Free Downloads The Taming Of The Queen (The Plantagenet And Tudor Novels)
By the #1 New York Times bestselling author, a novel of passion and power at the court of a medieval killer, a riveting new Tudor tale featuring King Henry VIII’s sixth wife Kateryn Parr.Kateryn Parr, a thirty-year-old widow in a secret affair with a new lover, has no choice when a man old enough to be her father who has buried four wives—King Henry VIII—commands her to marry him. Kateryn has no doubt about the danger she faces: the previous queen lasted sixteen months, the one before barely half a year. But Henry adores his new bride and Kateryn’s trust in him grows as she unites the royal family, creates a radical study circle at the heart of the court, and rules the kingdom as Regent. But is this enough to keep her safe? A leader of religious reform and the first woman to publish in English, Kateryn stands out as an independent woman with a mind of her own. But she cannot save the Protestants, under threat for their faith, and Henry’s dangerous gaze turns on her. The traditional churchmen and rivals for power accuse her of heresy—the punishment is death by fire and the king’s name is on the warrant... From the bestselling author who has illuminated all of Henry’s queens comes a deeply intimate portrayal of the last: a woman who longed for passion, power, and education at the court of a medieval killer.
Series: The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Touchstone; Reprint edition (March 29, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476758816
ISBN-13: 978-1476758817
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (727 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #9,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #13 in Books > Romance > Historical > Tudor #49 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Biographical #57 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical > Biographical
In this latest chapter in the Tudor saga, glorious King Henry has receded into a bloated tyrannical child-king, fretfully trying to make sense of his marital history while his latest wife acts as his nurse. The story is narrated by Kateryn Parr, who sets aside her own hopes for marriage with her lover, to become Henry's last queen. While Gregory can only speculate about the thoughts and motives of these colourful historical characters, she does it superbly within a carefully researched historical context.Kateryn is haunted by her predecessors and tries to avoid their fatal "mistakes" yet she also finds that a living queen cannot compete with the dead Jane Seymour, mother to Henry's only living son. She even finds it difficult to deal with Anne of Cleves, who had graciously side-stepped marriage with the King, and was now a favoured member of court. In a double irony that Tudor lovers will appreciate, while Henry's previous wives were obsessed with delivering a healthy male heir, Kateryn is portrayed as terrified of becoming pregnant to Henry, because another failed pregnancy would humiliate the King, endangering her life.While Kateryn navigates these challenges and becomes a loyal loving step-mother to Henry's three motherless children, she also makes her own significant contribution to the era, translating religious passages into English. Gregory's examination of the changing church and attitudes to education, particularly for women, is extremely illuminating. Kateryn also takes the role of Regent when Henry is away at war, competently managing the country in his absence - a formidable task for a young woman who has only previously run a small estate.
The story focussing on and told from Kateryn Parr’s perspective leaps into action from the first pages. In keeping with most interpretations Henry the VIII is portrayed as a monster. The story opens with Henry’s proposal and expectation that Kateryn, a 30 year old widow and already passionately in love with Thomas Seymour will marry him. Torn between following her heart and duty to her king and her family, she identifies herself as shrewd and intelligent. As a future Queen her personality resonates more with a modern day woman’s expectations. Knowing that like before her when the attention falls upon a member of the court it is a double edged sword; making the wrong move with brutal and capricious Henry will result in death.This story should appeal to romance fiction readers, although some might consider it a bodice ripper and Kateryn too sexualised for the sixteenth century. Before Kateryn accepts her fate as Henry’s sixth wife, she commiserates with her lover, Seymour, and her sister, Nan, who reminds her of her duty to their family’s legacy and fortune. Phillipa Gregory portrays Kateryn Parr as deeply conflicted with the dead body of her late husband barely cold in the grave, her hopes of marrying her dashing lover doomed when Henry, old, bloated and grotesque, throws himself at her feet. She is not only repulsed by the very thought of marrying Henry, but is terrified that when like her predecessors she falls out of favour she will be dragged to the Tower. As Kateryn faces her fate, Gregory likens Henry VIII more to the murderous Bluebeard than an autocratic and aging monarch.Despite facing the pain of being torn from her lover’s arms, Kateryn Parr is mature and astute enough to recognise that unlike her predecessors it’s essential that she survive.
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