Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn

I heard of this book while looking up other readers' blogs to compare them to my own, and I was intrigued so I put it on hold at the library.  Threads is a reincarnation fantasy about Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII.  It starts with her execution and then reviews her life with Henry and her family.  She is able to see her mistakes, her triumphs, her every moment.  Her debts are weighed in the balance against her good acts.  The author also shows Anne in several different lives, each one different from the other but all with a lesson in it for her.  This book focuses on love above all else and how we treat other people, as well as accountability.  There is foreshadowing in this book as well as allegorys, so you do have to pay attention.  It is thought provoking.

I devoured this book and read it in just days, it was so fascinating.  The Anne the author portrayed is different from the one most books show.  Most books and shows show her as demanding, ambitious, jealous, witty and bold.  This book shows a side to her that made me feel more for her, almost sad.  In this book it showed Anne being raped in France, which later led to her mistrust of men and disinterest in sex.  She was very much in love with Henry Percy and her heart was broken when Wolsey, by orders of the King, had their betrothal undone.  She was interested in King Henry, but also thought most the time it was a game.  Anne did fall in love with him, but never thought it would go that far.  What I found a key and vital point, is that Henry would not let her go and did everything he could to marry her.  Anne was the one that paid the price, very heavily too.

She lost all her friends, had lies spread about her, people hated her everywhere and called her 'whore', her own family abandoned her, she was blamed for his divorce to Katherine and his daughter Mary hating her, people accused her of poisoning the Queen and others, she was accused of the King breaking off from the Pope and Rome to create the new church, Mary was declared a bastard for her daughter Elizabeth, and the abbeys and monasteries were ransacked and disbanded, and many also died in her name.  Anne had lost her power by then and was friendless, and all alone.  She had to endure much, and did not gain much.  She was made Queen and had one daughter, but the price was above and beyond.  It made me feel sad for her and more angry towards the King.  She did many good works too which are not usually noted.

The character of Anne was developed so well and intrigued me.  Her every emotion and her childhood with hard parents and loving nurses, was well wrote out so I felt I truly knew Anne.  She did became a shrew with the King after the birth of her daughter, largely I believe in fear for not having had a son.  For this reason it seems she inevitably pushed away the King, and led to her downfall.  She was not raised to be a Queen, but a noblewoman, which was very different.  She was ultimately, not suited to the task.  And failed.  She never thought he would kill her, but divorce her, yes.  It is amazing what rumors can do because she was accused of having incest even with her own brother, and affairs with several men.  They all paid the price with their death. 

A few interesting points which I still ponder on, is if King Henry was either schizophrenic or had brain issues from having syphilis or diabetes.  He was not able to have more than one child with any of his first three wives, which could very well have been a result from either of these.  He also later had a jousting injury which could have further damaged his brain.  His actions were at times horrific, ever changing and not stable.  But he was King, and could do as he pleased.  I admit to always being fascinated with Anne, because I always wondered her motives and true feelings.  Through history, many still hate her but are also intrigued.  King Henry I think was the real monster, but the blame doesn't seem to lay as heavy with him.  Unjust as the times were, women were often blamed for the deformity of children or stillborn or miscarriages.  Anne became pregnant four times so it was highly unlikely she had affairs.

When Anne told the King she refused to be his mistress and said either she would be his wife or nothing, in the book it shows that she thought it was a game and that he would truly back down.  She did not know what a gamble those words were because he moved heaven and earth to marry her.  Their courtship was several years long as they waited for the divorce of Katherine and all the changes that were made.  This vital and key turning point always made me wonder- was Anne really that ambitious, or did she truly think the King would scoff and then abandon the course?  Anne had witnessed her sister Mary as the King's mistress, and then was heart broken when he tired of her.  That is perhaps one reason she denied being his mistress.  It is also interesting to note that the people called her 'whore' even before anything had happened.  And they did not love her anymore even after they married and she was declared Queen.

I guess a triumph and hopefully consolation for Anne, is when her daughter Elizabeth became Queen of England for over 40 years.  It does give me a sense of pleasure that King Henry never had a healthy male child, but that Anne's was the strong one he wanted all along.  Irony.  The book did have a lot of sexual scenes I could have done without personally, so if you read this be aware of that.  The reincarnations were interesting but some disturbing to read.  In it all, I found the portrayal of Anne to be most fascinating and the lessons she would learn over and over sometimes, remarkable.  The explanation of life after death was also interesting for me to read.  I mostly enjoyed reading about Anne's life and some of her "other lives" so this is recommended if you are interested in reading about Anne and her story.  Did Anne every forgive Henry for killing her?  That is the big question. 

