House of Boleyn

The House of Bolyen- Tracy Borman

Hodder & Stoddard

Release Date: August 4, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚(3.5)

Synopsis: When nobleman Thomas Boleyn, lord of Hever Castle, is called to London in 1509 to present himself to the newly-anointed eighteen-year-old king, Henry VIII, Thomas's young daughter, Anne, implores him not to leave. "Well, make sure the prize you bring me is worth it, Father," Anne demands of him. "I will try," he responds. "But I'll wager even a crown wouldn't satisfy you." Such premonitions resonate convincingly throughout Tracy Borman's rich and compelling novel. Blending the history she knows so well with the creativity of her imagination, Borman brings the Boleyn family's three-decade rise and precipitous fall to vivid life.

Borman surrounds the main dramatic events of the Boleyn saga with a colourful tableau in which servants play key roles, familial and inter-familial rivalries threaten, and true love often loses out to keen ambition. Anne's ever-loyal attendant Agnes Frideswide, and Thomas Boleyn's perfidious steward Robert Cranwell, are as memorable as Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, or anyone in the increasingly dangerous orbit of Henry VIII's court, as he pursues Anne relentlessly, only to abandon her when she can't give him the son and heir he desperately seeks.

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I'm a huge fan of Tudor historian Tracy Borman (The Stolen Crown, Henry VIII & The Men Who Made Him) so I was interested to see what she would do with a historical fiction of the Boleyn family. And I wasn't disappointed. 

The first interesting choice is that, while most historical fictions will focus on the royal court and what is happening in it, Borman's book always takes place at Hever Castle, the home of Thomas Boleyn and where Anne, Mary, and George Boleyn grow up. Through letters and gossip to family members and beloved servants the reader gets to know the family, including the often historically ignored grandmother Lady Margaret. And we learn that scheming for money and power aren't only happening at royal courts, but even among families like the Boleyns and their extended family—which helps us to understand (and may foreshadow) some of what happens to Anne later on.

There are some people out for only themselves in this dangerous world. But Borman asks the intriguing question: what if some of those people weren't who we thought they were? Historically we've always believed Thomas, Anne's father, wanted power and pushed his daughters at the king. What if he wasn't eager to have Anne (his favorite) marry Henry? What if George's wife Jane wasn't the villain she has historically been imagined to be?

If you know about the historical Boleyn family you'll still find surprises along the way in The House of Boleyn. And if you don't know much about history and are just reading this for fun (or picked it up because of the absolutely gorgeous cover) you'll enjoy a unique view into the Boleyn family. Either way, make sure to read the Author's Note where Borman explains where she tweaked a few things, which characters are completely fictional, and what you might think is fiction but was in fact totally true.

Tracy Borman puts you right in the world of Tudor homes and danger, where family can't always be counted on, and the biggest prize isn't what you think.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review

The Stolen Crown

 

The Stolen Crown: Treachery, Deceit & the Death of the Tudor Dynasty- Tracy Borman

Hodder & Stoughton

Release Date: November 4, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: In March 1603, Queen Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, lies dying at Richmond Palace. The queen's ministers cluster round her bedside, urging her to name her successor - something she has stubbornly resisted throughout her reign. Almost with her last breath she whispers that James VI of Scotland should succeed her. She dies shortly afterwards and the throne of England passes peacefully from Tudor to Stuart.

Or so we've been led to believe . . .

But, as enthralling new research shows, this is not what happened. In the years that followed, history was literally re-written on the orders of James VI to hide the Elizabeth went to her grave without formally naming an heir. The notion of an approved succession from Tudors to Stuarts is little more than an elaborately constructed fiction.
And so James's rule in England began with a lie - a lie that went on to have devastating consequences. The Stuart regime rapidly descended into turbulence and uncertainty, conspiracy and persecution, witchcraft and gunpowder - culminating in the destruction of the monarchy in the English Civil War.

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Tracy Borman (Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him) is one of my favorite historians, so I was very excited to get her new take on Elizabeth I's succession. We've all been taught that she named James VI of Scotland her heir as she lay dying and the crown peacefully transferred over to him. But Borman's new book reports on work done by the British Library, showing that this is a story James ensured was passed around well into his reign- in order to keep him on the throne.

The Stolen Crown follows Elizabeth I's reign with the focus solely on how it reflected on who she would name her heir. Over the decades Elizabeth was pressed to marry and have children of her own, and/or to name successors to the crown. The chaos of the Wars of the Roses were still fresh enough in people minds that they didn't want to go through that again, and there were multiple candidates with potential claims of varying strength (despite Henry VIII doing his best to kill them all off while he was in power). Who rose or fell in Elizabeth's favor, moving nearer or farther to the throne, might surprise some readers. 

