Impeccably researched and managing to make Anne Boleyn understandable if not neccesarily likeable.

Anybody that knows me knows I am beyond obsessed with Anne Boleyn. So when I found out Alison Weir, a favorite author of mine in regards to historical fiction and non-fiction Tudor books, I knew I had to read it. The second of six in a series exploring Henry VIII's six wives, I found this book to be everything I was hoping for.
Told from the POV of Anne, we meet her when she's a precocious girl of eleven wanting more than anything to prove herself to her family. This is one part of Anne's story that I'm not super knowledgeable on so I loved reading about this part. I knew she spent her formative years in France but had no idea of her tutelage under some of the most intelligent and forward-thinking women I didn't know existed. I loved reading about Margaret of Austria and her views that women were just as powerful as men and were equals rather than inferior. I can definitely see how her upbringing and education formed the adult we know and love.

My only complaint is I thought the pacing was a bit off. We spend so much time over the repetitive years of Henry wanting a divorce and nobody giving him a resolution. It felt very repetitive, which it was, when more time could have been spent on her time as Queen and downfall. The ending felt abrupt and almost out of nowhere because so much time was spent on Henry fawning over her for 6 years before their marriage and almost no time on what made him snap and move against her. Very jarring, even to a reader who knew the timeline of events prior to reading.

I thought Weir's portrayal of Anne was fantastic, for the most part. I loved that she gave us a real person behind the infamous persona. She gave a girl and women who I think we all can relate to on some level. I felt such empathy and understanding of her heart and struggles. At her core, I believe Anne was a girl who just wanted to be loved. To be loved and accepted and understood for who she was. And when she realized men are awful, she turned her goals to power instead. Wanting to exact change in her country that she loved so much and give everyone the ability to express themselves.

Her ending was not right. It wasn't fair or just and she deserved so much more than what she was dealt. History is written by men and with all women of her time she got the shit end of the stick. It makes me incredibly happy that historians exist and are able to give a different side of events, a much more believable story of events if we're being real. Long Live the Queen!
Rating: Reserved Seating
If you love history, the Tudors, and Anne Boleyn...this book is for you.

This book wasn't as great as, say, Queen of Someday, but it was a good book that kept me reading. I hope to read more from this author.

I'm a Tudor history buff. I love Tudor history. I'm quite a fan of Weir's nonfiction books.

I don't love this book. Nor was I remotely a fan of this book.

Weir does a great job of incorporating real history into the book and painting a semi-sympathetic picture of Anne Boleyn. The ill-fated queen comes to life in this text (especially her early life), as does Henry VIII's court.

However, no one needs to read 500+ pages of this. I skipped literal chapters of this book and didn't feel any remorse. I missed nothing. There was no reason to drag out the years before Henry and Anne get married; I felt like I was reading a Dickens' novel were Weir was getting paid by the word. Literally nothing happens, and you're stuck reading about Anne going to Court and then back to her parents and then back to Court and then back to her parents and rinse and repeat. Oh dear God, after the first 50 pages of that, I prayed her beheading would come quickly to put us both out of our misery.

Additionally, there are moments where the prose fell very flat. Weir's background is in nonfiction and there are areas in this book where that is quite evident.

All in all, this book was simply too long and too boring to be a "must-read." If you're looking for good Tudor historical fiction, there are better books to read.

Alison Weir managed once again to bring history to life in her latest book, Anne Boyeln : A Kings Obsession.
I love all things "Anne Boylen" & have been captivated by King Henry & the Tudor Dynasty so I have read many books in this genre. With as many books that I have read under my belt, I was very pleasantly surprised that I was still able to learn things I had never heard about before in Weir's book!
The beginning starts in a place many writers choose to ignore - it begins with Anne at court in Burgandy. It follows her through her departure Margaret & into the French court. I enjoyed reading about Anne's years spent as a lady in waiting for Queen Claude & all the sex crazed shennanigsns of King Francious.
As Anne enters the court of England the book does seem to drag a bit. Through the many years of King Henry's courting. I did find it quite interesting how unsexually attractive she found King Henry - from as early as childhood.
The last part of the book pics up quite a bit of pace, and here is where the book has you biting your nails, waiting for more. Through all her ups and her many disappointments & of coarse her unevitable fall from grace - Anne kept her public appearance as graceful & composed as was drilled in her bones since birth. Wether your opinion of her is victim or villlian she is one of history's most captivating woman.

I love reading about the Tudor period and was excited to see another new book on the subject from an author I’ve widely read.

This story is a sympathetic portrayal of Anne Boleyn. In this telling, she was deeply in love with Henry Percy before the relationship was forced to end, and also innocent and even naive in her initial associations with King Henry.

With so many of Anne’s original letters and writings being lost to history, we can only presume to know the real story and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of the portrayals of Anne as vixen or as villain, but this story certainly offered a different perspective on her life and actions than most other books I have read on the subject.

