A Novel (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels) - The Boleyn Inheritance

I enjoyed this portrayal of Katherine Howard and Anne of Cleves in this book. It certainly is a different concept to previous Philippa Gregory novels. I also appreciated the narrative of Jane Boleyn, right up to her beheading!

Easy to read as the story rotates between three major characters - Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Jane Rochford - although the main character running throughout is Henry VIII. Excellent read for anyone interested in the Tudors.

I loved this book. My knowledge of this era is shamefully lacking, and I found myself almost obsessed with learning more. The author presents the characters in a way that takes you in to their lives, and weeks after finishing it they are still with me. This story challenged my beliefs about history and religion.

This was a really enjoyable novel and the author has made a very upsetting time in women's history, interesting and bearable even with some humor. Only when I discuss the plot with others, do I realize how disturbing the reign of Henry the VIII really was. It makes me glad I live in the 21'st century!

This was a really enjoyable novel and the author has made a very upsetting time in women's history, interesting and bearable even with some humor. Only when I discuss the plot with others, do I realize how disturbing the reign of Henry the VIII really was. It makes me glad I live in the 21'st century!

A good read, very entertaining. I doubt the facts really align much with the truth (I'm not a historian so I don't know) but who cares? You buy fiction for entertainment, if you want history read biographies.

Philippa Gregory is one of my favorite authors... however, I did not feel this was up to her usual standards... far too repetitive.

At first, the use of three main characters to move the story along, seemed to work, then they seemed to be repeating, repeating, repeating... but it did throw some insights into what might have been Anne of Cleves traits and character...

I like the use of descriptions to describe the dress and atmosphere. I was not prepared for the way it is organized. It switches from the viewpoint of three different characters. So it tells of an event through one character and then switches and tells the exact event again through the other two characters. So you are basically reading the same events three times. It is nice to see the different viewpoints, but after a while it gets predictable. I became bored with the same event being told three times.

Don't be fooled by the other reviews boasting of the excellence of this novel; it is a great disappointment to anyone who has read The Other Boleyn Girl, The Virgin's Lover and the The Queen's Fool. Much like the Constant Princess, this book is full of repetition--so much so that it is a wonder that Ms Gregory's editors let her get away with it. Her characters did not grow or change as a result of their ordeal, but, again and again repeated almost the very same words as those said in the previous chapter. While the conceit of the story is interesting--telling the tale from the point of view of each of the 3 female protaganists, the execution is amateur. In truth, this book should be no more than a few chapters long. As I said, a great disappointment that must be laid at the feet of Ms. Gregory's need to publish a book each year. This is my 6th Gregory book and the last that I will read.

I did not enjoy the way this book was printed.Several passages were repeated word for word on the page following the one I had read. I became irritated reading the same passage twice in several chapters.

This is a well written account of the Tudor court. However, after reading a good portion of it, I realized it is certainly not appropriate for my 14 year old to read. Lots of detailed sensuality...read before your children do....

I found this book boring and an awkward read. Phillipa Gregory's other books were MUCH better and more interesting! Wish I had waited until it came out in paperback OR had a higher discounted price!!!

First off, Phillipa Gregory is an inexhaustible author within the field of Historical fiction. I first came across her stories like many with the movie the Other Boleyn Girl starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johanson. Highly recommend this movie. The costumes, story line. Just absolutely amazing. Well this book follows the lives of the women in Henry VIII life after he (spoiler alert) beheads Anne Boleyn.

Jane Boleyn is the Sister in law who is a part of the court and often behind the scenes crafting deceitfulness with her uncle plotting the downfall of the various wives.

Anne of Cleves (in the Tudors played by my favorite Joss Stone) is a German princess who marries Henry VIII after Anne Boleyn is beheaded. There seems to be a lot of historical gossip that Anne was not very attractive. Gregory paints a beautiful picture of the cultural differences that exist between clothing and religious.

I absolutely adored when Anne of Cleves is traveling through the country side and sees the wreckage that Henry VIII has done to the monasteries and churches. You get a real feel for the destruction that was caused by his changing loyalty from the Papist Catholic church to the Church of England.

What is truly great about this book is that it shows different perspectives about how women deal with an abusive man. Also just such a feminist story overall. How a man could have beheaded so many wives and had ultimate power to make laws at his whim.

I like the story line of the book very much. I rated the book at a 3 because the book doesn't seem to page correctly on my Kindle Paperwhite. I'll turn to the next page and I wind up in a completely different section of the book. It seems like whenever I get to 15% of reading the contents of the book get all goofed up. Impossible to read the book.

Imagine being told that you are to marry Henry VIII--the same Henry VIII who had a wife beheaded. (Anne Boleyn.) Personally I'd be like, "Pass." But Anne of Cleves is happy to escape her home. Her father died, and her brother has taken over because he's the one with the penis, and he's not exactly warm and fuzzy. So Anne travels to England, and pretty quickly insults the fat old king who dresses up to surprise her. She has no idea it is the king who has kissed her and backs away--and, oh dear, wipes off his kiss in disgust.

Clearly, things aren't going well.

Still, Henry marries her, but soon after he's behaving like petulant child, accusing Anne of being smelly when in reality, Henry is the one who reeks because there was no deodorant back then and the dude was FAT at this time. Also, he has a sore on his leg that leaks pus, so this adds to his decaying scent. Not to mention his breath. And farts.

Henry is all, "Anne was pre-contracted, blah, blah, blah, so our marriage isn't legal..." and because he's king, all the men around him are like, "You're right dude, shall we behead this one too?" Thankfully, Anne is NOT beheaded, and this is NOT a spoiler, because if you Google you'll see she escaped with her head on her neck. Lucky her.

But then Henry decides to marry Katherine Howard, a TEENAGER! History really doesn't know how old she is, but in the book I believe she's sixteen when she marries Henry, who is in his late 40s. She finds him gross, but she gets dresses, jewelry, and furs, and when you're sixteen living in the 1500s, this is bliss. So she does her duty with Henry, despite his temper and stink, but she also decides to get some on the side. (Bow chicka bow bow!)

I mean...Katherine. Seriously. He HAS A TEMPER. What did you THINK would happen?

If you Google Katherine Howard, you'll see what happened. You can't help but feel for the child, because that's exactly what she was: a child, being instructed by the men in her family.

I love Philippa Gregory books. I've never read one I didn't enjoy and I especially love the ones about The Tudors. While I've always been intrigued by Henry VIII, I've no doubt that he would have had me beheaded because I'm mouthy and I'd totally gag if he came near me with a stink. Not because I'm cruel, but because I have a terrible gag reflex that would have gotten me beheaded had I been in Henry VIII's court, because, you know, offending His Majesty is a huge no-no.

Although I generally enjoy Tudor era historical novels, I am starting to realize that I am not a big fan of Philippa Gregory. And, I think The Boleyn Inheritance is my least favorite of all the Gregory novels that I have read so far. As with her other books that I have “read”, I listened to The Boleyn Inheritance audiobook.

In my opinion, The Boleyn Inheritance is very repetitive – to the point that it is tedious. Although I find much of Gregory’s work to be repetitive – different books telling the same story but from a different person’s point of view – this book is more repetitive than usual.

The Boleyn Inheritance takes up the Tudor story post Anne Boleyn. The story is told through the narration of three women, Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard. So, even within the book, the story is repeated, each of the three women telling it from her own perspective. But, putting aside repetition through the series and repetition by each narrator providing her own perspective, there is an even further layer of repetition. Even within the story as told by each one of the three women, I found the book to be unbearably and annoyingly repetitive.

I am not a historian. But, in listening to The Boleyn Inheritance, I did begin to wonder if Katherine Howard was really as “young” and stupid as Gregory has her portrayed.

Nonetheless, there is a reason why I continue reading (or, listening to) Gregory’s books, and in this, The Boleyn Inheritance did not disappoint. I learned a great deal about – and gained much respect for – Anne of Cleves. And, I walked away with an understanding as to what the Boleyn Inheritance actually referred.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillippa Gregory is another book about the queens of King Henry. I have read several of Phillippa Gregory’s other books with The Other Boleyn Girl as my favorite. This book was specifically about Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford. As is the case with good historical fiction, this book had me craving to know more about these women. The story alternated between the three women living from 1539-1542, only three years. I enjoyed the story and getting to know these women better. Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard were portrayed as very likeable characters. I cannot say the same for Jane Rochford. Overall, an enjoyable read, and piqued my interest to know more.

When I realized it was this book's turn on the list (I keep about 15 or so books in my car out of the library at a time, and go by order of the list on the library's site), I really wasn't excited. I considered returning it and thinking about picking it up later. I'm glad I didn't.

I really, really enjoy Gregory's style of writing, I have to admit. It's extremely easy to read, which isn't so easy when dealing with historical fiction.

I did not sympathize even a little bit with Katherine Howard. I did feel bad for Anne of Cleves, but since I'm a google whore, I knew she wouldn't die, so it was a little easier to read her parts.

I understand that there are Jessica Simpson-esque women throughout history, but I was really under the impression that in the 1500's and such, young women weren't quite as flaky as they are now. Katherine Howard could well have been plucked from the mall of today and placed in Henry's court, for how she acted. I don't know how much of that I buy. She certainly did irritate me like the women of today.

Henry's descent into madness was well played, but god, if I had to hear about the damn constipation, the rotten teeth, the fat, the pus in his leg one more time, I was going to slam the book shut. I can handle anything one time, but 25?

The ending chapters, with Jane and Katherine going back and forth, were my personal favorite parts. I snuck and read them this morning at work. It wasn't like, "Oh, do they survive?! Do they survive?!" I just liked seeing their individual reactions to the axe.

Jane Boleyn was a bitch, man. Her insanity was wickedly fun, though. And I don't mean just at the end.

Philippa Gregory continues to entertain and beguile with this latest entry to her Tudor-era historical novels, "The Boleyn Inheritance." This time around, she focuses on the tumultuous events that take place (1539-1542) following Jane Seymour's death in childbed, when Henry VIII decides to marry again, only this time he has decided to make a political alliance with the Protestant kingdom of Cleves in order to check the threatening Catholic alliance of France and Spain. "The Boleyn Inheritance" concentrates on what occurs because of this decision, as seen through the eyes of three of the women most effected by the events -- Anne of Cleves, the Protestant princess that Henry marries; Katherine Howard, the vivacious and lively young English beauty that Henry falls for; and Jane Boleyn, the widow of George Boleyn, whose testimony sent her husband and her infamous sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife, to the execution block. Believe me, if you're in on the lookout for a well written and absorbing page turner, "The Boleyn Inheritance" will definitely satisfy.

In 1539, Anne of Cleves, prepares herself for marriage to one of the most powerful men in Europe, Henry VIII of England, who has already been married three times -- once to Catherine of Aragon, whom he divorced and broke from the Catholic Church in order to marry the tempestuous and beguiling Anne Boleyn, whom he later beheaded on the suspicion that she was playing him false, and lastly to Jane Seymour who gave him the son he so devoutly wished for before expiring herself. It is not exactly the kind of marriage that most princesses would dream of, but then Anne's situation at home is hardly an ideal one. How was Anne to know that she had exchanged the firing pan for the fire? For once in England, she finds herself alone, without a proper understanding of the English language or the customs; and worse, that her new husband, Henry, dislikes her at first sight, and immediately makes his disdain known. It also soon becomes evident that Henry has taken a liking to one of her ladies in-waiting, the beautiful and vivacious Katherine Howard, and that the old monster is looking for a way out of his unwanted marriage to Anne. Has Anne come all the way to England only to face the threat of the axe like the previous Queen Anne? With few friends, and practically no one to rely on, Anne will need all her wits and a lot of luck in order to keep her neck and her good name intact...

Philippa Gregory doesn't exactly cover new ground here -- "The Boleyn Inheritance" covers much of the same ground that many casual historians are familiar with. What a brilliant idea then to make one of the chief protagonists of this novel, Jane Boleyn, a woman who has been reviled for her part in sending her husband and her sister-in-law to the execution block! And what a good notion it was to show all the backroom intrigues of the Duke of Norfolk, et al in their quest for the upper hand as seen through Jane's eyes. It added an air of immediacy, danger and poignancy that might have otherwise been absent if we'd been left with a one person point-of-view. The plotting was well done -- even and with a sense of continuity that made for smooth reading, and the juxtaposition of the three narratives was not jarring at all. Also brilliantly done was the character portrayals of the three women and of the monstrous Henry. I'll admit to being quite partial to Anne of Cleves, and so was really pleased that Philippa Gregory portrayed her as possessing courage, tenacity and intelligence. I also appreciated the author's portrayal of the heedless, pleasure seeking Katherine Howard, and surprisingly enough, found myself feeling for Jane Boleyn, and appreciating her ability to navigate the treacherous court she so ardently wanted to be part of. In all, this was a well written, very fast paced and tightly constructed novel that was a joy to read from beginning to end. Just the thing for a good winter night's read.

This is a real page turner as Gregory takes off from Jane Seymour and creates her magic from Anne of Cleves. She looks at the reign of King Henry VIII from three points of view: Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Gregory's concise dialogue and short chapters really make the book go fast. I knew she didn't stray far from actualy history as I GOOGLED everything in chronoligical order. Gregory adds spice to the Tudor history with her quick wit and sassy dialogue. She spins a web of intrigue, scandal and romance that is the best I have ever read. She shows the King as a middle aged, self serving martinet. His chronic pain dictate his moods which can mean anything from raging against his servants to having someone's head lobbed off. As a result, everyone tiptoes around him and bows to his smallest wish. If you are an Anglophile or are currently enjoying Wolf Hall on public broadcasting, read this book! It parallels much of what is going on and just enriches the viewing experience. I love the way she writes so directly, avoids fluff and unnecessary description.

It's amazing that King Henry started out so normally, and well-loved by the people in his kingdom, and was so religiously devout. With every new wife, or fresh disaster, injury, added to the aging process, and his desperation for a male heir, he became more unpredictable in his actions and choices. The separation from the Catholic Church, and his first wife, along with his relationship with Anne Boleyn, seems to have been the catalyst for him to decide that his views, opinions, and desires were directed and condoned by God. That was the beginning of Henry's true tyranny, and where he came to believe that his wishes were law, and divinely endorsed by God himself. His wives must have been driven by their desire for power and wealth in order marry him, while knowing and being able to overlook the fact that Henry was a dangerous tyrant, and to cross him meant their destruction one way or another. Nobody in his kingdom was truly safe from Henry's scrutiny, and judgement, and yet his rule lasted many years. Fascinating!

I confess that I didn't have high expectations for this book. I read a lot of non-fiction and history, and can be annoyed with the laughably unrealistic artistic license sometimes taken by fictionalized history. But Philippa Gregory does a good job of taking you realistically into the past.

Granted, of necessity, Gregory has to make things up. For example, not much is known of Anne of Cleves after she came to England and almost nothing is known of her life before England. So, there is considerable supposition to write about her in detail. And there are times where Gregory changes the facts. Such as at the very end, where, in the book, Anne is terrified at the thought of being queen again and insists she wishes to remain single. In real life, both Anne and her brother petitioned Henry VIII to take her back as queen.

However, overall, "The Boleyn Inheritance" does a very good job of marshaling facts and threading them together with plausible detail. In addition, Gregory has a great writing style. It is engaging and sweeps you along in the excitement and definitely makes you feel the horror of trying to stay one step ahead of a capricious and tyrannical king.

The story is told, in alternating chapters, by three very different women. Gregory gives each woman her own cadence, her own style. And there's some trenchant turns of phrase. Jane Boleyn, Christmas 1540, muses on the unhappy fate of Lady Margaret, shut away for falling in love unwisely: "We all know that the king will never allow this. Happiness has become the scarcest commodity of all in the kingdom this winter. No one shall be happy but him."

And Anne of Cleves, who has, by luck and strength of mind and character survived, is pleased to say to herself after the old tyrant dies: "I will own a cat and not fear being called a witch."

This was a very enjoyable read. It's long, 514 pages, with some repetition, especially when each of the three narrators voices the same fears about the king (over again). But this was a lot of fun, and it certainly brings home why Henry VIII may be one of England's most famous kings, but he was not one of its best kings.

Happy Reader

This is a real page turner as Gregory takes off from Jane Seymour and creates her magic from Anne of Cleves. She looks at the reign of King Henry VIII from three points of view: Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard. Gregory's concise dialogue and short chapters really make the book go fast. I knew she didn't stray far from actualy history as I GOOGLED everything in chronoligical order. Gregory adds spice to the Tudor history with her quick wit and sassy dialogue. She spins a web of intrigue, scandal and romance that is the best I have ever read. She shows the King as a middle aged, self serving martinet. His chronic pain dictate his moods which can mean anything from raging against his servants to having someone's head lobbed off. As a result, everyone tiptoes around him and bows to his smallest wish. If you are an Anglophile or are currently enjoying Wolf Hall on public broadcasting, read this book! It parallels much of what is going on and just enriches the viewing experience. I love the way she writes so directly, avoids fluff and unnecessary description.

Historical fiction-- this trend is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I'm glad to see a surge of interest in the past. On the other hand, I dislike how many authors seem to be placing modern values on historical figures who lived so long ago.

Philippa Gregory seems to have started this trend. Almost all of her novels seem to whitewash Mary Tudor and portray Elizabeth and Anne as spawns of the Devil This makes little to no sense. Painting Katharine and Mary as modern women that were transported back to the 1500s is insulting both to them and to us in today's world. Our ideas of religious tolerance, women's equality, and democracy and human rights did not exist in this period, Ms. Gregory. That is why having Anne of Cleves state at the end of the book that we should have no king truly had me grinding my teeth.

This is a fascinating read though. I enjoyed her take on Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard. Anne of Cleves was always my favorite wife of Henry and she doesn't get her dues. Catherine Howard came across as like she probably was-- a naïve teenager.

However, it was the ending that did it in for me. I would have given it 4 stars except for that.

Three narrators tell the story of Henry VIII's fourth and fifth marriages in this novel that mixes betrayal, greed, ambition, conspiracy, intrigue and even death with vanity and frivolity. I devoured every juicy tidbit, and with my lack of historical perspective, had no idea how these women would fare in the end. Not knowing the outcome made this novel even more enjoyable than The Other Boleyn Girl. We have Jane Boleyn, wife of George, who gains the confidence of each successive queen, despite the fact that her testimony helped send her beloved husband and her beautiful sister-in-law Anne Boleyn to the scaffold. Her scheming is all at the urging of the Duke of Norfolk, who has no scruples whatsoever and uses Jane as a manipulator and spy. To make sure that her betrayal of Anne and George Boleyn was not for naught, she keeps trying to save herself, doing the Duke's bidding, even when she knows that more lives will be lost. Anne of Cleves is the buttoned-up, dowdy woman destined to become Henry's fourth queen but without enough guile to gain the interest of the fat, stinky, lecherous old man who can have any woman in the kingdom. Instead, he diverts his attentions to Katherine Howard, a beautiful, flirtatious, teenage maid-in-waiting. She is quite the opposite of both Jane Boleyn and Anne of Cleves, in that she is too naïve and vain to realize that her deeds jeopardize the lives of her loved ones. Sometimes in her efforts to keep us informed about all three women, the author becomes a bit repetitive. We don't need frequent reminders that Anne of Cleves is just biding her time after the King discards her in favor of Kitty Howard. The fate of these three women pivots on the whim of a man who has no qualms about executing anyone who presents the slightest threat to his sovereignty. Consequently, life in his court is apt to be short-lived, and at one point the author raises the question as to why anyone would choose to be there. Those who deem themselves safe are the most at risk.

This was my very first Philippa Gregory novel & although it is set to be an indirect sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl and the Constant Princess, I had no trouble reading it as a novel that stands by its own.
I know that some readers who are not familiar with the story of Henry VIII and his six wives may find this book quite confusing if they read it without reading the previous two but even if you had a general knowledge of the story, You'll understand this book quite easily.

The Book talks about the lives of three women (Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard (Ketty Howard) and Jane Rochford (Jane Boleyn) who was Anne Boleyn's sister in-law. The novel is said in the Point of view of each of the three women. And although there is a constant switch in the narration between those three, it made the book quite interesting instead of confusing as some people may think. There is no third person here, the story is told by those three women as narrators each of them by her own point of view.

It took me a long time to read this novel, 10 days almost I don't usually take that much time to read a novel especially with less than 600 pages but the switching between the three women made me slow down but its simply because I'm not used to this type of narrations.

Regardless it was a good book, a good read I liked the fact that even if Philippa Gregory took some liberties in forming the thoughts of those three women she kept the accuracy in her work. The Only thing that I had a problem with was Katherine Howard's age in this novel the author made her to appear as a 14 year old maid when she served in the court of Anne Of Cleves, which made her 15 when she became Queen and 16 when she died. I know that Katherine's real age was unknown but it is set to be that she was anywhere from 17-21 when she was beheaded. However despite the fact that the author had made Katherine very young in this novel, it wasn't much of a big issue because it suited the novel very well and it also suited Katherine's personality.

You may get confused by all the switching back and forth between the three ladies but its an enjoyable read and it really gives you a good look at the court of Henry VIII.

This book is best read after The Other Boleyn Girl. It takes up only a few years after that book. It could be read as a standalone, but I think you get a better introduction to some of the characters by reading the other first.

