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The Favored Queen
(Wives of King Henry VIII)
by
From The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Wife of Henry VIII comes a powerful and moving novel about Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII, who married him only days after the execution of Anne Boleyn and ultimately lost her own life in giving him the son he badly needed to guarantee the Tudor succession
Born into an ambitious noble family, young Jane Seymour ...more
Born into an ambitious noble family, young Jane Seymour ...more
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Hardcover, 295 pages
Published
September 27th 2011
by St. Martin's Press
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Do yourself a favor and don't read this book. A nice alternative would be Plain Jane: a novel of Jane Seymour (Jun 2006), by Laurien Gardner. Although I have not read it, it got a good review from Library Journal and it would have to be better than this book.
The other alternative would be for one of you fair readers to write your own novel. I'd read it. I promise.
Now, on to the review.
******************************************************************
Really? Really?
Like many other folks on this ...more
The other alternative would be for one of you fair readers to write your own novel. I'd read it. I promise.
Now, on to the review.
******************************************************************
Really? Really?
Like many other folks on this ...more
Oct 17, 2021
Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
medieval-renaissance
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I bought several books from this author a while ago and recently read THE UNFAITHFUL QUEEN. It was really good! Packed full of drama, cattiness, and court intrigue-- just the way Tudor fiction should be, I think you'll agree. The last book was about Catherine Howard, who King Henry VIII had executed for adultery. This book was about Jane Seymour, the mother of Edward, who died from complications in childbirth. One of the "lucky" wives He ...more
I knew within the first ten pages that this book would be a challenge. The way Jane is written, she seems to suffer from "special snowflake syndrome". You know, the "I'm not like other girls, I'm completely different, I'm the favorite of Queen Catherine", etc.
Why on Earth would a writer, who claims that they’ve done all this research and have written both fiction and nonfiction books on Tudor-esque subjects, perpetuate a rumour that was disproved back in 1876? Clearly, if Anne Boleyn had “a fin ...more
Why on Earth would a writer, who claims that they’ve done all this research and have written both fiction and nonfiction books on Tudor-esque subjects, perpetuate a rumour that was disproved back in 1876? Clearly, if Anne Boleyn had “a fin ...more
I picked up this book because I'm interested in the Tudor family, particularly in Henry VIII's decision to break from Rome in pursuit of a male heir. But I was disappointed with the way Erickson handled Henry's 'Great Matter'. The story started out interesting and fairly fast-paced, but once Henry set Catherine aside and married Anne Erickson started skimming through time/events very quickly. It was like Erickson decided everyone already knew the history so she just wrote the bare minimum to get
...more
If you’re looking for a different twist on a story that we all know so well, then this book is for you. Erickson did a delightful job in creating a fictional account of Jane Seymour’s life at court, marriage to Henry VIII, the birth of Prince Edward, and her death. Very enjoyable!
I'm sorry, this was bad! I did not enjoy this at all. I was looking forward to reading this for a while also. Too many inconsistencies, and VERY far fetched. I know this is fiction, but could the author at least try to stick to the well known history behind this??? After getting 3/4 through this I had to stop. I kept trying to finish, but it was like pulling teeth! I even skipped ahead to see if it was worth carrying on....it wasn't. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but too far away from the st
...more
[3.5]
At first, I would've given this book a five star rating. The writing and details are great; easy-to-read and interesting. Halfway through the book though, I began to realize that it wasn't about Jane Seymour, it was about Anne Boleyn and the Nun of Kent (Elizabeth Barton) told from Jane Seymour's point of view. So far, I haven't come across any books that mention the Nun of Kent at all, so I did learn something. . . and that is always a bonus. But because I felt the book wasn't really abou ...more
At first, I would've given this book a five star rating. The writing and details are great; easy-to-read and interesting. Halfway through the book though, I began to realize that it wasn't about Jane Seymour, it was about Anne Boleyn and the Nun of Kent (Elizabeth Barton) told from Jane Seymour's point of view. So far, I haven't come across any books that mention the Nun of Kent at all, so I did learn something. . . and that is always a bonus. But because I felt the book wasn't really abou ...more
I liked the idea of using Jane Seymour's voice to narrate her time in Henry viii's court until her marriage and sadly her death after birth of Prince Edward
a quiet careful lady who I have a fondness for as she tried to live a quiet life whilst being a member of the royal Tudor court. ...more
a quiet careful lady who I have a fondness for as she tried to live a quiet life whilst being a member of the royal Tudor court. ...more
I initially thought I was going to like this book as it follows Jane Seymour at Court when Henry VIII is trying to put aside Queen Catherine to marry Anne Boleyn. However the book after a while goes from Tudor novel based on fact into utter ridiculous bodice ripping fiction which is when I got fed up with it and stopped reading it.
