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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THE FIFTH WIFE OF HENRY VIII...,
By Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (COMMUNITY FORUM 04) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)
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This review is from: The Rose Without a Thorn (Hardcover)
In this, the final novel in her "Queens of England" series of books, the author weaves a tapestry of political intrigue, romance, and historical detail into the story of young Katherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII. A masterful storyteller, the author, who also writes under the name Victoria Holt and has a cavalcade of devoted readers, creates a work of historical fiction that will transport the reader to another time.The book details the rise and fall of Katherine Howard, a young, impoverished noblewoman of an illustrous family. As a young girl, she was sent to live with her grandmother, the Duchess of Norfolk, where she, unfortunately, fell in with a licentious group of retainers and became ensnared in two unsuitable affairs of the heart. Little did she know that they would serve to haunt her a way she could never have imagined. An opportunity, orchestrated by her Machiavellian and ambitious uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, arises for the beautiful, though foolish, Katherine to go to the Royal Court as Lady -In-Waiting to the fourth wife of Henry VIII, the kindly Anne of Cleves. Katherine obligingly goes. There, she falls in love with her cousin, Thomas Culpepper, a gentleman of the King's Bed Chamber. Her hopes of marriage to her handsome cousin are soon dashed, however, when she catches the wandering eye of the King, who loathes his current wife. Having charmed the King and having little say in the matter, Katherine becomes his fifth wife, once he divorces Anne of Cleves. Katherine's initial happiness as Queen is cut short, however, when her lurid past comes to light and is brought to the King's attention. This, coupled with her indiscretions with Thomas Culpepper, are enough to abruptly terminate her brief reign over England as its Queen and cause a number of heads, including hers, to roll. This is an intriguing blend of fact and fiction, which is laced with enough historical detail to satisfy those readers who enjoy historical fiction. It is with good reason that the author has a legion of devoted readers.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling and Haunting,
By "royaldiaryfan2000" (Aston, PA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Rose Without a Thorn: The Wives of Henry VIII (Paperback)
I recently bought this book along with Lady in the Tower, the other new Plaidy re-release. This shorter volume tells of Katharine Howard, the cousin of Anne Boleyn who also became queen of England and who also shared a similiar fate. Katharine is born into an impoverished branch of the Howard family, a very noble English family that is also very stable at court. When her powerful Grandmother comes to visit their meager country estate, Katharine intrigues her Grandmother and is whisked off to live at her Grandmother's large and beautiful estate. While there, her Grandmother neglects her and Katharine gives into the daring acts of the girls who work in the estate who share her bechamber. Katharine befriends her music teacher, Mannox, and invites him into her bed at night. The affair ends fast and one Francis Weston comes into Katharine's life. However, this ends once Katharine's Grandmother comes upon Francis and Katharine frolicking upon a parlor floor. Around this time Anne Boleyn is crowned queen and so the entire entourage and family moves to the Lambeth estate on the Thames River in London. Now Katharine falls for her own cousin, Thomas Culpepper. However, Katharine's powerful uncle has plans for his neice and finds her a place in Anne of Cleves short-lived entourage (Anne Boleyn has hence forth been executed and Jane Seymour has died). Henry VIII begins to notice Katharine and after demissing his marriage to Anne of Cleves, he courts Katharine and soon she is thrust onto the same stage her older cousin came upon a decade or so before. Katharine is wedded to the king in a short ceremony and soon begins her short reign as Queen of England. However, when rumors of her past affairs come back Katharine finds herself in danger. Franics Weston comes to court, as does Mannox, bringing back haunting memories that could cost Katharine her head. But when Katharine commits adultery with Thomas Culpepper one night, her fate is sealed. Henry, in his first happy marriage in decades, is brought the horrible news by those insanely jealous of Katharine's new fame and the Howard's rising fortune (even though they were already very dominant and had more power than the Tudors). Katharine is guilty, as are her lovers, and all are brought to the block or the gallows. And even on the scafold Katharine declared "I die a queen, but I would rather die the wife of Thomas Culpepper". I loved this book and found it highly enjoyable. I find it no wonder that Jean Plaidy is acclaimed a sone of the greatest historical fiction writers ever. A haunting and compelling story full of intrigue and unexpected twists and turns, Katharine's story was a short lived one that is often overshadowed by her cousin's story, but is just as interesting.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Katherine Howard's story from her point of view,
This review is from: The Rose Without a Thorn: The Wives of Henry VIII (Paperback)
Katherine Howard, the young and pretty fifth wife of Henry VIII (and cousin to Anne Boleyn) is the subject of one of Plaidy's last novels, written in the style of The Lady in the Tower.
Katherine, through the aid of a scribe (she was not greatly educated), tells her life story. Born into an impoverished branch of the great Howard family, she is sent to live with her grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk, and it is not long before her good looks and bad company begin to get her into trouble. When she is given a place as a lady to Anne of Cleves, her family attempts to use Henry VIII's infatuation with her to serve their own interests. The Rose Without a Thorn is a very moving and intelligent historical read. Readers see how the young, foolish Katherine goes from the Queen of England to a prisoner when her past comes back to haunt her and she is also charged with adultery. Most likely to add more validity to the love story with Culpepper, there is a small historical inaccuracy at the end...Katherine did not actually say that she would rather die the wife of Thomas Culpepper than as a queen. However, a wonderful page turner. I was actually moved to tears at the end.
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