Three very different women come together in this book. Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife. Jane Boleyn, disgraced wife of George Boleyn who was Henry's 2nd wife's brother. Lastly, Katherine Howard, a cousin of the Boleyn's who was Henry VIII's fifth wife. With a troubled homelife, Anne is eager to start anew as Queen of England but soon finds herself at the wrong side of Henry's temper. Grown to a miserable old man, he doesn't like to realize he is gross and unattractive and Anne makes him feel this way. Meanwhile, Katherine loves court and all its intrigues and will do anything to have more pretty things. If this means flirting with a King old enough to be her grandfather, so be it, it can only lead to her advantage. And Jane will guide them both stopping only to think of herself and how it will effect her.

I really like how Gregory wrote Anne. I thought it was a very sympathetic description and she was one of the nicest characters I've ever seen in one of Gregory's books. She was just very likable. Katherine on the other hand was a ninny, harmless, but somewhat boring at times. Jane was a bit strange and its hard to like her because of the other books and her actions, but you can pity her easily. By far the most outrageous character of the book was the Duke who played all the Boleyns like pawns; he is truly evil in this series.

I like the premise of this book and how it tells the tales of some of the lesser known Queens of Henry. However, I am no historian so that doesn't have any bearing on my enjoyment of the books. This could be different for someone who actually does know European history better than I. I wasn't a big fan of how the book jumped around between the three women's points of view. It just made it so choppy and to be honest, I could have done without Jane's input at all. I liked Anne's input the best and think she should have been the voice of the whole novel. A word of warning to some is that this book doesn't shy away from descriptions of sex, rotting wounds, and other things that may not agree with some. But it does make it very realistic.

A good continuance of the series. I look forward to reading more by Gregory.

The Boleyn Inheritance
Copyright 2006
516 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2011

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Philippa Gregory is an excellent writer, hands down.

The book has three different womens points of view: Anne, Katherine and Jane. Two women of whom were King Henry VIII's wives (Anne and Katherine) and the other (Jane) who was a lady in waiting.

Jane is as insane as the day is long. She is jealous, manipulative and some what cocky.

Anne, is my favorite character in this book. Her innocence draws you in, her kind heart makes you smile and her intelligence is often over looked by many. She's the only wife that survived King Henry VIII ( besides his last wife, who was saved only because of his death ). Anne, a foreigner, marries King Henry VIII and looks forward to being queen. She also befriends his daughter, Princess Mary. After Henry divorces her, she lives in fear that one day he might kill her whether it may be for her religious beliefs or one of the other countless reasons that innocent people died back then.

Lastly, there is Katherine. She's a mere 14 years old when she catches the king's eye. A girl that becomes queen after Anne leaves the throne and becomes Henry's fifth wife. The king is almost 50 by this time. She is greedy, immature and thinks only of herself. The king gives her what ever she desires. A short time later, she becomes involved with Thomas Culpepper. The rest, they say, is history.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The author is talented beyond words. She gives you a front row seat to all three of the womens lives. You can taste the fear that he put into so many people.

This third book in the series was a very interesting read. The story of Henry VIII and his wives continues covering two of his wives Anne of Cleves and Kitty Howard as well as their lady in waiting Jane (Parker) Boleyn.

The author writes in first person for each of the women giving their perspective on the events happening around them. The voice of each character is very distinct and interesting.

I really enjoyed learning a bit about history in this work of historical fiction and I must say I knew nothing about Anne of Cleves before this story.

While reading the author pulls you expertly into the story, telling it with such vivid detail that you feel you are there.

Philippa Gregory is a terrific story teller. I highly recommend this book.

...one died, one survived, two divorced, two beheaded. So goes an old English children's rhyme about one of history's most famous monarchs, and Philippa Gregory follows up her account of the tortured life and death of Anne Boleyn with a fascinating tale of three women who impacted on Henry's life afterwards, two directly and one tangentially: his fourth and fifth wives, the least known of the six, and his ex-sister-in-law and Anne's nemesis, Jane Boleyn.

The story recounts the period between 1539 and 1542, opening at the death of Henry's third wife, Jane Seymour, who died tragically of childbed complications following the birth of Henry's only living son, Edward VI. Henry is urged to marry again for political reasons, to form an alliance with the duchy of Cleves against the threatened alliance of France and Spain. His choice is Anne of Cleves, a shy, retiring young woman who has been derided in the history books as looking like the north end of a southbound horse. Actually, Anne didn't look that bad at all, if her portrait is anywhere near accurate. Gregory says that Anne welcomed the marriage as a way out of an unhappy and abusive home life. But she puts a fascinating -- and who knows, maybe true -- spin on the tale by speculating that it was Anne who was turned off by Henry, who was by then no longer the handsome young king who had married Katherine of Aragón and Anne Boleyn, but a fat, gross, middle-aged monarch, reeking from a suppurating open sore on his leg, and Henry was so affected by Anne of Cleve's repulsion -- probably seeing himself for the first time as other people saw him and appalled at the picture -- that he was unable to consummate the marriage. After only a few months Anne is packed off to live by herself after wisely agreeing to a generous divorce settlement, and had sense enough to keep a low profile during the subsequent years until Henry's death left her a rich and independent woman.

Free of Anne, Henry turns his attention to Katherine Howard, a fifteen-year-old airhead whose sole virtues were her extreme youth and a very pretty face. Poor Katherine is overwhelmed by the prospect of being Queen and having as many pretty dresses as she wants, and for a time she tries to be a good wife to Henry, but it's not easy, as he's older, fatter, smellier, and all Katherine really wants is to be able to love a young man nearer her own age. She is helped to fulfill her wish by Jane Boleyn, one of history's most reviled (perhaps rightfully, perhaps not), and actually least known characters.

As presented by Gregory, Jane Boleyn is a spiteful, bitter harpy whose sole motive in lying about an incestuous relationship between her husband George Boleyn and his sister Anne Boleyn, which got them both sent to the execution block, was jealousy. Jane Boleyn takes a seemingly motherly interest in young Katherine and encourages her to take young lovers behind the King's back. Why in the world she did this, knowing how Henry would react, especially considering the danger to her if Henry even suspected her complicity, is anyone's guess. It's possible that Jane Boleyn simply felt she belonged in the center of the action, instead of being relegated to the sidelines as she felt she had been by George and Anne Boleyn, and she got considerably more than she bargained for.

Gregory weaves her tale by alternating chapters narrated by Anne of Cleves, Katherine, and Jane Boleyn, and does it so well that you never lose track of any of the three plot lines. Anne of Cleves was more or less in the background after Henry cast her off, but her life was never secure as long as Henry lived, as he grew more suspicious, vengeful and cruel with each passing year. She must have lived on tenterhooks until his death, never knowing if someone would come knocking on her door in the middle of the night to haul her off to the Tower. Katherine narrates the rise and fall of her fortunes like the superficial airhead she is, listing the growing or declining number of her dresses and jewels, unable to understand why everybody is making such a fuss over her dalliance with a younger man. And Jane Boleyn becomes more and more unwrapped as she finds herself trapped in a mess largely of her own making, used and discarded with equal contempt by her uncle Thomas Howard, the third Duke of Norfolk, whose personal and family ambitions managed to wreck several lives before he himself was arrested by Henry on a charge of treason.

Gregory has given us a fascinating, well-written tale of three unforgettable women. This book is definitely her best one to date.

Judy Lind

Having been thrilled with Philippa Gregory's "The Constant Princess" and "The Other Boleyn Girl", I couldn't wait to pick up "The Boleyn Inheritance". While this narrative did not disappoint, I must say that it wasn't as thrilling of a read as the first two Gregory novels that I read.

"The Boleyn Inheritance" picks up somewhat where "The Other Boleyn Girl" left off. Skipping Queen Jane Seymour and the years of Henry's abstinence from marriage after Jane's death in childbirth, Gregory tells a story of Anne of Cleves, a plain looking Duchess from Germany whom Henry VIII decided to marry purely for political reasons. Gregory tells the story as seen by Anne of Cleves herself, as well as from the point of view of two other women - Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford: the wife of George Boleyn, whose testimony cemented the death sentence both George and his sister Anne Boleyn received; and Katherine Howard, a young, frivolous and vain maid-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. Gregory's writing was expert in that she wove the three narratives so expertly that the reader can always see different situations from different angles.

Anne of Cleves is very happy to escape from the Duchy of Cleves and her abusive brother William (Wilhelm). Arriving England, Anne is somewhat apprehensive to be married to a King who was already married three times and whose wives are all dead. After the disastrous first meeting with Henry VIII, Anne's apprehension grows even further, along with her disgust for the obscenely obese King. Henry VIII is no longer the young, handsome prince, but a bad-tempered, monstrous lunatic, with a festering leg that stinks of rotting flesh and delusions of being the direct link to God. Jane Boleyn, after being the lady-in-waiting for Queen Katherine of Aragon, Queen Anne Boleyn and Queen Jane Seymour, is now back in the role of lady-in-waiting, this time to the new Queen Anne. Jane's role is predominantly that of a spy for her uncle, Duke of Norfolk, but she can not help but become friendly with the humble and pious Queen Anne of Cleves. Katherine Howard, all of fifteen years of age, is appointed Anne's maid-in-waiting, and her primary concern is her looks and which dress to wear, as well as which boy to flirt with. What Katherine does not expect is for her flirtatious behavior to catch the eye of the old King Henry, who finds Anne of Cleves displeasing to his tastes. After only six months of marriage, Henry claims that his union with Anne of Cleves was never consummated, which Anne wisely agreed with, and their marriage is annulled. Due to Anne's agreement, she is afforded all the honors befitting a Princess of England. His marriage dissolved, Henry is free to marry Katherine, a girl young enough to be his granddaughter.

While Anne of Cleves inherited Anne Boleyn's house at Hever in Kent, Jane Boleyn became a lady-in-waiting yet again, to Henry's fifth wife, Queen Katherine Howard. Jane has a hard time controlling the capricious young Queen who is her own cousin, and, following Duke of Norfolk's direction, Jane arranges for Katherine to meet young courtiers, all with the goal of producing the male heir for the increasingly impotent King Henry. No one at court counted on Henry being all-seeing though, the fact that would become the undoing of both Jane Boleyn and Queen Katherine Howard.

While "The Boleyn Inheritance" is largely based on historic facts, the author once again asserted that the novel is fictional, possibly to avoid the constant bickering of the historians as to which particular piece of information is true and which isn't. Gregory hence advises the reader to enjoy her novel as pure entertainment. One should not read Gregory's novels as scholastic works on Tudor England, as her books are meant to entertain only. I liked Gregory's narratives, though they were not as engaging as those from her previous two novels. Gregory gets the reader into the minds of the three main characters with an ease one learns to expect from Gregory. While the novel concentrates mainly on Henry's wives, the reader also follows Henry in his increasing madness and paranoia. The reader also sees the changing life at court, the changes occurring with the changes in moods of the aging King.

All in all, "The Boleyn Inheritance" is a highly readable, entertaining novel in the style of Gregory's previous books on the Tudors. The book is very easy to read, comprehend and follow, even for those who are absolutely not familiar with the Tudors. Highly recommended.

I've been having a love-hate relationship with author Philippa Gregory ever since she wrote her first novel set in Tudor England. I love the fact that she's writing about this dynasty of monarchs where treachery and excess ruled, but I absolutely hate her writing style and the liberties that she takes in the hunt for the sensational. And to my dismay, I've kept reading some of her work in the vain hopes that she just might improve.

Her most recent novel, The Boleyn Inheritance, almost did it for me. Continuing her saga of the many wives of Henry VIII, this time she tells the story of the fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves, and Katherine Howard. King Henry VIII hasn't had much luck with his spouses so far -- he broke the heart of his first wife, Katharine of Aragon; the second one, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded for adultery, and the third, Jane Seymour, died in childbed after giving Henry the precious son he so craved.

Now the king wants another wife, and his chancellor, Thomas Cromwell has arranged an alliance with a small German principality, and the choice has fallen on Anne of Cleves. Across all of England, women are angling for the duties of ladies-in-waiting to the new queen, all of whom are hoping to find wealth and possibly romance. Gregory tells the story through the eyes of three women, all in first person narrative.

Jane Boleyn, once Queen Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law, and who helped to send her husband and the queen to the headsman's axe, lives in a lonely and bitter exile in the countryside. She has recieved nothing of the riches that the Boleyns once had, and only her title of Lady Rochford has remained. Still, there's a chance, especially when the head of the Howard family, the Duke of Norfolk, decides to sponser Jane into the royal household, wanting to have a reliable spy among the Queen's women. Jane happily accepts, knowing that by helping the duke, she can rise to wealth and possibly even a new marriage for herself.

Katherine Howard, the duke's very pretty niece, has been raised among a multitude of Howard cousins and dependents. She's vivacious and lively, and more than tempting to men even at the young age of fourteen. Already there are secret romances flourishing at night in the girl's dormitory, and pretty little Kitty has already fallen for the charms of Francis Dereham, another ward of the Duke. They've made a rather clumsy and secret betrothal between themselves, but when the Duke decides to dangle her as bait for the aging king, she's delerious with the prospect of going to court.

Finally there is Anne of Cleves herself. Raised in a strict Lutheran household, she doesn't know any of the skills that a lady of Henry's court would know -- no dancing, singing, music-making or gambling for her! She's endured a hateful relationship with her brother, who may have shut their father up to starve to death, and only her resolve to make the very best of what the future may have is what is keeping her together. Too, she knows that she is not very pretty, but she has a grace and dignity all her own, and arrives in England not knowing the language or the customs of her new kingdom.

Worst of all, her first meeting with Henry is a dismal failure, both parties being taken aback by what they see. Henry is now in his forties, aging and bloated, with an old injury nearly crippling him and stinking to high heaven. He's grown irascible and hovers between rage and quiet, and Anne quickly learns just how dangerous the life of an English queen can be. There's no one that she can trust, not even the oh-so-helpful Lady Rochford, nor the charming Katherine Howard, and when the marriage lurches to the inevitable failure, Anne begins to live in terror of losing her head as well.

Katherine Howard dances and plays, finding the royal court to be a delightful world of young men, a doting king and an endless stream of presents and jewels and pretty gowns. So much so that she can scarely see what is simmering underneath, and when the opportunity comes as the king turns his attention to her, Katherine is simply delighted to be the next Queen. All she has to do is produce another son for the king, and her future will be secure. But the reality of the king's nightly visits is a far cry from the pleasures she knew with Francis, and when Jane Rochford suggests that a younger man might be what she needs, Katherine hasn't the sense to say no...

This time, Philippa Gregory stays pretty much within what is known with her story. For those who have already read about King Henry VIII and his many wives, there's very little that is new. What is interesting is how Gregory tells the story. By using the personal perspective of Jane, Anne and Katherine to tell the story, the reader gets to know these women on an intimate level, seeing their secret desires, their weaknesses, and how each of them cope with setbacks and the web of treachery around them. That's the strong point with this novel, and Gregory manages to make each voice somewhat distinct.

However, given my previous experiences with Gregory's work, I wasn't expecting much out of this novel either. She tends to introduce supernatural elements into her story, and here at least stays away from that, and keeps pretty much to what is known. Too, she relies heavily on the work of Retha Warnicke for most of her sources, a scholar whose theories are questionable at best -- I loathed her novel, The Other Boleyn Girl, and here she uses the idea of Anne of Cleves being charged with witchcraft, a notion that is ludicrous, as a means of clearing the way for Katherine Howard.

However, the portrayal of Katherine Howard as a featherbrained nitwit is pretty much spot on, and Jane Rochford is one of the more distasteful characters to come down in history. Gregory tries to make her sympathetic, with mixed results.

Another problem that I had with this was Henry. Here he's a nasty, farting, bleching monster of a man, flying into rages and fits of ire at a moments notice. His scathing comments to Anne of Cleves in an early sequence didn't quite ring true -- like any good showman, Henry was very careful how he treated others in public, leaving his more violent side in private, and preferably in the hands of others. His treatment of Anne of Cleves was actually quite careful, and in all of the accounts that have survived, he treats her with great kindness.

But the biggest problem is the use of the three major characters speaking in an 'I' voice. It's damn confusing at the start, without any real way to keep everyone separate. Too, they all tend to think and speak alike pretty much, and Gregory has them endlessly ruminating on things, and going over and over and over again the same territory. It gets very tedious throughout the book, slowing down the plot and hardly giving any real motion to the story.

Despite an author's note, and a reading guide for book clubs with various questions, what really is lacking here is anything about Anne of Cleve's life after Henry -- it gets interesting, and she was able to maintain a close relationship with all of Henry's surviving children, even including Mary Tudor.

Still, for those readers who can't get enough of England's Tudor kings and queens, this will probably be an enjoyable read. If you don't know much about them, this makes an interesting starting point, but after this, I would suggest the more scholarly works out there, such as the ones by Alison Weir and David Starkey. A forthcoming biography on Jane, Lady Rochford is planned for later on in 2007, titled, Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford by Julia Fox, a book that I am looking forward to.

Three and a half stars, rounded up to four. Somewhat recommended, depending on how much the reader knows about the facts of Henry VIII's life and court.

You know the old rhyme: "King Henry the Eighth, to six wives he was wedded: One died, one survived, two divorced, two beheaded." The story of the fickle Tudor monarch captured my imagination when I was growing up --- I must have read dozens of fictional accounts of the executions of Anne Boleyn (wife number two) and Catherine Howard (wife number five), wondering what I would have done in such a spot and probably, in the process, developing a rather grisly and uncertain view of marriage.

Well, I still love ruffs and 16th-century madrigals, and Elizabeth I, Henry's descendant, remains, in my opinion, the queen to end all queens. And when I come upon a new Tudor novel, like THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE, I still find myself rooting for the doomed wives against Henry --- wanting them to escape their fate, identifying with their terror, savoring the dreadful tension as they draw closer to the end. But I didn't expect much in the way of surprises from this book. After all, we know how it comes out.

Philippa Gregory proves me wrong: She has written an historical thriller with all sorts of marvelous, poignant suspense. Although her novels are consistently well researched and generally anachronism-free, they are not simply dutiful re-creations: She always manages to throw a wild card or two into the mix. THE CONSTANT PRINCESS, for example, is a sympathetic treatment of Katherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife, that emphasizes her Spanish/Moorish heritage. THE VIRGIN'S LOVER (is that an ironic title, or what?) charts Elizabeth I's reckless affair with Robert Dudley (Gregory's Tudor novels were not written in chronological order); THE QUEEN'S FOOL, narrated by a young Jewish woman, offers a positive, revisionist view of the much maligned Mary I, Henry's daughter; and THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL focuses on Anne's sister, Mary, who was the first of her family in King Henry's bed.

In THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE the character who Gregory scoops up from the anonymity of history is Jane Boleyn, widow of Anne's brother, George. She testified against both Boleyns at their trial for treason and so was indirectly responsible for their deaths. Now she is brought back to court to be lady-in-waiting to two more queens: Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard.

Think of this book as a female trio, with three alternating first-person voices in counterpoint, distinct yet somehow complementary. The title indicates that each of them is replaying, in some fashion, the sad, brief life of Anne Boleyn. Anne of Cleves, a princess from a small Flemish duchy that is crucial to England's European alliances, is a stranger in a strange land, vulnerable to the same sort of betrayal as her namesake --- she has no sooner learned to speak English and be a real queen than she is rejected by her aging, increasingly unstable consort.

Katherine Howard is Anne Boleyn's cousin and, similarly, a lady-in-waiting who catches the king's eye and ultimately marries him; a beautiful, boy-crazy teenager, she is as smart about seducing men as she is stupid about everything else ("No power on earth can make a sensible woman out of Katherine Howard because there is nothing to work on," Jane comments sardonically. "She is lacking in education and training and even common sense").

And Jane --- an artist of betrayal, a John le Carre character transposed to the 16th century --- is the secret agent of her uncle-by-marriage, Thomas Howard, the Machiavellian Duke of Norfolk. They will stop at nothing to promote the ambitions of their family ("There is always dirty work to be done," Jane says, "and that is our specialty"), even if it means betraying two more queens. Looming over it all is Henry --- not just a fickle fellow with an understandable obsession with producing heirs to the throne, but a sick mind and pitiless dictator, increasingly out of touch with reality. Says Anne, "He is not a safe man."

Historical documents tell us what happens to Anne of Cleves: Although the rhyme calls her "divorced," in fact the marriage was annulled. In the novel there is a dangerous period during which it seems unlikely that she will escape the axe, but she lives on, spending the rest of her days in England. Catherine Howard's story is almost a repeat of Anne Boleyn's. But I didn't know whether opportunistic, damaged Jane (whose husband and sister shared an intimacy that shut her out) would survive the royal machinations --- and I'm not telling, for fear of spoiling the chilling denouement.

THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE is a private view of history, emotionally charged and irresistibly readable. Gregory gets inside the hearts and heads of her characters from the start. The motive power of her book is psychological, never purely circumstantial: She looks inward, then out. Most historical novelists go the other way around (and never find their way much past the quaint language, antiquated clothes and incessant wars). It's like Method acting compared to a more traditional sort of stagecraft. We feel that the three narrators are speaking to us directly --- or, perhaps more accurately, talking to themselves.

