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Aug 29, 2011

Célia rated it:

A Aia da Rainha é um romance histórico que conta a história de Honor Larke, uma jovem que, após ter ficado sem família, se torna protegida do famoso Thomas More e, mais tarde, ascende ao cargo de aia da rainha Catarina de Aragão na altura em que Henrique VIII começou a luta com a Igreja para conseguir o divórcio e casar com Ana Bolena. Este livro é o primeiro da série Tornleigh e, segundo a informação na badana do livro, o segundo, A Filha do Rei, irá ser publicado em breve por cá. O terceiro, T More...

5 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 23, 2010

Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) rated it:

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, thinking it would be a straight by-the-numbers romance. It's actually more a theological drama with some intrigue, a bit of romance, and adventure. The heroine, Honor Larke, is Thomas More's ward (which provides some hokey sinful thoughts on Sir Tom's part) and she gets swept up in the Catholic vs. Protestant upheavals. She engages in long-distance dissertations with Erasmus, and is quite a bright girl, but not preciously so. The final part of the book fi More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 11, 2011

Barbara rated it:

I'm delighted that so many people on Goodreads are reading THE QUEEN'S LADY or intend to. It's the first book in my Tudor-era "Thornleigh" series, and is followed by THE KING'S DAUGHTER, THE QUEEN'S CAPTIVE and THE QUEEN'S GAMBLE.
The Queen's Lady
The King's Daughter
The Queen's Captive
The Queen's Gamble

I hope you'll also enjoy my contemporary novel ENTRAPPED.
Entrapped

I'd love to hear your comments and reviews. Happy reading!

More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 03, 2012

Goldenwattle rated it:

I have never empathised with Queen Catherine and I thought this book might expect me to; the Catherine who spent so much of her life in prayer, which she could only afford to do so because others waited on her. An ordinary person would not have had the hours available in the day to do so. And how can I empathise with her when she won’t face reality and get a divorce. She was delusional. But enough of her, the story was not really about her.
The story was about Honor Larke, and it was a reaso More...

0 comments like

Feb 01, 2012

Emily (Ed and Em's Reviews) rated it:

I am not a history buff. The only thing that I remember about King Henry is that he liked to chop of his wives' heads. And that is all I got out of that lecture in high school.

But this book was more than just history. Albeit, there was a lot, though no more than expected from reading the blurb. The story built well off of actual events, and the author's character fit seamlessly into the plot.

Honor is an awesome character. She went through so much in her life. She is trul More...

1 comment like

Oct 19, 2011

Elaine rated it:

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus 1466 – 1536), known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and a theologian.
Erasmus was a classical scholar who wrote in a pure Latin style and he prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament. These raised questions that would be influential in the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation.
Erasmus lived through the Reformation period, but while he was critical of the Church, he More...

0 comments like

Jul 03, 2011

Brooke rated it:

After reading "The Other Boleyn Girl" this period in history has intrigued me. So when I saw "The Queen's Lady", a book about a young lady in the court of Catherine of Aragon, I was pretty sure I would enjoy it.

It turned out to be nothing of what I expected, but still very enjoyable! I was expecting the story to center around the Queen's dealings with the Boleyn situation; instead I was treated to a different side, yet likely more influential aspect of this time More...

1 comment like

Jun 08, 2011

Denise rated it:

I love historical fiction books. But as with any story there are pro's and con's. I felt the author did an excellent job with her descriptions (the part where Honor was hiding on the ship was VERY good). But I was a bit dismayed when characters had to travel (especially by horse!). Bear in mind that this was the 16th century and any kind of travel was hard but especially brutal in winter. Fleas and lice infested public inns where multiple people shared a bed. Animals had to be cared for and fed More...

