Alison Weir (1) (1951–)

I seem to be having a bit of a Tudor moment, what with CJ Sampson's Matthew Shardlake and all. I started Innocent Traitor comparing it unfavourably with Sampson's work. But I found it in due course a real page-turner. The truly horrifying history of Jane Grey, the nine-days Queen is told through the eyes of many of the people involved in her life. Their individual voices are hard to distinguish one from the other, but their different views of aspects of the same tale make for interesting reading. There's Jane herself, quiet, studious but strong-minded, her loyal loving nurse, her dreadfully inhumane mother and the political entourage surrounding her. The characters are believable, and the story is a true one.

Alison Weir, an historian, has clearly enjoyed the opportunity, new to her, of fictionalising her account, putting words and thoughts into her characters' mouths and heads that can have no basis in hard historical fact. But she is so conversant with the period and the characters about whom she writes that the feel of the book is likely to be an accurate refection of this particularly unsavoury episode in English history. A very good if uncomfortable read.… (meer)

This is thorough and engaging account of Henry VIII’s time as king. As the title implies, it also covers members of his court, and it does not dwell on Henry’s life before he came to the throne.

Like all Alison Weir’s books, this is meticulously researched, yet in no way is it a hard-to-digest scholarly work.

Passages here and there didn’t hold my attention, but then the author covers a lot of ground, so other readers like myself may not be hooked on every topic. On the most part, though, this heavy tome is well worthwhile reading.… (meer)

This short story is written in third-person specific about Henry VII’s eldest son.

Not much happens, sadly. Certainly not with Arthur. He hears second-hand reports of current events, such as the Perkin Warbeck affair, in which he has no direct involvement, and the outcome doesn’t affect his life in any respect.

I’d rather the author had cut things like the above-mentioned example and dramatized a few short scenes. We’re told who Arthur likes and dislikes, but we don’t see any of this play out. For example, we’re told he likes his sister Margret but dislikes his brother Harry (the future Henry VIII), so it’s a pity we couldn’t have had at least one scene featuring Arthur with each sibling to show the contrasting relationships.

Short stories like this don’t have much scope for anything big, but something still needs to happen – and the main character being told reports about what’s happened to someone who has little or no bearing on his life doesn’t cut it.

I’m a fan of this author, but this for me isn’t Alison Weir at her best. It’s interesting in places, but not in any way enthralling.… (meer)