3 Maids for a Crown

Ella March Chase wrote another wonderful book that I enjoyed reading very much.  Three Maids for a Crown:  A Novel of The Grey Sisters caught my eye because I wondered what she would do different than the other books I've already read about Jane Grey.  Jane was the eldest daughter of Henry Grey, the Duke of Suffolk and Lady Frances Brandon.  Through their mother's blood they were grand-nieces to King Henry VIII.  Jane Grey was known as the ill fated nine days as queen.  What interested me was not really her story, which I've heard and read before, but her sisters.

Jane had two sisters, Katherine the middle daughter, beautiful; and Mary, the youngest, a dwarf with a twisted spine.  Their parents were cruel to the girls, strict and harsh.  Although it did say the dad was quite besotted with his pretty daughter Katherine.  Some books write the parents as quite cruel, and others not as much.  Roger Ascham, a scholar of that time, wrote them to be cruel, especially to Jane so I will go with that story as did the author.  Jane and Katherine were wed on the same day and now they were tied to the Northumberland family-John Dudley was now Jane's father in law- he was in charge of King Edward's government.  It seems about this time the two sets of parents plotted together and made way for horrific changes and deaths.

Upon King Edward's death (he was King Henry VIII's only son with Jane Seymour) died, some said at the hand of Northumberland, the parents pushed Jane Grey on the throne in place of the Lady Mary.  Mary was a staunch Catholic which her brother Edward had never approved of and had been declared a bastard before, so they decided at great risk to change the succession.  Jane accepted, likely from beatings, with her husband Guildford Dudley at her side, but not as King.  What followed was nine days of being Queen, a battle and the Lady Mary escaping and riding into London and placing herself as rightful Queen.  Northumberland and Guildford were executed for treason.  After the Wyatt rebellion, Jane's father and Jane was also executed.  Mary had pleaded for her sister's life, but now she could not live.  Their mother remarried shortly after, a man below her station, and never seemed to plead for her daughter or care about their welfare.

Katherine and Mary were placed at Court after this and served Queen Mary, even after their sister died.  It seems she had a kinship towards Mary especially, and was kind to them.  Katherine was beautiful and passionate, and heartbroken after her marriage was annulled to Henry Herbert.  After the Wyatt rebellion and the execution of Jane and her father, the earl of Pembroke had wanted to distance himself from the family and so had the marriage annulled.  Katherine had a very hard time with it as they had been in love.  Poor Mary tugs at your heartstrings, because she is usually forgotten or snubbed because of her condition and physical features, which also give her the advantage of spying on people and hearing things.  She was always reaching out for her sisters but was turned away a lot of the time.  She still had in her possession a poppet that Jane had made for her. 

Queen Mary is briefly mentioned with her health problems, marriage to the Spanish King and England's unhappiness at a foreign marriage and the Spanish Inquisition.  After two supposed pregnancies and no babies, she passes away from a tumor.  In the book it says Queen Mary wished to name Katherine as her successor instead of her Protestant half sister Elizabeth, but Mary pleads with the Queen to leave her sister out of it.  She greatly fears the throne for any of her family after what happened to Jane.  It seems the Queen had also received information from the Lady Mary that helped her to escape imprisonment by Northumberland, and eventually led to her being Queen.  Interesting how the two Marys were so intertwined in events that shaped destiny.  So Elizabeth was named successor and that did not bode well for the Greys.  She disliked them immensely and made it obvious.

Katherine meets Ned Seymour while at court, the earl of Hertford, and eventually they marry in secret with only a priest and Ned's sister as witnesses.  About a year later Katherine is forced to confide in someone, she chooses Robert Dudley because he is the Queen's favorite, because she is now visibly pregnant.  Instead of showing them mercy, Queen Elizabeth throws them into the Tower because their marriage was not legal or true.  The priest was not to be found and Ned's sister had died.  Katherine later has yet another child, because a kindly guard had let them visit each other at night.  The Queen is wrathful to those that seek love, especially because Katherine had a good claim to the throne.  Elizabeth has the eldest son taken away with his father, and Katherine imprisoned in various homes with her second son.  She eventually dies at only 27 from a broken heart.  Her husband lives to be 82 and tries that whole time to validate their marriage, and he does finally find the priest that married them.

Lady Mary is the only sister that survives death, but not a broken heart.  She finds love in an unlikely source, Thomas Keyes.  He is very tall where she is tiny and crooked and they fall in love at court.  They wait patiently for years to see if the Queen will find happiness in her own marriage so they can as well, but she never does.  They tire of waiting and wed but when found out, both are imprisoned.  Mary is taken to the Tower and various homes, and Thomas at Fleet Prison.  He leaves behind children  on a farm.  Eventually he is freed but dies not long after from the wear on his body from imprisonment.  Mary is also freed after his death, at Suffolk House, and the book shows her going to Thomas's farm to raise his children.  That never really happened, but it's a nice thought to end with. 

