Book Review: The 48 by Donna Hosie

I've recently been interested in the history of the Tudors and the wives of Henry VIII, so when I saw The 48, I was excited to read more.  I was not disappointed.

Time-traveling twins, Charles and Alexander, are sent to England when Henry VIII was married to Anne Boleyn but has designs on Jane Seymour. The twins are part of a secret network, The 48, and have trained for this assignment their entire life.  The 48 is run by a group of people who want to change history, in this case, they want to make sure Henry doesn't marry Jane. The goal is to rid the world of religion.

First of all, that's a very different type of time travel than most stories.  Usually, it is all about never doing anything that will change the future.  And I thought it was strange that they didn't worry about the other changes that such drastic actions might cause. The "butterfly effect" was never mentioned.

This is Charles' and Alexander's first mission and it goes off the rails immediately.  In many ways.  Something is up with The 48, so they aren't getting the support they need. Someone wants at least one of them dead.  One of the narrators is Lady Margaret, one of Queen Anne's ladies, and she wants to marry Alex. Cromwell is up to no good, as you know if you are aware of anything about this time period. For some reason, Alice, one of the time travelers who is still in training, ends up with them, having been pushed through time by one of the other 48.

Once things get going, the tension builds nicely.  Everyone is in fear for their lives, and some characters come very close to losing theirs. It does take a bit to get going, and some of the characters make stupid decisions -- but when don't they. I didn't get much history that I wasn't already familiar with, but the atmosphere of the time period was very well done.

Just FYI, the book that got this started was Fatal Throne, which I loved.  So read that one first, and then The 48 is a great follow-up.

I would recommend this to time-travel fans first.  The historical elements are there, but not as strong as the time travel elements. Fans of Tudor England will be entertained by the potential upheaval this time travel may cause.

Published by Holiday House, September 4, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
384 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

I loved this book.  When I read the description of Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VII Tell All, I was a bit apprehensive.  The book is written by several different authors in short story form, and I'm not usually a fan of short stories.  Although there are exceptions--and this book is definitely one of those.

When you look at the list of authors (M. T. Anderson, Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, Lisa Ann Sandell, Jennifer Donnelly, Linda Sue Park, Deborah Hopkinson), it's no surprise that this book is a success. Anderson takes Henry VIII and each of the other authors takes a queen.  They are introduced in chronological order, and between each of the queens, we get the perspective of Henry.

At first, I didn't like Henry's interruptions.  I felt like the story was being told twice, but I then realized that Henry's thoughts are important and tie everything together.

Fatal Throne is a fiction book.  The stories have been embellished and some holes filled in.  But the authors did their research and these tales seem authentic.  And they read like fiction -- which is a good thing.  Even though we are learning a lot of history here, the stories are fascinating and really kept my interest.  Which is why historical fiction is my favorite genre!

Fatal Thrones will go on the top of my list so far for books I've read in 2108. Give it a chance--it is really quite interesting and a fairly quick read.

Published by Schwartz & Wade, May 1, 2018
eARC obtained from NetGalley
416 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Blood Water Paint, by Joy McCullough @JMCwrites

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Blood Water Paint.

Written mostly in verse, Blood Water Paint is a fictionalized account of the life of painter Artemisia Gentileschi, who was born in 1593. Her mother dies, and either she must enter the convent or work for her father mixing his paints.  Eventually her artistic skills surpass her father’s, and he passes off her work as his own. He hires a teacher, Agostino Tassi,  to help her with her painting. Her father is hoping Tassi's connections will win him a huge commission.  She is raped by this teacher.

Of course in this time period, she isn't expected to tell anyone. Her support and her strength come from her visions of two ancient heroines, Susanna and Judith, whose stories she heard from her mother. These stories are recounted in prose and are woven through Artemisia's story. Both of these women bore many hardships and persevered in the face of insurmountable challenges. These women become subjects for Artemisia's paintings and gave her the will to persevere. Eventually she tells her father and he (since a woman isn't allowed to) brings charges against Tassi. After a lengthy investigation, trial, and much physical suffering, he is eventually found guilty. But when I say "physical suffering" -- well, you have no idea. Since Artemisia may never be able to paint again and this man gets only a five year banishment, this isn't much of a victory.

