Historical fiction is still popular right now and I have gotten into the craze myself. What could be more scandalous than Henry VIII and all his wives? I dove into this novel with excitement and intrigue. I left feeling a little disappointed. The accounts of all the wives were well written (some slightly better than others) with little details and instances pulled from the history books. All were insightful and brought more and more to light about Henry. Sometimes they were a little confusing, jumping backwards and forwards in time, yet this was only slightly distracting. Henry’s account was quite jumble and seemed to ramble on and on rather than be a coherent story line.
I think I was disappointed because, even though I only know the bare bones of the story, I didn’t learn much of anything new. Even though all the stories were interesting, put all together as they were, they became boring after a while. I could see this being used in schools for a fun way to learn the stories and each could be read separately over a period of time to provide insight and discussion.

My obsession with Anne Boleyn and the Tudor era is widely known. When I got the email pitch for Fatal Thrones, I jumped on it. A book from all six wives POVs with a little Henry VIII thrown in? Duh. Sadly, this was the one book that didn't work for me. The writing was erratic and anecdotal but it didn't flow or make sense. Well, seeing as I know the history it made some sense to me but I'm thinking of a first-time reader and the frustration would be next level. The aspects they put in for Katherine of Aragon were bizarre and, to me, 100% inaccurate. The Anne Boleyn chapters were all from the days prior to her death with a few flashbacks. Henry was unsympathetic per usual and just annoying. I DNF'd when I got to dumb (my opinion) Jane Seymour. If you're looking for a great Tudor book or first time Tudor book to get your started, read Katherine Longshore's series or Alison Weir or Philippa Gregory even, leave this one for the scaffold.

First line: This book is about the six queens of Henry VIII.

Summary: Told from the perspective of Henry’s wives this book covers the important parts of each of their lives and marriages. However, Henry always gets the last word. At the end of each narrative, his views of women he loved are brought forth.

Highlights: I really enjoyed reading the narratives of Anna of Cleves and Catherine Howard. These wives are lesser known in fiction so they were interesting. The cover was very pretty and dark.

Lowlights: This is perfect for beginners in Tudor history but for someone has read many novels and nonfiction works on Henry and his wives this falls a little flat.

FYI: Great for beginners in Tudor history.

3.5 Stars
Not for the Tudor history buff, but an excellent introduction to this tumultuous chapter in English history for a teen reader.
The alternating authors are wonderful and really help delineate one queen from the next by providing a unique voice and style.

I have always loved this period of English history and I was very excited to see this book from the perspective of all 6 wives. Great for fans of historical fiction!

Fatal Throne is a fascinating piece of historical fiction that comes alive through the perspective of Henry VIII’s wives. I have read many books about the life of Henry VIII. But nothing like this. It was interesting to read about his demeanor through the eyes of the women he married, divorced, or beheaded. However, Henry’s perspective was also told following each wife’s story. I think this part took away from the wives’ narratives, but I can understand why it was included. Overall, a great read and highly recommended.

I am a serious Tudor Era nerd. I have researched, studied, read and researched some more. All things King Henry VIII and his wives, plus their various family members, I read thoroughly and happily. So when I received 'Fatal Throne' for review, I was both excited and apprehensive. I was curious to see how these authors gave voice to the wives, but worried that they wouldn't do them justice.

My worries were for naught.

What a BRILLIANT book. I could seriously hug each of the authors breathless, for the beautiful, sensitive way in which each presented the six wives of Henry. Catherine of Aragorn is my favorite wife, and I knew after crying my way through her story that this book was going to be amazing. Each wife was fleshed out so incredibly, and given such an authentic voice, that I feel that I have met these women personally. 'Fatal Throne' has haunted me since I turned the last page. A definite treasure for this reader.

I absolutely loved this story (or stories) about the wives of Henry the VIII. The author captured the womanizing ways of King Henry, and the political power he used to get his way. This story is told in several short stories one for each wife. At the end of each, is a chapter told from Henry's point of view that offers a side of the story that you don't get from reading about the wives. I never realized how much the ladies' stories would intertwine. The history captured in this book is accurate and believable. Through the stories, you also get a glimpse into the three children's lives as well as the deterioration of King Henry. You get an inside view of the corruptions between church and state and how religious officials used a kings power for their own needs. They had spies, that would report anything and everything back to them. They used the information and twisted it to make the king feel threatened to suit their needs.

Fatal Throne is perfect for those just beginning to read about Henry VIII and his six wives. Each queen details and summarizes important periods in their life and individual downfalls. The accounts are simplistic and easy to read. After telling their stories, Henry has to get the last word and plays the victim in some form each time.

For those who are already well read on the Tudors, this book offers nothing new. What I did like, however, is that unlike some of the run-of-the-mill Tudor books—we get to see the importance of religion (whether Catholic or Protestant) was to women like Katharine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Kateryn Parr. It’s often overlooked for the more seedier happenings of the time. These women were more well-rounded, complicated individuals and not mere stereotypes to be boxed in.

The best perspective, I think, in this book was Anna (or Anne) of Cleves. She is often one of the more ignored ones aside from the whole ‘ugly’ business. Her story stood out to me above the others. I’m nitpicky about Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, but they were passable for what this collection is supposed to be.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. Each of the six wives told her own story, and Henry told his.

I teach British Literature. Henry, his wives, and children are a large chuck of our study. I think this book could help to understand the period.

This unbiased review is in exchange for an ARC from NetGalley.

"Fatal Throne" is a multi-author narrative of the wives of Henry VIII (as well as Henry himself). Here's what is good about it: It is *exactly* the book teenage me would've gobbled up--a solidly written YA historical novel. It is well founded in fact (within reasonable allowance for being a novel) and my heart rejoices at the bibliography at the end.

What's not so good: Honestly, I may be dinging the book for something that isn't its fault--it doesn't feel like it brings anything new to the genre of Henry VIII-era historical fiction. The characters of the wives--the devout Katherine, defiant Anne, mild Jane, wise Anna, hormonal Catherine, and adroit Catherine--are met in much greater depth in other books, without a lot of new insight here. In addition, the pieces in Henry's voice don't really register--even now, looking back on the book, I couldn't give you much of a description of Henry's character from his points of view.

A handpicked crew of YA authors offer first person narratives from the six wives of Henry VIII, tied together by a version from Henry himself. This is notable for using the most recent (20 years) of research on Anne of Cleves and Katherine Parr, so they're not the Flanders Mare and Matronly Nurse of standard histories.