Rate this book

Between Two Queens (2010)

by Kate Emerson(Favorite Author)

3.74 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1416583270 (ISBN13: 9781416583271)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Simon and Schuster

series

Secrets of the Tudor Court

review 1: I really enjoyed this book! It's a bit more political and less romance than the first book in the series, but it's still very good. I like how the author included a lot of details about how the members of the court lived beck then; she discusses everything from the type of fabric used to make the ladies' dresses, to the exact rules for playing a particular dice game, to how much salary a lady in waiting received!This book is about Anne "Nan" Bassett, and takes place probably between 15 and 20 years after the first book in the series (I'm guessing this because of the age of Catherine Carey, Mary Boleyn's daughter with Henry VIII!). Nan works at the courts of Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Kathryn Parr. They even refer to her as a career lady-in-waiting a... moret several points! And what a difficult career it was- not only was she essentially a 24/7 personal assistant to the queen, but she was obligated to request favors on behalf of her family, and navigate the tricky politics at court on top of that. All for a salary of ten pounds per year! It was so fun to see everything from her insider perspective.I also like how the author's note at the end discusses what she took from known fact and what she imagined. I feel like I received an education as well as entertainment. You definitely do NOT have had to read 'The pleasure Palace' before picking this up. This is my favorite kind of series- the kind with a similar theme but no cliffhangers! I will definitely pick up more of Kate Emerson's books, but it's nice to know I don't have to worry about reading them in order.
review 2: I am hopelessly addicted to novels about the Tudor court, though some admittedly are better than others. Here we see events through the eyes of Anne Basset, a real person who did live through those times. Nan Basset hopes to find a young, wealthy husband during her service to the queen, and if possible to help her family while doing so. Unfortunately for her, Queen Jane dies after giving birth to a son, and the King's household is once more in turmoil. Nan struggles to find a way to stay at court, but she's none too thrilled it's at the hands of King Henry VIII.In constant intrigue, the characters and events could overwhelm but Emerson's pacing was right on the mark. The result was an interesting look at well-known events from a new angle. Greed, power and sex are the key ingredients, as the nobles take sides in the never-ending struggle of King Henry VIII and his queens. Nan was quite unprepared for the savagry of it all, though she fits in well. Nan as a character is not sympathetic; she's actually a bit annoying at times with her constant selfish outlook. Of course, she was living in difficult times and had little hope of getting what she wanted most (love). The subplot was unnecessary and likely false, it could have been left out without any effect on the story. less

Download links for: Between Two Queens

Advertising