BOLEYN RECKONING by Laura Andersen

Publisher:   Ballantine

Published:   July 15, 2015

ISBN:  978-0345534132

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Format:  Ebook and Tradepaperback

Obtained via:  Publisher from NetGalley and Trade Paperback

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

THREE AND ½ HEARTS

 

Despite a battle with small pox, Henry VIII’s son William is firmly in place on the throne of England.  But with the return of his health, there are changes in William.  Changes brought on not only by the external forces of France and Spain but of his own desires.  While he assured his childhood friend Minuette he would allow her to marry for love, he himself wishes to marry her. 

Minuette has gone alone with William’s plans to become his bride first because of his illness and then because of growing political unrest.  Not only do threats loom from France and Spain, the Catholics are still hopeful Mary will take the throne.  But Minuette has a secret, one that could bring down the Tudor throne, or at least the standing of she and her family and those they hold dear—she is already married to Dominic Courtenay.

Dominic like Minuette has been a lifelong friend of the Tudor siblings, William and Elizabeth.  He has stood by William’s side, offered sound advice and guidance and graciously accepted the gifts he never wanted.  All Dominic has ever longed for is for a peaceful life with Minuette. 

When William announces his plans to wed Minuette in a most dramatic manner while at the same time negotiating a marriage to King Philip of Spain to Elizabeth, the Courtenays find they must act.  Minuette seeks help from one quarter while unbeknownst to her Dominic seeks it from another.  It is a former lover of William’s who unknowingly reveals their secret marriage.  Insulted, offended, angered beyond control William takes Dominic prisoner.  Minuette pleads for Dominic and her people’s lives in the only manner she believes William will accept—but he ultimately betrays her.  Worse, they become the target of a bitter and angry man—the king they have sworn to serve.

I was attracted to Laura Andersen’s Boleyn trilogy in large part because of my own interest in Anne Boleyn’s story.  From the first time I became aware of Henry VIII’s second wife in ANNE OF THE 1000 DAYS starring Genevieve Bujold and Richard Burton—was she a temptress or a political toy?  Did she really love Henry or was she power hungry like many of her family?  The idea that Anne Boleyn would give Henry a son who would survive immediately drew my interest.  I enjoyed book 1, THE BOLEYN KING.  Anderson delivered a wonderfully told story that left me eager to pick up book 2, THE BOLEYN DECEIT.  Book 2 was a disappointment, reading more often than not like a badly done young adult with spoiled brats in the key roles.  I wasn’t all that sure if I would continue on with book 3, THE BOLEYN RECKONING.  I’m glad I picked it up.

I wasn’t so sure as the story began—it seemed to continue the young adult aspects that turned me off on book 2.  But then the author seemed to settle into her story and it took off.  The multiple levels of court intrigues kept me picking up the book as soon as I could after daily life would take me away for a time.  Andersen did a marvellous job of showing the changes and growth in Elizabeth from loving sister to determined queen.  Even though this is historical fiction and the reasons for why the real Elizabeth ruled the way she did, in this fictional, alternative time line story, the author gives her plausible cause on wonderful development. 

There were what I felt to be strong parallels to Charles Brandon storyline in the Tudors TV show and Dominic’s story.  It became quite easy to imagine Henry Cavill as her inspiration except Dominic’s eyes are green and Cavill’s are blue.  I was disturbed at William’s final act against Dominic, delivered as only William would have it delivered.  I felt it was unnecessary.  That said, as I neared the last 100 pages of the book I found I could not put it down and ended up sitting in bed until I finished the book about 4 in the morning. 

This series does need to be read in order.  As I said, I was turned off with book 2 and in retrospect if you start it and it doesn’t click for you, do go on to book 3—but do it when you can sit for hours and do nothing but enjoy a well told story.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THE BOLEYN DECEIT by Laura Andersen

Publisher:  Ballantine
Date published:   November 5, 2013
ISBN 978-0345534118
Genre:   Alternative History
Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

3-1/2

Christmas 1554 is heralded in by King William and Princess Elizabeth Tudor along with their lifelong friends Minuette and Dominic amid fireworks and a lunar eclipse.  As the sky darkens, Dominic finds his way to Minuette…their love a necessary secret as William as decided that the petite blonde is the only woman for him.  He declares his love for Minuette and his desire to marry her.  While she loves William, it is as a friend—it is Dominic who holds her heart.  But a marriage between them must be sanctioned by William, something he will not do.

As the holidays pass Minuette is called deeper into the king’s service to ferret out secrets that could cause him his throne.  She is more determined than ever to find who killed her friend Alyce.  Court intrigue leads her down one path and then another. 