Having read several of Allison Weir’s non-fiction books and her earlier book in this series on Katherine of Aragon, I think she is a stronger non-fiction writer. The dialogue in the book was often stilted and took away from the story for me. It was a very long, detailed book and the length could have been cut without sacrificing the plot.

The second half of the book picked up for me and I found it enjoyable to read Anne’s perspective on the religious issues swirling at the time, that she was so intricately involved in.

Overall this was a detailed, thoughtful and thought-provoking story about a woman who continues to fascinate to this day. Thank you to Ballantine Books through Netgalley for providing a copy to review.

I don't feel as if this novel added anything to the story of Anne Boleyn from what we already know and what Weir herself has already covered.

Also, the inclusion of the sixth fingernail in the story had no point. There is still great debate as to whether it was there or if it was just added on to the slander against Anne. If Weir would like to add it in to suit her narrative, I see no issue with that, if it serves a purpose. The offending nail was brought up once or twice and then never again, so what was the point?

I find the same issue with Da Vinci. Anne casually meets him and receives a drawn portrait of herself from an already renowned maestro. She tacks it over her bed in a dormitory and never again do we hear about it, other than her weeping upon hearing of his death. Cool I guess?

I will not be able to review this book as I do not believe it would be fair to the authors work. Unfortunately I was only able to make it about half way through the book itself. It started off beautifully and I was filled with curiosity and wonder as I have always been interested by histories oddities such as Elizabeth Bathory and Anne Boleyn. I was disappointed however that around the half way mark the intrigue just fell flat. I tried multiple times to simply take a break and push forward however I only made it a few pages before putting it down again for lack of depth.

Alison Weir's latest novel has blown me away. Even though it is a historical fiction novel, the amount of research that went into this book is astounding. I love history and am especially interested in the Tudor time period. What Weir has done here differs from many books we read about Anne Boleyn. It's from Anne's own point of view and Weir tries to give us some insight into her years in France - something that is rarely brought to life in such detail. I also found it engrossing to read what those last few months were like for Anne - and the ending...wow! I could barely read it because it was so upsetting. Unfortunately, we will never know the truth of whether Anne was innocent or guilty, or maybe even a combination of both, but Weir does a tremendous job laying out her case for Anne's innocence. I very much enjoyed this novel and look forward to many more from Weir!

interesting twist on a favorite tale. read it in 2 days

Wonderful book! I've always been fascinated with history and with the recent rise of historical European TV shows, my interest with the British monarchy has grown even more. I give high praise to Alison Weir's Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession as Anne Boleyn has always held a rather tragic and ill-fated life. From her innocent childhood to waiting for years to be King Henry's wife, Anne Boleyn's life was truly fascinating.
Ms. Weir's writing style is incredibly engaging. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't put the book down until I was finished with it. I read to the wee hours of the night, waking up tired and exhausted but happy to have read just a little further each night. The novel reads as a fiction style of writing but with so many historical facts woven into the storyline, I was both educated and relieved that this book wasn't simply just a "history" book. The point of view is of course from Anne Boleyn, but you also see some insights into Henry XIII and the other key players.
If you're interested in learning about Anne Boleyn and how she became one of the most prominent queens of Henry XIII then be sure to pick up this book. You will not be disappointed and you might even want to search more into the history of Anne Boleyn and the strange yet passionate King Henry XIII.

Five AMAZING STARS!
I was totally absorbed in Alison's Weirs book Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction. I love the way it follows Anne's life from childhood and how she became the obsession of King Henry the VIII. The author's writing was so good that I was transported to the palaces of her time. I couldn't put this book down and didn't want it to end. I look forward to reading the next in this series!

A different view of Anne and her relationship with Henry. I really enjoyed this well written book.

​This is the second book in Alison Weir’s new fiction series, following the stories of the Six Wives of Henry VIII. The first novel (which I also read) looked at Katherine of Aragon. "Anne Boleyn, A King's Obsession" is far more engaging of a novel than Weir's earlier novel on Katherine of Aragon.

Though many books have been written about Henry VIII's second wife, as Weir says in her afterword, Anne Boleyn remains a historical enigma: we have few direct historical sources and many of those are themselves politically biased. So it is incumbent upon Weir to fill in what history does not tell us.

Was Anne framed? Undoubtedly. Was she an innocent? Not entirely. While the charges of adultery were levied unjustly, Anne was fully aware that she was playing a dangerous game at court with an unstable man. I believe she knew, throughout her marriage, that she was at risk for a bad ending, based upon how Henry VIII disposed of his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. But I don't think she ever thought the stakes were life or death.

