can begin to truly paint a picture of who George Boleyn was- and who he most certainly was not.
I found that the book gave me some real insights into court life under Henry VIII. “Bluff King Hal” was definitely a pleasure-seeking man, but he relegated state business to the men he trusted most. George was among the men he trusted deeply, as shown by the offices and duties assigned to the young Boleyn. George acted on behalf of Henry many times, negotiating with the King of France. From the numerous missions, assignments and offices George was given, it’s obvious to see that he was not just the partying playboy that some modern fiction plays him to be.
This book is a must have for anyone who is interested in learning about the inner workings of the court during Tudor rule. If your focus is mainly on the wives of Henry VIII, this probably isn’t the reading material for you. Of course, there are mentions of Anne, Jane Seymour and Catherine of Aragon, but they are not the focus of the book. You will learn more about the proud man who also bore the now infamous name and how he contributed to the court before the rise of his sister. Claire and Clare also spend a whole chapter addressing the relationship of George with his wife, Jane, Lady Rochford, who later shared her husband’s fate. They lay out the evidence we have to dispel the popular myths of Jane’s complicity in the investigation against her husband and sister-in-law. Also, there are some great resources towards the end of the book, with timelines, poetry and writings about George.
“George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier, and Diplomat” is available for purchase through Amazon US and UK, and I encourage anyone wanting to know more about the real Tudors to visit Claire Ridgway’s site The Anne Boleyn Files for true and factual information.
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The Stuart Vampire

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

Posted by samanthaimperiatrix in Book Reviews

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I’ve had the immense pleasure of interacting with Andrea Zuvich, author of The Stuart Vampire through social media. I read her other book, His Last Mistress, last year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So when offered the chance to read and review The Stuart Vampire, I jumped at it. So I am pleased to offer a short review of it!
The story starts in a tavern, with an odd couple telling their unbelievable story to a reporter. The man claims to be the long dead Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, and his wife. However, Henry died in 1660 of smallpox and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Or did he?
Henry states that the night he died, he was visited by a Vampiress, Griselda, who turned the Duke from a life of splendor at the court of his brother, King Charles II, to being a servant of darkness. Griselda is happy to be a concubine of the devil, but is looking for a companion to live out the ages with. Henry is reluctant to accept and tries to fight back against his new dark life. From there, he wrestles with the demon within him as Griselda is summoned to a council of Vampire elders to answer for her actions. Henry is then left to grow accustomed to his new body, while he discovers the sad lives of a forgotten village.
The author runs a successful blog and Facebook page, The Seventeenth Century Lady , and specializes in the Stuart family. Her knowledge of the period and the family really shines through. Andrea has a deep passion for this area of history, and it shows in the details. She is able to reference both the places and historical figures that the characters would have interacted with, including cameos by children of Charles II and England’s own Witchfinder General.
I’m not big on historical fiction these days, as I usually find the real stories to be much more engaging. That being said, I enjoyed the book. It was a short read, as I finished it in just a couple days. A tad of a guilty pleasure for me, as I’m mostly into NF these days (except for A Song of Ice and Fire series, sue me). If you’re interested, you should know that it is a vampire story, so there is blood and death; however I found none of it to be gratuitous. There is a little bit of romance, too, for those of us who are hopeless lovers.
In short, I would recommend this book for those of you who enjoy a good story with a scary element; or a good read on the Stuart family.
“The Stuart Vampire” by Andrea Zuvich is available for Kindle through Amazon US and UK. You can also check her site, http://www.andreazuvich.com, for more on the fascinating 17th century!
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Recent Posts

  • The Scrumptious Stuart Queens: Queen Anne
  • Book Review: Elizabeth -The Virgin Queen And The Men Who Loved Her
  • The Scrumptious Stuart Queens: Mary II
  • Katherine Howard: A New History
  • George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat

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