Some scenes are brutal, so be warned. And Blood Water Paint is more of a challenge than some books in verse. The poetry sections read like poetry - it's not just prose written in little lines.

Ultimately a story of feminist strength and survival, It may be a challenge to entice teens to pick Blood Water Paint up. I almost wish it was marketed to adults, but its powerful message may be worth the effort to push it to certain teens.

Published by Dutton Children's, March 6, 2018
ARC obtained from School Library Connection Magazine
292 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: The Tapestry by Nancy Bilyeau

The Tapestry is the third novel in the Joanna Stafford Series and continues the rich storytelling of the first two. Joanna, as always, finds herself in trouble and must use both friends and enemies to get out of it.

It is 1540 in Tudor England. Joanna is trying to live her life quietly and peacefully tucked away in the little village of Dartford. But it's not to be. She is summoned by none other than Thomas Cromwell to Whitehall Palace where the king (Henry VIII) wants to discuss her tapestry work.

Joanna doesn't know what to think - she knows there is probably more to the king's summons.  And as soon as she enters Whitehall, she's attacked and almost killed. From there the story is woven with much detail, new characters, and of course lots of challenges and close calls for Joanna. She also tries to save Catherine Howard from the King who has definite designs on her, even though he's married to Anne of Cleves

All of the old characters are back, and since it's been a while it took me some time to make sense of everyone's position and relationships. The monarchy is complicated! Joanna's love triangle rears it's ugly head again but it seems there may be some resolution by the end of The Tapestry.

I thoroughly enjoyed my return to this time and these characters. I highly recommend you read the first two books, The Crown and The Chalice before The Tapestry.

Published by Touchstone, March 24, 2015
Copy obtained from the library
389 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Chalice, by Nancy Bilyeau @Tudorscribe

I enjoyed The Chalice as much as The Crown, but it is such a detailed story that I'm going to do something I never do. I'm going to include the summary from Amazon.

In the midst of England’s Reformation, a young novice will risk everything to defy the most powerful men of her era.

In 1538, England’s bloody power struggle between crown and cross threatens to tear the country apart. Novice Joanna Stafford has tasted the wrath of the royal court, discovered what lies within the king’s torture rooms, and escaped death at the hands of those desperate to possess the power of an ancient relic.

Even with all she has experienced, the quiet life is not for Joanna. Despite the possibilities of arrest and imprisonment, she becomes caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting Henry VIII himself. As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna realizes her role is more critical than she’d ever imagined. She must choose between those she loves most and assuming her part in a prophecy foretold by three seers. Repelled by violence, Joanna seizes a future with a man who loves her. But no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape the spreading darkness of her destiny.

To learn the final, sinister piece of the prophecy, she flees across Europe with a corrupt spy sent by Spain. As she completes the puzzle in the dungeon of a twelfth-century Belgian fortress, Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christendom are in her hands—hands that must someday hold the chalice that lies at the center of these deadly prophecies. . . .

Just like The Crown, The Chalice is well researched and full of wonderful historical details. Maybe too many details for my brain to handle. At least, too many characters. The lineage of Henry VIII and Joanna's family is very complicated and we learn about a lot of characters -- good and bad. I found them all hard to keep track of. There are even two Catherines. However, I found that this didn't deter my enjoyment of Joanna's story at all.

This IS Joanna's story -- and she is a wonderful character. So principled, loyal, and not nearly as naive as she was in The Crown. We get to experience a bit of romance -- although the turns that her love life takes ere not my favorite part.  I enjoyed the characters she met, and how when you really come down to it, no matter how it appears, they are all out for themselves. What a crazy time in history. The fear that everyone was feeling is palpable. I would much rather have been a poor servant than part of the aristocracy. Because chances are, your head will be detached from your body -- or you may just spend years in the Tower of London!

If you are interested in this period of time, I would definitely put The Chalice on your list. It isn't necessary to read The Crown first, but I actually enjoyed that one a bit more, so it is definitely recommended as well.

Published by Touchstone, March 5, 2013
eBook, purchased
496 pages

Rating: 4/5

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