The sequel to Wolf Hall, this book is a mesmerizing account of how Thomas Cromwell orchestrated the downfall of Anne Boleyn, enabling Henry VIII to take another wife in his quest to sire a male heir. The writing is truly astonishing, with every page containing a gem of a phrase or characterization. Unlike in Wolf Hall, the Thomas Cromwell we meet here is nervous, maybe even afraid, as he sees just which way the wind is blowing. Give the King what he wants or else….. His actions are also motivated by revenge, as he goes about persecuting the very men who desecrated the memory of his beloved Wolsey. This is an account of a truly frightening man, but a most human one. Again and again, Cromwell muses about his past life, his abusive father, his adored wife and precious daughters, and we can’t help but feel empathy towards him. But put him together with an accused man behind closed doors, and we start to shiver.

Reading this book, along with Wolf Hall, was such a treat that I feel as though I should keep it near my bed and read a passage each day, just to experience the joy of brilliant writing. I wonder how fast she can write the third book in this sequence?