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Jul 13, 2011

Amanda rated it:

My mom actually found this book while I was in Borders trying to find something to read so I could pass the time once I was finished with end of grading period exams! I was automatically hooked! I enjoyed the book because it was set during the reign of Henry VIII but focused more on what was going on outside The Court. I enjoyed the character of Honor Larke because she is different compared to the typical ladies of the English court. It was the perfect mixture of politics, romance, family proble More...

0 comments like

Jul 07, 2010

Kelly rated it:

I read this years ago when it was A Dangerous Temptation. The old edition looks like a romance novel, the new one looks like a Philippa Gregory novel, but both of these impressions are kind of misleading. There's a romance, yeah, but the novel focuses mainly on the religious tensions in 16th century Europe and how the various sects tortured, burned, and otherwise oppressed anyone who believed differently. Engrossing if you're a historical fiction buff, but incredibly bleak for long stretches. More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 09, 2011

Ne rated it:

Ler o A Aia da Rainha veio confirmar e realçar o meu gosto pelos romances históricos. Barbara Kyle é uma óptima contadora de história, principalmente se esta contiver muitos factos reais.
Começando pela capa, com o genial pormenor do anel, e pela sinopse, um pouco infiel ao livro, somos conquistados desde o primeiro olhar ao exemplar. O conteúdo vem apenas mostrar-nos que não nos enganámos e que cada segundo a ler estas linhas não foi tempo desperdiçado.
Todo o texto é rico em figuras de More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 09, 2011

Joana rated it:

A sinopse e as primeiras páginas deram-me uma ideia completamente errada do enredo do livro. Pensei que se desenrolaria, essencialmente, em volta da “grande questão” de Henrique VIII: a Rainha Catarina de Aragão, nesta versão, auxiliada pela sua aia, Honor, a tentar impedir o Rei de anular o casamento de ambos; a procurar provas e documentos que sustentassem a sua causa enquanto os homens do rei a isolavam dos seus aliados e rebatiam os seus argumentos, desesperados com a demora do processo, que More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 04, 2011

Amanda rated it:

I admit I wasn't sure what to think before I picked up Barbara Kyle's The Queen's Lady. I had seen this book and others in the Thornleigh series at the bookstore a number of times, but something about the lackluster reviews and somewhat creepy/cheesy cover put me off. Then I found it on super-clearance at Half Price Books during their 20 percent off everything sale, so, on a whim, I decided to pick it up.

The Queen's Lady explores the turmoil of the Tudor court through the eyes of young More...

0 comments like

Feb 07, 2012

Amber rated it:

Honor Larke had a rough childhood, but everything turned around when Thomas More took her in as his ward. Now in 1527, she has a choice: marry and fall into the role of obedient wife or serve Queen Catherine at court. Honor chooses the latter and soon finds that court life is not everything she thought it would be but she is loyal to the queen whose position is being undermined by Anne Boleyn.

Still, when the burning of heretics rubs Honor the wrong way - why should people die just fo More...

0 comments like

Dec 02, 2010

Patricia rated it:

Quem me conhece sabe que sou fã de Phillipa Gregory e dos seus livros sobre a época Tudor. Assim, quando vi este livro à venda pensei “É mesmo a minha cara, tenho que o comprar”. E efectivamente em Maio vi este livro em promoção da Fnac e como tinha um vale para gastar, resolvi aproveitar. No entanto, apesar do meu entusiasmo, fui pegando noutros livros, até que finalmente chegou a hora de pegar nele.
Este livro conta-nos a história de Honor Lake, que após uma infância algo trágica, torna-s More...

