Wow, I had no idea how much I would freaking love reading about Henry VIII's wives, their struggles, and his deplorable behavior. I cheered for the women, whose lives were often hell, and I jeered Henry at every turn (seriously, most of my Kindle notes are along the lines of "why is he the actual worst?" and "who let this asshole rule a country, should have shot him instead"). And it is a sadly accurate portrayal of the awfulness that all women have been dealing with since literally forever.

First, it was freaking genius to have a different author for every queen (and Henry!), because the voices felt so very unique. Each queen was, quite literally, her own woman even in the book, and it really showed. The voices all were really well done too, each seeming quite appropriate for each queen's personality. And Henry, too- even though I loathed him at every turn, his chapters were still compelling to read.

Basically, I never wanted this book to end. Which I haven't felt about a book in a long time. It's also incredibly well researched, as I found myself down a very lengthly Henry-related Wikipedia rabbit hole after finishing the book. The authors had me so completely enamored with each queen that I found myself wanting to know about everything.

It was certainly not easy to read, as you can imagine. The time period was hell, obviously, and people died on the regular, even if Henry didn't have them killed. Reading of the deaths of the queens' children was probably the hardest part. These women were, by and large, so young, and dealt with so much trauma. But their strength was incredible, and worth every page.

Bottom Line: If you have any interest in this topic or historical fiction at all, read this book. It is one of my all-time favorites, both entertaining and informative.

I enjoyed this book and the telling of the story of Henry VIII’s wives. Told from their POV, it was interesting to hear their side-their thoughts about their lives married to this infamous king. Anne Boleyn is my favorite and I was surprised how much I didn’t love her story in this one. In between each life, is a recollection from the king himself and how each wife deserved her fate. It was an okay read... some parts a bit boring but other that that, good stories

My university thesis was on Anne Boleyn, and I've read just about every book (fiction and non-fiction) about the Tudors that I can get my hands on. I've come across some real trainwrecks before, so I was bracing myself for what I might find.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Each of the stories came across as a new and somewhat refreshing retelling of the life of each queen (I noticed some newer theories in there that aren't in other books). The POV chapters from Henry added another level of detail to each story that really gives some insight into what he may have been thinking. It was a novel that got me interested in the Tudors years ago, so hopefully this book will do the same for some younger readers. Definitely recommended.

Most readers who enjoy historical fiction will dabble at some point in the Tudor legacy. There are too many intriguing stories that surround these people, especially King Henry VIII and his six wives. Candace Fleming along with six other authors contribute to the stories of these royals. Fatal Throne is a young adult attempt at portraying these stories and would be a good introduction to these fateful tales. Readers will learn about Anne Boleyn and the other wives, while also getting some insights into what Henry himself may have been feeling. I will tell readers that this book portrays everyone in a positive light. If readers have never read about these women, they may feel that they were all wronged by Henry. The truth of the matter is we can never really know what happened. Fatal Throne will be enjoyed by most historical fiction fans.

I didn't hate this or love it. I have always been interested in the Tudor era and knew quite a bit about Henry VIII's first few wives. I was interested in learning about the ones I didn't really know. I like how these stories were told, from the queen's perspective and then a short entry from Henry's perspective after each one. My favorite story was probably Catherine Howard's, the way it was written and the story itself (she had a more fun personality than the others). Worth a read for someone who wants to learn more about the wives.

Fan of Tudors history? Specifically..King Henry VIII and his six wives. This is a unique interpretation on this time in history written for young adult audiences. Each wife's story is written by a different YA author, truly giving each queen a voice of her own. There is a response from Henry after each queen giving audiences both sides to the story. This is an excellent read for those who enjoy historical fiction or have interest in the Tudors era in general. Fans of Alison Weir may want to check this out.

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review

I am a bit if a history buff, so I do at times like to dive into a story set way back when.

The title, though accurate, does make this sound a bit like a Jackie Collins style novel - which it isn't!

History has proven what an abhorrent man Henry VIII was to his wives. This fictionalised, first person POV by each of Henry's wives drew us a vivid picture of their lives, their loves and their destinies. I felt it made the more human to me, rather than just being names in history.

I felt that the authors did a wonderful job bringing these ladies to life. I know a lot of poetic licence is brought into play when writing a book like this, however I found this was very well written, and a way for the casual reader to learn a bit more about the Tudors.

"Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived."

A solid historical fiction read, Fatal Throne is comprised of six parts, one for each of Henry VIII's wives. Each part focuses primarily on the doom and downfall of each wife, but also provides some background history on how they met King Henry and whatever "honeymoon" period they experienced, if any (looking at you, Anne of Cleves). Each section concludes with an amusing chapter from the perspective of Henry himself, highlighting his unparalleled narcissism and paranoia.

