20 maj, 2016
The Taming of the Queen ****
Posted in : Reviews in english on by : Lotte Tags: court, gregory, historical, history, Katehryn Parr, Parr, philippa, Plilippa Gregory, queen, Tudor
If you follow me for a while, it will soon be quite obvious that I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory and books about the Tudor court in general.
This is the fourth book in her Tudor court novels series, and it is about Henry’s last queen: Kateryn Parr. (You can read the novels independently, but I would recommend you read them in order).
Of all of King Henry’s six wifes, Kateryn is probably the least known book wise, whitch is a shame since she was a remarkable woman.
Kateryn has just been widowed when Henry demands that she marries him. Knowing the history of his former queens, Kateryn was without a doubt aware of the dangers of the Tudor court, but no one ever refuses the king.
Now she finds her self in the middle of wars, reformation and political games, where one wrong remark can get you killed.
Philippa Gregory has an amazing ability to bring history to life, and in this book you get a remarkable insight to Henry’s last years and the strenght and independance of Kateryn.
Kateryn achieves what the other wifes could not: Bringing Henry together with his children, and creating a proper home for them. She is the first woman in England to be published under her own name and she played a big part in the reformation – al while longing to be with the true love of her life and living at the pleasure of Henry.
“This is a man so sharp with pride that he cannot hear contradiction. This is a man who will play both sides at once to make sure he wins. This is a man who from a boy has never been refused. And, in addition to all of this – here is a man who cannot see himself as anything but perfect.”