Friday, October 5, 2012
by Katherine Longshore
Published: 5.15.12
Pages: 406
When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.
Inky's Blurbings:
Okay, it's a legit truth blog-wide known (ish?) that I LOVE Historical Fiction. So much that I borrow random books from my Grandma. And it's not so well-known that I HEART anything Medival/Rennaisance. Or maybe it is. I don't know. Either way, when I heard about the concept of this novel I was thrilled beyond thrilling. Then when I heard that this was a portrayal o the real GRIT, not sparkles of court I went SQUEEE!
Oh yeah. First off I have to give a major high-five to Katherine for her WONDERFUL rendition of the Tudor court. It was really well put together and portrayed to give a pretty real feel for what it was like in the time. From the classes, to the court to, daily deeds. It was easy to slip into the time period and understand what was going on in the years the book covered.
Our main character Kitty Tylney -an actual historical figure- is the best friend of the future Queen Catherine. It was interesting to see two characters trying to fit into the society. All Kitty and Cat want really want is to BE something. And their journey to make it to court so they could be someone was interesting. It felt real and a very realistic character development. Easy to connect to you know? I mean it was a very realistic ambition that is so human and basic that I was snatched right along with Kitty.
So they make it to court. It's glamour and glitter for a bit but then the reality of the situation comes out. It's not all ballgowns and parties. It's betrayal and lies and all manner of intrigue. And it seriously was. Now I have to put in a word that this is NOT a clean intrigue. This is the court of Henry VIII. This is not a chaste society. So if you are a cleanie you have to understand that there are some discourses besides extra content. For me, I'm not a fan of lots of content, but understanding that this was what the society was like then helped to lesson the discomfort/like.
But disregarding that fact I still enjoyed how the dirt and grit was shown. So I really liked the characters and the historical aspect. But what about the romance? Yes, there is a love interest. I rather liked him. Sadly, though, this isn't a happy ending book. Go figure. Oh well. My lips are sealed I enjoyed this book, and would give my good solid recommendation for those of you who like a good accurate historical novel.
Content: ModerateOkay, it's a legit truth blog-wide known (ish?) that I LOVE Historical Fiction. So much that I borrow random books from my Grandma. And it's not so well-known that I HEART anything Medival/Rennaisance. Or maybe it is. I don't know. Either way, when I heard about the concept of this novel I was thrilled beyond thrilling. Then when I heard that this was a portrayal o the real GRIT, not sparkles of court I went SQUEEE!
Oh yeah. First off I have to give a major high-five to Katherine for her WONDERFUL rendition of the Tudor court. It was really well put together and portrayed to give a pretty real feel for what it was like in the time. From the classes, to the court to, daily deeds. It was easy to slip into the time period and understand what was going on in the years the book covered.
Our main character Kitty Tylney -an actual historical figure- is the best friend of the future Queen Catherine. It was interesting to see two characters trying to fit into the society. All Kitty and Cat want really want is to BE something. And their journey to make it to court so they could be someone was interesting. It felt real and a very realistic character development. Easy to connect to you know? I mean it was a very realistic ambition that is so human and basic that I was snatched right along with Kitty.
So they make it to court. It's glamour and glitter for a bit but then the reality of the situation comes out. It's not all ballgowns and parties. It's betrayal and lies and all manner of intrigue. And it seriously was. Now I have to put in a word that this is NOT a clean intrigue. This is the court of Henry VIII. This is not a chaste society. So if you are a cleanie you have to understand that there are some discourses besides extra content. For me, I'm not a fan of lots of content, but understanding that this was what the society was like then helped to lesson the discomfort/like.
But disregarding that fact I still enjoyed how the dirt and grit was shown. So I really liked the characters and the historical aspect. But what about the romance? Yes, there is a love interest. I rather liked him. Sadly, though, this isn't a happy ending book. Go figure. Oh well. My lips are sealed I enjoyed this book, and would give my good solid recommendation for those of you who like a good accurate historical novel.
(The girls snuck the boys into their dorm at night for parties, and romancing. Sees man taking advantage of a woman. Attempted Rape. Kissing. Innuendo. Some language (Deity, da**, bit**. Court drama/immorality.)
4 Stars
So what do you think? Do you like historical? Do you hate historical? Do you want to read Gilt? Any to recommend? I'd love to hear what you think!
5 comments:
Heyo! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! I love to hear from my awesome-sauce blog readers. You just made my day! I try to reply to every comment I get so if you have a question check back later! Or just link me up to your blog (if you have one) and I'll visit you! Have a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day! <333 Inky
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Well, I have not read any book about the Tudor court, or anything related to that era.
ReplyDeleteI would love to try this book after your awesome review.
Your constant reader,
Soma
http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/
Oh awesome! So glad you liked! I think you would enjoy it! Thanks for reading!
DeleteI only like historical novels if the protagonist is a thief. This also sounds a bit like Gossip Girl which I'm not really fond of. And it's too bad that this doesn't have a happy ending because I love happy ending but I guess that may change in the future books? Thanks for the review, Hannah!
ReplyDeleteI love historical novels although it was so sad while reading because I knew there wasn't going to be a happy ending, unless Longshore wanted to radically change history haha. Tudor novels are my favorite although I prefer Anne Boleyn stories (even though it's another unhappy ending). Since I was less familiar with Cat, I liked seeing everything that led up to her tragic ending.
ReplyDeleteHopping through! I'm a new follower through Linky and GFC - follow me back over at my blog, http://www.beyond-the-bookshelf.com :)
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