This book is about the rise and fall of Thomas Wolsey during the reign of Henry the 8th.

I enjoy this author ! And I’m a sucker for a book set during the Tudor era! I was intrigued to learn more about a character that is seen here and there during this time period but someone we don’t really know too much about. While I did enjoy this book I did feel like it was a little bit too long. I do understand that the author was covering his whole life and the major events of his life and that is gonna take some time. If you enjoy historical fiction books set in this time period then this book would be an excellent choice to add to your knowledge.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc exchange for an honest review!

Vibes: The life and story of Thomas Wolsey, humble beginnings to the peak of power to the a life of disgrace.
Pros: This is a page turner, I couldn’t get enough of his secret life.
Cons: I had to keep telling myself that this is not 100% fact, because it felt like that.
Thoughts: I really want to dive into some of Alison Weir’s other work. Loved the style! My version was for NetGalley and the narrator was Rosalyn Landor…fantastic.

I always love Alison Weir's books. Historical fiction is definitely my jam! She always gives things a different perspective than I might have seen before. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is not always a sympathetic figure. Seen as powerful and greedy through the lens of history, Weir paints a different picture. We see him as a young man, before any corruption. We see him as a man who loves a woman and the children he makes with her. We see him as a man in conflict within himself, as he loves his Church, his King, and the mother of his children. And in the end, we see him betrayed by the one he loves most, King Henry. I loved seeing what everyday life could've actually been like for Wolsey and how he might've actually navigated the politics of Henry's reign when so many were losing their heads. It's an epic story and so well told!

Alison Weir’s The Cardinal offers a compelling portrayal of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, tracing his ascent from modest origins to becoming King Henry VIII’s chief minister. Weir delves into Wolsey’s personal and political life, highlighting his secret relationship with Joan Larke and his pivotal role in the Tudor court. The narrative captures the complexities of his friendship with Henry VIII and the challenges he faced during the king’s quest for an annulment from Katherine of Aragon. While some readers found the prose occasionally uneven, many praised Weir’s meticulous research and ability to humanize historical figures. Fans of Tudor history and Weir’s previous works will likely appreciate this nuanced exploration of power, ambition, and loyalty.

A novel based on the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Lord Chancellor, cardinal of York, and chaplain to Henry VIII. Wolsey was easily the most powerful man in England, also one of the richest. Henry was poorly trained to become king, kept almost in seclusion by his father who worried over losing his only remaining son and heir, and deliberately prevented him from learning the duties of statecraft (he probably feared that Henry would blab about state secrets to his hinky friends). Henry became king when he was 18, and he was far more interested in cutting loose and having fun, and naturally his closest friends were the worst possible influence. Wolsey grabbed the reigns of state with both hands, attending council meetings in Henry's place and then giving Henry the Cliff's Notes version of the proceedings. Things were great for Wolsey until they weren't. Unable to bring about a divorce so Henry could marry Anne Boleyn, Wolsey's star rapidly descended until it crashed. I love Alison Weir's books. They are always well researched and based on historical fact, yet highly readable. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys historical fiction about the Tudors.

I just love reading books by this author Alison Weir, especially as she is one of the best Historical Fiction authors out there. So when her new book The Cardinal by Alison Weir came out I had to find some time for me!!! - if you know what I mean. . . . Alison's latest book was Brilliant - and a eye opener!

With this book, you step into tudor England times where it all began. Thomas is the son of a Suffolk tradesman. He was a brilliant talented boy who was sent to study at Oxford at the tender age of eleven. This is a story of the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who ends with a disgraced Cardinal, and was cast from the King's side and estranged from those he loves. This book was so good and a great page turner. . . . and a very interesting read.

I highly recommend The Cardinal by Alison Weir and all of her books. Everyone I have read, has been a 5 star read and tis one was no different. Superb read.

I loved the cover - very eye catching.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Headline for my arc.

'He was not afraid of hard work or at delegating. What he wanted was power - and everything that went with it'.

