“A sumptuous historical novel anchored by its excellent depiction of Jane Seymour, Henry the VIII’s third queen . . . This is a must for all fans of Tudor fiction and history.”—Publishers Weekly Ever since she was a child, Jane has longed for a cloistered life as a nun. But her large noble family has other plans, and as an adult, Jane is invited to the King’s court to serve as … King’s court to serve as lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. The devout Katherine shows kindness to all her ladies, almost like a second mother, which makes rumors of Henry’s lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn—also lady-in-waiting to the queen—all the more shocking. For Jane, the betrayal triggers memories of a haunting incident that shaped her beliefs about marriage.
But once Henry disavows Katherine and secures Anne as his new queen—forever altering the religious landscape of England—he turns his eye to another: Jane herself. Urged to return the King’s affection and earn favor for her family, Jane is drawn into a dangerous political game that pits her conscience against her desires. Can Jane be the one to give the King his long-sought-after son, or will she be cast aside like the women who came before her?
Bringing new insight to this compelling story, Alison Weir marries meticulous research with gripping historical fiction to re-create the dramas and intrigues of the most renowned court in English history. At its center is a loving and compassionate woman who captures the heart of a king, and whose life will hang in the balance for it.
Praise for Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen
“Bestselling [Alison] Weir’s impressive novel shows why Jane deserves renewed attention [and] illustrates Jane’s unlikely journey from country knight’s daughter to queen of England. . . . From the richly appointed decor to the religious tenor of the time, the historical ambience is first-rate.”—Booklist (starred review)
“Deft, authoritative biographical fiction . . . a dramatic and empathic portrait of Jane Seymour.”—Kirkus Reviews
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Learned some things.
A brilliant telling of Jane Seymour’s story. I loved the blending of historical fact and a bit of historical fiction. One of the best tales of Henry’s third wife that I’ve ever read. Enjoyed it immensely.
Alison Weir has always been one of my favorite authors. I got interested in her through her nonfiction. I have been collecting her series on Henry VIII six wives, I was not planning on reading the books until I had all the books, but for some reason I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down. Though there are some inaccuracies- the book is pretty on ball with actual history. I liked her characterization of Jane. I know that some writers try to play up Anne and Jane. There was rivalry in this between them, but I don’t think that Jane wanted to see Anne dead or Elizabeth without a mother. Overall, I thought this was a the best depiction of Jane in all the books i have read on her fiction wise. I do warn that is not seen in a positive lite in this. Considering that this is told from the perspective of Jane, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. I highly recommend this.
While I question some of the validity of the back story and “court” experience before Jane became queen, Weir does an excellent job of relating to the Tudors and writing as per what we know of court life. The one problem, if any, I have for this book is that I don’t see why I should care about Jane. Weir made you care for Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn but in some places Jane comes off as cold hearted.
This third in the series of six was right on track. I’ve read many books about the Tudor period, both fiction and non-fiction, so it’s always interesting to learn something new. That’s what I liked best about this book. It gave me a little more insight into Jane’s situation and her character. Ms. Weir researches so well and always comes up with something just a little more insightful which I so appreciate.
Alison Weir is one of my favorite authors of historical nonfiction or fiction. When reading Ms. Weir’s books you feel as if you are a part of the story and know each character. Excellent well researched historical details of the Tudor era. The author offers many interesting new theories about Jane Seymour’s life and death. I always look forward to reading the next book by this outstanding author.
Historical fiction…teaches history in addition to making it come alive.
Well written. Well researched. This is a keeper.
i enjoyed reading it because of it’s historical value to me
I expected to be bored. I’ve read sooo many books about Henry VIII and his wives. But Alison Weir creates such a fine blend of historical accuracy and storytelling chops that I found myself wishing it would never end. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series on Henry VIII’s wives.
Jane Seymour, the third of Henry VIII’s wives and mother of his only son, usually takes a backseat to some of the more flamboyant wives. I know that a lot of her early history had to be imagined and drawn from very sparse facts, but I really enjoyed reading about her, him, and the court and times that are so famous.
Considering she was writing about an unsympathetic character, she did a good job.
Like all of Alison Weir’s writing, this is history come alive, with lots of authoritative research behind it.