But, of the three, Anne is clearly Gregory's heroine. We watch her evolve from an abused sister and reluctant, awkward wife and queen into a genuinely independent woman. There is a bitterly realistic scene in which she and Katherine, then her lady-in-waiting, realize that they are both trapped: "We are two women who have recognized that we cannot control the world. We are players in this game, but we do not choose our own moves. The men will play us for their own desires. All we can do is try to survive whatever happens next." Once Anne is living alone in the castle Henry has given her as compensation, however, she revels in her freedom --- dressing, riding and worshiping God as she likes: "I have never in my life before been Anne of Cleves, Anne by myself, not a sister, not a daughter, not a wife, but Anne: pleasing myself. ... It may be a better thing to be a single woman with a good income...than to be one of Henry's frightened queens."

I'm glad that Gregory resisted the impulse to furnish Anne with a (fictional) romance. In letting her stand alone, she gives THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE a feminist edge (perhaps a bit too contemporary-sounding at times, but completely plausible and quite inspiring). Marriage, or at least love, is still part of most women's destiny, but we also need more autonomous space to figure out who we are and who we hope to become. As we chart our tentative path between wifehood and solitude, Anne of Cleves --- an unlikely role model --- seems to reach out from history to help.

--- Reviewed by Kathy Weissman

Pub. Date: December 2006

* Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing
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* Series: Philippa Gregory Tudor Series, #3
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* ISBN-13: 9780743298544
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The Boleyn Inheritance is told from three points of view: Jane Boleyn (wife to the deceased Thomas), Anne of Cleaves (Henry's fourth wife), and Katherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife). Jane is the expert maid in waiting. She is called upon by the Duke of Norfolk to keep an eye on the new queen and report back to him anything that she does. Jane owes her life to the Duke, and so she is in his pocket to survive. Jane poses as a friend to the new queen Anne and attempts to be in her confidence as the story continues. However, Jane begins to like the queen and when plots against her begin to crop up, she has doubts whether she can put another queen to death as she did to her sister-in-law Anne Boleyn. The thoughts of Anne Boleyn and her husband Thomas haunt her throughout the book. Jane poses as the wise older woman who has been through quite a lot, but her transformation towards the end shows that she still has a lot to learn.
Anne of Cleaves is considered an unreformed woman by her family, but she is chosen to become the new queen of England because an alliance between England and Cleaves would be helpful. She does not speak a word of English, but as she moves into her new life, she learns quickly. Because of her troubles at home, she has no idea how to please the king in bed. This leaves their marriage unconsummated. Henry also detests her after a mix-up in one of his games. Although she is a pure and strong girl, she often finds herself bending to the will of the men that she finds in charge of her. When she is dethroned, she becomes a sister to the king and finds herself much happier in the countryside. She loves England, but counts herself lucky to be one of the few that survives King Henry's marriage.
Lastly, Katherine Howard is a young, flirty girl. Her beauty catches the king's eye and he courts her while he is married to Anne and Katherine is a maid in waiting. Katherine's uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, wants to see the king and Katherine wed. He schemes and encourages the flirtations until it actually happens. Katherine is a flighty little girl and only measures things in what materials she receives. She often begins her narration with a list of what she owns. This is probably because she is only around fifteen when she marries the king. She attempts to please him in bed, but it is difficult work when he is so old, fat, and wounded. Finally, with the help of Jane, she takes on a lover. Then, as with Anne Boleyn, all hell breaks loose and the king attempts to kill everyone.
I know that I keep saying this, but I have been on a historical fiction kick. I really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl (book only, movie was terrible), so I decided that I would continue with this series. As time moves on, I am hoping to go through each one. Gregory has a way with characters. It's like you get to see into their souls and travel inside their heads with them. Anne of Cleaves was by far my favorite character in this story, but all three women were beautifully illustrated. As I was reading, I could feel my moods shift with the difference in narration. Katherine was always bubbly and it made me want to read her parts faster as if I was speaking them like a young girl would in a quicker, happier tone. The plot is predictable, but that shouldn't surprise anyone. It is nothing new what happened within King Henry's court. Her books are much more interesting than anything else that I have read about him though. I'm sure that she has taken liberties with parts of history to make her tales more enchanting and personable, but I would recommend it to people who want a glimpse of what he was like. Gregory's tales are definitely worth a reread and they are something that I will keep upon my shelves.
5/5 stars

I was stuck on a cruise ship recently with time on my hands. Thank goodness for Philippa Gregory. Having read most of her historical novels, if not all, I can honestly say that the choice of 3 narrators for this book was a stroke of genius. Although it is fiction, she made plausible narration from the 3 women: Katherine Howard, Anne of Cleves, and Jane Boleyn.

Katherine was a source of humor through much of the book, although we all know of her tragic end. Anne of Cleves was innocent and totally ill-prepared to be thrown to the wolves in a foreign country. Her brother must have been quite a guy. And Jane Boleyn may have been the most fascinating story of all--a study in blind rationalization and self-preservation without regard for consequences to others.

I am one of those who can never get enough books about the Tudors, and this one is immensely readable. Short chapters are especially helpful for those who have to spread their reading through little snatches of time.

"Three Women Who Share One Fate: The Boleyn Inheritance"

Phillipa Gregory breathes life into Tudor England once again...times three. Instead of taking on the voice of one famous heroine from the gilded court of King Henry the VIII, she brings three very different young ladies to life: Anne of Cleves, Kitty Howard, and Jane Boleyn.

One can't help, but feel bad for poor Anne of Cleves. She doesn't speak English, her husband, King Henry hates her, and she hasn't a single trustworthy friend in all of England. She can't even rely on her own brother to save her neck if Henry decides to set it on the chopping block, which he would very much like to do.Kitty Howard is portrayed as a flirtatious dolt who unintentionally gains Henry's affections. But once her scheming uncle realizes the King's desires, he uses Kitty to gain family favor. Kitty steals Henry away from Queen Anne as instructed by her uncle, but finds herself quickly bored with her impotent husband and starts a flirtation with young Thomas Culpepper. Then, of course, there is the widow Jane, who had been married to Anne Boleyn's brother before he lost his head at the king's orders. She is the spy for the wicked uncle and advises both Anne and Kitty, but with her own intentions in mind.

Gregory takes on the persona of each woman, masterfully crafting three distinctive, alternating first-person narratives. Each girl tells her side of the story. As I read, I felt fear and pity for these women who were at the mercy of ruthless and impulsive men vying for their own desires without a care to the well-being of their own family members. The pace of The Boleyn Inheritance did, however feel slow at times. Perhaps this is due to Gregory's commitment to historical accuracy and detail. All in all, I found The Boleyn Inheritance to be a compelling read and I highly recommend it to lovers of women's historical fiction, fans of Tudor history, and writers looking to improve the distinctive voices of their own characters.

Review Written by Andrea Cefalo, author of The Fairytale Keeper series and Chief Editor of Obelisk Historical Fiction Review

This is the second Philippa Gregory book I've read. Next to "The Other Boleyn Girl" this one is no less dazzling although it does not carry as much sexual flair as "The Other Boleyn Girl." I'm quite a fan of the history of the British Monarchy and have read nearly every non-fiction book I can find on the subject. Someone gave me the "Other Boleyn Girl" and now I'm hooked on Gregory's talent for weaving fact with fiction.

"The Boleyn Inheritance" is about the lives of mainly three women--
-Anne of Cleves
-Jane Boleyn
-Catherine Howard

The book is structured such that each chapter is told by Anne, Jane or Catherine in a first person narrative. I like this format because we see what each of them may have been thinking during the tumultuous times if King Henry VIII's waning years.

If you don't know the history, you may be a little lost. I would suggest reviewing the Tudor/Windsor family trees to keep track and to truly appreciate the complexity of the story. Anne of Cleves comes from Germany and is the 4th wife of King Henry VIII. The book details her departure from Germany, arrival in England and subsequent short marriage to Henry. Anne is pushed aside for Catherine Howard who becomes his 5th wife. Anne is set up as a 'sister' of the King in a palace near-by but always worries for her safety given the King's history with Anne Boleyn. Catherine Howard was only 14 when she arrived at Court, works in Queen Anne's household and is portrayed as simple but beautiful and fun-loving. Jane Boleyn is the widow of George Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's brother (both were executed regarding Anne's supposed affairs/treason accusations detailed in "The Other Boleyn Girl"). Jane is complex and clever, but her actions seem really evil. There is much irony at the end of the book regarding Jane, the Tower, and her husband/sister-in-law's fates. There are other important characters including a Boleyn uncle who orchestrates much of the drama with Catherine Howard. Also, princesses Mary and Elizabeth are heavily noted and both are future queens.

"The Boleyn Inheritance" will take you from Anne of Cleve's departure from Germany (right after the King's beloved Jane Seymour's death) through her role as `sister' to the King and on to Catherine's miserable end. It truly is an amazing tale... Buy it, read it, share it, enjoy it!

Phillipa Gregory is a mediocre writer. For whatever reason, she's had great commercial success as a writer of historical fiction. However, I am usually disappointed in her books. This one was no exception. The first half was dreadful. It was repetitive and trite. The second half was much better though - hence the 3 star rating.

This novel is about the 4th and 5th wives of Henry VIII. It is told in the first person with the narrative shifting in each chapter between Anne of Cleves (#4, a younger sister of the Duke of Cleves), Katherine Howard (#5, an impoverished much younger cousin of the ill-fated Anne Boleyn and niece of the powerful Duke of Norfolk), and Jane Boleyn (the mentally unbalanced wife of Anne's brother George - the one who gave the testimony which Henry relied on to have Anne and George beheaded for incest).

Gregory does a great job in giving a reader the sense of terror that Henry's wives felt when they could not win his favor. I think she created an interesting picture of the sycophantic court and clearly showed that Henry was severely disturbed and had an innacurate sense of self. Gregory really pounded home (really really pounded home) the reminder that Henry was fat, flatulent, and had a festering wound on his leg. Really, I can't tell you how many descriptions the various characters gave of Henry's stink. She also did an ok job with characterizing Katherine Howard. Katherine was presented as flighty and an unapolagetic teenage floozy. The final execution scene was really sad - Katherine was a ditz who really did not ask to mary Henry and did as she was told. I felt for her. I think her characterization of Jane Boleyn was good too. Gregory did a good job of conveying her self-importance and her delusions about the role she played in her sister-in-law and husband's downfall. I also think her portrayal of Anne of Cleves was plausible, explaining why she would have married Henry and why she was willing to agree that she was precontracted. However, Anne was a boring character and I didn't really care much about her.

I thought that Rose Without a Thorn was a better portrayal of Katherine Howard. I can't really think of a better one about Anne of Cleves - I haven't read anything about her before. I'm sure there is something else out there. The novel, simply put, is not well written. I like my historical fiction to be more about politics rather than scandal. I couldn't really relate to any of the three women.

While it certainly shouldn't be taken as gospel, Gregory's novel provides some very interesting insight into a dangerous era in English history, where the people were subject to the whims of a once golden prince who had descended to the ranks of any petty tyrant. This book ought to be required reading for those who insist that the past was a kinder, gentler place and that violence is peculiar to modern society. Henry VIII is just one proof that those who stand in the way of a despot are liable to pay with their very lives.

The book is told from shifting perspectives, which makes it all the more interesting and rounded. Perhaps the most intriguing character is that of Lady Jane Rochford, the same woman whose testimony assured that her husband, George, and his sister, the infamous Anne Boleyn, were beheaded. Gregory makes quite a villain of Lady Jane but her portrayal is also that of a woman determined to see to her own well-being and life, whatever the consequences and whatever the price. Gregory makes the argument here that, while Lady Jane may not have been entirely in her right mind, she was also subject to the whims of the Duke of Norfolk, whose endless schemes ensured that no one was sacred, that two nieces could be used as pawns in his endless struggle for power and position. Though Lady Jane isn't exactly a sympathetic character, the duke almost makes he look like a kitten. As a pair, these two can't help but send a chill up the reader's spine.

A second perspective is that of Anne of Cleves. Eager to escape her boorish brother, Anne arrives in England eager to prove herself a good queen and to do what she can to better the nation. Unfortunately for her, she unknowingly insults one of the most vain kings in history and is thus blown about by the storms of his anger for the rest of her life. I found Anne to be perhaps the most well drawn and appealing of the three. She is a woman doing her best to survive on her wits alone and she cannot depend on any man to offer her protection. Though her ambassador does try his best to help her, it is ultimately Gregory's Anne who survives through sheer cleverness and a canny attention to the changes of the world around her. She was the only one of Henry's wives to meet a good end and Gregory does an excellent job of arguing that this is due to her intelligence.

The third perspective is that of Katherine "Kitty" Howard, an empty-headed teen who is shallow but also pitiable. Kitty is a notorious flirt who thinks of nothing beyond counting her possessions and making every man she meets fall in love with her. This is not to say that she is a strictly unlikable character for I found it hard not to feel sorry for her when her uncle uses her to catch the eye of a vain and foolish king, who thinks himself her equal in looks and youth. When Kitty's past comes to light, the king quickly grows disenchanted with her and the poor young woman will pay the ultimate cost for the follies of youth.

The portrayal of the lives of these three women is so extraordinarily vivid that it is downright visceral at times. Gregory really breathes life into the past and shows that it was every bit as dramatic and suspenseful as anything the modern soap opera can cook up. What is truly disturbing about the book is the way in which women are used by men--and by the Duke of Norfolk and Henry VIII in particular. It must be distasteful and frightening for any modern woman to reflect on the treatment of women in those times. The king had the power to make any wild accusations against a woman who had displeased him and she was powerless to defend herself in any manner. Gregory does a wonderful job of showing how these women cope with that power--Kitty, who tries to go along with orders; Lady Jane, who tries to profit from them; and Anne, who uses her brains to protect herself from them. It's a truly chilling and harrowing read.

I'm a fan of Philippa Gregory and would recommend this to anyone who likes historical fiction and can't get enough of the Tudor era. It is a well-crafted story that focuses on Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard, wives four and five of Henry VIII. Anne is especially sympathetic; Katherine less so, though by the end of the novel the reader is nonetheless moved by the tragedy of her story.

I wasn't too sold on the use of first person present tense throughout the novel; the immediacy was nice but there were several times in the story -- especially toward the end -- where the reader has the sense of not being where the action is, due to limitations of point of view. Also, the last third of the book dragged on just a little; maybe one too many scenes with Anne, who by that point didn't have much to do except fret in her castle at Hever.

I very much enjoyed Gregory's unsympathetic portrait of Henry VIII at this stage of his life, and the honest madness and decadence of his court.

The Other Boleyn Girl, which first put me onto Gregory's fan list, was a better novel. But this is also a fun book, and like I said, if you are into historical fiction and the Tudor era, definitely worth reading.

"The Boleyn Inheritance" picks up right where "The Other Boleyn Girl" left off. This novel focuses on two more of Henry VIII's unlucky wives: Anne of Cleves, the German woman hand-picked by Henry himself and whose disastrous first encounter with the king dooms her reign before it even begins; and Katherine Howard, a beautiful but rather stupid young girl of 15 who is ordered by her family to cause the much-older King Henry to fall in love with her.

Although this book isn't quite as good as "The Other Boleyn Girl" (and really, how could it be?), I enjoyed it very much. Author Philippa Gregory tells the story from three opposing points of view: Anne, Katherine, and none other than Jane Boleyn, who manages to wiggle her way back to court after condemning her brother and sister-in-law to death. The multiple narrators offer a variety of perspectives on life at court during this fragile period of time. I enjoyed the chapters narrated by Katherine most of all: her vanity and ignorance are apparent in every word, making everything she says and does laugh-out-loud hilarious, which makes the tragic ending of this book all the more painful.

I enjoyed "The Boleyn Inheritance" immensely. It's a rather long book, but I devoured it in just a couple of days. If you enjoy historical fiction and are a fan of Gregory's other work, you should definitely pick up a copy of this book.

THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE is in some ways a follow up to The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory's most renowned novel to date, but this striking retelling of the Tudor court after Anne Boleyn could easily stand on its own.

The Boleyn Inheritance is the story of three women: Jane Boleyn, the widowed Lady Rochford; Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of Henry VII; and Katherine Howard, his fifth wife and second to be executed. While most history buffs will know the story, Gregory has done the remarkable by breathing life into all three of these real historical figures. Each of the three has their own distinct personality, and even if Gregory had not informed you of whose turn it was to narrate, you have been able to figure it out based on their unique literary voice. As it was, I enjoyed the roving point of view, especially when it was Jane's turn. Jane is not someone who is beloved by history, but Gregory made her seem more human than I've ever read her.

Katherine's narration was also a pleasant surprise. It made me feel even worse for her at the end because she was shown to be truly a child, someone far too young to be Queen of England, much less Henry VIII's wife. Her naivete is shown in a mixture of the brainless things she sometimes says and the soft bent of her thoughts, relatively an innocent compared with other courtiers. She doesn't realize until it is too late that no one can be trusted in Henry's court.

This story is never boring and readers will be immediately struck by the color Gregory brings to known historical events, not sacrificing accuracy for style, but having them both in equal measure. Truly a delight to read. You won't want this book to end.

The timing for my reading of this book was perfect as The Tudors, Season 3, is presently being aired on TV and it covers the same period in history as The Boleyn Inheritance does. Henry's beloved wife Jane Seymour has just died as a result of childbirth and he is encouraged to take another wife.

So begins this 6th Philippa Gregory book dealing with the life and many wives of King Henry VIII. This last book in the series takes on his marriages to Ann of Cleves and Katherine Howard. If your memory of what happened with these two wives is scarce, it's probably better because the book then becomes that much more of a page turner. I stayed up until 2:30AM finishing it because I simply could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen before I went to sleep. With a book like this, it probably wasn't the best idea because it only leads to dreams of The Tower and the "axe". I say this is the last book in the series but I do not know this definitely because there is still one more wife, Katherine Parr, so perhaps Gregory is going to take us into that marriage as well.

This book has three different narrators and each mini chapter is told from their individual voices. We first meet Ann of Cleves as she is hoping to get chosen as Henry's 4th wife. Then there's Katherine Howard, who is hoping to go to court serving the new Queen. Lastly there's Lady Rochford, better known as Jane Boleyn. It was she who was married to Ann Boleyn's brother George and it was her testimony alone that sent him to the scaffold.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. Gregory intersperses her own dose of fiction into the already written history about these years in Henry's life. When you think of the time in history you yourself are born into, you can't help but think "thank God I wasn't born in England during this period". It was such a time of turbulence with an unstable tyrant of a King. I can't even fathom it and, more to the point, I can't even fathom wanting to be his Queen.

I guess there's two ways to read this series....either chronologically or the order in which Gregory wrote them. I chose the latter starting with The Other Boleyn Girl and ending with The Boleyn Inheritance. As it turns out, the first and last books written ended up being my two favorites. I guess an argument could be made for reading them either way but I'm happy I did it the way I did. There's nothing better than beginning and ending a series with two "great" books.

So I encourage any lover of historical fiction to read this book. You won't be disappointed.

This is a review on the audio book version of The Boleyn Inheritance. Read by three different women.

This is the story of Anne of Cleves, Jane Boleyn, and Katherine Howard. Having read all of the other Phillipa Gregory books (The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn girl, The Queens Fool, and The Virgin's Lover) I already knew the story surrounding King Henry the VIII court. This book, which goes back before The Queens Fool and The Virgins Lover to the time after Anne Boleyn's beheading and the death of Jane Seymour, to Henry's 4th Wife Anne of Cleves who was a German girl, supposedly very plain and pretty much unworthy of Henry's advances. It also is about Jane Boleyn the widow of George Boleyn the brother of Anne who was executed for treason. And Katherine Howard a girl of 16 years, cousin to the Boleyn's, who catches Henry's eye at court and eventually becomes his fifth wife after he annuls his marriage to Anne of Cleves.

All three women are coming from a different place in court, and all three go through so many changes throughout the book. Having three different women read this was an amazing idea, and worked out very well. Anne has a German accent, Jane is calm and collected and Katherine is as giddy and immature as a 16 year old is supposed to be.

The Boleyn Inheritance, for each woman, is different. Anne inherits the duties of being queen to a King that is no longer handsome and virile, he is now fat and sick and quite mad with power. Jane inherits her dead husbands and dead sister in laws duties of progressing the family name and fortune not knowing of course that her own neck is on the line, and Katherine inherits the bad fortune of being just another pawn in her families game. I couldn't imagine going into a marriage, as Anne of Cleves did, knowing that 3 wives before you are dead and your husband has the power to anytime pronounce you either a witch or traitor and off goes your head! Thank god she escapes the block, and quite literally remains untouched by the stench of Henry's heavy hand. Jane, on the other hand, gets what is coming to her having betrayed her own flesh and blood to save her own neck; she eventually loses it in the end anyway. Poor Katherine, or Kitty Howard has the brains of a gnat and a libido of a horny rabbit, she follows her hormones right onto the executioners axe. Henry, who we got to know in earlier books as a handsome brilliant and lively young king has turned into a festering obese impotent old king and he has the habit of covering his own faults by pronouncing people treacherous. The mans legacy is written in blood, and his only good doing was fathering the princess Elizabeth who later revives England into its golden age.

I completely recommend anyone who loves Phillipa Gregory, The Tudors, or just a really good read to pick this book up, in audio form or paperback. Its worth your time!