In this version Jane has always wanted to marry Will, the son of friends of the Seymours but their union is threatened when her own father has relations with Will's yo ...more
In this version Jane has always wanted to marry Will, the son of friends of the Seymours but their union is threatened when her own father has relations with Will's yo ...more
For some reason, I feel a loyalty bond with Carolly Erickson. Although, we all complain about her “historical entertainments” and her use of speculation and inaccuracies; something draws me to read her books (I still haven’t read her non-fiction works but plan to). Sadly, as much as I tried to push myself, I couldn’t finish The Favored Queen. Yes, it WAS THAT bad.
I truly gave The Favored Queen a hearty attempt (I was around page 100) but after much debate, I closed the book. The Favored Queen s ...more
I truly gave The Favored Queen a hearty attempt (I was around page 100) but after much debate, I closed the book. The Favored Queen s ...more
2.5 star
It was a fun, quick read but not really good. I had hoped for more.
It was a fun, quick read but not really good. I had hoped for more.
As an amateur Tudor expert (gleaned mainly from the show by that title), I feel that Erickson has, yet again, put herself on par with the likes of Alison Weir and Philippa Gregory in capturing an excellent fact and fiction mix in this, her latest book. She gives some excellent background and deals with some of the poignant issues and developments, while leading the reader down a historically accurate path of the rise and fall of the first two wives of Henry VIII before his selection of Jane Seym
...more
Words fail me to describe how bad this book is.
It’s the equivalent a few high schoolers scrolling through the Wikipedia entry on Henry VIII, picking out a few key words, and performing Jane Seymour’s life as a sexy interpretive dance
Look at me, I did research, I’ve got all the names of the historical people of the time period! The book screams as it tap dances around the facts. Um, yeah, ok, you got the names – but your presentation of the facts, while not always wrong per say, are always warped ...more
I was pretty impressed with Erickson's why-let-the-facts-get-in-the-way-of-a-good-story approach to Jane Seymour--Henry VIII's third wife-who is usually portrayed in these kind of books as a boring goody-two-shoes. Erickson calls her work "historical entertainment" and cautions that she's played fast and loose with the documentation. Thus, her Jane is promiscuous, devious, quick-witted, and very entertaining. O.K., so I might not use this book to teach English history. But then again, I don't te
...more
If you have any sense of Tudor era history this book will be nearly impossible to read. I agree with another reviewer that it would have made more sense to have the fiction warning at the front of the book instead of the back. History has been rewritten so much as to be laughable.
1.5 stars. This is the highly fictionalized story of Henry VIII's favorite wife, Queen Pollyanna (aka, Jane) Seymour. She is perfect and good and kind and sweet and the only one trusted by everyone at court. She not only is Queen Katherine of Aragon's closest (English) confidante, but all of the other ladies in waiting and maids of honor love her, too. Except, of course, for Anne Jezebel Boleyn. But it's only natural that Anne hates Jane---after all, Anne is not only conniving and manipulative,
...more
Feb 04, 2012
Jodi
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
historical fiction fans
Shelves:
books-about-england,
historical-fiction
Yet another book about Tudor England! This time the book was told through the voice of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's third wife. It is so sad to me in modern times to think about a person marrying for position and/or money with no account for love. Jane would have had a much happier life if she had married her beloved Will for her childhood or her passionate Galyon from her twenties. Alas, it wasn't meant to be an she became another of Henry's conquests. I wonder how her life might have played out
...more
This wasn't the first "historical entertainment" by Carolly Erickson that I've read. For the reader looking into trying out an Erickson, be forewarned; it's not a history lesson. While these books feature familiar historical personages, they're not historically accurate. Similar to when a new Nicholas Sparks comes out on the market, I know that I'll still pick up Erickson's latest fast and loose retelling of history. The Favored Queen, could possibly have been subtitled "Why British History tend
...more
Apr 17, 2012
Allison
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
No one
Recommended to Allison by:
Library
Shelves:
england
I picked this book up off the Best Seller's table at the library. I enjoy Tudor England books (guilty pleasure, I guess you'd say, because they're not really that enlightening but they are entertaining) and thought I'd pick this one up since I couldn't find any of the other books I was looking for. So, that kind of sums it up. I didn't necessarily want to read it, it looked ok, it was hard to get through to a certain extent, but I read it and it was just ok.
According to some other reviews, the i ...more
According to some other reviews, the i ...more
*Me and B did a joint review! With Q&A questions. Follow the link:http://www.caroleraesramblings.com/20... *
In summary, this was an okay book. Certainly better then the last one I read from Carolly Erickson. This was light and a quick read. I am Team Anne, but it was nice reading about Jane for a change. Honestly, this is my first book in Jane's POV. Crazy, right? Anne was a total and utter bitch in this book, but Jane would perceive this especially when she was trying to win the heart of the Ki ...more
In summary, this was an okay book. Certainly better then the last one I read from Carolly Erickson. This was light and a quick read. I am Team Anne, but it was nice reading about Jane for a change. Honestly, this is my first book in Jane's POV. Crazy, right? Anne was a total and utter bitch in this book, but Jane would perceive this especially when she was trying to win the heart of the Ki ...more
I do not mind that she took freedom with things, even if we know things, they did not then.
