Alison Weir

"A sumptuous historical novel anchored by its excellent depiction of Jane Seymour, Henry the VIII's third queen . . . This is a must for all fans of Tudor fiction and history."--Publishers Weekly Ever since she was a child, Jane has longed for a cloistered life as a nun. But her large noble family has other plans, and as an adult, Jane is invited to the King's court to serve as lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon. The devout Katherine shows kindness to all her ladies, almost like a second mother, which makes rumors of Henry's lustful pursuit of Anne Boleyn--also lady-in-waiting to the queen--all the more shocking. For Jane, the betrayal triggers memories of a haunting incident that shaped her beliefs about marriage. But once Henry disavows Katherine and secures Anne as his new queen--forever altering the religious landscape of England--he turns his eye to another: Jane herself. Urged to return the King's affection and earn favor for her family, Jane is drawn into a dangerous political game that pits her conscience against her desires. Can Jane be the one to give the King his long-sought-after son, or will she be cast aside like the women who came before her? Bringing new insight to this compelling story, Alison Weir marries meticulous research with gripping historical fiction to re-create the dramas and intrigues of the most renowned court in English history. At its center is a loving and compassionate woman who captures the heart of a king, and whose life will hang in the balance for it. Praise for Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen "Bestselling [Alison] Weir's impressive novel shows why Jane deserves renewed attention [and] illustrates Jane's unlikely journey from country knight's daughter to queen of England. . . . From the richly appointed decor to the religious tenor of the time, the historical ambience is first-rate."--Booklist (starred review) "Deft, authoritative biographical fiction . . . a dramatic and empathic portrait of Jane Seymour."--Kirkus Reviews

Jane Seymour, the Haunted Queen

Holly 

Jane did not know how she kept her silence. Love was not conditional upon people behaving as you wanted them to. Love was something you felt, instinctively, naturally and often unbidden. She could not doubt that Henry loved his daughter; but he loved his kingly authority more, and she herself was now under no delusions that it would take precedence over his love for her too, should she defy him in any way.

Detest Anne as she did, she could yet feel a sisterly pity for her. It was tragic for a woman to endure months of the comforts of pregnancy, only to lose her babe at the end of it. It was So easy for the King - or any man-to demand sons; they did not have to undergo the bearing of them.

Nor did her mother, Jane realized. At least her father had been discreet, unlike the King. "It is a scandal that a man may launt mistress as his Grace does. Yet turn the tables, and imagine how far greater the scandal if the Queen were to take a lover!" 

Margery's blue eyes widened. "I cannot ever imagine her doing so but I take your point. Alas, men can commit adultery with impunity, but we poor women must be above suspicion, lest we foist bastards on our husbands!"

"But it's always easier for those who go to new places than it is for those who are left behind," Margery observed, with a wisdom that belied her fifteen years.

Elda Mengisto

"Jane hesitated. Every part of her wanted to say yes, but she was being asked to fill the shoes of a woman who might shortly die horribly to make room for her. Then she thought of the child that might be growing under her girdle--and of all the people whose hopes were vested in her...She thought of the Princess Mary....and the thought of the Church, and how she could right the wrongs that had been done to it--and of how she could work for the greater good." (340)

I was interested in getting into Jane Seymour's story. In comparison to Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn's stories, I felt like I knew less about her, especially as she was illiterate and therefore, couldn't leave much correspondence. I could say the same thing about the following three wives, because they were not married as long, but that's for another day.
The pop culture description of Jane Seymour puts her on two extremes, one as the meek, submissive third wife of King Henry VIII; or one who somehow manipulated to get Anne Boleyn off the throne. They debate on how pure she actually is, but what cannot be understated was she was the only one to have a son, in Edward. Alison Weir doesn't take one side or another; instead, she creates quite the coming-of-age story which portrays a stronger woman then one would imagine. 
While Weir notes this incident as fictional, Jane's initial desire to become a nun piqued me. It almost solidified the idea she wanted to be pure, which historians wanted to tell of her. The scandal involving her father and her sister-in-law, Catherine colors her view on marriage, which shows in her negative impression on Anne Boleyn when she usurps the "true Queen" in Katherine of Aragon. This particularly interested me because their relationship felt a bit ambiguous, leaning towards a rivalry, but it seems to be based on disagreement religion-wise.
Like with the first two books in the series, religion plays a role in painting the Tudor world at this time. Unlike with the reformist Anne Boleyn, Jane firmly sticks to the Catholic tradition, and is appalled with the many changes which take place. From questions over doctrine to a scene where a relic is proven to be falsified, Jane fears the lack of salvation across the realm. This also triggers her to persuade Henry VIII to take mercy on the monasteries, which he viciously slams down when she tries to speak up. This actually leads her to back down a little bit.
Despite this, Weir portrays Jane as a kind woman, using that faith as a backbone. This was clearly shown with the Princess Mary, whom she works to restore into the succession. She even shows Jane thinking of Anne Boleyn in her final hours, as seen in this scene:

"She prayed harder than she had ever done-for Anne, first and foremost, but also for Henry and for herself, that God would not turn His face from them both in wrath at this day's act" (380)

Like always, I appreciate Weir's focus on historical detail and the research she pursues to create a full picture. One of the most notable ones focuses on how Jane dies--not of either childbirth nor of a fever, as she notes in the author's note, but of a number of different illness. And as she describes Jane's final hours, sadly after her greatest triumph, one could follow them with her.

Overall, a great book about a commonly-unknown queen, in which Weir gives new life to as a determined and loyal person. (9/10)

"Published in 2018 by arrangement with Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC"--Copyright page.

Rachel Benton

This is the third book in Alison Weir Six Tudor Queens series. I had no intention of reading this book just yet because I had not read the first two books in this series. But then I was fortunate enough to receive a netgalley of this. After reading one or two pages of this I could not put it down.

This story centers around Jane Seymour, who was the third wife of Henry VIII. She was both lady-in-waiting to both Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. She caught Henry eyes which precipitated the downfall of Anne Boleyn. She was dubbed Henry’s favorite “Queen” because she was the only one to provide him with a male heir. 

Jane was the narrator throughout the story, so we get her perspective throughout the book. So I disagree with anyone that says that we didn’t get enough Jane in this. Plus I think that this was the best route to go since there not much information on her historically. 

Weir certainly embellishes on some stuff, but for the most part she is sticking straight to history. And for the things that she does embellish on at the end of the book she gives solid arguments as to why she went that route. 

I thought all her character portrayals were spot on. I think out of all the books I have read on Jane I think this my favorite depiction of her. Jane in this wanted to bring the Boleyn’s down, but she didn’t want to see them dead. I liked how she wrote Henry as well. We see a man who values his Kingly prerogative over anything else, including his family. 

If your an Anne Boleyn fan, I don’t think your going to like this version of her, but at the same time we have remember that this book is written from Jane’s perspective. She doesn’t have a kindly opinion of her, but the towards the end of the book she changes her mind about certain beliefs had about her.

Overall, I thought this book was Amazing. It's making me want to research more on the Seymour’s. I highly recommend this.

Roos Kuijper 

I am just addicted to this serie, and I am really curious how Alison Weir will portray the last 3 women!

Jane Seymour, the Haunted Queen

Reviews

Highlights