Henry VIII, especially the many intrigues surrounding politics and religion during his reign, not to mention his six wives, has always fascinated me. There is so much material that can be covered during and after his time as king of England that hundreds of books, novels and quite a few films and television series (including the latest on Showtime, The Tudors) have been created. And why not? His life was like a giant real-life soap opera. I read Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl years ago, and I hadn't read any of her books centered on the Tudor dynasty ever since. The Wideacre trilogy was a great read (except for the third and last book), but I hadn't picked anything of hers ever since, and that was about two or three years ago. I recently picked up The Boleyn Inheritance, not knowing what to expect. This is one of the best historical novels set against Henry's reign I have read in a long time.

Katherine of Aragon dies a lonely and undignified death after Henry divorces her, Anne Boleyn is beheaded for supposedly committing adultery, and Jane Seymour passes away shortly after giving birth to a son. Now it is time for Henry to take another wife. With France and Spain plotting against England, an alliance with the Cleves is necessary. And so, here enters Anne of Cleves. After enduring a power-hungry, abusive brother, Anne sees her marriage to King Henry as a ticket way out of her insufferable life at home. She imagines King Henry as he once was -- handsome and charming to the ladies. Instead, she gets an aging, overweight, angry bear of a man who rejects her after she publically humiliates him. He wants a divorce; she wants to remain the queen of England. Yet she knows what would happen to her if she dares to defy the man who has sent three women to an early grave. Her only option is to return back home to her abusive brother, ruined. But she can't let that happen. What will she do? Meanwhile, it appears that one of her ladies-in-waiting has gotten the king's attention. Katherine Howard is young, beautiful and flirty. She is also wise and sensual beyond her fourteen years. She loves to attract the attention of young men and think she is simply humoring a piggy-eyed old man when she flirts with the king. So imagine her life as King Henry's wife. This is all seen through the eyes of Jane Boleyn, Lady Richford. She is back in court after she made the testimony that destroyed both her late husband George and her sister-in-law. Now, under the Duke of Norfolk's demand, she must spy on Anne and Katherine. It appears that Anne Boleyn has left a legacy of tragedy and betrayal not only to her family, but also to all of England.

This is a riveting read. Historians/anglophiles will probably find that this novel isn't very innovating. I for one thought it was fascinating. It's beautifully written, the first-person POV from all three protagonists are clear and well put-together. You never get them confused. Jane Boleyn is the most interesting one of the three. A woman whose testimony sent her husband and sister-in-law to the block, she wasn't likable at all in The Other Boleyn Girl, but it was never clear to me (at least not in the real-life events) whether she'd done it from her free will or if she'd been forced to make the testimony. This novel implies that she had indeed been persuaded into making that choice. As for Gregory's characterization, I appreciate the fact that Katherine Howard is depicted as naïve and flighty in this novel. She is what I imagine most fourteen-year-old are like, vain and silly, which makes it especially jarring for me to know that Henry would marry a child. Then again, what could be expected from someone such as he? And also, they married them young in those times. It's like they were forced to go from children to adults at once. Out of all of his wives, with the exception of Katherine of Aragon, I think that Katherine Howard's demise is the saddest. I could understand why she'd want to be with men her own age and not with one old enough to be her father or even her grandfather. Philippa Gregory humanizes these three women in more ways than one. I enjoyed The Boleyn Inheritance and I look forward to reading Gregory's other books set in the Tudor era. I've already got The Constant Princess lined up.

This is #3 in the Tudor Court series. This historical fiction takes place at the Tudor Court in 16th Century England. Anne of Cleves becomes the latest of Henry VIII's wives. She comes to England to marry, speaking German and dressed very differently than the latest court fashions. She works very hard at being pleasing to the king and learning English. The people love her, even though the king and court all make fun of her.

The story is told in chapters from different points of view-- Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford. Katherine is only 14 years old, but not at all naive when if comes to attracting the king to her bed. She is one of the most entertaining characters of the book, always counting how many dresses and jewels she has, and attempting to learn French. She masters "Voila!" Jane Rochford acts as spy for her family and advises her uncle as to what is always goiong on. She is the widow of George Boleyn.

The story is very entertaining. I enjoyed Gregory's style of writing, even if she does play lose with the facts.

I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed "The Other Boleyn Girl," I liked "The Boleyn Inheritance" a great deal more. First and foremost, we are treated to a story about three women from English history that have been for the most part relegated to footnotes and back-burners, with the sole exception being Katherine Howard, who has received a more substantial amount of attention lately; however Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth and most obscure (though not uninteresting) wife whose marriage to the king was a very short-lived 7 months and Lady Jane Rochford (sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and wife to her brother, George Boleyn) whose false accusations were considered the catalyst for their fall from grace and, ultimately, execution are sometimes played off as minor historical figures in a time and place that never lacked for larger than life personalities. The novel is narrated by all three of the aforementioned women and we see how their lives, though, woven in many respects, were very separate and their narration tells us as much. While serving as a lady to the king's new protestant German wife, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard catches the eye of the aging king whose lust and sense of romance are rekindled by her calculated flirtations and feigned innocence. As a willing pawn for her ambitious family, headed by her ruthless uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, she has little idea of the price she will pay for a childhood indiscretion that surfaces soon after being crowned queen of England. Lady Jane Rochford named Queen Katherine's lady-in-waiting, quickly becomes her greatest confidant, a role that will ultimately lead to her downfall, as court secrets and accusations of betrayal surface and she's named a conspirator in the queen's affairs. Throughout all this, Anne, who thought she'd gained relative safety when Henry annuls their marriage, declares her his sister and grants her various properties, among them the Boleyn ancestral home, Hever Castle, soon realizes the precariousness of her position when the king's fickle and suspicious nature rears its ugly head and her quiet existence is threatened with fear of imprisonment and, perhaps, even death. Just like with her earlier novels, Philippa Gregory's storytelling is both succinct (no padding here) and first rate, with every character given ample attention, which keeps the story moving along at a breathless clip. The narrative never wanes and the climactic exchange between Lady Jane Rochford and the Duke of Norfolk is alone worth the price of admission, as it were. The ferociousness of the encounter is such that it will not soon be forgotten. By far, my favorite PG novel, so I highly recommend it.

The Boleyn Inheritance is a marvellous story! The characters are so full of life and are superbly detailed. The story has a wonderful flow and the plot twists make you love the book all the more. I felt such a strong sense of loyalty to the new Queen Anne of Cleves and I very much wanted her to succeed on the throne. I was also very intrigued by the beautiful young and naive Katherine who was too immature and dense to realize that she was being manipulated by her betters, to influence and manoeuvre the king to their advantage. Jane is perhaps the most fascinating character in this novel because of the mysteriousness of her past and her absolute determination to rise in importance. She seems to live in a somewhat warped reality, no doubt caused by trauma of her husband's death, for treason. The plot is very intriguing and I enjoyed all the stealthy manoeuvring and arrogance of many of the characters in this story; all vying for attention, riches and importance in a kingdom run by the overbearing tyrant, King Henry. The three main characters in this story are bound together by their connection to the throne of England. Anne, Katherine and Jane all have their duties to see to and family titles to enrich through their skillful work and scheming determination. One woman must spy on the new Queen. Another is involved in a plot to draw the kings attention away from the Queen, to herself. And one woman wants nothing more then to be a good queen to her people and have a happy, peaceful home and kingdom to live in. Either through marriage or blood, they are all a part of the Boleyn family.
This entertaining story will pull you in and satisfy your cravings for some mystery and romance, while stuffing you to bursting point with the scandalous delights and terrors of the Royal court.
I very highly recommend this book!!

(10 out of 10 Diamonds) - Absolutely LOVED it!!

© 2008-2009 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy (Book Reviews By Bobbie).
All rights reserved.

The premise of this book is fine. Three women telling about their life at Henvy VIII's court. However, I found the first person narrative to be confusing. Each chapter is told from one of the women's point of view and you had to stay very aware of who was narrating, especially when there was dialog amongst the women. It was difficult to always know who "I" was. I'm also a little skeptical about some of the historical accuracy. Granted, this is a work of fiction, as was the tv series The Tudors and others. However, most things I've read presents as fact that Queen Jane Seymour facilitated the reconcilliation between Henry and Mary and Elizabeth. In this novel it indicates that when Henry marries Anne of Cleves, he still is not reunited with either daughter. Also, in the tv series, Charles Brandon escorts Anne from Cleves to England. In this book he only meets her after she arrives on English soil. Again, with recognition that both are works of fiction it is not a serious breach, however, it does make one suspicious about the historical accuracy of both. With these factors in mind, all in all it is a pleasant story and fun to read.

Philippa Gregory has written an intriguing page turner in the Boleyn Inheritance. It is the story of the court of Henry VIII told through the first person narratives of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law. Anne of Cleves is an abused young royal who is anxious to leave for England to get away from her abusive mother and brother. Her lack of knowledge of the mores of the Tudor court, leads her to an unfortunate beginning with husband to be Henry VIII. Katherine Howard is a vapid yet pathetic young woman, used as a pawn by her unscrupulous relatives, in particular the Duke of Norfolk, who in the end betray her. Katherine is the teenage bride of Henry VIII who is ultimately doomed to disgrace and execution. Jane Boleyn is the guilt ridden widow of George Boleyn; she had earlier betrayed George and his sister Anne, helping to expedite their respective guilty verdicts and executions. Jane Boleyn too is used as a pawn, by the shady and unscrupulous Duke of Norfolk. As history knows, Anne of Cleves was the sole survivor of the three, living out her days as the King's "sister" and being devoted to Henry's children, Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward. Gregory paints the three protagonists as having flaws but sympathetic at the same time. Katherine's and Jane's errors of judgement and being dupes in efect doom them. Anne of Cleves who did fear execution also, survived--she is portrayed as a well meaning young woman who doesn't understand the customs and the language of the English court. This is an excellent book and with the Other Boleyn Girl comprises the best work of Gregory. It is far better than the Constant Princess the book about Katherine of Aragon; I hope Gregory revisits the Tudor court and writes about Jane Seymour and again about Katherine of Aragon, particularly during the time of the King's Great Matter and also emphasizing her relationship with her beloved daughter, Princess Mary.

"Three women who share one fate: the Boleyn Inheritance" (from the back cover)

This quote really sums up what I consider to be the third book in the Tudor saga by Philippa Gregory. The Boleyn Inheritance is narrated through the voices of three narrators: Anne of Cleves (the 4th wife of Henry VIII), Katherine Howard (Henry's 5th wife), and Jane Rochford (the late Anne Boleyn's sister-in-law). Each of these women has a lot on the line because of the cloud that hovered above with the name of Boleyn. Each has earned their current place, in a sense, because of the death of Anne.

I enjoyed the parts of the book that were narrated by Anne of Cleves the best. She was only really part of the Tudor Court for a very short time and was new to the country of England as well. Her chapters brought an outside eye to the story while Jane and Katherine's brought the inside eye. One thing that I really saw in this book was how easily used Katherine Howard was. She was manipulated by all sides and didn't even have a chance to realize quite what was happening. I wasn't a huge fan of Katherine's sections for that reason - she was completely oblivious to everything that was happening - come on girl! Jane's sections were interesting to see her wrestling with the guilt over what she did to her husband and sister-in-law. It was also enlightening to see the way she rationalized everything she did.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book just as much as The Other Boleyn Girl and The Constant Princess. A unique way at looking at this short period of time and the events that quickly unfolded.

To borrow a little more from the back cover to wrap this up nicely "Anne of Cleves - Her Boleyn Inheritance: accusations and false witness. Katherine Howard - Her Boleyn Inheritance: the threat of the axe. Jane Rochford - Her Boleyn Inheritance: a fortune and a title, in exchange for her soul."

I was really pleased with this book and I'm glad that I left it for last. It was a really good way to end the series, so far.

I highly enjoyed the three person narrative. It wasn't confusing and it gave different POVs on the same situation, which was really interesting.

I really felt for Anne of Cleves. Her home life was a shambles and she wanted out. But unfortunately she went from one mad house to another. I don't think it was fair of Henry to call her stupid and ugly. From the picture I've seen she seems to be the prettiest of his wives, or it's a good painting. She's the true voice in the novel. I think her lack of English made the court nervous because she could only speak the truth of what she saw. The truth seems to be the first thing you learn when speaking. Her disastrous meeting was more so for Henry than herself. He finally got the truth and couldn't handle it. His court did him no favours in continuing to tell him lies. They did themselves no favours by lying. I was really impressed with her decision to leave without a fight, and in doing so ended up with more than she would have elsewhere. Her decision to not go to court often saved her life. Stupid she was not.

Katherine Howard. My, my, my. She would be sweet if she wasn't so outwardly stupid, and 85% inwardly stupid. Though she could tell the truth about Henry, and kept it to herself, she was just...boring a bit to me. Let me see, what do I have? Always counting her gowns and jewelry, as if nothing else mattered. And it's possible nothing else did matter to her and that's what's a bit sad. I think Gregory wanted to portray her as not as stupid as everyone says, but even the glimpses of intelligence were short lived by her pushing them out for shiny things. She was truly a child. I found her musings on speaking French quite funny though. She learning French, but the only word she knows is "voila". Then she uses it at the weirdest times. She then says that if she goes to France then they should speak English, or they could learn. I'm thinking, "Idiot, in France they should speak French." It's almost a modern commentary though for people who think when they go abroad everyone should speak English.

Jane Parker, Boleyn, Rochford; Lady Rochford. I didn't like her in The Other Boleyn Girl at all. I found her nosy, simple and annoying. In this not so much. Most of the book she seemed sincere about being sorry for giving testimony against Anne and George Boleyn. But in her memories she stills holds on to the idea of them being lovers in a slight way. It wasn't until the end of the book when she truly showed her colours. No matter how much she may delude herself into think she's an OK person in the end she's not. She truly is a liar, schemer, malicious, evil person. I should mention she's also selfish. I truly think she has a touch of madness, but only because she brought it on herself.

This is a really good book. I read the majority of it while waiting for laundry to be done and forgot the laundry. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a good read.

Having not merely read but absolutely DEVOURED The Other Boleyn Girl, I was eager to read more from Ms. Gregory, and I decided to go in chronological order by history, rather than publication order. Thus, this book came next.

I suppose it's fair to say that I liked "The Other Boleyn Girl" so much that in all honesty, anything coming after it would have little chance of living up to my massive expectations. I wanted another book that both informed and transported me, another invigorating read that made me forget the world around me and sucked me into a world I had scarcely ever imagined. But unfortunately, that simply never happened with this second foray into Ms. Gregory's meticulously researched world. Throughout this book, I was never able to lose sight of the fact that I was reading about people Ms. Gregory never actually knew personally. I never had that feeling reading "The Other Boleyn Girl". In that book, she always made me feel as if I was reading about real, living, breathing people -- not just historical figures being recreated on a page.

In Gregory's defense, there is not a lot known about the private lives of the three women she tries so hard to bring to life here. (She explains as much in author's note at the end of the book, in a move a more cynical reader might call covering her rear end.) So she had little to draw on, and perhaps she should not be faulted if her characters come off as a little flat, simply because she was unwilling to substitute juicier details for scant facts. However, it must be said that she compounds the problem by splitting her narrative into three parts. Instead of giving us a full, rich portrait of one woman, she chooses to give us a pale sketch of three.

The first woman is Anne of Cleves, King Henry VIII's fourth wife, and the first one who managed to outlive him. She comes from Lutheran Germany as part of an arranged marriage and a package deal -- her hand in holy matrimony for her brother, the Duke of Cleves' word that he'll align with Henry against his Papist enemies. Unfortunately for Anne, she has two strikes against her before her marriage can even begin. For one thing, as soon as Henry meets her, he decides that he doesn't like her. Ms. Gregory's imagining of what went wrong during this first meeting to engender such instant spite from the King is ingenious, and I'd bet dollars to donuts that what she imagined is pretty close to what actually happened. Second, the great nations of France, Spain and England at that time were like schoolgirls on a playground in the way they constantly changed allegiances and teamed up against one another. In the month or so it took Anne to get from Germany to England, many of Henry's advisors had already convinced him that he no longer needed the partnership with Cleves. Her marriage to Henry lasted barely six months, so a book solely about her would have been a slim volume indeed. She starts off as a fairly interesting character, but after she loses Queenship Anne's narrative becomes dull, and most of her passages are obviously just breaks from the actual story that's happening with the second Queen Katherine, at court.

Katherine Howard is one of the weaker elements of the book. She's a paper-thin creation, characterized only by youth, beauty and simplicity of mind. Unsurprisingly, this gets very repetitive very quickly. She is guided by her uncle, the same sinister Duke of Norfolk who stood as a shadowy, controlling figure in "The Other Boleyn Girl". Unfortunately, his appearances in this book lack the same threat and menace that he had before, and even he stands diminished in this new tome. Also diminished is the character of King Henry VIII himself. In "The Other Boleyn Girl", I understood him more as a person, and could clearly see his motivations through the eyes and actions of the characters around him. In this book, the people around him simply settle for constantly referring to him as "mad" or "a monster", and little explanation is given for how exactly he got that way, except for old age and the wound in his leg.

The most diminished of all, however, is Jane Boleyn. When she chose to make Jane a protagonist and tried to humanize her, Ms. Gregory took a humongous risk, and I do not believe that it paid off. When she's not busy trying to lead yet another queen to the scaffold, she endlessly moans about her lost husband -- a man SHE helped condemn to death in the first place. Reading her endless whining and moping about how much she loved George and Anne Boleyn highlights one of the books most dismaying flaws: its repetitiveness. The characters repeat the same things over and over again, sometimes within the same paragraph! As the book goes on (and on) it becomes more and more painfully obvious that it's been deliberately fluffed up with filler, since there was so little content to be had here. I wish Ms. Gregory and her editors had simply settled for having a shorter book. After all, there's no rule that says your book will be taken less seriously if it's less than 400 pages, is there? Let's hope not -- the repetion was so bad that in some places, I honestly started to think that maybe Phillippa Gregory didn't write this entire book.

On the whole, I wasn't SO disappointed with this book that I'll stop reading Ms. Gregory's books, but I have to admit that I've lowered her pedastal a few feet. And I'll keep reading the other books in this series in hopes that at least one other will match the brilliance of "The Other Boleyn Girl".

Be warned, those who enjoyed the juicy romanticism of The Other Boleyn Girl may be disappointed here. But the facts of the story have a little less debauchery as history writes...

The author was daring as she split her tale between several women's voices... and in the end wove them back together again. (I listened to this novel on my iPod, and this gave the story a better cohesion.)

Lade Jane Rochford, Anne Boelyn's sister in law, whose husband went to the scaffold for incest with Queen Anne is the narrator.

QUEEN- Anne of Cleves is a well drawn character.
QUEEN- "Kitty" Howard is given a flippant air.

and the Duke of Norfolk attempting the regain standing after the Howard girls' spiraling defeat.

This novel gave meaning to many elements we could not understand looking back centuries later. It touched on the political structure and strings being pulled in Europe. It touched on the influence of the church and a wave of reform crashing through Europe.

It spoke clearly of the tyrant Henry had become, touching on those whose livelihoods depended upon the moody man. The perspective on a monarchy, vassals and power within a court... these are the HIGHLIGHTS of this novel. Not the juicy (historical licensed) affairs and torrid romances in Henry's youth. In truth, the tone of the court had changed. Henry's focus, although always self serving, had changed. Be ready for the divergence.

So this is not The Other Boleyn Girl. But the story told is a solid, entertaining one. And when you are writing about history, it is also well known the outcome. This is a fluffy, entertaining historical novel.

This novel sucked me in from the beginning and did not let go - all three women were relatable and I desperately had to find out what would happen with each of their lives.

This is the first novel by Gregory that I have read where she tells the story from more than one perspective. In this case, it was very effective as the reader essentially got to hear the same story told by three different women who lived it, yet their roles were so drastically different from each others'. What struck me most about these women was how utterly helpless they all were to control anything about their lives. Every single decision was made for them, and even the very strong-willed among them - such as Anne of Cleves, who did everything in her power to be her own woman and make her own decisions - were completely controlled by the men around them. And especially in the court of King Henry VIII, women had no hope. They could do exactly as was expected of them, be perfect little angels who listened to the men in charge and do exactly as they were told, and the king would still find some reason to put them to death, or if they were lucky, exile. As much of a horrible person Jane Rochford was, and as much of a "slut" Katherine Howard was, I simply found myself feeling so sorry for them. They had no choice in any of their actions. It was actually kind of heartbreaking to read about, especially regarding Jane, who honestly felt like she was doing the best she could for her family, yet was being manipulated by her uncle and suffered an awful fate for it.

I loved this book, and I will be continuing to read Philippa Gregory's work until I've finished it all (and hopefully by then, she'll have written more!). It was a fabulous book to kick off 2009, and I highly recommend The Boleyn Inheritance.

I've long been fascinated with the entire Plantagenet and Tudor dynasty's. So when I spotted the Boleyn Inheritance, I bought it, looking forward to some lively reading about this tumultuous time in Britain's history.

Phillipa Gregory has written a fascinating in depth book. Rich in detail, Phillipa has created a lively and complex perspective on the lives of the women who lived at the court of King Henry VIII.

