Publisher's Description:
In this second novel of Alison Weir’s epic Six Tudor Queens series, the acclaimed author and historian weaves exciting new research into the story of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s most infamous wife, a woman ahead of her time whose very life—and death—forever changed a nation.

Born into a noble English family, Anne is barely a teenager when she is sent from her family’s Hever Castle to serve at the royal court of the Netherlands. Yet what seems a strategic move on the part of her opportunistic father is actually a chance for the girl to grow and discover herself. There, and later in France, Anne thrives, preferring to absorb the works of progressive writers rather than participate in courtly flirtations. She also begins to understand the inequalities and indignities suffered by her gender.

Anne isn’t completely inured to the longings of the heart, but her powerful family has ambitious plans for her future that override any wishes of her own. When the King of England himself, Henry VIII, asks Anne to be his mistress, she spurns his advances—reminding him that he is a married man who has already conducted an affair with her sister, Mary. Anne’s rejection only intensifies Henry’s pursuit, but in the absence of a male heir—and given an aging Queen Katherine—the opportunity to elevate and protect the Boleyn family, and to exact vengeance on her envious detractors, is too tempting for Anne to resist, even as it proves to be her undoing. 
     
While history tells of how Anne Boleyn died, this compelling new novel shows just how she lived.

My Thoughts:
I have read other historical fiction accounts of the life of Anne Boleyn but none have gone into the details of her life before she came to Henry's court like this one.
This covers all of her life from age e!even until her tragic death.
She never wanted to marry actually, but could not avoid the state of matrimony in the times which she lived. The scheming of her father to gain more from the crown eventually puts Anne on a path to her demise.
Anne was not totally innocent but she was unjustly accused and had been manipulated into her situation.
I gave this book 4.25 of 5 stars for storyline and character development. It is after all about real life historical figures and the research into the subject is impeccable.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley from the publisher to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I have voluntarily reviewed.

I received this book through Netgalley. 

The beginning of Anne's story fascinated me. The author didn't make Anne out to be a conniving bitch from day one. Instead, she was down to Earth, intelligent, and likable. This was the best part of the book itself. Once Anne met the King, she morphed into a shrew and, as I've read several historical fictional accounts on Anne, I got bored. I had heard this part before in any number of the other novels out there about Henry's Great Matter. So, while this was a well-written story, I felt like most of it I had read before.

Weir's Anne Boleyn is not as excellent as her book on on Katherine but just by a hair because both are wonderful.  I won't give any spoilers though most people drawn to this book will have more than an outline of the events these queens endured both at Henry's horrible hands but sadly the angst they directed at one another and the other's child though Henry's part was by far the most despicable.  It's hard to like any of them or respect their actions.  It was a brutal time..

The last several chapter in Boleyn are extremely horrid and well writtenso bring your courage and have your tissues nearby.  I loved Mantell's series as well but these first two books have their unique viewpoint and value.  I'm glad I read them and look forward to the subsequent volumes, Jane Seymour good luck, maybe things will work out better for you this time.

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher for providing an e-copy.

PS
I don't know if the art work on the arc will be used but I hope so because I think is beautiful and evocative of the times, such beauty and majesty but horrors were occurring.

It's a good read, although it gets a little repetitive towards the end-- the events, or non-events, leading up to the creation of the Church are focused on heavily. It makes for good fiction as this is often neglected in other novels about Anne-- but it does bog the storyline down a bit. However, like any classic Weir novel, there's excellent description and characterization.

I received this as an ARC through Netgalley. As is no surprise, I was highly looking forward to this book when I heard it was being published. I have always been a fan of Alison Weir as a historian and a writer. I will counter that excitement with the fact that I was very nervous about reading Weir's take on Anne Boleyn. I remembered from reading her account on Katharine of Aragon and how important Katharine was to her, there was a remark about Anne that relayed a bit of  what I perceived as Weir's own distaste for Anne. I should not have been worried. I found Weir's take on Anne and Henry's relationship refreshing. Many times, Anne and Henry's courtship is portrayed as Anne and Henry both being very much in love with each other. Weir's take was different from any I had ever read and seemed truer to Anne's character (or what we know of it). I also found the ending very well written. The end of Anne's life is heartbreaking as it is; I feel Weir captured the emotion of it beautifully. Overall, I devoured this book and am very much looking forward to any Weir publishes in the future!

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 have only read one other book by Alison Weir, The Princes in the Tower, her non-fiction accounting of what she thinks happened to the nephews of Richard III.  I thoroughly enjoyed Weir’s engrossing, incredibly well researched story which read like a suspense novel and I was only too happy to dive right into Weir’s soon to be published fictional account of the life of Anne Boleyn.  

Anne Boleyn: A King’s Obsession is a somewhat different take on the mysterious life of probably the most fascinating wife of King Henry VIII.  For all we think we know of Anne Boleyn, sadly, there is a dearth of her own letters or diaries to work from.  Everything known about her is gleaned from her contemporaries’ writings about her.  This fictional account is written from Anne’s own point of view and covers her life from childhood through her very tragic end. 

In a refreshing spin, Weir fleshes out Anne’s early life in service to royal courts in the Netherlands and France before she was appointed maid of honour to England’s Queen Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.  From this point, the book doesn’t offer much more than what has previously been written about her or portrayed on the silver screen but does her story ever get old?  Once Weir hits her stride her writing is so descriptive as to make you feel you were right there watching it all unfold though I was puzzled by the almost juvenile sound of the earlier chapters.  The book probably could have been shorter, I wish Anne wasn’t portrayed as quite such a shrew, and goodness could that woman cry, but in all I really enjoyed the book, appreciate the research, and intend to seek out and read the first in the series, Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.