To be truthful, this is not my favorite era to read about (both non-fiction and historical fiction) so when the publisher reached out, I almost turned down the opportunity to read this book. That was until I got to the name Thomas Wolsey. Okay sold, I now need to read this book! Thank you, Ballantine Books, for knowing what I need and should read before I do.

Thomas Wolsey rose from humble beginnings to become a cardinal. He became a confidant of Henry VIII and became the controlling figure in all matters of church and state. And like many power figures, he had a very tragic fall. Perfect for those who love historical gossip!
Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley! #TheCardinal #NetGalley

This time period is one of my favorites! I love the drama of King Henry VIII’s court. So, I jumped at the chance to read this one!

No one can take you down a historical path quite like Alison Weir. This book, as with all her books, has exceptional research. She brings Cardinal Wolsey to life with rich detail.

Cardinal Wolsey did not really take the vow of chastity to heart. He had a mistress and several children. But, he could not have been a better friend to King Henry VIII. He was also all about power and wealth. And then he made a mistake. A mistake that came back to haunt him years later. And it was his downfall.

The narrator, Rosalyn Landor, took a while for me to like. She started out a bit overly dramatic. But, that settled in for me and I enjoyed her more as the story went along.

Need a story about politics, power and the church…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Thank you so much to Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book.
This book was okay. I appreciate that this is a thorough biography. And I did enjoy the story. But I found the ending to be drawn out. Maybe because I love history books, both non-fiction and fiction, I went into this book knowing the broad strokes of Thomas Wolsey’s life and the last 50 pages or so I just wanted it to end.
I do think it is written very,very well and I finished it in a little over a week, so it definitely held my attention

Since Thomas Cromwell gets a lot of attention, it's refreshing to see someone cover Henry VIII's first fixer, Cardinal Wolsey. I always think of Wolsey as the man who spent a ridiculous amount of money building Hampton Court and then having to gift it to Henry when he expressed envy at its opulence. Although it's easy to see him as greedy, decadent, and corrupt, Weir presents him as definitively human, driven by love--love of his king and love of his mistress and children. (I know...a cardinal with a mistress...and apparently they all had them, which kinda puts the charges of corruption in the church in rather bright illumination.) So basically, it's not that he's not corrupt, but more that he's a product of a system it which <i>everyone</> is corrupt. And it's a valid point--although Wolsey was granted an unprecedented (and ridiculous) number of titles, the fact that granting a bishopric with the expectation that the priest would never even visit it was standard practice shouldn't really count against him, it should count against the lamentable state of politization the church at that period. The long-time relationship with his mistress was presented as both lust-inspired and genuinely loving, justified by the age-old query, "if God didn't mean for us to have sex, then why did he make us want to do it so much?"
The main theme, throughout, though, is how much Wolsey wanted to be good and valued servant to his king. He worked <i>extremely</i> hard carrying out every little whim that popped into Henry's entitled, immature little head. And when that whim was "find an excuse to dump my decrepit wife so I can upgrade to a younger model," Wolsey worked his butt off trying to make that happen. For YEARS. That's actually where the book dragged (quite a bit really), but it effectively conveyed what a drag the real process was. So much political machination and foot dragging on the part of the Pope, to keep from outright pissing Henry off by telling him no, but making it take so long that they obviously hoped he'd dump the latest flavor of the month and move on, like a normal king. Of course, we all know that's not what happened, and eventually Wolsey lost his standing with the king and got punished for not being able to think outside the box. (Enter Cromwell.) It felt like very believable (perhaps relatable? ish) human behavior, given the system he was working within. And I think that's the ultimate goal here--to peel back the layers of the Wolsey onion and look below the surface of the political spider to see what ultimately may have driven him, done in a way that possibly only a master historian like Weir could.

Fans of Weir will find this novel about Cardinal Thomas Wolsey both informative and engaging. As expert on the Tudors. she weaves the people and events of the period throughout the narrative as one would expect but she also brings them to life. I found myself stopping periodically to look for more info about the various characters not only to sort out who is real and who is imagined but also to further expand my appreciation of what she has created. As with all of Weir's work it's a long one but I found it a page turner. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Excellent read.

I didn't know a lot about Thomas Wolsey and this was a historical fiction that mixes historical facts and fiction.
I learned and had fun. Well researched, good storytelling
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

At 464 pages, this is another lengthy tome from renowned British royal author Alison Weir. The book cover is gorgeous and visually arresting. How interesting to finally put a pinpoint focus on Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, who rose so high in the court of King Henry VIII that his pride and trappings of wealth was borderline repulsive.