One of the most compelling characters is Lady Jane Rocheford. This aristocratic woman played a pivotal role in bringing down Anne Boleyn, the second wife of the King. As the story unfolds we catch a glimpse of the searing hate and jealousy that enabled Lady Jane to not only bear witness against Queen Anne, but her own husband George. Her testimony sealed the death warrants for her husband and the Queen.

As we watch her squirm under the Duke of Norfolk's merciless demands, we see a creature besotted by power and completely oblivious to the fact she is hated in all the courts of Europe. Yet she shows a softer side when dealing with the long suffering Anne of Cleves, King Henry's 4th wife.

Anne of Cleves who had endured the abuses of her brother William, and her mothers fanatical insistence on proper behavior, is initially lost in the bewildering world of Tudor power. When she finds she is to be gotten rid of to make way for Kathryn Howard, Anne finally realizes, that to deny the King is to die. And through this experience, she blooms like an English rose and flies free of the court and it's traps.

Katherine Howard, a young girl, who attracts her uncle's notice, becomes a pawn in a vicious game of power. The Duke of Norfolk is desperate to regain ascendancy for his house and uses young "Kitty" as his catalyst.

King Henry, bereft over the death of Jane Seymour, is feeling old, and very depressed. His leg wound never healed and causes him not only great pain, but personal humiliation. The stink of the seeping wound, along with being "costive" (constipated) follows him everywhere. When he spots Kathryn, she immediately renews his belief in his manhood and his ability.

While I enjoyed this book on its own merits, I had real difficulty with Gregory's handling of both Kathryn Howard and King Henry himself. Kathryn was no virgin, but a rather lusty promiscuous girl. Gregory spends much time weaving a nice play of emotions in Kitty. She is a blend of total self centeredness and coltish teen.

Historical documentation says otherwise. In an age when girls married young, and.. were considered old maids by 20, it's hard to swallow the naivete of a seasoned young lady. A young lady that had already had at least two lovers before ever arriving at court. A girl trained to understand that to be at court meant possible advancement and great wealth for those willing to play the game. Her behavior was scandalous and very calculated.

Henry in this book is portrayed as wholly monstrous. A fat, stinking lecher with a wet slack mouth and no scruples. This is grossly inaccurate to say the least. Gregory has him leaving his wife-Jane Seymour to die alone. Historical documentation states rather clearly that he prized his Jane, and when she died he went into deep mourning. In fact he prized her so much, he was buried next to her.

This King led Great Britain into the Renaissance. He was an amateur astrologer, patron of the arts and sciences, famed for his dancing and jousting, and known for his great erudition. When he met Kathryn Howard, he was obese and out of shape certainly. But she created a wellspring of vitality and hope in Henry. Contrary to Gregory's assertions, Henry lost weight, danced, rode and appeared in far better health than he had in a very long time.

While I did enjoy the book on its own merits, I wasn't able to swallow the one sided characterizations of two of the books major players. It was in such jarring contrast to her carefully thought out portraiture of both Anne of Cleves and Jane Rocheford, that for myself at least, it ruined the entire book.

So, if you're looking for a lightweight summer read, pick this one up. The fast paced story lines and vivid depiction of court life will keep you reading late into the night. If you're looking for a deeper, richer but highly entertaining read, try Margaret George's The Autobiography of King Henry VIII.

This novel is written from the viewpoint of three very different women - the naive yet quick-witted Anne of Cleves, the calculating Jane Boleyn and the greedy and childish Catherine Howard. They take turns by each chapter telling their view of events as they occur over a fairly brief period of time. Anne is set aside by the King in favor of Catherine, and it's the best thing that could have happened to her. She's the only one of the King's wives to survive a parting in a fairly benign (compared to the others) way.

Catherine ignores her revulsion in order to be the new Queen, all so that she can get pretty new dresses and jewels. She is completely and idiotically heedless of the dangers that await her in this vicious court and, even more stupidly, seeks comfort in the arms of a man within her new husband's household.

Finally, Jane Boleyn, the woman who pretends to be the friend of all the queens and really is only a friend to herself. She is only the marionette of the duke, the uncle of both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, but she has plenty of evil all on her own, and was, based on her behaviour, quite possibly insane. I knew nothing of what happened with these three ladies so every page brought a new surprise, and the writing is so evocative of the period and illustrates emotion in such a compelling fashion that I was loath to set the book down until I had finished it.

Philippa Gregory's books gets knocked for being historically inaccurate, and that's a fair complaint. However, they provide an excellent introduction to the period and, once interested, a reader can continue into non-fiction discussions of the times about which she writes by seeking out the volumes listed at the end of each novel. I know that I will be doing exactly that.

A sequel to The Other Boleyn Girl. You don't need to read them in order, but if you don't know anything about the reign of Henry the 8th, I would read TOBG first. I don't think that this book would be the same without a good understanding of what was going on at the time and the crazy stuff that Henry did. I also think it helps to have a sense of what Henry was like as a younger man to appreciate how messed up this period in English history was and how things progressed with Henry's growing power.

This book is from the point of view of three women, Anne of Cleves(Henry's fourth wife), Jane Boleyn (The wife of George, Anne Boleyn's brother) and Katherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife). I normally don't like it when the point of view changes from more than two characters, but it was done very well and I didn't mind at all. It did not feel segmented because when it changed POV character, the new character picked the story up from where the last character left off.

This is good historical fiction and a worth reading if you enjoy the genre and a must read for those of you who are interested in the period.

As a woman I find it utterly frightening to imagine living in Henry's court. To live in a time where you are owned by the men in your family and traded to another man, like a horse. To have little or no choice about anything in your life and your worth is judged on your ability to give birth to a boy child. To live in fear of being drug to a scaffold, kicking and screaming, to be beheaded on the whim of a madman, with no trial, or proof of a crime. It's chilling. I find it a whole lot scarier than anything Stephen King's written in the last twenty years.

The Boleyn Inheritance continues where The Other Boleyn Girl left off. Henry is once again looking for a wife and this time he looks to Cleves. Anne's arrival to the English court follows intrigue, passion and more romantic drama as the perpetually fickle Henry falls for yet another lady in waiting to yet another queen. For those who enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, this is a welcome addition but not necessarily as fast-paced. There is a lot of introspective repetition i.e. characters thinking out loud the same thoughts over and over again. Jane Boleyn's character touches the reader, as does that of Katherine Howard. Jane leaves a slimy, deceptive impression on you in the previous book but in this one, PG deliberately makes you confused in what you feel for her.
The book is very well written and the characters are extremely strong in their impact. The story is obviously based on actual history with a few stretches. Towards the middle of the book, I felt... disgusted. Why? Well I felt disgusted with Henry VIII once again. It is amazing, the number of people he sent to the block and stake just because they did not agree with him. The helplessness of his people, family and his tyrannical rule almost put a fear over the reader. Every tale entwined in Henry's life starts with a castle and ends with the execution block. I think this disgust is PG's success in writing a very good book. I will now turn to something lighter, like fantasy!

It seems every time I pick up a Philippa Gregory book, I cannot put it down. Since reading The Constant Princess, I have been hooked on her books and find myself totally absorbed in her storytelling. The Boleyn Inheritance was no different.

The story is set between 1539 and 1542 after Jane Seymour dies and King Henry VIII decides to marry once again. He marries a German princess, Anne of Cleves, but after a bad first encounter with her, he quickly begins to hate her. Once Anne is in England she finds herself alone and barely able to speak the language, with a husband who will not consummate the marriage and who dislikes her from the start.

The story is told from the points of view of Queen Anne, Katherine Howard who is a lady in waiting, and Jane Boleyn, who is George Boleyn's widow. Jane's own testimony helped send her late husband and his infamous sister Anne Boleyn to the chopping block.

I enjoyed this book very much. The Boleyn Inheritance has been the perfect read on a cold winters night. There was drama, romance and plenty of interesting characters to keep me hooked. I was completely hooked on the last few chapters and was up until late into the night reading. Philippa Gregory had me on the edge of my seat.

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory reaffirms her place as the "first lady of historical fiction". Being a fan of her previous historical novels surrounding the Tudor court, such as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Queen's Fool and The Constant Princess, I was not surprised to discover that The Boleyn Inheritance was an intriguing, entertaining and vivid portrayal of Henry VIII's marriages to his fourth and fifth wives, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. The tale is narrated alternately by Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard(cousin of Anne Boleyn) and Lady Jane Rochford; the widow of Anne Boleyn's brother George, whose testimony helped send both Anne and George to the scaffold on charges of incest and treason.

The use of three distinct voices is unique, for although all three women may have been witnesses to many of the same court events, their descriptions vary due to their character and personal history. It is for this reason alone that the novel does not become redundant. Historians tend to possess distinct perceptions of the two wives that are the focus of this novel. Anne of Cleves has been most often perceived as unattractive, distasteful, physically repugnant and unsophisticated; while Katherine Howard has been perceived as a silly, stupid, illogically ignorant and a lustful wanton.

By the end of the novel, readers concur with Ms. Gregory on the fact that perhaps Anne of Cleves was the most fortunate of Henry's wives, for she gained independence and property upon the annulment of her marriage (something very few women of her time could ever hope for), however Ms. Gregory gives readers a sense of the humiliation she must have felt; to be publicly rejected by one of the most powerful men in Europe- this is a fact many historians, such as Allison Weir, often over look. Katherine Howard does often come across as incredibly silly and naïve, but Ms. Gregory deliberately portrays her this way, not as an insult but to remind her readers that nothing more should be expected from a fifteen year old girl, surrounded by people much older and much more sophisticated than she. Ms. Gregory sought to portray these two women in a more humanistic light, to show that as women they lived in a world with limited options, in a world in which a man's word was law, especially if a man was king and most certainly if that man was the tyrant Henry VIII became towards the end of his reign.

The voice of Lady Jane Rochford was not as strong, and her characterization not as complex. It is obvious that Ms. Gregory wanted to invoke sympathy for Lady Rochford, but she did a poor job. Not only do Lady Rochford's public justifications for her testimony against her husband and sister-in-law lack believably, her personal justifications (which are given to the reader through internal monologues) lack believability as well. There was no evidence presented in the novel which could make Lady Rochford's betrayal forgivable or even understandable in the eyes of the reader. The only emotion felt when Lady Jane met her executioner was relief, for she was deserving of her fate.

The Boleyn Inheritance was a successful novel, it managed to avoid the dark overtones which were consistent in The Constant Princess, but it lacked the magic and romance of The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool. Ms. Philippa Gregory remains the "first lady of historical fiction" for she approaches her time periods and characters with academic discipline, yet she allows her imagination to carry the story forward. For this reason she is able to present history in unthreatening, entertaining way, for readers who know little about the historiography of the Tudor period will become educated in history just as they will be equally enthralled with the drama. Those with sufficient knowledge of the period will not lack for substance, for the creative aspects and the historical content are equally strong.

Returning to the court of Henry VIII, this book is the story of three women, Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleaves, Henry's fifth wife, Kitty Howard, and Jane Boleyn. Anne of Cleaves travels to England in order to marry Henry VIII. Expecting a dashing older gentleman, she is put off to discover her new husband is a large, putrid self-absorbed and indulgent man. When Henry VIII is unable to consummate his marriage his attention turns to young Kitty Howard, a flirtatious lady-in-waiting. Jane Boleyn, the sister-in-law of the late Anne Boleyn, coaches Kitty to become the next Queen of Englang. Wanting nothing more than riches, Kitty Howard plays to the King, as he decides to set aside Anne and marry Kitty instead.

Unlike other Gregory novels, the characters appear a bit stereotypical. Kitty is a young flirtatious teenager, thinking of nothing more than riches. Anne of Cleaves only wishes to escape her brother and quickly adjusts to her new role as the King's "sister." Jane Boleyn is a bit self-deluded and irrational. Overall, this book is not as good as Gregory's other novels, however, it is still worth a read.

Anne of Cleves. Katherine Howard. Jane Rochford. These three women share an inheritance born of deceit and political ambition, cast upon a stage with monarch Henry VIII, a man who has deluded himself into believing he is the direct recipient of God's word. By the time Henry has given Anne Boleyn over to the court for execution, he is infected with a persistent madness that touches all those around him. Advised by the Duke of Norfolk, who raised two Howard women to the throne of England only to see them die and the pliant inquisitors who do the king's bidding, Henry has become a terror: "He is a danger... be warned." In this fascinating novel, Gregory reveals the inner lives of Anne, Katherine and Jane, their dreams and terrors, interpreting their lives from a female perspective and their place in history, ever at the mercy of powerful men.

Not long after Jane Seymour dies in childbirth, Henry arranges a marriage with Anne of Cleves in 1539. Anne arrives at court unable to speak any language but German; her lack of communication causes a faux pas that costs her Henry's enmity for the duration of their marriage and nearly her life. Fortunately for Anne, Henry is anxious to put her aside to wed Katherine Howard, a fifteen-year-old in the queen's entourage who takes his fancy, allowing the aging king to imagine his youthful manhood reinvigorated. Katherine is clearly a fool, but ignorant of the dangers of court life, falling into a trap of the Howard's making, left to fend for herself when the king turns against her. Lady-in-waiting to both queens, Jane Rochford, wife of George Boleyn and sister-in-law of Anne, gave evidence against brother and sister, thereby saving her own head in lieu of theirs. A convenient and loyal pawn of the Duke of Norfolk, Jane does his bidding in an attempt to secure her future no matter the cost to the queens she serves.

Anne is stolid, Germanic in temperament and not pleasing to Henry, yet the most fortunate, her stodgy ways separating her from Henry's wrath once he has put her aside as wife. When he desires Katherine, Anne is only worried for the girl's lack of common sense. Jane Rochford is the most challenging in her self-delusion and easy complicity with the Duke's plans, rationalizing her behavior, resisting to the end the shame of her existence. In the voices of Anne, Katherine and Jane, the story spins out over a few years, the court out of control under Henry's truculence and ill-temper, the country in thrall to the whims of a madman. By the time Katherine is beheaded, the women have played their parts, puppets of a megalomaniac and his minions. In this chilling account of life in Henry's court, betrayal abounds, the days harrowing as Jane, Anne and Katherine scramble for security. As hardy, brave and complex as any of their counselors, paramours or agents, Gregory's female characters are infinitely compelling, rising from the pages of history to claim their own inheritance. Luan Gaines/2006.

If (like me) you loved "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Queen's Fool" but found "The Virgin's Lover" ridiculous and "The Constant Princess" dull, Philippa Gregory's latest book is good news indeed. It marks a return to what made the first two of her Tudor books so irresistible: believable characters you enjoy spending time with and with whom you sympathize, sometimes in spite of yourself.

Gregory uses three narrators: Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Jane Boleyn, and presents them without bearing judgment on them. Anne of Cleves is a particularly well-rounded character, and even though you know her fate, the twists of her storyline keeps you turning the pages (well past bedtime, in my case). The writing is smooth without being slick, descriptive without being cumbersome.

I have just two quibbles: The voices of Anne and Jane are very similar, and the course of events that hardened Henry's heart against Katherine are skimmed over. But all in all it's great to be able to recommend one of Gregory's novels again!

I admit to being a "period buff" so although this is my first read by this author, I have read many from this historical period. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author used a 3 person narrative throughout the book. At first (since this is a Kindle book for me) I had to keep turning back to see who the narrative was in that chapter but once I got the characters straight it was easy to tell who was speaking because you got to know the characters --and their perspective.
It kept me riveted because (alas!) I had forgotten which of Henry's wives survived the butcher block and did NOT want to know the ending -- but was cheering and cringing -- who did and did not survive in the end. I will absolutely read more by this author...you will enjoy this piece IF you enjoy the period. ALSO--nice feature was that despite the period setting and descriptions, the dialogue was not labored down with "thee's" and "thou's" as someone had asked me...smoother reading albeit not true to the period--perfect for me!

Philippa Gregory fans have much to celebrate.

In this latest installation of The Other Boleyn Girl series, Ms Gregory, today's supreme diva of historical literature, crafts a magnificent rendition of the lives of Anne of Cleves, Lady Rochford (Jane Boleyn), and Katherine Howard with her trademark mesmeric and empathic story telling ability.

It is 1539. England is held in submission by a tyrannical and aging monarch of increasingly aberrant behavior. As Henry VIII descends into madness and pain, it becomes impossible to predict how or by whom he will be offended. The consequences are mortal: death by decapitation or worse. The wife killer seeks a bride, and political machinations by Henry's courtiers and the Bavarian Duke of Cleves lead to an arranged marriage with the Duke's sister Anne. She arrives hopeful, dutiful, and eager to begin a new life away from her virtual prison on her brother's estate. She aspires to be a good queen, and an asset to her people. To her shock she enters a world more frightening and occult than she imagined possible. The duplicitous and insane Lady Rochford, head of Anne's privy chamber, is the sinister pawn of the evil Duke of Norfolk, and together these two reptilian allies scheme to oust Anne and install Katherine Howard as the queen.

Told in three distinct voices, we watch as the terrifying events unfold. The suspense builds, and is not diminished by the fact that the reader likely already knows from their history lessons how the story will end. Anne is the true victor; the one who survives the lunacy to live a semi-independent life in the country. Her story is at once poignant and magnificent. Katherine Howard is clever but fatally naive, and reminds one of a sixteenth century Paris Hilton style party girl. Lady Rochford begins the story as predatory, and ends as... well I'll let you read that for yourself. Gregory's artistic license is well employed.

I can hardly wait for the next book.

An interesting look at a very troubled and turbulent time in British history where the Royal Court was scarily similar to the population competitions of modern day American High Schools. Presiding over everyone is an overgrown spoiled bully of a man; to no one has ever dared to tell the truth. No one except possibly for his second wife for whom he literally moved Heaven and Earth - Created himself the Head of the Church on Earth and for which the Pope had him excommunicated. Like all spoiled little boys, when he was bored with his new toy, or it appeared 'broken', his attention quickly turned elsewhere.

What happened to those left in the wake of the hurricane that was Henry? What was the Boleyn inheritance? Titles? Lands? Jewels? or something far more sinister?

The Boleyn Inheritance picks up where The Other Boleyn Girl left off: Anne Boleyn and her brother George have been beheaded as traitors, Jane Seymour has died in childbirth, and King Henry is searching for his fourth wife. The story is told from the alternating points of view of three women central to this period in English history: Anne of Cleves, the unlucky fourth wife whom Henry despises almost from first sight; Katherine Howard, a maid to the queen who is almost as witless as she is beautiful, and Jane Boleyn, who sent her husband and sister-in-law to the gallows on the order of her uncle, whose scheming service she finds herself in once again. These three women struggle to survive in a court that can bless its favored with riches one minute and condemn them as traitors the next, each one longing to be free of the men who seek to control them, each doing whatever is necessary to survive.

Gregory's books aren't for children - there's a fair amount of sex and sexual innuendo in them - but if schools taught history like this, we'd all have aced it.

Whilst reading this sweeping tale of three women bound together by the murderous lust of King Henry VIII, one cannot help but wonder where Gregory's editor had gone. Many sentences, even pages, could have been eliminated and the novel would have retained its emotional depth. The monotonous repetition of various images and phrases got very overwhelming at times - the point did not need to be emphasized so much. It felt was if the smart author was dumbing down her prose. Fortunately, because the book was so long, one is able to get deep inside the heads of the characters - and even gasps in shock as a major betrayal is revealed in a heartbreaking, morale-lowering climax. The portrayals of the three women are spot on and believable. The entire mood of the novel was that of a Great Epic, and the political intrigue more than satisfies. After finishing the last affecting words of the condemned women, one can literally feel the brush of Death that they themselves describe. This basic literary feat - to transport the reader to another time - is what Gregory did (although not at her best) quite beautifully.

This is a must for lovers of reading anything and everything Tudor. A fascinating look at two of Henry's little known queens, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. This book might be difficult to get into at first if you have no prior knowledge of Henry VIII and his wives, but it's worth sticking with it.

I loved the way the author told the story from the viewpoint of Anne, Katherine and Jane Boleyn (who was married to George Bolyen, the first Anne's brother). The characters were brilliantly portrayed and came alive before my eyes. Anne, just trying to stay alive in a court riddled with intrigue, Jane scheming with her uncle to put another Howard on the throne, and Katherine (LOL) the not too bright but very beautiful 15 year old who just wanted to look pretty and have pretty things and be admired by handsome men. There were times I was laughing out loud at Kitty's comments, and the chapters that repeatedly started with another accounting of "what do I have now?", as she counted her jewels and clothes.

Through these three women we see Anne and Kitty caught up in something they are helpless to stop, Henry's lusting after young Kitty and his determination to put Anne aside at any cost to have Kitty. Most fascinating of all is the way Henry is portrayed through all three women, and he is terrifying indeed. An absolute ruler, with complete power over all around him and mad as a hatter. And wonderful to see that of all of them, Anne was able to come through the terror unscathed and a free, independent woman.

Highly highly recommended.

If you liked "The Other Boleyn Girl" then this is definitely worth a read. Continuing the theme of how women in this period were used as pawns in the rise (and fall) of men, Gregory fleshes out two of the lesser known of Henry's wives -- Anne of Cleves and Kathryn Howard. Perhaps most interesting though is the perspective and fate of Lady Jane Rochford, who escaped the beheading of her husband and sister-in-law and is "rewarded" for her skill in navigating Henry VIII's court. Interesting perspective on Henry's later years, illness and apparent madness.