My Thoughts:  I know I rambled some of my thoughts in with the review instead of waiting until the end.  I liked this book, although very heartbreaking at times and so frustrating.  I enjoyed reading about Jane's sisters and how their lives ended up.  I was appalled at their parents for their ambitions and ruthlessness and self preservation.  The mom even pushed Katherine to the throne, even after what happened to Jane.  I was saddened for Queen Mary and the life she lived, never having children and a husband that didn't much love her.  I was sad for Katherine being imprisoned for 7 years without her one boy, and then dying so young without her husband or eldest son.  I was sad for Mary, at such a cruel life and then finally finding love, to have it snatched away.  I was sad also for Jane, for being so smart and so bullied to be Queen, and then killed when it wasn't her fault or doing.  I was intrigued at the relationship the author spun between the two Mary's, and how that made events unfold.

I found myself angry at Queen Elizabeth and her maliciousness.  I know it was part of the times, to eradicate all claimants to the throne to keep safety.  I just can't believe the cruelty of those times.  The women are, as always, amazingly passionate, strong and memorable.  That is why I read these books, to read of their strength and experiences.  I love historical fiction because it gives us glimpses into other worlds, fascinating ones.  Wonderful book.

P.S.  I don't always go over the details of pedigree and chronology and wills, because I assume those interested in this blog will by now have some background into the characters.  Ex:  King Henry VIII had three children:  Mary, Elizabeth and Edward, all from different wives.  Edward was his successor since he was a boy, then it was to be Mary and then Elizabeth.  Northumberland overthrew that succession and possibly forced King Edward to name Jane Grey instead of Mary.  Namely because of the religion factor and ambition for his daughter in law and son.

Inspired by Elizabeth jan 2013 Giveaway

Yet another giveaway from Inspired by Elizabeth- a beautiful steampunk ring.  Here is the link to enter the contest, or find her page on Facebook and like.  She is also on Etsy, Ebay and Wanelo.com.

http://inspiredbyelizabeth.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/steampunk-ring-giveaway-from-inspired-by-elizabeth-13/

Changeling: Order of Darkness Book one

This book was different than Philippa Gregory's other books I've read- instead of historical fiction she wrote a book for young adults based on four fictional characters.  The title Changeling caught my attention when I saw it at a local bookstore, so I had to put it on hold at the library.  It was very entertaining and drew me in; I finished it quite fast.  It was easy to read and understand and of course, intriguing.  The Order of Darkness in this book is based on the fifteenth-century Order of the Dragon, which was started to defend Christendom against the Muslin Ottoman Empire.  The main character Luca was an orphan at 14, his parents having disappeared after being captured by an Ottoman raid.  He is very bright, intelligent and handsome.  While questioning relics and other things, he is soon to be tried for heresy. Part of the superstition of this time came from dishonest churchmen producing fake relics for people that wanted to see miracles.  The payments from the faithful made the Church money.  Instead of being tried for heresy, Luca is given orders by an unknown Protector who works for the Pope, to travel Europe, questioning certain places and people about the possible end of the world.  Pope Nicholas V had ordered this secret group to travel Christendom, save Rome, and question everything and try to gain knowledge.  This Protector calls Luca a faerie child, a changeling. 

Luca is joined by a Brother Peter, a clerk ordered to travel with him and record their work.  He is also joined by Frieze, a young adult that had been a poor kitchen lad at the abbey and was eager to follow Luca on a secret mission for the Pope.  Their first order is to travel to the abbey of Lucretili and investigate possible claims of women nuns there having visions and that Satan had possibly visited the abbey and was destroying it.  While there, they meet the new Sister Abbess Isolde.  She is the other main character, having been sent there by her brother, the new Lord of Lucretili.  Isolde had been close to her father and he had loved her and said she would be mistress of the castle when he died.  She was not able to go in and see him when he passed, and only saw his will that her brother claimed was true.  In it, her father wished her to marry a Prince Roberto, or enter the nunnery.  Trying to remain a true daughter, Isolde did not wish to marry so she entered the nunnery according to her father's wishes.  Her childhood friend Ishraq followed her everywhere- she was feared because she had dark skin and heretic ways.  Christians believed then that anyone who did not accept the Bible as they did was a nonbeliever and were damned.  That is when they say things started happening at the abbey- women seeing visions, sleep walking, crying out in the middle of the night.  It was blamed on Isolde and Ishraq, for it happened the same time they had entered the abbey.  These five characters are intertwined in this interrogation, and it becomes quite intense and interesting.  They are led to yet another investigation where the book ends, leaving you hanging for the next installment. 