I would recommend this book to lovers of Tudor history. While this is a lengthy book, the pages turn quickly. It is well researched, though there are still a few historical inaccuracies. For instance, while at the French court, Weir imagines a conversation between Anne and Leonardo da Vinci in which he mentions a painting he is working on featuring a woman with a haunting smile. Only problem with this conversation is that the Mona Lisa was painted almost 20 years earlier, a small detail that does not take away from the overall story, but could have easily been left out.
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"Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession" is a wonderfully enthralling, enlightening and emotional read. Weir weaves a story that is a modern day romance, speculating on sibling rivalry, devotion, women's issues, and the impact of choices. She manages to humanize Anne, and we come to understand this intelligent woman who is trying to create a position of importance in a world that prefers women to be marriageable pawns in a political game for power.

The second in Alison Weir's series about Henry VIII's wives we focus here on Anne Boelyn, the most fascinating of all the Queens in my personal opinion. Alison Weir is a natural story teller and I can never get enough of her writing fiction or nonfiction. This story tells a side of Anne Boelyn that is not commonly seen. It paints the picture of her life before she was used as a pawn by her family in order to promote the Boelyn family. This story shows the girl Anne Boelyn could have been and helps us better understand why she became the woman that she did.

I've always been drawn to this story and how one woman almost brought down a country. This book was written well and kept me intrigued from start to finish. The characters had color and depth. They brought to life the story of the Boleyn sisters. If you like historical fiction, this is a good read.

Review will be published on Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina blog on 3-26-2017
http://www.exballerina.com/2017/03/bookreview-anne-boleyn-kings-obsession.html

This is the first book of Alison Weir that I ever read and I regret waiting so long to do so. Most books about Anne Boleyn has her as a victim or a very conniving women with an attitude. In those books you either dislike or pity but rarely is it both. Here Anne Boleyn is real and her story from childhood to death is one that drags you into her life. All the characters are so lifelike it is hard to believe that this is a biography not just a fictional novel. I hope to read more by Weir and learn more about all the queens!

Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession is a good and long read. I enjoyed the historical details of the times but not sure if I liked how Anne was portrayed.
3 stars.

There are many talented authors writing novels about Tudor England. But as a historian, Alison Weir KNOWS Tudor history. She also has a unique gift of being able to take historical facts and weave them into a darn good story. Not every historian has that ability. That’s why when I pick up one of her books, whether nonfiction or fiction, I know I’m going to enjoy it.

What makes “Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession” stand out from some of its fictional counterparts is Weir’s depiction of Anne as a reluctant subject of Henry VIII’s attention. Anne is repulsed by the King’s behavior with other women, including her sister, Mary, who Henry impregnates and tosses aside. Anne also feels great sorrow for Queen Katherine who must silently tolerate her husband’s infidelity time and time again. When Henry’s attention eventually turns to Anne, she feels no physical attraction to him whatsoever. Knowing how her sister and other women were eventually cast off and forgotten by the King, Anne rebuffs his advances in a determined effort to safeguard her virginity and reputation. This only serves to make Henry’s ardor for her increase.

As the novel progresses, Anne begins to see the benefits that would be hers if she were to wed Henry and become Queen. Anne’s father also sees the benefits he himself would gain from such a union, so he encourages Anne’s relationship with the King. With the backing of her father, Anne becomes the conniving character of my expectations as she resigns herself to do whatever it takes, and to enlist whatever help she can, to have Henry and Katherine’s marriage invalidated so that she herself can marry the King. Years go by and the church refuses to take the action the couple hopes for. The stress of waiting begins to take a toll on their relationship. When they are finally able to marry, the allure Henry initially had for Anne has already begun to wear off.

Unlike other women of that time, Anne is very outspoken and does not shy from giving the King a piece of her mind when she is frustrated or angry with him. No one else dares to speak to him in such a manner, and this too becomes a major source of irritation in the relationship. As time passes and she is unable to give Henry the son and heir he so desperately desires, he begins to quietly seek a reason to remove her from his life. All of Anne’s prior actions now begin to work to her detriment as they are used against her. In Henry’s mind, he successfully rid himself of one wife, so there is no reason he can’t rid himself of another. Unfortunately for Anne and much to her great shock, the accusations leveled against her will lead to a violent and public execution by beheading.

Since no known personal documents of Anne’s are extant, she is somewhat of an enigma. What is known about her has been relayed to history by hostile sources holding a tainted point of view. Therefore, I found the sympathetic portrayal of Anne as a virtuous woman at the novel’s beginning to be a surprise. Anne is also depicted as unashamedly outspoken and actively involved in political and administrative decisions. One can almost see in Anne the early stirrings of feminism in an era where women were seen but not heard. Although the religious reformation ultimately paved the way for Henry’s many marriages, the book didn’t put as much emphasis on the separation of the Anglican church from the Roman church as I expected. Anne maintains her innocence right to the end, and the last few paragraphs depicting her final moments were brilliantly written--albeit disturbing--resulting in an unusual conclusion.

If you enjoy the Tudor period, this book should be on your “To Be Read” list. I thoroughly enjoyed it and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Many thanks to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for a complimentary digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.