In general, for a whole researched, but fictionalized perspective on Henry and his wives, I prefer Margaret George's "Autobiography of Henry VIII." It is interesting that she and Gregory have both done extensive research, but have reached somewhat different conclusions about several characters. I'm not sure exactly who to trust without going to the more scholarly sources myself, but Gregory's portrayal is certainly compelling and a bit "sexier."

In general a very enjoyable read, and you may even learn a thing or two!

The Boleyn Inheritance gave me an unexpected passion for Anne of Cleves. Little is known about her and I found this book to be a great history lesson. (Wouldn't it be nice to have learned history this way in school? If so, I would have been a history major for sure.) I very much enjoyed her strength and even though I knew she wouldn't end up on the block, I found myself nervous for her all the same.

Katherine Howard was another poor little girl caught in the web of her family's plot for position. Phillipa Gregory portrayed her as a self-centered, yet naive girl who I wanted to rescue.

Jane Boleyn is portrayed as a woman without a soul and always carrying out her family's wishes no matter what the cost. But even at her end, I wished her better.

I feel P.G. did another excellent job bringing the 16th century to life. Although this book is historical fiction, it's altogether possible that the stories of these three women's lives could actually hold some truth.

A really good history lesson once again.

This is Philippa Gregory's best novel yet! Not many writers would bother to go so deep into the lives of the women who changed the course of history. In a time when women were thought of as inferior and bothersome, Gregory opens the eyes of the reader and makes them realize that without Kathrine of Aragon, or Anne Boleyn, or Jane Seymour, or Anne of Cleves, or Katherine Howard, or Katherine Parr, Henry VIII would not be remembered as he is now. He would not be that infamous king who tore his own country apart for the lust of a woman. It was the women in his life that made him famous(and the same goes for many other men in history). That's what I like about Gregory, she makes these people real, she turns them back into flesh and blood before our eyes. She makes them laugh, love, and cry. She gives them humanity. This is not just another one of her fantastic triumphs as a writer, but full proof of her knowledge of the human nature.

Through the viewpoints of Jane Boleyn, widow of George, of Anne of Cleves and of Catherine Howard we view the court of an ageing Henry VIII.

Jane Boleyn is a survivor - at any cost. Her viewpoint gives us a clear view of the ugly side of court politics, of dynastic struggles for influence over Henry VIII and potentially for more direct influence over the monarchy once the King is dead.

Anne of Cleves gives us a firsthand view of the trading between countries in marriage partners. By becoming the only wife of Henry VIII to exit marriage without losing her life, her influence thereafter is benign. Her viewpoint, as portrayed in the novel, is invaluable in providing an insider view which is less emotionally coloured than the views of Jane and Catherine.

Catherine Howard - portrayed as a foolish young woman. A victim of the dynastic politics of her own mendacious family as much as of her own inability to see or plan beyond today.

And, in the background, an ailing King who has not come to terms with the consequences of age, who is desperate to add princes to the line of succession, who is ambivalent about reforming the Church and who needs to be surrounded by beauty.

The combination of viewpoints in this book works well. The characterisations fit, reasonably well, with what is known about each of the women.

Highly recommended to those who are interested in reading good fiction about some of the lesser known players from the reign of Henry VIII.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is the kind of book I can't stop reading. I was hooked right away by the new voices, especially Anne of Cleaves and Katherine Howard. Although Katherine reminded me quite a bit of Kingsolver's Rachel in The Poisonwood Bible, I would ascribe that to capturing the essence of teen selfishness and self-worship, especially in the persona of an exceptionally pretty but uneducated girl.

There are lots of serious books to read, and I've done my share of reading and teaching "the real thing," i.e. heavy literature, and I get something out of that too. But when I just want to be diverted, taken away to another era and walk in the shoes of the courtiers of Henry VIII's reign, nobody does it better than Philippa Gregory.

Have some fun with this book--the ending is well-known history, but Gregory kept me turning the pages, waiting for the fateful knock at the door.

This book was amazing, loved it more then The Other Boleyn Girl. It may have been the three POVs that made it better or the fact these women could be so different from each other but almost want the same thing or that they were more, more something that Mary Boleyn's great story was not. Even knowing before reading this how history played out there was something about this book that couldn't put down until I was done. Of course there are inaccuracies between this book and history but that's why it's fiction people. Unless it's in a diary no one really knows what anyone from back then was thinking but reading an opinion about what might have lead to the events from then is just so exciting. I almost didn't want the book to end because it was great seeing into that world (despite really disliking kind Henry and some of his men and advisers) and what people might have been thinking.

If (like me) you loved "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Queen's Fool" but found "The Virgin's Lover" ridiculous and "The Constant Princess" dull, Philippa Gregory's latest book is good news indeed. It marks a return to what made the first two of her Tudor books so irresistible: believable characters you enjoy spending time with and with whom you sympathize, sometimes in spite of yourself.

Gregory uses three narrators: Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Jane Boleyn, and presents them without bearing judgment on them. Anne of Cleves is a particularly well-rounded character, and even though you know her fate, the twists of her storyline keeps you turning the pages (well past bedtime, in my case). The writing is smooth without being slick, descriptive without being cumbersome.

I have just two quibbles: The voices of Anne and Jane are very similar, and the course of events that hardened Henry's heart against Katherine are skimmed over. But all in all it's great to be able to recommend one of Gregory's novels again!

While not as excellent as The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance is a darn great read! It has intrigue, romance, murder, lust, betrayal, suspense, humor, irony....I read this 500 page book in 5 days, it kept me reading late at night. (Not something I do often with a toddler who wears me out during the day!) There wasn't a boring page through the entire thing- the 3 main characters Queen Anne, Queen Katherine and Jane Boleyn are not to be forgotten. Each are intriguing in their own way and their stories pull you in. Even if you aren't very familiar with this period in time, like myself, you can still enjoy this book because the author does a good job at setting the background, filling in information and giving you tidbits of knowledge. The author's attention to detail is superb. Gregory does it again!!

I've read The Constant Princess (Katharine of Aragon) and The Other Boleyn Girl (Anne Boleyn) and enjoyed them both. Now to read Anne of Cleves' and Katherine Howard's stories was very interesting. I didn't realize Anne of Cleves survived - good for her! I think we can all agree Henry VIII was a mad man out of control....interesting to see how he affected the world. It seems to me from what I've read of him so far that his behavior took a definite turn at the point where he met and fell for the Viper, Anne Boleyn. From there forward he got crazier and crazier and it is my opinion she was the one who drove him off the cliff....

My favorite of all her books! Kitty Howard is so darling and empty headed, you cannot believe what happens to her. And Anne of Cleves is a study, graceful woman trapped with a mercurial, egomaniacal husband. And Jane Boleyn is insane. I've read this one probably upwards of 10 times. Love it.

Macy May Marcus, Author

Rant of a Retailer: True Stories From a Retail Manager

I mostly like Gregory's books, and I love the genre of historical fiction. Personally, I feel this is her strongest book yet.

I learned a lot about King Henry, Anne Boylen, Jane Boylen, Anne of Cleves, and Kitty Howard.

The book is told in three points of view that alternate. You get Jane Boylen's pov, Anne of Cleves, and Kitty Howard. This format makes the book fast paced and for me, facinating. All three are differnt, have different personalities, and differnt outcomes with King Henry. King Henry, by the way, was a real whack job, and that comes through loud and clear in this book.

If you love history more than fiction, then this book will not like this book, as it is more fiction than history, but for me, it has enough history to make it worthwhile for me. And, at the end, unlike any other Gregory book, she adds some history notes at the end of this book.

I felt this was the best of her work, the most facinating, and the best of her work yet. This is a great place to start if you want to find out about her writing.

This book can be considered a sequel to Gregory's book The Other Boleyn Girl. This book though tells a slightly different story.

This book centers on three women who have to deal with the aftermath of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour.

Jane Boleyn was the wife of George Boleyn and the sister in law of Anne Boleyn. Her testimony helped convict both of them leading to their deaths. When Henry VIII decides to marry Anne of Cleves Jane comes back to court to help.

Anne wants to get out under the thumb of her mother and brother and so is very excited when she is to become Queen of England. However the relationship between Anne and Henry is tumultuous and only six months after their marriage they are divorced and she becomes Henry's beloved sister.

Katherine Howard is the cousin of Anne Boleyn. She lived with her step-grandmother until her uncle says that he wants her to serve Anne of Cleves. Soon she catches the heart of Henry and several days after the divorce she is the new Queen of England. There is only one problem, she does not love Henry. Soon Katherine catches the eye of Thomas Culpeper and Jane Boleyn must help them to keep their relationship a secret from King and court, which ends with both Jane and Katherine beheaded for treason.

A very interesting look at history.

During my vacation I have read both "The Constant Princess" and "The Boelyn Inheritance". The former, while good, tended to drag a bit in my opinion. On the other hand, I could not put "The Boelyn Inheritance" down! Gregory does a great job of making you feel invested in these people. Although as history teacher I knew what Katherine Howard's fate was, I still found myself in tears when she met her death. You really felt sorry for this girl whose only fault was wanting to be able to act her age and love the man of her choice. On the other hand, it was great to see Anne of Cleves create a new life for herself away from her brother and King Henry. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of good historical fiction!

The alternating person perspective was interesting. This is a novel and yet while reading it, one often feels it is actually what happened. Through the years I have read many novels written for this era in history. This one is more about the lesser known queens and gave reasoning why they found them themselves in the position they have in history. For me, it was new, an easy read and enjoyable. It was not difficult to follow as each chapter is titled the perspective of the person it is discussing.

Having just finished the last page of this book, I'm still feeling rather trembly(if that's a word!) and shaken at the picture of complete horror and terrible fear painted so brilliantly by Philippa Gregory. Poor, Katherine Howard was the 5th wife of the murderous Henry V111, a pretty but vapid child of fifteen and as silly and stupid a 15 year old as one could imagine. The poor ditz of a creature was used by her family, the aristocratic and ruthless Howards, who also produced Queen Anne Boleyn, and manipulated into captivating the King who had deteriorated into a madman with a gross, infected and ulcerated body and who had become a complete megalomaniac. The other part of the story which was more interesting to me, was the story of Anne of Cleves who was Henry's 4th wife but who, through dint of cleverness and good luck, escaped the headman's axe by agreeing to the annulment of her marriage. Not much has been written about Anne but she must go down in history as one of the luckiest women in the world. I found this book to be an excellent read and an absolute page turner to the end.

I absolutely loved this novel. It was not only educational, but absolutely showcased the author's talent. There are three narrators in this book, and you would never mistake one for the other.

The author gives each such a distinct narrative voice, that it is a delight to read. She also has a talent for giving a telling detail, rather than dry description.

I doubt there can be anyone who will come away from this book without thinking of Henry VIII as a monstrous serial killer, but given the facts, that rings true.

This author can make you care. You'll feel sorry for vain and foolish Kitty Howard. You may even feel sorry for Lady Rocheford.

If you get a chance to listen to it on audio, you may like it even better. It was engaging, exciting, and compelling.

Maybe it is because I've read too much about Tudor times and know too much about the fates of Henry VIII's six wives that I found this book too predictable. It took me weeks to get through the first half, but admittedly, I got more engrossed through the last third (eventhough I knew the ending). I found the writing style of making each chapter representative of an individual character frustrating. I would have so preferred that the characters stories meshed without the constant jumping back and forth from one viewpoint to another; it made for too much redundancy.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book, but wish that Ms. Gregory would slow down and stop trying to put out book after book so quickly and get back to the quality of her earlier releases.

This is my 3rd Gregory book and definitely my favorite. I don't usually like stories that alternate narrators but this time it worked well and I liked it. I was completely enchanted by Gregory's portrayals of Katherine Howard and Anne of Cleves (the two of Henry VIII's wives about whom the least is known). I'm more impressed than ever at Gregory's faithfulness to history and her confidence in making up what can't be proved through research. In this book she made history and fiction blend beautifully. No one would ever believe that I--a high school and college history hater from way back--have become so fascinated with these historical figures that I just can't put these books down. Where were these books when I was suffering through dry, boring history classes?

Reading this novel was, in a phrase - sheer joy. I read it while I was in Israel, mostly during the long bus rides from one city to another, and I tell you: knowing that this story was waiting for me made what could have been the most boring part of my days into eagerly anticipated moments of literary pleasure. The novel takes place in the English courts of Henry VIII, a setting familiar to Gregory fans who have read "The Other Boleyn Girl." This time, however, she tells the stories of three women: Anne of Cleves (the rejected wife who survived), Jane Boleyn (the cousin who betrayed Anne and George Boleyn) and Catherine Howard (Henry's second-to-last wife). In each chapter Gregory perfectly captures the voice of one of these women, giving life to her hopes, fears and dreams. You feel Anne's determination to escape her controlling German family, and feel sorrow when the happy marriage she imagined brings her nothing but humiliation. You knowingly shake your head when Catherine naively strives to seduce the King, then hold your breath as you watch her tale unravel before your eyes. There are some books that are so good that they leave you feeling torn between the desire to find out what happens and not wanting the story to end. This is one of those books, and I adored it. I only wish I could forget everything that happened so that I could read it all over again. If you are a fan of historical fiction then this is one novel you should definitely add to your collection.

I got hooked by reading "The Other Boleyn Girl", then enjoyed "The Boleyn Inheritance" as much if not more if that's possible. If you want to get into this whole great series, it starts with "The Constant Princess" but the "The Other Boleyn Girl", "The Boleyn Inheritance", and "The Queen's Fool" are the most compelling.

If you want to know about the time that was somewhat skipped before "The Queen's Fool" you can read "- The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson" (my rating - 3 stars) and "Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey" by Alison Weir (my rating 4 stars) before "The Queen's Fool" (my rating 5 stars). I would then skip "The Virgin's Lover" only because I consider it a 3 star and perhaps replace it with "The Life of Elizabeth I by Alison Weir (4.5 stars by the store reviewers)

I believe this is my fifth Philippa Gregory book and, while (to me) it is not nearly as good as The Other Boleyn Girl, it's an entertaining read nonetheless. The Boleyn Inheritance is told from the alternating first person perspectives of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn, each short chapter jumping between these three lesser known females who inhabited Henry VIII's court. I enjoyed Gregory's exploration of sweet and simple Anne of Cleves (Henry's fourth wife), dimwitted and self -absorbed Katherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife) and scheming yet tormented Jane Boleyn (lady in waiting to Anne and Katherine as well as sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn). Anyone who enjoys historical fictional, particularly involving Henry VIII and his wives, will likely enjoy this book ... but just do not expect to enjoy it as much as The Other Boleyn Girl.

I began reading this book and actually put it down in the middle of it. I was a little bored. I didn't believe it was nearly as good as "The Other Boleyn Girl", which I've re-read multiple times. I then found that I couldn't stop thinking about it and picked it back up a few weeks later. To me, the story seemed a little slower than what I would have liked but as the story progressed, I started to understand why people were giving it 4-5 stars.

I'm glad I stuck around and finished reading this book. I couldn't believe that at some point in the book, I was actually sympathizing with Jane Bolyen. I really did end up liking this book but I don't believe I will ever re-read it.

I'm always up for another round with Henry VIII and his wives, so I put myself on the library waiting list for The Boleyn Inheritance.

And I'm pleased to report that I enjoyed it immensely.

The Boleyn Inheritance is told by Jane, Lady Rochford, widow of the executed George Boleyn; Anne of Cleves; and Katherine "Kitty" Howard. Jane, self-justifying and self-deceiving, is obsessed with her past yet determined to do whatever she has to do in order to restore her life to its former glamour. Anne, no stupid Flanders mare but a sensible, honorable young woman who longs for freedom and respect, finds that she has exchanged the humiliations of her brother's court for the reign of terror of Henry's. Kitty is an airheaded teenager, with an endless capacity to push aside unpleasant realities in favor of her more satisfying interests: young men, jewels, and pretty clothes. Manipulating Jane and Kitty is the sinister Duke of Norfolk, and stalking through all three women's lives is the unpredictable, increasingly tyrannical Henry VIII.

Gregory juggles the heroines' stories masterfully. Even when Anne of Cleves is relegated to the background and the machinations of the Duke of Norfolk and Jane take center stage, Anne remains to comment on what she sees around her. She, the outsider, becomes both the moral center of the novel and the narrator on which the reader can most rely for an accurate perception of events. Kitty's adolescent preoccupations and mercurial character are captured wonderfully, while Jane, morally repulsive as she is, has a normalcy about her that keeps us reading her story and wondering at her motivations.

There's a certain humor here, often quite dark, that was missing altogether in the very earnest Constant Princess. Much of this comes from Kitty's youthful blatherings ("France would be wonderful, except I cannot speak French, or at any rate only "voila!" but surely they must mostly all speak English? And if not, then they can learn?"), but the more cynical Jane Rochford contributes some memorable lines: "If she declares herself Dereham's wife, then she has not then cuckolded the king but only Dereham; and since his head is on London Bridge, he is in no position to complain."

And neither am I. Read this one.

This is the first P. Gregory book I've read and was disappointed. It seems, at times, as though it should be on the juvenile shelf.

I give it a 3 because I do like the fact that it's told from the viewpoint of three completely different women, and I really like that it gives one a glimpse into what it could have been like for Anne of Cleves. I know so little about the 4th wive, and I was delighted to have that perspective.

However, once the king marries Katherine Howard, the story goes downhill and becomes incredibly repetitive and filled with the exhaustive, melodramatic lamentations of these three women.

This book would have been fine had it been shortened to about half its length.

All in all, not a bad book ~ just over long. I would still recommend it to certain people.

A very interesting perspective of the reign of King Henry VIII through the eyes of Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn (sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn). I enjoy historical novels but this one cleared up some misconceptions:
1 Anne of Cleves was a very lovely but timid young woman,
2 Katherine Howard was sixteen when she married Henry and lost her head after being duped by people she trusted.
3 Jane Boleyn would do anything to save herself.

Really enjoyed the book. It was well written with excellent character development.

Rather than reading this book myself, I was treated to the performance of three different actresses who took the part of a main character in the court of Henry VIII from the years 1540-1542. Each reader is skillful in portraying the excitement, fright, confusion, and repulsion of her own story with the king. The voice of Kathryn Howard is delightful in her shallowness, self-centeredness, and teenage exuberance of first love. These women do a marvelous job of interpreting the characters. I got much more out of the book than if I'd read it in my own voice or chosen the abridged edition....too many important details omitted.
Politics were much more dangerous then and the chance of losing your head was very real. Which of these women will go from a secluded, ho-hum life in the country to the excitement and wealth of the court of Henry VIII? Which will be expected to "service" a fat, old, smelly, bad-tempered husband, King HenryVIII? Which will be tricked by the sneaky court advisors? Which will end up executed and which will escape? Which will believe the king has lost his mind? And what IS the Boleyn inheritance: Is it the wealth, land, power, beautiful clothes, parties and great castles, maids to wait upon every command, or is it death by execution?

I am writing this review to encourage potential readers not to be intimidated by this book's subject matter. Even though it is based on historical figures from five hundred years ago, it has an almost modern feel to it. The writing is extremely accessible and each of the three main characters could easily be a modern day woman being oppressed, manipulated or used by someone other than the King of England. And the message, while admittedly feminist in tone, paints a much bigger picture about personal freedom and responsibility.

Even though it's been days since i've finished the book, the characters continue to haunt me. Each of the characters are free now and sadly no longer require me as a confidant. If you do read this, I urge you not to judge these characters, but to try to see a little of yourself in them. Even if we live a life with the quiet dignity and grace of Anne of Cleves, there's still a litte Kitty Howard and even Jane Boleyn in all of us.

"Let's see, what do I have now?". This is how Catherine Howard begins many of her journal entries. She is taking account of her material belongings. This book will have you asking the same question of yourself, but on a much deeper level.

The thing is, this was so obviously a sequel. There were so many mentions of previous queens, of better queens, of the good old days, and of "back when Henry was a golden prince and not a fat blob" that eventually I felt bounded over the head by the redundancy. It isn't Philippa Gregory's fault that history repeats itself, but when you're the fourth and fifth queens and you end up exactly the same way the first and second did, albeit with a lot less pomp and intrigue, it's hard to come up with anything fresh to say.

From the perspectives of three different women, we got, "Oh lord, I hope this doesn't end up the same way it did last time". This left me with a vague sense of impending doom that loomed over the book like a dark cloud, because, of course, we all know that things never end well for the wives of King Henry VIII. The difference here is that now the wives know it too.

This said, I didn't totally dislike the book. The short, crisp chapters from alternating viewpoints worked for me, because as soon as my attention span was starting to droop the narrative moved on to something else. I've always been a fan of novels in the first person, and this was no exception. Although there is no denying that the characters were somewhat two-dimensional, I still felt sympathy towards them and found myself hoping in spite of myself that somehow things would, impossibly, work out for them.

As far as disliked characters, I had the most trouble with Jane, whom I normally feel bad for in novels. If I, a sympathizer, found her constant moping about George irritating, I can only imagine what it did to everyone else. Remorse would have been fine, but a blatant denial that she was ever guilty in the first place, even if she was only using this lie to make herself feel better, seemed enormously ridiculous to me, and more than a little annoying as well.