Weir paints a picture of a child from humble beginnings who perversely finds the pathway to wealth and power is through religious education- and the ultimate preferment at The King's Court. His private scandal is his secret lover and mother of his children. The penultimate struggle in the book is of course King Henry's desire to be granted an annulment from his first marriage to Katharine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. I enjoyed the book for its information about Wolsey's family and upbringing, secret mistress and children, and the evolution of his lifestyle from prince to pauper as he fell out of favor with Henry VIII. I always wondered how Wolsey died (before ever being tried and executed for supposed crimes) and was touched by his sobering humility as he fell from the King's grace. This was a brilliant idea for a book in the wake of all the Tudor-themed books Weir has written over the decades that focused on King Henry VIII and his Queens, but has now brought a key player during that time to the fore. If I had one complaint it would be a familiar one: the book could have been more concise and edited down some.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

If Henry VIII could be said to have had one courtier who loved him more than all others, it would have to be Cardinal Wolsey. Portrayed by such memorable actors as David Suchet (in the ITV drama Henry VIII), Sam Neill (in The Tudors), and Jonathan Pryce (in Wolf Hall), he was a true statesman and a remarkable example of someone who in no way let his humble origins stand in the way of his desire for power. Now, he at last gets a historical novel that tells of his life from childhood to death, and Alison Weir’s The Cardinal is a fitting testament to one of the most extraordinary figures of the Renaissance.

Weir makes no bones about the fact that Wolsey was a remarkably ambitious man, someone who yearned for the finer things and life and wasn’t shy about reaching out for them when the opportunity presented itself. One can hardly blame the man. Who among us wouldn’t have done as he did, if we were unfortunate enough to be born among the lower classes of Tudor England? Once it becomes clear that he has a sharp mind and is suited for a life in the church, he goes from success to success, rising through the ranks and becoming cozy with first Henry VII and then his son, Henry VIII (who we will refer to as Harry, as this is how the novel talks about him). Time and again we see that Tom Wolsey is the type of man who has his eye on the main chance, and we can’t help but cheer for him.

At the same time, he’s so much more than just a scheming social climber. Weir makes it clear time and again that Wolsey really does care about and loves Harry, for all that the latter is a monarch who is far more interested in himself than in anyone else, including the man who has made so many of his creature comforts possible in the first place. The higher Tom rises, the more aware he becomes that Harry is like the sun; when you fly too close to him, you run the risk of being burned, perhaps beyond repair. This, though, was the nature of life in the Tudor court, in which all blessings essentially flowed from the king.

And, of course, it’s all made that much worse by the fact that Wolsey is surrounded by people who resent him for his low-born origins, particularly Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk and Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. As would be true of Thomas Cromwell somewhat later, the members of the nobility could never bring themselves to forgive someone who had managed to break free of the tight bonds of the Tudor social hierarchy. The fact that he plays a key role in keeping Brandon from being accused of treason after he marries Harry’s sister Mary just gives him that much more reason to hate the Cardinal.

There’s no question that the most important emotional relationship in Wolsey’s life is that which he shares with his mistress, Joan. Even though he knows that pursuing a relationship with her entails breaking his vows, such is the powerful bond between them that he’s willing to put his soul at risk in order to be with her. One of the great heartbreaks of his life comes when Harry, never someone to give his nobility and clergy the benefit of the doubt when it came to issues of sexual morality–despite his many well-known and very public affairs with women not his wife–essentially forces him to give her up. For the rest of his life he will continue to pine after her and attempt to find a way to be with her, even though doing so ends up causing her more pain than pleasure. His relationship with Joan really helps to humanize him, and Weir wisely shows us how Wolsey, like so many of his, contains multitudes.

Ultimately, of course, Wolsey falls victim to Harry’s capriciousness and willingness to turn on those who don’t give him what he wants when he wants it. Once Harry sets his sights on dissolving his marriage to Katherine so that he can marry Anne Boleyn, Wolsey’s fate is also sealed, since he finds that it is not as easy to enact the king’s will as he might like. Adding to his difficulty is the fact that Anne refuses to let go of her enmity of him, which he earned when he undercut her efforts to marry Henry Percy. The fact that Harry gave his approval to Wolsey’s actions in the Percy affair matters little and, along with her father and uncle, the powerful and resentful Duke of Norfolk, she becomes one of Wolsey’s most implacable enemies.