I was surprised by how active in the succession Eilzabeth's council became in the last few years of her reign, though in retrospect it does make sense. The fact that they managed to keep their dealings a secret from Elizabeth is perhaps the greater surprise. Did they, or did she let them think so? I learned more here about James than I'd ever known before- and while all of it fascinating, none of it to his advantage! It was really interesting to learn that in trying to firm up his claim on the throne once he had it, James is perhaps one of the people largely responsible for the image of "Good Queen Bess" that we still have today.

Brilliantly researched, engagingly written, The Stolen Crown is a must read for history lovers!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

 

The Story of Tudor Art

 The Story of Tudor Art: A History of Tudor England Through Its Art And Objects- Christina J. Faraday

Apollo

Release Date: September 25, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: The volatile years of England's Tudor dynasty (1485–1603) and the five monarchs who ruled England during this period continue to fascinate and intrigue. Thanks to the paintings of artists like Hans Holbein, we have very definitive ideas about the appearance and personalities of Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and her successor Elizabeth I. It is through their eyes of artists that we still see the dynasty which ruled England for just over a century. Yet, iconic though they are, when it comes to Tudor art, portraits – and monarchs – are far from the whole story.

Throughout the sixteenth century, images and objects were employed for political, religious, social and scientific ends, by a greater range of people than ever before. The Church and the royal court, archbishops, monarchs, and courtiers, were some of the most important patrons, commissioning artists in painting, tapestry, print and other materials, to convey particular messages and promote them as individuals and office-holders. But in this period too, the 'middling sort', professional men and women, increased in power, wealth and influence. They also wanted to promote themselves, and used not only art, but also a plethora of other objects to do so.

In this novel and unique exploration of England's Tudor dynasty, Christina Faraday uses the art of the era – both images and objects - as a means of investigating every facet of the period. As well as deconstructing sometimes familiar portraits of Tudor kings, queens and noblemen, Faraday will bring a forensic eye to bear on a broad and heterogeneous array of artefacts – charters, clocks, cushions, coins, devotional artworks, furniture, jewels, manuscripts, miniatures, sculptures, scrolls and tapestries – thereby providing the reader with a vivid and detailed feel for the political, social, economic and cultural texture of sixteenth-century England.

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When we think about Tudor art we automatically think portraits. It's only recently that I've started to read about Elizabethan architecture and tapestries and I definitely wanted to read more. Christina Faraday's book took these topics- and so much more!- and put them in fantastic context.

Well-researched and well-written, this book touched on everything from tapestries and paintings to the beginnings of importing Chinese ceramics vs English pottery. How did art change from Henry VII to the end of Elizabeth I's reign? Why? The global movements and context for art, artists, patrons, and collectors created changes in types of art, symbolism, and so much more. The scope of the book means that Faraday isn't able to get into deep dives on every single type of art for every decade of the Tudor dynasty but her broad strokes and quick dives to give us illustrative examples are incredibly helpful to understanding the progression of art over time. Set up by monarch it is easy to see the progression of different types of art or symbols over time, why certain things were done or stopped being done. 

If you're interested in Tudor history, art history, or both, Faraday's The Story of Tudor Art is an absolute must read!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Shakespeare's Sisters

 

Shakespeare's Sisters: How Women Wrote the Renaissance- Ramie Targoff

Knopf

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: This remarkable work about women writers in the English Renaissance explodes our notion of the Shakespearean period by drawing us into the lives of four women who were committed to their craft long before there was any possibility of “a room of one’s own.”

In an innovative and engaging narrative of everyday life in Shakespeare’s England, Ramie Targoff carries us from the sumptuous coronation of Queen Elizabeth in the mid-sixteenth century into the private lives of four women writers working at a time when women were legally the property of men. Some readers may have heard of Mary Sidney, accomplished poet and sister of the famous Sir Philip Sidney, but few will have heard of Aemilia Lanyer, the first woman in the seventeenth century to publish a book of original poetry, which offered a feminist take on the crucifixion, or Elizabeth Cary, who published the first original play by a woman, about the plight of the Jewish princess Mariam. Then there was Anne Clifford, a lifelong diarist who fought for decades against a patriarchy that tried to rob her of her land in one of England’s most infamous inheritance battles. These women had husbands and children to care for and little support for their art, yet against all odds they defined themselves as writers, finding rooms of their own where doors had been shut for centuries. Targoff flings those doors open, revealing the treasures left by these extraordinary women; in the process, she helps us see the Renaissance in a fresh light, creating a richer understanding of history and offering a much-needed female perspective on life in Shakespeare’s day.

