Ali K

Henry Tudor Must Die was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, for I am obsessed with the Tudor dynasty. While the novel itself wasn't quite what I expected (the premise made me think it would be a punchy, modernized twist on the history), it was still a relatively enjoyable read.

Though Laine took considerable liberties with certain aspects about the lives of Henry VIII's wives, she still remained true to the stories we have been told. She also did a remarkable job replicating the tone of the era, especially with respect to the dialogue, the decisions made, as well as the outcome of Anne, Lina, Kat, Anna, and Catherine. I was impressed by the amount of characterization each person was given, considering the consistent changes in point of view and the shifts in the storyline. That said, the first half of the novel dragged quite a bit. I truly didn't understand the trajectory of the plot until well into the second act, particularly since the first act relied heavily on exposition and passive description, rather than active interaction and dialogue. However, once the overarching plan was established, the pace of the novel picked up quite a bit and my interest was renewed.

Laine's writing style was very accessible, though as aforementioned, it focused more on description than action. I didn't quite see the point in making Marguerite the 'author' either, for her role in the story was sporadic at best. So too was I a bit surprised by how quickly and anti-climatically the ending shored up all of the loose ends without providing some sort of lasting impact.

Despite the fact that Henry Tudor Must Die is rich in its reimagining of one of the most well known monarchical reigns, Laine's adult debut unfortunately didn't affect me as much as I wanted it to— but that's purely because my expectations were off the mark. I do believe other readers, including fans of the period, will love it, for at its heart, Henry Tudor Must Die is the tale of female friendships and empowerment.

Thank you to Berkley, BookBrowse, and NetGalley for the privilege to read this ARC!