There's no new information to be had, and the actions of each wife align pretty closely to accepted history (Anne Boleyn was innocent of adultery, Catherine Howard was not). If you're not well versed on Henry VIII and his infamous six wives, then this is a great intro. Or if you're a Tudor aficionado, it's still a worthwhile, interesting take on the women who sat on the fatal throne of Henry VIII.

Absolutely loved all the different points of views and get a story from the wives point of view!! I have been looking for books from the wives of King Henry’s viii view loved it!!!!

This book was a great interpretation of the lives of each of Henry the VIII’s wives and his perspective as a rebuttal. I find that it will be informative to teen readers but doesn’t have much depth past that other than fun reading. I found it interesting and creative but not sure it is something that I would buy.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this title.

English history on speed! Each of Henry VIII's wives explains their hopes, dreams and inevitable pain of being dumped. Unlike today's version, these highborn ladies never got the chance to get back at Henry or tell their side of the story on social media. After each narrative, we get poor misunderstood Henry's take. It is a wonderful lure for anyone who wants to know more about the Tudors via this unique cliff note format. All the backstabbing, gossip, and pain that the Tudor court was known for as well as all the other challenges these ladies faced like a disease, Henry's decaying body, and childbirth. Written by a collection of terrific young adult authors but is a solid read for anyone. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

First and foremost, this is a Young Adult genre novel, so I am rating it as such.

This is a fictionalized narrative told in the first person by each of King Henry VIII's six wives. Immediately following each wife's account is Henry VIII's point of view. Out of the many Tudor tomes I've read, I don't ever recall a book structured in this way. Not only did I find this compelling, but it was a clever touch to have Henry's font in a different style to go along with his alternative take on things.

It wasn't immediately evident to me that this was a YA novel, but after digesting it awhile I realized that it was lacking the depth of a more intensive biography. Also, this is historical fiction, so poetic license was employed much like a Phillipa Gregory novel. Another unique device was using seven different authors to "speak" for each wife and Henry. The writing quality didn't quite rise to the brilliance of a Phillipa Gregory or Alison Weir (who has recently embarked on the "Six Tudor Queens" series of first person narratives) novel, but was a pleasantly written overview for young adults or casual readers of Tudor history.

I love reading about King Henry's wives and while I know what will happen with them, I loved the different angle that is taken with this book. While I liked this book i am more of a Philippa Gregory fan on the Tudors.

Finally the wives of Henry VIII get a chance to speak! This book features multiple authors writing through the perspectives of each of Henry's wives, with a different author writing each wife. Overall, this was an average read, and it felt at times like too much was trying to be covered through clunky exposition, but what a unique concept!

Fatal Throne is a cleverly executed YA novel that tells the stories of Henry VIII's six queens. Each wife's story is written by a different YA author, giving each queen her own voice. In between queens, M. T. Anderson speaks for Henry, giving his side of the story. All fans of Tudor historical fiction would enjoy this book, but I particularly liked it because of my obsession with Anne Boleyn. The historical information at the end of the novel adds to the appeal of this novel for readers like me who learn most of their history from historical fiction. A collaborative novel that truly depicts Henry's attraction to intelligent, independent women, the very qualities that annoy him after the thrill of the chase has gone, and his mostly unsuccessful quest to ensure the stability of his dynasty and kingdom by siring sons. A very enjoyable addition to Tudor historical fiction. #FatalThrone#NetGalley

Henry VIII's wives suffered at the hands of their irritable and ever changing husband. Divorce only to die alone without the comfort of her daughter, beheaded on trumped up charges, death in childbirth, divorce, beheaded for adultery, and survival, only to die within a few years. These women walked a thin line between pleasing the king and death. This book features short stories from each wife, as well as a few chapters from Henry's point of view. The stories were well written and well put together. Overall, well worth picking up.

An intriguing look into the lives of all of the wives of Henry VIII. I had previously read many books about specific wives - Anne Boleyn and Katherine of Aragon being the two most popular. However, I had not read much about Jane Seymour and near nothing on Anne of Cleves. It was a wonderful representation and historically accurate fictional account of their trials and tribulations as the wives of such a powerful and apparently well-loved ruler. A great look inside the inner workings of his brain as well due to the interludes between wives - attributed to him - that gave a peek into his reasonings for the ridding of each wife (with the obvious exception of Jane Seymour, who died in childbirth.)
I loved every minute of this book, as a lover of Phillippa Gregory and all things historical fiction and Tudor, I recommend it as a great romp through the lives of these interesting women.

This book didn't really appeal to me, but I think that other people might enjoy it.

I found this to be quite interesting and it led me to watch documentaries and read more about Henry VIII and his six wives. I did not like the rambling back and forth from the end of a queen's life to the beginning of her life with the King. I felt a couple of the wives did not have much story, and Katharine of Aragon went on far too long. All in all, it was a good read, but not the best one I have read on the Tudors. I think YA fans will love it. I give it a strong 3.5 stars.

I really know too much about Tudor history to enjoy such an intro to their lives, but I also felt that the timeline was very jumpy.