The last part of the novel chronicles Wolsey’s calamitous fall from grace as Harry turns fully against his former favorite. Tom’s fate is a brilliant illustration of the vicissitudes of fate and fortune, for as much as fortune’s wheel could bring a person to such power and prestige, it could also bring them to ruin. Thanks to Weir, however, we are invited to see this is a very human tragedy rather than as an example of just desserts. It’s impossible not to feel sorry for Wolsey as his world falls apart around him and all of the power and privileges he’s accrued are slowly stripped away from him as his enemies gain more influence over Harry and the king, ever willing to punish those who fail him, talks out of both sides of his mouth.

Many of Weir’s biographical novels take us right up to the moment of their protagonist’s death, and The Cardinal is no exception. As the novel closes, Tom shuffles off of this mortal coil, and it’s really rather wrenching, depressing even, to know that all of his accomplishments have essentially been for naught. He’s left behind a reprobate son and a daughter who is sent to the cloister–as well as Joan and perhaps a few other children–but since he wasn’t able to acknowledge them, they aren’t truly part of his legacy. Even his college at Oxford would end up being taken over by Harry. It’s a rather dismal fate for someone who gave so much of himself for an ungrateful and selfish sovereign.

The Cardinal makes for an immersive read and, as she has shown time and again, Weir is truly an expert on the daily life of the Tudor era. She brings her formidable knowledge of the period, its costumes, and its people to bear as she shows us what daily life was like for those of the time. As she does in her biographies, she makes sure that we know more than we ever thought we needed to know about the material culture of the time which, while sometimes dryly delivered, nevertheless gives the reader an appreciation for just how much wealth Wolsey was able to accrue. Her prose is workmanlike rather than inspired. This is obviously not a criticism, but if you’re looking for something with the lyricism and evocativeness of Hilary Mantel or the luscious indulgence of Philippa Gregory, then you’re likely to be disappointed.

All in all, I would say that The Cardinal is a lovely addition to Weir’s voluminous output. She has repeatedly shown that she has the ability to be as compelling a fiction writer as she is as a popular historian. It’s also just fun to spend time with Wolsey, who I’ve always found to be as fascinating as Henry VIII himself. At last, he finally gets his due.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book.

Thomas Wolsey was an influential character in the English Court during a period of great transformation. Unfortunately, I found the novel to be very choppy with short vignettes about Wolsey as a child and young man, which were hard to build a flowing narrative, and I could not empathize with him or identify any of his motivations for actions. Stating that he wanted power, but not why. For this reason, I DNF'd at 10%.

The Cardinal covers the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey a trusted friend and advisor to King Henry the VIII from his youth until his death. The book spends most of the time covering his years with King Henry which is the most interesting part of the book as expected. I knew a little bit about Cardinal Wolsey as I have a lot of interest in the Tudor time period and watched the Tudors show when it was on TV so some things did not come as a surprise to me. It was nice to have a book about King Henry that didn't focus entirely on him or the wives. I feel like so many books have been written regarding King Henry himself or about the six wives - Cardinal Wolsey has always been just a side character. I found the most interesting parts of the books to be the relationship between Cardinal Wolsey and Joan and just how much the Cardinal did for King Henry. He was the one practically running England at one point in time and had almost as much power as the King. Some of the famous architecture that still stands today in England is courtesy of Cardinal Wolsey, such as Hampton Court Palace, and not King Henry.

Overall, I did enjoy this book because I have an interest in this time period - I felt like this book provided a different viewpoint than has been explored in other novels. If you enjoy historical fiction or have an interest in the Tudor time period then this book is for you. However, the book did drag at some points and didn't really have a lot of action or excitement so if that is what you are looking for then this book probably won't be your cup of tea. It really covers the early years of King Henry's reign before all the craziness happens with the wives which I appreciated because it is a timeframe that is rarely explored. Thank you to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book for my honest review.

I have always been fascinated by Cardinal Wolsey and in true Weir fashion he is brought roaringly to life in this novelization. When I come to Weir I expect both expert levels of research and beautiful prose and this delivered on both fronts!

I gave The Cardinal four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you Ballantine Books, Alison Weir and Net Galley for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

This book takes us through the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, from when he was a young boy through his serving King Henry VIII and to his downfall.

This is a hefty book (over 400 pages) and it’s a slow read for the most part. It’s divided into 6 parts, with parts 3-6 being the best.

