This review is written with thanks to the publisher for my copy of Henry VIII: The Heart And The Crown via Netgalley.

Blurb:

A second son, not born to rule, becomes a man, and a king…

In grand royal palaces, Prince Harry grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry – and the golden age of kings that awaits his older brother. But Arthur’s untimely death sees Harry crowned King Henry of England.

As his power and influence extends, so commences a lifelong battle between head and heart, love and duty. Henry rules by divine right, yet his prayers for a son go unanswered.

The great future of the Tudor dynasty depends on an heir. And the crown weighs heavy on a king with all but his one true desire.

HENRY VIII. HIS STORY.

Alison Weir’s most ambitious Tudor novel yet reveals the captivating story of a man who was by turns brilliant, romantic, and ruthless: the king who changed England forever.

Review:

When I was in primary school, the Tudor period was one of my favourite periods to learn about. It remains so, but unfortunately my knowledge is still not particularly thorough, so I was looking forward to reading Henry VIII: The Heart And The Crown. It’s interesting that Weir has chosen to write from Henry’s perspective as it gives the reader the opportunity to look at some of the reasons behind his behaviour, which at times appears rash and rude. The author is very good at building multidimensional characters and I really appreciated being able to sympathise (or otherwise) with them. 

Alison Weir is extremely knowledgeable and she uses this knowledge to create an engaging and very descriptive story. Her attention to detail is phenomenal and I enjoyed learning about some of the disputes and extracurricular activities, which gave more context to the events of the period, but were (probably quite rightly!) omitted in my primary school lessons. 

I must admit to feeling slightly overwhelmed by the length of the novel; however I completely understand that without the length the author would not be able to build such a comprehensive picture of Henry VIII’s reign. 

Henry VIII: The Heart And The Crown is available from Amazon.