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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The queen that won all, and lost all, November 16, 2002
This, the third book in the Young Royals series focuses on the life of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, and mother to the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth. From the time she was born, Anne had been the dark sheep of her family. Not only did she have a sixth finger, but she also had a black mole. Anne had neither the beauty of her older sister Mary, or the importance of her younger brother George. But with an ambition as high as the mountains, Anne vowed one day that her sister, Mary, the King's mistress, will one day kneel at her feet. As a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine in Henry's court, Anne finally begins to see her wish coming true when she finally catches Henry's eyes. Though Anne knows Henry loves her, she knows that is not enough. The people's overall hatred of her and loyalty to Queen Catherine might ultimately be her downfall. When finally she bears Henry's child, she is finally declared Queen, a title she had vied for so many years. Only one nagging issue is in the back of her mind: What if the child isn't a son? What if she fails Henry's ultimate wish to have a male heir? What would become of her... This new edition to the Young Royals series has to be my favorite. It was quite accurate and Anne was potrayed perfectly as a girl who just wanted to prove herself worthwhile to a world that shut her out. To many Anne was the ulimate symbol of evil, but after reading this book, my opinion of her changed. She was in a tough position, but ulimately her big ambitions was also her downfall. This book definitely will be more fitting for older readers. Doomed Queen Anne also probably appeals to an older audience than the previous two books. Definitely a great book to add to your collection.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
E.B's Book Review, October 20, 2004
A Kid's Review
The book I read was called Doomed Queen Anne, by Carolyn Meyer. The story is based upon the life of Anne Boleyn, leading to her death. Her childhood was a hard one, especially being the ill-favored child in the family. Her sister, Mary was very well favored. This caused Anne to have a lot of jealousy. The story leads on to tell about Anne's life in the Netherlands and in France in the courts of Archduchess Margaret and Queen Claude. When Anne was sent back to England later, she became a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon. Anne was hated in Catherine' s eyes because Anne's sister was a favorite of King Henry the VIII. Catherine took out her great displeasure on Anne. Anne could bear it no longer. Her jealousy erupted and vowed to take the place of Mary as a great favorite of the King, and she said to Mary that one day she would become Queen and Mary would kneel before their feet. As a different type of lady with dark looks, she used her French skills, ambition, and her singularity to win the King's heart. Finally, the King asked Anne's hand in marriage, but the King had to divorce Catherine. Finally, after six long and frustrating years, Anne had finally achieved what she vowed to do, become Queen. The last thing she had to do was to bear the King a son. This she could not do. Once she had born a daughter and not a son, the King made false claims against Anne for treasonous acts. She was convicted and sentenced to death. Anne was betrayed but she died boldly as she had lived.
Doomed Queen Anne was a wonderful book. I've read it six times. This book really sparked my interest in Tudor History, and it gave me the urge to read other books like it. I liked the way it told the story through someone else's eyes and the amount of emotion. The point of view Anne had was the most interesting part and it gave me mixed feelings and thoughts, which is how I know I like a book. I would recommend this book to someone who likes historical fiction books or is just looking for an enjoyable book to read. From reading it, I know that this book is my all time favorite and I know that I will continue reading it forever.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Anne Boleyn's story, another great Young Royals book (4 1/2 stars)..., June 12, 2006
The setting begins in the year 1520. Anne Boleyn vowed that one day she would be queen. She has a difficult childhood for being the black sheep in the family. Her sixth finger and dark mole are shown as signs of evil. She especially has a heart time with her older sister Mary and declares that one day her sister will have to kneel before her. And she does just about everything to make that happen. She sees the golden opportunity when she becomes Queen Catherine's lady-in-waiting and Henry VIII's mistress. When Queen Catherine fails to give him a son, Henry soon gets rid of her and his first-born daughter Mary (this happens in the first Young Royals book called Mary, Bloody Mary) and marries Anne. Now Anne Boleyn has finally achieved her objective: she has become the Queen of England. But how long will her good fortune last? When she gets pregnant, only one concern comes to mind, will the child be a boy? There are various twists throughout the novel.
I have read my fair share of fictional historical biographies centered on the Tudor dynasty, namely Anne Boleyn, for she seems to be the most interesting one of Henry VIII's wives. Some have been good while others have lacked some creativity. We all know that she becomes Henry VIII's second wife by not so honest means and is beheaded for supposedly cheating on her husband (though historians have always speculated over whether the real reason was that she was unable to give him his ever-desired heir). This third book in the Young Royals series is a wonderful installment that paints an interesting picture of Anne Boleyn. Meyer manages to make Anne a three-dimensional character and not just some scheming villainess like in some of the books I've read. I have no clue if this is how Anne's childhood was really like, but based on Meyer's insights, you understand her more and are able to sympathize with her a bit. In this book, she is a woman who wants to prove herself in front of her family and others and whose ambition becomes her ultimate downfall. And the fact that she was the Virgin Queen Elizabeth's mother makes her all the more fascinating to me. She must've done something right when she raised a child who would become independent and rule England alone. Then again, royals had never really raised their children themselves, had they? I have always found the story of the Tudor dynasty extremely ironic, especially when Henry finally has a son, only for young Edward to die at a young age and the daughters become queens instead. And this series has given me some entertaining and insightful hours of reading on the Tudor women. Anyway, I love Doomed Queen Anne. Again, Carolyn Meyer does a wonderful job writing about these women. She also does a wonderful job describing the Medieval/Renaissance setting. I look forward to reading Patience, Princess Catherine -- Catherine of Aragon's story.
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