Janet Wertman

Excellent in the portrayal of Jane Seymour and Henry VIII, this novel explores Jane's thoughts and feelings as she is put into the position of replacing Anne Boleyn as queen. You really get a feel for Henry as a determined man, mercurial in some ways, but obviously in love with Jane. Although Jane herself experiences conflict over what's happening, she seems to have some unseemly ambition despite her pious nature. Henry, however, is completely transparent, as is Cromwell, the person who understands him best. While not overly descriptive, one really gets the feel for the back-stabbing and tenuous relationships in a court where the king is trying to shift the country away from the pope's control.… (mehr)

Edward VI is one of the saddest Tudors in my opinion. He was a much wanted child but once he arrived his life was not his own. Add in the fact that his mother died so quickly after his birth and he was born to a father who wanted him less for himself and more to satisfy kingly need. He ran ragged through wives to find one who could finally give him that much needed son, while we understand today that it wasn’t their fault that his children were mostly female.

This is the third book in a series but it stands alone very well. I did not have the opportunity to read the first two books but felt no loss in reading this one. The series is about the Seymours so while this book is ostensibly about Edward VI it is more about how he interacts with his Uncles Edward and Thomas (Seymour) – Edward becoming Lord Protector and Thomas becoming jealous.

Ms. Wertman presents the book from the young king’s point of view and in my opinion she does a very good job of writing from a confused 9 year old boy’s point of view. After all, Edward was just a child when his father died and suddenly he was a King – but a king in name only as the council fought for power all around him. The Seymour brothers in particular did no good service to their King or country with their desire to rule the young king – or was that England?

It is also obvious how well researched the book is on the religious issues of the times as the two factions – the Catholics and the Reformers – were each fighting for control. Edward for all his young age wanted the country to abolish Catholicism where his sister Mary who would come to reign after him would be known as Bloody Mary for all of the executions of Reformers as she fought to make Catholicism the religion of the land.

This was a fascinating book pairing both a compelling story and solid research. Edward VI is often overlooked as some of the others in his family left a far larger imprint on history. But brotherly greed and jealousy such as between the two Seymours is a story as old as time and one brother responsible for the death of an other is downright Biblical.… (mehr)