Review: "Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession" by Alison Weir

As much as I love historical fiction, this happens to be the first novel by Alison Weir that I have ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am now a fan! She writes English historical fiction and in this tome, she explores the life of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII. As the title says, this is the second installment in her Six Tudor Queens series. She follows Anne’s life from a young child until she “loses” her head over the king.

Ms. Weir tells the story in the first person by Anne. This brought Anne to life for me. I felt like she was talking directly to me and I could understand her transformation. She morphs from a young naïve girl, pursued relentlessly by the king to a conniving queen who lets no one stand in her way. She insures her family and children benefit from her rise. You feel her bewilderment as the king and the few friends that she has, turn against her and she forfeits her life. Because you glimpse both sides of the woman, the author is unbiased in her presentation of Anne.

This book was filled with history but was entertaining and kept you turning pages. I will definitely be reading more books by this author. Although the only thing that would be disturbing to young readers is the end, I would recommend this for teen to adult readers. Even if you don’t have a huge interest in English history, give this story a try, it is very entertaining and worth reading.

I requested and reviewed this book for NetGalley.