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If you're looking for an introduction to the world of Renaissance England through women's eyes and how they worked to make their voices heard through writing- look no further than Shakespeare's Sisters by Ramie Targoff. She takes the long-held belief that Tudor women didn't read, didn't write, and certainly weren't anything but meek and mild wives and daughters and throws it out the window. 

Queen Elizabeth might not have been trying to break the glass ceiling for women, but that doesn't mean other women weren't looking for ways to express themselves. Mary Sidney is someone readers might have heard of- at least because her brother was famous. She took that and ran with it, adding translations and poems of her own to published works of his (some that she only recently got credit for!). Aemilia Lanyer was the first woman to publish a book of original poetry in the 17th century, and she did it while worrying about money for her family because she wasn't nobly born! She made it more shocking by writing a feminist take on the crucifixion- including a poem from the point of view of the wife of Pontius Pilate arguing that if he condemned Christ he is basically erasing Eve's original sin and women are no longer the 'lesser sex'. Elizabeth Carey was the first woman to publish an original play, a feminist take on the Jewish princess Mariam. Anne Clifford is probably the first woman diarist who also wrote down her life and her family's history, all while fighting 40 years of legal battles for her inheritance.

Each of these women were ahead of their time in so many ways, determined to live life as they wanted to. This incredibly well-written and well-researched book gives them back their voices and introduces us to women we may not have known before, but will now definitely want to know more about. The book is designed to tell us more about their lives than to be literary analyses, but at the end we get a great chapter on why their writing is so rarely taught, where we can find their books, and other Renaissance women we might want to read. 

I absolutely recommend Shakespeare's Sisters to anyone interested in Tudor England and English literature, or the increasing discoveries of women's lives throughout history, some of which are only recently being brought back into the light.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Woman of Influence

 

A Woman of Influence: The Spectacular Rise of Alice Spencer in Tudor England- Vanessa Wilkie

Atria Books

Release Date: April 18, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Alice Spencer was born in 1560 to a family on the rise. Her grandfather had amassed a sizeable estate of fertile grazing land and made a small fortune in sheep farming, allowing him to purchase a simple but distinguished manor house called Althorp.

With her sizable dowry, Alice married the heir to one of the most powerful aristocratic families in the country, eventually becoming the Countess of Derby. Though she enjoyed modest renown, it wasn’t until her husband’s sudden death (after he turned in a group of Catholics for plotting against Queen Elizabeth I) that Alice and her family’s future changed forever.

Faced with a lawsuit from her brother-in-law over her late husband’s fortune, Alice raised eyebrows by marrying England’s most powerful lawyer. Together, they were victorious, and Alice focused her attentions on securing appropriate husbands for her daughters, increasing her land ownings, and securing a bright future for her grandchildren and the entire Spencer family. But they would not completely escape scandals, and as the matriarch, Alice had to face an infamous trial that threatened everything she had worked so hard for. 

Now, the full story of the remarkable Alice Spencer Stanley Egerton is revealed in this comprehensive and colorful biography. A woman both ahead of and part of her time, Alice’s ruthless challenging of the status quo has inspired future generations of Spencers and will change the way you view Tudor women.

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Alice Spencer was born in 1560, at that interesting cusp of English gentry with "new money" looking to marry into the aristocracy- so many of whom had titles, but no money. This sounds like it could be the start of many a historical romance, but this book is nonfiction. Carefully researched from wills, lawsuits, and the most scandalous trial to hit the House of Lords in generations, Vanessa Wilkie pieces together the life of Alice Spencer, youngest daughter of a knight, who goes on to be the Dowager Countess of Derby. She becomes the successful matriarch to a large family of children, grandchildren, stepchildren, and in-laws who work together to raise the extended family's fortunes as a whole.

Vanessa Wilkie does an excellent job giving the reader fascinating details about what it was like to live in Tudor/Stuart England, including legal information for marriages that shows that there were times women could have more power or control than we might imagine.  In fact, Alice's entire life is an excellent case study in how it was possible for a woman to work through her husband, her friends or family, or in other behind-the-scenes ways to hold significant influence both with her family and in a larger political circle. 

