Review: Rivals in the Tudor Court by D. L. Bogdan
Rivals in the Tudor Court
by D. L. Bogdan
Companion novel to Secrets of the Tudor Court
The childhood of the third duke of Norfolk, Thomas Howard, is an unhappy one. His domineering grandfather beats him, but this was nothing compared to the emotional abuse he heaps upon young Thomas. Thomas’ fortune changes when as a teenager, he marries Anne Plantagenet, a princess. They’re head over heels in love with each other, and the princess’ childish belief in fairies amuses the young man. Their years together are happy as one child after another is born, but the happiness doesn’t last. One after another, the children succumb to illness, and eventually even Thomas’ beloved princess dies in sickbed. A coldness settles into Thomas which will only grow throughout the rest of his life. Elizabeth Stafford is forced to put aside her own love by her parents so that she can marry the Duke of Norfolk, but though she loves him the two never cease to quarrel. When the king seeks to set aside his wife Catherine of Aragon for his new love, Anne Boleyn- Thomas Howard’s own niece - Elizabeth supports the queen. This puts her in opposition with her husband the duke, and when he takes a mistress their estrangement becomes permanent. At the unstable court of Henry VIII, a woman can be queen today and a corpse tomorrow, but Thomas Howard’s ambition keeps him safe from the wrath of the king. His good fortune can’t last forever, though…
This is actually the second time I’ve read this book. I originally picked it up back in July and finished it quickly, but when I picked it up to review a few weeks later I couldn’t remember a thing about it. This seemed most unusual; by contrast, it’s been a year since I read The Red Queen and two years since The White Queen, but today I remember both the plot and characters of both books fairly clearly. So what made Rivals in the Tudor Court so forgettable?
The dialogue is pretty bland, and tends to be repetitive; Elizabeth Stafford spends a lot of time reminding the Duke that she swore to always speak the truth to him, while he reminds the reader that he has to keep everyone at a distance, because people always die and leave you alone.
There’s not a lot of “set decoration” description. I personally like to have it, but I know that for others the absence of paragraphs describing the insides of palaces and suchlike might be a positive boon.
I think the book’s biggest weakness is that it blazes through history at a rapid pace. Several years’ worth of events are often summarized in a few paragraphs. Given that the duke seemed to spend much of his time manipulating his Howard relatives from the background, I suppose it wouldn’t make sense to devote large portions of the book to their actions, but Catherine Howard’s entire relationship with King Henry is restricted to a chapter of less than ten pages.
Even the Duke’s own actions - remember, Thomas is the main character for much of the book, although the narration later shifts between the duchess Elizabeth Stafford and Bess Holland, his mistress - are often quickly narrated rather than experienced. For example, we’re told by Elizabeth that “my husband rises to prominence again when he puts down the Pilgrimage of Grace” - and that’s all we hear on the subject. This must have been a fairly major event for the Duke at the time, given his connection to the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, but there’s nothing said about it. In fact, very little is said about any of the Duke’s military exploits, which is a waste. An exploration of his life as a soldier might have done a lot to explain why he was such a dick in his civilian life.
But Thomas Howard - which is too bad, because I would really like to read that book - but a historical romance focused on his relationships with the women in his life. In short: with the exception of his first wife, whom he adored, the Duke treats women badly. So unless you like reading books about women being stuck in toxic relationships, and how the man justifies his treatment of them, there won’t be much pleasure in the reading.
2 out of 5 stars
I thought about giving it 3 stars, but the fact that I forgot it so quickly after reading it made me take of another star.
To read more about Rivals in the Tudor Court, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
by D. L. Bogdan
Companion novel to Secrets of the Tudor Court
The childhood of the third duke of Norfolk, Thomas Howard, is an unhappy one. His domineering grandfather beats him, but this was nothing compared to the emotional abuse he heaps upon young Thomas. Thomas’ fortune changes when as a teenager, he marries Anne Plantagenet, a princess. They’re head over heels in love with each other, and the princess’ childish belief in fairies amuses the young man. Their years together are happy as one child after another is born, but the happiness doesn’t last. One after another, the children succumb to illness, and eventually even Thomas’ beloved princess dies in sickbed. A coldness settles into Thomas which will only grow throughout the rest of his life. Elizabeth Stafford is forced to put aside her own love by her parents so that she can marry the Duke of Norfolk, but though she loves him the two never cease to quarrel. When the king seeks to set aside his wife Catherine of Aragon for his new love, Anne Boleyn- Thomas Howard’s own niece - Elizabeth supports the queen. This puts her in opposition with her husband the duke, and when he takes a mistress their estrangement becomes permanent. At the unstable court of Henry VIII, a woman can be queen today and a corpse tomorrow, but Thomas Howard’s ambition keeps him safe from the wrath of the king. His good fortune can’t last forever, though…
This is actually the second time I’ve read this book. I originally picked it up back in July and finished it quickly, but when I picked it up to review a few weeks later I couldn’t remember a thing about it. This seemed most unusual; by contrast, it’s been a year since I read The Red Queen and two years since The White Queen, but today I remember both the plot and characters of both books fairly clearly. So what made Rivals in the Tudor Court so forgettable?
The dialogue is pretty bland, and tends to be repetitive; Elizabeth Stafford spends a lot of time reminding the Duke that she swore to always speak the truth to him, while he reminds the reader that he has to keep everyone at a distance, because people always die and leave you alone.
There’s not a lot of “set decoration” description. I personally like to have it, but I know that for others the absence of paragraphs describing the insides of palaces and suchlike might be a positive boon.
I think the book’s biggest weakness is that it blazes through history at a rapid pace. Several years’ worth of events are often summarized in a few paragraphs. Given that the duke seemed to spend much of his time manipulating his Howard relatives from the background, I suppose it wouldn’t make sense to devote large portions of the book to their actions, but Catherine Howard’s entire relationship with King Henry is restricted to a chapter of less than ten pages.
Even the Duke’s own actions - remember, Thomas is the main character for much of the book, although the narration later shifts between the duchess Elizabeth Stafford and Bess Holland, his mistress - are often quickly narrated rather than experienced. For example, we’re told by Elizabeth that “my husband rises to prominence again when he puts down the Pilgrimage of Grace” - and that’s all we hear on the subject. This must have been a fairly major event for the Duke at the time, given his connection to the ill-fated Anne Boleyn, but there’s nothing said about it. In fact, very little is said about any of the Duke’s military exploits, which is a waste. An exploration of his life as a soldier might have done a lot to explain why he was such a dick in his civilian life.
But Thomas Howard - which is too bad, because I would really like to read that book - but a historical romance focused on his relationships with the women in his life. In short: with the exception of his first wife, whom he adored, the Duke treats women badly. So unless you like reading books about women being stuck in toxic relationships, and how the man justifies his treatment of them, there won’t be much pleasure in the reading.
2 out of 5 stars
I thought about giving it 3 stars, but the fact that I forgot it so quickly after reading it made me take of another star.
To read more about Rivals in the Tudor Court, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.