In summary, I felt that The Boleyn Inheritance was a good book for what it was. Its downfall was that, as a historical novel, it was obligated to recount the events of history. They may be horrendous and depressing, but they are by no means new to us in this day and age where the Tudor era has become so popular. Henry may have been insane, but unfortunately for the modern reader the self-absorbed brat wasn't very creative. So, I think that perhaps it's time for Philippa Gregory to turn her often ingenious eye to a different era of history.

As always, Gregory writes well, and in this book she cleverly fills out the known facts with with plausible fiction. The customs of the age are interwoven. Having seen the water gate at the Tower added richness to my read. The water gate's canal into Tower precincts is now silted up and grass-grown but the wooden gate and iron portcullis are still there an still quite grim. It's a very believable, very satisfying read. Kudos to Philipp Gregory!

I devoured "The Other Boleyn Girl" and was so looking forward to "The Boleyn Inheritance" only to be severely disappointed. The three person narrative was awkwardly executed and yes, Ms. Gregory would have done well to give us a rich portrait of one of the ladies. I found her voice of Anne of Cleaves the most interesting and wished that Gregory had written it entirely from her view. Jane Boleyn's narrative and some of the dialogue exchanges between her and the Duke read like a bad over the top Spanish TV novella. The most annoying part was the endless repetition of Jane's remorse over the events that happened in "The Other Boleyn Girl." Much of the book felt like filler, as if the reader was getting banged over the head with the same emotion(I get it already!). I felt like I was reading some V.C. Andrews ghost writer. I wasn't interested in revisting Jane's remorse over and over and I also felt that people that hadn't read "The Other Boleyn Girl" would miss some of the references. A book should stand on its own with or with out having read the previous.

Another complaint is the liberties she has taken with the history. In both books she often makes many characters younger than they should be. Kitty was 19 at the time of her marriage. And many liberties where taken with the Henry-in-disguise meeting Anne, another event that was repeated and mulled over so many times it was incredible.

It seems like this book was rushed and the characters and events not fully developed. If you edited out all the repetition this book should have been about 200 pages tops.

I don't recommend it. However "The Other Boleyn Girl" is brilliant.

Very interesting take on like in the court of Henry VIII post Anne Boleyn. One of the characters is the one of the five wives that Henry divorced or outlived and hers is a really good story. The other characters are Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn. Each character is well developed and sympathetic. Well written and exciting. I can't imagine a worse thing than to be a woman that king found attractive. This book gives you a sense of the stress of serving the notorious king.

I was a bit dissapionted with The Boleyn Inheritance. After reading The Other Boleyn Girl and absolutly LOVING it I immediatly rushed out to the bookstore and bought this book expecting the same, or an even better experience. The plot moves along slow with a few jumps every now and then but it was hard for me to get through. I really had to force myself to finish it. It took me a month to read this book because I couldn't focus on it for that long because at times I found myself well...bored. Now while the imagery and description is absolutly beautiful the plot is just eh. I will continue reading Phillipa's books because I still do consider her tp be the best historical fiction writer out there,I mean you can tell that she does her research. But as far as recommending this book to other people well...I just can't bring myself to do it.

Usually Philippa Gregory's books have kept me glued to the story, even though I know what is going to happen. With The Boleyn Inheritance I just wanted to get done and ended up skimming through the last half or so of the book. Why? Because there was so much repetition of the events and emotions not only from character to character but by each character. I felt as if the book could stand a good editing! (I do understand that each person's viewpoint was being given but for her to repeat herself not only within her section but from section to section was just too much.)

I stand by my belief that "The Other Boleyn Girl" is still the best out of all of Philippa Gregory's Tudor historical fiction novels, however, "The Boleyn Inheritance" has a special captivating quality all it's own, and it's a fantastic novel for fans of historical fiction.

When I first began reading the novel I was a little confused, because it's written a little differently from Gregory's other novels. Instead of following one important historical figure on their journey, this book follows three! Each chapter heading has a name, which tells the reader who's point of view that chapter is told from. The three people the book follows are Anne of Cleves (Henry VIII's German wife after Jane Seymour dies in childbirth), Katherine Howard (Henry VIII's wife after he puts aside Anne of Cleves because he did not like her), and Jane Rochford (George Boleyn's wife and accuser when he was on trial for committing adultery and treason with his sister, Anne Boleyn).

Once you get used to the format of the book, and how it jumps around from different viewpoints, it's much easier to read, and very enjoyable because you are able to get a better understanding of these three women and the impact that the Boleyn inheritance of land, wealth, power, and corruption has had on each of them. Each character deals with it in their own way. Anne of Cleves concentrates on her survival. She was forced to survive her brother's tyranny, and then she was forced to find a way to survive King Henry VIII's tyranny. Katherine Howard is nothing but an ignorant child, who doesn't understand the danger she is in when she agreed to become Queen of England, and Henry VIII's fifth wife! She can only concentrate on her own greed and guilty pleasures, never understanding the quagmire of political upheval going on around her. Jane Rochford, on the other hand, sees and understands everything, and is at court in employment to her Uncle, the Duke, who is hell bent on not squandering this second chance at the throne for the Howard and Boleyn family. His ruthless pursuit to raise his family high above all others is legendary, and he uses Jane to help him do it.

Manipulation, secrets, forbidden love, betrayal, and fear are all common practices among courtiers in Henry VIII's court. If you can't navigate through the shark infested waters, you will perish without pity, and someone else will step up to take your place. The three women depicted in this novel know that better than anyone.

Like most, I absolutely love Philippa Gregory and her Tudor historical fiction novels, and "The Boleyn Inheritance" was definitely worth the purchase. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, and those who are fellow Gregory fans won't be disappointed in this latest work of art.

This was the first Gregory novel I had ever read. I picked it up in a bookstore on my way to the airport, not expecting much but a few hours of mild entertainment or at least distraction. It caught my eye because of "Boleyn" in the title. I've always wanted to read about that particular period of British history and the Tudor monarchs, but wasn't quite sure how to break into the genre (can't really force myself to read strictly historical novels). I read very heavy scientific literature as part of my career, so I am always looking for something clever, yet not too daunting, to read for pleasure. This novel did not disappoint! Gregory's description of the political and sexual maneuvering in Henry VIII's court is juicy and delicious without being distasteful. I could not put this novel down once I had picked it up. In fact, my fiance was a bit angry with me for ignoring him and doing nothing but reading for the first couple days of our vacation. I've since gone back and read the first two novels in this series (The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl) and they were just as wonderful to read. I am actually on the store.com at this moment to get my hands on every other Gregory novel I can find! I'm planning on reading "The Queen's Fool" and "The Virgin's Lover" next, as I suppose they are the next books in chronological order (following the reign of two of Henry's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth I). Highly recommend Gregory for intense, dramatical plots that are "based on a true story", so to speak.

This book was excellent! Particularly because there are a lot of historical truths peppered throughout the book and I just love that. But also because while the story is of the sixteenth century, it is written in common easy to relate to language. I could identify with many of the characters, good and bad, and while I knew what the ultimate ending would be for some people, I just could not wait to turn every page. The author tied up all of the ends perfectly, it was just perfect.

This book was a book club choice and everyone loved it too. Some found it slow at first, but once they were into it, they also enjoyed it. I would recommend anyone wanting an entertaining and juicy story to devour, should pick this book up at once!

I've read a few other PG novels, and while I mildly enjoyed one (and dispised the other), I thought I'd give this one a try. I thought that the perspective of 3 women (Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard) would make it interesting, and as not much is known about Anne of Cleves or Katherine Howard, I figured it'd be harder for Ms. Gregory to butcher the history (as she did in TOBG).

Even with my low expectations, I was disappointed. The extremely repetative theme of the book (from all three women's perspective) was : "The king is old, the king is fat, the king is impotent, the king is smelly."

The chapters from Jane's POV were incredibly redundant with her thoughts of "Oh, I miss George (Boleyn) and Anne (Boleyn), Oh, I'm so sorry I testified against them, Oh, I wish they weren't dead, Oh, I'm so sad."

The chapters from Anne's POV were again redundant with "Oh I just want to be a good wife and queen, Oh I hope the king doesn't plot against me/ kill me."

The chapters from Katherine's POV were incredibly dull, with her only concerned with how many dresses and jewels she had, how pretty she was, how many young men she could get to notice her and flirt with her.

All in all the characters were one-dimensional and didn't develop as the story went on. Jane was irritating with all of her hand-wringing about Anne/George, Katherine was just ridiculous and utterly unrealistic. Anne was mildly interesting, and had the potential to be a great character, but only if she had had more depth and development.

I would suggest passing on this one, or if you're dying to read it, get it from the library.

I found this book to be a very fantastic read and really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the excitement of it all. This book added to the story line and helps peak the interest of the reader. All of Philippa Gregory books are well written. I find it very interesting to learn about the history of England's king and queens. I have read all of her books in the series except The Other Queen which I did find to be written poorly which is a disappointment that I had to pay for something written this bad. But Other then that book all the others are worth the price. A Must Read

As is expected from her, Philippa Greggory again lives upto my massive expectations. The first book I ever read of hers was The Other Boleyn Girl. This comes next in accordance with the historical incidents. She does a great job in filling in the missing links between the historical timeline picking up from rumored tales and intricately building up on it. Even though it is history and we all know what happened more or less, she still manages to make us sit glued to the book all along with an unquenched thirst of knowing what happens next. She literally transforms the environment to the Tudor England where I can actually see the things happening right in front of me!! Truly mesmerizing.

First of all, let me start by telling you I am almost as obsessed with Gregory's books as I am with Tudor history - and that's saying something. This is a wonderful book, told in 3 ladies point of view. I was really excited to read this, because I didn't know much about 2 of the 3 ladies. All of that being said, however... as much as I did enjoy this book (and I give it 4 out of 5 stars), I was so disappointed because the story line seems so... simple. I would have thought this was a young adult book, except... it's not a young adult book. I kept waiting for more. I did thoroughly enjoy the portrayal of Anne of Cleves & slightly less so of Lady Jane Rochford, but Katherine Howard... childlike, immature, beautiful, vain Katherine Howard, just drove me nuts. I have never believed her to be as simple as Gregory pictured her.

All in all, I'd recommend to other history buffs, but it's not a book I'd read again.

Jane Rochford. Well, Philippa Gregory gives us a twist on how we see ourselves and how others see us. The book builds an certain anxiety in the reader without knowing why. Like some issue we can't see at first look. Yes, she is a true craftswoman of writing, but I wouldn't think of writing a spoiler. If you are a fan of English history, English fictional history, this book will certainly educate you and well as entertain you.

This novel drew me in and captivated me just as much as my favorite book, The Other Boleyn Girl did. I love that it is written from three different perspectives (Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, the traitor who doesnt see herself that way, Anne of Cleves, the noble fourth wife who escaped with her head still attached to her body and Katherine Howard, the material 15 year old who married a stinky old man of a King and was beheaded for acting her age)

These women arent as well known as Anne Boleyn but Gregory seems to have a great talent for taking an obscure character (such as Mary Boleyn, who has very little records) and bringing them to unbeliveable life. I highly recommend this book, even if you arent a Henry VIII fan, it is very enjoyable.

Philippa Gregory is in fine form as she continues her examination of the Tudor era with the stories of Henry VIII's fourth and fifth wives (Anne of Cleves and Katharine Howard) as told by each other and their mutual lady-in waiting, Jane Boleyn (who as sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn helped send Henry's second queen to the block by testifying against her own husband (Anne's brother) and Anne.

We all know the story, but it's the insight into what made these women tick that keeps you coming back for more: Anne's determination to escape a domineering brother (only to find herself in peril from an even more dangerous husband), Katherine's childish cunning and ultimate cluelessness in pursuit of a prize that gives her no joy, and Jane's deluded hopes of finding happiness at the end of a path of betrayal. The use of alternating voices, often to describe the same events, works very well here. I'm a big Gregory fan and would not hesitate to recommend this book to others who enjoy good historical fiction.

Countless books have been written about the court of Henry VIII and his six wives and the basic story is quite familiar. Nevertheless, it is literally difficult to put down this novel, which focuses on three comparatively little-known characters: Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife, who survived her divorce relatively unscathed, Katherine Howard, the fifth wife and the second to be executed, and Jane Rochford, sister in law to Anne Boleyn, wife number two. These three very different women navigate the treacherous waters of the Tudor court, dominated by the increasingly tyrannical Henry. A great read.

I didn't figure anything could beat "Other Boleyn Girl" or even come close, but I found myself unable to put this book down. It's a little hard at first to get into the fact that every chapter changes points of view again, but once I settled into that pattern I plowed through this at lightening speed. It is AMAZING how well P.Gregory can become three people who are so incredibly different from one another and still play each of them as if she isn't "playing" at all. Her transitional skills are hard to beat. I was utterly convinced she'd tapped into the humanity and heart of each woman and she made me love each one, while not covering up their faults at all. Jane is even more dispicable than one would assume from reading the history, and still I felt sadness at her death. Katherine's silly shallowness and all-too-short life broke my heart, and Anne had me cheering for her own wisdom and courage.

This book is a keeper and one to recommend. I'm glad I bought it in hardback now as I plan to keep it and lend it out a lot.

Brava once again, Philippa Gregory!

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, I was excited for this book, especially because it was told from the first-person of three different characters.

I'm not completely disappointed, but this novel was not the work I had expected from Philippa Gregory. Mrs. Gregory knows how to create well-rounded characters that breathe, we all know that, but this novel just didn't do it for me. It was too long for its content (yeah, I get that some 400-page books are great, but that doesn't mean we should all strive to write 400 pages with the content to fill 250).

In The Other Boleyn Girl, the characters are dramatic and--well, people. In this book, they were all just complaining about how stupid and mean Henry VIII was, which, albeit probably true, is not what I want to read in a book. Henry VIII was probably an awful man to deal with, but that shouldn't hinder character development and personality. Unfortunately, in this book, it did.

However, while it had its

I stand by my belief that "The Other Boleyn Girl" is still the best out of all of Philippa Gregory's Tudor historical fiction novels, however, "The Boleyn Inheritance" has a special captivating quality all it's own, and it's a fantastic novel for fans of historical fiction.

When I first began reading the novel I was a little confused, because it's written a little differently from Gregory's other novels. Instead of following one important historical figure on their journey, this book follows three! Each chapter heading has a name, which tells the reader who's point of view that chapter is told from. The three people the book follows are Anne of Cleves (Henry VIII's German wife after Jane Seymour dies in childbirth), Katherine Howard (Henry VIII's wife after he puts aside Anne of Cleves because he did not like her), and Jane Rochford (George Boleyn's wife and accuser when he was on trial for committing adultery and treason with his sister, Anne Boleyn).

Once you get used to the format of the book, and how it jumps around from different viewpoints, it's much easier to read, and very enjoyable because you are able to get a better understanding of these three women and the impact that the Boleyn inheritance of land, wealth, power, and corruption has had on each of them. Each character deals with it in their own way. Anne of Cleves concentrates on her survival. She was forced to survive her brother's tyranny, and then she was forced to find a way to survive King Henry VIII's tyranny. Katherine Howard is nothing but an ignorant child, who doesn't understand the danger she is in when she agreed to become Queen of England, and Henry VIII's fifth wife! She can only concentrate on her own greed and guilty pleasures, never understanding the quagmire of political upheval going on around her. Jane Rochford, on the other hand, sees and understands everything, and is at court in employment to her Uncle, the Duke, who is hell bent on not squandering this second chance at the throne for the Howard and Boleyn family. His ruthless pursuit to raise his family high above all others is legendary, and he uses Jane to help him do it.

Manipulation, secrets, forbidden love, betrayal, and fear are all common practices among courtiers in Henry VIII's court. If you can't navigate through the shark infested waters, you will perish without pity, and someone else will step up to take your place. The three women depicted in this novel know that better than anyone.

Like most, I absolutely love Philippa Gregory and her Tudor historical fiction novels, and "The Boleyn Inheritance" was definitely worth the purchase. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction, and those who are fellow Gregory fans won't be disappointed in this latest work of art.

This was the first Gregory novel I had ever read. I picked it up in a bookstore on my way to the airport, not expecting much but a few hours of mild entertainment or at least distraction. It caught my eye because of "Boleyn" in the title. I've always wanted to read about that particular period of British history and the Tudor monarchs, but wasn't quite sure how to break into the genre (can't really force myself to read strictly historical novels). I read very heavy scientific literature as part of my career, so I am always looking for something clever, yet not too daunting, to read for pleasure. This novel did not disappoint! Gregory's description of the political and sexual maneuvering in Henry VIII's court is juicy and delicious without being distasteful. I could not put this novel down once I had picked it up. In fact, my fiance was a bit angry with me for ignoring him and doing nothing but reading for the first couple days of our vacation. I've since gone back and read the first two novels in this series (The Constant Princess and The Other Boleyn Girl) and they were just as wonderful to read. I am actually on the store.com at this moment to get my hands on every other Gregory novel I can find! I'm planning on reading "The Queen's Fool" and "The Virgin's Lover" next, as I suppose they are the next books in chronological order (following the reign of two of Henry's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth I). Highly recommend Gregory for intense, dramatical plots that are "based on a true story", so to speak.

This book was excellent! Particularly because there are a lot of historical truths peppered throughout the book and I just love that. But also because while the story is of the sixteenth century, it is written in common easy to relate to language. I could identify with many of the characters, good and bad, and while I knew what the ultimate ending would be for some people, I just could not wait to turn every page. The author tied up all of the ends perfectly, it was just perfect.

This book was a book club choice and everyone loved it too. Some found it slow at first, but once they were into it, they also enjoyed it. I would recommend anyone wanting an entertaining and juicy story to devour, should pick this book up at once!

I've read a few other PG novels, and while I mildly enjoyed one (and dispised the other), I thought I'd give this one a try. I thought that the perspective of 3 women (Jane Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard) would make it interesting, and as not much is known about Anne of Cleves or Katherine Howard, I figured it'd be harder for Ms. Gregory to butcher the history (as she did in TOBG).

Even with my low expectations, I was disappointed. The extremely repetative theme of the book (from all three women's perspective) was : "The king is old, the king is fat, the king is impotent, the king is smelly."

The chapters from Jane's POV were incredibly redundant with her thoughts of "Oh, I miss George (Boleyn) and Anne (Boleyn), Oh, I'm so sorry I testified against them, Oh, I wish they weren't dead, Oh, I'm so sad."

The chapters from Anne's POV were again redundant with "Oh I just want to be a good wife and queen, Oh I hope the king doesn't plot against me/ kill me."

The chapters from Katherine's POV were incredibly dull, with her only concerned with how many dresses and jewels she had, how pretty she was, how many young men she could get to notice her and flirt with her.

All in all the characters were one-dimensional and didn't develop as the story went on. Jane was irritating with all of her hand-wringing about Anne/George, Katherine was just ridiculous and utterly unrealistic. Anne was mildly interesting, and had the potential to be a great character, but only if she had had more depth and development.

I would suggest passing on this one, or if you're dying to read it, get it from the library.

I found this book to be a very fantastic read and really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the excitement of it all. This book added to the story line and helps peak the interest of the reader. All of Philippa Gregory books are well written. I find it very interesting to learn about the history of England's king and queens. I have read all of her books in the series except The Other Queen which I did find to be written poorly which is a disappointment that I had to pay for something written this bad. But Other then that book all the others are worth the price. A Must Read

As is expected from her, Philippa Greggory again lives upto my massive expectations. The first book I ever read of hers was The Other Boleyn Girl. This comes next in accordance with the historical incidents. She does a great job in filling in the missing links between the historical timeline picking up from rumored tales and intricately building up on it. Even though it is history and we all know what happened more or less, she still manages to make us sit glued to the book all along with an unquenched thirst of knowing what happens next. She literally transforms the environment to the Tudor England where I can actually see the things happening right in front of me!! Truly mesmerizing.

First of all, let me start by telling you I am almost as obsessed with Gregory's books as I am with Tudor history - and that's saying something. This is a wonderful book, told in 3 ladies point of view. I was really excited to read this, because I didn't know much about 2 of the 3 ladies. All of that being said, however... as much as I did enjoy this book (and I give it 4 out of 5 stars), I was so disappointed because the story line seems so... simple. I would have thought this was a young adult book, except... it's not a young adult book. I kept waiting for more. I did thoroughly enjoy the portrayal of Anne of Cleves & slightly less so of Lady Jane Rochford, but Katherine Howard... childlike, immature, beautiful, vain Katherine Howard, just drove me nuts. I have never believed her to be as simple as Gregory pictured her.

All in all, I'd recommend to other history buffs, but it's not a book I'd read again.

Jane Rochford. Well, Philippa Gregory gives us a twist on how we see ourselves and how others see us. The book builds an certain anxiety in the reader without knowing why. Like some issue we can't see at first look. Yes, she is a true craftswoman of writing, but I wouldn't think of writing a spoiler. If you are a fan of English history, English fictional history, this book will certainly educate you and well as entertain you.

