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5.0 out of 5 stars
ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS..., Mar 19 2008
Having read many works of historical fiction on Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, it is always interesting to find an author who puts yet another twist on the disintegration of the relationship between these two fascinating historical figures. In this, noted author Evelyn Anthony succeeds. She also paints a well-fleshed portrait of a woman who would serve as the catalyst for some of the most significant changes in English history, as the relationship between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII would sow the seeds of change that would give rise to the Reformation and all the uncertainty and tumult that would follow.
The book begins with the year 1526, by which time Anne Boleyn had been dismissed from the court of King Henry VIII. Severed from her first true love, Henry Percy, heir to the earldom of Northumberland and scion of one of the most powerful families in all of England, by order of Cardinal Wolsey, Anne had been cooling her heels at Hever Castle for the past year, while Percy was forced into marriage with another. Anne languished at Hever Castle with her family, not knowing that all this had occurred at the behest of Wolsey's master, King Henry VIII, in a fit of jealous pique. So, it was Wolsey who incurred her bitter enmity.
When King Henry VIII rode into Hever Castle, he eventually mades his way into its lush gardens, where he encountered Anne Boleyn. There, he found himself once again smitten by her charms and discovered that they had a mutual love for music. The King found himself enamored of this intelligent and vivacious young woman, only to have Anne lead him a merry chase, and a long one at that. For Anne would, for many years, refuse to become his mistress, having seen what had happened to her younger sister, Mary, who had been the King's mistress and born him an illegitimate son, only to be unceremoniously dropped from favor and given in marriage to a lowly knight.
For Anne, such a fate was not for her. So, since love had been torn from her heart, she let ambition govern her, seeking nothing less than to be crowned Queen of England, to have her enemy, Wolsey, brought low, and to rule the heart of King Henry VIII. This was, indeed, a tall order for her to fill. While she was able to vanquish both her predecessor, Katherine of Aragon, and her enemy, Cardinal Wolsey, she would rule Henry's heart but only for so long. In the end, her sense of self-importance, along with her sharp tongue, would be her undoing. In unmanning Henry, she would be instrumental in sealing her own fate, as well as that of those who were close to her, as Henry would ultimately seek to let her know who was master. As great as his love for her had been, so was his eventual hatred, and nothing would gainsay his vengeance upon her.
Set against the intrigues and pageantry of the magnificent sixteenth century Tudor Court, this is a book that those who enjoy well-written historical fiction will love. The author provides an insightful glimpse into the psyche of one of the most fascinating women in history, a woman who would brook no others before her, only to find herself done in by her own worst enemy: herself.
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