0 comments like

Oct 20, 2008

Nicole rated it:

I found Barbara Kyle’s The Queen’s Lady to be a bit hit & miss. On the positive side there were a lot of twist and turns to the story, which keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. The Tudor history is captivating in itself and this story just shows another viewpoint of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the political and religious players of the time. On the negative side there was a loss of coherency to the story, as it seemed the author wanted to present all the differing religious views More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 21, 2011

Gaile rated it:

Honor Larke is unusual for her time. Catholics persecuted protestants while protestants persecuted Catholics. All Honor knows is these people have done nothing to deserve to be burned. While serving Queen Catherine, she is drawn into intrigue to save protestants. Along the way she meets Richard Thornleigh who helps her while danger stalks their heels. Eramus also appears here. A thriller within a romance, I read this with a racing heart, never knowing what the next page will bring.
Barbara K More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Oct 22, 2010

Jacqui rated it:

This book held me from beginning to end, and when it was over, I just wanted it to keep going (thank goodness there's two more in the series). "The Queen's Lady" took me on a journey through the Tudor era that I have never even thought to explore. It's a world of espionage and heresy and wonderful philosophy that you would never expect to find in an historical fiction. There's never too many good things that can be said about this author!

0 comments like

Mar 05, 2010

Misfit marked it as to-read

Well well well. Barb, Pat, Tara et al. Look at the first ever-so-snarky commenter on this one star review. I do believe its the same person who snarked another one star review of a Kensington book and in that case a connection between said commenter and the author was found.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RDCQMJQCP71...

4 comments like

Jan 02, 2010

Abby rated it:

This was a good read - especially for those of us who already have a fascination with Tudor-era history. I would hesitate to call it a romance, though, as so much of the story did not revolve around the romantic relationship. That said, their relationship was always in the background, so I suppose I could understand the categorization.
The title itself is a bit misleading, as the main character is only directly involved with Catherine of Aragon for perhaps the first fourth of the book. Afte More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 05, 2011

Mandi rated it:

Got through the first 170 of 600 pages. Didn't care about the characters and felt more like I was reading for a book report. Have too many other good books waiting to be read. Had to put this one down and start something else. It wasn't worth it.

Have another book by this author, The King's Daughter, not even going to start that one. Both go off to the book trading web site.

0 comments like

Jan 27, 2010

Eve rated it:

From the moment i picked up this book to the minute i put it down i was incredibly enthralled in it. True to the era, paints a wonderful picture of life and the trials back then that people went through for (or against) king and country. Stunningly written and had my heart racing with excitement throughout.

0 comments like

Aug 15, 2011

Yianna rated it:

Amazing beginning, slow middle but great ending. Not a book for teenagers, that's for sure! This book is for a much older crowd. If you love the Tudor era, then read it. Overall it was a good book. Shows the life of a young Honor. Beautiful :)

0 comments like

Jul 29, 2011

Kelsey added it

I was really disappointed to read the author's notes at the end and find out that Honor was a fictional character! I usually prefer historical fiction that's a little more history and a little less fiction. But an entertaining book nonetheless.

0 comments like

Jun 27, 2009

Mom rated it:

Yet another Henry VIII book. This one was not so much about him as about the lives of those trying to understand what was going on in the political realm of religion. An interesting read, a few too many saves at the last minute.

0 comments like

May 06, 2009

Rachel rated it:

I love books set in this time period. Part of it is a little graphic due to religious persecution in that time. It is pretty long which is what I like. I like one I can really get into and feel like I know the characters.

0 comments like

Feb 23, 2011

Audrey marked it as to-read

Oh my god, look at this cover. But it's got a Mary Sue with the hots for Thomas More. YESSSSSSSSSSSS

0 comments like

Feb 21, 2011

Amanda rated it:

I couldn't even finish this book. Seriously a freaking Mary Sue who has Thomas More in love with her? I don't think so. Let's not even get into a young woman travelling unchaperoned. I couldn't take it.

0 comments like

Jan 30, 2010

Alex rated it:

Good book, but definitely not the best I've ever read set in the Tudor times. Honor was an interesting main character, but I got a little bored when hundreds of pages passed with nothing but her. I wanted to hear more about Henry and Anne!

0 comments like

Jun 11, 2011

Rhianon rated it:

I admit, I love historical fiction, especially about the Tudors.This one was a bit disappointing, though. It read too much like a romance novel. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot.

0 comments like