Perfect for anyone fascinated by the Royal Wedding, Netflix’s The Crown, or Wolf Hall, this is a pitch-perfect reimagining of the romance and tragedy of Henry VIII and his six wives, told from multiple points of view by some of your favorite authors.If you were one of King Henry VIII’s six wives, who would you be? Would you be Anne Boleyn, who literally lost her head? Would you be the subject of … Anne Boleyn, who literally lost her head? Would you be the subject of rumor and scandal like Catherine Howard? Or would you get away and survive like Anna of Cleves?
Meet them and Henry’s other queens–each bound for divorce or death–in this epic and thrilling novel that reads like fantasy but really happened. Watch spellbound as each of these women attempts to survive their unpredictable king as he grows more and more obsessed with producing a male heir. And discover how the power-hungry court fanned the flames of Henry’s passions . . . and his most horrible impulses.
Whether you’re a huge fan of all things Tudor or new to this jaw-dropping saga, you won’t be able to get the unique voices of Henry and his wives–all brought to life by seven award-winning and bestselling authors–out of your head.
This is an intimate look at the royals during one of the most treacherous times in history. Who will you root for and who will you love to hate?
ONE OF THE NYPL TOP TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
“Ambitious and exciting.” –Bustle
“A clever, feminist reimagining of one of English history’s most fascinating moments.” –Refinery29
“These stories of love, lust, power and intrigue never fail to fascinate.” –Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
Who’s Who:
M. T. Anderson – Henry VIII
Candace Fleming – Katharine of Aragon, wife #1
Stephanie Hemphill – Anne Boleyn, wife #2
Lisa Ann Sandell – Jane Seymour, wife #3
Jennifer Donnelly – Anna of Cleves, wife #4
Linda Sue Park – Catherine Howard, wife #5
Deborah Hopkinson – Kateryn Parr, wife #6
more
I enjoyed Fatal Throne. It was a fun — well, engaging, at least — retelling of Henry VIII’s six wives.
Each wife’s story was told from her own perspective, followed by a short narrative from Henry’s point of view.
We also got a short epilogue about Elizabeth I from a third person point of view. I don’t know why only Elizabeth got featured. I would have enjoyed seeing a short piece for each of Henry’s three legitimate children.
This book seems, at times, to be not quite historically accurate, but it may be that, like with Catherine Howard, the authors were using a different “truth” than the one I’m most familiar with. We don’t know the real facts for all of the wives, often having several possible truths, each as valid as the others.
Fatal Throne was well-written, and the character voices fell true-to-life. However, at times, it seemed as though the different wives versions contradicted each other. I don’t mean in perspective, because of course they’d disagree there, but in actual “fact” of what happened. This made it feel like we were reading tellings of six different timelines, as opposed to six different tellings of the same timeline.
But, other than that nitpicky — and potentially subjective — issue, Fatal Throne is great, and well worth a read.
As a lover of Tudor history, I was really hooked by this book and how it portrays Henry VIII and his 6 wives. I loved that each character was written by a different author to give a truly unique POV. I also liked the accuracy and how I even learned some historical facts I hadn’t known yet!
I am a certified Tudor-holic since I was a kid 50+ years ago. I know there have been some negatives discussed about the fact this is a YA book, which I didn’t quite see when I first got it. Why would anyone not like this book? That each wife is written by another author is a great premise. That the sections are relatively short? Why not. There are plenty of great works in the “six wives” syndrome. Again, I tip my hat to the authors, as the reader doesn’t become jaded. And as for detractors, read as much about their England as I have and you’ll celebrate this undertaking As much as I do. Highly Recommended 5 /5
Seven authors 6 queens one notorious husband. Written in a very feminist style. Henry seems to never know why his wives and marriages don’t work out
Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review
I am a bit if a history buff, so I do at times like to dive into a story set way back when.
The title, though accurate, does make this sound a bit like a Jackie Collins style novel – which it isn’t!
History has proven what an abhorrent man Henry VIII was to his wives. This fictionalised, first person POV by each of Henry’s wives drew us a vivid picture of their lives, their loves and their destinies. I felt it made the more human to me, rather than just being names in history.
I felt that the authors did a wonderful job bringing these ladies to life. I know a lot of poetic licence is brought into play when writing a book like this, however I found this was very well written, and a way for the casual reader to learn a bit more about the Tudors.