There were times I felt Wilkie repeated herself a bit too often or re-emphasized too much the basic differences between today's society and family/personal goals and those of Alice's times. Perhaps this was to try and encourage the reader not to judge Alice and her contemporaries by our standards- which she then does during the Castlehaven trial and its aftermath. This is a tricky balancing act: seeing Alice as a mother and a Tudor matriarch mean that her actions and reactions to her daughter's trauma and the trial that follows meant something very different in her day than they would in ours, and Wilkie doesn't seem entirely sure what to do with it. She reports on the trial itself brilliantly, but it is obvious that she is uncomfortable with Alice's recorded actions and has to frequently remind the readers (and possibly herself) about the public social behavior that Alice needed to show in order to protect the rest of her extended family. Personally, I think that bringing her daughter back to live near her and seemingly protecting her for the rest of her life, shows a glimpse of what was still a close mother-daughter bond, but since there are no letters or diaries for either woman we can't know for certain. 

Overall, however, this was a fascinating book, showing how people could rise through the ranks, patronize art and literature, influence others- including monarchs- both directly and indirectly, and how dangerous the wrong alliance could be. Well-written, well-researched, history lovers will definitely need to read this book! 

Anyone who enjoyed The Duchess Countess by Catherine Ostler or Devices and Desires by Kate Hubbard will definitively enjoy Vanessa Wilkie's A Woman of Influence.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Henry VIII

Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him- Tracy Borman
Atlantic Monthly Press
Release Date: February 5, 2019

Rating: 
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Henry VIII is best known in history for his tempestuous marriages and the fates of his six wives. However, as acclaimed historian Tracy Borman makes clear in her illuminating new chronicle of Henry’s life, his reign and reputation were hugely influenced by the men who surrounded and interacted with him as companions and confidants, servants and ministers, and occasionally as rivals—many of whom have been underplayed in previous biographies.

These relationships offer a fresh, often surprising perspective on the legendary king, revealing the contradictions in his beliefs, behavior, and character in a nuanced light. They show him capable of fierce but seldom abiding loyalty, of raising men up only to destroy them later. He loved to be attended by boisterous young men, the likes of his intimate friend Charles Brandon, who shared his passion for sport, but could also be diverted by men of intellect, culture, and wit, as his longstanding interplay with Cardinal Wolsey and his reluctant abandonment of Thomas More attest. Eager to escape the shadow of his father, Henry VII, he was often trusting and easily led by male attendants and advisors early in his reign (his coronation was just shy of his 18th birthday in 1509); in time, though, he matured into a profoundly suspicious and paranoid king whose ruthlessness would be ever more apparent, as Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk and uncle to two of Henry’s wives, discovered to his great discomfort, and as Eustace Chapuys, the ambassador of Charles V of Spain, often reported.

Recounting the great Tudor’s life and signal moments through the lens of his male relationships, Tracy Borman’s new biography reveals Henry’s personality in all its multi-faceted, contradictory glory, and sheds fresh light on his reign for anyone fascinated by the Tudor era and its legacy.

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When people think "Henry VIII" they probably think of beheadings and serial marriages. But there is a great deal more to his legacy than this and Tracy Borman explores all of it in Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him.  Borman examines Henry's life by looking at the men he surrounded himself with.  Henry loved to have intelligent, active young men around him who shared his interests in hunting, hawking, dancing, and every other form of sport available.  After a difficult relationship with his father, Henry wanted to be a king as opposite his predecessor as possible.  While he may be more well known today as a harsh and paranoid tyrant, in his youth Henry was trusting and could be easily led by trusted confidants seeking power.

Borman explores Henry's relationships with Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, Thomas Moore, the Howards, the Seymours, and the Boleyns as well as less well known figures.  A refreshing amount of the book is based on contemporary sources, most notably ambassador Eustace Chapuys. This means the reader is treated to the gossip and rumors that swirled around Henry's court as well as the reality of court life- brilliantly and subtly illuminating the court's atmosphere of infighting and backstabbing as individuals and factions sought Henry's favor and the money and power that came with it.  While Henry's controlling disposition and violent temper increased as he aged, the reader discovers that the popular image of a king who routinely beheads people was enhanced by his followers at court who used their king's paranoia to get rid of their competitors- thinking of themselves more often than the king.  

A well-researched, well-written, and entirely fascinating book, Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him is a must-read for anyone interested in English history, and the Tudor dynasty.  More readable than might be expected from a tome of its length, readers who know something about Henry's reign will discover new fascinating gems of information and readers new to the time period will get a wonderful and thorough introduction to the life and times of Henry VIII and the men who helped make him who he was.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review