It seems like Thomas Wolsey was always meant to be written into history. Despite being born into a working-class family, it was quickly recognised that Thomas was a very bright child and sent off to be educated at Oxford. From that small stepping stone, he was able to continually claw his way up and eventually become Henry VIII's confidante and advisor, replete with enviable wealth and position - until it all came catastrophically crumbling down. It was all to do with the 'Great Matter', Anne Boleyn, and a lack of dispensation for divorce from Katherine of Aragon. A sticky quagmire that Wolsey was unable to prevent himself sinking into. 'Was he tempting Fortune to turn her wheel by indulging his passion for riches and the fine things in life'.

'The Cardinal' is a comprehensive exploration not only of Thomas Wolsey's life, it gives life to his personality, a voice to his pride and ambitions, as well as his fears and his vices. I also enjoyed reading about Henry VIII from Wolsey's perspective. It was such a contentious time in England, shortly after the demise of the Plantagenants and heading into the Reformation era. It never fails to astound me just how much intrigue, machinations, and jockeying for favour there was at court. Survival there was not for the fainthearted!

Alison Weir does a magnificent job of weaving together true events, with imagined conversations and thoughts, leaving the reader to feel like a fly on the wall, privy to everyone's secrets. It is a very dense book though and best read in chunks, in order to feel immersed but not overwhelmed.

'Here was the end and fall of pride and arrogance. He had been exalted by fortune...he had been the haughtiest man..had more respect for worldly honor...than he had to his spiritual profession. And yet he had striven...in these difficult months, to put everything right and be what he should have been all along'.

Intrigue in the court of the Tudors

When one thinks of Tudor England and Henry the VIII, the first thing that tends to come to mind is of course his divorces and many wives. There is another person who figured largely in the events of the time, the ambitious Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who was one of the king's primary advisors. Wolsey was born to a humble Suffolk businessman and chose to enter the church to improve his station in life. His intelligence and fierce desire to rise to a position of great power would bring him to the attention of Henry when he ascended to the throne. Within a few years, Wolsey would be controlling both church matters in his role of cardinal and matters of state as Henry's trusted advisor. His professional success was in sharp contrast to his private life where, despite his official vow of chastity, he had a secret long-term relationship with a mistress, Joan, who bore him children. His friendship with and usefulness to the king would ultimately not survive the turmoil that arose when Henry asked him to obtain for Henry an annulment from Katherine of Aragon so that he might marry Anne Boleyn. When Wolsey was unable to deliver the requested annulment the king withdrew his favor and he became the focus of Anne Boleyn's ill feelings as well. The once powerful cardinal's fall from grace would be complete when he was accused of treason and lost those he loved.
People are rarely completely evil or good, and author Alison Weir's nuanced rendering of Wolsey shows how complex a figure he was. He was scholarly and politically ambitious, a supposedly celibate priest and a lover and father. The Tudor court was, as royal courts were wont to be, rife with all manner of intrigue and political ambitions and expediency, where those who smile to your face might be planning to stick a dagger in your back should you turn it to them. Ms Weir has done a tremendous amount of research to recreate the intricate and dangerous court and life in Tudor England in general, while using what little is known of Wolsey's personal life to create one full of drama. Coming in at over 450 pages, this is by no means a light read, but it is well worth the time to stick with the beautifully crafted tale to the end. Fans of historical fiction which combine a well-plotted narrative with wonderfully rich characters will want to add this to their TBR list, as should readers of Hilary Mantel, Antonia Fraser and Dorothy Dunnett. While I cannot say that I ended up liking Wolsey particularly, I did find that The Cardinal helped me to better understand the man and why he acted as he did: I rate it at 4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for allowing me access to this remarkable story of power and passion in exchange for my honest review.

Alison Weir is a master of the historical fiction genre. Once again her research and storytelling skills brings to life fascinating details on the life of Thomas Wolsey and the era he lived in.. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheCardinal for advanced digital copy.