It is quite different than anything I had read before, especially by this author.  It was entertaining but not my cup of tea.  It was an interesting time after the fall of Constantinople- people were quite anxious and tried to understand the things going on around them.

The Constant Princess

I read this book once before but didn't have anything else on hand, and I again enjoyed another book by Philippa Gregory.  This book focuses in on King Henry VIII's first wife, Catalina of Spain.  She was first married to Arthur, his elder brother.  When he passed away she was eventually married to Harry, or Henry.  She had been raised with the knowledge her entire life that she would be Queen of England, and so she was.  I have read about her mother Isabella of Castille, and it was a pleasure to read about Katherine again.  She was a strong, capable and determined woman.  She was a young widow without her parents, far away from her home, left at the mercy of the King for many years.  With no income and half her dowry still unpaid, neither her father or the King seemed to want her.  She was eventually married to Henry because it was advantageous to all for the alliance and it was told she had never consummated the marriage with Arthur because he was young and weak. 

Philippa Gregory bases this book on that key point- and if it was true or not.  It seems to have been believed widely, but what if it wasn't true?  Why would she lie?  So the novel takes shape and we try to figure that out.  Was it a deathbed promise from Arthur that she marry his brother?  Was it her ambition and her family's, and that she didn't want to return to Spain?  Whether it was true or not, she endured much hardship and was married to King Henry after his father's death after several years of waiting, and helped to plan a war to defeat the Scots.  I liked that the book focused mainly on her early love with Arthur, her trials in trying to outwit and outlast the King and his mother, and her own father.  Katherine at last came to be Queen of England, but her path was not to be easy.  I admired her courage, strength, fortitude and faith.  The Tudor period is fascinating because of the ambitious and extraordinary people that lived in that time.  People seem to forget Queen Katherine, his first wife of over 20 years, and instead focus on Anne Boleyn and her daughter Queen Elizabeth.  It was an easy and fun read.  I especially loved the beginning when she is happy and in love with Arthur, and they dream of making their very own Camelot in England.  I highly recommend this book if you want to start getting into the Tudor period; start off with his first wife.

Fabulous Vintage Jewelry/ Giveaway

Inspired by Elizabeth has a store on Ebay and Etsy, and also a page on Facebook.  I found her items on etsy and fell in love with them.  I have some of the cameo rings and hair pins as well as the rainbow drop earrings.  She also sells beautiful steampunk rings and necklaces-she is having a giveaway right now on her blog and Facebook page.  Here is the link to enter to win:  http://inspiredbyelizabeth.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/steampunk-ring-giveaway-from-inspired-by-elizabeth-12/ 

Not only do I love vintage jewelry but obviously history books.

Borgia Mistress

Third book in a series by Sara Poole, The Borgia Mistress follows the main character Francesca Giordano and her role as the poisoner of the Borgia family.  Employed by Pope Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, and lover to his son Cesare, Francesca is enmeshed in the court drama.  She is a very conflicted character, trying to avenge her father's murder (who was a poisoner before her) while trying to extinguish the darkness in her that seems to want to take over.  When she has to kill to protect the Pope and his family, it threatens to consume her and she enjoys the kill.  She also has goodness in her and yearns for a normal life.  In this book, the court moves from Rome to avoid plague and ends up in Viterbo.  Word reaches her that a Cathar assassin is on his/her way to kill Herrera, the Spanish envoy visiting.  As mysterious and seemingly random deaths occur of kitchen servants and the like, she is anxious to find this assassin before it is too late.  It is her job to protect His Holiness and his family, so she has to find time to inspect all foods and drinks entering the palace besides other duties.  Francesca also has to practice her poisons in any free time, making her own poisons that would be undetectable and easy to kill someone.  Hers is an important and also despised job.  Many fear her and she is almost reclusive except for a few friendships and her employers.

Borgia is trying to keep an alliance with King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and a man named Herrera a Spanish envoy is at court.  He seems to despise Francesca and even tries to have her killed.  She now finds out she has to protect him, even though she does not like him, so the Pope can keep good relations with Spain.  Another complication to her already complicated life and job.  In Viterbo, she is contacted by an abbess claiming to know of her mother's death.  Francesca had always been told her mother died from childbirth.  As she visits this abbess she gains the truth and is forced to face old demons.  Wrestling with this new knowledge, she is almost too late to save Herrera as she is caught up in her own drama and even poisoned.   Cathar heretics seem to be at the root of this evil and Francesca is caught up in the middle of it.  It all leads to a dramatic and exciting ending. 

My Thoughts:  Dramatic, riveting and exciting to read.  I like the dynamics of Francesca's job and character.  It was also exciting seeing events unfold in her life while this assassin is at large.  I have been a fan of her books so I would recommend.