Historical fiction is my thing. No point in dressing it up. I love escaping to the past, safe in the knowledge I can turn the page and escape right back again anytime I like. Put a gun to my head and demand my favourite era and it is likely to the Tudor times I return to.
Alison Weir is one of the best when it comes to compelling historical fiction. Her Six Queens Series which tells the stories of each of Henry VIII wives in turn is second to none. Her ability to bring each woman to life, to see beyond the story everyone thinks they know to the person beneath shines through novel .
Her latest book In The Shadow of Queens goes one step further. This is a collection of stories, both real and imagined of the women who surrounded those Queens. Each section is filled with colour and engrossing Tudor detail which brings life and context to the court and is a testament to the level of research Alison Weir has completed in creating her portraits of Henry’s six wives.
Each tale, from the romantic to the macabre, is rich in imagery and detail. Each looks beyond the immediate inner circle of the court and shows a society steeped in constraints, traditions and so often fraught with danger. It is the lesser know stories that seem to add a new perspective just when you think there was nothing left to tell.
Huge thanks go to Caitlin Raynor at Headline for my review copy. Published today this is a book to get lost in, to discover new stories, new angles and long forgotten women.
Take a trip back in time and see what you discover !
Book Bound 