I was presented with the opportunity to read this book and knew nothing about the characters or the plot. It took a bit of my time to gather the desire to pick it up because it honestly was not holding my attention. I finished it for the sake of finishing but didnt fully enjoy. Nothing memorable.

Normally, I am a huge fan of Alison Weir, for some reason I just didn't connect with this read. I don't know if I just wasn't in the mood for historical fiction or if the book wasn't in the mood for me, but I had to force myself to read just a bit at a time.

Alison never disappoints when she give you a Tudor era novel. I have read her books based on Henry VIII and his wives, but it was nice to read about the man who was Henry’s right hand man for a long time. I have read elsewhere about Thomas not being a chaste man and it was nice to read why that has been said. In this book, we meet the woman who would cause conflict in Thomas’s life, and see how they parted. We see Thomas living a grand life and get a peek inside Hampton Court. This book shows us the love between Henry and Thomas and the hatred from the woman who changed a kingdom, Anne Boleyn.

I loved this book!!!

I usually love Alison Weir's books, but I didn't enjoy this one quite as much. For someone recorded in history as being very clever and able, I spent much of the book yelling silently in my head "Thomas you idiot, don't you see how you're causing your own downfall?" Every time someone close to him points out how much ill will his greed and lust for power is causing amongst the old nobility he just shrugs it off. For someone described as a great political operator, the mistakes he made came across as too obvious and easily avoided. The rich detail of the times and historical figures was well researched and very interesting however.

Alison Weir has another hit. Her masterful research into Thomas Wolsey life and ultimate downfall. His life started off with such promise with his Oxford education and the ultimate sacrifice for his family in becoming a priest his father's dying wish. Althrough a priest and should live modestly he longed for wealth and notoriety about the nobility of England. Over time he become known in certain circles and moves through his benefactors to finally meet King Henry Vll and later Henry Vlll, who ultimately is his downfall for not granting Henry Vlll a divorce from Anne Boylen.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was such an interesting book and I found myself googling things as I read. I did not know much about Wolsey and have never read a novel about this part of history. A great historical fiction novel that is very unique!

Alison Weir is a fantastic historical writer – in both fiction and non-fiction. I was so excited to get an early copy of this upcoming novel and, since I just finished the last season of Wolf Hall, it felt like the perfect time to revisit the dramatic tale of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Overall, I found the book compelling, but some parts dragged while others felt rushed.

No King had more faithful a servant than Thomas Wolsey, and despite being rewarded with honours, riches and grand properties, his greatest joy was his friendship with King Henry the Eighth, whom he treated like the son he was forced to repudiate , with great love and affection.
Thomas Wolsey was of humble birth, his father was the owner of a butcher’s shop in Ipswich. His uncle paid his educational fees at Magdalen College Oxford, Thomas was destined for the Church, and he rose high in its service thanks to rich patrons and the gift of making himself indispensable to those he came in contact with.
In 1509, Thomas meets Joan Larke, her family hail from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, there is an instant attraction between them, and despite his vows of chastity, they fall in love. When Joan falls pregnant, he takes her to one of his many London properties, and those years with her, seem to have been some of the happiest and most settled times of his life.
Thomas thought he was so trusted and protected by the King, that he would be safe from all his enemies, but they dripped poison into the Kings ear, and Henry decided that his faithful friend and devoted servant had failed him in the one thing that was beyond his ability to do anything about, which was a divorce in a Catholic Kingdom. His Nemesis was always the lady Anne Boleyn.
There are 400 odd pages in this well researched book, but the trick is knowing what to omit. There are so many details about Battles, Marriage arrangements, the state of the Nobility in England, trips abroad, I felt the best pages dealt with his life at court, his attempts to get Henry a divorce, the hostility that was shown to him by the Boleyn family, and his wife and children.
His downfall is spectacular and cruel, a mighty fall from Grace, but what an exciting life he experienced. He makes the Tudor reign seem more accessible and human. To do your best, and still be unappreciated must have been devastating for the man.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine , for my advance copy, freely given in return for my honest review. A five star read. I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Tudor England was rich with history and Henry VIII was bigger and larger than life. He was an enigma at the best of times and the story of Cardinal Wolsey set in this era, is important because the two characters are so intertwined with each other.