Meanwhile Elizabeth waits in limbo—if William marries the ten year old French princess Elisabeth, the English Tudor princess may, just may, be able to marry for love—but the love of her life is married to antoher and William is not inclined to grant him a divorce. 

If William has his way and marries Minuette—after throwing over the young French princess, then it is Elizabeth who must marry for political gain. 

Intrigue lurks behind every corner as Minuette’s life is threatened, but by the Catholic or Protestant factions?  Or is the threat closer to home?  Perhaps someone in Elizabeth’s household?  And while William struggles to keep his feelings for Minuette hidden, at least until his alliances are secured, Dominic falls deeper and deeper in love with her and she with him.  Each walks a fine line, necessitated out of loyalty and political need, struggling with what is best for England.

I debated going forward reading Laura Andersen’s THE BOLEYN DECEIT because I wasn’t particularly enamoured of book one of her trilogy, THE BOLEYN KING.  In book 1 the author seemed undecided just what kind of book she wanted to write and it came across as the perverbial “throw it all at the wall and hope something useful comes from it.”  At times an adult mystery, at others a young adult, and sometimes historical fiction that didn’t come together all that well.  Book 2, the BOLEYN DECEIT was a complete turn around with a great story.  The tension between William, Dominic and Minuette was well done.  Ms. Andersen captured the angst a royal would suffer in choosing between his or her heart and what was good for his country.  The need for someone to turn to yet trusting no one lures you further into the story.  Who do you root for and why?

In addition to the reappearance of John Dee, other individuals who were in the real Queen Elizabeth I’s orbit are introduced into the story adding some wonderful dimension to the story.  Excellent descriptions of the scenery make the story more vivid. 

There are also characters that you just love to hate, like Eleanor, and I have to admit I enjoyed it when she got her own comeuppance.  I’m glad I continued on with the series and now find myself looking forward to book 3, the BOLEYN RECKONING.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement this book.

THE BOLEYN KING by Laura Anderson

Publisher:  Ballantine
Date published:   May 14, 2013
ISBN 978-0345534095
Genre:   Young Adult, Alternative History
Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

2-1/2

In another time, another place, Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn did not die because she gave birth to a son. A healthy son named Henry William—known as William.  On the day of his birth another child, Minuette, was born.  An orphan, Minuette was raised as a royal ward of Anne who, even in this reality, gave birth to Elizabeth.  Together, William, Elizabeth, Minuette and their friend, Dominic, thrived in a different Tudor England.  Different in some ways, but in others, history was the same as ours and myriad other intrigues abounded.  While the foursome learn statecraft at the hand of Lord Rochford, France, Spain and Catholic Englishmen plot.  In the midst of the larger drama of the world a young lady in waiting, Alyce de Clare, a pregnant Alyce de Clare, plunges to her death. 

As William’s 18^th birthday, and therefore his majority approaches, the privy council prods more and more for him to choose a bride. But William has more on his mind than a bride.  With France and England about to engage in an alliance and a secret document that could bring down his reign, he sends the only people he can trust to the four corners of his kingdom and beyond.  Dominic leaves for France and Minuette seeks out Alyce’s killer and the secret document at home while Elizabeth holds Williams counsel. Amidst the intrigues of the times, William realizes where his heart lies and giving his heart to that woman could ultimately cost him his kingdom. 

I went back and forth with Laura Andersen’s THE BOLEYN KING between liking it and wanting to toss it aside. There were parts that were intriguing and drew me in.  Scenes with heightened emotion and solid mystery drew me in as did the premise of an alternative history where Anne Boleyn gave birth to a healthy son and because of that, Henry VIII remained true to her and she did not die.  And then there were scenes that just rambled and lost me.  At times I wondered if perhaps the book was written by two authors—one who wanted to write a young adult fantasy and another who wanted to weave of story with great mystery and intrigue.  In the end I could not reconcile the chick-litish teens with the intelligent and passionate adults they sometimes seemed to be.

The mystery was a good one and the killer completely caught me off guard.  How the villain was discovered was well done—but getting there are times was laborious and disjointed.  I believe if the author had either stuck with a young adult or gone for a solid alternate history with the characters behaving as the adults they would have been at the time the writing would have been tighter and the story much better.

The author engaged in a practice that seems to be increasing popularity with some writers but ultimately annoys readers—the story does not end at the last page, but leaves threads dangling so if you want to find out what happened you have to read (and therefore buy or borrow) the next book.  Since I already have book 2, THE BOLEYN DECEIT, I will read it if only to find out, hopefully who Minuette ultimately chooses to marry. 

THE BOLEYN KING has a great premise and if you can suspend your belief it is a story you will enjoy.  Treat it as a young adult romance with a bit of mystery thrown in without expectations of high drama and intrigue and you can’t miss.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement this book.