This novel drew me in and captivated me just as much as my favorite book, The Other Boleyn Girl did. I love that it is written from three different perspectives (Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, the traitor who doesnt see herself that way, Anne of Cleves, the noble fourth wife who escaped with her head still attached to her body and Katherine Howard, the material 15 year old who married a stinky old man of a King and was beheaded for acting her age)

These women arent as well known as Anne Boleyn but Gregory seems to have a great talent for taking an obscure character (such as Mary Boleyn, who has very little records) and bringing them to unbeliveable life. I highly recommend this book, even if you arent a Henry VIII fan, it is very enjoyable.

Philippa Gregory is in fine form as she continues her examination of the Tudor era with the stories of Henry VIII's fourth and fifth wives (Anne of Cleves and Katharine Howard) as told by each other and their mutual lady-in waiting, Jane Boleyn (who as sister-in-law of Anne Boleyn helped send Henry's second queen to the block by testifying against her own husband (Anne's brother) and Anne.

We all know the story, but it's the insight into what made these women tick that keeps you coming back for more: Anne's determination to escape a domineering brother (only to find herself in peril from an even more dangerous husband), Katherine's childish cunning and ultimate cluelessness in pursuit of a prize that gives her no joy, and Jane's deluded hopes of finding happiness at the end of a path of betrayal. The use of alternating voices, often to describe the same events, works very well here. I'm a big Gregory fan and would not hesitate to recommend this book to others who enjoy good historical fiction.

Countless books have been written about the court of Henry VIII and his six wives and the basic story is quite familiar. Nevertheless, it is literally difficult to put down this novel, which focuses on three comparatively little-known characters: Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife, who survived her divorce relatively unscathed, Katherine Howard, the fifth wife and the second to be executed, and Jane Rochford, sister in law to Anne Boleyn, wife number two. These three very different women navigate the treacherous waters of the Tudor court, dominated by the increasingly tyrannical Henry. A great read.

I didn't figure anything could beat "Other Boleyn Girl" or even come close, but I found myself unable to put this book down. It's a little hard at first to get into the fact that every chapter changes points of view again, but once I settled into that pattern I plowed through this at lightening speed. It is AMAZING how well P.Gregory can become three people who are so incredibly different from one another and still play each of them as if she isn't "playing" at all. Her transitional skills are hard to beat. I was utterly convinced she'd tapped into the humanity and heart of each woman and she made me love each one, while not covering up their faults at all. Jane is even more dispicable than one would assume from reading the history, and still I felt sadness at her death. Katherine's silly shallowness and all-too-short life broke my heart, and Anne had me cheering for her own wisdom and courage.

This book is a keeper and one to recommend. I'm glad I bought it in hardback now as I plan to keep it and lend it out a lot.

Brava once again, Philippa Gregory!

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, I was excited for this book, especially because it was told from the first-person of three different characters.

I'm not completely disappointed, but this novel was not the work I had expected from Philippa Gregory. Mrs. Gregory knows how to create well-rounded characters that breathe, we all know that, but this novel just didn't do it for me. It was too long for its content (yeah, I get that some 400-page books are great, but that doesn't mean we should all strive to write 400 pages with the content to fill 250).

In The Other Boleyn Girl, the characters are dramatic and--well, people. In this book, they were all just complaining about how stupid and mean Henry VIII was, which, albeit probably true, is not what I want to read in a book. Henry VIII was probably an awful man to deal with, but that shouldn't hinder character development and personality. Unfortunately, in this book, it did.

However, while it had its

Lots of others have written lengthy reviews discussing the accuracy of the history. I know enough about English history to understand the basic time period but certainly not enough to spot technical errors. I picked this book up as a light read during a stressful period because I do enjoy historical fiction and must say I found it a damn good read. More than that, I don't ask of light entertainment. Gregory is a good story teller, holds the interest and keeps things moving at a lively pace. On that level I would recommend it highly.

I have found that some of Ms. Gregory novels are hit and miss. I hated the Queen's fool, had lukewarm feelings for the Virgin's Lover and thought that Constant Princess was a decent read. The Boleyn Inheritance is outstanding.

It is told from three different perspectives. At first it was a little confusing, but as I continued to read the book I did not have a problem.

The three women in the story are Queen Anne(Henry's plain wife)pretty Katherine Howard and poor Jane Rochford who saw her husband and sister-in-law Anne Boleyn go to their deaths.

Each woman has their own distinct voice in this novel. Frankly I felt sorry for all of them. They were victims of their time and they were used as pawns. The men in their lives used and abused these women to get what they desired and if death was a result..no one seemed to care. Ms. Gregory gives these women a voice and you begin to feel sorry for their plight. They were trapped in a world they could not escape nor could they control.

This has to be one of Ms. Gregory's best books. I daresay it is better than the Other Boleyn Girl. An excellent read.

Having only recently stumbled upon Gregory's books and very quickly read The Queens Fool and The Other Boleyn Girl, I was very enthusiastic to get my hands on a copy of The Boleyn Inheritance.

Firstly I do need to address the fact that there appears to be many reviews and comments made by people who claim these tales are historically incorrect. My advice to those people would be to look up your definition of "historical fiction". The fact of the matter is that people can only allude what happened in the time of King Henry VIII. We can really only make educated guesses as to what actually happened with all of these people. We have letters and personal accounts dating back hundreds of years written by who may be very biased or spiteful people. We have historical evidence of what happened only in the most general of terms. Philippa Gregory has provided a story about what may have happened, not what actually did happen. Whether the historical facts as we know them pointed to something else entirely is beyond the point - this is a fictional tale which uses characters who really existed all those years ago.

Now, as for the book itself, I found that I enjoyed it probably a little better than The Other Boleyn Girl. The pace seemed to move a little quicker - probably a by-product of the fact that each chapter in the book is written by one of three women, all different in mind and matter. I'd have to say that, to me, Anne of Cleves and Jane Rochford (Boleyn) were the characters who pushed the story along. Katherine Howard is portrayed to be a silly, self-centered, unintelligent and idle child and seems to have a very adequate role of a puppet between the two older, stronger women. She bounces perfectly between Anne and Jane in a way that befits the way she was written.

Anne seemed to drive the story for the first half of the book while Jane's chapters in the last half became more and more intense. I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle changes in Jane's character which climax at the end of the book. If Gregory was aiming for people to feel some small amount of grim sympathy for Jane in the fact that she may very well not been entirely to blame for what happened with Anne and George Boleyn, she succeeded with me.

All in all, this is a fantastic follow-on from The Other Boleyn Girl and a ripper of a book. I couldn't put it down and can blame Ms. Gregory for a few very bleary-eyed mornings.

The Other Boleyn Girl is one of my favorite works of historical fiction, and I have given it to many friends as a gift.

But of all the books in Philippa Gregory's series, this one was my least favorite. In part, it may be due to terrific job Gregory does putting us there, trapped within the madness of the court in those last few years. I walked around dazed and depressed for quite a few days after reading it.
If you want to finish the series and have the stomach for it, read this book. Otherwise, the history speaks for itself.

This was well written and it definitely brings history to life. If you are a buff of this period of British History, you will love it. The story hammers home the follies of tyranny. I could not give it more stars simply because I found the subject matter so depressing that I had a hard time finishing it. I guess I prefer less reality in my escapist reading.

I love novels like this one and the author's previous works that make me want to learn more about the subject or characters. King Henry VIII is seeking a wife. Anne of Cleves is picked to be his fourth wife. She is welcomed to England as Queen but is ridiculed behind her back for her awkwardness. Anne has skills that were not highly regarded in the Henry's court. Young Katherine Howard captures the king's attention and Anne is quickly turned aside. Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, is a lady-in-waiting for Queen Anne, and is named head of the Queen's household with Katherine. Katherine is a dutiful wife, beautiful but naïve; and falling dangerously in love with someone other than the king. The chapters alternate with each woman telling their stories. The author's inclusive research adds a great sense of authenticity to the novel.

This author has written many worthy historical reads. While pretending historical accuracy, this book drags the reader through the mindset of a modern middle-school brat--I felt cheated of real characters in real settings in real historically accurate scenes. In my opinion, the author tried to masage modern culture into the 16th century and then asked the reader to like it.

I loved the way this book was told from 3 points of view. I found it entirely engrossing and couldn't put it down. You really don't get to read much about Anne of Cleves, so it was interesting to read what she might have been like. There isn't much known about her, but she certainly can be considered the luckiest of Henry VIII's wives! I always thought from her Holbein portrait that she was pretty, so I've always wondered why Henry was so repulsed by her. This book gives a convincing reason that could very well have been the truth. If you liked the other books by Gregory, you will enjoy this one also. In fact, it's my favorite of the 3.

I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" and loved it. I then listened to "The Queen's Fool" and now "The Boleyn Inheritance" on audio disc. I would have to say I enjoyed "The Boleyn Inheritance" the most of all three, perhaps because of the fantastic performances of the three women who perform it on audio. Philippa Gregory writes fascinating literature, and the performances of these women added even more drama, intrigue, and humor to her writing.

I particularly enjoyed the performance of the woman who played Catherine. But I was fascinated by the way the character of Jane Boleyn was written. She is portrayed somewhat sympathetically, yet all along I was thinking that she's completely out of touch with reality (based on her actions in "The Other Boleyn Girl"). I definitely felt that I was dropped right into the psyche of each of these women.

Highly recommend both the content and the audio performances.

Interesting development of characters and making history come to life. What a sad story where so many people conspired for their own profit. The ultimate rule of an obviously insane king is hard to understand in relation to our current politics. The author leads the reader to see both the good and the bad in the lives of these women. Definitely an interesting read!

divorced, beheaded, survived. For me, at least, this book combined as a little history lesson about two queens one does not often read about in this genre and some great fiction. I was impressed by Ms. Gregory's development of her characters and the way she allowed the reader to see the Tudor court from three distinct perspectives. I found this book to be superior to The Virgin's Lover, and somehow more tragic than the Other Boleyn Girl. Perhaps it was the youth of Katherine Howard or the seemingly inescapable tyranny of the Henry that is portrayed in this novel, but I found this one particularly sad and intense all at the same time. Overall, an engaging read for any Philippa Gregory fan or a fan of historical fiction.

I got this book for Chritmas and ever since opening it I can't put the book down. I would say that it isn't the best book that I've read by Philippa but the way this story is told it feels so real. I never feel as if I'm reading a historical novel that would put me to sleep; I feel like I'm reading a different novel, for example the twilight books. I get a story along with facts that wouldn't have ever known enless i pick up on of Philippa's books. All I'm really trying to say is that if you've read one of her books your sure to love this one just as much. And if your someone who hasn't yet gotten to read one of Philippa Gregory's books you'll be blown away by her and will want more.

I was a little wary about diving into the Boleyn Inheritance after the great gong-show that was The Constant Princess (tedious, unbelievable, and with every indication of being "phoned-in"). But I love Anne of Cleves - she's easily my favorite of Henry's wives, so when I saw she was one of the narrators, I took the plunge and picked up Inheritance.

Well, I devoured it. I loved The Other Boleyn Girl (once I made my peace with Anne's characterization), but The Boleyn Inheritance edges out as my favorite of Gregory's Tudor novels. The three-narrator device is very well handled (although a few of Anne of Cleves's sections do come across as "filler"). Jane Boleyn's talent for self-deception made her as controversial and intriguing character as Gregory's Anne Boleyn, and despite being convinced I'd dislike her, I really felt for her by the end.

But my favorite characterization by far was Katherine Howard. I don't think I've ever seen a self-absorbed teenage girl's voice portrayed so convincing. Her narration has an almost stream-of-consciousness tone as she bounces around from one half-baked idea to the next. It's by turns hilarious and quite sad, especially as she faces her execution.

One wish: a second edition with about half of the examples of the phrase "Boleyn inheritance" taken out. Each of the three leads gets her own "inheritance." We get it. And it's a lot cleverer if the reader isn't beaten over the head with it.

The Boleyn Inheritance review

Philippa Gregory `s very own version of the Boleyn's and their inheritance, has you on the edge of your seat the entire book. She takes the simple story of the Boleyn's and made it into a magnificent book. Props to Phillipa Gregory!
The book took place in the 1500s when king Henry the 8th was the king of England. The story The Boleyn Inheritance, consists of three main characters: Anne of cleaves, Jane Rochford, and Katherine Howard.
Anne, who at first is a duchess in cleaves, becomes the queen of England, married to no other than king Henry the 8th. Her sentence of the story is wrong accusations against her and false witnesses.
Jane Rochford, a devious woman who sends many to their death by false accusations and witnesses by her. Two of them including her very own husband George Boleyn, but don't stop their! Anne Boleyn was also beheaded because of her. Her guilt is practically eating her alive. Being insane wont keep her from the scaffold though. But at least she has the Boleyn Inheritance with her as she dies.
Katherine Howard, first comes to quart as a lady-in-waiting. But she does catch the eye of none other the king when he is married to Anne of cleaves. But it all goes wrong when she falls in love with a man who is not the king. The axe is her only friend toward the end of it all.
I, personally thought this book was absolutely excellent. While it did have you on the edge of your seat while reading, it also gives you an idea of what the men and women really went through while in the quart of king Henry the 8th. This book was great and I would suggest it for anybody who loves lust, greed, mystery, jealousy, and love in a book.
-Brittany Coleman

This is a great book it has everything from love to betrayal, the book is set in (1539 to 1547) It starts off with a little bit of where one of King Henry's past lady's in waiting for many of his past queens life has taken her from being in one of the richest courts to being a poor spinster, it then leads on to the fight between many young girls for the crown for queen of England with Anne of Cleaves finally wining. Anne's household then sets off to the court of England many events take place and the King finds he dislikes his new bride but one of his queen's maids have caught his eye it then goes on a thrilling journey that in the end leads to the scaffold. If you like these kind of stories or if you have never read anything like this before i definitely say you should get this it is a great read it kept me up all night I was so tried for school. :)

Three women take turns telling the fascinating story of the Boleyn inheritance: Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Jane Rochford. Each character is interesting and unique in her own way. Overall, it's a great read but I thought that it dragged on a bit about two-thirds into the book, with the story wrapping up quickly at the end. Having said that, I did enjoy this book and recommend it if you like to read about the Tudor period.

In what may be her finest work, historical fiction novelist Philippa Gregory (who loves the Tudor era at least as much as I do) returns to Henry VIII and his complicated lifestyle with "The Boleyn Inheritance". It is here she finds her voice and a better editor to create the court and the women who compelled it after the death of Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife.

In 1998, in his book "The Hours", author Michael Cunningham created a book with three voices, all heroines, in different eras. The characters were brilliantly brought to the screen (in a film that was devastatingly long and depressing) and captured an Academy award for Nicole Kidman and some serious applause for co-stars Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and Ed Harris. The writing tool, that of three points of feminine view, has been used many times since then; one memory is the delicious

"Mrs. Kimble" by Jennifer Haigh in 2003 where the convention was spiced up in that the three women who tell the tale were all wives of the infamous Mr. Kimble.

Gregory has used that device here, and it has improved the story immensely. She chooses to tell the story from the viewpoint of three unlikely and very different women, who were brought together in one place and one time by the demands of the difficult Henry. Anne of Cleves, the young German noble who became Henry's 4th wife, Jane Boleyn, the Lady Rochford who was featured in Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl" and Katherine Howard, the poor teenaged girl who enchanted Henry and became his 5th wife, all see the times from different viewpoints. All three captivate in Gregory's novel.

You will come away respecting the acts of Anne of Cleves, and by being alternately annoyed and captivated by Kitty Howard (and sad at her horrible demise).

But the true genius of Gregory's novel is the third point of view. I hated Jane Parker Boleyn in "The Other Boleyn Girl" for being a vapid, stupid pawn. Jane betrayed her husband, Anne Boleyn's brother, George, and gave the evidence that caused both Anne and George to be killed. In this book, we see how Jane herself is played as a pawn of the Machiavellian uncle, the Duke of Norfolk. Jane understands and hates her betrayal but tries to save her own life, her fortune, and to ultimately try to convince her uncle to find her a future mate. In return, she spies for him, and does his bidding with a variety of machinations she accomplishes in the background, as a lady in waiting to first Anne and then Katherine. And although both see her for what she is, both are compelled to trust her and heed her advice.

Late in the book, when confronted with her true nature by the Duke, in a scene so full of verbal brutality that it difficult to read, Jane nevertheless hatches a plan to save herself.

Seeing Anne and Kitty through Jane's eyes, (and vice versa) and seeing Henry's evil nature and utter power from the viewpoint of all three women; feeling their fear of death whether they have or have not been true to the crown, leaves you with a powerful sense of actually witnessing events.

It's a powerful work of historical fiction, one that I can highly recommend.

After reading "The Other Boleyn Girl", i was immediately interested in reading this book. I was a bit dissapointed comparign it to The Other Boleyn Girl. The characters were not as easy to love as in the other book, and i personally do not think that narrating from three person's point of views worked for this book. Narrating this way seemed to take away my oppurtunity to deeply connect with a character. I found the Anne segments boring, and to long, while i loved the Katherine segments, and wished they were longer. As far as Jane Boleyn, i liked those parts because it was like a flashback to The Other Boleyn Girl. I found some parts of the book to dragged on, while others were to short, and some of the rushed parts were very important. Overall, I would recommend reading this book after reading The Other Boleyn Girl, but don't expect it to be as good.

For some reason, I enjoyed this book much more than The Other Boleyn Girl, the first sequal. Maybe because this book was so easy to read and in my opinion fast paced. If you know anything about the history of Henry the VIII's wives, this book will stand alone, although it was more enjoyable after reading the Other Boleyn Girl as it fills in what happened to Lady Rochford after Anne Boleyn's execution. There was not a dull moment as this book covers three different perspectives coming from Jane Boleyn aka Lady Rochford, Anne of Cleaves and Katherine Howard. If you are interested in the Tudor Era and looking for an entertaining book, you will probably enjoy this book. This is my favorite Philipa Gregory book (out of 10) that I have read during the Plantaganet/Tudor era.

This book is worth every dedicated minute of reading.

Its historically accurate, and if youve studied, or like anything about Tudor England or the Boleyns, this is a great insight and should be added your treasure trove!

A wonderful, WONDERFUL read!

It is told from the propectives of Anne of Cleves,(Wife #4 of Henry VIII) Jane Boleyn (Georges' Wife) and Katherine Howard (Wife #5). Which in the beginning I thought would be kinda confusing and chaotic to try and keep up with 3 storytellers, but DONT let that be a deturant. It flows, and each chapter is refreshing to have a different voice.

Get it and Read IT!

Although I didn't like this novel as much as I liked her Wideacre series and The Other Boleyn Girl it was still a great read. I really like how she split the book among three characters, but told the same sequence of events from their point of views. I didn't want to give it a five, however, because I felt that the book was a bit hurried and glossed over a lot of events and character development. The book could/should have been longer, but it was a great read nonetheless.

It was hard trying to keep track of who; was who. It was confusing in that the names were so similar, that they intertwined with each other. I also thought there was a needless waste of time on exploiting the Kings character dwelling on his conduct. Very little of substance regarding his personal life, or that of his wives.

It was with great trepidation that I picked up The Boleyn Inheritance by Phileppa Gregory. The Other Boleyn Girl made me angry the first time I read it (long before the movie), being filled with a great number of historical innacuracies which I could not get past. However, after debating about TOBG on a Henry VIII group on myspace, I decided to read the book from the point of view of one who doesn't know the history, and finally I could appreciate Gregory's twisting and ommitting of historical events.

In my reading of The Boleyn Inheritance, I have found some history that is untrue. However, I am very much impressed with the three women in the book who are all telling their story from their own first person narrative-- Jane Rochford (the wife of George Boleyn), Anne of Cleves (Henry's fourth wife) and Katherine Howard (Henry's fifth wife).

I kept comparing Gregory's interpretation of Katherine Howard to Jean Plaidy's interpretation of Katherine Howard in the book The Rose without a Thorn. I find this Katherine, if not a more reliable narrator, to be a little bit more real and personable.

As for the narrations of Anne of Cleves and Jane Rochford, I'm very glad Gregory decided to include both of these women in her novel, as their part of history is oftem glazed over.

All in all I have been excited in my reading of The Boleyn Inheritance. Even though I know what happens (simply because I know the history) it is quite a page turning novel, a novel which has not pissed me off the way The Other Boleyn Girl initially did. Anyone who is a Henry VIII history fan or simply a fan of the book and movie The Other Boleyn Girl will like this newest addition in Phileppa Gregory's repertoire.

Fantastic!! The characters were believable and the history was well researched.. It was sad in a way as well as colourful, Henry VIII's madness and paranoia overshadowing the joy of the younger women alongside the barking mad Jane Vicountess Rochford and her uncle the greedy, scheming b@stard Duke of Norfolk.. Well done Ms Gregory, a fine work..

I don't know if you like reading about dead royalty as much as I do, but if you're drawn to a full skirt and a ruffled collar, it might be tempting to pick up this book. :-) As with her other novels, this is a long, dark, look at the inevitable destruction of the main characters. Gregory gives you three lead females who you can only feel pity for, and the only men in the story are pigs and plotters. There is not a single noble or redeeming act done at any time in the entire story. I know there are a million novels out there, Why can't I read more that leave me lighter and more hopeful? If you're reading this, and you can recommend some, please do. (ps, I don't like Karen Kingsbury or the Mitford series)
I gave it a C rating because it's at least interesting, and at least gives you some historical lessons- a "What not to do" sort of thing.