Katheryn Howard, The Scandalous Queen: A Novel (Six Tudor Queens Book 5) Kindle Edition

I was always intrigued by Henry VIII because of the immense contradictions in his character. Loving and Generous to some, yet incredibly cruel to others. Well educated and a theological genius, yet easily manipulated in some cases.His marriage to Katheryn Howard was an example of an attempt to manipulate Henry, that went terribly wrong. When it backfired, Katheryn paid the ultimate price.Katheryn had no chance to make her own choices when she had to make life changing decisions. She was scantly educated and ill prepared for what befell her. A motherless child, a pawn in a dangerous game, ultimately a victim of circumstances, she was always used and abused by those who claimed to love her and care for her. Ordered as a teenager to earn the king's love to promote her family's interests, she was left with no other choice but to comply.Her story is worth reading, at least because it makes us appreciate the world we live in today, the freedoms we enjoy, the choices we can make, unencumbered by social standing, demands of greedy family members, religious zealotry, etc.Alison Weir gives us what feels like a time travel experience. It took me a while to get through this book, simply because I didn't want it to end. Another good book about Katheryn Howard is "The Rose Without a Thorn: A Novel (Queens of England Book 11)" by Jean Plaidy which I read a year ago and also loved immensely.

Poor child, Katheryn. Perhaps because I have a 7-year old granddaughter, my sympathy for Katheryn losing her mother at such a young age and the tragic life that followed because she had nobody to take a maternal or any other loving interest in her and guide her through the pitfalls of pre-adolescence and adolescence, set the stage for my pity for her. I have read dozens of Tudor era books, from historical fiction to scholarly texts. Alison Weir, being one of my very favorite authors, deftly pens historical drama utilizing real events with fictional flair that brings the reader in and wanting more. Katheryn was basically a pretty child, a member of a noble family, who was manipulated by her family to gain the King's attention and secure their family's favor by marrying him. The Howards were a staunchly Catholic family, having lost their favor during the reformation and also when Anne Boleyn went down (she was a Howard), and desperately wanted power and influence with the King back. That era was so different from modern times, and I had to keep this in mind while reading accounts of religious and sexual politics. Anyway, Katheryn was a pawn in a serious game which she appears to have no understanding of, particularly the dire consequences of her youthful dalliances with other young men, both before and after her marriage to Henry VIII. It's a sad tale of a pretty young girl who got caught up in the intrigues of her family (not by choice) to gain back power in the Court. She was used, abused, and ultimately paid the ultimate price. While reading I really had visceral disdain for her uncle Norfolk, the Dowager Duchess, Dereham, Jane Boleyn, Culpepper and a few others and nothing but pity for young Katheryn. I just now finished the book and feel satisfied but sad it's finished and will eagerly await Ms. Weir's next installment of the Six Queens, of which I own and relish the previous 5 including this one. Outstanding book, I loved every second of it and despite being familiar with Katheryn's story, have gained even more knowledge and understanding of her and the world she inhabited. This book will indeed "stay with me" even though it's now finished.

This is the best work of fiction Alison Weir has done. It is a beautifully woven take that hooks you on from start to finish. What I loved about it the most is that not only does she give a fair portrayal of Katherine Howard and the other people that are part of this tale, she also does a good job of taking artistic license while still respecting the historical figures. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality, Weir crafts a tale of passion, betrayal, murder and royal intrigue. Her meticulous research and careful detail are what makes this feel something closer to the real story than any other previously written fiction about Katherine Howard. I'm glad that it took me this long to read this book, since it first came out, as I read it alongside biographies of Katherine Howard to get a better sense of her world and daunting experiences in the last days of her life as well as appreciate Weir's novel.Weir took her subject seriously, in addition to also showing a deep respect for this doomed queen. Katheryn Howard: the Scandalous Queen doesn't end with her beheading. Rather, it goes on in the longest (and best) author's note I've read in a historical fiction book. Here, Weir separates facts from fiction by pointing out where she took artistic license and why, and takes a deep dive into Katherine's life. This last part is a great historical analysis and summary. It makes this novel more memorable, and will get newcomers to read more about the real Katherine Howard.

Awkward, sometimes juvenile writing with too many clichés, taking a story full of storminess and pathos down to a mundane level. One has to wonder if the author is tiring of a part of history she’s told many times before. Thumbs down.

I always look forward to Alison Weir's novel since she's a trained historian and she's not going to have her characters stray from the historical record. This is the 5th in Alison Weir's series of historical novels on the wives of Henry VIII. I found her portrayed of Katherine Howard interesting - she's not a wanton, loose woman, she's more a teenager who is a pawn of her powerful family and thrust into a position she's simply not mature enough to handle. I enjoyed this book more than the previous one (Anna of Cleeves) - I think because more is known about the Howard family so the author had more sources to draw from. At times the narrative get tedious - detailed city, by city description of every city visited on a Progress for example but it held my interest from beginning to end.Definitely a good way to spend a couple days of Covid Quarantine.

I don't usually write reviews. Having read the predecessors in this series, Alison weir's novel on Katheryn Howard was my most anticipated read - as I personally feel Katheryn to be a tragic figure so often misrepresented. Having done so well to put her own spin on the lives of Henry's other wives, I hoped Alison would work her magic on existing evidence once more and take a different view of Katheryn.She didn't.This is very much the same Katheryn Howard novel I've read so often. A naive, uneducated, foolish and lusty child who is plucked from lambeth and thrown into the Kings way to become his lavish little queen.I understand that there is only so much that can be done with historical figures and events - but the beauty of history is that evidence can be interpreted in so many ways and we will never truly know these people or the events in which they experienced, leaving room for reasonable poetic license.I feel Alison could have given Katheryn more substance, and less like a high school girl chasing after one man and then another and then another when once again I do not feel personally this was the case - as both Manox and Dereham were older than her and more likely to have taken such advantage of Katheryn in ways that would be punishable by today's standards.Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next and final one in the series.But I maintain that the opportunity to do Katheryn Howard some justice had been overlooked.

T he only thing I did not like was the jacket cover. Having bought the previous 4 in the collection I cannot understand why a different format with the jacket cover was adopted. It was not up to the standard of the usual book cover. Otherwise it was an excellent read as one would expect from Alison Weir..

I love the way Alison Weir writes, she really draws you into the story and provides much more background into the early life of Kathryn than other historical novels I've read. Would highly recommend this and the other books in the series.

Bought in error but enjoyed the American version of this book from Alison Weir’s 6 queens.

I love an historical novel that is well written and this is certainly up there