It's a book about Jane Seymour. We get to see her as a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine, then to Queen Anne. And we get to see what that all means, courtship, danger, death. The book does skip a lot, as it has a lot of ground to cover in just 300 pages. But I do not mind a few timejumps when the author wants to take in the big events.
What I liked best was that it was so easy to read, light, flowing and s ...more
It's a book about Jane Seymour. We get to see her as a lady in waiting to Queen Catherine, then to Queen Anne. And we get to see what that all means, courtship, danger, death. The book does skip a lot, as it has a lot of ground to cover in just 300 pages. But I do not mind a few timejumps when the author wants to take in the big events.
What I liked best was that it was so easy to read, light, flowing and s ...more
Probably more of a 2.5...
Ms. Erickson should have maybe put her note to the reader before the book and not after. "Once again, dear reader, a caution and a reminder: The Favored Queen is a historical entertainment, in which the authentic past and imaginative invention intertwine... Fresh interpretations of historical figures and their circumstances are offered, and traditional ones laid aside."
And it probably doesn't help that I was really looking forward to this book. Oh well. It just wasn't t ...more
Ms. Erickson should have maybe put her note to the reader before the book and not after. "Once again, dear reader, a caution and a reminder: The Favored Queen is a historical entertainment, in which the authentic past and imaginative invention intertwine... Fresh interpretations of historical figures and their circumstances are offered, and traditional ones laid aside."
And it probably doesn't help that I was really looking forward to this book. Oh well. It just wasn't t ...more
Attractive, demure, intelligent, and trustworthy, lovely Jane Seymour is Queen Catherine's favorite lady-in-waiting. Conniving, self-centered, and mean-spirited, Lady Anne Boleyn catches Henry VIII's eye through her exquisite dancing and extroverted personality. Henry, in fact, becomes so enamored of Anne that he impregnates her even before he can conclude his nullity suit against Catherine. We know what became of Anne Boleyn. What about Jane, the king's third wife? Embellished by the novelist's
...more
I'm surprised to see all the negative reviews of this book, because I actually really liked it! This is the first one of Carolly Erickson's books, and I was very pleasantly surprised, as I thought a novel about Jane Seymour would be boring. I know it's a bit far-fetched, in terms of the romantic rendezvous she has in the book (which I don't believe actually happened), it made the story more interesting! I think Erickson did a nice job with this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My advice would
...more
I am glad I won a copy of this book. I looked forward to reading this book because I love historical novels. The book started off good but half way through the book I felt like Erickson was rushing everything. The book left me feeling unsatisfied because I feel like a huge chunk of Jane's life was left out. For example, her life married to Henry VIII. I really don't see how she is the "favored queen" based on how he treated her in the book.
...more
A good, serviceable historical fiction. Erickson did a different take on Jane Seymour than I have read before and that was refreshing and interesting, even though I didn't think it rang totally true historically. Erickson is brilliant at straight history and good at historical fiction; I will definitely continue to read all of her titles.
...more
If you want your usual portrayal of poor, shallow Jane Seymour, read Plain Jane. If you want a more compelling rendering of her, go for Wolf Hall. Don't waste your money on this book unless you're looking for nothing: Erickson is a decent biographer but clearly isn't gifted as a novelist, and although she calls her writing "historical entertainment" she just can't entertain.
...more
Tabloid trash.
Shockingly false, and not about Jane's life. DNF at halfway point. If it weren't such a pile of rubbish I wouldn't rate a book I didn't finish. Ms. Erickson should be ashamed of this book. The worst and most inaccurate story I've yet read about the court of Henry VIII ...more
Shockingly false, and not about Jane's life. DNF at halfway point. If it weren't such a pile of rubbish I wouldn't rate a book I didn't finish. Ms. Erickson should be ashamed of this book. The worst and most inaccurate story I've yet read about the court of Henry VIII ...more
Light and fluffy. I did get a little bored with it towards the middle. I'm a little disappointed that Jane being queen was shoved into the last little bit of the book.
...more
A more appropriate title for this book would've been, "Ruminations on Anne Boleyn by Jane Seymour," or, "An Exposé on the Plights and Triumphs of Anne Boleyn as Recounted by Jane Seymour."
Basically, the entirety of this novel was less a narrative on Jane's life as it was an account of her sufferings being in the court of Anne Boleyn and her love for the "true Queen" Catharine of Aragon; very little was relayed of her life before, and even less of that of her family and marriage to King Henry VII ...more
Basically, the entirety of this novel was less a narrative on Jane's life as it was an account of her sufferings being in the court of Anne Boleyn and her love for the "true Queen" Catharine of Aragon; very little was relayed of her life before, and even less of that of her family and marriage to King Henry VII ...more
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Distinguished historian Carolly Erickson is the author of The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette, The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra and many other prize-winning works of fiction and nonfiction. She lives in Hawaii.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll... ...more
http://us.macmillan.com/author/caroll... ...more
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