The story begins humbly. Thomas Wolsey was just eleven when he entered Oxford. He was ambitious and knew that with his lack of rich and influential relations, he would have to find a connected and powerful sponsor. His ascendancy was very slow at the beginning and he was frustrated at his lack of a quick ascent. With him becoming the right hand of Henry VIIIThomas Wolsey became one of the most powerful men in the land. Rich beyond his wildest dreams, he had homes, castles and properties galore. The King considered him his best advisor, but with his ascendancy there were many who disliked him and plotted his fall. Cardinal Wolsey fell in love with one woman, and one only. She remained the love of his life till the end. He separated from her and arranged a marriage at the implied order from the King, though it tore him apart especially as it also involved the loss of his children.

The decline of Cardinal Wolsey began with Anne Boleyn entering the life of Henry VIII. The Cardinals inability to obtain an annulment from Rome for Henry, soured the relationship between the Cardinal and King, aided and abetted by the Boleyn family.

This story dwells mainly on the man Cardinal Wolsey was. Today he would be called a kingmaker but he was looked at Henry as he would a son, and was heartbroken at the treatment he was meted out. As a lover Wolsey failed because he put his ambition above all else. He died still loyal to his King above all.

The history of the period is well known. The life of the man Cardinal Wolsey was new to me and this was
Fascinating reading.

The history involving England with France, Spain, Scotland and Rome added another strand to the story. The constant arranging and break up of alliances and marriages going whichever way was advantageous to a country was mind boggling.

Fabulous reading.

As an enthusiast of historical fiction, I deeply appreciate authors who illuminate figures often relegated to the periphery of major historical narratives. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is precisely such a character. While many are familiar with his pivotal role in King Henry VIII's "Great Matter" concerning his divorce from Queen Katherine of Aragon (whether through historical accounts or popular media like The Tudors), and readers of Wolf Hall have witnessed his decline through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell, a dedicated exploration of Wolsey himself is a welcome addition to the genre. Allison Weir's decision to undertake this task is highly commendable.

The novel offers a compelling perspective on Henry VIII's reign, viewed through Wolsey's unique lens as both an insider due to his elevated status and an outsider due to his humble origins. Navigating the treacherous political landscape alongside a monarch as headstrong as Henry is a particularly engaging aspect of the book. Furthermore, a significant portion of the narrative delves into Wolsey's personal life, particularly his relationship with Joan Larke, his forbidden love and the mother of at least two of his children. This aspect powerfully illustrates the difficult choices individuals face in life and the inherent impossibility of having everything one desires.

However, the book presented two notable drawbacks. Firstly, I found the length of the narrative disproportionate to its content. Extended passages detailing Wolsey's anguish over Joan, reminiscent of a soap opera, felt excessive. While acknowledging the likelihood of such emotional struggles, the constant portrayal of his sobbing breakdowns did not, in my opinion, enhance the reader's understanding of this historically powerful figure. For much of the book, he appears consumed by despair, whether over Joan or King Henry. Secondly, and quite frustratingly, many significant events, such as the Field of the Cloth of Gold, are merely summarized rather than allowing the reader to experience them directly. We spend more time within Wolsey's internal reflections on past events and conversations than witnessing them unfold. Lastly, Thomas Cromwell, who is historically understood to have been quite close to Wolsey, receives minimal mention until the book's conclusion. Indeed, beyond Joan and Henry, the Cardinal seems largely isolated, interacting sparingly with other characters. Even a scene depicting his parting from his "Fool" named Patch, felt underdeveloped as their prior interactions were entirely absent from the narrative.

In summary, this book is a worthwhile read for those with a strong interest in the era of Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey, though it is not one to be prioritized.

Many heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC.

The Cardinal was one of my favorite books of the year. It may be sacrilege to say, but this novel is a more accessible and more action packed version of wolf hall. The perfect summer thriller.