This book explores Wolsey’s personal feelings about love, power and relationships and some of it is a bit surprising. It also explores his role in King Henry’s annulment so that he could marry Anne Boleyn - which didn’t work out so well for him.

If you are a fan of Tudor England, this is a must read!

An entertaining historical fiction following Thomas Wolsey. Including plenty of romance, drama, and suspense I really enjoyed this book and was interested to hear this story. Most historical fiction from the era tends to follow the monarchs, so it was interesting to learn about someone more in their orbit.

Long before Alison Weir was writing novels she was (and remains) one of the best non-fiction writers on the Tudor period. You can always go into a Weir book (fiction or non-fiction) and expect to experience a perspective you may not have considered. Along with the historical accuracy of her books, this is what I love most about Weir's writing. The Cardinal is no exception and may be her best book yet.

In the books I have read by Alison Weir (16 to-date), the subjects have been centered around the Tudor monarchy and immediate members of the royal family. I was excited to read her account of Cardinal Wolsey, who was very much a member of the inner circle of King Henry VIII, but adjacent to the monarchy. The Cardinal is engaging and enjoyable as a reading experience if you are a fan of historical fiction. However what elevates this book over other historical fiction reads, is that Weir gives us a new perspective on a man we think we know. Wolsey is a man that history has not remembered kindly, which shaped my own perspective going into the book, but Weir uses Wolsey's point of view to reveal his vulnerability and humanity. I also appreciate the author's attention to detail and commitment to historical accuracy.
5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

“The Cardinal” by Alison Weir
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤓🤓🤓🤓

This historical fiction was HEAVY on the historical, but I really enjoyed it. If you enjoyed Wolf Hall, I think you’d love this one. It was very well written and felt fresh, despite taking place in the 1500’s. It tells the story of Thomas Wolsey from womb to tomb and the fact that we are still talking about the characters from this time is really quite remarkable, but they really do have staying power.

Like many readers of historical novels, I use the reading experience as a history lesson , but I am particularly interested in novels as character studies. This book appealed to me for the dramatic appeal of Tudor England and the political intrigue I anticipated.

I found the book much less compelling than I expected. This rich period, and colorful cast of characters should have provided an informative page-turner. It was not that for me.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, and perhaps I was well informed enough about the period that the content was not revealing, but I found the book less than colorful and the language just workmanlike. I was disappointed.

It’s been 15 years since I’ve read a book by Alison Weir, the last one I read wasn’t a good fit for me so I took a long break but thought it was time I tried again. I’m glad I did because this was a very interesting look into the life of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and his close relationship with King Henry VIII. It’s a hefty read at 464 pages but one I became invested, about 15% in, it flew by.

I did a combo of digital and audio, enjoying both equally. If you like historical fiction set in the Tudor time period I think this would be a good one to try out.

Thanks to Ballentine Books and Recorded books for the arc and alc via Netgalley.

A solid historical fiction about a looming figure in Henry VIII’s orbit, this book is very readable- enough fact and background for genuine history buffs but tempered with a very approachable voice. Thomas Wolsey was a fascinating man with the ear of the king, luxurious taste, ambition and intellectual strengths and this book does a wonderful job of portraying his inner thoughts and motivations as he advances through his storied. This would be a must purchase book for our library, and I can see it as a frequent Readers’s Advisory recommendation, especially for fans of books like Wolf Hall.

Show me a book by Alison Weir and that’s a book that I will read.

Tudor history is of a particular fascination to me and Ms Weir is one of the best writers on the subject. An historian, she is able to tell the actual story without losing any of the pertinent information while also being able to weave a powerful tale that will keep the reader’s attention even if they’re already familiar with the history.

While Wolsey has not been a favorite of mine, I know better than to allow my own opinions to stand in the way of a great storytelling experience and I’m glad for that because this novel makes him much more human and his motivations more meaningful.

Whether you’re interested in Tudor history, British royal history, history (with lasting impact), or are just looking for a new read to lose yourself in, I definitely recommend this.



Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC

This novel tells the story of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey’s dramatic rise and fall. His ambition led him to power as King Henry VIII’s top advisor. But his failure to secure an annulment for the king’s first marriage—and the subsequent accusations of treason—reveal the cost of his pursuit of power.

Based on historical accounts, this compelling novel also imagines Wolsey’s personal life, focusing as much on that as on his career. It’s an engaging and enjoyable read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.